Post614 To hear the Angels sing.

It's been a rainy week again here in Adelaide.  We had almost three times our average November rainfall this year, but the first two days of December have been fine enough for the birds to visit and the coming week is shaping up as washing friendly! I have sheets ready to hang out tomorrow.

Last week I  concluded with a comment that I looked like spending this whole week waiting for service people and deliveries. Au contraire, it all happened on Friday!

It wasn't raining when Shane arrived at 8.20am with an apprentice. to locate the roof leak I  had heard last Saturday. About 3 hours later, after removing my temporary manhole cover, inspecting the roof cavity by sticking his head through the hole, teaching the apprentice  to do the same, then working up on the roof for an hour or so, he reported back to me. He had found and repaired a roof capping and a capping on the top of the cement wall of our lift shaft inside the ceiling cavity (which has to be done from the roof as the ceilings are not load-bearing). He wasn't convinced it was the whole culprit. He was right. In the afternoon it rained and the drip was back! It only lasted about 20 minutes. He is recommending installing an evaporation tray in my ceiling, which should stop my drips. It won't, however, ensure the roof is waterproof. I wrote up a report for the Strata Committee and sent it off on Sunday.

No sooner had the roof repairers gone around 11, than the bathroom scales I had ordered arrived. They are certainly solid - and a bit larger than I expected. The tiles in the photo are 12" square. All the instructions assume they are for a doctor's surgery. I'm hoping they really will be reliable. The scale is marked in half-kilos and a bit hard to read when standing on them, and, of course, it doesn’t stay when you step off, but I can just manage it it with glasses on.

I was meant to go out to lunch when the repairers left. I was looking forward to it, wearing a dress, earrings, tights- even a change of handbag to match the dress. At 11.45am, I found a message from FedEx saying they were delivering a parcel between 10.20am and 2.20pm. This I knew to be the Bishops bags I had ordered from VistaPrint and I was anxious to get them.  I attempted to redirect the delivery to the nearby Pack and Send but got nowhere. Neither could I find out what they would do with the parcel if I was not at home.  I have had some bad experiences with couriers taking parcels to difficult-to-access depots. After several unsuccessful phone calls, answered from who-knows-where, and drawing a blank on their website, I cancelled my lunch attendance. The courier didn't turn up until 3.40pm. I could have gone to lunch.  Grrr.

At least, when the package arrived, the Bishop bags were very good and will serve the purpose I had in mind. The story of all the merchandise is in my embroidery blog. 

Also on Friday, B&O negotiated the delivery and installation of my new television on 12 December. In the various spells of waiting during the day I worked on another tote bag featuring a Kasia Jacquot panel, finishing it in the evening.

I find a lot to like in her designs. The stitches she suggests are simple and limited, but because she uses a full 6 strands of cotton, they give texture and dimension. She also has an eye for colour. I was sceptical about the idea of white around the heart - but it works.

I also had another call from my neighbour to check an email she feared was a scam. We spent a good half hour catching up. A lot was ticked off on Friday (at the cost of my lunch!)!

My hairdresser did go ahead and add my Santons to her window display. She sent me these photos on Thursday. I'm chuffed.

Plants on my back balcony enjoy the rain. I left the Vergola open for the early part of the week and closed it for much of the latter part. I paid a bit of attention to the indoor plants and those on the front balcony, which is covered and not reached by rain. I have a few plants I've struck from cuttings, growing in a range of odd glass jars or glasses in clay balls.  I'm especially pleased with this spider plant that I struck from a pup.

On Saturday I acquired more plants from Maggie’s Market at St Margaret’s. It was the last one for the year, so I dropped off some empty pots and came away with 5 plants, all varieties I’ve bought from them before and managed to grow. 

On the way to St Margaret’s I called at the Guild Stash sale. It was good to be there, catch up with a few friends and see the scope of members’ work. I found the basket in the photo above - good for a pot plant. Immediately after explaining I am not buying any more wool until I’ve cleared my stash, I saw these three odd balls and added them to the basket. It is acrylic, which I never buy, with a twist of metallic sparkle. Suddenly, knitting Christmas beanies was back on my agenda. I found a pattern. and began knitting that evening. After knitting about an inch of the band, it occurred to me I might be able to knit a coronet, rather than a beanie. I’d never seen a knitted coronet, but went looking and found a pattern that made use of the beanie band I was knitting.

