Post 630 Feels like an Auspicous number!

Although this was largely written before today, and I rarely provide much information about my family -or indeed any other people - for privacy reasons, today's announcement by the Minister for the Arts and then by the National Library, is too public, important, and indeed personal, to me not to put up front. It pushes everything else into the background. Here's today's announcement. The four of our family who met for dinner last night raised a glass in anticipation.  I'm so grateful to have lived to see this day. It feels so right - and such an achievement. 

Back in the world of last  Wednesday morning, I found my way to St Andrew’s Church at Walkerville, about 10km away, to hear Susan Kay-Williams talk about Igniting the Rainbow: The Dramatic Developments in Colour in Textiles in the 19th Century for Arts National. I hadn’t been to either the church, or an Arts National event before. Parking was a bit tricky and there was a fair bit of confusion checking in. There was an issue about the cost of guest entry, helpers insisting it was $15 more than the price listed on their website. I paid up, but expressed concern that Guild members I’d invited might not accept this. It was also difficult to avoid buying 2 raffle tickets, so I complied. The lecture was excellent- grounded in research and well presented. 

At the end, the raffle was drawn - and I won!  The prize turned out to be a copy of the new edition of The Secret Lives of Colour, which covers a lot of the ground of the lecture. Morning tea followed. I caught up with the 3 other  Guild members who attended (who, I think were only charged the advertised entry!). 

Several people came to examine the book I won. One photographed it and one told me she really wanted it! When I  said I would offer it to the Guild library, she said she’d join and be the first to borrow it! It retails in Australia at $67.50 (cheaper than Guild membership!). It’s arguable that it cost me $20 ( the cost of raffle tickets and the $15 overcharge). After winning the raffle, I could hardly query the overcharge! The book is a bargain if the Guild accepts it. A most interesting morning.

I had worn the Nancy Bird dress I bought last Christmas. It has tiny buttons all down the front which pop open annoyingly. It is also a bit low in the front. It does, however, look good and, apart from the buttons, is very comfortable. A number of people asked me about it. As soon as I got home I threaded the sewing machine with black thread and stitched the front closed, Very easy, stitching in the ditch of the facing. It slips on easily without undoing the buttons, so it's much better. I also found a Robyn Gordon brooch which covers the cleavage.Much more wearable!

In between Pilates, and shopping, on Thursday and Friday I mainly stitched my small Easter gifts. They are coming along very well. I’ve been improvising a bit. With Easter on my mind, I had on my list the ingredients for the chocolate crackle nests I always make for Easter, in honour of my mother. When I took the Rice Bubble packet off the supermarket shelf, it boldly declared itself to be gluten free (new marketing? haven't they always been glutin-free?). When I checked the chocolate crackle recipe on the back, it was new! Melt sugar-free chocolate, add rice bubbles, spoon into patty pans, refrigerate! No copha, no icing sugar. I had some 95% cocoa chocolate languishing in the fridge, so I crossed copha off the list. Worth a try.

Saturday was election day. I’d already voted, and I had the ingredients for Monday’s dinner, so I stitched for a while, read a bit more about the British Army in Salonica in WWI (my grandfather was there) and then made the chocolate crackles, adjusting the recipe to fit the quantity of chocolate I had. It was certainly quick. A decent consistency. The taste was awful: unremittingly bitter.  I almost never throw food away, but these went in the bin (saved the eggs!).

Late in the afternoon I drove to Haigh’s chocolates, discussed it with an assistant, and bought some of their couverture to give it another try. On the way I went past my local polling booth to see how things were going. There were still a few helpers, loads of posters and the queue was out the door, but not down the street. I think the barbecue might have packed up.

Anthony's barbecue, however, was in full swing that evening, as Fionn and a busload of his friends returned from a winery tour and consumed piles of salad and Anthony's version of democracy sausages in the backyard. The elders (including Brigid) retired to the lounge to watch the election count on TV. It progressed more slowly than usual, presumably due to either a shortage of Electoral Commission supervising staff, or computer connections working too slowly. Although the trend was clear from the start, it was only around 9.30 when around 35% of votes were being reported as counted, that I called it a night and went home.  

On Sunday I cooked the lemon chicken, a slightly messy process which I enjoyed immensely. While it was simmering I made another batch of chocolate crackle nests using the Haigh’s couverture and adding a little coconut, again a half batch. With the chicken cooling and the nests in the fridge, I ventured out to the Ukrainian Easter Festival, advertised through the Guild..

I hadn’t been there before and had a little trouble finding it. It turns out that, like the Guild, the Museum is in a house, and the event was in the very ordinary size backyard, which was set up with tressles absolutely packed with people, eating and listening to live music. I reckon between 100 and 150 people. There was one market stall to which I quickly headed.  I snaffled  some lovely jewellery as gifts, and some Ukrainian Easter eggs.

There was nothing more for me to do, so I came home, admired my purchases, and, with trepidation, tried the now set nests mark2. Success! They taste great! It was all I could do to stop myself from having a second. But stop I did! I can now confidently make a full batch. With ingredients in hand, this is best done  nearer the Easter weekend. 

I have finished my Easter felts,  all but one stowed away.  One is winging it's way to Canberra. 

I had a fasting blood test at 8.15 on Monday morning, ready for my annual renal specialist appointment on Thursday. No queue. 

Today I missed swimming because when the cleaners left I packed a quite complicated parcel to send to Canberra and the swimming window disappeared. I  hope the parcel arrives safely tomorrow. 

