OSCARS AND AUSSIES

I don't know about the rest of you, but I found the Oscar Red Carpet gowns a bit...well... bland?

However, a Valentino Red gown is forever beautiful...

an exquisite old-world Edwardian high neck, totally elegant..

and I always love the stand-out Yellow gown, especially with a fabulous crinoline skirt..

And in the love-birds department, it is sweet to see Michael J Fox and Tracey Pollan at the Oscars.  He has put up such a brave fight with Parkinson's disease all these years..

And not forgetting, Nicole and Keith, because they are Aussies, and because she wore the prettiest of the blush colour gowns.

Our grandson Little Aussie was here for the weekend..

We took him to our local friendly bush cafe..

which even has games for boys to play..

He was thrilled with his new magicians table cloth, top hat and bunny.
He learnt the trick, and was soon producing not only a bunny, but a dinosaur, a dog, and various other creatures from the hat.

Did not mind the hearts on his cloth one bit...
I even heard him telling someone it had 'stars and Love Hearts!!'
Bless..

Cloud reflections, just because...

Have a great week

XXXX

MAGICAL

Look at our magical sunset last night -

could it be a sign that Autumn will come?

Soon?

Weekend date time:  We went to the first Medici Concert for 2017 -

'A Night in Vienna' with pianist Piers Lane celebrating the glorious music of Old Vienna.

From the dainty, exquisite Mozart Sonata in C Major, K545, via Beethoven and Schubert to the Strauss/Schulz-Evler Concert Arabesques on the Blue Danube Waltz, it was a sublime performance.

No recording was permitted of course, and I could not find any of the works on You-Tube...but you all know who he is!

Now based in London and the world, Piers Lane grew up in Brisbane, and went on to international fame as a concert pianist.  He comes back to Queensland each year to perform and to visit family and we try to catch his concerts as often as possible.

Another performer we love, our own Little Aussie, has taken to performing magic tricks.  It is so much fun.  

We found some magicians on You-Tube for him to emulate, and he does it so beautifully, little hands waving gracefully.  

 We have both conquered the disappearing egg in an egg-cup, and the magical pea which flits about under the three thimbles.

He asked me for a cloth with stars, and I found this sparkly fabric which also has hearts...

 I hope it works just the same...

Top hat from a local party shop, and the little bunny among the Easter displays.  And I have finally found out the secret, and a way to produce the bunny out of the 'empty' hat.  Thank you, You-Tube.

Can't wait to show Little Aussie this one...

We went to see Lion...and loved it..

The story of little Saroo Brierley, lost as a small boy in India, and later adopted by an Australian family, brought me to a few tears.

Nicole Kidman is great as his adoptive Mum.

Wanting to know more about him, I downloaded Saroo's book on my Kindle and have been enjoying that too.

So wonderful that as an adult he tracked down his family via Google Earth!

Family is everything...banana and honey muffins anyone?

It might look a bit rustic, but we love old-fashioned lemon delicious pudding..

Meanwhile, when not cooking or doing magic tricks, I have been speed reading these books, preparing for 'Making Modernism: O'Keeffe, Preston, Cossington Smith', coming soon to the Qld Art Gallery.

Back in 2006 we spent a week at Santa Fe, New Mexico, a time I absolutely loved.  The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum was a highlight for me.

I didn't have a digital camera back then, so have no interior photos...

But here I stand, right outside the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, very pleased with myself to have gotten there...

Here are a few more random shots of Santa Fe:

The adobe buildings were beautiful, and it felt very much like the 'Wild West' of the movies, with the very strong Spanish influence.

Adios..

XXXX

A VALENTINE

Happy Valentine's Day, dear Reader

Despite the de-cluttering, these heart cushions came out for their annual appearance...

and my little marble 'Si' from Rome...

Mr Cardinal took me out to lunch at the local Garden Centre -

where there is always a selection of sculptural art on display.

We liked these giant leaf-like forms..

A beautiful lunch with all vegetables and herbs grown on site..

Later I made our traditional heart-shaped sponge cake, festooned in pink.

As you do..

The humidity had lessened, after days of record-breaking heat, which allowed the eggs to beat beautifully and the cake to rise to the occasion...

I found these at H&M - a bit Picasso, don't you think?

and a little red velvet bag, because when the temperatures go above 40c, we like to dream of Winter..

Last Sunday, we are told, the Eastern part of Australia was the hottest place on the planet...

It does make normal life difficult to organise..we had a long power blackout, due to the overloading of the State's power grid..

Last night, there was a massive thunder-storm, lots of lightning and thunder although not a lot of rain, but what we had was very welcome for our parched lawn and plants..

Did you like Kate's new floral gown for the BAFTAS?

I loved the bunches of violets all over the skirt, 

and don't these two look like happy little Valentines..

Take care...

XXXX

SAPPHIRE

Happy Sunday and Happy February everyone..

Did you know tomorrow, February 6, is a special occasion for Her Majesty?

It is sixty-five years since she became Queen, the Sapphire Anniversary..

The Queen has many sets of sapphire jewellery - I wonder if she will wear sapphires for this occasion?

It has been a busy week -

went to choir practice at two new choirs, trying to decide which to join.

I really miss my old choir which finished before Christmas.

It is difficult to sing and learn new work in a torrid heat wave.

I came home exhausted and dehydrated.

Might put it off until the weather cools a bit, although even the experts have no idea when that may be.

Thinking cool thoughts of the forests at Mt Lindsey..

listening to the bellbirds..

Here is a recording I found on U-tube - it is ages since I actually heard them.

Until about five years ago there was a bellbird colony quite close to our home, but sadly construction of a road chased them away.

They are very shy creatures, and their song is really sweet, like a tiny crystal bell.

I had a wonderful day with the Sewing Sisters at V's new apartment, with a lovely view over the river and the city.

Our topic of the day? Downsizing..

We all have to do it ... eventually....

Dale Frank, Australia, 'He always seemed short, short on socks, short of breath, short on circumstance, short of reasons, short on shame, but was it any wonder' 2009

I went back to work at the gallery, after a break while DD was here from Canada..

This large, shiny, luscious painting by Dale Frank fascinates me.  

He pours varnishes and coloured dyes over a borizontal canvas and then tilts the corners slowly over the months it takes to cure.  The resulting forms are deep and surreal - to me they look like strange underwater creatures.

The colour is sublime....

The carpet cleaner is coming tomorrow, so we have been moving things around to clear the way for him.

It's all non-stop excitement in the cardinal nest...

Have a great week

XXXXX