HAPPY NEW YEAR

Christmas Eve was beautiful...

a very large crowd filled our church, overflowing onto the lawns outside.

We enjoyed the Carol singing, so fervent and heartfelt.

Old friends were greeted, and glad tidings abounded...

As always, the Manger was there for all to see...

Now that our children have fled the nest, 

only two gifts sit by the tree..

Mr. Red Cardinal gave me a stunning, small gold handbag.

It will no doubt find itself having quite a busy social life in the New Year...

We visited our older son, and his four children later on Christmas morning, and had a wonderful few hours watching the little ones opening and playing with gifts.  Our first grandson, formerly known as Little Aussie, was there playing his guitar.  How they do grow up!!

I made Little Miss 2 a pink 'ballerina' skirt.

She thought it was delightful, and wore it for hours...

Mimosas: Champagne and Orange Juice, a family favourite...

In the evening, we watched the King's Christmas Message, as well as the Royal Family at Church at Sandringham..

They all looked happy and well, after a difficult year for some..

Christmas Green was the popular fashion choice.

I though Catherine, Princess of Wales, looked absolutely beautiful.

How wonderful that she appears to have recovered from her illness.

Our weather continues to alternate a few very hot days, with a period of heavy storms and rain, often with flash flooding.

But we are in the sub-tropical Northern part of Australia.

Our vast land also has the Australian Alps, where this week it snowed at Charlotte Pass.  We visited there in November 2023...

and saw Australia's highest peak, Mt. Kosciusko, capped with snow in mid-Summer.

Because we recently had a little Wallaby visit us at night, I thought you might like to see one in a very different environment:

Google image

Yes, even in Australia we have animals which survive in the snow.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year from the Red Cardinal Blog.

xxxx

 

DECEMBER DOINGS

 Celebrations continue at the Red Cardinal nest, as we sail through the 'Most Wonderful Time of the Year', to quote the old song.

Yesterday was our Wedding Anniversary, and Mr. C surprised me with a potted Poinsettia plant, perfect for Christmas theming.

We went out for dinner and celebrated 53 years together... it seems an astonishing length of time, but we still feel young at heart and have lots of living to look forward to...

including a trip to Europe in 2025.

I had a birthday, not a milestone one, but happily enjoyed lunch with family or friends on not one, but three consecutive days.

Mr. C gave me this fun hand-held printer for instant photo prints to use in journaling.  I have always written travel diaries, often including sketches or small watercolours.  Now I can try something different, including a little photo with each day's diary notes.

Our son and his Irish wife recently took our small grandchildren to Ireland to meet their kinfolk.  They brought me these beautiful hand-crafted shamrock earrings, and sweet linen handkerchief.  Thank you so much...

Our lunch together was somewhat interrupted by a very heavy tropical storm, and to our amazement a flash flood occurred right outside the restaurant:

The water rose about knee deep in 20 minutes, such was the intensity of the rainfall.  The drains could not cope with the flow.  Several cars had to be quickly driven to higher ground.

Unsurprising, the two four-year-olds, wanted to go play in the water, bless them.  They had never seen a flood before.

This however, is out of the question.  The motto in Queensland is 'If it's flooded, forget it'... 

The rain stopped after about 40 minutes, and we were able to leave by the back entrance and walk back to our cars.

The staff were amazing, keeping everyone safe as the water surged into the restaurant whenever a car tried to drive past. 

I thanked them for the most exciting lunch I had had for quite some time...

Today I went into the city and the beautiful Brisbane Arcade, for lunch with my Sewing Sisters.  We have been meeting monthly for nearly 20 years to stitch and chat, seen each other through good times and bad, weddings, grandchildren, and loss of parents.

Old and good friends are so important.

Our dear friend D. brings a sweet tree and tiny Nativity to our Christmas lunch.  Always remember, the Reason for the Season...

There were Secret Santa gifts, cards, and special treats..

D. gave me the sweetest and most charming pink and bejewelled Fairy Christmas Owl.  Thank you so much, I love it!

Every year we remember our dear friend R. who made and gifted me the golden Angel hanging in our window.  She left us to join the Angels in Heaven just after Christmas seven years ago.  Never forgotten..

(Edited to add:  As requested by Kay G. below, here are two closeups of the golden Angel.  R. was a talented artist and enjoyed paper crafts.  The angel is collaged onto heavy card, and there are two fine wire wings over the paper lace ones.)

  Last year's Christmas Journal on the coffee table...

I have started another this year..

Le Giang, Vietnam. 'Majestic Mountains and Expansive Rivers'. Gemstone on acrylic.

 This work draws attention to illegal gem mining which ravages the landscape by open extraction mining.

The 11th Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art has opened this month at GoMA (Gallery of Modern Art) in Brisbane.

I work as a volunteer guide here every two weeks.

These are two highlights.  The exhibition continues until April 2025.

Kawita Vatanajyankur, Thailand. 'Shuttle' from 'Performing Textiles'

Interested in labour exploitation and infringements on human rights, Kawita presents videos of herself performing as part of the act of labour of women in the textile and agricultural industries.  She passes back and forth as a shuttle, a spinning wheel, and as a knitting needle.  The bright pretty colours are disarming .. and then you realise what is going on...

 I think we have now finished all our end-of-year Christmas gatherings for our various clubs and organisations.
It is time for the Summer holidays, which go until the end of January.
And I really do need to finish the Christmas shopping for the family...

Hope you are all well, and that your preparations are more advanced than mine...

XXXXX

THE FIFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS

 

Midnight on Christmas Eve, near the Red Cardinal Nest..

A strange sky indeed, forecasting a series of violent storms we have had over the holidays.

Fortunately, Christmas Day was hot and pleasant and we loved having family here for an exuberant Christmas Lunch..

For the amusement of three small children, I put little animal salt-and-peppers down the table centre.  

Here we are tucking into ham and chicken, with beautiful vegetable accompaniments prepared by my two talented daughters-in-law.

Later we sampled their extraordinary Trifle and Pavlova desserts:

Meanwhile, over in Canada, our daughter carries on our family tradition of making a steamed plum pudding to her Grandmother's recipe:

Better than mine ever looked!

In difficult times, world-wide, from pandemics to tragic wars, we are so very grateful to have our beautiful family, here and in Canada, and to celebrate with our presents under the tree and a Christmas feast...

I was very spoilt on Christmas morning:

Thank you, Mr Red Cardinal, well done...

For a number of reasons, I have done less sewing during the past year than ever since I began dressmaking as a teen.

However, I did manage to finish a linen dress which had been sitting about half-done for months:

Natural fibres are the only way to go in our hot humid Summer..

I wore my new dress to church on Christmas Eve, and it felt just right....

Wishing you all a Happy and Healthy New Year..

Stay safe this weekend

XXXXX