Post 489 Various disruptions

The week has been dominated by what I could manage to do without the use of my right thumb! As my brother pointed out, I have been learning what it means to be human. Without a right hand opposable thumb I am diminished.

The surgeon I saw last Wednesday was confident my damaged thumb would heal itself. I left with a lot of information, a rebandaged thumb and a handful of clean dressings and an appointment in a week's time. It has been sore, but not badly so. I just need to avoid using it, knocking it or getting it wet.

I discovered I can knit by holding a needle between my thumb and forefinger, but I can't hold a sewing needle and I can't use the top joint of my thumb to type, press buttons or manipulation. I can cook and clean with my hand protected by a disposable glove and my thumb at an angle. It's improving.

So I have fertilised my plants, taken photos, read, given up touch typing for now, proof-read for my brother and knitted. I have also very uch enjoyed hearing all about Niamh and Veronica's work experience last week.

I finished St Brigid. The detail is in my stitching blog.

I had planned to embroider when this was finished, but that's not yet possible. Nor is crochet. I moved on to a hat from the sample Alpaca-Polwarth blend Adagio Mills sent me. Again, the detail is in the stitching blog. 

In the last couple of days I have finished the samples of the 16 different ways to knit stocking stitch. This involved a bit of unravelling. I found it hard to stick to the specific stitching direction on each sample, however small. My mind would wander and my hands revert to habit.

The samples are currently being blocked. There is a lot to be observed and learnt from this exercise - that will be another blog post once it's dry and prepared. 

On Thursday morning I set out to meet a friend for coffee, only to find my car wouldn't start. I trawled the manual unsuccessfully for the meaning of the dashboard symbol (right). In the end I called the RAA. After some difficulty the serviceman got it started - battery completely drained. I took it straight away to the Toyota dealership where it needed to be left for about 30 hours while they sourced, installed and tested an appropriate Prius C battery. 

Fortunately I had already cancelled Pilates due to my finger.

On Friday, while I was waiting for the call to say the car was ready, a noisy miner visited my front balcony. I have not seen a bird land on this balcony, so took the photo quietly from inside. It didn't stay long, but I felt pleased and privileged.

On my way to pick up the car, once the call came, the city loop bus stopped right next to the Cook Island palm giving me an opportunity to take this photo.  It makes a change from the usual view from my window.

Saturday would have been Jim's 76th birthday, a milestone his renal physician had correctly warned he would never reach. I'm not sure why this age came into their conversation - presumably in relation to someone who had or had not reached it. Another memory milestone for me, a chance to draw strength and give thanks. 

So at the end of this week, my car is working, I am fed and functional, if partially prehensiley challenged, my knitting is progressing, I am supported by family and friends and there are plenty of ideas to develop. Deo gratias. 

Post 457 Birds, beach, balconies - and a blood moon.

This week's bird is the Noisy Miner, managing to dominate the native frangipani for much of the time, although the lorikeets are not too deterred, sometimes insisting on staying while the miners are screeching. These belong to the same family as Bell Birds - Bell Miners - but are not as pretty, nor as melodious.

 

I had a plumber come on Friday morning at 8am. He did a great job, fixing the mixer tap that had come apart, installing a new water filter under my kitchen sink and cleaning out the bathroom sink that was draining a bit slowly. He was done in under half an hour. I decided to roll with the early start and wrap my balcony wall pieces in plastic. 

It looks nothing much but took me over an hour. The  smallest are covered in tape, the others have plastic over them, tucked right under the edges ( handy to have long nails!) and the edges taped.

The Balinese mask on the back balcony looks a bit creepy.

I also moved all the pots on the back balcony into the middle, and added any tools or supplies into the spare bathroom.

I ended up doing quite a bit of cleaning - including  a dish of shells and stones that act as a water source for the birds. and the brass candlestick that belonged to Jim. The brass is taking quite a bit of cleaning to restore its shine. My Brasso was ancient. I did try it, but have assigned it, unfortunately, to landfill. I'm currently trying vinegar. I've added three brass pins and a brass hook to the soak. There's a way to go to get them all into a shiny state!

I invited Theo to inspect and advise, which he did on Sunday morning.  He thinks it's all OK. He brought his ladder and covered the dish mounted too high for me to reach.

 

Saturday was a JEMS day. I had promised to help, and Niamh was able to attend for the first time in several months, since netball has switched over to the Summer program and she no longer has a clash. There were nine JEMS there, five in the younger (8-10) age group - lots of activity, lots of requests for help, lots of sharing. Really good - but I reckon Margaret, the convenor, will have slept well on Saturday!

