Post 85: today we have naming of parts

The Adelaide Crimson Rosella was once again on the roof when I opened the blind this morning. I managed to grab a photo before it flew away. It's not the best photo in the world, but good enough.

One of the doves was also on the roof, just out of the photo.

I put out some seed, but it was a while before there were any takers.

Eventually the pair arrived together again and worked their way in a dance around the seed.

The fascination with the door continued for the male.












Yesterday Melody suggested that the doves need names, and one of my daughters agreed. Melody suggested Myrtle and Fred. It hadn't occurred to me to name them, but I spent a bit of time considering possibilities. I quite liked Myrtle, but rejected Fred. My brother's instance response was Myrtle Dove and Turtle Dove. Of course!

So I now give you Myrtle and Turtle of Hurtle Square.

I had a dental appointment around midday. This was an appointment postponed from early April because I was in self-isolation and the dentist was closed for all but emergencies. It was an examination at the end of a mouthwash trial in which I had taken part. The result indicated effectiveness in all but one area of my gums. I now have another bottle to try to concentrate on that area for another month. It tastes foul, but in the interests of science I will persevere.

While I was out, I went to the North Adelaide Village to get some fruit, cheese biscuits and ham hocks for soup.  The supermarket is easy to manage. I needed to dodge a few people in the greengrocer but the supermarket was very easy.









I've also found where they keep their hand and trolley sanitiser.

Back at home I  met my neighbours heading out for their walk. This morning Di watched the dove - Myrtle - gathering sticks as if she were making a nest. It's the wrong time of the year, but might fit with the sudden appearance of both of them together on my balcony. No doubt we will find out.

I made 2 chicken sandwiches with the fresh bread and half a cooked free range chicken I had bought at the supermarket and read more history of WA.



This is a little treat I saved from yesterday. My Guild friend Junette is working on a panel for the Australian Quaker Tapestry. The project is k for 40 panels. 17 were displayed in Adelaide about 3 years ago.

Junette sent me this photo of the echidna she has been working on for quite some time, and has given me permission to use it in my blog.


You can get some idea of the size from this larger panel view. I really love it and look forward to seeing the whole panel when finished.








This afternoon another treat arrived in response to yesterday's blog post. My friend Christine in Watford had attended a workshop with Nicola Jarvis on one of the birds I had mounted in a hoop yesterday and was kind enough to send me a photo of her finished version.  How inspiring is that!

Her stitches and embellishments are going to be so helpful as I begin work on mine.

This morning I decided I was going to begin on the larger of my two enhooped birds and base my colours on the Adelaide Crimson Rosella. I think that will work. This is a photo I took last year from my balcony. I think I can find threads and embellishment in these colours.  I don't want to slavishly recreate the bird, but I think I can create the impression using appropriate colours. Worth a try. I may also look at the Australian Robin I used in my bird quilt for the Guild Exhibition in 2016 for the second of my Nicola birds. It's so helpful to have Christine's finished work to see the possibilities.

I haven't yet chosen my threads. I spent many hours today reading about the European settlement of Western Australia. I do not have this background at all - and need to get it. My only stitching progress was three hexies tonight.

Susan rang today to tell me that Jennifer has been cleared to fly following her aircraft simulation lung capacity test. She will need to fly with a respiratory device, possibly CPAP (continuous positive air pressure)  but that is not a problem. Health workers are looking at a direct Adelaide flight sometime next week. There is some discussion as to whether she should spend 2-3 days in a rehab ward in Adelaide before she goes home. Susan is very relieved, not only that Jennifer will be coming directly to Adelaide, but that the staff in Perth are now making the arrangements, which should mean backup and assistance at both ends.

I'm late finishing this tonight, so will alter the time for email delivery in case I miss my slot!

Post 78 Friends, local and global.

