Post 535 Crossing the stream

Last week’s post finished with me wondering if my tiredness was an effect of my flu vac. I also had a sore throat. That night I started to worry that it might in fact be an infection. I had thrown away the last RAT test a couple of weeks ago when I realised it was well past its use-by date. At 2am, searching online. I found a pharmacy not too far away with a pack of 2 tests that could be purchased online and picked up in shop when they opened. I ordered a pack. At 9am I called a couple of WES Group friends to ask them to manage the meeting in my absence then dashed to the pharmacy to pick up the tests. I was in and out in under a minute.

The kit tested FluA&B,COVID  RSV. I tested positive to COVID. 

I was shocked. I've been so cautious - 8 vaccines and avoiding mingling. My second thought was relief that I had not gone to WES - the first meeting I’ve missed since becoming convenor. There are vulnerable  people in the group and we've taken pains to observe the ‘out of an abundance of caution’ principle.

I had plenty of food so bunkered down. I phoned my doctor’s surgery. The duty doctor phoned back that evening having researched anti-viral requirements for kidney donors. She was thorough and helpful and texted me a prescription. My nearest pharmacy was still open, prepared the prescription,  messaged me to come and pick it up wearing a mask and by 7pm I had taken my first dose of antivirals. Katherine dropped a couple of boxes of RAT tests at my door the next morning.

To summarise  the rest, I had mild symptoms, sore throat, croaky voice, on and off mild headaches, waning body aches, tiredness. I tested positive until Sunday morning. My last antiviral dose was Monday morning after which I again tested negative and was free to rejoin the community.

We had a full quota for dinner yesterday with lasagna and cannelloni I bought from Frewville Foodland. A joyous occasion. 

There were 17 people at the WES Group meeting, which went swimmingly. I and other absent members have been able to view a pdf of Margaret’s presentation on Ukrainian embroidery.  Obviously I couldn’t go to family for dinner on Saturday nor to the Ukaria concert on Sunday. Lorraine made the trip on her own. A busy, generous Guild friend called at Mrs Harris’ Gallery on Saturday to retrieve the handbags I’d bought at the last exhibition. 

I am really grateful for the support I’ve had; a health system that functioned efficiently and effectively, family and friends who tended assistance, stayed in touch, checked in and kept me connected, along with a home that kept me safe, in touch with others and nature, with plenty to do.

Today I skipped Aquafit.An overabundance of caution, but seems a bit soon to be in a closed pool environment with 20 other people.

On Friday two separate postal deliverers placed their parcels in the lift downstairs so I could retrieve it on my floor without contact. One was the Marie Wallin Berwick Cardigan kit, the other the Uradale colourway kit for the 2024 Shetland Wool Week beanie. They are lovely to handle, but I have managed to resist and stick to knitting the Inca Coatigan (I’m relabelling it now I can see how big it is!)

With a little bit of pattern manipulation, it is exactly the recommended length of 93cm. Quite long. (the variation in shading in the photo is the result of a shaft of light, not a bleaching agent!).

I've started on the left front, which, is, of course, a much faster knit. 

I think I finally understand the attraction of knitting colour work in the round. The purl rows are slow work with three colours. It would, I think, be worth the terror of a steek to be able to stick to knit stitches and see the pattern as you work it. Enlightenment.

While isolating, I did read 3 books, none of them outstanding. Today I finished Lawful Duty, the latest of Mike Campling's books, the first in a series of police procedurals spinning off the Devonshire Mystery series. It has interesting elements, some of which make me wary. 

The second Early Women of Books bag is now in its happy place transporting vegetables in Sydney's Blue  Mountains! Thanks for the photo Robin.

It was my brother's birthday during the week. This is his birthday rainbow, appearing as he stood on his Sydney balcony listening on his phone to a group of friends sing Happy Birthday.

If that's not a promising start to a year, I don't know what is! Thanks for the photo- and the love.

All week I've had an ear worm, an ABBA song going around in my head.

I have a dream, a song to sing

To help me cope, with anything.

If you see the wonder, of a fairy tale

You can take the future, even if you fail.

I believe in angels, 

Something good in everything I see

I believe in angels,

When I know the time is right for me

I'll cross the stream, I Have a Dream.

