Post 546 One foot up and one foot down

On Wednesday I had a fairly slow start, but got the washing out by 8.30 and eventually got back to the Jura shop to return 5 unopened filters for the old coffee machine which they swapped for the new machine’s filters. -

I took myself on to the parklands for a short walk, checking out the birds and tree growth. It’s a while since I’ve been. The eastern section of the creek is dry.  

The wattle is blooming on cue. 

August 1st was always Wattle Day to my mother, who had celebrated it at school, a curriculum item that no longer applied when I went to school, but the wattle doesn’t forget.

This tree is doing its best to imitate a reindeer. 

I had cancelled Pilates on Thursday in favour of a haircut followed by an afternoon performance by the Choir of Kings College Cambridge at the Adelaide Town Hall. 

I woke in time to capture the sun rise just following the moonrise. Around 8.30am I had several strange emails from Musica Viva, the sponsors of the choir, with new receipts and a reissued ticket. Eventually an email explained that the seat I had originally booked (from the Musica Viva website) did not exist and they had found me another seat!

Like many venues in Adelaide, the Town Hall is being renovated. It currently covered in scaffold. Inside there are new seats - iron backs with slight padding. The numbers are on the front edge of the base, so you have to raise the seat - or get on the floor - to see. I was there early enough to watch the confusion and join in the communal instructions as others arrived.

PROGRAM

George Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759) Zadok the Priest, HWV 258 (1727)

Giovanni GABRIELI (c. 1554-1612)O magnum mysterium (1587)

Olivier MESSIAEN (1908-1992)Les Anges, from La Nativité du Seigneur (1935)

Morten LAURIDSEN (b 1943) O magnum mysterium (1994)

Olivier MESSIAEN Transports de joie, from L'Ascension (1933-34)

Edgar BAINTON (1880-1956)And I Saw a New Heaven (1928)

Damian BARBELER (b 1972) [music] and Judith Nangala CRISPIN (b 1970) [poem] Charlotte (2023)

NTERVAL

Maurice DURUFLÉ (1902-1986) Requiem, Op. 9 (1948)

I’m a fan of this choir, and it's good to hear the organ being played. Photography during the performance is, of course, not permitted.

I enjoyed the first half but bailed at interval. I was uncomfortable on the seat, my sciatic was flairing and I couldn’t face another 45 minutes, so came home and found a recording of the Durufle Requiem to listen to.

It was lovely on the balcony in the sun - with a cup of coffee. Durefle hasn't touched the pedestal on which I have the Faure Requiem!.

I had finished the first pocket for the Cardigan on Wednesday. I knitted a small hem at the top, turned it under and stitched it down. I think the strengthening might be needed, but I wanted the pattern to match unobtrusively on the outside.

Before starting the second pocket I took a short break  to dip into my next project.

This is the first square of a healing blanket for my hospitalised friend, using Martin Storey's Midwinter Blanket pattern and Rowan Felted Tweed. It requires following a chart  closely, but maybe after 8 of them I might have it in my memory!

I like the result, so  satisfied that I returned to the second pocket of the cardigan before a relatively early night, waking to a sunrise that seemed to reflect the knitted square of the night before at least in colour terms!

I had plenty of time to knit over the weekend, in between preparing for Monday’s dinner. Saturday night was the fund-raising quiz night and auction for Veronica’s Cambodia trip, so no dinner. I supplied some items for the auction but did not attend. It raised $19,000, a huge credit to the 17 girls involved (and their long suffering parents)!

My hospitalised friend underwent a major operation on Saturday and is recovering in a room facing the other way. So far, so good.

I haven’t made pies for a while and I don’t think I have ever served these together before. Both are from my well-worn copy of The Food of Greece by Vilma Liacouras Chantiles (1979). The round one is Kotopita (chicken pie with cheese and herbs) and the rectangular Pastitsio Makatinia me Feta ( pastitsio with feta cheese). 

They were both well received, but there was too much liquid in the chicken one - I’m not sure why - possibly too much stock in the bechamel.

We had 8 for dinner. I made a batch of lemonade scones (in case we needed more carbohydrate, which, of course we didn’t). As always, great to catch up with the kids’ activities (parents, I’m afraid, didn’t get much of a look-in). I’m grateful for some gift chocolates which I sampled tonight.

I finished the second pocket. I will stitch them on next time the cardigan and I are in the same city! 

I am now focused on the healing blanket, beginning by knitting one of each of the six motifs which will appear in varying numbers in the 35 square blanket.  I've completed 3.

