Post 421: Goddesses, Glass and quarantine

This time two years ago I was in Stratford-upon-Avon, on the embroidery retreat that started this blog. 8 March, the day I'm posting this, was the last day of the retreat. Melody and I visited Holy Trinity Church which had been closed to visitors on our earlier visit. 

The retreat finished with drinks and canapes, and I won the lucky door prize.

Today, as more than 1 million flee war in Europe, and more than 2000 families in NSW have homes destroyed by flood,  I am writing in isolation as a close COVID contact. I tested negative last night and need to test again tomorrow night and Friday night. So far so good. I've cancelled all commitments this week.

I wrote in the post two years ago:

 It has been such a good 8 days. Amongst this group of people I find my tribe. We recognise each other, share not just embroidery, but values and experiences. We pick up where we left off and connect to each other in very fundamental ways.

I'm so glad I came.

I little thought, when I came home early and agreed to keep this blog going as I quarantined, that I would be still be posting, in quarantine, 2 years later and the world would be so changed. I'm still glad I went - and live in hope of reuniting physically with this part of my tribe one day, and the local part soon.

I spent a lot of time this week preparing presentations - a lot of searching for resources, reading books, articles and mining museum sites, finding threads of thought, organising and then telling the story. Much of it was done from my chair overlooking the back balcony, Next to embroidery, it's in this process I feel most relaxed and engaged. The whole dove family came on Thursday to keep me company, absorbing the heat from the tiles into their bodies, sharing the space with no sense of three's a crowd. The three were back today.

The urgent presentation was the one for tomorrow's World Embroidery Studies Group. I brought forward my Goddess in Embroidery offering from later in the year because the scheduled presenter couldn't do hers in March. This meant fast tracking my preparation, which is not as thorough as I'd have liked. Still, I have enough. One thing about ancient pagan goddesses is that they are attended by birds, originally swans, but later birds in general. So maybe the doves came to encourage me in the exercise.

In any case, I appreciated their presence. The presentation, of course, is now postponed and two other members have stepped in. The tribe again!

I mentioned last week that Margaret Adams had constructed and brought me the charts for the projects for my Bulgarian Embroidery workshop in August. This prompted me to stay on my presentation roll and prepare that one as well.  I already had the one I'd used for the WES Group last year, so I adapted it, prepared the notes, adding in the charts and sent them off to Officeworks for printing on Wednesday night. The charts need to be in colour but the notes could be printed in black and white. I also managed to print the illustrations of the projects in multiple smaller versions on 3 pages, then cut them out and paste them into the notes.  I dug out the Aida fabric I had been hoarding to use for these projects. I'm hoping to find a bit more, but can manage with what I have if necessary.  I'd have made a good Girl Guide~

On Friday I had lunch with four friends at the Magill Estate Kitchen. On the way there I stopped off at Heine's Nursery to buy another pot and another Mandevilla, this time white. A recent article confirmed my experience that they are very well suited to Adelaide. Now I have pink, red and white.

My GPS took me on a bit of a wild goose chase from the nursery to the restaurant but once I found my own way out of the maze, it was a very pleasant, relaxed lunch. 

I arrived home to find an undelivered parcel message in my letterbox.  It was the bookmarks I had ordered a couple of weeks ago, which, had they been packaged flat as I requested, would easily have fitted through the letterbox slot. As it was, each of the three bundles was encased in plastic, then placed together in a box, with bubblewrap to stop them rattling around. 

The box was then wrapped in plastic  before being encased in cardboard and placed in a padded postbag - which was then mailed inside a plastic Express Post bag!  6 layers of packaging for cardboard bookmarks that would have travelled safely in a heavy paper envelope and saved me a trip to the PO, a queue and the need to find a park! Grrr.  ( I am, nonetheless, pleased with the bookmarks!)