I feel as if I crossed a stream this week. 

Not a river or an ocean, but, yes, a stream.

Post534 Nothing went to plan...

This was a week of things going awry, or worse. My cousin Christine, in Gloucestershire England, died overnight on Saturday. I have 8 cousins, 6 in England and 2 in Australia. My brother and I  are older than our English cousins, followed by Christine. She was hospitable and welcoming to me, and to our parents when they were alive and visiting England regularly. She was a great Elvis fan -:so pleased she got to visit Gracelands in 2019. I am sad, and thinking of her family as well as the times I spent with her, the last when she and her husband generously drove me to Marsh Gibbon in search of family history in 2020. 

The rest of my news seems trivial in comparison, but some of it isn’t. I had invited friends to lunch on Sunday, but one of them was taken to hospital in the early hours of Saturday and operated on a few hours later. He is now home recovering and still planning to go on the cruise he has booked leaving next Monday. 

Wednesday should have been an adventure, my first day of being the Day Hostess (!!) at the Guild - a volunteer available to answer queries, show visitors around and help out our part-time employee. She, however, was ill. As there were no groups booked to use the premises a decision was taken to close for the day. 

I used the unexpected free time to visit Kmart, drop some items off to a friend and call at the Jam Factory to view their Mother's Day collection. At Kmart I bought more drawer organisers. At the Jam Factory I bought myself yet another mug. I like this a lot. The base is slightly larger than the rim so it holds heat fairly well, and the glaze is lovely. I tried it out later in the afternoon, on the front balcony in the sun, surrounded by plants, knitting.

I caught a glimpse of an Adelaide Rosella just as I was about to bring in the washing.

 

Thursday morning was the annual service of my airconditioner. It hasn't been used a lot this summer and all is well. I discovered, however, as the serviceman was cleaning the filter, that I have for years neglected to clean the vent over the filter. I'm ashamed to say it was really dirty. It was a bit like cleaning venetian blinds, a job I had as a child, necessitating checking every angle. The serviceman (and I!) finished around 11.30am, in plenty of time for me to get to Pilates.

Friday was a medical appointment, mainly Shingles and Flu shots.

This tree (left) is on the street outside the practice, which, unfortunately, had run out of Shingles vaccine. My GP, had she not retired, would have called me to let me know.

The stand-in GP was apologetic, thorough and pleasant.  so I had my flu shot and made an appointment in a month's time for  the Shingles shot. That's within the allowable effectiveness period and will  work well with blood tests and a specialist appointment I have scheduled, so all's well.  I left quite happy.

That afternoon Pat's Early Women of the Book bag arrived in Sydney and brought her pleasure. A second one is winging its way to Robin.

As well as a cancelled lunch on Sunday, Monday dinner was a nonstarter because it was parent-teacher night at the girls’ school between 6pm and 8 pm.  I got early warning of this, so only bought 4 chicken Marylands for (the now aborted) Sunday lunch, instead of the 12 I had planned to buy when including Monday. 

 With lots of freed up time, I plunged into reorganising drawers using my Kmart purchases. First priority was my scarf/shawl drawer, which presented quite a challenge. Success! (yes, the left side of the drawer has two layers).

The bigger challenge, however, were my drawers of fabric! That took quite a while. Without organisers, the drawers take more fabric but I can now see what is there without rummaging. I did some sorting and threw a little bit away.

As well as the drawers, which mostly hold lengths of fabric I have bought, I had several tubs of fabric scraps in varying sizes, mostly left over fabric from things I have made, or, from 1986 to 2004, my dressmaker made for me. The tubs were roughly sorted, but a jumble. The only way to sort it out was to iron.

Of course, I underestimated the time the ironing would take -about 8 hours over Saturday and Sunday in between helping out at JEMS and dinner at Kilkenny.

The tubs however, are sorted - one patterned cottons, one plain cottons, one ginghams, one silks and one satin lining fabrics - lots of the last thanks to the dressmaker I once had.  I also have a few more pieces set aside to make gift bags and a few for embellishments.

As well as being able to see what is there, I have refreshed my memory - including the memory (or absence of memory!) of clothes long gone. There were moments of sadness, but overall gratitude for all  the joy of making, wearing and sharing.