By mutual agreement, the lunch  in the Adelaide Hills I had pencilled in for tomorrow has been cancelled due to concerns about the diesel fuel my friend needs to get there. We are not panicking, but our meeting, while desirable, is not necessary to our wellbeing. So I will go swimming tomorrow.

Despite that cancellation, it's been an astonishingly good week. 

Post 584 A very mixed week.

On Wednesday I decided it was time I used  the sweet potato and zucchini I had bought several days before with the intention of trying a fritter recipe I found.

I had the gist in my head so proceeded, without looking it up, with the ingredients I had; zucchini, sweet potato, my last 2 eggs, oil, and a little polenta. It worked really well. I had fritters for lunch and again in the evening with the last of my soup.  Eggs are scarce at the moment because of  avian flu, but my local greengrocer had an organic farm supply last time I visited, so I dashed out and snagged another dozen - free range from Kangaroo Island. I don’t use a lot of eggs but don’t like to be without them. These are good for a month. I’ll make sure I use them all.

While at the greengrocer I looked for white flowers and bought bought a bunch of verbena for the vase. 

Our entry buzzer was still not working on Thursday when my order of two books was to be delivered between 10.15am and 12.15pm, so, working on the usual timing of delivery, I stationed myself on the low cement wall outside our entrance with my knitting at about 10.40. Ten minutes later, just as I was hearing my mother's voice telling me I would get piles, the postal delivery van arrived with the parcel.

The knitting book has a couple of useful shawl patterns and what looks to be an excellent pattern for super chunky yarn slippers. Most slippers  I’ve knitted slip off the heels too easily. These come further above the ankle. Serendipitously, the same morning, Bendigo Woollen Mill advertised a new 16ply yarn from recycled wool, silk and cotton. I’ve ordered 4 balls. 

First, of course, I have to finish the beanie project. I’ve been experimenting with a specific variation within the brief. I took the first experiment with me to work on  after Pilates ,when I visited friends. They have both been ill, he critically. 

We had a relaxed afternoon catching up and chewing the fat. There was plenty to talk about. They had used a nearby pre poll facility to vote that morning, since neither of them are able to stand in the queues that are a feature of most polling places on polling day (Saturday). While there is a certain excitement and camaraderie about voting on the day, the queues are difficult to manage as we age - hence my postal vote.

I woke on Saturday to a pre-dawn pink. It disappeared as the sun rose, so I was confident neither shepherds nor sailors were issuing warnings about the election. Perhaps I was wrong.

I spent the day doing washing, remaking the bed to add a blanket under the quilt, and knitting another experimental beanie before heading to the family dinner and election count watch.

On the way, at 5.45pm, 15 minutes before the polls closed, I drove past my local polling station to take a photo. The queues had gone, along with the BBQ, but there were still a few straggling voters and faithful volunteers..

It was a great night, glued to the count on the ABC, with Niamh and Anthony in particular, seeking additional information and answers to questions online. Our system of preferential (and compulsory) voting leads to hours - even weeks - of vote counting, reported from tally rooms across the nation to the Electoral Commission’s National Tally Room, which posts them progressively online. Fortunes shift as votes are counted and preferences distributed. Many of us follow the public tally and swinging fortunes at least until the losing leader concedes and the other claims victory - in this case around 10pm on Saturday. Counting of absentee votes and distribution of preferences goes on for days. possibly weeks.

While the campaign has been divisive, lacklustre, and at times aggressive, the result was decisive, its  acceptance public, civil, gracious and respectful. Anthony Albanese, somewhat unexpectedly re-elected as Prime Minister with an increased majority, stopped a few in the enthusiastic crowd of Party faithful from cheering the opposition leader’s defeat with the assertion What we do in Australia is treat people with respect. 

I am left with a strong sense of shared values, healing, common purpose, decency and - the PM’s word - kindness. We all need to hang on to this through the hard process of implementation.

After an hour catching up with a friend by phone on Sunday morning I paid a short visit to the Bowerbird Market at the Adelaide Showground. It only happens 2-3 times a year and features craft goods from around the country, including, this time, a good representation of spirits and cocktails, none of which I investigated..

I did buy a couple of gifts for later birthdays, and a mug for myself. I have mugs aplenty, but liked it , so went home and made myself coffee in it, while finishing beanie no.24. I’ve now stopped. If the team reaches that number I’ll resume.

I have my annual checkup with my renal physician coming up next Thursday so I was at the pathology clinic for a fasting blood test just after 8am yesterday🤞🏼. By 10.30am our apartment entry buzzers were fixed (🤞🏼), the potatoes and meat prepared for  dinner, the kitchen clean, the rubbish out and more coffee in the mug. Perhaps I should have more early starts! I kept the momentum going this morning by cleaning the kitchen, including oven racks, before breakfast. 

My critically ill friend is back in hospital. He and his partner are much on my mind. I live in that state of heightened awareness where the world looks different - much more mutable.

My hands are benefitting from my return to the Kasia Jacquot panels, this time Marta. I’m still enjoying the variety of both colour and stitches in these designs. I’m going to run out of some of the recommended threads again soon and will need to work out whether to substitute or buy.

After dinner last night I was able to get Brigid’s advice (aided by consultation with other family members) on a couple of Mola panels I bought to see if she’d like them as cushions.

Consequently I visited Spotlight today for fabric and zips. I'm unlikely to construct them until Friday. I’m looking forward to it.