WINTER

 

This week the Camellias finished blooming...

What a spectacular time it has been, hundreds of gorgeous pink blooms and carpets of pink petals decorating our courtyard for several months.

Winter has come, and the roses are budding again...

I finished my new dress, and wore it to a concert at City Hall last Sunday.  In fact, it was so cool I took a coat!

Presented by Brisbane Chorale and Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra, 'A Sea Symphony' by English composer Vaughan Williams was the highlight.  I have not heard it before, and enjoyed the powerful choral work, selections from Walt Whitman's 'Leaves of Grass'  in four thrilling movements: A Song for all Seas, all Ships; On the Beach at night alone; Scherzo - The Waves; and The Explorers.  All very exciting and evocative.

The program included Elgar's 'Pomp and Circumstance March No. 4' and the gorgeous 'The Lark Ascending' also by Vaughan Williams.

We had coffee with our friends, and had a wonderful afternoon.

Untitled 1999, Sonabai, [1930-2007] India. (Camellia Cottage photo)

Would you like to hear a true story?

A lady called Sonabai Rajawar was born in a village in Central India in 1930.  After marriage from 1953 to 1968 she was shut in their farmhouse with her baby, by her jealous husband.

She could tend to them but not leave.  She had no artistic training.

However, she dug clay from the courtyard, and made clay toys and figures for her son.  They are whimsical, colourful and beautiful.

During the hot Summers, she cooled the house by shaving strips of bamboo, and made grids covered in clay to catch the breeze.  Snakes, parrots and other figures were added, coloured by the use of herbs and spices from the kitchen and garden.  Eventually she transformed the whole house.  She enjoyed the effects of negative space.

Untitled,1999  Sonabai, [1930-2007]India (Camellia Cottage photo)

In 1983 Museum scouts came to the area seeking works for a new Folk Art museum at Bhopal.  They were shown Sonabai's work, and despite her protests pickaxed and took away some of it.  By then, her son had grown up.  Six months later Sonabai was given a solo exhibition and in 1985 awarded a President's Award in Delhi for her new art form.  In her isolation, without any outside influence, she had invented this beautiful Folk Art style.  

In 1986 she travelled to San Diego with her son to demonstrate how she made her work, and on her return to India was granted a Government salary to teach local artists her style.  Many of her pupils gained national and international recognition.  The style was named Surguji Style (her district was called Surguji).

Sonabai died in 2007.

Don't you love stories about women who survive and become successful against all the odds?  

I really enjoy her work and love showing it to people at our State Art Gallery.

Untitled 1999, Sonabai, [1930-2007] India (Camellia Cottage photo)

Out walking this week, two wild ducks share the footpath..

We have been spending a few days caring for grandkids during the current School holidays.  They are such a delight.  I have been drawing birds for them to paint with watercolours and we all have had a wonderful time.

Have an excellent week

XXXX

WINTER PLANTING

 

Hello Dear Readers

This week has been a mixed bag of chores -

with a long holiday coming up, there is always much to do.

Vaccinations:  As Winter has arrived here, we all encouraged to have the Flu Jab so I had that first.  Secondly, I had the new vaccination for RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus).  It is very prevalent this year, and I do not want a repeat experience of this virus which I caught when my small grandchildren had it about three years ago.  I am more than pleased they have developed a vaccine.

About two weeks before we depart for Canada, we plan to have Covid vaccination as many, many people we know have caught it when on holiday (as I did in 2023).

I have been in the Sewing Room by the Pool, trying to finish this dress.  Sleeves and hem to go, but the sleeves are being contrary.  I will get there in the end.

I have done a big more on this project, a jacket hand-stitched with lots of applique lace, embroideries and pretty fabric.

A pirate on the shoulder..

I painted some Daffodils because it is Daffodil planting time here.

At our previous home we had a 'bulb garden', a sheltered, cool bed with morning sun.  Every year a few Daffodils came up, along with other little bulbs.

I miss them.

There were no bulbs for sale here, but I ordered six online.  I know, if you live where they grow wild it seems odd, but this is a sub-tropical climate.

The bulbs have been planted, and I hope Winter helps them to grow for a September Spring.

When we arrived at Camellia Cottage, I bought this Garden Journal to record our new garden adventures.

It has plenty of space for writing and photos, as well as nice images of flowers, vegetables, and garden visitors such as birds and butterflies.

Do you record the happenings in your garden?

