Sunday, January 6, 2019

HELLO 2019!


Happy New year to you from tropical Brisbane, where the poinciana trees are casting their bright red canopy across the city...


Dear daughter in Canada once again sent me a Canadian wall calendar -
Miss January is a sweet bluebird, flitting about in the snow..


It is the twelfth day of Christmas, and I have finally finished putting all the festive decor back in the cupboard under the stairs..

 Christmas tree corner now has a mission to save an ailing maidenhair fern.  The fern has been outside in a shady spot but dying off in the heat faster than it can create new fronds.
This corner gets good light, and is also located beneath an air-conditioner.
We will see how that works out.  Keeping delicate ferns alive in the mid-30c. heat can be a challenge.


Christmas was lovely at the Red Cardinal nest.
Our two sons and their wives were here, as well as Little Aussie..


Overnight on Christmas Eve, our mock orange tree bust into fragrant blossom,
perfect for the day.


Our grand-puppy Harley loved her new pink squeaky pig..


I found this bright red festive table cloth for $6 at our local Cheap Shoppe - 
seemed wrong not to give it a home..



I made sugar stars for the pavlova -
by breaking open seven small bags of pretzels and picking out the star shapes.
Brush with egg white, dip in sugar, and bake for a little while.




Cute scarf also came from Canada..


I was spoilt by all..


We bought a new birdbath for the garden -
or a Christmas gift for the birds, if you consider it that way...






In that post-Christmas lull, where you don't remember what day it is or what you should be doing, we have been catching up on a few movies (Colette, Vice) doing some de-cluttering, and giving the garden much-needed attention.
I am having a few medical checks (ugh!), fingers crossed...

What are you doing these days?


I am enjoying Michelle Obama's book, another Christmas present..

We look forward to another overseas trip, later in the year.

Wishing you Good Health, Happiness, and Exciting Times in 2019.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!


XXX






27 comments:

  1. Hi Patricia how lovely to have your family together for xmas day,your table looks very festive and the food so yummy.
    Thankyou for telling us how you did your star pretzels,they look so yummy.
    Oh what a wonderful garden you have and love the bird bath,hope you have a lovely week my friend xx

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    1. The pretzels were fun - as found in the Women's Weekly!
      The garden thanks you - it is not as fabulous as yours by a long way :) The birds have chosen to ignore the bird bath for now...

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  2. Happy New Year Patricia. I hope your medical things are all good. My tree is still up waiting for some little friends who are coming tomorrow - back from a long overseas trip so I think they'll appreciate it. That book will be terrific I think. I've got it on my list! Sofie - Still not able to comment

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    1. Hello Sofie, and Happy New Year to you too. Always good to have a reason to keep the tree going; I love seeing it sitting there. Michelle's book is a top seller, I noticed in the paper today. Blogger is a pest - try using the Help section. They don't reply direct to you, but other people chime in with solutions. It helped me last year.

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  3. Dear Patricia - so pleased that you enjoyed a lovey and very happy Christmas with your Aussie families. Could do with a bit of that tropical heat here if you have any to spare!
    Hope your all your medical checks go well and wish you and your husband all of the very best for 2019.

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    1. Dear Rosemary, I would love to send you some heat and humidity for New Year! Thank you, fingers crossed for meds. Happy New Year to you and yours.

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  4. I love the tablecloth. Sometimes the inexpensive things we find in the spur of the moment turn out to be the best!

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    1. Hello Kathy B. So true - that cloth was just waiting there to catch my eye!

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  5. Oh, I see you have Christmas Crackers too! An old family tradition here,too...
    My boyfriend refuses to wear the paper hats!😂
    Maiden Hair don’t like any kind of draft...the only thing I know about them!
    Enjoy your week ahead Patricia....back to normal!
    I have also been decluttering...
    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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    1. Oh yes, we always have the Crackers, Linda. I put Santa hats on the back of the chairs as an alternative for those who dislike the paper ones, and we usually end up with a mix. In fact this year I found myself a silver sequin Santa hat! I never knew that about the Maiden hair so will make sure there is no draft. Back to normal indeed, and the house is looking refreshed. Happy times!

