Post 433 Rain, an anniversary, book club and stitching.

It's been raining in Adelaide for most of the week and set to continue for another. We  get most of our rain (such as it is in the driest State in the driest continent) in Winter and this is a little early - and a little more than we expect. Just north of the city there has been wind and rain damage in a tornado-like pathway. 

Here in the city traffic has been slow and tricky, the weather squally. The clouds are moving swiftly, making varied patterns and effects, especially around sunset.  I love the effects.

Saturday was the eighth anniversary of Jim's death. While I think the last year has been a transition of sorts for me in adjusting to life without him, the loss will always be profound. I remain grateful and increasingly amazed at our good fortune in meeting and living the life we had together for 45 years. 

It's quite a legacy.  

There were a few quiet achievements and pleasures that marked the week. 

I saw my renal specialist, who is delighted with my weight loss and improvement in test results. I see him again in a year's time. I need to keep on top of it. I want to stay well - and it would be a betrayal if I didn't take proper care of my remaining kidney.

My repaired blind has been returned and reinstalled by Mark, who took great care and explained the process. For the first time since I moved in, there are no knots in the cords and both heavy and light options work smoothly. I'm still waiting on Vergola repair and carpet cleaning.

I cooked lemon chicken on Monday night, and also tried a recipe for zucchini fritters which was a bit of a success. The fritters need to be eaten within an hour of being made - but they were good. 

I also made another batch of Anzac biscuits. I'm a glutton for punishment, as my mother would have said, but I was determined to produce a good batch. It worked. As usual I was too busy to photograph them when first made. This was what was left after the family went home on Monday.  No black edges, and quite a chewy texture - which I prefer.

It's good to have a bit of energy for cooking - but not so good for my weight program. No weight loss this week. 

Saturday was a Guild Certificate Workshop on Crewel Work Battlement Trellis, taken by Di Kirshner.  Di structured it to encourage experimentation and student design. I tried for a moon motif  using intersecting circles, aiming for a form of goddess symbol - waxing, full, waning imagery. It began well, but came adrift a bit in the middle. I ended up doing a lot of unpicking.

I was reasonably happy with the finished product, but I now need to work out some elements around it. It's proving to be a challenge to keep to my moon concept and stay within the Jacobean crewel tradition that was the basis of the workshop.  I'm playing with some ideas, but in the meantime, have moved on to Brigid's blanket.

While I can't photograph the whole blanket, which now has the words 'when you wake, you shall have, all the pretty little horses, dapples and greys, pintos and bays, all the pretty little horses" around the edges. I've printed the horses Brigid drew as a child on to Sulky Stick'nStitch Solvi and begun embroidering the horses. Here the first horses - dapples - are in place. I've removed the Solvi from two 'dapples' and begun on a 'grey' The dapple doesn't show up well in the photos. I will move into colour soon.

Our Crime Book Club met on Sunday morning. It was a very engaged and interesting meeting. My choice of three books with the title A Spoonful of Murder  worked a treat (whew!). We welcomed a new member and Kerrie's facilitation led to good sharing. 

I also had a post-election debrief meal with friends who go back a long way - and many elections, as well as a Friday Sit'n Stitch, Saturday night family dinner and quite a bit of texting and phone calls with family and friends. All strengthening.  

Tomorrow is officially the first day of Winter. It feels as if it is already here. Not a problem as far as I am concerned.

Post 324 Mainly Book Club

The Crime Book Club to which I belong met this morning at Uncle Albert's Coffee Shop in Norwood. There were five of us. The books under discussion were The Girl in Keller's Way and The Night Swim by Megan Goldin.  I had only read the first mentioned, and I expressed my view on 11 January. I was right, it did make for interesting discussion. The rest of the group were more enthusiastic than I was.

A lot of our time was spent catching up on what else we had read in the last month - which was a lot. Most of us used the Christmas break well. It was a 2 hour session today. 

Kerrie, the convenor of our Book Club, has a blog called Mysteries in Paradise, where she reviews the numerous crime fiction she reads. Any readers who share my addiction may find it a source of reading ideas.  

                                The Norwood arcade in which Uncle Albert's is located is being redeveloped.  Uncle Albert's is planning to stay open throughout but most other occupants have either moved out or are about to do so. 

Norwood is a thriving shopping precinct which has managed to keep operating thoughout the pandemic. Locals seem to have settled into social distancing, hand sanitising and outside eating and drinking.                                                

I had an hour or so at home before  visiting friends this afternoon. It was totally relaxing and rejuvenating.

It was a cool day in Adelaide. I couldn't capture the birds or bats at sunset. It was not a spectacular sunset, but I do like the palette.

The pub on the corner looked warm and welcoming, especially in contrast to Calvary Hospital behind.

I added one crocheted square and one stalk on my crewel.                  

More tomorrow.