It was lovely to have three emails this morning from friends from Crewel Work Company Retreats and Tours.  Genevieve is busy helping her son buy a bed with the aid of social distancing and masks, Christine has been doing a live life drawing class on BBC4 with impressive result, and Sandra's pigeon is back for a third attempt at hatching an egg.  Sandra sent me photos of these lovely fabrics she bought in Japan and from which she intends to make a carrying case for the embroidered casket she is set to begin this year.

It's  inspiring and heart-warming to get news of such creativity and energy. I am so glad I've had the opportunity to form friendships with these kindred spirits.

I spent much of my day doing bits of genealogy research for my brother. It's easy to follow trails to dead ends and have to backtrack. Meanwhile, the dove got bold enough to come right up to the door.

A couple of parcels arrived, one with four tops I had ordered online and another with a book of Kokeshi embroidery. The tops are great and I'll tell more about the book when I've looked more carefully.

Susan rang me this afternoon. Jennifer was moved today to a Rehabilitation Hospital in Perth. Susan has been exploring the possibility of Jennifer being medevaced to Adelaide. She is encouraged by the response from a local parliamentary member. There are hurdles, not the least of which is being medically fit to fly. Nonetheless, Susan is buoyed by the possibility.

I had been invited to friends' place for an early evening socially distanced meal. It is so satisfying and warming to relax, discuss and make sense of our current world.

The Osso Bucco was good too!

And their garden is thriving.

It wasn't a big stitching day, but I did add a little to my hexie count.


Grateful and privileged.

Post 77 Mostly distribution and research

I managed to capture the dove's routine this morning - because the Vergola roof was open on the balcony when I raised the blind, and I thought fast enough (that's the hard bit first thing in the morning!).

She sits on the corner of the roof, cooing loudly. She let me open the door (slowly and quietly), distribute the seed and close the door again.











Within seconds she descended and eyed me through the door





before tucking in, beginning with the seeds furthest from the door.

She isn't greedy. but leaves some to come back to later in the day.


I had a busy morning. It is WES Wednesday - the second Wednesday of the month, when, in non-covid times, the World Embroidery Study Group would have been meeting.  I had a presentation to send out to the group today, and I wanted to include a photo of the finished sampler I have been working on over the last couple of days. To do that, I had to finish the sampler!

I still had one side of the bag to ladder-stitch together before I could insert the cord.  The ladder stitch side was straightforward.  Inserting the cords was a bit trickier. Attaching the tassels neatly was the trickiest part.

It just took time and patience. I am very pleased with the result. The blue looks very good. It is a close match to the colour that Carmina used on the tablecloth from which the motif is taken.

I used a perle 8 cotton - and must replace it. There is maybe 35cm left on the roll!

The other side of the bag has another of Carmina's motifs, this time in ecru, as was most of her work.

I'm not sure what I will do with this bag, other than using it to illustrate the story.

When I finally sent out the presentation to the WES Group, 11 of the emails bounced. The pdf file was too large for most people's inboxes! I could see no way through other than to take extracts from it and send them in an email to the group.

I hate making a mess of sending things to the group. It means some people have two versions and cluttered inboxes. One member of the group contacted me this evening to say she got the pdf file (16 mb) attached three times to the email! I don't understand that at all. I checked my send copy - only one pdf attachment, yet hers definitely had 3. Email gremlins!

As I was finishing the bag a friend phoned to say he was in the area and would like to call in for a coffee. Mad scramble to get dressed and vacuum up the threads. This is the first time I have had a visitor, other than my cleaner, since I returned from England 55 days ago! It was great.

When he left I did a research task for my brother. Unfortunately, most of this activity has nothing worth photographing.

I have several deliveries coming in the next week - a couple of books for this research, some wine, some clothing and some fabric to embroider. I was getting Australia Post notices all day.

I finished reading Martha Grimes' The Dirty Duck. which I really enjoyed and have no memory of having read before. I also watched the second half of the 1970s BBC Murder Must Advertise, Mini-Series 3 of Lord Peter Wimsey with Ian Carmichael. It's a little too Bertie Wooster, but enjoyable nonetheless.

