BUSY DOING NOTHING

 

Sometimes I don't know how to start a blog post... 

Writer's block, perhaps?

I know I am not as sharp as I used to be...

We have had a bit of rain, now and then..

The gorgeous red King Parrots came to shelter on our deck..

I have been busy writing tours for QAGOMA, at the rate of one per fortnight - and then going in to take a small group of visitors on tour around our beautiful galleries.  It is a rewarding volunteer position, which keeps me alert and thinking...

I like this large, bright, Contemporary Indigenous work by Qld. artist Naomi Hobson.  'When the Tide Goes Out' (2018), is a seascape inspired by her father's sea country.  Hobson lives in North Queensland, near the Great Barrier Reef, and here we look into the colourful underwater world of the reef.  A variety of crabs, coral, and Beche de Mer (Sea Cucumbers) cover the canvas, a riot of exotic life and colour. 

Jacaranda season arrived about two weeks early this year, covering the city in purple glory.

I finally finished the snippet roll I began stitching back in January.  It is two metres long, and is a random, hand made and embroidered creation made from bits of old fabric, lace, trims, embroideries, crotchet, buttons and odds and ends lurking in my sewing room.  Plus a few little watercolours I did on calico.

It is not easy to photograph but here are a few glimpses:

It is entitled 'Down the Garden Path'..

I found a little packet of red cardinal buttons when we visited a quilt shop in Almonte, Ontario, last May.  A couple of them made their way into my work..

We are off to a Symphony concert on Friday night - a violin concerto and a symphony: Bliss!

I am probably the last person on earth to join a book club, but I finally found one I could fit into my regular routine, and I am loving it.

Thank goodness for my trusty Kindle, so much quicker and easier to obtain the set books each month.

I loved English Lit at university, and am looking forward to similar discussions at our meetings.  I bought a notebook and am dutifully making notes as I go.  This month I am reading 'A Terrible Kindness' by Jo Browning Wroe.  Not sure where this plot is going, but don't tell me!

I hope all is well in your world.

We are all shocked by the events in the Middle East.  I pray for Peace, and a quick resolution of this and other Wars.

Take care

XXXXX

PINK

 

And just like that, Christmas is around the corner..

(Warning: this post is heavy on Christmas festive cheer).

It has been a busy, and slightly different, year for the Red Cardinals.

Our son and his family moved from Sydney to Brisbane to be near us.  We have been delighted by the arrival of our first granddaughter, and love spending time with her older brothers, the boy twins as well.

We seen them all once or twice a week for 'play' time..

and are still trying to keep our 'other lives' going as well.

Last week the Christmas tree went up..

I made it pink to celebrate our little grandie girl...

I have collected the occasional pink ornament for years, but never made a big feature of them before.

Selfridges, London, 2004

Ottawa, Canada, 2010

Made for me by my dear friend M.

All the fragile decorations are not coming out this year..

Instead, we are having a child-friendly theme including this fabulous Lego Gingerbread house.

The little boys love it!

Jacarandas continue blooming in their purple glory..

and our Agapanthus have arrived in force:

So what does one do when feeling just a little tired from the busyness, the round of medical appointments, commitment to the community, home and family?

Well, I have begun a 'slow stitching' project, using all my stashed fabric scraps, bits and bobs, to make my 'Roxy's Christmas Journal of Stitchery', a group sew-along on Facebook and Youtube.  Prompts are given every couple of weeks, and stitchers create their own visions.  Many are published on Facebook.

Some of my works in progress..

I am incorporating vintage bits of bobbin lace and tatting, made by my late mother...

Most of these fabrics are left over from quilts made 20 or 30 years ago.

Will I ever actually finish the book?  

I have no idea, but the stitching is soothing, and the creation is fun.

Enjoy the Season, and have a great week.

XXXX