Post 382 Feeling a lot better

One way and another this was an eventful week for me. My rib continued to steadily improve and I ventured to Pilates on Thursday. My 3 classmates had been concerned about me and welcomed me back. Martine, our instructor, listened to the whole sorry story before working out a program that took account of what now seems most likely to be a bone bruise. I was tired after (I also did some shopping) but pleased I’d gone.

 

We had a fair bit of rain during the week. The doves came looking for food and I obliged from the doorway. The dove scare less about getting wet than I do. They made a pretty picture.

The Adelaide Rosella also made a brief appearance late on Friday afternoon. It's been a while and I didn't get very good shots.

Earlier on Friday I had my appointment with a renal physician, following the recommendation of my GP in relation to my recent blood test results. I was quite worried about it. I knew my weight was putting me in the pre-diabetes range, and that diabetes is a significant problem for kidneys, especially if you only have one. From my GP’s reaction to my blood test though, I was concerned that there might be another unknown problem impacting. 

Dr Carroll turned out to be the nicest medical specialist I’ve ever seen. Apparently he organises all kidney donations in South Australia and has developed an interest in the ongoing health of kidney donors. After introducing himself (that put him ahead to start with!) he thanked me for my contribution to the community, and informed me he would bulk bill my treatment (meaning no charge to me) because “you’ve done your bit!”.  

I was very taken aback. He went on to go through my history and referral in an open, empathetic, evidence-based way, without a hint of judgement. It turns out that the whole issue is my weight, and the likelihood it will trigger diabetes. I now have a practical and achievable plan to lose weight. I see him in 6 months time and, if I haven’t lost 10kg, I go on to the Optifast diet.  I have lost weight before, and know (1) it’s not easy and (2) I can do it. I know, too, that this is vital. I am hugely relieved. I feared other unknown problems, but this is the only danger sign. I am not underestimating the danger. I had already modified my diet to remove much of the fruit on my breakfast. Now I have a target, a plan and support.  

Between Friday and Tuesday, as I write this, by returning to some first principles, reducing the amount of fruit on my breakfast, eliminating icecream, watching the size of serves, and not eating between 7pm and 8am, I have lost 1kg. I intend to allow myself one or even two icecreams a week if I can keep up the steady weight loss.

I've also got a couple of ideas from this book which I had bought since my GP signalled the problem. I am not following the diet (no 8 week fix for me) but there are some useful recipes and ideas.

On Saturday I taught a workshop on Icelandic Embroidery to the Guild’s Certificate Course. I’d been a bit worried about this too, but after the doctor’s appointment the weight was off my shoulders and I began to look forward to the workshop! My concern had been that some of the students might not be very interested in what is fundamentally history of embroidery. 

My fears were groundless. Students liked it. The kits worked, the PowerPoint went over well and everyone chose one of the projects to work on and got on with it. There were questions and loads of discussion. 

The stitches are pretty simple and did not need demonstrating but Christine used the camera to project my samples on to the screen to show the detail which was brilliant. Christine has asked me to give 2 workshops next year on Viking and Anglo Saxon Embroidery respectively, both of which I am researching for the World Embroidery Study Group. I'll need to think up stitching projects for both of them - which the WES Group don't need, but it's a nice challenge, and a compliment to be asked.

I had made 20 kits and have 6 left in case external students want them. I went home and on to Katherine's for dinner with a much lighter heart than I've had all week. Lots of youthful conversation was icing on my (entirely metaphorical!) cake.  There was, in fact a real cake. It would have been Jim's 74th birthday last Thursday and Katherine made his coconut cake.

Before I went to bed on Saturday, I blocked the shawl on the floor which had just been cleaned. I look forward to having a frame for blocking. Even when I’ve lost weight I will find blocking on the floor difficult, I fear. 

To give an idea of size, the trunk in the background is 90cm long. 

