Post 546 One foot up and one foot down

On Wednesday I had a fairly slow start, but got the washing out by 8.30 and eventually got back to the Jura shop to return 5 unopened filters for the old coffee machine which they swapped for the new machine’s filters. -

I took myself on to the parklands for a short walk, checking out the birds and tree growth. It’s a while since I’ve been. The eastern section of the creek is dry.  

The wattle is blooming on cue. 

August 1st was always Wattle Day to my mother, who had celebrated it at school, a curriculum item that no longer applied when I went to school, but the wattle doesn’t forget.

This tree is doing its best to imitate a reindeer. 

I had cancelled Pilates on Thursday in favour of a haircut followed by an afternoon performance by the Choir of Kings College Cambridge at the Adelaide Town Hall. 

I woke in time to capture the sun rise just following the moonrise. Around 8.30am I had several strange emails from Musica Viva, the sponsors of the choir, with new receipts and a reissued ticket. Eventually an email explained that the seat I had originally booked (from the Musica Viva website) did not exist and they had found me another seat!

Like many venues in Adelaide, the Town Hall is being renovated. It currently covered in scaffold. Inside there are new seats - iron backs with slight padding. The numbers are on the front edge of the base, so you have to raise the seat - or get on the floor - to see. I was there early enough to watch the confusion and join in the communal instructions as others arrived.

PROGRAM

George Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759) Zadok the Priest, HWV 258 (1727)

Giovanni GABRIELI (c. 1554-1612)O magnum mysterium (1587)

Olivier MESSIAEN (1908-1992)Les Anges, from La Nativité du Seigneur (1935)

Morten LAURIDSEN (b 1943) O magnum mysterium (1994)

Olivier MESSIAEN Transports de joie, from L'Ascension (1933-34)

Edgar BAINTON (1880-1956)And I Saw a New Heaven (1928)

Damian BARBELER (b 1972) [music] and Judith Nangala CRISPIN (b 1970) [poem] Charlotte (2023)

NTERVAL

Maurice DURUFLÉ (1902-1986) Requiem, Op. 9 (1948)

I’m a fan of this choir, and it's good to hear the organ being played. Photography during the performance is, of course, not permitted.

I enjoyed the first half but bailed at interval. I was uncomfortable on the seat, my sciatic was flairing and I couldn’t face another 45 minutes, so came home and found a recording of the Durufle Requiem to listen to.

It was lovely on the balcony in the sun - with a cup of coffee. Durefle hasn't touched the pedestal on which I have the Faure Requiem!.

I had finished the first pocket for the Cardigan on Wednesday. I knitted a small hem at the top, turned it under and stitched it down. I think the strengthening might be needed, but I wanted the pattern to match unobtrusively on the outside.

Before starting the second pocket I took a short break  to dip into my next project.

This is the first square of a healing blanket for my hospitalised friend, using Martin Storey's Midwinter Blanket pattern and Rowan Felted Tweed. It requires following a chart  closely, but maybe after 8 of them I might have it in my memory!

I like the result, so  satisfied that I returned to the second pocket of the cardigan before a relatively early night, waking to a sunrise that seemed to reflect the knitted square of the night before at least in colour terms!

I had plenty of time to knit over the weekend, in between preparing for Monday’s dinner. Saturday night was the fund-raising quiz night and auction for Veronica’s Cambodia trip, so no dinner. I supplied some items for the auction but did not attend. It raised $19,000, a huge credit to the 17 girls involved (and their long suffering parents)!

My hospitalised friend underwent a major operation on Saturday and is recovering in a room facing the other way. So far, so good.

I haven’t made pies for a while and I don’t think I have ever served these together before. Both are from my well-worn copy of The Food of Greece by Vilma Liacouras Chantiles (1979). The round one is Kotopita (chicken pie with cheese and herbs) and the rectangular Pastitsio Makatinia me Feta ( pastitsio with feta cheese). 

They were both well received, but there was too much liquid in the chicken one - I’m not sure why - possibly too much stock in the bechamel.

We had 8 for dinner. I made a batch of lemonade scones (in case we needed more carbohydrate, which, of course we didn’t). As always, great to catch up with the kids’ activities (parents, I’m afraid, didn’t get much of a look-in). I’m grateful for some gift chocolates which I sampled tonight.

I finished the second pocket. I will stitch them on next time the cardigan and I are in the same city! 

I am now focused on the healing blanket, beginning by knitting one of each of the six motifs which will appear in varying numbers in the 35 square blanket.  I've completed 3.

