Sunday, February 24, 2013

PDED

For some reason I just could not settle to any task this weekend.  I tried to put away the art deco costumes (and to my chagrin discovered there were two costumes I had failed to wear,  what a terrible waste that was).  Then I attempted to do a little gentle housekeeping, but could not make progress.  The garden was all dry and dusty, the plants were languishing and things in general just were not to my satisfaction.  What was this mysterious ailment which afflicted me?  After some thought I concluded that I was suffering from that little known malady, Post Delightful Event Disorder.  Now the fact that this affliction was not officially recognised did not bother me in the least.  I know some people who have consulted Dr Google only very briefly and come to the conclusion that they are suffering from almost every medical condition known to humankind (with the possible exception of malaria and dengue fever), so for me to make my own diagnosis did not seem entirely unreasonable.  Also it seemed that the acronym PDED was a particularly attractive one - almost melodious in fact; it tripped off the tongue.  PeeDeeEeeDee almost sounds like a word or a poem!  (Privately I have sometimes thought that some acronyms are so clumsy and difficult that the thing they are representing should be given a new name, to make more pleasing initials and elegance.)  

Having identified the problem it was important to outline some treatment plan and I rapidly decided on the following course of action:
1.  The patient must not engage upon any disagreeable or tedious domestic duties.  No oven cleaning, ironing, strenuous vacuuming or shower cleaning to be embarked upon.
2.  Pleasant and relaxing pastimes to be embarked upon at every opportunity.  The patient should relax and enjoy recreational time as much as possible.
3.  A kind of "shock treatment" of a special treat arranged by the patient's nearest and dearest would be of great benefit in jolting the patient back into a state of normality, and out of torpor and ennui.

I raced off to see Mr Shoestring and tell him of my discovery.  Imagine my disappointment when I explained the diagnosis and the acronym only to be met with a loud guffaw!  I was very hurt but did not waste words by explaining my proposed treatment plan - I suspected it would not be met with the delight I had hoped for.


Instead I admitted defeat and we set off for a walk around the wetlands in the evening sunshine.  When we entered the treed area the moon was coming up and the sun was shining on the top of the mountain as the sun sank lower

As we came out at the end the cloud was descending and the trees were glowing in the last of the sun.  Things were possibly not so bad after all, though even the pigeons were languishing in the heat and couldn't summon the energy to fly off as we approached and peered down at them on the overbridge.




The insects in the garden seemed to be languishing - on the underside of this zinnia you can see a bumble bee sheltering from the heat of the sun, instead of gathering the nectar from the inside of the flower.

This one has the right idea

And this monarch wasn't deterred by the heat at all

I consoled myself by thinking that autumn was on its way (who would ever have thought we would be welcoming the end of the summer weather?) and making plans for using this luscious yellow woollen blanket my mum gave me.  I feel it has something special in store because the label has a motif with Pania of the Reef, and the blanket comes from the Napier Woollen Mills (which must surely have closed down decades ago).  I have been making great progress on the silk crazy quilt and have a sudden hankering to work with wool and make an appliqued bed cover.


A large part of the weekend was spent by Mr Shoestring in removing the old upholstery from the cane lounge suite we are trying to bring back to life.  It was encouraging to see the quality of the workmanship - copper springs and webbing still intact.  


Some of the original upholstery fabric was still visible under the orange corduroy which had later been used for upholstery.  It was a pale green shade and still in remarkably good condition.


The orange corduroy was also in good condition.  In fact The Dancing Queen has the same orange corduroy on the lounge furniture at her seaside holiday accommodations, and we agreed that it must be virtually indestructible.  It must date from the 1970s (the last time such a lurid and unsympathetic shade was fashionable).  Horrid to think that this decade is coming back into fashion as "retro" now - the wheel of fashion seems to spin round faster and faster!
Sadly still in very good condition, this fabric was woven to last

We thought we had found the maker's sign on one chair but sadly the name had been ripped off at some time in the past


A wonderfully bright spot was the beautiful blossoms of the Gloriosa Rothschildiana Superba.  I tried to grow some from tubers in the spring but not a single one ever poked a leaf above ground, wretched ungrateful things.   Yet another cause for complaint this weekend!  Fortunately at the wonderful farmers' market in Hastings we found two plants and dragged them all the way home again.  I fervently hope that they survive the wet Waikato winter and reward us with more blossoms next year.  

Next weekend things will be brighter and the PDED shall have passed, if all goes according to plan.  And there is winter deco to look forward to in Napier, as well as World of Wearable Arts in Wellington.  Life is short, we all need to have as much fun as we can squeeze in!