Post556 Farewells and Welcomes

Not only is my coffee machine home and working, but as of Thursday my old bed is gone, and the new one in place. The old base had to go down the stairs, but the old mattress and new bed went in the lift. The photo is the deliverers taking the old, and the packingmfrom the new, to their truck, which they managed to park in a loading zone two doors down. I had reserved a parking space for them right outside, but they were concerned they might damage a tree! Fabulous service. 

I made up the bed with one set of double bed linen I had from way back when and the summer quilt, which works fine. There is about 30cm of extra space beside the bed, so I swapped a bedside cabinet for a slightly larger one in another room. I had a big pile of washing  to do over several days. I also discovered that some companies are no longer manufacturing double bed linen! Queen size is now standard. I got the last pair of double bed high thread count cotton sheets at Adairs. The saleswoman told me to buy a lottery ticket!

I had cancelled my Pilates class when the contractors informed me on Wednesday that delivery would be the next day, probably late morning. In fact they were gone by 10.30, having rearranged their schedule so I wouldn't miss Pilates! My spot was still vacant, so I did, indeed, get there, even buying the spare sheet set on the way! In the evening I went out to dinner with friends - a really delicious Feed Me menu at Noi. So quite a day.

On Friday I was home for a delivery of rose quartz earrings and stitch markers - a fundraiser for Breast Cancer Awareness Day. I wore mine to the first Sit'n Stitch in several months that afternoon. We had a great time catching up and eating Susan's fabulous cheese scones. Luckily she gave me some to take home. My brother phoned as I finished bringing the washing in and we talked for the best part of an hour, after which, since I was into my fasting time,  cheese scones seemed like the best dinner, which they were.

Our apartment block is made up of four pods, each with its own entrance. Apparently other pods have plants and/or art works in their foyer, so we have followed suit with a new pot plant, there when I got home on Friday.

On Saturday morning I picked up the necklace I had taken for repair - costing less than quoted because it turned out to be threaded in sections, only one of which needed to be replaced. I took more in to be fixed, ranging from replacement of hooks or clasps to a remake of a pair of broken earrings and a broken garnet necklace. 

The replaced fittings were done on the spot, but the remaking has been left and will take a couple of weeks. I'm likely to find some other broken jewellery in time, but for the moment I think that's it. I'm glad I got organised enough to get these done.  They can now be put to good use.

Last night's dinner was a bolognese pasta bake, which I haven't made for a long time, mainly because I have cut back on my own pasta intake, and Fionn was also, at one point, avoiding carbs.  There were only 5 of us, so there is a lot left over, ironically divided between Fionn and I - the two who stopped the pasta menu!

On Sunday I did Carol Stacy's pulled thread work class at the Guild. The project is a lovely little leaf sampler. While I love the project, I had difficulty by the afternoon with my back and my eyes.  I was using magnifiers, and a seated hoop, extended so the work was close to my face, but I still had eye strain and a very sore back by the afternoon. I left a few minutes early, came home and rested a bit in a supportive chair. 

Once my eyes recovered, I picked up the Chaffinch. It’s an interesting contrast to the counted work. Although I was using the same size seated hoop, it didn’t need to be so close to my eyes, so my posture is better. I was by then past the detail of the bird itself, which might have required closer work, but only for very short periods. I finished the Chaffinch and mounted it the next day. It now hangs on my door and the full story is in my embroidery blog.

I returned to the counted sampler on Monday, limiting myself to about an hour at a time. Even though I can get more comfortable at home, and avoid the back issue, my eyes feel the strain and need frequent rest. Three hours at a time is out of the question.

I spent the best part of today at, or focused on, the 1pm funeral of my friend Lorraine. On Monday night I was asked to read Psalm 121 as part of the service, which took me by surprise but oddly made it easier for me. Nothing like a sense of purpose. I learned afterwards that she had, at one point in her illness, threatened to write her eulogy herself and get me to read it!  

While the photo of her on the order of service was very much Lorraine the Burnside matron, the photo on the screen throughout the service was the one I had taken of her in her Frida Kahlo outfit when we went to lunch in December last year!  There were singable hymns and  a beautiful rendition of Faure's Pie Jesu by a member of the congregation,

It was clear that I wasn't the only one puzzled about Lorraine's early life.  It was equally clear that we all  respected her, and valued her friendship, too much to intrude.