I went thrifting last week with my friend M.  

These plates caught my eye, only a couple of dollars each.

Downsizing might be considered a virtue these days, but I overdid it.  

When company calls, or we 'take a plate' somewhere, I have been rather short on suitable serving plates.   

And we are planning a small tea party here in the near future...

I hope the sun is shining, wherever you are

XXXX

     

MUSIC AND SINGING

 

Last Sunday we went into City Hall to see a beautiful concert:

"Joan Sutherland Spectacular: Celebrating 100 years of La Stupenda".

Australian coloratura soprano Dame Joan Sutherland (1926-2010) was  trained in London at the Royal College of Music and won world-wide acclaim singing Lucia di Lammermoor in 1959. She sang many roles in the Opera Houses of the World, and from time to time returned to Australia to sing for us.  She made her home in Switzerland with her husband, Conductor Richard Bonynge and retired in 1990.

The program included many of her famous and popular arias, from Rigoletto, Tales of Hoffmann, il Travatore, Lakme, The Merry Widow, and of course Lucia di Lammermoor.  Brisbane soprano Mirusia and Eva Kong starred along with the Queensland Choir, tenor Rosario La Spina, and others.  We loved it all!

I remembered I once had Dame Joan's autograph, and went searching for it the next day:

I found it!

After her retirement in 1991, Dame Joan came back to Australia regularly and our children's High School named their music centre for her.  There was a tribute dinner which we attended where the students performed for Dame Joan and guests.  And I managed to keep the autographed program, even when we moved!

Almost all my memorabilia was given away with the downsize.  

Bur one other thing I also found:

When the Beatles came to Brisbane, I was there, a very young teen.

This is a treasured memento.  They never came back here again but I always enjoyed the music.

Two Australian Butcher birds (a smaller relative of a Magpie), perched on an antenna near our house.

Butcher birds (so named because they are carnivorous, with a hook on their beak to enable them to 'butcher' their prey) are considered Australia's best song bird.  They sing and practice a little melody covering an octave, but it is hard to catch them at it and record it.  And I am trying, whenever they come by.  An interesting fact is that the song varies in differing neighborhoods.  We only moved 8km but the birds here have a different little melody, a bit shorter than the one from our previous location.

I have joined the local Brisbane West Community Choir and practice once a week, at a nearby hall.  I was so happy to find them, about 500 metres from our home.

My voice was a bit rusty as I last sang in a community choir in 2019.  Covid put an end to a lot of choral singing.

The music is a little different for this Classical and Opera music lover..

Pop Choral is definitely a new genre for me...

I find the pop rhythms a bit quick and tricky at times, but all singing is good for us.  I love 'Sun and Moon', and also enjoy Rod Stewart's 'Sailing'.

A surprise inclusion was a very old 50s song 'Five Pennies', mixed with 'Lullaby in Ragtime'.  I knew them both from childhood and was singing merrily while the young ones were working it all out :)

'The Five Pennies' was a 1959 musical starring Danny Kaye as jazz cornet player and bandleader 'Red' Nichols.  I remember seeing the film and singing the song.  My family was always interested in the musical films back in the day, and we had regular sing-a-longs around the piano.

Well, that is enough of the old days.

Have a great weekend, and enjoy Spring or Autumn, whichever suits your region.

XXXX

PS: Thank you for reading my new blog.  I find Blogger much more difficult to use than in the past, and have been unable to edit or delete the 'About Me' gadget.  The email address there is no longer functioning as we have retired our business.  You can email me on <kellartrish34@gmail.com>

   

  

 

C

AUTUMN RAINS

 

It has been raining for days, including thunder storms.

This is unusual for Autumn, where I always enjoy the crisp clear blue skies and sharp cool air...

Happily, there was a break in the drizzle late today and I was able to go walking along my favourite path.  There was little sunshine, and it was dark as I returned home just before 5pm.

I am always happy to see this chain of mountains, the ones I knew growing up in a town about 130 km in the distance..

My brothers used to climb that big peak in the middle.

I saw this mixed group of local birds, unusually meeting together to eat the seed somebody has left in a feeder along their fence.

Left to Right:  Pidgeon 1, Cockatoo, Lorikeet, Pidgeon 2, and two Apostle birds.

I have been trying to get a good picture of Apostle birds as they frequent our garden.

This one is sitting on our back fence.

We have never lived near them before, and they are entertaining.

They live communally, in groups of up to 12, hence the name Apostle.

