Oh my, so long without a blog and now Blogger looks all different!!
(Pause, while I figure out the new menu above, and why it is acting weird)..
It is Grandparents Day in Australia today, the last Sunday in October....
so let us look at a few snaps of the Red Cardinal grandchildren:
The twins are doing beautifully, and went home on their 39th day of life - here they are posing outside the family home.
They have each gained over 1kg and continue meeting new goals and milestones. This week would have been their actual birth week if they had not had to come two months early.
I have been busy making them a large quilt for 'tummy time'...
Here's a glimpse or two:
The twins' big brother, Little Aussie, (seen here in shadow on a camel ride during his recent trip to Uluru, Central Australia), is delighted with his baby twin brothers.
And like us, is unable to visit them in person because of Covid border restrictions.
We all hope the rules will change soon, and we can fly to Sydney for a personal meeting and lots of baby cuddles!
On a recent outing to the Pumpkin Patch...
It seems ages, and yet sometimes it seems just like yesterday when you factor out the weird Covid year we are still working through...
I never tire of the beautiful Canadian Autumn, and will always long to visit.
This unexpected bloom also arrived outside our back door; perhaps thanks to the many birds who visit us, every day...
Jacaranda trees spread over Brisbane, as always, in October.
We love them, and the purple carpet which spreads beheath..
We are enjoying a return to the theatre, albeit under very different circumstances.
Concerts are shorter, there is no interval, and we have spaced seating, with the venue operating at 50% capacity.
'Encore', the return of Opera Queensland to the concert stage, was a thrilling chance to enjoy some of the great arias in live performance.
Particular favourites were the duet from Samson et Dalila, and arias from Carmen, La boheme, and Lucia di Lammermoor.
You may remember, we began the year 2020 with a plan to celebrate Beethoven's 250th anniversary by attending live performances of all nine of his Symphonies. We saw the first three back in February, and then one by one our reserved concerts were cancelled (including one interstate). At last, we have now be able to attend the Qld Symphony's performance of Beethoven's Fifth, and the audience and the players enjoyed it all immensely.
You may remember, we began the year 2020 with a plan to celebrate Beethoven's 250th anniversary by attending live performances of all nine of his Symphonies. We saw the first three back in February, and then one by one our reserved concerts were cancelled (including one interstate). At last, we have now be able to attend the Qld Symphony's performance of Beethoven's Fifth, and the audience and the players enjoyed it all immensely.
The lorikeets continue to visit every day, and bring joy to our mornings.
These days, I have to make a conscious effort to notice and appreciate the pleasure of our surroundings.
Be safe, and take care.
XXXXX
Happy Grandparents Day!
ReplyDeleteLovely photos and quilts
Thank you, it is such a pleasure to sew for grandchildren 👼👼
DeleteThank you for this happy post. What gorgeous twin pictures! They are such a lot of fun, and Happy Grandparent's day! Your other photos are also delightful, and I particularly love the "volunteer" flower.... it looks as if it might be a kind of iris to me (but I'm no expert).
ReplyDeleteHello Jenny, I remember when twins came into your life too, very special. The flower does look a bit like an iris, but a different one from those we grow. I wonder where it came from🌺
DeleteHi Trish!
ReplyDeleteHappy Grnadparents day!!
Love getting an update and seeing what's happening in your life. Your grandsons are SO precious!! Little miracles. The quilt you're working on is beautiful!
And summer sure looks like it's beginning to bloom beautifully there. Glad you're continuing to get back to a bit of normal life with your concerts.
I was blessed to visit Ottawa once and it is so beautiful. Reminds me a bit of my northwoods too. Have a blessed week ahead 🙏 ❤️
Hi Carrie, the tiny twins really are miracle survivors, and we love them already of course. I think Ottawa does look like your area going by your photos. A beautiful part is the world in the region of the Great Lakes ♥️🍁🍂
DeleteHow wonderful that the twins are now out of hospital and doing really well. I see lots of fun with them on the horizon for you both - what a very momentous year to be born.
ReplyDeleteLove your visiting flower - do you know what it is? It looks very exotic - is it a type of orchid?
It certainly is a momentous year - we will all remember 2020! I am having fun making things for the twins, and a scrapbook of their photos, but nothing will compare to when we get to meet them for the first time.
DeleteI will try to find out what the flower is; it reminds me of the trillium which we see in Canada, the State flower of Ontario.
