Post 540 On the go

The highlight of this week was the Ukaria concert on Sunday afternoon, Voces8 and the Festival Statesmen Chorus. Both were fantastic. It is the concert I most wanted to go to this year, and since the friend I go with is in hospital, I drove up on my own, had my pre-ordered pie lunch, attended the Voces8 Q&A session and then the concert. Unfortunately I can’t share the program, which, as the result of workshops during the week, was not in the program, nor did I make a note of songs as announced. Voces8 ranged from plainsong, to an arrangement of Christ is the morning star from the grave of the Venerable Bede, to Dancing cheek to cheek.

The audience was totally engaged, the songs triggering memories, emotions, connections, energy.

The Festival Statesmen began with a very moving Loch Lomond. It evoked both joy and sadness, taking me back to 1972,  when Jim and I spent Sunday afternoons walking the old Roman road from Helensburgh to the Bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond. I was struck by the insightful change they had made to the last line of the last verse:

But the broken heart it kens nae second spring again

And the world knows not how we are grieving. (from tho the waeful may cease fra their greeting)

It’s a powerful, expressive song, whether thought of in terms of the Jacobite rebellion or lost love. 

They finished their selection with Bridge over troubled water, also moving. 

The drive home at 4.30pm was a bit hair-raising, even on a choral high, with sections of the freeway journey heading right into the setting sun, but well worth it. I quite enjoy instrumental concerts, but it’s choral music that does it for me.

It’s been cold and fairly wet here this week, but on Saturday the sun came out, with a three day pause in the rain predicted,  so I washed my heavy Aran jumper. I’ve been wearing it a lot and it seemed to have taken on a slight grey tinge. It takes ages to dry and drips for a couple of hours, so better not hung inside. I moved it around a couple of times a day.

It took two fine days to dry enough to bring inside. After a night inside it gave me great satisfaction to fold it, ready to wear. I'm wearing it again now, as I post this.

We had a great World Embroidery Study Group morning on Wednesday. Pat has spent about 8 months reading about Embroidery on Knitting and shared her findings. We were spellbound. Focusing on what has been documented in Europe, she traced the history of embroidered knits back to the 15th century and showed us some extraordinary photos of embroidered stockings for both men and women. We learned about traditions of knitting by seafaring men and embroidery on knitted jumpers by Portuguese sailors. We also saw a surprising range of liturgical gloves, knitted and then embroidered. We were able to see and touch items from Pat’s collection (including the two on the far right). The blue coat is knitted and the embroidered panels appliquéd on by Barbara, while Keryn embroidered the jumper for her granddaughter.

We also adjusted our program for the rest of the year particularly to accommodate the Guild’s SALA Exhibition in August. I’m planning to enter the Early Women of the Book bags, along with the explanatory booklet I created, so on Friday I checked it over to see if there was more I  need to do. I only had one sample copy of the 8"x10"booklet printed. To get 2 more printed would cost me $80.  It is quite large and I don't have the software to alter the size.  It occurred to me that by scanning  the copy I could reduce the size to A5, which would be easier and cheaper to print. Once I had the idea, of course, I had to do it immediately. 

Some three hours later I had ordered 6 copies at a total cost of $41.40. When I picked them up on Saturday morning, I discovered I had inadvertently chosen black and white for the cover printing. 🙄

Colour isn’t critical, but more attractive, and it had taken me a good half an hour to get the cover colour right on the scan - then I’d ticked the wrong box for printing!  I think I'll live with it.

 After picking up the booklets, I did a big grocery shop, detouring to pick up a copy of a book I’d read about the same morning. I’m hoping it will help me to understand my weight. I am astonished at the complexity of the topic, but the book is written and laid out in a very accessible way. I'm working my way through it.

I also grabbed a copy of the latest Donna Leon (Brunetti#33)  for a friend. I had received a pre-publication notice which led me to realise I had not read Brunetti #32. so I managed to borrow it from the library and devoured it earlier this week. The new one will have to go on the end of my reading queue.

It was a relatively social week. In addition to WES Group and Pilates, I had dinner with friends on Thursday and, for the first time in several months, stitched with a friend on Friday afternoon (there was a lot of catching up to do). I also gave a talk at U3A. 