By the time I went to Grange for Sit'nStitch on Sunday afternoon, it was dry and I could try it on.I'm very pleased with it - better than I had expected to be. It has blocked well, and falls down the back well below hip level. It's very warm.  I wasn't planning to keep it, but I'm having second thoughts. In fact, I am sorely tempted to go to the Yarn Trader and buy enough wool to make one for each of my daughters....

Jennifer worked a bit more of Sophie's Universe at Sit'nStitch. It is looking truly fabulous. She was, I think, up to to row 93, with 20 more to go. The rows now, of course, are very long.

After seeing the specialist on Friday, I had managed to shop for Monday's planned lemon chicken dinner. I cooked the chicken on Sunday morning so I could skim the fat off on Monday morning and still get to Basics to Beyond at the Guild.  I was up in time to snap the sunrise hitting the trees.

On the way to the Guild, I detoured to get fresh vegetables. My version of lemon chicken is served with noodles, and I wanted to avoid eating too many myself so bulked up the meal with vegetables I like (turned out to be a good choice for everyone!).

At the greengrocer I bought a newly displayed product - popping corn still on the cob- to try with the kids this afternoon. This was the attached label. Unfortunately, instruction no.2 does not tell you how wide to make the fold at the end of the bag. I obviously made my folds too wide. The bag burst in the microwave. 

The popcorn tasted great once I'd gathered it from all over the microwave. I think the instructions and the bag need a bit more work.

At B2B I got some helpful advice on my latest bag. On the left are two of the remnant pieces I got from Ink and Spindle a couple of weeks ago, big enough for a shopping bag. I had intended to embroider on the lines between the pattern. Gay suggested embroidering along the lines of the pattern, rather than between. Others agreed and also suggested random, rather than regular. Collective intelligence really works. At the moment I am experimenting with a mixture of both options.

This morning I woke to find my dove friends making a pretty picture on my balcony rail, patiently waiting for some seed. Before obliging, I hung out the washing. They didn't immediately leave, but flew away when I moved to the rail end of the washing line.  I put down some seed, then resumed hanging clothes. To my surprise, they returned and cautiously approached the seed. By then I was hanging the last few things and could do so without moving closer to them. It's the first time they have stayed while I am less than a metre from them.

Later in the day I ventured to the post office and to Create in Stitch to pick up the Sewline Anniversary Box Kit I had ordered. It's a bit of an indulgence, but I've been caught a few times at classes without a fabric pencil. This kit is overkill (for a non-quilter at least!) but I figure having all options in one handy box might make things easier.

I checked the washing this afternoon. As soon as I began to take in what was dry, the doves arrived. I put out a little more seed - and they stayed, approaching the seed while I was still there. I didn't venture close to them, but they continued to feed as I busied myself 1 metre away from them.  I think this is a bit of a milestone. 

My day was rounded off by taking the girls to netball and cooking myself vegetables with smoked salmon for dinner. 

I have only managed a small advance on my Baby Boomer Teachers book this week, and I now have the necessary Admin password for my blog and an arrangement with Nelly for updating. I'm very content with that. 

South Australia's borders are now closed to 5 of the 7 Australian States and Territories because they have active community cases of the Delta variant of Covid. There are no community transmitted cases in South Australia at the moment. We have 2 square metre per person limits indoors, seated service only in hospitality venues, and masks recommended in public transport and events. Family in Sydney and Queensland are locked down. Our vaccination program is slow, largely because supply is slow. 8 days to my second jab. 

Note to email subscribers.

Feedburner, the service that provides the email version of this blog, has notified bloggers that the service will cease from July. It looks as if it will run to the end of July but in preparation I have set up an email list of those of you who have subscribed so I can manually post the blog to my list, using bcc so that your email address is not revealed to others. If anyone wishes to stop getting the email version, just let me know. Once I send it manually, my email address will be visible to recipients. As this blog is in the public domain, I don't wish to publish my email address here. Most of you have it anyway.