On  Wednesday  I had a phone appointment with me GP to report on my bloods. I took the opportunity to ask some questions about vaccinations - flu around May and 4th Covid probably sometime soonish. I am now out of the pre-diabetes range and my kidney readings are on the borderline of OK. It seems that is unlikely to change much. I continue with weight loss. 

Back in September last year I bought a second set of scales. The ones I was using were about 30 years old and gave varied readings within less than a minute. I have been using both sets in order to reassure myself of reliability. On the Saturday mornings that my cleaner comes I put the second set, which is glass, into a cupboard out of the way. This Saturday they slipped as I lifted them, and shattered on the tiled floor, like windscreen, into tiny fragments. I backed out, put on shoes and cleaned it up.

When my cleaner arrived I warned him there might be residual glass. He told me that in Pakistan there is a strong superstition that when glass or ceramic shatters in this way it is a sign that someone has wished you ill and the ill-will has been taken into the shattered object and dispersed! I'm grateful! Doubly so three days later with a negative COVID test.

On Saturday Niamh's basketball brunch prevented her going to JEMS so I managed to shop for Monday dinner and buy a bag of potting mix to move the Duranta repens, "Geisha Girl" I bought three weeks ago (another reported Adelaide-friendly bush) into the pot I bought on Friday. Hopefully, in this pot, it will grow to a reasonable balcony size.  It's very pretty.  

Dinner on Saturday was at Grange Jetty. It was windy and overcast and the wind surfers were out. I arrived home in time to catch something of the atmosphere from the city.

I tried a new potato recipe on Monday - Spanish potatoes - with the Chicken Maryland, eggplant parmigiana and greens. Very easy. Fionn and Niamh were at their respective football trainings. 

 

The eggplant parmigiana didn't brown as much as I wanted, but it tasted fine and everything else worked well, 

It was only later in the evening that I discovered a member of my family has COVID and I am a close contact. I used a RAT for the first time. It requires a UV torch which comes in the test kit, partially assembled. I completed the assembly but couldn't get it to work no matter how many times I tried. I discovered online that others had similar problems. Some three hours later, after booking myself in for a PCR test, I pulled the torch completely apart and reassembled it - voila! a UV light and a negative result. It was a huge relief, both to be negative and also to be competent to conduct a test!

I have made some progress on the final Bush Sentinelle and the Mosaic Carpet Bag, but not enough to add photos. Hopefully there will be a lot to show next week.

Post 420 Water and Vikings

 On Wednesday morning as I was having my breakfast in the chair close to the door on to my Eastern balcony, there was a loud thumping noise outside. I looked up to see a large magpie landing on my balcony rail. This rather strange photo was taken through the glass of my window. The flyscreen was across the doorway and I didn't want to risk frightening the bird away by opening it. I took a number of photos through the glass, then quietly drew my DSLR out of my sock drawer (where it lives to be handy to the balcony!) and slowly opened the flyscreen. 

I managed to get quite a few very decent photos before it flew away. They are big, powerful birds and I wouldn't tangle with them. It is a great privilege to have one visit.

 

I saw my optometrist later that morning and am now back on steroid cream, with a bit of a plan about keeping the problem under control. It has improved with the cream, so I need to eventually find the sweet spot of control.

I got home to find a note in my letterbox from SAWater to say they will be working on the water supply on Sunday and the water could be off all day.  My bookclub was meeting here that day. I can deal with the water being off, but they were likely to block off the street and make considerable noise which is less manageable. I phoned them to find out more, spoke to two different people, both of whom took my details and promised the project manager would contact me - but he didn't. I tried an online chat line with the same result. On Friday we moved the meeting. Just as well we did. The road was closed from 8am to 6pm, the digging was right outside and the noise still loud when I returned. In the meantime, we had a very engaged and interactive meeting at Pat's place. We try again here next month. 