By Sunday morning I was right into it. Knitting the peaks takes a bit of getting used to, and I made mistakes. I was planning to go to the cinema for a 2pm showing of The Choral, part of the British Film Festival. I was once a regular film goer, but haven’t been since Covid. I wanted to see The Choral, and I wanted to overcome my attendance reluctance. The Strata committee had planned a lunch picnic in the park which I had thought to attend for about an hour before heading to the film, but I ended up trying to master the peaks. I could see from the balcony there were only about 6 people at the picnic - most likely the committee. In the end I just went over and said hello before driving to the cinema. 

The cinema was crowded. Clearly most Adelaideans my age got over their COVID fears before me. The film was excellent, a bit more serious and thought-provoking than I expected. The music was as I hoped, and it was a tribute to determination, spirit and resilience. It did not gloss over the cost of war and its relentless machinery. That’s, I think, as it should be. 

I had intended to go to the 6pm carol service at the cathedral, but the film somehow left me with no appetite for it. I returned home and finished the test-run crown. The photo doesn’t show the sparkle.

It was good enough to wear, and work out improvements. I've been working on the second one, above in the photo. It works much better in a number of ways. I will repeat this one, but I also want to try a variation.

I’m enjoying knitting, especially when there’s a creative edge, but I hanker for an embroidery project, so I framed up another Kasia Jacquot panel, this time Veronka, which I’ve worked before. This time around I mounted it in snap frames so I could see most of the whole, using the Elbesee clamp in a seat stand  So far that’s working well. I haven't done much of it, but it's there to give me a change from knitting. 

I’ve ordered a couple of Kasia Jacquot’s stick-on embroidery patterns for tops. I want to embroider one to go with the pants I embroidered. Yesterday I went looking for a simple black cotton shirt.    I searched online and narrowed my choices down to a chain store that seemed to have several possibles. I wore the pants and tried on quite a few tops, including some men’s. Only one really fit the bill. It’s a cotton/viscose mix. I've also got a pale green linen shirt that might work.

Since it is now December, and Advent, I got down the box of Christmas decorations, made a selection, and hung them on the tree I bought last week. It is neither colour-coordinated, nor themed.

I also hung the Wise Men, star and bird in the mesh of the western fly screen. I don't have a hanging Holy Family, so have sourced one today from Melbourne. It may not be the best crafted, but it will arrive in time for Christmas. I didn't think the blank space was appropriate!

I had some tinsel ropes that now adorn the balcony rail in a haphard fashion. I haven't been down to the Square to see what they look like from below. I’m still finding and trying to remove the prickles in my hands and arm frombrushing on the cactus.The bendy Santa is climbing through the Snake Plant. You may be just able to see the Christmas Spider clinging to the leaf above his head on the right.

It's fairly restrained. I've been selective in choosing ornaments, just enough to capture a bit of history, memory, strength and hope.  There's not much bling.

Until I turn on the candles.

Post613 Lots of Purple and Patience

It seems a bit early to me for Christmas decorations. I did put out the candelabra but the rest can wait for Advent. 

Wednesday began with my 4 monthly Optometrist appointment. My eyes are going well under the current treatment regime. They were checked, my steroid creme prescripion renewed  and my checkups moved to six monthly. We talked along the way about Christmas, so I came home and sorted out the presents in my wardrobe. I could only find one of the four sacks I made for grandchildren in 2019  (a replacement of the original felt ones that had worn out). Does this mean it’s time to abandon them now the users are all adults?

On Thursday morning I had an email from Snapfish asking me to order something, or lose the archive of my past projects. It’s a bit ironic. The reason I haven’t used them for several years is because the early photo books I had ordered from them had disappeared from their website and I found another service that provides an archive service and more flexible formats. 

I thought however, that responding to their email might give me leverage, so I examined their current offerings. Amongst them are a couple of printed bags and a cushion. Of course, I thought it would be worthwhile trying these as spin-offs from the Bishops Bag.🙄

Apart from my Pilates, I spent the entire day, and most of the evening. experimenting with photographs and Snapfish software. Like most companies, but unlike those I ordered last week, Snapfish bags are printable only on one side. In the end I combined individual photographs of the 14 embroidered faces into a Word document, which I then converted to a jpeg file using screenshot. I had to do this several times to get a high enough resolution to create merchandise and to get a size that uploaded without cropping out faces on the edge. I have finally ordered a tote bag, a library bag and a cushion. I have a feeling the cushion might prove to be an attractive choice.  