I avoid commitments on Mondays so I can focus on preparing for dinner. However, the earliest appointment I had been able to get with the hand therapist was on Monday morning, so I took it. Also, during the week, my  only working watch - which I bought in Keswick, Cumbria, in 2015, died. The battery had been recently renewed, so I needed a new watch.  My dinner host on Thursday told me her sister had a solar watch, an idea new to me. I investigated and found, online, a couple I liked. An Adelaide jewellery store had an EOFY sale that reduced the price by 25%, so after seeing the hand therapist I continued into the CBD to the jewellery store. 

As I suspected, my hand issues are largely the result of my hand movements while knitting rows with three colours, particularly the thumb movements to catch the out-of-play wool on the purl rows. Typing this blog on my iPad (as I am doing now) doesn’t help. I touch-type on my laptop but use my thumbs on phone and tablet. The good news is the brace I have, which is customised to my left hand (right), has been superseded by smaller, standardised braces that are more comfortable and less obtrusive (left). I am using them as I type this. I also have three new hand exercises.

The result of my quick dash into the city after the hand clinic is on my left wrist - a watch that charges from light both in and out of doors and should last 12-15 years. 🙏🏼 The right wrist bracelet is a medi-alert.

From the city I went to Unley,  for bread from the bakery, and  capsicum and strawberries from the greengrocer. The greengrocer had a philodendron that would fill one of my empty balcony pots, so it also came home with me. A woman stopped me in the carpark, saying “Are you going to plant that? You look as if you need help,”! I managed. The photo was taken at dusk, hence the strange colour.

There were 8 of us for a pleasant Monday dinner. We extended the table, which I have left up for the week. It's a more comfortable fit when there are more than six and I don't need to economise on the space it occupies.

Today I gave a talk on my Conversations with Baby Boomer Teachers book at the Enfield branch of the University of the Third Age. I spent several hours refreshing my memory. I haven't thought about it for about 18 months. Most of the audience had been Baby Boomer teachers. There were lots of questions and lively discussion.  I enjoyed it. There's a lot more work to be done in the space, but I intend to leave it to others. I'm sticking to my knitting.

Speaking of which, the first sleeve is underway. Both the brace and the exercises are making a difference. 

I need to post this, so I can do the second set of exercises for the day! It's been a busy week.

Post 539 Plants, Paintings and Patterns

My Zygocactuses, Schlumbergera truncata,  have burst into bloom this week. Hopefully the honey eaters will be spreading the seeds around. Known colloquially as Zygos in Australia, I understand these are called Christmas, Holiday or Thanksgiving Cactus in the northern hemisphere, for obvious reasons.

It was pretty quiet at the Guild on Wednesday, my first day as ‘hostess’. I took one phone call asking if the Guild ran Stumpwork classes, and helped one visitor find hoops to display her cross-stitching. Both are interested in membership and one at least, is likely to join. I handed the phone call over to the office manager, when the caller needed details. A lot of our time was spent talking about the breakdown of the Guild’s computer system. Fortunately a technician arrived with the hard drive restored to functionality (with a recommendation of replacement) so the back up, document restoration and financial reports could go ahead. A day of drama, if not much ‘hostessing’. 

I had taken a new flannel flower linen in a sitting hoop and my knitting. Since there was no audience of embroiderers, I stuck to my knitting, finishing 10 rows of pattern.

I had intended to follow the live stream of my UK cousin’s funeral at 7pm, but muddled my time. When I logged in at 7.30 it had finished. Fortunately the on-demand recording became available on Friday afternoon and I was able to watch.

I had my last Shingles vaccination on Thursday and also discussed at some length the nephrologist’s proposal that I take metformin to keep my blood sugar out of the pre-diabetes range. The GP, who has diabetes expertise, is not convinced the blood sugar reading is high enough to warrant medication, but we are going with it and have formulated a plan. If we can reach my weight goal, and blood sugar is under control, we will try withdrawing Metformin. We will monitor every 4 months with blood tests.  I went on to my Pilates class, where my instructor immediately swung behind the plan with changes to my program.

