FOGGY DAYS AND A RETURN TO THE NEST

We have had some amazing foggy mornings this week....

followed by sunny, crystal clear, and quite warm days.

Tomorrow, 1st June, is our first official day of Winter -

I for one can't wait to wear jeans, tights, boots, and scarves ...

 for a precious few months.

Mr C was finally discharged from the hospital, on the 15th day after his knee replacement.  I would like to think I dropped bit of weight walking the corridors to visit him each day....

He is doing well, can walk a couple of steps, carefully, with crutches.

It is a very painful surgery, and rest, elevation, icepacks, and pain medication are the order of the day.

Along with a lot of prescribed exercises, and numerous visits to the therapists each week for the foreseeable future.

Happily, it should all be worthwhile, and we are looking forward to a much more pain-free travel to Canada for Christmas.

Little Aussie came, and visited his PaPa..

I taught him to make red jelly, and we concocted some good desserts...

He enjoyed our visit to the GoMA on the opening day of 

Marvel: Creating the Cinematic Universe

The exhibition features original comic books, spectacular concept art, props and costumes, over 500 objects relating to Marvel movie characters Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Black Widow and others.

To tell the truth, I had never heard of Marvel, or seen any of these movies...

but visual art it is, and I have been learning my Superheros and watching a few of the films.  I did enjoy Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man, and having seen some costumes from Thor, I want to see it also.

The exhibition looks behind the scenes, showing us a bit about production, storyboarding, prop and costume designers, and visual effects.  There are fun interactive elements:

Little Aussie meets Groot and Raccoon..

and creates his own Super-hero character..

Aussie had a great day...

(and his Dad and I enjoyed it too).

We will take Mr C when he gets mobile once again.

I made a shirt from this Liberty fabric sourced in London last year.

I think we will be very happy together..

Mr C took this picture from his hospital bed!

I loved the coffee cups, in several colour-ways, at the Hospital Cafe.

So cheerful, when many customers are facing difficult times..

I hope you are having a great week,

stay warm, or enjoy the Springtime, wherever you are.

XXXXX

A DIFFERENT SORT OF WEEK

Hello dear Readers.

Mr C gave me another orchid for Mother's Day...

which is very generous because I seem to have the touch of death with them, and lose them after a few months...

and we shared these pink bun treats, all in the cause of Breast Cancer research...very important!

All too soon Monday morning saw us arriving at the hospital at 6.00 am, along with about fifty other people who were facing surgery that day.

Later that day Mr C had his right knee replacement surgery...

As some of you know, my dear HB already has mobility difficulties due to prior medical events, and it is crucial that this surgery is successful.

The rehabilitation in his case is necessarily somewhat experimental rather than predictable, and he is still in the hospital.  After a week of daily visits and the inevitable anxiety of a wife watching her husband in awful pain, I am quite the exhausted one...and I'm not even the patient!

In some ways I think it is better to be the patient oneself than to watch a loved one suffer extreme pain.  So far he is doing his absolute best to meet prescribed goals, although it has been a two steps forward, one step back, sort of week.

While doing quick trips to the shops, I found this glass water bottle to take on my daily walks.  It was 25% discounted which I took as a sign to reward myself with a little treat and replace my old bottle...

Brett Whiteley, Australia, [1939-1992] White dove feeling the universe 1985-92. QAG 

One day I did something I've not done in ages - went to the movies by myself.
Just had to see 'Whiteley' a bio-pic/doco about Australian artist Brett Whiteley.
He was a larger than life character, twice winner of the national Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes, and his work is held in all the big Australian galleries.
The movie is excellent - go see it!

Seen on my walk - loved the sunlight on those orange berries..
I'm doing my best to keep my spirits up, missing my mate of 45 years - we are rarely separated for more than a day or two...

It is high time I introduced our grand-puppy, who recently reached her first birthday.  Her name is Harley Quinn Moon Unit, or HQ for short.
She is fluffy and fun, and is generally adored by all she meets.
As she seems to love the camera, I predict a modelling career, as soon as she out-grows her love of rolling in puddles and mud....

Naturally I am a sucker for a pretty country wedding in a centuries old church, with touches of pink and cute children in attendance...

Here are a few snaps for those who missed Pippa's day..

Pretty little Princess Charlotte..

Loved Kate's dress and hat...

which reminded me just a tad of the hat I wore to our son's Irish wedding :)

OK, they were both pink...

Have a lovely week.

XXXXX

SWAN LAKE

Hello.

It has been raining here for several days, always good for the garden, and I love the cooler days of early Winter.  

Winter season means ballet and opera seasons... 

Remember my pink silk coat I wore to our son's wedding in Ireland last year?

I wore it over black pants and top to see the Qld Ballet's 'Swan Lake'...

and carried this vintage bag which belonged to my mother.  

A perfect match..

No matter how often one sees 'Swan Lake', a good production is a wonderful experience. The Queensland Ballet under Artistic Director Li Cunxin,  and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra performing Tchaikovsky's exquisite score -

a combination made in the stars.

Costumes and sets were Perfection..

I popped into the Garden Centre to buy my sister a rose bush, and somehow this pot came home for me.

The parrot most definitely approves...

Miss Markle went to England to watch Prince Harry play polo.
A royal wedding coming up???
One of the first public appearances of previous royal brides has been the polo field.
What do you all think?

And speaking of magical moments, here are a few pictures of a sweet installation currently in the foyer of GoMA.
By the artist Pip & Pop, Rainbow bridge is a creation of miniature environments inspired by stories of paradise, fantasy lands, creation myths, and Buddhist ideas of the universe.  'The Land of Cockaigne' which first appeared in French 13C poetry was a mythical land of plenty: houses made of cake and sugar, pastry pavements, and so on.

Children particularly love the four glittering scenes dotted with tiny artificial flowers, woodland creatures, sequins and crystals - even a bird wearing a golden crown...

Mr Cardinal is having knee replacement surgery next week.
Fingers and toes crossed for a good outcome and a quick recovery.

It will make life much more comfortable for him...

especially when travelling - to Canada for Christmas,

and a European cruise in 2018.

We have plans!

XXXX