Post640 Dedication

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.

Post 639 Have you any wool?

On Wednesday I set off to see The Sheep Detectives at the Palace Nova Cinema at Prospect. I haven’t been for a while and expected, at midday, to be able to park behind the cinema. I discovered, however, that they have reduced their never-generous parking by half and there was none to be had. 

After three times around the block and a stop to check sessions at other cinemas, I gave up, returned home and took myself to A Prayer for the Wild at Heart for lunch, after which I sat on the balcony, reading and watching the wildlife. 

On Thursday morning I picked up my new mouthguard. It took about 25 minutes to achieve the adjustments needed for a perfect fit. It’s much thicker (and stronger) than previous ones but I’ve been able to wear it all night without any problem. The colour is to help me locate it easily. No doubt it would also serve to scare off intruders!   It’s designed to be the first one that I don’t crack in use!

On Friday, and much of Saturday I hunkered down with my Early Medieval Embroidery books and articles, trying to advance my August talk. I have ODed on information. The challenge is getting a clear storyline, eliminating the extraneous and selecting appropriately copyrighted illustrations.

I think I now have the general storyline, but not yet the order. 

When I got my head out of the books and laptop on Friday evening, I realised Saturday was potentially the last fine day for a week, so I got the washing done and hung out before heading to the butcher on Saturday. It didn't do me a lot of good. There was neither sufficient wind nor sun to dry thoroughly. In the end I caved in and finished the load off in the dryer on Sunday.

It's good for stitching and writing - but lousy drying weather.

 The 8 lamb shanks I bought on Saturday for Monday's dinner weighed about 4.5kg. They looked like small legs. Fortunately, there was a full turnout for dinner yesterday and all were consumed amid the lively conversation. I turned the remaining liquid into pasta sauce, some of which I had for my main meal today.

I’m making good progress on the Berwick cardigan. I have ironed it a couple of times both to get rid of the curl on the edge and to be able to measure length more accurately. 

The steeks for the armholes are now in place, making three steeks in all. The piece now measures 40cm, with 24cm to go, according to the pattern. I’m calculating the remaining grey wool will be enough, but  I do have a plan B.        

I eventually found a cinema and session where I could park and see The Sheep Detectives.

 It looks as if it leaves Adelaide this week, so today I took myself off to see it in the middle of the day at Mitcham. It was an entertaining, clever mix of genres - murder mystery, moral tale, fable, with touches of romcom. There are various improbabilities, but I think it works. There is some excellent acting.  The messages of inclusion, honesty,  courage and community are well integrated. It was feel-good without glossing over sadness or badness, - and without schmaltz. I did not realise it was based on a book. 

There were no local copies for sale and a four month wait for a library copy. I am the chooser for our July Book Club discussion books, so I have ordered a copy from World of Books. If it arrives in the next 3 weeks and lives up to the film version,  it might be one of my picks.🤞

I missed swimming today to see the film - so that's tomorrow's commitment.