I am very happy with this, and began taking the medication the same day. As predicted, the Shingles shot gave me a sore arm, tiredness and mild aches. I had planned quite a few errands on Friday, but gave up after picking up some jewellery repairs and greengrocery. I did briefly examine a dress in TakingShape. It caught my eye online, but as I suspected, the style was very much not suited to my figure. It was, apparently, National Doughnut Day, and the shopping centre, in partnership with Dulwich Bakery,  was giving away 250 huge sprinkle doughnuts. The queue was out the door and along the footpath. I wasn’t even tempted. (Perhaps the metformin was working!). 

By the time I got home I was very tired so settled into reading Alice Robert’s Crypt. - and watched the funeral. My friend with pancreatic cancer managed to ring me to talk for a few minutes. She is in hospital, too ill to have visitors. 

It was a long weekend here for the King’s Birthday. Apart from dinner at Kilkenny, my plan was to spend it very quietly adjusting to metformin, keeping warm, reading, knitting and preparing my talk on Conversations with Baby Boomer Teachers for a U3A group in a fortnight. 

I finished Crypt around midday on Sunday. The near-useless black and white illustrations at the end of my Kindle version were by no means critical to my enjoyment, but very helpful when I checked them in colour on my iPad, I began to wonder whether I would  read more illustrated books electronically if the e-reader supported colour.. This led me to check where e-reader technology was up to, which spurred me to hang out the washing and head out to buy a Kobo Libra Colour. 

Since the shop was next to Bunnings, I of course also bought the replacement plants I was looking for, a lemon Zygo, 3 kalanchoe, a philodendron, lavender, nemesia, and a Wollemi pine. I have considered joining the conservation effort for the last since moving here, but was very uncertain about the chance of survival on an Adelaide balcony. I have not seen them for sale in Adelaide before. I figure if Bunnings is selling them in Adelaide there has to be a reasonable chance of growing them here. It is on my eastern balcony, where I can protect it from our hottest weather. 

All this reduced my knitting time and committed me to weekend   gardening.

It was overcast, but the rain held off on Monday when I planted on the eastern balcony, I was pleased with the result(left).

The western balcony needed more work today - emptying a few pots, repotting a couple and adding to others. It leaves me with a couple of empty pots to fill. I just got it finished and cleaned up before the rain set in (right).

Nick, the picture hanger, was meant to come at 2pm and I had parked my car in the street in case he couldn’t find a park. My ticket limit was 2.25. 

Unfortunately he was running an hour late. When I went to move my car the rain was bucketing down, and the space in front of my car was empty, so I moved into it. We did an efficient swap when he arrived around 3pm.

He did a professional, efficient job, hanging both Romas (right), level, in alignment with their surroundings. The Jacqueline Hick Widows now hangs alongside her Drover with Camp Dogs (above).  He then checked three things I had hung myself and rehung two of them. I’m delighted. It was great having him here. I suspect his views on COVID would not align with mine, but I will certainly call him if I need to hang more paintings.

While waiting for him to come I experimented with embroidering a single line figure on a knitted jumper in preparation for tomorrow's WES Group meeting. The detail is in my embroidery blog.

Although I’ve been wearing my left hand brace while knitting this weekend, I’m still feeling the arthritis in both thumb/wrist joints - partly, I suspect, a by-product of colour knitting, where thumbs are used to move the carried wool at each stitch. . While the hand physiotherapist I saw in 2009 has retired, it occurred to me that Grip Surgery, which I attended a year ago when I sliced open my thumb on a mandolin, might have hand physios. Sure enough, they have ‘hand therapists’. I now have an appointment for next Monday. 

The knitting, in spite of distractions is coming along. I'm almost up to the sleeve decrease on the second front. It looks huge, but meets pattern measurements. I guess, as an outer garment, it needs room to go over other clothes. I love its bold colours and pattern.  They stand in contrast to the delicacy of the Zygo.

So glad they are both in my world.