JEMS on Saturday was fun, a small group of creative, productive girls focused on their projects. I had to keep sitting down. My sciatica kicks in when I am on my feet for more than about 15 minutes at a time. I recovered at home with coffee before relaxing at family dinner.

I finished Paul Ceolho's Maktab and Simon Rowell’s Wild Card both of which I enjoyed. Just as Niamh was heading off to her parent-teacher evening yesterday, Fionn, unaware of cancelation, arrived for dinner, an unexpected pleasure. I had Sunday's uncooked Chicken Marylands. It was too late to bake them as planned, but I was able to pan fry two of them with potato and bokchoi -with a little bit of dismembering to ensure they cooked through. It was great to share a meal, and to have time to catch up on his uni news: so glad he came. 

Today I skipped Aquafit in view of a slightly scratchy throat, tiredness and sciatica. Swimming is usually an antidote to sciatica, but oddly that doesn't hold true for Aquafit, where, even with movement, we stand in the one place.  Because my cleaner was coming, I took the chance to clean the fly screen door onto to my front balcony. It was harder than I anticipated - and made a dusty mess both inside and out. I took a lot of trouble cleaning the runners and left it to the cleaner to vacuum the dust - and decided against doing the Eastern balcony screen as well today. In the meantime, as I opened a  cupboard, a pyrex dish fell out and smashed all over the floor. It took a while to clean up and dispose of safely. 

I am now very tired (and wondering if it is a side effect of my  flu vac) but have made some knitting progress. The rows are getting shorter and I only have 20 to go before the final decreases (I'm on the back. It's looking pretty good - and long! 

Vale Christine.❤️

Post 533 Long Post for a Full On Week.

Wednesday turned out to be busy as I set about restoring order to my balcony after the re-grouting of the tiles. The tiles needed washing, the pots and furniture returning to position. The first discovery was that my squeegee, the only mop I own, was broken. The sponge squeezing mechanism had come apart, and was missing a connector. I could still operate it awkwardly, holding the disconnected rod. 

I took the opportunity to clean the runners on the door and insect screen of their accumulated grime. The two water dishes were slimy. One contains shells, which in turn were covered in slime. I soaked the shells in a mild solution of bleach, then scrubbed each one with a nail brush. They now look clean and the water clear. I've moved the dish out of the sun in the hope the algae won't form.

I deadheaded flowers, tidied a few plants, swept up petals and reconnected the hose. 

I noticed that the zygocactus is about to flower - so the honeyeaters will be competing with the noisy miner for access before too long.

By the time the balcony was restored and clean I was exhausted. I made a coffee and explored potential replacement of my squeegee. 

I keep a short broom with attached dustpan on the balcony. The broom has nylon bristles, now misshapen and sticking out at all angles. An online search revealed the Frewville Foodland had suitable replacements, so I set off and found what I wanted, a squeegee with a more robust mechanism and a small, handmade broom from Vietnam. 

I already have one of these with a stiff bristle. The new one is soft, and very good at finding fine dust. One on each balcony

When I got home I returned the shells to their dish and finished the job. I decided to replace the hose as well, with one that is tidier and takes up less room. (Yes, this really is tidier!)

Around 3pm, as I was having lunch, a courier delivered the four printed tote bags I had ordered - the Early Women of the Book.

I am delighted with them . Two are for friends in Sydney - fellow students of Early English Literature and Language in undergraduate days, who are as excited as I am.  One is destined for a charity auction and another for the Guild SALA Exhibition - along with the explanatory booklet. 

This has been a very productive exercise. As with the earlier bag, one side has printed the photo as uploaded and the other has somehow removed the white background. It is obviously how the printing process works. I'd like to understand it, but, as they are printed overseas, I doubt I will. 

There was a fabulous full moon that night and I managed to get a decent shot through the slats of my Vergola using my phone. It's the best moonshot I have managed.  A Proud Titania kind of night.

Thursday was ANZAC Day, a public holiday, with Dawn Services and marches of Veterans and service men and women all around the country. I don't attend. I do, however, acknowledge the service of family members and remember their sacrifices - including the mental health issues that followed throughout the lives of those who survived. They needed to forget, but we need to remember.

