Post 480 Birthdays, bats, bees and baby cardigan.

Last Wednesday was the first 2023 meeting of WES Group - really engaging talk by Raelene on her visit to the 2016 European Patchwork Festival in Alsace. We had a big turnout of 16, very engaged with the presentation. We are also getting organised for the Guild Exhibition next month. Unfortunately, I was so busy coordinating I forgot to take photos.  That evening the bats were about. The evening star was also visible. It doesn't show up well in photographs but I have inserted a faint arrow pointing to it in the centre right.

Thursday was morning coffee with Panayoula before Pilates. 

Friday brought Lorraine's 90th birthday lunch time celebration at Lenzerheide. There were 13 of us enjoying high tea. One was unfortunately on a delayed flight from Brisbane and another ill in Melbourne. Lorraine was looking relaxed and elegant. I grabbed a quick photo of part of the table.

I took the opportunity to wear the coat dress and the earrings given to me for my birthday by my daughters. Swish. I even bought some foundation makeup - haven't used it for over a decade. I forgot I would need makeup remover - so spent an inordinate time scrubbing my face before bed! 

Sunday was spent cooking for a birthday dinner on Monday. I had considered roast pork but that was to be the family's Sunday dinner, so I settled for Moussaka - more preparation but a smoother run on the day. I'm trying to stitch something for each birthday, and February is a birthday month so I've been busy.  This is from the bee scarf for yesterday's celebration.

I also finished the second baby's cardigan. This one really is for a baby, not a toddler.  Hope it's what is needed. 

Today I visited my podiatrist, whose parents are renting a house in the Barossa Valley, while waiting for the water to go down in their home on the Murray River. Flood waters reached the top of the kitchen benches in their first (not ground!) floor kitchen. From there I visited Bunnings to buy a few replacement plants before joining Tuesday stitchers at the Guild. I'm working on another birthday gift! 

Back at home I have found homes for the plants I bought. I still have a couple of empty pots, so there's room for more. The bad news was a traffic fine in my letterbox- a claim I disobeyed a red arrow, which has caught me by surprise. I have been quite careful - especially at the intersection in question. It's worse if it happened and I don't remember. I don't, however, think I will argue. I was at the intersection around the nominated time.  A bit depressing - but at the moment I am philosophical, confident and resilient. 

After several days of pleasantly cooler weather, the temperature is rising again. From 29C today, we go to 35C tomorrow and 38C on Thursday. After a couple of high 20s over the weekend, the forecast is for 30+again next week. I'd rather it were cooler, but it is fairly usual for February, and could be worse. I need to keep the water up to those plants. 

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.