Post 635 Friends and Neighbours

I almost missed the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra morning concert last Wednesday. I had subscribed back in October last year and filed it under “bookings” rather than “subscriptions”. In the past, tickets were sent out as a set, initially by mail, then as an email. The most recent practice (unannounced) is to sent an e-ticket a few days before the event. I need to adjust my record keeping. I had agreed to help out at a Guild event on the same morning and was willing to forego the concert, but the Guild organiser kindly found a replacement for me. 

I enjoyed the concert from my seat in the front row. I don’t recall sitting so close before. While it provides a lot of interest (as well as interactions and playing styles, an excellent view of varied shoes!) it is easy to lose the overall sweep on the piece unless I  close my eyes. The Horn Concerto, though, was fantastic from my vantage point. 

Afterwards I visited the Art Gallery for a last quick look at the Love and Devotion in Asian Art exhibition that finished on Sunday. The Cafe was too crowded for me to stay for lunch, although the new menu was enticing.

Saturday was Anzac Day - traditionally a public holiday on the day itself, the 25th April. 2 States and the ACT have now broken with tradition, adding a holiday on the following Monday when the 25th falls on a weekend. The remaining 4 States and the Northern Territory adhere to the tradition. This means most businesses, including supermarkets, were closed here on Saturday. Others, like garden centres and hotels open only in the afternoon - to show respect to the dawn services and Anzac Day Marches that take place in cities and towns throughout the country. 

I don't attend either of these, but I do always remember family members who served in both World Wars. This year I added both my grandmothers to those I honoured.  Although they never met, both grandmothers gave birth during the war. Nell, my maternal grandmother,  on the left, gave birth to my Uncle Albert a year before the outbreak of WWI.. Her husband. my grandfather, enlisted in August 2014 and my Aunty Grace was born in May 1915. She was two years old before her father saw her. He sent postcards and Nell managed on her own, no doubt with some help from her 10 siblings. 

Ada, my paternal grandmother, gave birth to a son in December 1915, while her husband was serving in France. The child died 15 months later. Neither of these women were well off. What must life have been like for them, keeping the home fires burning, Nell 21 when War broke out, Ada 18?

I made my usual batch of Anzac biscuits on Friday in preparation, saving them from burning just in time. I like them crispy - which is just as well!

There was a bit of drama around our carpark. Access is via a button on a fob. These were all programmed as one - so that the theft of one meant reprogramming them all. The Strata Committee have found an app that enables individual programming so individual fobs can be taken off the system. Our Strata president nominated an hour on the morning of Anzac Day when we could take our fobs to the carpark for reprogramming. That meant a bit of a scramble to retrieve fobs from family members at very short notice. We managed it, thanks to Anthony. Then, on Sunday night the carpark entry door jammed, so had to be cranked and left open overnight before repairers came and had it fixed by 11am Monday morning.

On the way home from Pilates on Thursday I called at Dymocks and picked up a copy of the latest in the Tea Lady series. On Friday I did my Monday dinner shop since supermarkets would be closed the following day, and visiting the Post Office to pick up a book for our May Book Club meeting which I had not been home to receive.

Over the weekend I managed to read both of them. Both were really good, the Tea Ladies rather too much so. I lived through that era in Sydney and recognise the world and people it so vividly conjures. It left me depressed. I tried to summarise my feelings in my review. 

The Book Club pick  was my first by Peter James. I chose it out of curiosity as to how a writer goes about a novel featuring living people. I was surprised and impressed.

The weather has been warm - a pleasant mid-20s Indian Summer. 

Partly as a result of the fob-reprogramming exercise, another drama unfolded when my immediate neighbours locked themselves out of their apartment late yesterday. I could let them into the building, but not their apartment. They couldn't contact their son who had a spare key so they shelterd with me while I was cooking dinner and we waited for a locksmith. I could, at least, offer them an Anzac biscuit! Their son eventually found the message, cancelled the locksmith and arrived an hour later - his concern manifesting itself in blustering attempts to exert control and allot blame. Order (and apartment access for my neighbours) was restored before my dinner guests arrived. Today I've had lengthy discussions with my neighbours, the son has apologised, we've worked out how to keep calm and carry on - and laughed.

That's in between the podiatrist, swimming and  Shane arriving at 8.30am to finish the installation of the drip tray in my ceiling.  The sponges are to muffle the sound of any drips which collect. If I hear more drips, the system is not working and I ring Shane who will attempt to get here in time to actually see it happening through the manhole.

While we both hope this doesn't happen, neither of us would be sad if Shane  were the appointed worker on future repair projects. He is a teacher as well as a maintenance man. I now have a clear idea of the ceiling space and the ventilation system. It seems the vents I had barely noticed in the balcony ceiling are critical to ceiling airflow, which enables evaporation and assists in heating and cooling.  They need cleaning. How this can be achieved depends on whether or not they play a part in fire management. Fortunately, this is already on the agenda of the next Strata Management Committee. Serendipity!

