GETTING BACK TO BUSINESS

Hello

I returned to rehearsal with my Ladies Choir today, after a long holiday break.

So much fun to see everyone again, catch up on news, lunch together...

And Sing!

A whole folder of new pieces to learn, including some Gershwin.

love Gershwin...

It has taken me much longer than usual to get back to normal after a month overseas travel.  Perhaps it was the extremes of temperature, but I have been most depleted of energy, and struggling with several infections over the month since we returned.

Our absence during the height of Summer led to the loss of quite a few plants from the Red Cardinal Garden of Neglect.
A little too much neglect and they were unable to fend for themselves without adequate watering.

Getting some new colour and greenery has been part of 'nomality', and I have several bright new geraniums and other pops of colour...

and a fresh fern, replacing several lost ones..

'Normality' for me also includes a bit of sewing.

I am making a denim shirt dress - it's been months since I sewed anything..

Pablo Picasso 'Woman with parasol on the beach' 1933.  QAG

and going back to being a guide at the Art Gallery.

 Currently showing is a complete set of Picasso's 'Vollard Suite', on loan from the Australian National Gallery, Canberra.

Made during the 1930s, the Suite features many engravings of Marie-Therese Walter, perhaps the best-known of Picasso's many loves.  That is her in the above painting, which belongs to the Qld Art Gallery and is also currently on display.  Picasso was going through a 'Classical' phase, and he spotted the 17 year old outside a department store, attracted to her 'Classical profile'.  In many of the prints, Picasso represents himself as a classical sculptor, with Marie-Therese as his muse and model.

Other favourite subjects of Picasso include the Circus, the Bullfight, Rembrandt, and The Minotaur, all represented in this autobiographical series of 100 prints.

Our son and daughter-in-law spent Christmas in Ireland...

and brought me a silver angel Christmas decoration:

She is the most exquisite little piece...

and look what she is holding:  a tiny bird.

Beautiful.

Best of all, Little Aussie has been here for a visit.
His Lego skills are becoming very sophisticated these days...

Happy Weekend

XXXX

CANADA CELEBRATES AND GRANDSON DELIGHTS

Happy July, dear readers..

My Birds of Canada calendar makes it easy for me this month -

Mr and Mrs Cardinal, Blue Jay and Chickadees, if I am not mistaken.

Happy 150th Birthday and Canada Day to our Canadian friends,

 and DD and her little family.

Our grandsons have been decorating cakes with a maple leaf, a school holiday activity.  They are having a fun Summer.

Lots of activity this weekend on Ottawa's Capital Hill..

The impossibly cute Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire -

love his sox and her shoes...very celebratory!

Prince Charles falls for the Trudeau charm...

Meanwhile, back in the Cardinal Nest we have had a touch of real Winter.

Mr C is going well with his knee rehabilitation, and uses his vintage crotchet rug made by his Aunt to keep warm in the evenings.
He has started to drive the car, and walk short distances without sticks.
Life is beginning to return to normal.

Last week I bought a new washing machine, suddenly deciding I could no longer tolerate the old one and its crazy ideas regarding fabrics...

Never thought I'd find an appliance so attractive.
 I am actually finding reasons to wash things, just to try out all the various functions.
Ah, technology...

The delivery guys gave me a refrigerator box for Little Aussie -
because they are bigger.  He made this interesting construction for himself.
You crawl in the lower door, then poke yourself through an internal hole into the upper section.  Not recommended for the claustrophobic...

Stay out?  
No problem conforming to that request...

We watched the original Ghostbusters movie - our kids loved it back in the day.
It is not at all scary, only quaint and funny now.
Aussie was keen to see the Stay Puft Marshmallow man.

My lovely friend M gave me this gorgeous set of applique napkins, absolutely beautifully made by her own fair hands, back in the day.
Thank you so much, and I will treasure them always.
Don't they look wonderful with my fruity tablecloth from Florence?

Whatever do you think my red coleus is up to?

I am thinking of making a red dress using my old Catherine pattern, from a length of wool flannel in the stash.  Seems wrong not to...

Have a good week

XXXXX

HOME MAINTENANCE

Hello - long time no blog!

I've been laid low by the virus of the year, not having received my flu jab because it is late coming to the doctor..

Why is that?

Cyclone Debbie has been and gone, leaving much flooding and other devastation in her wake.  We had a local flood, and some confused wildlife.

Four of these wild turkey chicks were found wandering around our garden...

This is at our local creek, where I walk.  It only lasted one day.

In other areas, people were days cut off from electricity and all services.

It takes a long time for communities to recover from these events.

I went to a High Tea to meet some local Sewists.  Look at those lemon meringue swans, which were mouth-watering.

The ladies were lovely and welcoming, and all wore gorgeous self-made outfits.

I loved the pattern and fabric swap - such fun...

Our garden is finally making an Effort - after all those months of drought.

And the weather has turned a little chilly (big smile)...

In a confluence of events you could not organise if you tried,

carpenters arrived to fix our deck railings which had some dry rot...

the same day Little Aussie arrived to spend a few days of his holidays...

with a broken arm!

He is such a climber, fell out of a tree.

Imagine how excited he was with all the action going on outside:

High decks with railing removed...Danger!

Much carpentry went on down on the lawn...

and we decamped to the local village store - Aussie loves a chocolate milk and croissant... and they have board games to play...

His Lego city construction went on for days...

There now, all better...

I found this little cupboard (the one on top) - drastically reduced floor stock at a local gift shop..  It has improved our laundry room by 150%!

Beautiful lunch with friends on Sunday - that trifle really was the business.

We are all so thrilled with the cooler weather. 

Even put a blanket on our bed...

Stay warm - and dry

XXXX