THE WEARING OF THE GREEN

 

   

Happy Saint Patrick's Day to you all...

I have just a little Irish heritage, having one set of Irish Great-Grandparents, who emigrated to Australia back in the Olden Days...

I was taught by Irish nuns in primary school, and learnt an Irish Jig...

And was assured by them that I was named for the greatest Saint of all:

Saint Patrick

And now, since one of our sons married an Irish Lass, we have three tiny part-Irish grandchildren, the wee twin boys and their little sister who will soon have her first birthday.  They are the light of our lives these days....

This photo was taken when we travelled to Ireland in 2016 for their wedding.  It was my first sighting of a Buttercup, and to my delight, little Shamrocks in the background.

It is nice to look back on our visit.  Here I am with Oscar Wilde's memorial.  Trust him to climb up the rock!

The magnificent Long Room at the Library of Trinity College, Dublin, where we saw the Book of Kells...

A beautiful, and very ancient, Irish harp in the Long Room..

The Green...

Glendalough in County Wicklow, and the Shrine of Saint Kevin..

He founded a monastery here, and died about 618 AD.

Saint Kevin's church - the monastery continued for many years, and the buildings which remain probably date around 10th - 12th centuries.

Note the green post box:

A few shots around Dublin..

I loved the colourful painted doors..

As we sang at school on 17th March each year:

'Hail Glorious Saint Patrick'!

Have a good day

XXXX

OSCAR FASHIONS

 I love Oscars Day..

The best movies, the fashion, the tears, the smiles...

We have seen some of the nominated films, and look forward to finding the others, perhaps on Netflix or on a plane...

And as always, the Red Cardinal blog would like to mention our Australian ladies:

Best actress nominee Cate Blanchett, elegant as always, in electric blue and navy by Louis Vuitton.

Presenter, and previous Oscar winner, Nicole Kidman in a slinky black, embellished gown by Armani Prive.  

How do they stay so Slim in their 50s?!?

And on to my favourite looks of the night:

I like the clever bow-drape and fuchsia colour of this number on Elizabeth Wagmeister..

Halle Berry, always a fashion star, in delicate mint..

This orange skirt is stunning, expertly draped and fitted - Janelle Monae

Best in Black: Danai Gurira

For me, there always has to be a pink one.  Gorgeous pink train over delicate sparkle: Allison Williams

I loved Michelle Williams in The Fabelmans.  She is tiny and exquisite in silver and white.

A big Wow factor in Angela Bassett's purple gown.  Beautiful draping and gorgeous fabric.

I always love a yellow gown on the red carpet.   Ruth E Carter is stunning in this formal gown with long sleeves and a train - with a pretty fuchsia lining peeking out.

My best of the night!

Do you watch the Oscars?

Which gowns appealed to you?

I'd love to know...

Happy viewing

XXXX

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

 

Happy International Women's Day:  I know, I have been Missing in Action again.

Oops....

Let's just catch up on things at the International Headquarters of the Red Cardinal Blog:

Summer flowers blooming...

Fabulous Bird cushion from No. 2 son and his wife...

More Summer flowers...

I made these for my tiny granddaughter, from a small piece of vintage fabric from my stash.   Never throw good fabric away...

We went to the Queensland Symphony concert to see Beethoven's Choral Symphony 'Ode to Joy' - wonderful, inspiring, as always...

I have been busy at the art gallery - GoMA has a great new exhibition entitled 'Air'.

How do you make an artwork about something that is invisible?

Many artists have done just that, and it is a very imaginative show.

Here's a glimpse:

Carlos Amorales 'Black Cloud' 2007-2018
Amorales draws our attention to the escalating devastation of invertebrate populations due to climate change.  The butterflies blackened wings are a dire portent of things to come.

Thomas Saraceno 'Drift: A cosmic web of thermodynamic rhythms' 2022.

Artist and environmentalist Saraceno's sculptures are experimental models, charting a path towards sustainable human flight technologies.

The mirrored section would reflect the sun's radiation providing solar energy.  That is little me reflected in the centre.

Mona Hatoum 'Hot Spot' 2006.  The earth shown burning in orange/red neon.

Jemima Wyman 'Plume 20' 2022.  A giant collage of hundreds of separate clouds of smoke, cut from images of uprisings, civil protests and wars.

Jamie North 'Portal' 2022.  Columns composed of cast concrete with aggregates including industrial remains, alongside nature's regeneration process.  The plants are indigenous to Brisbane, including rusty fig and elkhorn fern and are growing throughout the exhibition.  Our air depends on plant life: they take in carbon dioxide, and put out life-giving oxygen, a reciprocal exchange of gases.

Take care of the planet.

XXXXX