Saturday was my Viking Embroidery workshop for the Guild's Certificate Course. I was on edge about it, because my presentation was heavily history-orientated, which is not usual for the group. I had a kit with two embroidery projects a PowerPoint presentation, some Naalbinding needles and instructions and some lucets with instructions. During the week I worked a Naalbinding wrist band- the first time I had managed more than the initial cast-on row. It is crude, but gave me the idea of how it's done.  While I like the idea of socks and hats in this technique, I plan to leave that to re-enactors. I'm planning to stick to knitting!

The workshop went really well. Those attending know my bent by now and assured me they love the history. Lucets were popular and most tried the wool embroidery and engaged with the dilemmas of historic re-creation.  I was very relieved - and exhausted.  Margaret Adams brought me two treasures - a proper chart of the exercise I'm planning for my September workshop, and an article on Namibian embroidery. They are both going to make a difference. I haven't found time yet to properly examine them.

I had a newsletter from the Quaker Tapestry in Kendal during the week. It's good to see them getting back into business and offering classes. I was also interested to read that they have finished the Dunera 

panel for the Australian Quaker Tapestry.  Like many of the stories told by the tapestry, it is one of Quaker intervention in a shameful episode in history. The extensive research behind the story can be found here.

Now that the Viking Workshop is over, I have plunged into researching and organising my presentation on the Goddess in Embroidery for the World Embroidery Study Group next week. While I had been gathering resources, I hadn't processed many of them so I've had to take a deep dive. It isn't as thorough as I'd like, but I think I have managed to get a rough timeline and framework. I spent about 8 hours on Sunday working on it, using PowerPoint as the organiser/resource organiser. At 11pm, just as I was about to quit, I lost the whole presentation to a message that PowerPoint was trying to recover it. The autorecover version turned out to be the one I had started with some 8 hours before!  About 10 minutes later, as I was coming to terms with starting all over again, it recovered! I think I have an App memory problem. But grateful!

The flood waters from Queensland and NSW have reached Lismore, where I have friends. They fortunately live on a hill, in a Queenslander - a house that is built basically on stilts. They are safe from the flood waters, but sent this photo of the bottom of their hill. They have a friend and his dog, staying with them because his house - including his baby grand piano - is flooded!

I'm sure everyone is pulling together and will get through - but it is very, very, scary. Suddenly my bookclub being moved because of work on the water pipes does not seem important.

On Monday I cooked a large leg of lamb, potatoes, greens and Yorkshire puddings. I haven't made one for at least 40 years. I don't much like roast beef and, until my last trip to England, was not aware it is now served with any roast, not just beef. (a good example of migrant culture being fixed in a past time! )I thought roast lamb was a good place to start. They worked pretty well, and I will try again sometime.

Today I took myself to the Guild to catch up with a couple of people I knew would be there. I had some money for Gay for the lucets I had sold to people at Saturday's workshop, and my Design Online coat was due to be removed from the display. It was a relaxed a pleasant group in the Gallery and I stayed to catch up and finish up my third Bush Sentinelle.  I'm fairly happy with this one and have written about it in detail this afternoon in my embroidery blog.

I'm aware that as I write this, not only are people stranded on roofs in northern NSW and Queensland floods but much worse is happening in to people in Ukraine. While nothing I say here can help those affected, I need to acknowledge that the details of my week are unimportant in the light of such suffering.

🙏

Post 419 - birthdays, bats, birds, books and a bag

 The finishers turned up again on Wednesday, appearing suddenly and noisily in a scissor lift at the front of our building. They were doing some detailing on the corners and balconies of the new building. I could have stepped on to the balcony and asked them what they were doing, but I chose not to. 

The neighbour below me on the first floor was finding it difficult. The noise is worse closer to the ground and I gather her windows are not reflective, so she also has the discomfort of workers being able to see inside.

It will be very good to see it finished.

It's been a bit of a celebratory week. Thursday was Brigid's birthday. Unfortunately someone in Niamh's class at school was diagnosed with Covid, and she became a school contact, so generously stayed home while insisting the rest of us continue to the Ky Chow for a celebratory dinner. Brigid, I think, had a good day. She is an extraordinary young woman. 