Afterwards Niamh and I went down to Grange. I had left a bag behind after Friday's Sit'nStitch (ditsy!) and wanted to retrieve it, which I did. As we were there we had our milkshakes at the Jetty Cafe. It was a lovely day. I'm not sure the milkshakes are as good as those at Queen St Cafe, but they are larger, and you can't fault the view.

Katherine was away at a hen's weekend for the wedding of a friend. Anthony got back from Queensland on Saturday morning, but still managed to shop and cook a barbecue, for which I stayed. Great to catch up with everyone. It's exam time.

On Wednesday the wood rounds I had ordered from Stringybark Supplies, arrived. They were much better than I expected. The ready-made set of Christmas ornaments are really bright and cheerful. 

Most exciting, however, were the plain rounds. These are made from radiata pine, old plantations which are now being removed and the land restored to native forrest. An enterprising farmer is creating these rounds from the radiata pine, sanding and selling them - and in some case printing them for corporate merchandise - or as tokens or souvenirs of special occasions.

I found them inspiring, and, by Friday had created 8 of my own, using photographs of lorikeets and Adelaide Rosellas.

I traced the outline of a bird from a photo on my ipad screen, resized it on my printer, then retraced it on to the wood. Then I used either coloured pencils of fine line pens to colour and contextualise the birds.

 I found it utterly addictive. I just wanted to keep going. I was a bit restricted in the birds I could use, because I didn't have a good white colour in either medium, so couldn't try a magpie, or seagull, or raven. 

I have played with Brolgas, to pick up on John Wheeler's The Carol of the Birds. which I learned in Primary School. The white pencil almost worked. I might try acrylic paint.

I've left some with Veronica to see what she can make of them. I am tempted to order another box.......

Monday morning saw me preparing potatoes, broccoli and chicken Marylands for dinner before heading off to the Guild to talk about Bulgarian Embroidery, dashing to buy the bread then home by 2.30 when Niamh arrives from school.  

The painters were already at work - hosing the front balconies down at about 8.15 am.  By the time I got home around 1.30pm  they were working on the overhang above the apartments. To my surprise they had finished my balcony. They apparently painted the ceiling while the first coat dried on the wall, then did the second coat.  I could, the boss told me, remove the plastic sheeting. So I did! 

I was prepared for 5 weeks, and it took 1 day! There is, of course, the back to do, but they now say that won't happen till January! I've reconnected the hose! I might also remove the plastic from the mask.

The Guild session went very well (apart from a few glitches with the technology - fault of the Guild computer setup which needs attention) and there was a lot of interest in both the information about Bulgarian embroidery and the pieces acquisitioned by the Museum.

The footpath outside our apartment entrance has been blocked off - very confusing for visitors, but easy to navigate when you know how. I waited outside for Niamh and Veronica to help navigate. 

Today I was up early to begin the move back. I washed stands and pots as I moved them and (repeatedly) washed the floor. At 10.30am I stopped and went to the Guild to finish labelling Maureen Holbrook's folders. They were in Margaret Morgan's car boot, and she was stitching there today, so it was a good opportunity. I got the job done and had a good time with the group. The folders are now  in my boot, ready to be handed over to Christine in a fortnight's time.

Back home around 1.30pm, I tackled the rest of the balcony restoration. It was fairly heavy work - moving and cleaning a lot of plants. The windows are very dirty, but my efforts with Windex mostly resulted in smears so I think I'll give up on that for a while. 

Probably best to wait and get a window cleaner. I'm now very tired . I'm not used to being on the go all day - and it's 33C today. The plants need a good water (so do I) - and I'm back at the Guild for WES Group tomorrow. 

I watered the plants, had dinner and a big drink before photographing the beginning of the luna eclipse. The blood moon will be at its peak in half an hour - and beyond my photography skills.

A calm end to a busy week.

Post 453 Birds, bougainvillea and 'broidery.

On Thursday morning around 7am two lorikeets were busy on what I think is a native frangipani tree the near my balcony.  They had a fine time. They are supple contortionists, hanging and bending to extract the nectar.

The two worked independently, in different parts of the tree, but stayed in touch by sound and left together. I now have quite a collection of lorikeet photos. I just click away, then edit for an hour or so  afterwards. 

Later in the day, while balancing near the window at Pilates, I noticed bees moving around on the lemon blossom, so detoured past the tree on my way out to get a couple of photos.

Better still, however, was the Bougainvillea - nothing quite like that colour.

On Friday an electrician came,  checked my outdoor powerpoint (all good) and put the powerpoint I wanted on the wall near my sewing machine. I've wanted that for so long - no more extension cord across the room!

He finished in time for me to have lunch at the Grange Hotel and a short walk before Sit'nStitch. We covered a lot of (mostly knitting related) ground and I got a whole cable done.  

           

The Gymea continues to fascinate. The bees have been at work, and the lily has expanded to fill the pot it sits in . You can now see the seed pods that will emerge under the pollen.

