FAIRYTALES WHICH DO COME TRUE

 

Happy New Year, dear Readers..

Today I visited our Gallery of Modern Art, where I volunteer as a tour guide on a regular basis.

The Summer Blockbuster exhibition this year is 'Fairytales: in Art and Film'.  There were hundreds of excited children there enjoying a variety of contemporary artworks which engage with Fairytale themes, as well as a great collection of costumes and props from various Hollywood films, both old and recent.

Henrique Oliveira, Brazil 'Corupira' 2023

From becoming lost in the woods...

Timothy Horn 'Mother-load" 2008

to riding in a gilded coach..

Tricorne Costumes (costumiers), dress worn by Lily Collins as Princess Snow in 'Mirror Mirror' 2012

in fabulous gowns,

Timothy Horn 'Glass slipper (ugly blister) 2001

wearing glass slippers..

All the familiar tropes are there, and there is plenty for adults to contemplate as well.

Fairytales do come true, sometimes:

This week Australians are excited to hear that our own Princess Mary, Australian wife of Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark, will become his Queen when Fred (as we like to call him) ascends to the throne on the abdication of his mother, 83 year old Queen Margrethe II.

This will happen on January 14.

Here they are this week stepping out on New Year's Eve...

and at Christmas, on their way to church...

The royal couple met in Sydney, at the 2000 Olympics, and romance began.  After a year or so, Mary moved to Denmark (note, the home of Fairytale author Hans Christian Andersen) and discreetly began to learn to speak the difficult Danish language.

They married in 2004, in a Fairytale wedding:

and over the next few years produced four perfect children, including a cute pair of twins..

By all accounts, Mary has never put a foot wrong.  The Danish people have come to love and admire their Aussie Princess, and she works on many humanitarian platforms.

And my goodness, she keeps herself slim...

Her fashion sense is chic, elegant and refined.

We like to think Fred, I mean His Royal Highness, is lucky to have her...

Stay warm or cool, whatever applies.

Have a great January

XXXXX

BEECHMONT AND OTHER THOUGHTS

Remember Australia's own Germaine Greer?

Fearless feminist and academic, who challenged us all back in 1970 when she launched The Female Eunuch onto a startled world?

I have read many of her subsequent books, and had to have the latest, White Beech: The Rainforest Years.

One night back in 2000, my sister and I enjoyed a great night at a fund-raiser for a struggling women's health centre south of Brisbane, with Germaine as a fantastic guest speaker.  She charged nothing to come, donating her time generously.  

Germaine had been seeking to purchase land in Australia to regenerate for future generations, and had been looking for several years.

The day after the fund-raiser, local organisers took her to see an abandoned dairy farm, formerly rainforest, in the mountainous corner of south-east Queensland, specifically in The Numinbah Valley.

Germaine was smitten, and purchased the property, Cave Creek, using her life's savings.  White Beech tells the story of her project, turning her 60 hectares of scrubland back into the original Godwana rainforest.  

The title White Beech refers to a stupendous tree which can grow to 40 metres, mostly cut down and exported over the past 150 years, and local to this area.  The book tells of her attempts to propagate this and many other threatened local species.  She traces the history of her land, both by colonial settlers and the area's Aboriginal history.  

Germaine did a lot of the work herself, in between her commitments as Professor Emerita of English Literature and Comparative Studies at the University of Warwick, England.  The project is now a registered charity, and known as The Cave Creek Rainforest Rehabilitation Scheme.

I grew up in the same general area, and enjoyed reading familiar stories, names and places mentioned in the book.  Today we took my Dad (93, and getting frail now), on a drive to Beechmont, named for the white beech and on the next mountain ridge from Cave Creek.

It is very pretty farming country, but far removed from its original rainforest state.  Alas, we see no white beech trees these days.

Eventually we found a little cafe tucked away in a rustic but refreshing green garden.  Up here in the mountains it is cooler and they do get more rain than Brisbane.  Where our gardens are dead or dying from the hottest summer on record, they have camellias blossoming:

Oh, please let it rain soon!

This week I sent off the blog's giveaway parcel, to Kristie in Canada..

Here's a little preview, Kristie...

