HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY

 Happy Australia Day

Today we celebrate our wide, brown land, in all its diversity and splendor...

Our unique birdlife - with a greeting from the naughty Sulphur Crested Cockatoo...

and the cheeky lorikeets..

Our beautiful sub-tropical City of Brisbane..

View from GoMA..

The Old Treasury Building on the lower left, is where we Red Cardinals met, at work, all those years ago.

Today, the beautiful old building is a Casino...

From our beautiful beaches...

and tropical rain forests....

to the dramatic deserts of our Red Centre ..

Australia we salute you.

Like many Aussies, we celebrated with a Summer barbeque at our son's place..

followed by a traditional Australian Pavlova dessert...

Happy Australia Day to us

XXX

THE BLESSING OF RAIN

Hello

Yesterday was Australia Day.

We celebrate our beautiful country, and give thanks for recent rains in our little corner of Queensland.

While bush fires still burn in the South, we have been fortunate -

storms and showers have come over the past few weeks, and our grass has returned from brown to green.

I have never felt so relieved to see the roadsides flushed with bright green, something not seen for about a year...

The Red Cardinal Garden of Neglect is beginning to re-emerge, as is the view down to the Valley...

A few blooms on the hedge..

Every Australia Day, we have a communal barbeque in our cul-de-sac..

Mr Cardinal tends to the cooking..

That is the Red Cardinal nest in the background.

It is a great night, and a chance to catch up with all the news of the neighbourhood..

I bought this beautiful plate designed by artist Marini Ferlazzo.  A share of the profits goes to support animals affected by the Australian bushfires.  There are wonderful stories emerging of animals helping one another to escape the awful fires.  I think this design says it all, as the Koala enfolds all the other Native Australian birds and animals.

Clara Inkamala, Arrernte people, Australia [1954-]  Emu and chicks 2002. QAGoMA

This painting is currently on display in the Qld Art Gallery.  It shows the native Emu and chicks in the beautiful country around Hermannsburg in the Northern Territory of Australia.

Happy Australia Day!

XXXXX

BACK TO QUEENSLAND

Little Aussie,  2015

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY, Dear Readers

I knew I was back in Australia when:

• The washing dried on the outside clothes line in a fraction of the time it takes in a tumble dryer - costs no $$$$, and no harm to the environment..
• I met a little brown snake (deadly) on my daily walk, just glanced down in time as I went round a bend in the path...walking quickly so body in motion I did an arty sideways leap and forward jump to safety.  Can't imagine doing that when I am 80...
• The lorikeets were back on day one, insisting on their daily seed - wonder where they go when we are away?
• The garden greenery has grown by half a metre in under a month...
• There are very few flowers...
• And when a rose opens, it shrivels in a day unless cut and put in a vase..
• A cup of tea cools you down, rather than warms you up..
• We are eating salad most days because it is too hot to be bothered..

I think that about covers it.

Bought these at the Museum Christmas tree display in Ottawa - $5 set.  Love them.

For the first time in 14 years, our little hydrangea has produced blue blooms...

Always been pink until now...

I enjoy the unexplained change...

Tree-loppers attack our giant fig

Forced to buy a few cheap blooms to keep things bright

As we travelled home from Canada, the saddest thing happened.

We lost one of our Sewing Sisters, the lovely Rosie, after a long illness.

We have met every month for over ten years, and she was the loveliest girl, talented and full of laughter and fun.

She made me this block for my French-themed quilt, so clever and so pretty..

She made each of us a pair of these earrings..

Can you tell what the base is?

And she made me this pretty paper angel one Christmas.

Rest in peace with the angels, Dear Rosie.

We miss you so much...

Take care

XXXX

AUSTRALIANS ALL LET US REJOICE

Happy Australia Day!

Today is our national holiday, a day to give thanks for our wide brown land.

As is our custom, I began the day singing patriotic songs with my ladies choir:

at a Citizenship Ceremony for a large number of new citizens from all corners of the globe.  

It is always heart-warming, and we enjoy seeing the happiness of the candidates as they take the Oath of Alliegance, and receive their Certificates of Citizenship.

Little Aussie has been with us for the Aus-Day weekend...

 wearing his Aussie flag shorts...

and playing cowboys in a vest we acquired years ago in Fort Worth, Texas.

He is always a delight, and now enchants us using lots of three or four syllable words - naturally he is gifted  :)

We have been in the pool today - the perfect Australia Day activity.

The colours of our flag are of course, red, white and blue.

 I am wearing my blue lace Christmas top, and these

new little sandals which have come to live with us.

Mr C now calls me his Little Centipede...

Aussie brought his virtual pet bird, which we gave him for Christmas.

He calls him Greenie, which I must admit lacks originality..

but then, he's only five...

As a nation, we are a little greedy in the National Colour stakes,

also claiming the green/gold combination, especially for sporting uniforms.

For our annual Australia Day neighbourhood street party and barbeque, 
I made a green/yellow rice salad:

We had a perfect end to a busy day, sitting around in the evening cool on the street where we usually drive our cars!

Have a great week

xxxx