Post 337 Mostly Myreshka Embroidery

 

Today there was a Wake and lunch for Susan Monks, the friend who died on 20 November 2020. Out of an abundance of caution, I didn't attend. I'm sure it will have been a time of good food, friendship and great stories about Susan. She was a remarkable woman and a good friend. I find myself reliving the conversations we had in 2020 - and having conversations with her in my head, drawing on her wisdom as I think things through.                                                                                                                                        My world, and the education community, especially in South Australia, is so much richer and wiser because of her life. I rejoice in it.

I was woken just after 7am this morning by the noise of drilling on the building site. By the time I left home just before 9 am there was heavy equipment operating - a bit rich on Saturday, with no notice given to neighbours (at least not to this neighbour).

I was heading to a Certificate Course Workshop at the Guild so escaped the noise. I suspect my neighbours one floor below were less than pleased. Might be worth a phone call to the Council on Monday.

As I headed out I also received a text message to say a parcel was due to be delivered today. Another sign the times are out of joint. We haven't had Saturday mail deliveries for decades. I suspect parcel deliveries are contracted out, so the contractor is free to deliver out of normal business hours. 

Of course, when I arrived home there was a card to say I had missed the delivery and can pick it up after an indecipherable time on Monday.

There were about 18 students at the Guild Workshop. The much anticipated video camera had arrived and yesterday had been installed and connected to the overhead projector. 

It has been set up so an instructor can sit with the camera trained on their hands, projecting the image to the screen as they work stitches.

      

In a Covid world this means tutors can work within distancing recommendations or requirements, without students gathering around them in a circle.

The dangling cord is not ideal, but most students can sit fully distanced where this doesn't impact. 

The workshop, taken by Christine Bishop, was on Myreshka embroidery - drawn thread work from Russia. It is worked in blocks, using very specific and fairly simple techniques demanding a fair bit of concentration until you get the sequence and rhythm.

Part of the concentration is, of course, counting the threads. We began by working the border. Here the pin is marking where I counted 5 threads instead of 6. Fortunately I could undo from the shorter end. My new glasses and magnifier worked well - but obviously didn't prevent a miscount.

I do so enjoy these workshops. I mostly do my own thing, following the instructions and concentrating. People ask questions freely, and the answers help us all. There is enough familiarity to be comfortable and caring but a high degree of focus ensures productivity and shared purpose.

I find them nurturing and enriching.

We remain seated one at each end of out 1.5 metre long, 2 metre apart tables for lunch. The kitchen can now be used by two people at a time, but no-one that I noticed took advantage, except to pour water from the kettle boiled by the Covid Marshall. I brought my usual biscuits with cheese slices and a tomato. I'm making good use of my Sashiko napkins to cover the table, and use the lid of my container to cut the tomato.

This is where I got to. The last row I worked at home. I am playing around with patterns and numbers of blocks between 'holes'. It is a most flexible technique. It is, by the way, usually worked in thread the same colour as the fabric, although there are no rules. I chose to work in a contrasting colour to help me see what I am doing. 

At Katherine's place I caught up on the first three days of school - all interesting, fairly balanced assessments, with friendships and relationships to the fore. 

Brigid had finished making her dress - the one for which I bought the pattern two weeks ago - this afternoon and wore it to a party tonight.She looked smashing.

There was also the feast of barbecued meat, roast potatoes, salad and broccolini. I finished another crocheted circle.

After returning home tonight I finished the blue wren. I am always surprised at the difference the seed stitch makes.

This is now ready to be appliqued on to a bag.

These are the two linens I am considering for the bag, kangaroo paw pattern on the left, bottle brush on the right. I think it goes better on the bottle brush.

I have one more of Nicola's birds to do. At the moment I'm thinking I could turn it into a Western spinebill, which feeds on kangaroo paw.

A friend has offered to drop in her collection of family embroidery tomorrow morning for me to examine and document over the next couple of months. 

The sunset summed up the day - from dark to light with persistent pink.