RAIN

Apparently, we are having one of the wettest summers that Sydney has ever seen - almost 5.5 inches in the month of January.

Coming from Arizona, I welcome the moisture. I love the lush botanical growth, the pitter patter on our tin roof, and the way it makes my old skin feel dewey again. The fact that it is overcast and rainy makes my first January in the Southern hemisphere seem a little more familiar. However, since it is summer, the temperatures stay in the mid 60s to high 70s even when it is pouring, so it is warm, and there is really no need to brace oneself against the wet. Umbrellas are good if you are going to work, or anywhere indoors where you have to be presentable, or where wet clothing might be uncomfortable. Otherwise, you could be like a kid, and just walk around and play in the rain. It could be a misty drizzle, or a bucketing downpour. You couldn't use your umbrella anyway if it were a wind-whipped, pelting shower. Luckily, we have a dryer and a dehumidifier, so we can keep mold and mildew from growing on our clothes and walls.

The moistening outside seemed to be going on a little bit too long though, and I was missing the beach and my swimming. Everyone was talking about a weather report that said that Sydney is expecting only 3 days of sunshine in the month of February. I was planning on going over the week-end even if it was raining.

Saturday, I got up early and went on the train to the suburb of Concord West to attend the first meeting of my basic stitching course at the Embroiderers' Guild. You may be wondering "why is someone who has been stitching and doing textile arts most of her life doing a basic stitching course?" Well, this is a one year course that covers proper technique, materials usage, terminology, and history of all the basic embroidery stitches and categories. While I have been stitching since I was a child, I have never had a course, and, let's face it, my techniques (while creative) are messy, unorthodox, and full of holes.

We meet for six hours, one Saturday per month for 10 months across the year. We cover selected topics, practice technique, and get assigned a project to work on over the month. In the end, we have a portfolio of our work, reference materials, and a certificate. There are ten of us in the class, and hopefully, we will have a few friendships at the end of the year as well.

I am really hoping to refine my skills, get inspiration and be more productive, and enjoy the support and fellowship of working in a group. After the first class, I feel that it is going to be pretty much what I had hoped for. The women were all very nice, the teachers were friendly and knowledgable, and I found myself really wanting to hunker down and focus on stitching some beautiful projects. They even have a library full of wonderful books and a shop for supplies. I borrowed three books on design motifs, techniques for left-handers, and use of color.

Anyway, it was raining when I was on the train. It was just cloudy when I walked from the station to the guild headquarters, but I was glad because that made it easier to sit inside and stitch all day. By the end of the day, the sun was shining and steam was rising up from the ground. I got off the train at Redfern Station, the station closest to my house. I could have taken it all the way into Central Station and gotten a bus home, but I needed to stretch my legs, and the sun and warm breeze were captivating. I enjoyed the 25 minute stroll even with the heavy, book-laden bag on my shoulder.

If we had a car, I would have driven to the beach and jumped in the ocean, and that would have been a perfect way to end a lovely day. Instead, since I didn't have the energy to do the bus schlep, I resolved to get up early and go Sunday morning.

David went with me. We were there by around 10 and, already, there were masses of people. I guess everyone was desperate to get their beach time in after all the rain. Also, there were several groups of lifesaving schools and trainers doing their workouts and drills. After noticing all the people, I immediately noticed the size of the waves and the wild, rough churning of the water. Lots of people were in the surf and swimming all over so I didn't think too much of it. I always swim between the flags (this is the life guard safety zone), so I thought it would be wild but fun to bob around in the waves.

When the water was just at my knees, a wave came and hit me in the face. I thought I should get beyond the crashing so I dove under the next wave and got to where the water was up to my shoulders. This is where I can usually bob over a wave, dive under it, or ride it back onto shore. So, when the next wave rose up, and I tried to swim under it, I was surprised, and a little nervous when it tossed me around. I was just able to stand up, catch my breath, and make sure my swim suit was still on, before another one peaked.

I tried to dive under it, but the force of the churn threw me around like a rag doll in a dog's mouth. Salt water was forced up my nose and I couldn't hold my breath. Fortunately, the water wasn't deep so I was able to straighten myself out and pop my head up quickly. Also, it is just sandy, no rocks, so there wasn't any danger of knocking into anything, other than the people around me. At this point I was thinking only of getting out of the water and back on shore where I could catch my breath. More and more waves were quickly rolling in. Luckily, a nice young man near me was able to talk me through the next wave and help me ride the next one onto the shore.

I stumbled up to where David was lying, unaware of my drama. I was full of adrenalin, and my suit was full of sand, so I asked David to wait for me while I went for a swim in the Ladies Pool, just up the beach. When I climbed down the steps and jumped in the water, it felt like even more of a blissful haven than usual. I swam four laps opening my eyes under water and watching myself drift through the clear, sparkling sea. I floated on my back and stared up at the blue sky. The waves were occasionally crashing over the side of the wall, but it was more exhilarating than threatening. I went to the changing room, toweled off the last of the sand, and put on my dry clothes.

David told me later that that day had been a record day for surf rescues - 700 people all together on the Sydney beaches! No fatalities, but one boy is still missing. It is supposed to rain all this week but I may go swimming at the Ladies Pool next Saturday either way.

(the photo of the embroidery is from getcraftee.com )