They roost together, fly together, and sometimes arrive on our lawn to eat together.  I have also seen them in a group on the road, picking at whatever is there, which is a dangerous practice.  

Recently, on my walk I met a group on the roadside, and just managed this shot before they flew up into a tree to safety:

They are dull brownish colour and have a large tail which fans out although you can't see that in this picture.  Their cutest habit is roosting in a row, side by side pressed together.  One day a group of babies did this on our pool fence while the adults foraged. Unfortunately as soon as I tried to take a picture they flew off...

The Cottage Garden is playing Autumn with some orange tones..

This Crucifix Orchid survived the house move, and is growing well in its new corner.

Pansies are always welcome..

As I continue to tweak our new home to make it feel our own, I have found some corners just too dull for a living plant.

Last week I bought this 6 ft. tall fake Rubber Tree plant at K Mart.

It fills a spot nicely, and there might be a few more arriving in the future...

I have installed a modern Chandelier in the entry, bought with the proceeds of the sale of our pair of large traditional chandeliers from our previous heritage style home.  I do enjoy a bit of sparkle and it is lovely at night.

All the other light fittings in our new, more modern house, are downlights set into the ceiling.  It has taken me a while to adjust, as our previous homes have always featured beautiful pendant lights of various styles over the years.

When we moved in I felt the house was lacking its 'jewellery'....

Mr C gave me a new African violet for Mothers Day.

I had one just like this, but it did not survive the move.  

The psychological effect of the house move surprised me.  It is our fourth marital home in over 50 years, but this time I was more powerfully impacted by it all.

Our Canadian decoy duck came with us, and happily floats in the new pool.

There are no problems when you are made of wood....

In the near future we are again visiting our daughter in Canada.  It is possible I may seek to bring another duck home with me to share the attention...

This duck really does startle and amuse visitors.

Thank you for visiting my new blog.

I would love you to become a Follower.

Best Wishes from

Camellia Cottage

XXXX

 

CAMELLIA COTTAGE

 Welcome to my new blog.

I am Patricia, long-time blogger, lover of nature, birds and flowers, art and painting, sewing, classical music and singing, living in Brisbane, Queensland.

Exactly one year ago, we ageing Baby Boomers decided it was time to Downsize.

We could/should have done it years ago, but we are stubborn..

And we liked our Olde Worlde style house, high on the hills at Brookfield on Brisbane's West side...

We had space, over 1200 square metres;  we had trees, too many trees....

There was a large pool, down the slope and a flight of rocky steps.

And we had snakes lurking around it...

The deck had a wonderful view to the mountains, and caught the cooling breeze..

The birds came every day..

We loved the Australian Native Tree Ferns which grew in abundance...

Our house styled by the experts!

For four months we searched websites daily, and visited potential new homes on Saturdays.  We became acquainted with several suitable areas, and befriended those agents who offered good terms, help and advice.

Meanwhile, we sold or gave away many of our accumulated possessions, and half our furniture went into storage.

Stylists came and gave our house a more contemporary look...

There were 20 large vases of fake greenery - rather amusing when we had so much fresh greenery outside in the garden...

By late August, 2025, we were ready to launch onto the market.

Simultaneously, we had finally found the one.  The perfect house for us.

Camellia Cottage was on a smaller, level block, about 8km away but within the area we know well.  We have many friends in the vicinity.

It had enough rooms for us: the four bedrooms became two bedrooms and two study/studios, one for each of us.

It also has a pool, but it is an easy one, close to the back of the house.

(That is the neighboring house in the photo).

There is a large deck by the pool, perfect for gathering family and grandchildren..

The first rose planted in our new garden

We signed up to buy, and launched our previous house on the market two days later.

Two weeks, and three open houses later, it had been viewed by over 40 families and we had a couple of keen buyers.  Some quick negotiations went on and we had a sale!

We had 60 days to pack up, move out, and get to our new house (after a brief holiday while EVERYTHING was in storage).

Finally in November, we were here in our new place.

It has a perfectly tidy, easy care garden, but we want to make our own mark here.  We began with roses and have five blooming really well over the first six months.

We have been uncertain about five little bushes within our walled front garden.  Recently they have sported dozens of buds and now have turned out to be Camellias.

And so a name was born:  Welcome to Camellia Cottage.

I do hope readers of my previous blog will come along with me as we embark on a new adventure as Retired Australians.

Best Wishes

Patricia