Grandchildren are so precious. I'm so happy to see the twins are doing well. I know you must be so anxious to see them. My youngest GGrandaughter celebrated her 2nd birthday and even though she only lives about an hours drive away we haven't seen her since she started walking. It is hard but keeping isolated is best for now. Who ever expected to live this way, right?
ReplyDeletePrecious indeed Darla. How sad that you can't see your GGranddaughter when she is so close. There is no doubt isolation works, and our State has proved that, but the cost is high. We could never have imagined it, but it all has many similarities to the plagues of history.
DeleteOh those twins are precious!! And I adore the quilt you made! So very special!
ReplyDeleteOddly enough, I just read this week that it was the anniversary (can't remember the year) that they changed the name of Ayers Rock to Uluru. My sister climbed it when she lived in Australia in the early 1990's. She was so very funny, she said, "Typical of the Aussies, they are very laid back about things, they told us after we climbed it how many had died doing so!" She adored Australia, by the way!
Take care!
Thank you Kay, I hope they love the quilt. Times sure have changed in 40 years, and if your sister returned she would find a very different experience. There is no longer a camping ground at the Rock, and respect to the Indigenous history is now expected, including no climbing.
DeleteLovely photos of the twins. The Tummy Time quilt is looking excellent. Hopefully some border openings at the end of the month so you can be off to Sydney to visit.
ReplyDeleteThank you! They are getting really cute (not that they were not before, but they were frighteningly small). They maintain a 500g difference in weights, which helps us work out who is who. Looking forward to a big border announcement next week :)
DeleteOhh what gorgeous little people both tiny and big. I am so happy to hear your twins are doing so well. Love their special quilt too! Seems odd to see all that beautiful Autumnal colour as we await our Summer. Definitely can't beat our annual treat of October Jacaranda purple xx
ReplyDeleteThank you Michelle, we are crossing our fingers for a border opening, maybe tomorrow? We want to see the twins while they are still tiny. The Jacarandas are so beautiful, always make my heart sing when I am out and about :) xx
DeleteLOVE the first photo of the two new boys! I hope you'll soon be able to hold them in your arms. Very precious.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! We can't wait to hold those tiny fingers and tiny toes :)
DeleteSuch adorable babies, Patricia, but sad for their brother that he cannot see them. Is he staying with you for the time being? How lovely that you can go to the theatre again. Our have all been shut down once more. I suppose it was inevitable, but it's very hard for all the theatre crews and actors. What a year! Roll on 2021 and a return to life. Meanwhile, thanks for sharing the babies with us!
ReplyDeleteOh dear, you are shut down again, it seems to be happening all over, and is so hard on everyone. Our older grandson lives in Brisbane with his Mum; he is from our son's first marriage. We hope to take him with us when we finally can go to Sydney to meet the twins. Meanwhile, we had a great family catch up on Zoom yesterday and the twins were shown to the whole family including the Canadians. We had a State election yesterday and thought the borders might open to coincide but alas this has not happened.
DeleteYour grandsons are precious, Patricia, and glad to hear they are doing well. That's a cool picture of little Aussie on the camel. I love that photo of the house and the BIG pumpkin, it's so charming. The quilt is lovely and such a special gift from grandma. We get the jacaranda trees here in the Spring, and it looks beautiful when the street is lined with their purple flowers as they fall.
ReplyDeleteHang in there with the new blogger format. It takes awhile to figure everything out.
I hope you have happy and health November days, Patricia.
~Sheri
It is lovely that you also have jacaranda trees over there - I know they originated in South America. The twins are going great, have now passed two months and doubled their tiny birth weights. We are so delighted with them. Happy and healthy days to you too Sheri.
DeleteTrish nature is beautiful! Homegrown fresh tomatoes are usually delicious! Our theaters are still closed until mid year, and the ballet until next September. With dance, the months of of the troop practicing can't happen months in advanced.
ReplyDeleteHappy Grandparents day, Mr. and Mrs C! They grow up so fast.
So sorry you are unable to go to the theatre as yet. And next September, is such a long way off. Some limited ballet is coming to us now. The little twins are so fun to watch, even if only by photos and zoom meetings. We got a photo of a smile yesterday, exciting :)
DeleteThe the Red Cardinal grandchildren are adorable! So good to hear that they are growing up nicely, you must be so pleased.
ReplyDeleteAmalia
xo
P.S Dear Patrica - just to let you know that your flower is a Neomarica gracilis - commonly called a Walking Iris, something that it has obviously done by walking into your garden!!! It originates in S.America from Brazil to Paraguay.
ReplyDelete