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

 

THE QUEEN PASSES: End of an era

 It is a sad day today at the Red Cardinal nest.

Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth 11 passed away peacefully at her Summer home, Balmoral, in Scotland, aged 96.

During her remarkable reign of 70 years, and her entire lifetime of service, the Queen was distinguished by her grace, dignity, kindness and unwavering dedication to the monarchy and the British Commonwealth.  

Many people have known no other monarch during their entire lives.

I have some small childhood memory of her coronation in 1953, and better memories of her Commonwealth tour in 1954, the first visit to Australian shores of a reigning monarch.

She brought to Australia the beautiful Coronation gown, and wore it to the Opening of Parliament in Canberra.

Her Majesty was born Princess Elizabeth in 1926, and appears to have been a pretty and confident little girl.

At 96, the Queen's passing was not unexpected, yet it was a shock to us all.  The Queen has been a constant in our lives, a reliable and calming figure, always there.  I have been thinking back over my life, and how I perceived her along the way.

During her early reign, the Queen was a glamourous figure, when formal gowns, jewels and tiaras, were worn on many occasions.

Look at her tiny waist, and she had already borne her first two children.  She is wearing the fringe tiara which she wore at her wedding, and which was later worn by Princess Anne and Princess Beatrice at their weddings.

Every inch a Queen, meeting Marilyn Monroe, then a Queen of Hollywood.

1954 Australian tour

Her Majesty visited Australia 16 times, and usually arrived wearing yellow, an acknowledgement of our National floral emblem, the Golden Wattle.

My parents brought we children to Brisbane to see the Queen during the 1954 tour.   I remember her going past in yellow, with a little yellow hat.  Was it the day of the above picture?  Alas, I do not actually know.

Australian artist, Sir William Dargie, painted this portrait during the first tour.

The Queen wears her Wattle Dress, which featured throughout the tour.

An official gift to the Queen from Australia was a Wattle Brooch:

Featuring white and gold diamonds, the brooch has been worn on all subsequent tours, and sometimes in the UK.

Long-term readers of the blog might remember I bought a replica of this brooch during a Buckingham Palace tour in 2016.

Her Majesty escorted by Brisbane Lord Mayor, Alderman Roy Harvey, 1982.

Many tours later, the Queen was here again in 1982, and the Red Cardinals were invited to a Civic Reception at City Hall.  I was fortunate when she paused about a metre from us to speak to the person beside me.  Her brooch is partly covered by the bouquet in this photo, but it astonished me with its large and brilliant diamonds.  Her petal soft English complexion also was very appealing to we sun-kissed Queenslanders.

A Queen, a mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother.

Devotion to duty and a radiant smile, right to the end.

Farewell Your Majesty, may you rest in peace.

God Save the King.

CHRISTMAS DAY 2020

 

Christmas was a simple but joyous occasion at the Red Cardinal house, after our sudden change of plan.

Sadly, the pandemic is continuing to spread in Sydney...

We celebrated with the tiny twins and their parents...

and also with a new grand-puppy who has arrived at the home of our younger son in Brisbane:

Of course, I watched the Queen's Christmas message, a rather solemn one -  

the United Kingdom has seen great loss and sadness this year, and our thoughts are with you all.

Her Majesty looked very chic in purple crepe, set off by the stunning Queen Mother's Shell brooch.

I also like to follow the Royal Christmas cards, and my pick this year is the one chosen by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with their adorable little family (I admit a soft spot for a family of three, just like mine, two boys and one girl).

We went out to the post-Christmas sales today, and finally bought a new cook-top and a new dishwasher.

Both our existing ones are literally on their last legs...

Now to await the delivery man...

And the installation man...

And the man who will safely remove the unsafe old stove...

And the man who will put in new benchtops to accommodate the new, modern, differently sized cooktop...

And the Electrician who will then connect the new stove...

Which should bring us up to Easter....

In the meantime, I am reading a gift book, 'Mary's Last Dance'.

Mary McKendry, wife of Li Cunxin, known as Mao's Last Dancer in book and film.

Former stars of the Houston Ballet, they are now based in Brisbane where Li is Artistic Director of the Queensland Ballet.

Their first child, Sophie, was born profoundly deaf, and received a Cochlear Implant as a toddler.  The book follows Mary's career as an Australian ballerina, dancing in London and Houston and her early retirement to help her daughter.  She is now Ballet Mistress at the Queensland Ballet.

It is a beautifully written and inspirational book.

Perfect for Summer reading.

Take care wherever you are in this holiday season.

Tomorrow is New Year's Eve. 

Thank you all for your support and beautiful comments throughout the year.

I value your friendship more than I can say, and especially so during the past weird and challenging year of 2020.

Here is a little shot of my Canadian grandsons, which should help we Australians to feel a bit cooler in the current high humidity.

My daughter tells me they are already rolling out the Covid19 vaccine in their area...

It will start in Australia in a month or two.

Let us hope a vaccine brings us some safety, peace of mind, and the beginnings of a return to normality in the coming year.

XXXX