TO PINK OR NOT TO PINK

The festival that is Easter has ended with a flourish at the Red Cardinal nest.

I made an eggstravaganza of an Easter cake for my sisters..

Yes, Reader, we have eaten half of it.  

Her Majesty looked cheerful in Easter yellow for church on Easter Sunday..

I went off to sing at church in my version of Style Arc pattern's Hedy Designer dress.

Cheap and cheerful, rayon fabric from Spotlight.

It is lovely and cool to wear - as it is still rather hot round hereabouts.

 I've packed away all the faux bunnies, eggs, chickens et al..

done a spot of rearranging..

Decided to denude the house of everything pink..

found some old silver and polished it up, plus applied some glass.

Old seventies wine carafe - those were the days

Removing the pink is harder than you'd think.

That is all I can say.

It has been an unusual Easter for us.

We have seen lots of family, happily.

There is also some ill-health about, which is sad and stressful.

We visited my father, who is deteriorating considerably.

I pray that his suffering will be soothed, whichever way God wishes.

There is really nothing else that one can do.

Have a beautiful week.

XXXX

EASTER BLESSINGS

My six year old Canadian grandson painted this yesterday.

I love how he included the lightning striking...

At this solemn time, I think of the people in Brussels and pray for peace.

Wishing you Easter Blessings from the Red Cardinal.

XXXX

ORANGE

Last week we went to Sydney on some family business..

The weather was nicely Autumnal...

We found time for some fossicking - life-sized camel anyone?

Deer continue to be in the ascendancy..

I was tempted by a French country cart, but don't know where I could fit it..

On the bargain table, a new piece of milk glass..

and an embroidery, for Palm Sunday.

We dined Italian..

Daughter-in-law and Daughter-in-law to be....

The Irish Lass made Irish Soda bread - so good, must learn this one.

I discovered the Sportscraft Outlet store.

Although I've never been a fan of Outlets, this time I scored well:

Much needed black ponte pants, a white cotton sweater and a pure silk orange tunic.  80% off normal retail.

And speaking of fashion, did you like Kate's new look?

I love the grey chapeau..

In her final year at the White House, Michelle is showing evening gown perfection:

The Garden of Neglect managed to look after itself for a few days..

I can't trust those naughty cockatoos, who like to tear apart my succulents.

I thought a couple of sentinel wooden ducks might discourage them.

So far, so good.

What are you doing at Easter?

XXXX

PARROTS AND OTHER GOOD THINGS

Hello,

We've been to a Garden Expo...always fun.

Something for everyone..

I bought a new Salvia, some succulents, and two bromiliads.

And there were Bird Whisperers..

Look at that beak - I think that could do some damage...

The other day I had lunch with my girlfriends at French Twist..

after which we went to see Brooklyn...a sweet movie about an Irish girl who moves to the USA in the 1950s.

Wexford

She came from Wexford county, which just happens to be the area where we are going to our son's Irish wedding...

and some of those pretty Irish girls look just like our future DIL.

We have looked at lots of brightly coloured art from India, but I want to show just one more style, from the Warli people of the rural Thane District in Maharashtra, India.

Warli painting is rooted in traditions going back to 2500 BC,

and is elegant in its simplicity and neutral colour palette.

It is said that the Warlis did not have a written language, and their art served as a form of documentation.

Look at the detail of their village life.

Originally, this art form was practised by women using rice paste and a bamboo stick on the red mud and cowdung walls of their dwellings.

Contemporary artists Balu Ladkya Dumada and Rajesh Chaitya Vangad today paint their depictions of Warli stories and daily life on canvas with white acrylic paint - but the canvas is primed with the same mud and cow dung...

And no, it does not smell.

Doesn't Her Majesty look brilliant?

Here she was, this week, out and about.  

She turns 90 next month.

Fabulous.

It's been raining all weekend.

So unusual, we go outside and stare at it....

Seriously.

No wonder that lorikeet has turned upside down.

Happy Sunday, and have a good week.

XXXX