I stitched five hexies together while watching this. I haven't decided what embroidery project I will tackle next. There's a lot to choose from.  I might finish my knitting and stitch hexies while I think about it.

Post 72 Flowers

This is a photo I received last night, just after I had pressed the button on yesterday's blog post. It is from my friend Christine Thatcher in Watford, England. These are her irises now blooming in her garden in front of her grape vine.

It's lovely to have this evidence of Spring in the UK. I love irises, especially mauve ones. They are so flamboyant and bold - an excellent signal of VE Day, which I know is being celebrated today in the UK.











When I visited the shops two days ago, I indulged in a bunch of unopened oriental lilies, some of which are now open. I enjoy watching these open. Looking straight down into the flower provides great lessons in shading and I admire the way the pollen looks as if it is suspended . The side view is quite different, with those almost transparent stamens.

I also indulged in a pot of bloom for a spare container on my balcony. It looks lovely against the autumny foliage of the trees beyond.

There are a couple of succulents getting ready to bloom. I haven't taken a lot of notice of them before, but  they are now better established and I have plenty of time to do so.

This morning I had a long conversation with my friend Lorraine, who gave me cuttings for many of these succulents. Lorraine had a very bad fall several months ago, which put her in hospital with concussion. She has been housebound for months and still has headaches but she has been making short excursions for grocery shopping and even for fish and chips!

I don't usually discuss our Covid restrictions or management in this blog. I choose to think on, and share other things. I'm including the next bit of news because I think it might be of interest to some readers as a framework - and because watching it roll out occupied much of my day.

Our National Cabinet - the meeting of the heads of all States, Territories and the Commonwealth, agreed to a plan for easing restrictions for opening up to a 'Covid-safe economy'. The stages are agreed in framework form, and each State and Territory develops its own specific plan with timelines. As I have said before, I am a strong supporter of this very collaborative decision-making structure. I watched the Prime Minister's Press Conference then the various State Press Conferences.  State responses vary,  particularly in timelines, but they are all moving in the same direction. For those who might be interested, this is the South Australian version.

From next Monday cafes and restaurants can serve food outside and a number of activities can occur - but all in the context of no more than 10 people. The numbers increase somewhat in June and some indoor activities also open up.

I'm pretty hopeful of strong take-up by the South Australian community. I was confident enough to go out and buy some milk!

There is, by the way, a very strong message from all leaders, that international travel (with the possible exception of New Zealand)  is NOT likely for the foreseeable future.  Most commentators are taking this to mean not before 2021.

On my return with the milk I found the larger dove collecting the last of the seed on my balcony. He has a very dark tail and is long. His partner was cooing loudly all the time he was here.

Yesterday I made stock from the ham bones I bought on Wednesday. Today I skimmed the fat from the stock, discarded the bones after removing the flesh and added the vegetables. This is my mother's very old-fashioned vegetable soup with swede, turnip, parsnip and carrot. It's boiling away at the moment.

I was planning to begin the reading for my writing task for my brother, but I didn't make it. It's my weekend priority.

More good news of Jennifer this evening. She has moved to a respiratory ward and had 2 visits, one from a speech pathologist and one from Susan. She is tired but progressing well. She can speak in a very soft whisper. She was eating her dinner this evening when her nephew called. Susan will visit her again tomorrow before returning to Adelaide by plane via Melbourne on Sunday. This seems like miraculous progress and I am so grateful for the care, community and science that has made this happen.



In between Press Conferences, emails, phone calls and watching Poirot tonight,  I kept on with my hexies. I have a nice pile, ready to put together.

I hope that VE celebrations have brought much joy to all celebrating in the UK. I'm hoping to find some photos tomorrow of my father's RN ship on VE Day 1945.

Self-isolation Day6: Routine - and a bit rambling

I seem to be falling into a daily routine, reading emails and news, late breakfast, check plants, emailing and calling friends, maybe a little reading, late lunch, stitching and blogging, more calls and email, dinner, blogging and stitching.

