Post 320 Not much to show but a glow

 

I spent much of the day reading the latest of Bruce Beckham's Skelgill series set in Cumbria.  I discovered these in 2018, on my way to a retreat in the Lake District after searching for crime fiction set in the area. It turned out to be a great series to read while there, with a strong sense of place, engaging detection puzzles and characters you want to meet again. I was delighted therefore, when I discovered number 16 in the series, published only 4 days ago.

It was a great read. Beckham skilfully gives DS Jones a major role in this one, seemingly preparing for a series shift in emphasis. We follow her thought processes, including her doubts and insecurities. I really enjoyed it.

There was a cool breeze which did not deter the golfers. The pool was quiet in the morning but had plenty of activity in the afternoon.  I ventured out to move my car back to its allocated parking space, in which there was an alien car when I returned yesterday. 

If I were a painter I'd have a go at painting this bit of my view.  These houses are certainly nothing special in architectural terms but they have a very interesting geometric form in silhouette, that both echoes and contrasts with the shoreline, especially at dusk. Those strange points on the row of houses are in fact the windows on the gable rooves (yes, I know roofs has been standard since the 80s, but my habits were set long before that. It's archaic, but permissible!).

I eased myself out of Skelgill's Cumbria by crocheting another square. 

I quite like the effect of the two neutral colours.

I came across an eco-friendly suggestion for these  circles  as reusable make-up removal pads. Having reached an age when I have time to make them, I no longer use make-up, so I won't be taking up this idea.

I also added a couple of leaves and the rest of the stem under the Phoenix. It looks a little dark in the photo, less so in reality. It will balance out with the flower.

Tomorrow.

The sun sets over the headland which is on the very edge of the view from my balcony here, so there is not much chance of variation. It provides at least a lovely glow.

Post 300 The Eyes Have It

I spent a couple of hours this morning working on the flower using the food natural light in my bedroom chair. At least three times I thought I had finished and took a photo only to find an area where coverage wasn’t total. That’s the trouble/advantage of taking photos in good light, it shows up every flaw. 

I’m now happy with the result.

Both Black Tips and Turtle showed up for seed. Black Tips came first, had a feed then took off. Several minutes later Turtle arrived.                                                                            Did Black Tips tip him off? That’s how it appeared,

I had my optometrist appointment at 2pm. My prescription was significantly changed last year, and seems to be working well, but I had a couple of issues to discuss, most importantly, my left eye gets bloodshot and weepy after I’ve read or stitched for an hour or so. This has been happening to a greater or lesser extent since February when I saw a GP about it before I left for England. All the COVID drama rather pushed it from my mind, except that I kept using the eye wash my doctor suggested. 

As I expected, my sight is pretty much the same as last year. The left eye issue is caused by damage to the layer of fluid over the skin, basically caused by dryness. I now have three things to do - cream to apply before sleep, drops to apply first thing in the morning and four more times during the day, and a wet heat pad to apply twice a day.  I realise that this were pretty much the recommendation from my GP in February, Travel, then COVID and lockdown, drove the detail out of my mind. I now have a specific eye mask and an appointment in two weeks time to make sure I follow instructions. I’m pretty relieved to have advice and a plan and have used the drops and mask this evening.

 

I also ordered an additional pair of glasses with a graded lens set for a computer screen - plus a clip on 3x magnifier for counted thread embroidery.  This is a bit of an indulgence, especially since I chose an expensive frame. I expect, however, to be able to use these for embroidery as well as for reading and writing. I probably won’t get them until I get back from Normanville. 

I had a long conversation with my Sydney friend Pat. She’s had a cold on and off for a couple of months, and several COVID tests, all negative. It’s frustrating her. She has also urged me to have a check up with an ophthalmologist. 

As we talked the sun moved into my Western balcony and lit up the poinsettia. I haven't put up Christmas decorations this year, apart from the bunting on my Western balcony rail and my wise men, who have lived on my curtain since last year. There is also, of course, my tiny fir tree.

Unexpectedly, the postman delivered a parcel this morning that I was not expecting until next week.. four garments from Taking Shape, two day tops, one PJ top and one pair of jeans. The jeans were the unknown  but are miraculously, a perfect fit. 

I’ve been working another crochet square because it doesn’t strain my eyes. I have been gradually undoing the squares I first did, assuming US terminology was intended in the pattern. I've been waiting to see how consistent my squares now are before I undo the old ones. Also, of course, I had a vague idea I could make something else from them. Because the old squares used more cotton I could get two circles out of one old external layer, hence the two white circles.

I had lamb cutlets and salad for dinner, treating myself to eating from the bowl with the  celadon-like glaze made and given to me by my friend Robin in the Blue Mountains. Delicious.l did finish two squares without much eye strain.           

I've been keeping an eye out but so far haven't seen any either reindeer or six white boomers pulling a sleigh through the sky, but of course my eye is not the best. I think it's time I put that cream in it and took myself off to bed. There is indeed something wonderful about Christmas Eve.

Post 297 Shopping, doves and frangipani.

 This morning I sorted out my Christmas presents and then went to Norwood to drop of my soft plastic recycling, and get a couple of small items including a few bits at the supermarket. I also went to the bead shop and dropped off a coral and turquoise necklace that has been waiting to be mended for several years. I intended to learn how to mend it myself - but recently decided to just get the bead shop to mend it. Somewhere I think I have a bag of necklaces to be mended. If I find them I will take a class on necklace repair.

Coles had this little fir tree for sale. It was the only one they had. I had looked at larger versions of these at Barrow and Bench a couple of weeks ago. On impulse today I bought this one. I need to keep it out of full sun, which might mean keeping it inside in Summer. If I manage to keep it (and myself!) alive for 10 years, it should reach 1.3 metres.

I came home via Jenny McWinney's shop to buy a copy of Margaret Light's new book, A Fine Tradition. It is a beautiful book with some lovely projects. Every one is appealing. This needle case is my absolute favourite. I certainly don't need any more projects, but you never know....

When I got home, and sat to look at Margaret's book, Black Tips took up position, alert to some sounds of building on the site next door. It makes such a great image, I can't resist photographing it.

I managed another square while catching up on the latest news of border closures and virus spread.

Today would have been my mother's 95th birthday. 

In Sydney this afternoon my brother visited the resting place of our parents' ashes. The magnolia tree has grown quite a bit. The frangipani blooms are from a a tree my brother has grown from a cutting we took from one of the huge frangipani trees our mother nurtured in our Botany home. It in turn came from a cutting given to her by her sister in about 1955. 

I took it into my head this afternoon to make some more large gift bags. I have had some pieces of batik on my sewing machine for some time, intending to make myself more Summer pull-on pants. I've now decided that fabric without stretch is bad news for pants for me, so on impulse I cut a couple of the batik pieces into quarters and turned them into large bags. I have quite a few large bags waiting to be used, but these bags are bigger still. I have a feeling they are going to be in demand. 

From my sewing machine I can see on to my back balcony. While I was stitching the bags, Blus arrived and had some seed. Within a few seconds Black Tips was there . They then went through the dove courting ritual - looks like kissing. it went on for a while, followed by mating and a kind of silent companionship before they resumed eating seed and exploring. Pretty extraordinary. At least I now know that Blush is female and Black Tips is male!

I spent the evening adding the drawstrings to the batik bags. Now I'm prepared for all contingencies - and ready for bed!

Tonight was the Summer Soltice. This is about as far south as the sun gets at sunset. 

Unfortunately I didn't get any Crewel work done today. A shame, but there was quite a bit going on.