Post 538 Rain, Roma and a Rosella

On Wednesday I took some a couple of necklaces to Pink Carat to be restrung, along with an old amber earring to discuss replication. I lost its pair years ago on a plane trip. Their best suggestion is reusing four of its five amber beads to make a shorter pair. They will come up with a proposal.  

I spent the rest of the day advancing the coatigan, much of it in the late afternoon sun on the balcony.

I was glad I had done that when Thursday dawned to the sound of much needed rain, forecast to last 2 days.

The birds who had swooped in and out of my eastern balcony on Wednesday were nowhere to be seen, hopefully sheltering. 

By the time Pilates finished at 1.50pm the sun was out and the sky clear. Friday reversed the process, dawning  clear but settling into steady rain by midday. When the Matildas played China at Adelaide Oval at 7.40 pm it was cold, but dry.

I caught up with a couple of friends by long phone calls and two more embroidery books arrived. I’m particularly impressed with Stitch with One Line. I can see lots of ways of using the concept. For the moment, however, I’m sticking to my knitting.

I spent most of Saturday making moussaka, one for Sunday lunch with friends, and one for Monday with family. It takes several hours, making ragu, slicing and baking egg plants before making béchamel and assembling. 

I had been considering that lino print of Roma Mitchell all week, so left the ragu and eggplant to cool and headed out to Mrs Harris’s shop, armed with the measurements of my limited wall space. To my surprise, the framed print of Roma was almost the perfect fit for the space I had identified. Plan B,  to buy an unframed print and frame it to fit, was not needed. The exhibition finished on Sunday, but I had friends coming to lunch and couldn’t leave to go and pick it up, so we made arrangements for me to pick it up today.  It was too good an opportunity to miss.

Back at home I assembled the ragu and eggplant, made the béchamel sauce, added cheese, let it cool, added egg yolks and finished assembling. By 3pm they were in the fridge, the kitchen cleaned up (it’s a messy dish!) and the place aired.  It was satisfying to have it all organised before heading off to Kilkenny to catch up on netball dramas, reports of the Matilda’s match the night before and our crosswords.

I had organised for friends to come a bit early for Sunday lunch so I could take a FaceTime call from England around 6.00pm - the only time zone matchup that really works. Like an idiot I also decided to change my bed linen on Sunday morning, adding an underlay and another blanket before washing sheets when the sun hit the solar panels. I got the salad made, dessert laid out, nibbles in bowls and the table set just in time for their arrival. We had such a relaxing and enjoyable afternoon, grazing and catching up.

They left in time for my phone call, which lasted an hour and a half and was brilliant. We haven't really caught up properly since I was last in England - 2020, when this blog was started. So reassuring to pick up where we left off. 

I was tired enough to go to bed by 10.30, waking to a glorious Adelaide sunrise, ahead of a more relaxed Monday than usual. The moussaka was cooked, the dishwasher was ready to go,  the Sunday washing ready to hang out, and only fresh bread to buy, so a leisurely pace. Fionn was working, so six of us had a lovely conversational dinner. Afterwards I began watching Macdonald and Dodds - Series 1, episode 1.

This morning I made it to Mrs. Harris’s Shop to pick up Roma. This time I was successful in rousing the gallery owner. We spent a while discovering interests in common. She is keen to read The Gilded Page and I have ordered a copy of The Coat Route by Meg Loukens Noonen.

At home I hung Roma in the spot I had chosen, using existing hooks. The alignment is wrong. They need hanging properly, as does the displaced one. As my previous hanger has retired I phoned another and have organised him to come next Tuesday.

I took time out from knitting to finish another flannel flower bag.

It has been cold for the last few days. Winter hasn't waited for the solstice. The trees in the Square are almost bare, a few stubborn leaves hanging on.

My cousin Christine's funeral is tomorrow evening Australian time. It is being live-streamed, so I will be able to participate as an observer. 

Tomorrow will be my first time volunteering as the rostered 'hostess' at the Embroiderers' Guild - being on hand to help out with visitors or enquiries.  I shall report back next week.

Right at the end of the day, as I was closing the balcony door, an Adelaide Rosella came to feed on the trees behind.. A lot of shots ended in the bin, but this one captured a glorious moment.

