From Veg to Vegging

Once again, the week-end came around. It is a trick to do just the right amount on the week-end. If we do too much, it seems like work and we don't get the satisfaction of kicking back and wasting time. On the other hand, if Monday pops up with us having done nothing, it feels like we never had a week-end and all the work days blur together. With everything in day to day life still seeming pretty new, it is tempting to take some down time on Saturday or Sunday, but we have made a pact to do at least one fun/new thing every week-end.

I had my stitching class on Saturday so I was up at 7, on the bus by 8:30, and off the train by 9:15. We sat stitching and chatting from 9:30 till 3 with a half hour for lunch. It was good to sit quietly, with a group of friendly women, keeping my hands busy after a couple of days before having learned of the sudden death of our friend. I did have a bad headache and was pretty spaced out, but I had made up my mind to try to make a little bit more of a connection with this group, so I suggested that we start a facebook page so we could communicate and share our projects and information about needlework. Most of the women were uncertain and a little skeptical about this, but agreed to give it a try. So I am given the challenge of figuring out how to do it, and making it worthwhile.

We shared our work since the last meeting, and several people had done amazing things. It is a very talented and creative group. We learned 19 new stitches that we are supposed to incorporate into a work to be turned in May 5th. I should be working on it right now. Little by little, I feel that I am getting a long list of creative projects that I want to do.

When I got home, Mira was there. She had gone to a Bombay Bicycle Club concert with Valerie the night before and spent the night. She was making cupcakes to take back to her college to share with the girls at their movie night. They were going to have a chick flick marathon. The cupcakes (she spared one for me) were divine! I don't know how she does it, but if she needs to make money while she is waiting to become a famous novelist, she can start a baking business. These were honey, vanilla chai. We made a carrier out of an old cereal box and sent her off in a cab.

Sunday morning I was determined to sleep in, but it was the end of daylight savings time and I got up an hour earlier than I had thought. David and I did some skyping with family and friends then went around the corner to Dank Street where there are lots of cafes and galleries. We had lunch in a charming cafe above (and run by) the gourmet grocery and produce market called Fratelli Fresh. David had grilled fish with shredded belgian endive on top, and I had fresh linguini with pureed pea, mint, and mascarpone. Yum!

Afterward, we hopped on the bus and went to Coogee, our local beach. We love the scene at Coogee. There are families with little toddlers, teenagers flirting with one another, tourists, old people, and us. People are having a good time but not being too loud or obnoxious, and there doesn't seem to be any of the pretentiousness you might see at Bondi, for example.

The weather was perfect, the water temperature was fresh but not cold, and the waves were not as rough as the last time I went in. They were still big and crashing right on shore, so I didn't stay in too long. I was a little "gun shy" from my previous wipe out experience.

David and I just vegged out in the sand relaxing and agreeing, once again, that the beach was one of the assets of our life here, and that we needed to keep taking advantage of that. For the price of bus fare we can enjoy, whenever we want, the luxury and bliss of sun, sand, and sea.

We strolled home through the neighborhood yawning, post-swim yawns, and saw beautiful gardens, and leaves just starting to change color. ( -Voice in my head: "Focus on the beach, and not on the fact that these cute, little, homes that we would love to move into, cost well over a million dollars.")