This morning I focused a bit on this tree,  visible from my back balcony. I like it’s shape and branch structure (the latter not so clear in the photo). It might be useful in an embroidery. 

I have a basket on this balcony that I had planted with herbs, after watching an ABC Gardening program in which Sophie Thomson demonstrated a basket of herbs you could take on holiday with you. (I didn’t want to take it on holiday, but thought it would work on a balcony).




 At the time I was trying to make my own compost, a venture I gave up, when I realised it would take more than 6 weeks from scrap to soil, I had added quantities of my compost experiment to the basket,  The herbs all died but a vigorous vine emerged. I think it’s passion fruit. I’m interested to see how far it develops. Can I bonsai passion fruit?

I have been in touch with several Guild friends today and  contacted the members of the Guild’s  World Embroidery Study Group. There is sufficient enthusiasm for sharing some of our studies online. I was also able to organise to mail some information to one member with email difficulties. Many thanks to Chris, who is working alone in the Guild office and organised and executed this for me.

One member who returned from NZ in the last few days has managed to organise home delivery from Woolworths. As I am still waiting to hear from them, and I applied 5 days ago now, I have reapplied. Not sure what else I can do. Coles are promising to set up a service late this week, so maybe I'll have more luck there.

Another friend in Sydney was booked to have her second cataract removed tomorrow and the PM announced this morning that all elective surgery is to cease from midnight tomorrow. When she phoned the operating doctor’s surgery to ask about arrangements, she was told surgery was banned from today and surgery was off. A few minutes later the hospital rang to confirm arrangements , since she would just scrape inside the ban! She was still trying to sort it out, although we both felt it was unlikely to proceed. 

I was interested to observe, this afternoon, the Council gardening staff in the Square, holding their meeting and carefully observing social distancing. The meeting was followed by the lovely smell of mown grass.

Late in the day I heard briefly from my friends on the Costa Victoria. There was also a segment on their situation on the evening news. The ship is currently heading to Rome, without any idea of what will then happen. They appear in good spirits. 

I can’t do anything for them, but pray. I feel on stronger ground where I can organise online presentations, or regular communication, or make a coffee and talk - or stitch. 

I made a small start on my hexies, digging out my papers and beginning to tack my fabric squares to the paper hexies.  I don't glue them but try to just catch the corners with tacking stitches. I haven’t produced a lot yet, but I’m organised and have made a start.











I switched, however, to my Muncaster Orange to see if I can make my bow work for me. Last night Melody posted her progress, which uses blues to really good effect. I had already started my greeny-yellows. These should be a good colour fit for where I want to place it on my chair. The other embroideries on the chair are in the browny-green dominant pallet and I think the bow should blend with them and let the magnificent oranges dominate.

This is my start. I’m not sure yet, but I think it might just work.







It was a lovely afternoon here for stitching. My living area faces West, which is a pain when it’s 40C, but lovely when it’s 23C as it was this afternoon. The light was lovely, especially when I sat with my back to the window. I got a lot better sense of the colours than I do at night under artificial light.


For lunch I has the raisin bread from the neighbour’s welcome home parcel and for dinner two of the pasties made by another friend, with lettuce, tomato and cucumber delivered by my daughter. I feel so very privileged. There are uncertainties and I do every now and then, feel afraid. Those moments, however are usually overcome either by activity or by counting my blessings - and remembering the strength of connection, community, ideas, adaptation - and resilience, qualities in abundance in my family and  community of friends. Connected we are very resourceful, and I am very connected. Deo Gratias.


There were not a lot of birds around during the day today, but as the sun went down there were noisy flocks over the square. I didn’t get to my phone quick enough, so had to settle for a more solid view of day’s end.


I am  thankful there are so many  sharing this experience with me in one way or another. We don’t know a lot of the answers to our questions, but we have shared values and we are refining our knowledge of the connectedness that matters, and the connectedness that has to be avoided.