Deo gratias.

Post 537 Balancing Act

My post-covid cold symptoms began to weaken by Friday. I still get a bit tired, have a croaky voice and occasional congestion but my lay-low strategy seems to have borne fruit. I’ve postponed a periodontal appointment this week to be safe.

I did venture out on Thursday to an appointment with my nephrologist. Although it’s been a year, he remembered where we were up to in detail. Kidney readings are all good. Blood sugar, however, is not. I am back in the pre-diabetes range and he is concerned. As I did not take up his suggestion of injectables last year (when blood sugar was fine), he is now advocating oral diabetes meds. 

I am giving this much thought. Serendipitously, the GP I am currently seeing specialises in diabetes, so our appointment in 9 days time will be a long discussion as well as an injection. I like and respect my nephrologist who has a specialisation in kidney donor health. His concern is that my kidney will be in trouble in 5-10 years time if I don’t keep my blood sugar down now. Renal health and research discussions were once part of my daily life and it was strange to step back into that world after 10 years.  I have struggled with weight for three decades and I now need to concede that medication might be part of the answer, and essential to my kidney health. I'm fortunate to have the option. 

Saturday was my venture back into the world of theatre, for a 2pm State Theatre/Opera Company performance of Candide.  As parking is a bit of a mess around Her Majesty’s Theatre (recently refurbished and close to the busy Central Market) I took the city loop bus which only operates every 30 minutes on weekends. There was a mild panic when a couple at the bus stop  asked if I was also going to Her Majesty’s because Hutt St, from whence the bus comes, was, they said, closed to traffic. In my Dalee Ella pants and Zuri shirt, I must look like a proper opera-goer! Somehow the bus won through and we arrived in plenty of time.  The couple’s back-up plan was to get a taxi and invite me along!

It was a superb performance - set, orchestra, cast, acting, costume, staging. The refurbished theatre now holds over 1400 and was full. The updated stage is a marvel. The full orchestra and choir were on stage  with the action taking place on the skirt.

Seven rows from the front the view and engagement were great, but looking around, I suspect there are now few, if any, bad seats. The downside is no central aisle. There is just enough space between rows for people to pass in front of those already seated, but it is a long shuffle to the central seats, and no social distancing possible. While there are now numerous bars and food points, the foyers are small, very crowded and difficult to navigate. It may be a little easier at night, but, being a daytime performance, there was no shortage of walking frames and wheelchairs.

In spite of my organisation and intention, I forgot a mask.  Only attendants were wearing them. Although I enjoyed the performance I decided to leave at the interval. I get a little impatient with opera (just get on with the story!), was feeling a bit hemmed in, and delighted with my 80 minutes of  amusement. I concede that’s a bit odd, but I enjoyed putting my toe in the opera water. No photos can be taken during the performance, so the photo is dull.

It was great catching up with school and sport news on Saturday night and to collect my replacement jar of Anthony's honey. Monday dinner was another pleasure and privilege.

On Sunday I ventured to Mrs Harris's Shop, which has a new exhibition, this time a set of coloured lino prints of Local Icons  by Sally Heinrich, who has launched a book of the same for the exhibition. I was after the book, which I got. It is an initial short print run by the local Wakefield Press, for the exhibition. Sally was at the Gallery. I really liked both the exhibition and the book, which I came home and read in the sun. There will be another print run soon. The content is also available to view here. I would like to purchase a print of Roma to sit alongside my photo of Jim with Roma Mitchell while she was Governor. I haven't yet worked out how I could hang the two together. A bit of shuffling of scarce wall space is required.

It seems appropriate to be considering this, as well as my kidney health, today, which is the 10th anniversary of Jim's death. Katherine and I have been to lunch at the River Cafe after visiting his grave. 

The plants are thriving. In the five months since my last visit the plants have spread and the lavender is blooming. In Spring I will trim them and fill the space with cuttings. It is heartening  and joyful - a place of growth, serenity, beauty and birdsong.  

The month from the last week of May to Jim's birthday in the last week of June are inevitably tinged with sadness and reminders of a difficult time. Grief is less raw, memory less reliable, but the loss, sadness are no less. Nor is the gratitude and love.

