PINK

 

And just like that, Christmas is around the corner..

(Warning: this post is heavy on Christmas festive cheer).

It has been a busy, and slightly different, year for the Red Cardinals.

Our son and his family moved from Sydney to Brisbane to be near us.  We have been delighted by the arrival of our first granddaughter, and love spending time with her older brothers, the boy twins as well.

We seen them all once or twice a week for 'play' time..

and are still trying to keep our 'other lives' going as well.

Last week the Christmas tree went up..

I made it pink to celebrate our little grandie girl...

I have collected the occasional pink ornament for years, but never made a big feature of them before.

Selfridges, London, 2004

Ottawa, Canada, 2010

Made for me by my dear friend M.

All the fragile decorations are not coming out this year..

Instead, we are having a child-friendly theme including this fabulous Lego Gingerbread house.

The little boys love it!

Jacarandas continue blooming in their purple glory..

and our Agapanthus have arrived in force:

So what does one do when feeling just a little tired from the busyness, the round of medical appointments, commitment to the community, home and family?

Well, I have begun a 'slow stitching' project, using all my stashed fabric scraps, bits and bobs, to make my 'Roxy's Christmas Journal of Stitchery', a group sew-along on Facebook and Youtube.  Prompts are given every couple of weeks, and stitchers create their own visions.  Many are published on Facebook.

Some of my works in progress..

I am incorporating vintage bits of bobbin lace and tatting, made by my late mother...

Most of these fabrics are left over from quilts made 20 or 30 years ago.

Will I ever actually finish the book?  

I have no idea, but the stitching is soothing, and the creation is fun.

Enjoy the Season, and have a great week.

XXXX

CHRISTMAS IS COMING

 

Christmas is coming, and much has been happening at the Red Cardinal nest.

It has been the wettest Spring in about 100 years...

and the garden loves it.

There have been some Christmas parties:

A gathering on the high deck of GoMA, overlooking the river and the city..

Lunch with the Sewing Sisters...

and a family Christmas party in the Red Cardinal garden when I also had a 'significant' birthday..

I am the eldest of six children, and it is so enjoyable when we all get together occasionally, and this was no exception.

I received a beautiful creamy yellow orchid..

By the magic of the internet, a pretty posy and baking recipe book from our daughter in Canada:

It has rained so much the creeks are up - under this torrent is a walking bridge on my daily route..

Lovely weather for ducks...

The tree is up..

and the little tiny pink tree...

Memories of our trips around the world..

I have some special news:

Following the Government easing of border restrictions, our older son has been able to relocate his family (including our tiny grandsons, the dear little twin boys) and move to Brisbane, where they are now in home quarantine.

We are eagerly looking forward to more special times with the little ones, especially at Christmas. 

And are very thankful that this was achieved prior to the arrival of the new Covid variant, Omicron.

Are you engrossed in Christmas preparation?

Tell me everything...

XXXXX

A VERY SPECIAL VISIT

 

We did it!

Reader, we flew to Sydney to meet the twins.....

and it was Wonderful!

These long-awaited, dear little boys have stolen our hearts -

They are 12 weeks old, and doing fine after a very premature birth.

After many months of isolation, our State of Queensland opened the border to New South Wales and we were able to fly home without going into quarantine (14 days in a hotel at our own expense).

Australia has done very well in the pandemic, helped by being an island nation, and the restrictions on international travel, together with closed borders between states.  Our State has gone for several months with no new community transmissions, but has re-opened very cautiously, with gradual increases in community gatherings and continued social distancing.

We were so excited when the Government announced the open borders, and made our plane reservations to Sydney immediately.

We had four beautiful days with the twins and their delighted parents, and were the first family members to be able to meet them.

Big brother, Little Aussie, is now visiting them and finally met his twin siblings.

I was surprised how fantastic it felt to fly again - I suddenly felt 'normal' - as if the past ten months has just lifted away.

It has been about 14 months since I had been on a plane, the longest time for many, many years...

We have kept to ourselves and been safe.

About a month ago, we ventured up to the mountains to a B&B at Beechmont, a pretty rural hinterland town about an hour from Brisbane.

It was fresh and green from some recent rain, and we loved our little suite.

In the early morning, a hare could be seen outside on the grass: see in the above photo.

There were birds to feed...

and dramatic cloud formations..

If we have learnt anything from this strange year 2020, it is to appreciate and treasure our environment, our families, our friends, our health and home - we never know when they will become threatened...

The Christmas tree has been up for a while - this year I celebrated with blue for the twins, and a pair of twin elves, just because..

In other good news, restrictions have been eased on choral singing, and my church choir has resumed - with 1 metre spacing between us..

It was beautiful to be able to sing again, tuning our voices to one another as choristers do....

We have enjoyed several small gatherings at our house around the Christmas tree..

including the Sewing Sisters, who brought Secret Santa gifts...

I received the tiniest scissors I have ever seen - aren't they the cutest?

They came with the sweet little pin cushion, made by my dear friend D.

They are both just over 1 inch long - perfect for travelling...

All being well, we will travel again soon, and enjoy Christmas in Sydney with the twins...

Be well and take care

XXXX