THE EVENING NEWS

Hello..

All those lovely commenters who told me to take care -

oops, I overdid it last week, and rather went backwards for a few days...

It was probably a bit soon, but I had the opportunity to go to the theatre...

remember Deborah Kerr and Yul Brunner dancing up a storm in 

The King and I, back in 1956?

The stage version is currently playing in Brisbane, with Lisa McCune as Anna and opera star Teddy Tahoe Rhodes as the King of Siam.

Lots of gorgeous colour and sparkle, and all those lovely old songs.

For me the highlight was Shu-Cheen Yu as Lady Thiang, the senior wife of the king, singing Something Wonderful: exquisitely...

I bought a yellow orchid - just because..

Been working on the crotcheting, and completed nine squares:

Haven't joined them yet, but decided to make one enormous square as a rug:

I wonder how many colours I can use and how large I can make this?

It is nice and cold now in the morning, and the teapot needs a cosy cover,

 my pansies are already flowering,

and Little Aussie came to visit!

He sang the Happiness Song for us, strumming our old ukulele with the enthusiasm of any four year old boy..

We are all still in love with 1980s space Lego...

and I finally got him away from doing waterhole cakes, by trying a green field of dinosaurs.  

I let him do it all by himself...

I made chicken pies tonight, because it is nearly Winter -

even if the maximum temperature today was, ahem, 25 degrees!

Our youngest son turns 35 tomorrow -

where have all those years gone?

I still think of him as the baby...

We are so proud of all our children, who have made happy and successful lives for themselves.  It is definitely one of life's greatest rewards.

Keep safe and well, 

XXXX

IT'S A SMALL WORLD

This is the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy, not far from Venice.

Giotto painted the entire interior in the most fabulous frescos of biblical scenes, the background an exquisite lapis lazuli blue, around 700 years ago.

More than anything else in Italy, I have longed to see this for many years.

Here's the Annunciation.  I find it completely charming that the buildings are often in a different scale from the figures...

Pentecost ...

The Nativity

Well, so far it is proving difficult to access tickets which must be purchased in advance.  I have found the website difficult to manage, and having 'opened an account' as requested, I then received an email with, presumably, further instructions.  In Italian.

Which I cannot speak or read.

I tried ringing the Chapel, but was put on hold for 5 minutes, after which the line went dead.  Hate to think what the phone account for that will be.

But I will not give up!!!

My dear friend J, aka Caitlin's Grandma, has been to Peru.

And look what she brought back for me:

The cutest little pottery Christmas Nativity figures Ever...

The perfect gift for a Christmas tragic..

We took a turn round the Antique Centre:  3 vintage Golden Books for Little Aussie - done...

Little Prince George made his first official public appearance -

You have to start them young..

He is a real cutie pie - taking it all in..

In other riveting news, the last time I did any crotchet was to make a blanket for my first-born, something like these..

Mine was yellow and white, like this one, but I have no photos and the blanket seems to have disappeared.

Last week lovely D gave me some wool and crotchet hooks.  It's like riding a bike - my hands remembered the 'how to' and hadn't forgotten at all.  

Three granny squares done. 

I have no idea what I am making, but I'll just keep on going.

The only bit I forget is how to join them together nicely.

Hugs to all grand-children!

XXXX

EDITED TO ADD:

Thank you all for your helpful suggestions.  With the help of an online translator we could read the email, which connected us to the ticket reservation site.  It was in Italian, but with the help of a little Italian dictionary Mr C received for Christmas, we worked it out.  Have made reservations for the night showing on day 1, and another for the afternoon of day 2.  Just to be sure..

FLOWERS AND GRANDSONS

Hi, I found this book for kids, which just happens to feature our own lorikeets and cockatoos,

along with other native Australian birds and animals.

Perfect to introduce the Petite Garcon to our place ... very soon.

On my daily walk I found another Australian icon.

The Golden Wattle - blooms in winter and smells divine.

Our Australian National Floral Emblem.

And here is the young man himself, resplendant in the second pair of PJ's I sent off to him in Canada.

Note his mother also plants pink petunias.

Like mother, Like daughter, as they say.

The sorting of the Old Family Home continues.

This rug belonged to my mother, and came up beautifully in the wash.

As is well-known, I cannot resist a bird of any kind.

Guess who was first hand up for a little ducky oil painting.

With hints of orange ...

Still trying to give up orange.

Gratuitous sighting of Belgian Royal wearing touches of OJ.

Our Browallia bush has burst into early Spring blossom.

It would be indiscreet to mention colour.

Very little sewing has been happening round here of late.  However, having found this sateen at Spotlight,

a pair of floral pants might appear one of these days.  Fingers crossed.

Little Aussie is here for a few days with his Dad,

and they getting right into the Lego,

and the teaset.

As you do.

Have a wonderful weekend.

xx

THE NEW AND THE OLD

My dear friend J arrived with this great Paris-themed box - love it!

Great Box, thinks I, immediately considering it as a home for scarves, necklaces or other goodies.

But there was more:

The pretty box contained a whole range of Sukin skin care products!

All Australian, natural, chemical free, and never tested on animals.  Win! Win!

I had mentioned that I was considering how I could reduce the carcinogens in my environment, and J ran with the challenge. 

I am having a lovely time testing them all - Spoilt! Big Time ...

Mr Cardinal and I visited the Woolloongabba Antique Centre ...

and another bird has come home to our nest.

Mr C wonders if the lorikeets will fly into the house to say hello - mmm... 

As you do, we spent considerable time spotting antique objects identical to those remembered from our family homes.

Which started me thinking about the precious things we have inherited, still use, and treasure:

This beautiful table cloth belonged to my mother. 

Queen of my cloth collection.

Mr Cardinal's Mum owned this large crotchet rug,

still in favour and still in use at our place ...

Mum gave me this teaset when I was married. 

It belonged to her mother, so goes Way Back!

Rarely used, but greatly loved ..

How sweet is the little apple blossom Shelley dish.

I have loved it since childhood, and will treasure it forever!

Do you have special items handed down the generations,

and still in use?

May your week be filled with roses :)