I had decided not to bake Anzac biscuits. It is school holidays, so no one but me to eat them and  I already had a few left from last month's batch. The point about Anzac biscuits is their keeping capacity. They were developed to last for months on sea voyages to France and Egypt in WWI.  However, when I received this email from a cheeky friend  Dont forget the ANZAC biscuits are in the oven and they burn quickly. WE DONT want them burnt again this year, I got on my high horse and immediately made a batch. That'll show him! No fool like an old fool! At least they will keep.

I had bought fresh prawns on Wednesday, intending to have them in a salad, but in view of the chilly weather, stir fried them with broccolini and peas. A good meal.

On Friday I met a friend in Stirling for coffee and scones. It was busy and crowded, but we did a lot of catching up. She brought me another Alamanda Blue, one that is ready to propagate. Mine is doing well, but isn't old enough to be divided, and I promised one to another keen gardener. Cathy seems to have the Alamanda magic  touch. She has several plants, all excelling themselves.

A balcony isn’t ideal for plant division on this scale, and it has taken me several days over this busy week, but I now have three new plants from this giant, which will grow back over the gap. This is quite a rare local swamp plant and would be best in a pond. It’s important to keep propagating them.

When I arrived home from Stirling there were two parcels in my letterbox. One was a metre of Spice linen - the lining for several bags I am working on. The other was a total surprise - a shawl knitted by an overseas friend as a gift. I was so warmed in every way. An unexpected, personal, perfect gift. It went perfectly with what I was wearing. I feel wrapped in friendship and heather.  

And speaking of heather, Marie Wallin’s new collection was released, and yes, against commonsense, I have ordered a kit. This one is simply too beautiful to pass up. And, from the sublime to the ridiculous,

Even worse,  I also ordered an Uradale (centre) colour way kit for the newly released 2024 Shetland Wool Week hat. 

My Saturday workshop on Glazig embroidery for the Certificate Course went really well. The 12 attendees were enthusiastic, diligent and creative working right up to 2pm. 

I captured 9 of their efforts, thanks to Lee who prompted me to photograph the results before it was too late! The one that looks messy is because I photographed it too close through the plastic bag after it was packed up. I really liked the edging but didn’t want to ask the student to unpack it.

Niamh arrived home from her school trip to Indonesia with stories and gifts. Mine is a pair of lovely filigree silver earrings in a batik box, accompanied by a berry for cleaning the silver. I’ve been to Indonesia a number of times but never encountered these. 

I might just try following the instructions.

On Sunday I had a 2.30 pm concert at Ukaria. It’s a 40 minute drive with my friend Lorraine, and this time also  another friend of hers, in time to secure a convenient car park and enjoy a platter lunch beforehand. The Dudok Quartet of Amsterdam played Mozart String Quartet No.23 in F,K.590, Grazyna Bacewicz String Quartet No4, Tchaikovsky String Quartet No3 in E flat minor. The Ukaria garden is at its very best, and the music was great.

Although school term has begun, yesterday was a pupil free day so no family dinner. I needed a day to shop and recover after a pretty full-on week. Much of the day was spent in a panic, trying to find an example of embroidery a student had given me on Saturday for the next WES Group meeting. I had been too busy and tired on Sunday to unpack my Glazig teaching bag and when I got to it yesterday the example was missing. I searched the car and house and phoned the organiser. I was working out how I was going to explain the loss to the student. Several hours later I worked out where I had tucked it, to keep it safe. Phew! 

Today I had lunch with Panayoula, catching up and sharing our opinions on world problems. At home I finished off making a pot of soup to keep me going for the rest of the week.

I have now reached the sleeve cast-off on the Andes cardigan. It’s looking good. I'm looking forward to seeing the impact of shaping.

It has been a busy, productive week - thanks for reading to the end!

Post 532 Balcony, bags and books.

On Wednesday I had my annual audiology check up. There has been no change in my hearing since last year and my 9 year-old hearing aids are still working.  There have, of course, been technological advances in that time. I'm still pretty happy with the status quo, so I'm sticking with what I have. If something goes wrong, I'll upgrade - and I'm thinking 10 years is  probably the limit!

