Post 424: Books, a bird, booster bookings and St Brigid.

Who knew there was an Orthodox monastery on Mull? It wasn't there when I visited 50 years ago! My Viking Embroidery research reminded me that the Celtic monastery and church of St Cuthbert and St Ninian, established in the 6th Century on the site of Ninian's Holy Well at Kilninian on Mull, had been abandoned as a result of Viking raids in the 10th Century. The church was rebuilt in 1755 and had since been deconsecrated.  I then discovered that the Orthodox Monastery of All Celtic Saints has been founded there in 2010 and is now operating as a community. One of their fund-raising ventures is the production of Embroidered House Blessings featuring the blessings of Celtic Saints on wool tweed cloth from both Mull and Harris.  

Of course, I ordered one. This is a house blessing from St Brigid, on Mull tweed, now hanging just inside the entrance to my apartment. It arrived this week, bearing this extraordinary sender address . It seems those who join the order take the title 'Seraphim'.

This is my last nostalgia photo for a while - March 2017 in Keswick, catching up with cousins and drifting along Derwent Water. I haven't given up hope of seeing either my cousins or Derwent Water again, but I am, as ever, so glad we got together when we could. 

On Thursday morning I finished the second attempt at the Mosaic Carpet Bag. I'm pleased with the result - and also pleased to have finished it. There's an account of the finish in my embroidery blog.

I'm sure some readers will have noted that I am posting more frequently to my embroidery blog. I've returned to my pre-Covid habit of using it as a record of my embroidery projects (for my own benefit as much as anything) rather than filling this blog with embroidery detail.    

While I was stitching the lining on my machine, I appliqued a couple of motifs over the holes on a bamboo top (those pesky zip holes keep appearing!). The motifs were embroidered on silk by WES members and not claimed after a display. I like the look.

On Wednesday I had coffee with Zoe from the Uni SA fundraising branch. I'm interested in the innovative work in remote learning now underway. 

I was back at Pilates on Thursday and a bit sore on Friday. My instructor and her daughter have had Covid in the two weeks I was isolating. The daughter ended up in hospital and is now recovering. I did a bit of food shopping on the way home, Adairs were having a sale so I called in to buy another plant stand and pot, then filled it with a philodendron from Barrow and Bench on Friday. I really like these bamboo stands which sit so lightly on the carpet. I now have three of them.

I also bought a cactus euphorbia and 

an Ascot Rainbow euphorbia - which look nothing like each other, perhaps not surprising as it turns out there are over 2000 species in the genus.

On Saturday I attended the Guild's Certificate Workshop where Arrienne took us through some Turkish stitches. Like most things, it took a while to get the hang of it, then became fairly straightforward. 

I haven't worked on the Aesop Frame since June of last year and haven't posted a photo since May 2021 when I finished the peahen.  This week I have finished the green woodpecker and am now on the hare, in the bottom left hand corner of the frame. 

On Sunday the Crime Book Club successfully met at my place - after last month's postponement due to water works in the street. We covered a wide range of books and generally enjoyed ourselves. I'm the picker next month (for what we read for May) so I'd better get my brain into gear.

Monday's dinner was a bit of a relay - 6 people coming from and going to various work, school, sport and church commitments. A lot of fun for me - it's what dynamic families do.

I keep getting notifications from Academia, a service I don't subscribe to, notifying me of mentions of the half a dozen papers I wrote between 2000 and 2009 while completing a Masters. I have, it seems, just had my 100th mention. Since I don't subscribe, I can't view the mentions, so have no idea if it's positive or negative. 

That was then. I'm glad others have found it useful as they build knowledge.

Sunsets here are my regular Vesper doxology, it's less frequently that I open the blinds to that first blush of a new day with all its promise. Yesterday I reread 'East Coker', the second of Eliot's Four Quartets which begins In my beginning is my end, and finishes In my end is my beginning.  I still find it profound. 

Today that promise was amply fulfilled as Panayoula and I spent two hours reflecting on Life and the Universe as we do each month. We've agreed to learn about 'sovereignty' before we meet next month.

My original mandevilla is loving its larger pot, rewarding me with both height and flowers. I might end up moving the others to the eastern balcony. Morning sun seems to be more to their liking than afternoon.

On Saturday the Australian Government authorised a second 'winter' booster from 4 April for those with underlying conditions and over 65s, so I immediately booked at my local pharmacy for 9 April.  Today I booked my flu shot for 20 April. My weight loss has slowed but not stopped. I've now lost 22 kg, and am losing about 1kg per month.

Post 419 - birthdays, bats, birds, books and a bag

 The finishers turned up again on Wednesday, appearing suddenly and noisily in a scissor lift at the front of our building. They were doing some detailing on the corners and balconies of the new building. I could have stepped on to the balcony and asked them what they were doing, but I chose not to. 

The neighbour below me on the first floor was finding it difficult. The noise is worse closer to the ground and I gather her windows are not reflective, so she also has the discomfort of workers being able to see inside.

It will be very good to see it finished.

