Post590 Do I dare?

         

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We had another good meeting of the WES Group last Wednesday. The Guild property was awash with activity in preparation for a Garage Sale on Saturday. The library team were meeting as usual but also sorting spare books for the Garage Sale. Phyllis and I snagged the last two on-site parking spaces and several members had to hunt for street parking, not easy with a building site in the block and tradie vehicles parked all along the street. Barbara Mullan showed us maps and photos from her trips to villages in NE India. For me the highlight was the superb collection of textiles she has accumulated along the way. It was no small feat to bring them along and pack them up again at the end.

We did, however, leave the place very clean and tidy. 

That night I captured the moonrise (unrelated fact!).

Because members of the Guild Executive were working alongside our meeting we learned that when the Guild’s new laptop arrives for the Gallery we will not have access to it, but the old one is being gifted to our group. This will work for a while but has spurred me on to explore the possibility of projecting from a laptop to a portable monitor so we can gather more intimately around a table. Much of my week has been spent exploring this, talking it over with our WES computer guru and two knowledgeable OfficeWorks sales assistants.

On Saturday morning I purchased an 18 1/2” monitor which connected to and operated directly from a laptop without needing to be plugged in, obviating the need for electrical testing and tagging, which was proving very difficult to organise. An hour later, while at the Guild’s Garage Sale (with Noisy Miners making their presence felt), I learned the Guild had several tagged and tested powerboards into which it is permitted to plug untagged equipment. After a bit more consultation with our guru, I returned the monitor and swapped it for a 27” one, better for group viewing.

On Sunday I plucked up courage to try the monitor. I got it assembled OK but the connection to my Mac proved elusive. While the HDMI cable fitted, the laptop and cable didn’t recognise each other. I tried the trouble shooting instructions, but no luck. I found it disheartening   

In the meantime, my coffee machine showed the cleaning sign. When I tried to follow the instructions, it displayed both the 'change filter' and the 'descale' signs- contradictory. I changed the filter, but nothing else changed. The manual says these two symbols together mean the machine is cold and needs wrapping in a blanket! The apartment temperature was 23C. I turned it on and off several times. It now indicated the bean container was empty. Nonsense! Further disheartened. Now I had two machines not working and speaking foreign languages. I did get the washing done, a couple of plants potted, chicken Marylands marinating,  rice cooked and in the fridge to dry out. 

On Monday I took the coffee machine back to Jura for service. There were varying opinions from the 2 sales assistants. I refused point blank to take it home to try any of their ideas. The machine awaits a technician. At the moment I don't care if I never see it again, and my plunger is getting a workout.

Last night, after dinner for 7, Fionn enthusiastically tackled the laptop to monitor connection, and achieved it in about 6 minutes. It appears the spare USB converter I keep on my laptop prevented the monitor cord connecting to the adjacent port.  Once we removed the Comsol USB converter, the monitor was happy to connect via the adjacent port and, after a bit of work with an awkward control toggle on the back of the monitor, we were in business.

I was over the moon. Fionn is my hero! I played with it for a bit after the troops left, but haven't yet tried to do it from scratch. Tomorrow Margaret and I are getting together to sort it out, and hopefully finish confident we can reproduce a display at the Guild from both an Apple and an Android machine. I have not as yet removed the clear film from the screen, just in case...

I did, however, after dropping off some Art works at Pack and Send for my brother, trek to Spotlight and buy fabric, webbing and buckles to make a carry bag for the screen.  Am I insane?

Fionn also tried on my supersized beanies for me. He has a reasonably large head. 

With Georgia's help we figured out the largest one (the not-a-teacosy) would be improved my folding the band in half. I'm going to stitch it down so it stays in place.

The 16 ply knits quickly and is certainly warm. These are anticipating more walkers next year.

I found time this afternoon to sit in the afternoon sun for half an hour doing Wordle and a couple of other puzzles. The  balcony is feeling good at the moment.

I feel relieved and thankful that I have support from family, friends, finance and businesses to keep following ideas. I fear (literally) that I am losing my grasp of changing technology and that will limit my output. That's scary, but help is obviously at hand. 

For now I shall try, in my small way, to keep disturbing, in the hope of improving, my little bit of the universe.

Post 545 The still point of the turning wheel.