In the middle of all this I had a phone call to say my coffee machine was ready to pick up. I was happily drinking a cup of coffee from the insulated coffee pot  I had filled that morning , so delayed picking up the machine until Friday. The explanation for the problem is still a bit thin, but I am now operating it without a filter, and hoping the signals for descaling will now be clear to me. Danielle, who runs the shop and deals with customers, had taken the trouble to go through the processes with the technician and then again with me. So far so good, but I’m not counting my chickens yet. Danielle is great.

It's good to have espresso coffee when I want it, but I'm very pleased to have rediscovered the convenience of freshly ground coffee through a stainless steel drip filter into an insulated coffee pot. I've got choices!

On Saturday I paid a visit to Create in Stitch. It was raining heavily. On the way home I managed to find a place to stop on Halifax St to photograph the jacaranda trees. I love the mature trees with the contrasting black wood. 

Back at home, with another coffee,  the drip began again in my living room wall.  I took notes, timed it, and notified our Strata Rep. Another visit from Shane is now scheduled early this Friday.

It was, at least, good knitting weather. I managed, finally, to finish the left front of the cardigan. It looked (is) huge, and I was anxious to see if I had overdone the size shift. It appears, however, to be the right size.  Even though it had to be held in place, I didn't want to take it off. It would have been a good addition in Saturday's miserable weather.

I've now begun the right front.

Three of us ate well and,  in between intermittent checks on the Schoolies Week weather, managed the crosswords  with a bit of pooled knowledge - and an observer.

Sunday was BookClub and the only day this week when rain was not forecast. I managed to get my 2 weeks of accumualated washing done and hung out before I left at 9.45am. As I hung it out, the Jenny McWinney peg bag I made in 2012 finally fell apart. A shame, but it's had a good run. I used the pegs as they fell but couldn't stop to deal with it.

I had somehow missed the street closure notices for the Supercars Final which starts next Thursday. Roads are already closed, stands and bollards  erected. I had to go a very long way around to get to our meeting at Norwood. It was worth it,  The recommended books created animated discussion. 

As we shared our reading, I added another 48 books to my database of the crime books we have collectively read this year. I now have an 11 page table, in Word, containing 485 titles - the books we have individually read and shared with each other this year.. Another BookClub member has now transferred it into Excel format so it can be interrogated by category, not essential, but useful and handy. I'm hoping to recruit a granddaughter to help me manage the database,

It was also the day the cushion covers I'd made recently reached their destination. The account of their making is now in my embroidery blog.

There isn't a big choice of peg baskets in Adelaide. I found this wire mesh one at Bunnings and bought it on Monday. The old one, unfortunately, has gone to landfill. 

While at Bunnings I was seduced by a lemon scented pine, being marketed as a Christmas tree. It's very limey-greem which I rather like.  Let's see if I can keep this one alive beyond Christmas.

They also had the first poinsettia of the season. Not very big, but I do love them. While I eschew Christmas decorations before Advent, I don't count plants in the category!

My hairdresser doesn't wait for Advent. When I visited today she and her apprentice were engaged in wrapping the entrance door in a gigantic gold ribbon and bow. While Nikki cut my hair, the apprentice unpacked a box of frosted trees which she arranged , on instruction, in the window. The idea was to create a village in the window.

After some discussion, I came home, collected the box of santons, traditional pottery village nativity figures from Provence,  and took them back to the salon. 

Jim bought these some 15-20 years ago. I haven't  had space to display them here and Nikki was keen to borrow them. She has promised me photos when they are set up. I can't find any photos of the figures set up, so the box will have to do. They are tiny, and my guess is there would be 70-80 figures.

On my way home the second time I stopped at the Chemist, had a prescription made up, and returned the bathroom scales I bought 10 days ago. They have begun behaving like the last ones. 

This morning they gave me, within 5 minutes, a weight varying over a 3 kg range. The pharmacy was unsurprised, and very good about it,  refunding my money and will return them to the company. 

After discussion with pharmacy staff, I came home and checked out non-digital scales. I have, with some trepidation, ordered the one that is used in most doctor's surgeries. The reviews are mostly positive, and reliability seems high. There is no local supply and they are more expensive than those I've tried so far. I really need to get accurate and reliable weight measurements regularly, so here's hoping it's third time lucky.

This afternoon I've had the call scheduling Shane's visit to look for the leak early (sigh) on Friday morning. I also had a message to say by B&O TV is at the warehouse and can be delivered once I pay the balance! 