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  6. Lovely Christmas celebrations Trish....especially with family. Lovely gifts and I do hope remedy happens for your maiden hair fern....my Mum used have it spilling out from under the front stairs....totally neglected. I have never had any luck with them. Aren't the Poincianas glorious!

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    1. Ferns are tricky - if you find the right spot, you are blessed! The Poincianas have been the best ever this year! Love them, Christmas colours and all. xx

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  7. Happy New Year, Patricia! I hope all goes well on the medical front. That table cloth is very cheerful! It's so lovely to see the flowers and the gardens. It's been a bit bleak here with so much rain. I'm hoping it turns to snow later this week. I hope this year treats you and your family well! Xx

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    1. Hi Jen, Happy New Year to you. I hope you have a great year, and the bleak weather goes away soon. We enjoy our garden, which is green all year, although it takes a bit of work to keep it all happening. xx

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  8. Happy New Year Patricia. Hope the tests go well. I am a bit off colour with a rheumatoid flare, so not really up to a long comment today.

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    1. Thank you Sarah Liz, always a bit apprehensive with the med tests. So sorry to hear of your flare, so painful. I had to go off some of my tabs for a bit, and soon noticed the aches coming back to the fingers! Joy of ageing :)

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  9. Your garden looks so nice. I'm a bit tired od looking at dead leaves and mud here, LOL! I love the sky in that first picture of the blooming trees. Wishing you the very best 2019

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    1. Oh dear, dead leaves and mud are not fun! Lucky you have nice walking areas to see when you venture out. Another grey sky here today, with a bit of rain for the garden.

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  10. I know I've told you before, but your Christmas tree is so pretty. I love the pink and turquoise ornaments. A bird calendar sounds delightful for the new year. That was a thoughtful gift from your daughter. I still haven't got a calendar yet; was going to get one tomorrow. I always get the Mary Engelbreit ones. That is such a lovely tablecloth and what a good price. I can see why you couldn't pass it up. The sugar stars look Yummy. I'd love to try them. Your garden is green and groomed and well taken care of, and the bird bath is a nice addition.

    I hope the new year is being good to you, Patricia. Wishing you so much goodness all around.

    love, ~Sheri

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    1. I love a good calendar - much prettier than putting everything in my phone. Enjoy your Mary Engelbreit one. Mr Cardinal is spending the holiday break weeding, mulching, and generally getting the garden in good shape for 2019. He is a star! Happy New Year to you Sheri. x

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  11. Happy New Year, Trish. Let's like it got off to a good start. Wish it were summer here as well, but I'll come here for it! :)

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    1. Thank you Debra, hope the year is good for you too. I know the Winter can be hard - remember last Christmas we had a month in Canada, and boy, was that cold! I doubt we will ever do it again, it took my body months to recover. We hope to go back again this year to see Fall.

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  12. Happy belated holiday season to you Trish!

    It's so nice to be back to blogland. I sure missed my time here. Needed the break but good to be back catching up with wonderful friends like you ;)

    Looks like it was a wonderful Christmas. Filled with family time, lovely gifts and lots of yummy goodies!! I'd say it was about the same over this way in the northwoods too. I have seen several cardinals this winter and I ALWAYS think of you when I do. So if you ever feel like you're being thought of in a special way - it's because you probably are. xoxo

    Love the new bird bath btw. Super cute! Blessings to you for all good things in 2019!

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    1. And nice to see you again here too, Carrie. How sweet to know that you have cardinals in your beautiful garden. If only they could come visit my new birdbath!! Blessings to you for a wonderful year.

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  13. What a lovely Christmas you had with your family all around. We had a wonderful visit to your part of the world in November and December, and I am definitely missing the warm sun!

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    1. How wonderful you have been to Australia! It certainly is warm now - we are having heatwaves every week, which is slightly tedious. We enjoy visiting your part of Canada on our regular visits over to see our daughter in Ottawa. Thank you for popping in to the Red Cardinal.

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