On Saturday, I found that, after all, I did need to wind the second skein of wool to finish the Chapter and Skein shawl.

I finished the shawl this evening. This is it straight off the needles. I will block it tomorrow. The crude measurements hopefully give a sense of size.  It used 1280gms of wool, leaving 720 gms, which I might try using for a beanie. I may, however, slip in an embroidery project first.

Post609: A bit all over the place

After dropping Alison in the city on Wednesday morning I returned home in time for a panicked phone call from my neighbour whose new phone had gone dark. I am not familiar with Android phones, but I managed to work out it had simply slipped into dark mode and how to switch it back. It was, in the end, a very happy encounter and a good chance to catch up.

The moon and the bats appeared together for the first time in a while.

I finished the trouser embroidery on one leg and decided to stop there. I wore them on Friday, managing to spill some salad dressing on them, To my joy the stain washed completely clean - so definitely a winner!

On Wednesday I did a little tidying up, but mostly advanced the bluebirds tapestry and my knitting while researching some fabric for a gift idea. On Thursday I detoured on the way to Pilates to Tricia’s Discount Fabrics, where I found a couple of promising fabrics. I figured there were only two places I was likely to find what I was looking for and Tricias was the best bet. The photo is from her Facebook page - a very accurate view. Her counter is buried behind the bolts of fabric in the top left hand corner. 

On my way home from Pilates I stopped at DK Fabrics, my only other likely source. They had nothing to show me, but I got the zips I needed.

By the time I got home the sun was out and most of the washing dry.  I sat for half an hour on the front balcony, where the kangaroo paw is getting closer to blooming. 

I spent time searching fabric online and ordered two pieces from Spoonflower, absolutely the only place it was available. 

I also opened the new printer box and decided to pay Geeks2U to set it up

Friday was the girls’ last day of school - ever, apart from exam attendance. The day was packed with assemblies, ceremonies and a Mass, as well as an after-party. I, fortunately, avoided all of it in favour of making cushion covers and paying bills. And Saturday night was an 18th birthday party, so I didn’t hear a lot about the last day. The three oldies left on Saturday night had a fine time eating and doing the crosswords. When I got home I realised I didn’t have my knitting, but assumed I’d left it in the car. Katherine found it in their driveway early Sunday morning! It was, fortunately, barely damp on the outside, and quite dry inside.when I picked it up.

Sunday was the second day of the Carol Mullan Canvas work class. I lasted until about 2.30 before my eyes gave out - which was pretty good. Quite a few were having similar problems. I had nearly finished the first side, but simply couldn’t see to finish the last square. It was a great class, no pressure, and lots of encouragement to innovate . I had an idea of how I want to proceed, but thought it would have to wait until I’ve finished a couple of other things.  

That plan changed this morning - more below.

I was the happy recipient of a geranium struck from a cutting by Margaret who brought it along to the class for me. I've planted it in a planter box on the balcony rail. I'm pretty confident it will eventually fill the box.

When I got home from the class I switched back to the needlepoint cushion cover and managed to finish the first section so I could wind on the canvas.

While that feels like a major milestone, there was a bit more than I had anticipated underneath. It will still take me a couple of weeks at least to finish it.

I was up early on Monday, ready for Geeks2U at 8.00am to install my printer. I had a phonecall at 8.05 to say the scheduled Geek was ill and arranging for a later appointment. Shehzada was fabulous when he arrived at 11.30. My printer is working from phone, iPads and computer and I have a lot more information than I had before. I'm now enquiring about updating my modem - which is where I started several weeks ago.

This morning Shane, from the company that does Strata maintenance work, arrived at 8.00am to follow up on the drip I heard last week. Again, he did a magnificent job. It took him three and a half hours, but he found a hole in the silicon sealing the joint around the top of the lift well, and repaired it.We have agreed to wait for the next heavy downpour before repairing my cieling - and also agreed to insert a manhole rather than plastering over the temporary access hole. 

While Shane was here I worked on the other cover of the needlebook from Sunday's class. I am late posting this because I kept going on it until about I finished it about half an hour ago. I haven't had time to write it up my embroidery blog. I'll try to do that tomorrow. For now this is the back cover. I couldn't bring myself to work the 20 squares over again on the back, so I improvised. It's been an interesting exercise - and I'm delighted to have finished it.

I did take a break long enough for a trip to Frewville for a few supplies, a quick Salt and Pepper Squid - and half a dozen Coffin Bay oysters.  I haven't had oysters for quite a while. They were excellent. It feels appropriate to be buying them now to support the SA seafood industry.

I doubt this post is very coherent. It's late, and I don't have time for a careful proofread and edit.

I began embroidering the leg of my pants, and ended flying by the seat of them!