It is an extraordinary plant. This is one single flower head!  

On Saturday I got home from the Guild Certificate Course Workshop to find two Noisy Miners feeding on the nearby tree. They are harder to spot than the lorikeets but my patience was rewarded with a couple of shots. 

           

The workshop was on Needle Weaving on Perforated Fabric with Di Kirshner. She is a great teacher, and the session was relaxed, informative, friendly and engaging. Most of the time was spent setting up our piece ready for the weaving but I did get to begin before I left. 

I finished off the first motif when I got home. It is an inspired design that I look forward to finishing. I'm afraid there is a bit of a queue forming! I have finished the piece, but will write a bit more in my embroidery blog when it's constructed.  It has also given me an idea of my Christmas projects - there's a bit of a queue for those too!

The painting of Para Wirra from last weekend's auction is hanging now at Katherine and Anthony's place - and looks splendid. As Katherine says, it is exactly as Para Wirra looked in the 70s. I haven't been there for decades, but I imagine it is more bushlanded now.

Our Book Club met on Sunday and as usual, talked a lot. As well as the nominated books, there was much discussion of Marple: Twelve Stories  and the latest Ellie Griffiths.

My picks for our November discussion are  All That's Left Unsaid  by Tracey Lien, Better the Blood by Michael Bennett and Black River by Matthew Spencer. The first and last are set in Sydney and the middle one in NZ.

The doves have been visiting a lot - especially when I am out on the balcony. One, in particular comes to keep me company. 

Yesterday's family meal was very pleasant. I heard a lot about school dynamics and got some advice on the construction of my Saturday embroidery project. My brother also called with a request for some information - which occupied much of the evening and this afternoon. I had a lovely relaxed morning with Panayoula hearing all about her recent trip to the UK. I so enjoyed sharing experiences. 

When I got home, I had missed a parcel delivery. When I picked it up late this afternoon it turned out to be Genevieve's gift kit of Glazig embroidery. These are the contents.What I haven't captured in the photo is the wool felt that goes under the linen. I am really excited about this. I've got a couple of small projects to finish before I begin this - and a bit of preparation - but it's coming!

Many, many thanks, Genevieve.

I also, of course, have knitting on the go. I've got another 2" (about 2 cables)  to go before the arm decrease. My car is being serviced tomorrow, so I might get quite a lot done while waiting.

I had a bit of drama over the weekend, when, during the Guild workshop, someone found a tub with my name on it, and an attached note, in the office. It was the container of embroidery belonging to my friend Nelly which I had left for the Museum team to see if they would like any items to add to the Museum collection. The note on the tub simply said "Not accepted". I was shocked and upset but kept my reaction to myself. I won't go into all the details, but it turns out that 6 items have been accepted and accessioned based on the note and documentation I had provided (as opposed to the forms I was expecting to provide to Nelly once the team had decided). 

The team is impressed with the items. It is a large acquisition for a space-challenged Museum. Only the remaining items were in the tub. I had taken the note at face value without checking the contents! The letter of thanks to Nelly has been written, but not sent because the volunteer who wrote is has crashed her computer!. This was made clear to me by Monday night, but not before I had mis-informed Nelly and been through a lot of angst!. It is ultimately a very good news story Hopefully, all's well that ends well! Photos of the items will soon be on the Museum website.      

Post 405 Mostly Books, Birds and a Birdcage

Last Wednesday the dove came hoping for food as I watered the plants. I didn't quite get it in the frame of the photo against the jacaranda.  Even though it had rained the day before it doesn't take long for the sunflower to droop.

Although I didn't mention it last week (there was enough gloom without it!), for several days I had been getting continual pop-up notices whenever I opened my email, telling me my Exchange password was incorrect. I don't use Exchange regularly, but for a Sydney University Alumni account I use as a back-up, and for messages from my website. I couldn't fix it. I eventually emailed the Sydney University Alumni office. 

I then went into the city to pick up jewellery repairs - two favourite necklaces are now wearable - then on to Nordic Furniture to discuss the furniture I've ordered. My concerns were addressed when I discovered the shelves are adjustable, allowing me to have two decent book shelves and one  very narrow shelf that would take bigger books lying horizontally.I also settled on polished, non glossy Tasmanian Blackwood.

On Thursday I had a reply from Sydney Uni alumni - saying others had reported the problem and giving me some links to FAQs which in no way helped. Then Microsoft  emailed - since I use this account for my office software. Microsoft instructions worked on first go! It seems this problem was caused by the adoption of two step authentication, which requires a reset. I had to reset on each device I use, but did it quickly and easily.

There were only two of us at Pilates. Martine had prepared a few new exercises for me. Afterwards I treated myself to a late lunch of Grilled Atlantic salmon and salad at the Queen St Cafe - and a lime milkshake.

