Now that women have a great deal more equality in the Western world and are spending less and less time at home, the previously undervalued domestic skills that are being lost are now much more highly valued. There is a new celebration of the domestic and a tidal wave of interest in craft blogs, fabric sites, knitting classes, cooking shows on TV and film.
My friends and relations are no exception to this and have taken pleasure in showing me how the revolution is progressing in Melbourne and Sydney.
My new best friend Ro Cook is one of these talented women who has successfully combined the two worlds of domestic arts and business. She's been such an inspiration and one of the reasons I stayed longer than anticipated in Sydney. Ro got some work sewing for a theatre production company in Sydney and was making more money per hour than I ever have, suddenly I realised it was possible to make a living from sewing, my confidence was greatly restored and I felt I had a worthwhile skill. Part of the remit was to sew a linen lining onto a yak skin!!!
We had such a great time, her sewing and me yakking (well she did quite a lot of yakking too).Ro had to buy fabrics for the job and she took me to some of Sydneys best fabric shops. Here are some photos of the fabrics at Remnant Warehouse for you to dive into. Something about the colour and texture of textiles has a beneficial effect on me. It's almost magical how restorative it is.
The other restorative factor has been Jim Conway and his wife Helen. 
Laid back and lovely, these two. Most days Jim would let me have a cry and a reminisce about Ricardo.They took me to the Leichardt organic farmers market on Saturday morning for sago puddings, sugarcane juice, steamed lemon myrtle muffins and shiny apples.
Then Helen and I went to yet another fabulous swimming pool. (I hope I don't make you all too jealous with all the sunshine going on here.) This time it was the Dawn Fraser pool. The oldest pool and swimming club in Australia.
A heavenly view on a hot day. The pool lies in a small cove in Sydney's harbour and is tidal so at times there is a beach with sand for sandcastle making at the swimming pool.
There was no one around at this upper level changing area that reminded me of a Victorian cricket pavilion.
and no one eating a Vegemite sandwich at this picturesque pit stop.
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