Cyclone Lusi

All week the weather man has been issuing dire predictions of Cyclone Lusi - huge rains, high gale winds, sea swells etc.  We were all told to have our disaster kits at the ready and not to venture outdoors on Saturday or Sunday.   In a state of semi disbelief but of major preparedness, I went to bed last night and tossed and turned, listening for gale force rain.   What?  I woke this morning to a lovely light rain, perfect for my garden and not a breath of wind.   My preparation of buckets of water, fill the thermos, fill the water jugs, check the torch batteries, unearth the disaster kit were all rather Over The Top.  
Thinking I wouldn't be able to get out doors and go to Embroiderer's Guild I had stocked up on library books

Look at that top one - this promised storm could go on for days and I wouldn't run out of book :-)

I sorted out stash for a new start (check this out on Pamela's blog )   On my list for 2014 is "one small item per month" so this bookmark will fulfill that for March.   Thanks Pamela.
Now in my head I can hear the gasps of disbelief - a new start?   Well I have run out of Maple Syrup floss for The Mermaid's Chest and wasn't brave enough to go to the embroidery store this morning so have reached a stop sign on that project.
But I do have a ship, a light house and the outer base of the chest stitched.

This is fun.   I need more of the Maple Syrup so I can complete the lid of the chest.   The inner lining is stitched on a pale Mermaid Pink and is full of little pockets and slots for embroidery tools.

The rain and wind did come - just a little later than the weather man promised.   After getting drenched this morning when I went out to get a newspaper, I had given up on Guild, but this afternoon the rain cleared and I'm not worried about wind, so off I went.   We had a really interesting speaker who told us all about Malaysian Tekat.   This traditional gold embroidery is used for decorative items in the palaces of the Sultans of Malaysia and although generally done by hand, there are machines which now mass produce for the consumer market.  I listened carefully as I could see myself with a pair of royal blue velvet slippers decorated in lavish gold - sadly I know this fantasy will never come to reality!

Tonight we have the promised gale force winds but it is 19 degrees celsius which is probably not surprising since Cyclone Lusi has come to visit us from Vanuatu and Fiji.   So I am off to another restless hot night!