Australia's own Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, has been photographed in a pale pink gown by Australia's own Carla Zampatti...

Well done at every level, Mary.

Michelle Obama is visiting China with her mother and daughters.

Red seems the perfect colour choice, doesn't it?

I read that Michelle is personally writing a blog as she travels.

But I have not been successful in locating it.

Anyone found it?

My clever friend V pointed out that my white-bird-on-a-tree is actually a bud vase.

Sometimes my lack of comprehension really frightens me...

Wishing you all a delightful week, dear readers.

XXXX

DIAMOND JUBILEE

Happy Diamond Jubilee to Her Majesty the Queen.

Here she is on her Coronation Day -

it probably seems just like yesterday to her.

And here she is in an official Diamond Jubilee Portrait,

cleverly positioned beside the Buckingham Palace window to show the Victoria monument in the Mall outside.

At 85 years of age, she still knows how to rock an elegant and glittering formal outfit,

worn here with the same necklace Queen Victoria wore in her Diamond Jubilee portrait photo.

Here at the Red Cardinal nest we decided to join in the celebration

with a traditional British roast beef and veg:

followed by Golden Syrup Puddings ..

A few English roses were added to the theme.

Meanwhile, Our Princess Mary celebrated her 40th at the weekend:

Wearing her magnificent set of rubies, for an official portrait.

As always, there is an elephant hanging from her blue sash.

What is it with the elephants in Denmark?

Happy Birthday, Mary!

IT'S TOO DARN HOT!

On the hottest January day for 2 years, the Pebblecreters arrived at 7.00 am.
Before we knew it, a very large truck on the front lawn
was pumping stuff down into the pool, where the team of
busy elves spread it like icing on a cake.

They wore very ingenious footwear for sloshing about in the slurry.

It's looking good!!

After four hours in horrifying temperatures,

rising to 38 degrees C, they went off to recover.

Following suit, I retreated to The Mall to escape the heat...

er....get some exercise .... have lunch ...

go to the sales ...  whatever ..

Some hours later, I emerged with one large slouchy cream tote and

one silver clutch with jewelled tiger clasp from Colette accessories,

and one black satin clutch with satisfyingly sparkly flower detail from

Forever New.  Some of these items were 50% off.

All set now for the 2012 Opera and QSO seasons.

In the spirit of the post-Christmas declutter,

I came home and consigned eight, yes eight!

small evening bags and clutches of various levels of antiquity

to the next Op-shop run.

Princess Mary's twins, Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent turned one -

Aren't they just the cuddliest little cuties?

And don't they look soooo like their older brother and sister!

And, for keeping cool in our heatwave,

take a tip from the Obama girls, on holiday recently in Hawaii:

Wear sleeveless white,  hair up, comfy flats or sandals.

Should be cooler by Thursday ...

ON THE TWELFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas ....

I took it all down and put it away ..

It's like a streamlined declutter and redecoration day.

Trying a pink and white arrangement in the old hutch.

I hope this is the year it goes off to Paint Me White for a radical makeover.

My 2012 calendar features the art of Maud Lewis (1903-1970),

one of Canada's most loved folk artists, who lived in Nova Scotia.

Maud was dirt-poor, married to a fish pedlar, and lived in a one-room house,

the size of an average bedroom, with a sleeping loft above.

She never mixed colours, always painted outdoor scenes,

and her work is full of joy and vibrancy.

I'll look forward to the 1st of every month for a new shot of colour and fun.

January 2012 does NOT see the Red Cardinals enjoying the snow,

or riding in a sleigh.

We are forking out for major repairs to our swimming pool.

Look at this monster crack:

We live on a hillside, and the hill, it seems, has had a little yawn and stretch!

Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, has announced her patronage of her first four charities.

Two are connected with the world of art:, one being Patron of the

National Portrait Gallery in London.

Lucky Kate, she gets to be invited to all the openings and be one of the first to see any new acquisitions.

I love that Kate has the same Uni Degree as moi, a B.A. in Art History.

Now, can any woman look classy with a large elephant hung about her neck??

Well, our Princess Mary can do it:

Every inch a princess, and soooo elegant in red velvet and her wonderful ruby and dimond tiara.

Au Revoir