After the service, Lorraine’s friend who had accompanied us to Ukaria late in April took me to her car to give me the Christmas present Lorraine had left for me, a Morgan and Finch tote bag containing two scarves and a bottle of wine! Not even I am that far ahead on Christmas presents, and Lorraine had left them for six of her friends.

The church yard was full of stories and energy. The funeral processed the 20 minute drive to Centennial Park where, at 3.45pm, her body was interred in the same grave as her 11 year old son who died of cystic fibrosis in 1977. Stayers returned to St Theodore’s for afternoon tea!  

I came home to let my cleaner in. He, however, was delayed and is now coming tomorrow. It was too late to join the interment and a bit strange to turn up again at the Church Hall for a very late afternoon tea! The spirit of the occasion, however, was such that I was tempted. Her funeral service did her proud, and left me grateful to have been part of the community that called her friend.                          

Finally, an update on my blackbird nest. On the weekend I glimpsed the male putting food into the mouths of three upturned chick faces before flying away. Since then, both adults have been absent a lot. The male has been back often, but until tonight, I had seen no further sign of young. This evening I once again saw an open mouth being fed before the adult flew away. 

The photo I snapped of a chick wasn't good enough to be of use. This is the best I can do of an adult. As young fledge within two weeks, I should have better evidence next week.   

Post 553 ticking off the list

Lee’s funeral was on Friday. Margaret and I travelled together to the Coromandel Valley Uniting Church and met another Guild member there. We parked in front of this tree with its remarkable ‘birthmark’. 

It was a service programmed in advance, in detail, by Lee, with, I think, 8 hymns  (1 cut because of time overrun) several readings, prayers, eulogies, a slide show and homily followed by finger food (sandwich filling specified by Lee). I was pleased to be there with friends and to come away with a rounded view of a life,  both purposeful and fulfilled.  I'm thankful to have known her.

Prior to that, the week was relatively quiet. I spent much of Wednesday finishing off my presentation on Phoebe Anna Traquair for the October WES Group meeting. My memory needed refreshing since my interest derives from a 2015 Crewel Work Company Embroidery Tour. 

I ticked off a bit off the ‘to do’ list on Thursday, washing, having a prescription made up, picking up hearing aid batteries, Pilates and then a very late lunch at Queen St Cafe - an enormous vegetable frittata.

The Noisy Miner is back, terrorising the doves and strutting briefly around my balcony.  Hopefully the lorikeets will arrive before too long and reestablish a less autocratic pecking order.

It's been windy, quickly drying out the plants. A few on the western balcony need repotting, but it's not yet quite the weather to do it.

It is, however, a good time to buy plants. Nurseries are full of Spring plants. I decided to skip the Certificate Workshop on Saturday, which was all about dyeing. I’m interested, but couldn’t face messing about with paint and an A4 sheet of fabric.

Instead I went Adairs and bought another plant stand for a large philodendron I bought a few weeks ago. I’ve had it on the balcony but as the weather has warmed it has looked sad so I've brought it inside.

The main purpose of this Saturday excursion was to buy a new stick vaccuum cleaner. The technology has improved significantly since I bought mine in 2015. I had researched and chosen my updated model, which was currently on special. This pushed me into biting the bullet. I had done my research but had not reckoned with the skill of the salesman at The Good Guys, who talked me into a different brand AND the extra 5 year warrantee which I usually steadfastly resist. 

My old one, (left) which after much rearranging on my part, fitted neatly into a kitchen cupboard, has a 7 minute working time in between charges. 

The new one, which, with it’s stand of attachments, fits into the cupboard only with a lot of effort, will run for an hour in between charges and is housed in a casing which,  on docking, extracts the dust into a disposable bag. 

I'm looking at alternative arrangements that might make this a bit easier to access. At the moment I'm still a bit scared of it. I managed to charge it and try it out on Sunday after Book Club. It certainly moves smoothly and does a better job than the old on. I'm still smarting from having been convinced by a salesman, but comforted somewhat by checking the new one out on Choice and finding his claims born out and the rating of its previous iteration equal to that of the one I had in mind. The warranty does give me substantial discounts on things I use. 