It's been a bit of a celebratory week. Thursday was Brigid's birthday. Unfortunately someone in Niamh's class at school was diagnosed with Covid, and she became a school contact, so generously stayed home while insisting the rest of us continue to the Ky Chow for a celebratory dinner. Brigid, I think, had a good day. She is an extraordinary young woman. 

Friday took me to a new restaurant at Henley Beach for my much delayed birthday lunch with friends.  

It's quite a while since I've been to Henley Beach in the day time. It is looking very clean and spruce. The restaurant is upstairs in the building on the right. I've marked a blue cross roughly where we sat on the balcony.

I rather liked the outlook - the geometric lines as well as the sea and the open square. I really enjoyed the company, the air,  my yellow fin whiting (a form of smelt whiting found off the south coast of SA) and the geometry, as well as the open sea and sky of this view. 

Beach lunches are dear to my heart, as are these friends.

Saturday was a JEMS day and Niamh was cleared to go after several RATS.  It looked like an active and engaged session. Niamh came home with a linen she had painted ready to embroider.  Interesting.

I finished the second of my Sentinelle cushions. I learnt so much from this one - about colour and design as well as about imagery and culture. I've written about the creation of it in my embroidery blog. The imagery thinking will take me a bit longer.

I've also finished one side of the Mosaic Carpet Project Bag as it should have been knit. I like the result. I hope the wool holds out for the other side! It will be touch and go on a couple of colours but I do have some backup in leftovers from earlier projects.

The doves have visited a few times this week. On Sunday morning  one did the puffed up feathers, flattening on to the warm paving thing. 

It is way out of breeding season and the partner's reaction  appeared to be of the  'are you OK?' variety. It looks like a bird version of a hot pack on an injury.

On Sunday I spent a couple of hours creating and ordering some bookmarks from photographs to use as gift cards. I haven't done this before and it took me a while to find a company I was happy with and to get the hang of their software. I created three different ones. One used a sunset photo, one a frangipani and one birds. It will be interesting to see how they turn out. 

There have been a few spectacular sunsets this week.

I've managed to read a couple of books, read a chapter for my brother, catch up with a couple of friends by phone and progress my Goddess presentation For most of the week I avoided spending time trying to capture the bats, 

but caved in on Monday evening, after the family had gone home and I was on the balcony as the light faded.  As I finalise this on Tuesday evening, I can see them flying past in the gloaming. There were storms and heavy rain in Sydney today but it's been exceptionally clear and calm here in Adelaide and a pleasant 28C.  February is often very hot in Adelaide - frequently over 35C. It is forecast to be 31-32C for most of this week. 

I'm grateful for the mildness - and the bats will be too.

Post 418 Mostly Sky.

Much of my attention this week has focused on the sky.  It began with my attempts to capture the bats as they come at twilight to feed in the large Morton Bay fig tree in the Square. Left is the best so far.

I have also taken time most days to  enjoy the view from my living area as the sun is going down. 

It has mostly been temperate enough to have the doors open , so I can catch the breeze and sounds of the birds returning to roost - an hour or so before the bats. Another photographic challenge! This group looked like geese or cranes.

Coincidentally, there have been some lovely skies - too good not to photograph.

The Scots, I think, are right to use  'gloaming' rather than 'twilight'. It still captures the idea of 'glow' that was in its Old English root word 'glōwan'. 

I've found this time of day relaxed and peaceful this week, a time for reflection and thankfulness. 

While I've been focused on the sky, I have neglected taking photos of activities. At our Friday Sit'nStitch Barbara blocked her shawl on Susan's design wall, but I didn't photograph it. It looked good but wasn't completely dry when we left. 

Sunday was Anthony's birthday and on Saturday we went to the River Cafe for a birthday lunch . It was a lovely meal and a fun gathering in a beautiful setting, but I forgot to take photos. Monday was the first family dinner of the year at my place. It was a privilege to hear first hand impressions of the first day of face to face learning for 2022.   I made an impressive pastitsio in filo, and had every intention of photographing the table but again, forgot at the critical time. Multitasking seems to be eluding me.

The plants I bought last week are looking splendid on the back balcony, as long as I keep the water up. They droop very quickly if I forget, but reward my attention with harmony and cheer each morning.

What's more, it isn't only the evening sky which attracted my attention this week. This was taken at 8.45am on Monday, looking East.

The sky, however, has not got in the way reading and stitching. The first of the Bush Sentinelle cushions is finished. I have recorded the detail in my embroidery blog.  

I have now begun the second Bush Sentinelle, alternating with continuing the Authorised Version of the Mosaic Carpet Bag. 

It looks a lot  more compact than the first version. It will be interesting to see how it comes together in construction when finished.  

I am being very cautious. I know people with Covid or who are close contacts. My doctor's appointment today was  rescheduled as a phone call and postponed for a couple of weeks so I can get blood tests done. I saw the podiatrist and picked up some printing from Officeworks. I'm still treating my eye about 8 times a day.  Two positive milestones: my weight loss hit 21 kg today; and  I now have enough resources to put together something about the long history of Goddess Embroidery for the WES Group. Better knuckle down and do it!