Afterwards, I went to Kmart at Kurralta Park looking for drawer organisers and a Book Club book. With a bit of help from staff, I found both items in the barn of a shop.  I bought drawer organisers in two sizes and early the next morning cleaned out three drawers and inserted organisers loaded with jumpers, trousers and scarves.  They are so promising I plan to go back for (lots) more! I even had a bag of clothes to take to the charity shop on Thursday.

The bobbins I had ordered following Janet’s talk  on braids at WES last week arrived - a packet for me and 4 packets for WES friends.  These open for winding the wool, then clip closed for use. As well as keeping the yarn untangled they provide weight when  braiding. They are not easy to find in Australia, but I found a source in Victoria.

On Thursday I skipped Pilates to take Veronica to Aptos Cruz Gallery in the Adelaide Hills. The Hills were in full Autumn glory which I didn’t manage to photograph as I was driving. I should have asked Veronica, who is a good photographer, to  oblige but didn’t think at the time. That evening I went to friends for dinner and had a great time . 

The Sheepjies blanket is now out as an extra layer on the bed as needed.

On Friday the upholsterer came and picked up the chair. It was a very quick and smooth operation without parking hassle. As the chair that's gone is my favourite for stitching, I rearranged so I can now use my Men of Skyros chair before heading to Frewville to shop for Monday night. I always enjoy shopping there, and ended up with a few bakery items to keep my spirits up while I put in a few hours proof-reading in the afternoon.

I grabbed a shot of one of the honeyeaters through the flyscreen on the balcony. They certainly love those flowers. 

I finished the Flannel Flower bag I mentioned last week.  I'm very happy with it and have lots of ideas to vary it. Detail  of this one is in my embroidery blog.

I'm also progressing the Kaffe Fassett Andes cardigan. At the moment I am knitting 5 rows that use two brown shades. It is hard enough to tell them apart in the ball, but when they are side by side as a thread it is nigh impossible.

The colour marked in red triangle is different to that in the blue triangle!

I have worked out a way of keeping them apart as I knit, so one is on my right and one on the left, but it requires concentration and vigilance!

Today our Strata maintenance team came to regrout my back balcony in an effort to stop a water leak on the balcony below. Leakage through my worn grout is likely to be a contributing, rather than a causal factor. Apparently the drainage pipes running through the ceiling below are worn at the joins and will be replaced - from below. 

The tilers were professional and considerate, agreeing to do half the floor at a time, moving my plants from one side to the other. It took about three and a half hours. The floor needs to dry overnight so there will be quite a bit of plant moving for me to do tomorrow. My cleaner helped me move the marble-top table back into place this afternoon - a job I struggle to do on my own.

I took the photo while sitting at my sewing machine,  making up a second Flannel Flower bag. I don't think the faces are clear enough to require me to seek permission to use the photo!

I began the Flannel Flower bag in the Fennel and Saltbush  colourway as soon as the Spice one was finished. I completed the embroidery yesterday. It's been fun experimenting with embellishment and it makes a decent bag. Detail, of course, in my embroidery blog.

I also sorted out the various Ink and Spindle linens I have and worked out how I will turn them into tote bags. Looks as if I will be busy with bags for a while. I have at least a dozen in mind. I've ordered another metre of plain Spice coloured linen for linings. 

The weather has varied considerably from several warm, sunny days, when the Ibis moved in and out of shade in the Square, to overcast, stormy skies. temperature drop and sudden showers this afternoon. I guess it is not only the colours of the leaves on deciduous trees that is changeable in Autumn.

It was lovely yesterday when we gathered here for a meal. Although it is still school holidays and Niamh is in Indonesia, Veronica was working her usual late afternoon shift in the city and the Uni term has started, so it was convenient for five of us to eat here.  

I really enjoyed the Richard Coles book I began last week and have ordered the second in the series. I've been trying to reduce the pile of books I have acquired. I  read Margaret Hickey's Broken Bay, set in South Australia. Next weekend is my Glazig Workshop at the Guild - so I need to spend a bit of time refreshing my understanding. Between this and moving plants back into place, bags and books may take second place this coming week.