Post 484 recipes, repairs, repertoire, and a rainbow

I had planned to begin this post with the doves who visited on Friday, but the rainbow that greeted me as I was preparing my breakfast on Sunday deserves that honour. 

I managed to snap a few photos before it faded away. It was a great way to start the day - which lived up to its promise.

The morning was spent at Book Club. The choices had been mine, Everyone in my family has killed someone, by Benjamin Stevenson, and Judgement Day by Mali Waugh. Both were well received and provided plenty to talk about. I'm grateful to Brigid for the Stevenson suggestion.

In the afternoon, Katherine and I went to the Adelaide Chamber Singers concert at St John's Halifax St, a well-planned program with two Byrd motets, the Vaughan Williams setting of Ben Jonson's Wedding Chorus, a couple of Ben Van Tiernen pieces and a fabulous rendering of Charles Hutchinson Gabriel's His Eye is on the Sparrow.

A pretty perfect Autumn Sunday in Adelaide.

The signs of Winter are appearing.  There has been a lot of rain this week, and day temperatures between 15C and 18C.     

   

The painters have finished, and on Thursday the doves huddled together on my balcony, looking neither for food nor water, just warmth. I was interested in an article in The Washington Post this week reported on the research indicating mental health benefits from watching or hearing birds.

On Wednesday, after a visit to the optometrist, shopping and cleaning, I made a batch of corn and zucchini muffins, using a recipe adapted from several I had compared, including one sent to me by Vivienne. 

It was remarkably successful. I had a couple for my dinner and, as Vivienne had promised me, they lasted several days, cold or warmed briefly in the microwave.

I will be making these regularly now. 

I was on standby for JEMS on Saturday, but not needed. Niamh has netball for the next couple of months so I spent Saturday shopping and cooking for Monday and progressing the St Brigid jumper.

On Wednesday I also had a message to say my Jacqueline Hick frame repair was ready, so called to pick it up, brought it home and hung it. I can't avoid reflections on the glass, but it hangs appropriately beside two of her paintings and is easily accessible. Jodie did a great job on the frame.

Early in the week I had trouble opening the drawer on one of the cabinets Nordic Design Furniture had made me.  Clearly there was something in the lower drawer  jamming the upper drawer's movement. All my efforts to free it failed and I could not work out how to remove the drawer. On Thursday, after Pilates, I called out at Nordic Design Furniture to ask them to show me how to open the drawer. Daniel, the owner, was there, and extraordinarily helpful. I went home and had the drawer open in about 3 minutes. Yes, of course, I had packed too much into it! It is such a joy to engage with sympathetic and kind people - and to solve problems. The young man who came on Monday morning to service my aircon unit was similarly helpful and professional.

I have also been eking out the Greek Easter biscuits that Panayoula gave me last week. I am putting back some of the weight I lost - due, I think, to the reintroduction of a modest amount of carbohydrates in my diet, including the pasta bake I made  for the first time in over a year for family dinner last night. I see the nephrologist on Thursday, and he will be unimpressed.  I'm going to need help to manage a sustainable diet that keeps my one kidney healthy, and have arranged to see a highly recommended nutritionist when she takes on new patients in September. Until then I need more exercise and fewer carbs. In the meantime, I fronted up for fasting blood and urine tests this morning, so fingers crossed.

It wasn't raining today so I spent the rest of the day doing washing, reading Christopher Fowler's The Waterhouse and making a big batch of Anzac biscuits. I seem to have cracked the recipe that family members (me included!) like. I ration myself - but they may be out of bounds after my visit to the nephrologist on Thursday!     

The St Brigid jumper is progressing slowly but steadily. I am now halfway up the front. Some Ink & Spindle linen remnants arrived today - I have some bag ideas for these when St Brigid is finished.

I wouldn't want to run out of projects!

Post 482 A lot happened

When I began writing this, two painters were working on my back balcony, both young, one female, one male. They are considerate and intelligent about their work, and cheerfully painted through the Vergola.

The delays in painting resulted from a number of things - rain, to start with. As one of the few abseiling teams painting in Adelaide, they get called away to urgent jobs - and a few problems have been found in our apartment block along the way. After substantial problem solving, it seems  that the joint seals on the plumbing pipes running from the top floor balconies through the balcony ceilings below and eventually to the ground, have deteriorated (after 23 years) resulting in leakages which cause damage to lower floors.

There is an expensive 21st century solution - involving a machine that pumps a coating into the pipes, sealing the inside from top to bottom without a break. It's been referred to the Strata. As far as painting goes, this is good news for me because it means the leaks are not coming from the fabric of my balcony, and my painting can go ahead. It's already looking good. They will be back to finish tomorrow morning.

It has been a week for services. My new cleaner did an excellent job on Wednesday. It's a good arrangement for me - except it will occasionally present a clash with WES Group meetings which we will have to resolve. The window cleaner came yesterday - and the air conditioner is being serviced this Friday morning. 

In between, there was a birthday lunch for a friend, JEMS for Niamh, a family dinner of lamb shanks here yesterday (dodging football training and parent-teacher interviews) and Anthony's roast lamb at their place on Saturday, followed by our crossword in front of the Coronation TV coverage. 

On Sunday afternoon I took myself off to an Art auction, where I succeeded in buying the Jacqueline Hick   aquatint etching The Widows  which I was after.  I have a number of Jacqueline Hick paintings and thought this one would round off the collection. I picked it up today. The frame is damaged, and will need repair, but I'm pleased to have it. 

On my way to pick it up I called at Wakefield Press for a copy of their book on Jacqueline Hick. I am planning to document my art works and thought this a good place to start.

I also bought their book on Barbara Hanrahan, based on an exhibition I missed during Covid. 

I'm now ready to get on with the business of documenting. No excuses!

It turned out to be a book day. I got home to find in my letterbox an Alice Starmore book I had ordered. I'm not planning any needlepoint, but I'm interested in her Celtic patterns, which of course, can be translated into knitting or cross stitch. 
 

As well as the book in my letterbox, there was a notice of a parcel to be picked up at the Post Office. When I walked around to pick it up, it turned out to be an unexpected gift from my friend Robin - an amazing knitted mudlark by the Songlark Studio in Kandos, on Wiradjuri country, north of Bathurst in NSW. It looks and feels lovely, and comes with a reference to Matthew 6.26 - a bidding to regard the birds of the air which do not sow, reap, nor gather into barns. An appropriate reminder on what is, here in Australia, budget night! Thank you Rob. A great lift.

I was unusually inspired by another friend's FB post a few days ago. Vivienne made low GI ham, zucchini and corn muffins for lunch. They looked so good and sounded so healthy, I went looking for recipes, and ended up choosing a Keto one that used coconut flour and a lot of eggs. I made them today - and was a bit disappointed. While edible and healthy, they are more quiche than muffin in texture. I will eat the six I made, but will try a more conventional recipe next time.      

I have progressed the St Brigid sleeve. I am currently on the 5th of 6 pattern repeats - and will have plenty of wool. It is challenging and enjoyable knitting. 

Today is my brother's birthday. I do hope he's had a satisfying day in his busy life. We haven't been in the same city for a birthday for a few years now. That day will come. 

It has been a busy and auspicious week in several ways. I've also prepared my presentation on Glazig embroidery for tomorrow's WES Group meeting.

Yesterday's sunrise captured the promise and peace - even seen through the window before it had been cleaned!  I count my blessings.