Last Thursday was the 12th anniversary of Jim’s death. Rather than posting tributes, this year I channelled my grief into negotiating a small remembrance: a plaque on the back of a seat in the newly refurbished Dunstan Playhouse at the Adelaide Festival Centre, where we attended many productions. I haven’t been much in recent years because renovations have made parking difficult, restricting me to matinee performances when I can use the city loop bus. It nevertheless feels a fitting thing to do to mark both the anniversary of his death and his birthday in three weeks time.
Jim was an actor at university and in his first years of teaching. He acted in a review entitled Drip Dry Dreams in the 1970 Adelaide Festival, with Rory O’Donahue and Grahame Bond, but gave up acting in favour of teaching. My daughters and I worked out the wording of the plaque and I selected a seat that has a decent view of the stage and is easy to get to - my more recent criteria for best seat in the house! The plaque can be read from two seats in the row behind, and also while descending the aisle. It will be there for the next 25 years. There is not a lot on offer at the Playhouse for the rest of this year, but I have booked the seat behind for a matinee performance in early December and will look at a State Theatre Company subscription next year if building works permit.
I made the effort to swim last Wednesday. It was cool and overcast. I changed, washed and hung our my bed linen, most of which still required half an hour in the dryer on Friday before I heading out for a big shop at Frewville Foodland. They have the best range of chipolata sausages, which I wanted for Monday’s dinner. I ended up with small duck and fennel sausages, kangaroo sausages and chipolatas of traditional English pork. The dish went really well and lubricated the conversation for six of us on a cold evening.
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Saturday was the monthly market at St Margaret’s Woodville, not held last month because of Anzac Day. The rain was pelting down most of the morning. I waited for it to ease a little, getting there around midday. I came home with three more pots of sword fern and a native lemongrass, just about visible in the lower right of the composite photo. .
On Sunday I planted them on the front balcony, disposed of most of the dead plants, fertilised and watered. Watering seems anomalous in this weather, but little rain reaches that balcony. Also, because watering it thoroughly involves running the hose through the living room to the kitchen tap, I have neglected it somewhat.
It looks as if Three Bags Full will arrive tomorrow, giving me time to read it before Book Club.
I’ve progressed the Berwick cardigan.The unironed section marks progress since last week. It now measures 54cm. There is another 6cm to go to finish the sleeve steek, and 10 cm to the shoulder. While it's relaxing and pleasurable knitting, I'm beginning to plan a couple of small embroidery projects.
I feel pleased with the week.
