FLOWERS THAT BLOOM IN THE SPRING, TRA LA

 

Never worry about the Red Cardinal Garden of Neglect..

It survived our long absence, and really did not appear to care at all....

The Annual General Daffodil has appeared.

It would be nice if we got a second one this year, but you can't be too particular...

Lavender is coming into flower ..

and the day after we returned, we went to the Garden Centre for some potted colour..

carefully inserting these mad little fluttering Canadian geese I brought home:

The naughty cockatoos hate them, which is a win for us..

The friendly kookaburras just laugh about it all....

While I recovered from my virus, we went for a country drive to see the Elderflower Farm

The orange vine was magnificent - I forget its name, although my mother had one at her house...

Sweet Peas never fail to charm..

I always loved Poppies...

and brought home a large bunch, including buds.  They lasted over a week..

We visited our daughter's local Garden Centre while we were in Ottawa.

Loved the birdhouses!

Introducing Decoy Duck, our new pet...

I found him at a yard sale in Canada, for the princely sum of $5...

Carefully packed him in bubble wrap and lots of clothing, and brought him back to Australia.  We do not see them here.  Duck hunting, while something my father did when young, is not such a big thing here but apparently is popular in Canada, the land of thousands of lakes...

The day after we came home, the tiny twins came over to help launch him into the swimming pool.

And there he is, delighting me every day with his stoic floating about, and startling the neighbours and occasional visitors.

'There's a duck in your pool', I hear...

Sure is....

XXXX

EASTER HOLIDAY

 

Hello

I hope everyone enjoyed the Easter break...

We certainly did..

By happy coincidence, the Easter holiday coincided with the first birthday of our much-loved only granddaughter..

I made a little patchwork quilt for the small dolly we gave her.

She is a sweet child, and seems to like the doll, as well as the Easter chicken we gave her on Sunday...

We enjoyed her beautiful birthday party, with exquisite decor done by my clever daughter-in-law.

Baby partied with her three brothers and assorted family and friends, having a fine time.

It brought back memories of our only little girl, now a mother of two healthy boys.  The birthday girl resembles her aunt sometimes in her expression, and it is a special thing to see.

On Easter Sunday morning, I decided to wear this linen dress to church.  I made it about five years ago, and think the colours look a bit like a sunrise.  I added a vintage yellow brooch, for another hint of sunshine...

It was wonderful to sing with a full choir on this special day..

In case you have missed it, I thought I'd show you a picture of the Coronation invitation - no, we did not receive one, lol.

To a bird and garden lover, it is very attractive, with blooms of significance for the United Kingdom:  Roses for England, thistles for Scotland, daffodils for Wales and shamrocks for Ireland.

King Charles and Queen Camilla were pictured going to church at Windsor Castle.

Camilla seems to like blue, and I think it suits her.  The little blue hat is cute and very Spring-like.

Also in blue, the Princess of Wales and in fact, the whole family.

I love cobalt blue, and hope it is coming back for another run.

I think I still have an old jumper in this colour... 

somewhere...

I have continued gathering together everything we need for our upcoming trip to Canada, but finding time for my latest slow-stitching project.  

For the unfamiliar, this is an embroidered and collaged fabric scroll, designed to be rolled around an antique spool.  Born of the pandemic, when we all spent time at home, it is relaxing and creative, and I find it the perfect way to dig out all the bits and bobs in my sewing room which I have collected over many years.  No piece of old embroidery, lace or ribbon, or scrap of linen, is safe around here.  They are highly likely to end up in a flower garden.

When I want a little deer or rabbit, I paint a tiny watercolour on calico and stitch it in.

The project is inspired by two sisters who make online tutorials to follow on U-tube on a fortnightly basis.  The one I am doing is called 'Down the Garden Path', and can be found on Roxy's Journal of Stitchery Vol. 3.  It goes for six months and I am now half way through.

The prompts are simply ideas like 'wildflowers', 'vegetables', 'gate', 'shed', or 'bench'.  Other than that, it is entirely one's own creation, which I really enjoy.

Many people are posting their efforts on Facebook, and I love going through them to see the creative embroidery from all over the world.

Have a great week

XXXXX

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

 

Happy International Women's Day:  I know, I have been Missing in Action again.

Oops....

Let's just catch up on things at the International Headquarters of the Red Cardinal Blog:

Summer flowers blooming...

Fabulous Bird cushion from No. 2 son and his wife...

More Summer flowers...

I made these for my tiny granddaughter, from a small piece of vintage fabric from my stash.   Never throw good fabric away...

We went to the Queensland Symphony concert to see Beethoven's Choral Symphony 'Ode to Joy' - wonderful, inspiring, as always...

I have been busy at the art gallery - GoMA has a great new exhibition entitled 'Air'.

How do you make an artwork about something that is invisible?

Many artists have done just that, and it is a very imaginative show.

Here's a glimpse:

Carlos Amorales 'Black Cloud' 2007-2018
Amorales draws our attention to the escalating devastation of invertebrate populations due to climate change.  The butterflies blackened wings are a dire portent of things to come.

Thomas Saraceno 'Drift: A cosmic web of thermodynamic rhythms' 2022.

Artist and environmentalist Saraceno's sculptures are experimental models, charting a path towards sustainable human flight technologies.

The mirrored section would reflect the sun's radiation providing solar energy.  That is little me reflected in the centre.

Mona Hatoum 'Hot Spot' 2006.  The earth shown burning in orange/red neon.

Jemima Wyman 'Plume 20' 2022.  A giant collage of hundreds of separate clouds of smoke, cut from images of uprisings, civil protests and wars.

Jamie North 'Portal' 2022.  Columns composed of cast concrete with aggregates including industrial remains, alongside nature's regeneration process.  The plants are indigenous to Brisbane, including rusty fig and elkhorn fern and are growing throughout the exhibition.  Our air depends on plant life: they take in carbon dioxide, and put out life-giving oxygen, a reciprocal exchange of gases.

Take care of the planet.

XXXXX