Once I’d taken the plunge on replacing the vacuum, and bought a plant for the Fair Isle rope pot, I continued to a bedding shop and spent quite some time discussing my replacement bed requirements - a job I’ve been avoiding for weeks. To my surprise, I found this far less pressured than the vacuum cleaner experience. The saleswoman took a lot of time to discuss my situation and needs, took my research seriously and suggested only minor modifications to my choices. My big issue was delivery and removal.  I chose this company because they will remove the old bed at the same time as delivering the new, and recycle it. Not every bedding company will do all those things - or won't do them at the same time.  My worry has been that at least the base of the old bed will need to be carried down three flights of stairs. Other components may  go in the lift, but I can't be sure. On Monday I had a call  and a quote, with the delivery cost negotiated with the deliverers, who usually change per item, per floor but have compromised.  I will go ahead and order.

Book Club was at my place on Sunday. There were only four of us, and parking was no problem. It was, again, an interesting and lively discussion of aspects of the genre as well as the chosen books themselves. I think the format of our meetings is a good one. Discussion of the chosen books is followed by each of us talking about the Crime Fiction we have read since the last meeting. It provides lots of ideas, and also discussion. More books added to the want-to-read list, of course, but also to the books-to-avoid list. 

I've managed to borrow one I thought interesting on Libby - which means, of course, I have to move it ahead of others I own on my reading list!

Monday began with a blood test at 8.15am. Amazingly no wait. Home for breakfast, then off to the CBD on the city loop bus to pick up the package of documents from the legal firm they were lodged with 10 years ago. Home again to scan the documents before heading to a meeting with my accountant/solicitor. So much got sorted in just over an hour. My tax return is lodged, my will, Advanced Care Directive and Power of Attorney are with my solicitor and I have both hard and electronic certified copies. Even though no changes were needed to the documents, they are now in the appropriate place and condition. A 10 year check and update was certainly needed. I have a few other documents to add to the deposit. 

It was hard to know what to wear for this day of visits. It was sunny but cool when I first left home but quite warm when I finished around 4pm. I settled for bamboo trousers and a brushed cotton top which proved to be the perfect colour for a necklace made by a daughter several years ago. That acted as a talisman (/woman?) throughout the day and saw me through. The shawl I added in the morning was discarded when I shopped for fruit on the way home and bought fresh prawns for my dinner.

Today I found another top that went well with the necklace since the weather is suited to wearing wool against my skin. Today it saw me through hours reviewing my password register, now reduced from over 700 to 350 entries. A printed version is in a sealed envelope to add to the deed deposit. 

Around 3pm two tradies arrived to check out the roof leak. Their inspection, inside and out, hypotheses the problem might be a screw, on a solar panel strut, piercing the roof - but they want to see it in the rain! I'm not hopeful. Steady rain, lasting more than 20 minutes, is rare in Adelaide, and the chances of getting them here in time are not high. However, we make progress, however slow.

These mundane tasks today prevented me making the progress I'd hoped to make on the shawl of left-over Uradale wool. I'm now increasing every row rather than every second in an effort to widen it. I have about another 40 grams to use up and blocking will improve the spread a little. I'm liking the look, and think it will prove useful.

As the sun went down this evening, I felt as if a lot had been, if not put to rest, at least progressed and somewhat tamed. 

Tonight I can feel all is well, safely rest.

Post 543 My chair is back!

The big event of the week was the return of my chair - re-overed, comfortable, clean and smoothly delivered to its customary place by 9am on Friday. It even has removable arm covers, neatly held in place by an inconspicuous swivel button on each outer arm.  It's great to have it back. It is the most comfortable and supportive chair I have.

The idea of the matching cushion was to replace one, a kantha embroidery on a green ikat background, that clashed a bit with the maroon cover on the couch. 

Once the new cushion arrived, I almost immediately set to work to remove the embroidery from it's ikat background and washed it ready to transfer. It took a while to dry, but before I went to bed I was able to pin it on. 

On either sofa or chair it was going to work! I went to bed happy. Over the weekend I stitched the Kantha on to the cushion by hand. It was a bit awkward to do, working with one hand inside the cushion cover. I had a bit of undoing to keep it straight.  I think it works on either chair.

