Happy September 1st, and the first day of Spring in Australia..
and from my Birds of Canada calendar.
I am guessing these are robins -
am I right?
Both Mr C and Little Aussie brought me bunches of daffodils on Daffodil Day,
the one which bloomed in our back garden being insufficient for my Spring decor..
Aussie and his Dad have birthday a few days apart, and we were in celebratory mood:
Behold the shared birthday cake devised by our clever son..
This is a baby emu chick.
 |
| Mavis Ngallametta, Kugu-Muman and Kugu-Uwanh peoples, b.1944 'Ngak-pungarichan (Clearwater) 2013. |
If you look very closely, you will find one in this painting by Indigenous artist Mavis Ngallametta, of the Kugu-Muman and Kugu-Ewanh peoples from Far North Queensland, on the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Ngallametta paints the landscape of her area, often using the oches from the very land she paints. The area is rich in bauxite, as seen in the vivid orange/red of the painting. She maps the complex river systems along the Western side of Cape York, as well as the waters of the Gulf.
Her style, unlike many Australian Aboriginal painters, is less about tribal signs and traditional marks, but rather a personal contemporary semi-abstract portrayal of the landscape, which I enjoy very much.
Dancing in the waters of this very large picture, you will find little creatures, ducks, and even the little emu:
I don't know about you,
but I did not plan to watch all the Diana documentaries -
but I did.
I found I appreciated her gifts more in hindsight, and now that I am older.
She certainly was unique, and the passing of 20 years has not dimmed her presence and impact on the world.
I thought the white memory garden a beautiful idea, and a perfect way to commemorate Diana's life and work.
Take care, and treasure those you love
XXXX
I think I read recently that there will be a statue - I thought it might have come at this time. Maybe it will be placed in the white garden, which would be nice. A fitting memorial is definitely required. Remember how the 'fountain' in Hyde Park was a bit of a disaster.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to your son and grandson. That cake looks quite amazing. I enjoyed the art and the pictures of the baby emu - both real and painted - are so charming.
ReplyDeleteThank you Darla, so funny doing the two-face Star Wars cake. I'd never have thought of that. And I'm glad you enjoyed Mavis' painting, which charms me too.
DeleteLike you, I have found myself watching all the Diana specials. The one her sons did was especially good. The bird is a bluebird. There are a couple of species in North America, and I think the one in your calendar is an Eastern Bluebird. It's always a treat to spot a bluebird!
ReplyDeleteOf yes, I totally agree the Princes have done their mother proud with their interviews, very touching. I have never seen a Bluebird, so will be definitely on the lookout. My new choir is called Bluebirds!
DeleteI love the bright yellow daffodils - they are a cheering sight to welcome Spring. And a wonderful birthday cake. AS for the Diana specials, I have not watched them. I just think the whole thing was sad, for all concerned. Any marriage that goes wrong is, and affects so many people.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sarah Liz, we are enjoyed the Spring blooms very much, before the harsh Summer comes to denude us of flowers. Yes, very sad for all, and sadly still resonates with the public and the family. I am hoping for an engagement soon - time for another happy event in the Kingdom.
DeleteI see that commenter above has told you, the birds are indeed bluebirds, as she told you correctly...the Eastern bluebird.
ReplyDeleteNow for robins...there is an AMERICAN robin which is totally different from the robins in England! Did you know that when the first settlers in America saw this bird, they called it a robin just because of its color, even though it is very different from the robin in England.
Look up AMERICAN robin and then, EUROPEAN robin.
Makes you kinda think of how homesick those settlers must have been!
As regards Diana...guess what, I saw her once at Buckingham Palace! It was outside the gates, of course! I was close to the curb and I saw a lot of the security guys buzzing around and suddenly, a small blue car turned the corner and it had to slow down to make the turn, the driver was Diana! You know how pretty she looked in a picture? She was stunning to see in person.
I need to learn about bluebirds, especially now I am also one! Hope I see them in Canada.
DeleteHow exciting to see Diana, especially like that on the street. I saw her up close when she came to Brisbane in 1983, very pretty with exquisite skin, taller than I expected and very thin, too thin I thought. Of course we did not know what was going on then.
What a darling bird, an emu chick! It looks like emu birds inspired the paintings. Nature is a work of art!
ReplyDeletePretty spring flowers, Trish.
Little Aussie is such a big boy now. He is growing so tall. So you have two clever bakers in the family, a son and daughter.
The emu chicks are little sweeties, but the adults are not very friendly!
DeleteYour are right about the boy, he will be as tall as me in no time at all. Yes, our children are all good cooks, and in fact there are three of them - our younger son also is an excellent cook. I say it is because I am somewhat challenged in the cookery department, they all went out and learnt to do it properly :)
A lovely post, Patricia. I am impressed that lttle Aussie designed the birthday cake! The emu chick is very cute! As for Diana, how lovely that her sons are honouring her memory in this way. So much mud has been slung, they are bringing back the beauty and positive aspects of her wonderful generosity of spirit. Good for them!
ReplyDeleteThank you Val. Start them young with creative baking, I say! I liked the way the Princes spoke about their mother, and that they were free to do so. Just heard that William and Kate are expecting again - lovely family news for the next generation.
DeletePatricia, I'm not sure those are Robins on your calendar, as the Robins around here don't have blue at all. I've seen these birds around here, and they are sweet, but not sure the name of them. The yellow daffodils are lovely, and the emu chick is darling. I loved Diana, and have been watching all the movies that are showing right now. I actually just did a short post and will post it tomorrow. Happy Birthday to your loved ones, Patricia. What a cool cake this is!
ReplyDeleteWishing you happy September days.
love, ~Sheri
Thank you Sheri, glad you enjoyed everything. The Diana movies surprised me, with new information I have not heard before. Happy September and Fall to you Sheri.
DeleteThank you for your prayers, my dear. Hopefully when the storm hits Georgia, it will have calmed down some. : )
DeleteThe first day of spring, sounds wonderfully optimistic -
ReplyDeletespecially now we are heading to winter. Mavis Ngallametta looks to be a terrific artist. I'll look online and see if I can find more of her work. Seems like the kind of thing you can keep looking at.
Yes, so many poems etc re the First day of Spring!
DeleteIt seems to have regressed a bit today, with a cold wind...but you get that..
Hope you find more of Ngallametta's work Jenny. She started painting late in life as do many of the Indigenous women, after they raise their families. I enjoy the paintings very much, looking to find little creatures in the landscape. Sometimes I find tiny fish too.
How darling was that birthday cake!! So well done!! xox
ReplyDeleteWe loved it too; so proud of our clever children! xox
DeleteHello Dear Trish! Happy Spring! Still playing catch up.
ReplyDeleteI watched a lot of the Diana documentaries too. I agree that she still fascinates and has impact today. Her young men turned out quite well and I think she'd be very proud. ;) Loved the white garden too.
And I loved that cake - so cute!! And that chick - I just want to cuddle it. Blessings on your weekend ahead. xoxo
It seems once we start on those docos, we keep watching them - at least I did. Always something new comes out. I hope they keep the white garden in Diana's memory.
DeleteEmu chicks are so cute; pity they grow into somewhat aggressive adults! Happy weekend Carrie xo