Also, all the printed bags I ordered, plus the cushion, are on their way to me. It looks as if I will be spending much of the coming week waiting for deliveries and services!

Post 608 A lot happening

This is not the best lorikeet photo I've taken but the best I managed as several squawked their way through the native frangipani, remaining well hidden in the foliage. 

I had waited in for Scott Constructions to come to inspect the damage to my ceiling from the water leak, and prepare a quote. Patrick,who came to Adelaide to visit 20 years ago and stayed, was held up because they found asbestos in the last section of their current demolition job, and the site was quickly shut down. Unsurprisingly he still has an Irish brogue and talks the leg off a chair. He is, however, nothing if not thorough. He says at least 1 sq metre of the ceiling is water damaged and will need replacing, which, in his view, means the whole ceiling will need to be repainted. This seemed a fine idea until today, when it rained heavily - and the drip is back!

The missing book turned up on Thursday morning in 16b. Maureen, our Strata Rep, had canvassed owners. Danielle, who has moved out and has 16b on the market, must have called in to check on her way to work. I got a message at 7.30 am, jumped into some day clothes and retrieved it. Before and after Pilates I read it. It’s an amazing story. WES members will love it. They will have to wait until next September, when the topic appears on our calendar. A brilliant choice by Margaret. The book is (only) available from the Gawthorpe Textile Collection. 

I had spent a bit of time investigating printers and trying to answer the questions I asked last week. I had more-or-less settled on a black and white laser printer - one of the 3 recommended by Choice. It was not readily available, but appeared as in stock at the OfficeWorks near my Pilates studio. I therefore ordered some printing - 15 copies of the notes for the January Certificate Workshop- and called in after Pilates to pick it up and have a conversation about printers. Unfortunately their website was inaccurate and they only had a show model. The assistant, however, was really knowledgeable. It did look promising. They accepted the old printer for recycling. On Monday there was only one shop left with stock of the chosen replacement. I drove there and purchased one of their last 2 - discounted by 30%. It's still in the box. Hopefully I'll unpacked it soon.

I had booked Ovenbusters for Friday morning.  Braddon, the serviceman, was due around 10.30am, so at 7.30am I parked my car outside the apartment entrance to save him a space. He cleans in the van, so needs it close by, and the van doesn’t fit under our building. I have extension vouchers from the City Council, which means I can park outside for 4 hours. When Braddon arrived he found an easy park one door down, so I moved my car back in.  Brandon did a fabulous job on the oven, including between the glass on the door panel. He had useful tips and information - including that contemporary ovens have a life expectancy of not much more than 5-6 years! Adds to my insecurity.

All Adelaide family members were busy on Saturday night, so I  got stuck into the Kasia Jacquot linens that arrived on Friday. These items had been bought on sale: one, a panel pack that went into my pile of her panels to be embroidered for bags; the other a panel of small designs for ornaments. 

The latter I had bought mainly for the Christmas ornaments the Guild had reqested for the Christmas sale. 

Still on Saturday, a group called Acoustic Beats and Brews had set up in the Square for the afternoon and I couldn't block out the persistent underlying thump of the Bass, but it wasn't constant. By the time I went to bed I had completed four items - all I'm planning for now. Details in my embroidery blog.

I had also been impressed with Kasia Jacquot's embroidered jeans. When Nancy Bird advertised her Sol Pants  in cinnamon last week, I succumbed. These too, arrived on Friday. They fit perfectly and I have now copied the pattern on to one leg and started the embroidery. I know, I know. Yes, the knitting is still going, and I have made substantial progress with the Blue Birds tapestry. I'm not multitasking here, just jumping from one to another.

Sunday was BookClub at my place. There were six of us and we had lots to talk about. The 30C heat had not reached its peak so we were comfortable and engaged.

After the girls and I had lemon chicken and a good time on Monday evening, we were back together again this afternoon when Alison paid a flying visit. I hastily gathered a couple of family pies, bacon & potatoes (in a glass dish, rather than a big brown pot), cheese, salami, bread, salad, nuts - whatever was to hand, and laid it all out so people could help themselves and keep talking, which they certainly did. In the end, seven of us sat down and polished of most of the food with very few silences. Around 8pm school night awareness kicked in and the 5 of them fled. The visitor has a busy day ahead. It is so lovely to see her for a few precious hours. 

I am late posting this so won't attempt more.