I had my annual visit to the dermatologist yesterday. She has frozen off a couple of harmless but itchy growths behind my right knee and given me antibiotics for an inflamed cyst. If this hasn’t healed by Friday she will arrange a visit to a surgeon.🤞🏼 

I woke this morning as the birds returned from their overnight roost and managed a quick photo from bed. I had had a very late night and managed to sleep another couple of hours before I faced the day.

I spent the afternoon helping a friend with an insurance claim, and managed to finish the third square for the blanket. 

I'm now tired and ready for bed. Tomorrow is my monthly Hostess day at the Guild and a daughter's birthday. I do hope she has a happy one. 

Post 431 There's a lot of Covid around. I stay cautious and busy.

Wednesday was WES Group. Lori, who is taking a break from the Guild over the next year, has been researching Pockets, an interest initially triggered by Jan Messant's book Celtic, Viking and Anglo-Saxon Embroidery. As usual, Lori had worked examples of what she was learning. She had put together a PowerPoint presentation, but unfortunately we couldn't get the Guild laptop to talk to the projector. Two regular members, with experience of the IT setup, were  last-minute apologies for the meeting - one on her way to get a PCR test for Covid. I was opposed to any fiddling with the laptop settings. In the end Lori worked from her notes. It was a terrific session, with a lot of engagement. 

I had planned to farewell Lori but was a bit distracted during the meeting. As well as the IT failure, the member with Covid (the PCR test proved positive) had returned the day before from leading a textile tour in Central Australia. Another member of the group, who was at the meeting, had been on the tour. She found out about the potential infection when I told the group. She was horrified. She has since tested positive. Most members were wearing masks and we were appropriately distanced. No-one's fault, but it was a bit scary. To add to it, I had a sore throat that night. I cancelled my Pilates class on Thursday and took a PCR test after 24 hours, which was negative. My symptoms didn't develop. 

Coffee on Friday with two old work friends was cancelled because one is in Canberra with Covid. I had hoped to get to Sandy Lepore's 100 Year Climate Project exhibition at the City of Adelaide Library on Friday, but got a phone call from my AirCon service company to say they had a cancellation and could perform my service later in the morning. It's done and in good order. Now all I need is my repaired blind returned, the Vergola repair investigated and my carpets cleaned. 

Admittedly the lack of a blind is not keeping me awake at night and, if I wake up in time, there are some fine sunrises.

While isolating on Thursday and Friday I took all my folders of embroidery and knitting notes and patterns out of the boxes and folders into which they have been shoved, then sorted, rearranged and labelled them. It is good to reacquaint myself with what is there. 

On Sunday I emptied my trunk of family records and treasures to reacquaint myself with what's there. I have idea for a small set of generational drawers to hold these. It makes me very sad to handle some of these and I choose not to dwell on many of them.  This one, however, given to all school children in primary schools in NSW in 1953, just makes me smile and shake my head (the boys, of course, got blue ones.)  

I  think I'm on the right track with the drawers. I had been thinking very small, but now think they need to be a little larger. I'm on to it, however slowly.

I recovered equilibrium by making a batch of Anzac biscuits. I used a recipe provided in 2021 by Peter Malinauskas who was then leader of the Opposition is SA. It seemed a bit moist so I added extra oats. I also didn't pay close attention to the time. I don't think I can blame the tools for the fact they were overcooked. They taste OK - and have mostly been eaten. I need to go back to my method of three weeks ago!

That night there was a rare opportunity to photograph the moon in the East. Not sure why the photographs worked this time - usually I can't hold the camera still for long enough. 

 

Monday's dinner was another vegetable & sausage bake. It was a bit on the fly because of footy practice and parent-teacher interviews. I made way too much, but it got us through. I had quite a good time, hearing stories from the kids and just serving food. It's a very laid back and privileged position. 

Today I had a hairdressing appointment - just a cut and blow dry. I enjoyed talking to my hairdresser, who is feeling old at 30. I also picked up a parcel from my local PO and another from a gym in the NW corner of the city. Delivery had been attempted while I was shopping yesterday. There was a closer pick-up point but the courier dropped it off at the gym - probably where he stays fit! I grumbled a bit, but it was interesting to visit an unexplored part of the city.

In between I've been working on Jenny McWinney's Arabian Bag.  I've finished the embroidery. 

Since taking the photo, I have added some gold lines and a the single line of sand under the buildings. This afternoon I have begun the construction. I've struggled a little with some of the instructions, but the bag will emerge before next week's post.          

One of my parcels this morning contained a new shawl pin from Scarf Pins and Rings. I couldn't resist a wombat.

I'm hoping all my Covid positive friends are recovering fully.