I had my annual visit to the dermatologist yesterday. She has frozen off a couple of harmless but itchy growths behind my right knee and given me antibiotics for an inflamed cyst. If this hasn’t healed by Friday she will arrange a visit to a surgeon.🤞🏼 

I woke this morning as the birds returned from their overnight roost and managed a quick photo from bed. I had had a very late night and managed to sleep another couple of hours before I faced the day.

I spent the afternoon helping a friend with an insurance claim, and managed to finish the third square for the blanket. 

I'm now tired and ready for bed. Tomorrow is my monthly Hostess day at the Guild and a daughter's birthday. I do hope she has a happy one. 

Post 439 Resilience required on all fronts.

Wednesday turned out to be delivery day - my next round of bush food plants arrived, as did two books and a couple of designs from Tatiana Popova. This was a bit of luck - all on a day when I had no commitment, so could stay home and wait. The books came by courier, which I dislike, as there is no guarantee they will be taken somewhere convenient for me to pick up if I am not home. It was not, however, an issue this time. I did need to get some milk. I had enough for one more cup of coffee and I was saving it until I became desperate. However, all parcels were here by 2pm and I went out straight away for milk.

On Saturday I went to BigW to pick up a couple more books - this time for our next Book Club meeting. I also bought 3 pots for the new plants. The books are The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill and Once There Were Wolves  by Charlotte McConaghy.

The two that arrived by post are both embroidery books. This one (right) I thought might be of interest to the World Embroidery Study Group. I've been through it and compiled a list of ideas we could explore next year. I'll run these past the group and see what members think.    

The second book, bought on a whim, has proved very interesting indeed. I hadn't thought of stitches in this way, although now it seems obvious. I think some of the Junior Embroiderers will also find it interesting.

The third of last Wednesday's parcels was the chicken panels I had bought from Tatiana Popova. They are lovely, but not, I think, to be embroidered. I have put them to use to repair a couple of t-shirts. Details in my embroidery blog.

On Friday I had lunch with 4 friends at the Adelaide Oval Hotel. I have lived in Adelaide now for 49 years and never been to the Oval in the day time.

This was the view from our table.

There was activity on the ground - marking out the sponsor's  ads for the football match the next day - Port Adelaide vs GWS. The local team won.

Following a suggestion from Katherine I had parked at the Cathedral - a few minutes pleasant walk from the Oval. 

Plenty of plants to look at on the way.

I finished the horsey blanket and gave it to Brigid on Saturday night. She and a friend are now house-sitting for family friends. She took it with her and is finding it useful. Again, detail in my embroidery blog. I'm missing the warmth of the blanket over my legs as I stitch - so have been using the blanket I knitted years ago while recovering from an operation.

I haven't started a new embroidery project as I'm working to finish a couple of knitting projects. There is a bit of a contrast in size and texture!  My head is buzzing with knitting projects, but I am focusing on clearing what I have and steadfastly resisting buying more wool!

Yesterday I potted up the bush plants.  A is a finger lime, B a blue flax lily, C a cut-work daisy and D a yellow tea tree.  The plants were, again, well packed and in good condition, so here's hoping. They look good so far.

Today I had a mole removed from my knee. I've had many removed in the past, but not for many years. It went smoothly and I am now resting it at home. I can't shower for 2 days but can drive and go out provided I don't walk very much.  I can go to the Guild tomorrow as long as I don't have far to walk from the car - which I don't. Stitches come out in 3 weeks and the excised piece has been sent for testing.

My walking program is now on hold for several days. Yesterday I shopped to ensure I had food for a few days and then walked around the Hameji Garden, where pollination was a bit of a theme -some bees at work and seed distributing plants in hidden corners. 

            

I have been trying to increase my vegetable intake this week - mostly salads with salmon or tuna, tinned here, but also fresh.  I admit, however, that my carbohydrate intake has increased a bit in the cold weather. I'm managing to maintain my weight although not reduce it further.

My Adelaide family had booked a holiday in the Northern Territory - leaving early tomorrow morning for 8 days in Darwin, Lichfield and Kakadu. With 6 diaries to be aligned, it has taken an enormous amount of organisation. Today, with the last preparation ticked off, and the taxi to the airport booked for 4.30am, one granddaughter has tested positive for Covid and the whole thing is off. So sad and frustrating for all of them.                                      

This is the world we live in. The theme certainly seems to be resilience.