It was  sustaining to visit with Katherine today in the Autumn sunshine,  to enjoy a relaxing lunch at the River Cafe, talk to Alison by phone and receive messages from friends and family.

Connection really helps. I'm also holding on to the memory and joy of Canberra in January. 

In terms of my craft output, apart from a little proof reading for my brother, I have spent all spare moments this week working on the coatigan - and today finished the first front.

It was challenging working the three colour pattern right up to the last 2 stitches at the shoulder. I had decided to knit a sleeve next, to see how it looked, but once I laid the pieces together I wanted to see the other side more - and to work the black edge! The second side won.

The birds seem as pleased with my balcony garden as I am. The doves (photo taken through fly screen) come every day and even a magpie paid a visit (above).

One of my Adelaide friends has recently been diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer. She has been waiting for an operating theatre to become vacant to have stents implanted before she sees an oncologist. The procedure is happening tomorrow and my thoughts are much with her. 

Sadness and loss have made themselves felt this week. So has love, growth, birdsong, art, creativity and kindness. Tonight it's holding together.

Post536 Mostly Art and Crafts

Much of the early part of the week was spent catching up appointments postponed because of COVID. Wednesday was a car service, Thursday optometrist and Orofacial pain doctor. 

In between appointments I visited the Himeji Garden. Even though there was a wedding taking place just outside, once inside, tranquility reigned. It is extraordinarily calming , even for 10 minutes, which is all I stayed. The sound of water is a big part of the tranquility.        

        

Both medicos are pleased with my progress. It looks as if some mild left-side headaches I’m having might be the result of the way I use my left hand in stitching. I’m now monitoring. 

Friday proved busy. I took the city loop bus in and out of the city for my haircut then drove to Melbourne St to look at the art works on offer at the upcoming Elders auction before going to Unley for a big grocery shop for Monday. My brother was interested in a couple of things so I went to check them out for him.

The Create in Stitch webletter advertised a new line in clamps that looked as if they might be able to be fitted to my "flexible" seated stand. While I find the stalk of the stand very flexible, the clamp is inflexible, so on Thursday I bought one of the new clamps. The fit wasn’t perfect, but good enough to be a substantial improvement. I took it out to show Simela on Friday. She, of course, got out her toolkit and made a few improvements. It now means I can attach a roller or frame, not just a hoop, to the stand. Yes!

The Elders auction was on Sunday. While checking things for my brother, I noticed two bark paintings. I am a sucker for vintage bark paintings. I registered to bid online and bought both of them. Family members will be interested in them. I hope to go and pick them up tomorrow, along with the two my brother bought!

Over the last few days I made 52 gift bags. The bags I cut out in January, from fabric bought at the Guild's trading table, have been sitting on my sewing machine ever since. I decided it was time to make a move on them. Tonight put the finishing touches on the last of them. Details, of course, in my embroidery blog.

While I am now free of Covid, I still have what appear to be symptoms of a cold - a cough, sneezing and a little congestion. This is, apparently, common after number of viral infections, including Covid. Advice seems to be that it is my immune system ridding my lungs of fluid and I am not infectious.  It should clear up in the next couple of weeks.  I am trying to rest, drink warm lemon water and take things easy. I didn't go to Aquafit today and stayed inside for most of the day.

I did go to Katherine's place for dinner on Saturday and hosted our family dinner yesterday, a lively and entertaining time. I had a busy day, beginning with fasting blood tests at 8.30am, shopping, cooking and meeting Barbara who had kindly collected my gallery purchases for me. I get the results of the blood tests from the nephrologist on Thursday. 

As well as family,  I have been visited most days by doves. On Friday they kept up a loud conversation. The rhythm of one of the calls sounded like "It’s Zeffirelli!". Once I got that into my head there was no eraser.

Just as I was wondering whether it would be wise to cancel my early morning coffee appointment tomorrow, Panayoula suggested the same, as there is Covid in her family. Seems it's everywhere. Instead I'm hoping to go and pick up the art works from Sunday's auction, then make more progress on the Inca cardigan.