Friday took me to a new restaurant at Henley Beach for my much delayed birthday lunch with friends.  

It's quite a while since I've been to Henley Beach in the day time. It is looking very clean and spruce. The restaurant is upstairs in the building on the right. I've marked a blue cross roughly where we sat on the balcony.

I rather liked the outlook - the geometric lines as well as the sea and the open square. I really enjoyed the company, the air,  my yellow fin whiting (a form of smelt whiting found off the south coast of SA) and the geometry, as well as the open sea and sky of this view. 

Beach lunches are dear to my heart, as are these friends.

Saturday was a JEMS day and Niamh was cleared to go after several RATS.  It looked like an active and engaged session. Niamh came home with a linen she had painted ready to embroider.  Interesting.

I finished the second of my Sentinelle cushions. I learnt so much from this one - about colour and design as well as about imagery and culture. I've written about the creation of it in my embroidery blog. The imagery thinking will take me a bit longer.

I've also finished one side of the Mosaic Carpet Project Bag as it should have been knit. I like the result. I hope the wool holds out for the other side! It will be touch and go on a couple of colours but I do have some backup in leftovers from earlier projects.

The doves have visited a few times this week. On Sunday morning  one did the puffed up feathers, flattening on to the warm paving thing. 

It is way out of breeding season and the partner's reaction  appeared to be of the  'are you OK?' variety. It looks like a bird version of a hot pack on an injury.

On Sunday I spent a couple of hours creating and ordering some bookmarks from photographs to use as gift cards. I haven't done this before and it took me a while to find a company I was happy with and to get the hang of their software. I created three different ones. One used a sunset photo, one a frangipani and one birds. It will be interesting to see how they turn out. 

There have been a few spectacular sunsets this week.

I've managed to read a couple of books, read a chapter for my brother, catch up with a couple of friends by phone and progress my Goddess presentation For most of the week I avoided spending time trying to capture the bats, 

but caved in on Monday evening, after the family had gone home and I was on the balcony as the light faded.  As I finalise this on Tuesday evening, I can see them flying past in the gloaming. There were storms and heavy rain in Sydney today but it's been exceptionally clear and calm here in Adelaide and a pleasant 28C.  February is often very hot in Adelaide - frequently over 35C. It is forecast to be 31-32C for most of this week. 

I'm grateful for the mildness - and the bats will be too.

Post 418 Mostly Sky.

Much of my attention this week has focused on the sky.  It began with my attempts to capture the bats as they come at twilight to feed in the large Morton Bay fig tree in the Square. Left is the best so far.

I have also taken time most days to  enjoy the view from my living area as the sun is going down. 

It has mostly been temperate enough to have the doors open , so I can catch the breeze and sounds of the birds returning to roost - an hour or so before the bats. Another photographic challenge! This group looked like geese or cranes.

Coincidentally, there have been some lovely skies - too good not to photograph.

The Scots, I think, are right to use  'gloaming' rather than 'twilight'. It still captures the idea of 'glow' that was in its Old English root word 'glōwan'. 

I've found this time of day relaxed and peaceful this week, a time for reflection and thankfulness. 

While I've been focused on the sky, I have neglected taking photos of activities. At our Friday Sit'nStitch Barbara blocked her shawl on Susan's design wall, but I didn't photograph it. It looked good but wasn't completely dry when we left. 

Sunday was Anthony's birthday and on Saturday we went to the River Cafe for a birthday lunch . It was a lovely meal and a fun gathering in a beautiful setting, but I forgot to take photos. Monday was the first family dinner of the year at my place. It was a privilege to hear first hand impressions of the first day of face to face learning for 2022.   I made an impressive pastitsio in filo, and had every intention of photographing the table but again, forgot at the critical time. Multitasking seems to be eluding me.

The plants I bought last week are looking splendid on the back balcony, as long as I keep the water up. They droop very quickly if I forget, but reward my attention with harmony and cheer each morning.

