PREPARATIONS

 

Greetings from the Red Cardinal nest.

Our trip to Canada is nigh, and it has been all go around here as we try to remember how to do international travel and long-haul, 14 hour flights.

The pandemic has changed the world in so many ways.  

We need a travel app, and to not have flat phone batteries.

We need special masks for the plane, and details of our immunisations (both on paper and in our phones).

It has been four years since we travelled, four long years during which we have done a lot of isolating, and very little socialising.

And, to date, we have dodged the dreaded Covid 19 which at our age is definitely best avoided.

I have downloaded several books onto my Kindle.

That will take care of a few hours on the two flights as we travel to Ottawa.

I am taking my embroidery, my camera, and a travel journal plus a tiny watercolour paint set and drawing pencils to record our travels.

I am attempting to embroider a homage to Gustav Klimt's 'Garden Path with Chickens'... I have had that chicken button for years...

A lot of stitchery lies ahead here....

I planted this lovely little shrub about ten years ago, and it flowered for the first time recently.  They are beautiful large bracts of blue flowers, and I now do not recall the name of the plant.  

Well, welcome to the Garden of Neglect.

On the serious matter of a compact wardrobe which spans the cool weather, gradually warming through Spring in a place much cooler than our sub-tropical Brisbane:

My old heavy navy wool coat, plus a new fine wool pashmina scarf, as well as a navy puffer jacket.

 I added in a new light-weight shirt from Adrift, a local designer.

Then made a navy Liberty-style shirt, fabric from the much-loved fabric store Skaffs of Indooroopilly.  Sadly, like many others, they are closing down in the near future:

It does not photograph very well, but it is the popular Olya shirt from Paper Theory patterns which has been around for a few seasons.

There are concealed pockets at the front - I pulled out the opening on the left so you could see how the pocket bag is on the inside.

This is the fourth time I have made this, as it is very comfortable and good for travel.

Otherwise, I just take black and navy ponte pants, Levi jeans, a few stretch tops, two sweaters, black and pink, and a Summer dress hoping for a bright Spring day.

Everything was going along nicely until last week when my spectacles snapped in half.  Panic!  The Optician was unsure if they could be mended so they were sent off for repair and it seemed prudent to order new ones, urgently.

No doubt heavily influenced by my uncomplicated travel palette, I ordered pink frames, and a rush order came back on Friday, all fitted out with my multi-focal lenses. 

Never travel without spare glasses.

Fortunately, the black ones were able to be fixed so I have them in rotation too.

This is Coronation week..

Will you be watching the ceremony?

Take care

XXXXX