Post610 Feels like Progress

Still feeling chuffed with the result, I spent time on Wednesday writing up the account of my needlecase finish. On a roll, I tackled the remaining 40% of the needlepoint cushion cover, making good progress until interrupted by a phone call from Will, asking if he could call in to assess my rangehood cover request. He arrived half an hour later with his young daughter in tow. While he measured and muttered, his daughter and I explored boxes, display cabinets, puppets, earrings - anything that caught her eye. It was a joy to see such a lively mind.

Even more astounding was the phone call 24 hours later asking again if Will could call in. This time he was accompanied only by the box he had made. After a couple of trips to his van to make adjustment he left me with a finished cabinet and more useable storage! Before on the left, after on the right. Amazing.

My luck ran out with the Jura coffee machine on Sunday. On Saturday I called at my coffee supplier and bought three kilos of coffee beans. The machine has been telling me for several weeks to descale the watertank, but not allowing me to do it. Last week it told me to change the filter, which I did, three times, but it would not continue. Yesterday I once again returned it to the Jura service agent. The receptionist is hopeful, but who knows if I will ever see it again. 

After leaving it I took myself off to buy a coffee grinder and a metal drip filter. I need backup coffee making methods, and I might as well grind the 3 kilos of coffee. Yesterday I made my breakfast coffee with a Vietnamese Phin filter (above). I used to travel with this and have not used it in 15 years. The new larger filter (right, front) makes up to four  cups. The coffee pot has not seen use in years, but will keep several cups warm - a better proposition than using a plunger. Today I ground enough fresh coffee to fill the filter and poured enough water over it to half-fill the pot and give myself a couple of refills throughout the day. Getting the hang of it!

I’ve been working  on the bluebirds cushion through all this excitement, reaching, on the weekend, the point of filling in the remaining white background. On Thursday I got fed up with the roller frame continuously loosening and went searching for locally made slate frames. Create in Stitch are now contacting their local carpenter to order me one. It won’t help with Bluebirds, but I have two more in the queue. 

This evening I finished the white background. I have ordered 3 zipped cushion backs that are a 44cm square. The embroidery is 37x37cm. I therefore have to work a white border all around to cover the difference. It won't be interesting stitching.

The steady rhythm of half cross stitch in a single colour is conducive to thought and last Saturday as I stitched I began to plan my Christmas cards. Before heading to bed around 11pm on Saturday night I thought I’d just check out my photos in readiness. When I did go to bed at 1pm I had the design in my VistaPrint cart, along with some stickers and bookmarks. I did have the good sense not to press order so spent Sunday morning refining and adding to the order. Life has taken its toll  on Christmas cards in general. Mine are not exempt. The list is now down to those who don’t get my blog, live across the planet, or have  got them since childhood, This year’s front photo is of the flowering gum over Jim’s grave.

Sunday was All Souls Day, and friends and I went along to St Peter's Cathedral, where St Peter's Music Foundation sang Faure's Requiem as a Mass at Evensong. I love Faure's Requiem. Although I have sung it and heard it many times as a performance, I have never heard it in context as a Requiem Mass. It was a very remarkable, calming and thought-provoking experience. It surprised me. We had dinner after at A Prayer for the Wild at Heart. A very special evening.

Today it is cold again. I even have the heating on! We had a couple of  fairly warm days and it has  been raining for a couple of days. The new geranium  has benefitted, opening up and developing buds.

The technology surprises kept coming. On Friday I had a call from Internode Support, in response to an email I had sent enquiring about my modem. After answering many questions, and many holds, I was transferred to Customer Support (more questions and holds) who eventually informed me they were sending me a free WiFi6 modem in recognition of my long loyal service!  It was delivered today and installed this evening by Sean the Geek.  It took two hours and I was very pleased I hadn't tried to do it myself. It involved information and processes I did not know. A lot was different since I installed the last one some 8 years ago. I can't hope to keep up with the tech changes. The new TV, now predicted to arrive in two weeks time, will hopefully connect to and work smoothly on the updated network. 

I'm grateful to have access to friends and helpful experts. I'm feeling less anxious about it all - and grateful. 🙏

Post 412: the first of 2022

The first part of the week was hot in Adelaide - over 35C from Wednesday to Friday and 30C on the weekend. It's not unusual at this time of the year, and could be a lot worse. I don't enjoy the heat and was happy to spend most days inside with the aircon on low. 

It did make for some pleasing sunsets. 