Late in the afternoon, there was a lot of bird noise, indicating the Noisy Miners were around. Most were hidden in the leaves of the trees, which are now very dense. 

One was perched high on the top branch of one of the trees. It appeared to be a young bird - almost a fledgling but had certainly found its voice.

At the same time the sunflower had recovered and was looking splendid in the afternoon light. I used my DSLR for these photos and discovered a few photos from late September that I had not processed, including several of lorikeets enjoying the buds on the same trees before they developed into flowers and leaves.

On Thursday night I finished the embroidery on the second fridge magnet. On Friday morning I stitched on the felt background and added the magnet. I'm very pleased with these. They are hard on the hands and I am not planning to make the other two in the kit, using the plastic canvas. 

I might, however, try  on either Aida or tapestry canvas. I do have plenty of magnetic strip!

On Friday I also emailed our Strata rep to find out about plans the Strata has for services using scaffolding. It doesn't look as if it will help me with the possible roller shutter repair. 

On a more positive note our solar panels are now operational and we received stickers to put on our electricity box. 

Susan and I both knitted our way through Sit'nStitch. There was plenty to talk about.

Saturday was the last JEMS meeting for the year - and the Christmas breakup. There were seven JEMS there, three tutors and lots of food. They made Christmas angels with beads, wire, a crystal and ribbon. At the end there was a group photo and promises from everyone to be back next year.  A lovely rounding of the year.

Niamh managed to fit in a milkshake on the way home - our last for the year. Anthony cooked some excellent patties and chicken for dinner. They had been spreading another load of mulch to their front garden all day. It's looking great.

During the week one of the Lagartera booklets I had ordered arrived and I have been playing with a couple of motifs from it. It's mostly counted satin stitch, requiring concentration (spot the 3 missing stitches in the photo!) and very effective.

I've got a few ideas for using it. I also checked the Guild Museum and found it holds an example, so I think we will be able to hold a productive workshop next year to meet Maria's request.

I also received the forms to fill out for my two Certificate Course Workshops next year,. The first one is in February, which means I need to have the summary and requirements into the Guild’s December newsletter. In order to list requirements I needed to prepare the kit - print the pattern on to Sulky and finalise and organise printing of the workshop notes so I can calculate kit costs. That took a few hours on Sunday, along with some food preparation and packing away the trundle bed ready for the technician to access the roller shutter controller easily on Monday morning. 

I was well prepared, but, alas, I had it wrong. I waited for the call to give me the specific time. At 11.30 I rang - to discover the appointment was for next Monday! The fault, I think, was mine. I had been very stressed about the problem, and the appointment. Oddly, the misunderstanding, far from adding to my stress, seems to have alleviated it.  Perhaps the efficiency and empathy of the staff member who answered the phone gave me confidence, or put my fears into perspective. Either way, my heart is lighter.                                                                                                                                            Altogether I got a lot done on Monday while waiting - put away the remains of numerous projects - threads, patterns, notes, fabrics. I went to the supermarket, to Create in Stitch and to Officeworks to pick up the printed notes for the workshop. I also prepared the text and photos for my Christmas card this year. I tried printing it at Officeworks and then Snapfish. Officeworks predict a week longer to deliver, so I have ordered with Snapfish. Another reason to feel light-hearted. 

I had a discussion with Taetia at Create in Stitch about a class they have advertised for February next year - two Saturday's with Di Kirshner teaching Christine Bishop's Birdcage Etui. I did Christine's class for this at BATB in October 2014, finished one panel and the scissor fob but have not progressed it since then. I've been thinking about it recently and would like to finish it. Unfortunately, the second day of Di's class is on the same day as the Certificate Course Viking Workshop. I may be able to do the first day of the class and join one of Di's Stitch and Chat mornings to finish it. Or just stitch it.            It's time has, I think, come.  Nordic Needle have a downloadable pattern for it.                                                                                                                                  Today I put together the kits for the February Viking Embroidery workshop and wrote the notes for the next Guild newsletter.  I have to pick up 18 pieces of wool flannel from the Guild on Thursday and hopefully a few skeins of Appletons wool and the kits are ready.

This week I booked in for a Moderna vaccine in early January, following the advice of my nephrologist. I later discovered only Pfizer can be given as a booster and Moderna requires some proof of immuno-compromise. I have left a message for the nephrologist to find out how to proceed. Our borders opened today and there is a fair bit of apprehension. I have now linked my vaccination status to my SAGov check-in App, the first of the new requirements.

In between organising the kits I've been reading Louise Penny's A Fatal Grace - a great treat.  Sally Coulthard's book arrived today.  It looks as if it's going to be a winner - so I'd better get on with Louise Penny.