The Week that Was

I discovered a poem I really liked - 'Le Zebre' by Robert Desnos - it's a beautifully structured poem and I only found it because I had to prepare a poem for my weekly French lesson. That, too, is well structured - Elaine makes half the class present something each week. It can be a poem, a recipe, a small account of your activities or a talk about something French. It's a gentle introduction to the week.

I finished making the Abby Cardigan - and I really should have a photo, but I haven't. I don't know what is wrong with my brain, but I could not make the facing work 'burrito fashion' so I ended up hand-sewing it.  My mitred corners aren't perfect, but heigh ho, I  love the fabric and I suspect I shall wear quite a lot as a between-seasons cardie.

I started knitting the 'Meret'. I suspect that my needles are a size too small and that the eyelets in my Noro are going to be less pronounced, but the colours are gorgeous and I'll simply go with a more subtle pattern.

Today The Accountant and I visited an Open Garden at Coldstream. Great views - but the gardens were very dry. The property boasts 450 rose bushes. I have no idea what these two are, but they were very beautiful.

 After that we had a picnic in a nearby reserve. Note the smoked salmon tart - one of this week's successful cooking ventures. 

And there's the Meret:

The cutlery set above was an op shop find at the op shop near the Mothership. I have the best luck at that particular op shop. Other buys have included:
Peter Ackroyd's Albion; two white openwork pillowcases with buttons at the back for only $5.00!; a black cardigan with a faux fur colour; work shirts for Mademoiselle Rouge; six little dessert spoons with matching forks; a brown ribbon knit cardigan with a fringe (I love a fringe!) and two casserole dishes the perfect size for casseroles for two.

On the down side of this week, the Mothership landed badly and may have cracked a bone in her knee. She's being characteristically philosophical about this, although I'm wondering how she'll be able to sit at the movies if she had to have a cast on it? We're in the habit of seeing a movie every week - this week it was Mr Morgan's Last Love - beautifully acted and great shots of Paris.


Also my new ASUS tablet keyboard mysteriously failed to work but after two days of stubborn inactivity, self-corrected. Mysterious and mysteriouser.

On the writing front? Despite interruptions, I'm halfway through Chapter Nine, which is a good place to be. 

I always sound quite chirpy on this blog, but it's not always so. I'm often plagued by self-doubt and quite often feel overwhelmed with the diverse range of stuff I do. But, at the end of the week, looking back, I'm often quite chuffed at how much activity sneaks in and how much is accomplished. Sure, this week I certainly haven't managed my hour a day French practise. My monthly hand-knitted sock quota might not be met and I haven't finished Chapter Nine - so what?