What's more, it isn't only the evening sky which attracted my attention this week. This was taken at 8.45am on Monday, looking East.

The sky, however, has not got in the way reading and stitching. The first of the Bush Sentinelle cushions is finished. I have recorded the detail in my embroidery blog.  

I have now begun the second Bush Sentinelle, alternating with continuing the Authorised Version of the Mosaic Carpet Bag. 

It looks a lot  more compact than the first version. It will be interesting to see how it comes together in construction when finished.  

I am being very cautious. I know people with Covid or who are close contacts. My doctor's appointment today was  rescheduled as a phone call and postponed for a couple of weeks so I can get blood tests done. I saw the podiatrist and picked up some printing from Officeworks. I'm still treating my eye about 8 times a day.  Two positive milestones: my weight loss hit 21 kg today; and  I now have enough resources to put together something about the long history of Goddess Embroidery for the WES Group. Better knuckle down and do it!

Post 417 A pouch, plants and stitching progress

It's been another quiet week. I like quiet weeks. The most excitement was that Shafaq and Ali arrived back in Australia safely after their flying trip to Pakistan to visit Ali's terminally ill father. They have tested negative to Covid twice since arriving back a week ago. They bought me two of these phone pouches.  I am delighted to know their family is safe and well, and delighted to have the pouches. I spent some time earlier in the week looking for a similar one amongst my bag collection. I thought I had one somewhere and couldn't find it. I had put on a loose summer dress with no pockets, and needed a way of keeping my phone on my person. 

Voilà!

After Pilates on Thursday I called at Bunnings and  bought some more plants for the empty planter boxes on the Eastern balcony. 

I haven't as yet replaced the seed container that blew away in the winds last month.  

One of the doves has resorted to extracting seed from the portulaca.  

I don't think the new plants will help out on that front!

The other bit of good news is that my Vergola is once again operating. The abseilers have gone, taking their coverings with them. The new plants don't show up very clearly - but the idea is blend into the landscape.

I've continued attempting to capture a photo of the bats in flight as dusk. This is the best result so far. 

I've done a bit of checking as well. These Adelaide bats are the biggest in the world, with a wing span of 1metre. They roost during the day at the Botanic Gardens, and feed at night in the Morton Bay Fig tree in our Square. 

Barbara joined us stitching on Friday. We were all knitting. That's a little unusual in the height of an Australian summer, but somehow we've all landed here. 

Susan helped me work out what I should have been doing with the Mosaic bag. I think we've got it sussed.  I have written the story of the bag to date in my embroidery blog  In summary, this is the completed adapted bag. I am now working it as it should have been worked. 

It turns out to be very easy to knit when you know how!

I have not, however, abandoned embroidery.  I've been working on creating some large embroidered cushions using the Bush Sentinels, created by  Dijanne Cevaal during the 2020 bushfires. I am writing more about these in my embroidery blog, since there's a lot to work out, but in the meantime, these are the fabrics, which arrived this week.

I've been on a bit of a roll in the last few days and have  progressed one figure. 

I also finished reading a pre-publication copy of The Way From Here  by Jane Cockram, to review for NetGalley. In spite of it switching back and forth between several time-frames, a technique that I don't much like, I was very moved by and engaged with it. It unravels the secrets of women across three generations. The woman of the oldest generation is Nellie. Part of my engagement came from the fact that I am trying to tell the story of my maternal grandmother, also Nellie, and struggling in the process with her family secrets, some of which she knew and tried to share obliquely with me, some of which belonged to earlier generations and were probably not known to, but undoubtedly impacted, her. Jane Cockram has done an extraordinary job  of creating a world in which many women's experience and secrets are made manifest. My goal is much simpler - to tell what I know of my grandmother. It has helped me immeasurably on many fronts to have read this book.

This time two years ago I was preparing to travel to Stratford for the retreat that initiated this blog. An email this morning from Genevieve indicates I am not the only one missing the gathering of those friends. While we can't gather, I am so grateful for and enriched by the ongoing friendships.