Like much of the world, we are in the midst of an Omicron outbreak. Although the raw numbers in South Australia are not huge, 16558 active cases, 101 in hospital and 12 in ICU, this is high on a per-capita basis, and higher than at any other point in the pandemic. Testing demand has been so high that the definition of close contact has been modified and testing on arrival for interstate visitors removed.  There is considerable unease in the community. I, like most friends and family, are being ultra-cautious. Rapid antigen tests are in very short supply. I have managed to obtain a pack of 5 from Sydney which arrived today.

New Year's Eve fireworks were moved from the usual riverbank location to a smaller park with ticketed seating and controllable entrance and exit.  They are a fairly tame affair in Adelaide anyway. I was pleased with the move, because my view of the riverbank is blocked by high rise buildings, whereas  I have a view of the sky over Rymill Park, the new venue.

I enjoyed 8 minutes of fireworks at 9.30 and again at midnight. While waiting I watched the three episodes of the BBC's excellent Scotland from the Sky. It brought back memories of walking Roman roads and visiting many prehistoric sites when living in Scotland.

I discovered on Thursday that Christmas cards I had sent overseas on 30 November hadn't arrived yet, so I sent out an email version. I don't expect all my absent friends to send cards, but I love getting news from them at Christmas. Cards suit me because I love the medium of photographs with narrative and make my own.  I'm not fussy, however, about the medium in which I stay in touch with friends.  It's been lovely this week, between Christmas and New Year, to catch up with a number of friends by phone, email or social media. I've had lovely long conversations one way or another. That's hugely satisfying.

It can also be sad. Today a Christmas letter brought news of the death last year of a favourite NZ cousin of my mother's - not much older than me - who I met as a teenager. My mother (on bride's left) was at her wedding in England in 1966.

My only two excursions for the week were to family for dinner on Saturday night and to the optometrist on New Year's Eve. My eyes have improved significantly. I have now weaned myself from the steroid cream but need to continue the lubricant at least 6 times a day and the hot packs at least once. The condition, it seems, is genetic and treatment long-term. I also had the eye test for my driving licence and went straight to the Post Office, put it in a registered envelope and mailed it. I usually deliver it to a Government Service Centre but figured it wiser to trust the mail than mingle in a place where I would likely have to wait. 

One thing I accomplished at home was to organise the needle box my brother bought me at an auction. I am still looking for packets of needles in the various project bags and pouches I have but I can see how useful it will be to have a place where all the packets are together and visible.

There were about 40 packets of vintage machine needles in the box, mostly size 2 or 1, with a couple  1/2  and a 0. While I might try a couple in my machine, there are way too many for me to use in my lifetime. A dressmaking friend will find good use for them. We've agreed to meet up once there is less Covid circulating. 

In between conversations with friends and family, I've read several books, including some more research on the Celts and Anglo-Saxons for my WES workshop this year, and worked on a couple of pieces of embroidery. 

This is the next stage of the Hearts and Roses project. 

I need to complete six of these sides (left), six matching lining  pieces (right) and six inner pockets.

So far I've completed 3 sides and 3 lining pieces.

I've also worked on a mandala to cover some of the zipper holes on one of my tops. 

Mandalas make good grab and go projects and I plan to do a few more for other tops.

I've also watched the first and part of the second series of Brokenwood and, as a break, replayed the first of Ben Fogle's Scotland's Sacred Islands. which I love. When I was in my teens, I can remember a conversation about what I would be doing when I was 21. My father said, out of the blue, that if I had any sense I would be travelling in the Hebrides, the most beautiful place on earth. He didn't elaborate but it stuck with me. I didn't make it when I was 21, but when I was 25 and Jim and I worked in Scotland, I made sure we explored what we could of the Hebrides. We got to Skye, Mull, Iona, Harris, Lewis and Orkney. I haven't seen all the world, so don't know if my London-born father's assessment was accurate, but he was definitely on to something. Ben Fogle raises the concept of 'thin' places - where the 'real' and 'spiritual' worlds are close together. Or magic. I don't have a travel bucket list. The Hebrides, however, still call to me, or, as the song says are puttin' love on me.

This morning there was a crashing on the roof, signalling the return of the abseilers. They have covered my Vergola once again. This time they are painting the wall. It began too windy today to paint, but they have holes to plug. The plastic pipe seems to go into the gaps between the wall sheets. I'm hoping they will get most of their work done while I'm (hopefully) at Carrickalinga next week, assuming the Covid situation allows.