First thing on Wednesday I made the dress repair for which I bought thread last week. It was a fairly straightforward job once I got the heavier thread in the machine.  I then posted the finished cardigan, bought milk, and  prepared entries for the Guild's SALA Exhibition. Details of the cardigan are in my embroidery blog.

I have a lot of wool left over, including 5 untouched balls (on the right of photo). Plenty for pockets.

As I had a very late toasted cheese sandwich lunch, I took the opportunity to have a cup of soup. Guild friend Lee had given to me a packet to try - pumpkin soup with croutons -  as she thought it was excellent. Of course, she was right. I've subsequently tried the same brand tomato and parmesan, which is OK, but I agree the pumpkin is better. I have a good supply.

On Thursday I gave in and took my coffee machine to be repaired. The selection dial has not been working properly for a week and I've lived in hope of a miracle but that morning it died altogether. It is a solid, heavy machine. I emptied the water tank, cleaned it, found a large box in which I could carry it and set off for the Jura service agent. As usual, there was no parking outside, so I parked over their driveway, and left my boot open while I carried it in. I hate being without my machine. 

From the Jura shop I went on to the Guild to drop of my 7 SALA entries and buy a few bits and pieces from the shop.  I have entered 3 tote bags embroidered on Ink and Spindle linen, the two embroidered faces bags and two printed bags derived from those bags. They fitted nicely in my large exhibition bag

I was now (unusually) early for Pilates, so called at Queen St Cafe for a scrambled eggs with salmon and mushroom lunch. Unusually there were two classes in the Pilates studio, so 7 students and two instructors. Afterwards I dropped the mended dress and Guild purchases off before returning home, abandoning my plan to look at mattresses. That process requires unpressured time, and by 2.30pm I had had enough. 

The cardigan arrived at its destination and was a success. Whew! I have started knitting pockets which will be added later. 

In the meantime I have progressed one of the large sashiko Galaxy Dreaming squares.

On Friday I visited a Guild friend. She is working a stunning silk and gold piece - an ecclesiastical style. I stopped on the way home to buy ground coffee for my plunger - my go-to fallback while my coffee machine is being serviced. I didn't yet have a quote, so I bought a kilo of ground coffee.

Back at home in the late afternoon, another friend rang from the hospital I can see from my balcony, to tell me they have been diagnosed with cancer. They are to be operated on as soon as blood-thinners wear off. It's another shock. They are in good spirits and will see it through. 

After Book Club on Sunday I made a sign for my balcony which I hoped can be seen from the hospital.  They can see the banner, but can’t read it. It does at least make me feel as if I have done something. I have blocked the name out in the photo for privacy reasons. On the advice of one of our Book Club members I painted it on green cloth. My neighbours may be more tolerant of a sign if they associate it with the Olympics! Unfortunately the gold glitter paint I have wouldn't show up! So far no complaints.

Yesterday the Jura technician phoned with a quote for fixing my coffee machine, which is 9 years old.  Replacing the worn-out dial is expensive. It is possible to do a service and lock the dial on to my usual setting, with no movement possible. On balance, I decided to replace it. This morning I called in, had a lesson, and collected my new machine. I set it up as soon as I got home and tried it out. It is simpler than the old machine - and the coffee is good! I have yet to accustom myself to the cleaning and maintenance routines, which will be the real test.  A friend called in and gave her coffee a tick of approval! (I have about 750gm of surplus ground coffee).

Today was capped off with a dinner guest - an old university friend's son who is working in Adelaide for the week. As usual, I only managed to remember to take photos of the food before it went into the oven. Haloumi slices were added ( and a bit overcooked by the time I served) but it went well and we found plenty to talk about.

It has felt a bit as if there is some wheel of fortune thing working for me over the last couple of weeks - the demise of  the bed, the coffee machine, a chair; two friends with cancer. My rational brain says stuff always wears out, gets replaced and we adapt.  I have a great renovated chair and a new coffee machine. The bed is working at the moment and I will get to replace it when things settle down.  Friends are getting the best medical attention possible. I'm finishing (and starting!) projects, connected to family and good friends and meeting new people. The wheel of fortune turns continually. If we cling on we go down but up again. Change - and decay - is normal and inevitable.  Yet after seven decades even small changes are a bit scary. 

At the moment I'm trying to hold myself in the still centre.