I used the last of a roll of thread I inherited from my maternal grandmother. It was in her sewing kit when she died. This is the cardboard cylinder in the centre. The company seems to have been taken over by Coats, still in Seven Hills. My grandmother would, I think, be pleased to know her thread was useful in my home.

Wednesday was World Embroidery Study Group day at the Guild. Arrienne, who is a long-term member of the Guild's Museum team, talked to us about the Signature Cloths, in particular, a History Trust project the Guild undertook a few years ago, to catalogue Signature Cloths in South Australia. Over 150 were identified and catalogued, containing some 37,000 signatures, Most are held in local museums, belonging to organisations, families of local councils.  A spin-off from autograph collection, Signature cloths were used for fundraising, memorials or celebrations. Invities signed their names on fabric and a needleworker embroidered over the ink signature with thread. 

This is a sample of signatures on a 1901 cloth from Mt Barker in the Adelaide Hills. The catalogue and photos are available on the Guild Museum Website

It was an engaging and informative presentation. Few of us had any idea of the scope of the project and its cultural significance.

The Agave at the Pilates Studio has opened a bit further at the lower levels.  The bees are loving it.

I took the opportunity to visit Queen St Cafe for a lime milkshake. The chef had left for the day, but the owner made me a ham and cheese croissant. 

I accepted the quote for my fabric blind. It's likely to take about 6 weeks to make.

Late on Friday afternoon we got a message to say there was no free-to-air television coverage in the building, presumably caused by damage to the rooftop aerial. Someone was booked to fix at at 11am on Monday. 

Fortunately I can access live television via my Apple Box.  I nevertheless watched 3 episodes of British Gardens in Time on Britbox. I found them surprisingly interesting. I really like history through a specific lens, and this proved to be just that. The aerial was restored yesterday. I watched the final episode last night. I recommend it to anyone interested in social history (or gardens!),

In my little patch of garden things are responding to the rain. The poinsettia that blew right out of the soil is justifying its rescue..

There were 4 of us for dinner last night. Anthony was at home dealing with urgent aircon issues. The vegetable and sausage bake proved pretty easy to prepare and to eat. This time I used potato, carrot, parsnip, capsicum, fennel, brussel sprouts, an apple, some broccolini and a sprinkle of fetta before serving - a bit of a combination of recipes. One of the benefits of this dish is the choice it gives individuals. Katherine and I ate the brussel sprouts! 

We had a wide ranging conversation, and it was only this morning, after I woke up for the 5th morning in a row with lower back pain, that the significance of the discussion about beds hit me. I've been focused on  my sleeping position and hadn't considered that the bed might be the problem (duh!). It doesn't seem saggy but must be close to 20 years old.  It's queen size, and I have only turned the mattress once in the last few years, because I can't do it on my own, and it's never convenient or on my mind when there is anyone here to help.  To see if I could somehow swivel the mattress, I moved the bed on its castors away from the wall, Only then did it occur to me that, while I couldn't lift or swivel the mattress, I could swivel the  bed! 

That done, I remade the bed the other way around. It means no valance at the bottom of the bed (since I can't lift the mattress to change the valance). The quilt isn't long enough to cover it, but the cotton underblanket is - and I'm not that houseproud anyway. Looking at  it anew, the side on which I have been sleeping is noticeably lower than the other.

I am working out the logistics of buying a new mattress, but in the meantime, I will be interested to see how my back is tomorrow morning.

I have undertaken to talk to the World Embroidery Study Group in September about Phoebe Anna Traquair, whose embroidered panels, now in the Edinburgh Museum, were the subject of a class at the Crewel Work Company's Embroidery Tour of Scotland I attended in 2015. It's been a while since I thought about this, so I've been revisiting it, reading the two books I have (thank you, Christine, for one of them - it has been put to very good use, and brings back memories of some good times we shared).

I got entirely absorbed in it for hours today. My PowerPoint is underway and I am enjoying refreshing and updating my understanding. 

Last, but by no means least, the knitting!  I'm not as advanced as I would have been without Phoebe Anna, but I am now on the final reduction for the raglan part of the sleeeve.  The photo shows the current piece, on the needle, against the other sleeve

About 60 rows to go, but they are reducing rapidly. I should be well into the front edging by next week. 

My comfortable, supportive chair will hopefully get a bit of use.