Our Fall Days Are Winding Down

We started out with beautiful fall weather this week and today it’s cold and wet. We enjoyed the last of the fall leaves on our Mule drive. We don’t have a lot of vibrant fall leaves around our property but I still find them beautiful. Joe was gone for the week again but hopefully will be home now for the foreseeable future. We’ve gotten so used to him being home that it just doesn’t seem right when he’s not here. Our last lunch and read picnic was Monday. We loaded up chicken noodle soup, jumped in the Mule and found our spot then ate lunch and read another chapter of Little House in the Big Woods. It was a great way to get Drew to sit and listen to the book. Now to brainstorm another way to get him to settle down and listen while we’re in the house!

We decided to try our hand at pouring beeswax candles and what a calming and fun project that is. Time consuming but fun. That beeswax takes forever to melt! I love burning candles but I don’t like all the chemicals that are found in the commercial ones. I had read how burning beeswax candles is actually good for the air in the home, had some beeswax here in the house from other projects, some yogurt jars I had been saving and we now have some beautiful little candles to burn. We tried putting essential oils in a couple of them but it takes so much to get any fragrance and the candles have a nice soft honey fragrance to them anyway, we’ve decided to skip that step in the future. We’ll run a diffuser when we want to scent the air. Since then I’ve found instructions on how to make the candles using the oven and/or a crockpot. A project to try on a cold winter another day.

Seasons

I am thankful to live in and area where we have all four seasons. I feel I would be lost without them. Fall is my favorite with winter being  a close second (It’s still fall here but I woke up to snow – it’s so pretty outside right now!) Fall brings clean crisp air, bonfires, beautiful colors everywhere and just doens’t last long enough. Winter for me is a time to hibernate which I love. I don’t even mind that it gets dark earlier. It’s a time for hot chocolate and blankets and settling in. Of course spring brings summer which means camping season so I like them too.  Spring brings color back into the landscape and a desire to get out and work the earth. And summer means long days and late nights, picinics and bike rides. Each season brings with it it’s own unique offerings and I’m thankful for them all.

Another Thankful Day

I love overcast,  misty, chilly November days. This is my favorite time of the year. I love the way the house feels or when I was working, I loved how the office felt more cozy and warm. I would light a candle, play some soft music and it would feel more relaxed and homey. And at home I do the same thing. Light some candles, play some music, turn on lamps rather than overhead lights and just relax. I’m always thankful for this time of year because of the way it makes me feel. Now I know I’m not the norm and I’m not saying a warm sunny summer day doesn’t have it’s appeal but this is my time of year and I’m thankful I get to enjoy these slower, quieter, comfy cozy days of November.

Thought For The Day

(Joe, Drew and I went out for supper the other night. The restaurant Joe choose sits out in the middle of nowhere – pretty much in a cornfield! The field was so pretty with it’s golden cornstalks and the fall sky in the background, I had to take a picture!)

Every morning at our local public elementary school, over the intercom, they have two sixth graders lead the Pledge of Alligience, announce the menu and birthdays and there’s always a Thought for the Day to start the day. The 5th grade Language Arts teacher has each 5th grader write down the thought in their journals and then during her class they discuss sentence structure, punctuation, what the thought means, etc. What a great idea! The kids have to really listen and concentrate and then they learn through discussion.  And my favorite thought from the past two weeks:

Don’t take the stars and trees for granted, they’re all God’s miracles.

 

Perfect October Morning

Monday morning – Drew woke up early and wanted to cuddle. Who am I to say no when my baby asks to cuddle? He’s seven after all – it’s rare that he wants to cuddle with his mom! Then I dropped him off at school, stopped at the store for milk and potatoes for supper, took the groceries home and headed over to help Dad doctor a goat. On the way I stopped and snapped this picture.

As I was looking at this picture I realized how blessed I am. I’m blessed because these are the things that make me happy – cuddles with Drew, running simple errands, being able to help Dad when he needs it, a picture of the timber on a beautiful misty October morning. What more could I ask for? It’s times like these that remind me how good God is!

Buckeye Luck

While camping we made our yearly pilmrimage to pick up buckeyes! The last thing I need is another buckeye but we love to find and gather them. When we got there there was a man and a little girl and their two dogs there. They said they were from Central City and had never seen a buckeye tree before so they were really enjoying finding them. It’s especially fun to find them still in their cover and to open them up and see how many are inside. Drew had one with three inside and Mom had found one with four which Uncle Jerry said was rare. I love how pretty they are when you first find them – all different shades of brown and then they darken to a solid brown as they dry. I keep them in an old wooden bowl. They say if you find a buckeye it’s good luck – I’ve older men who keep one in their pocket all year long for that very reason!

 

Our Home Sweet Away From Home!

After much debate and weather watching (cold and rain was in the forecast) last week we decided on Thursday to haul the camper out to Belva Deer. I’m glad we did. It was chilly. And it did rain. But fall is still the best time to camp. We just threw on layers and toughed it out and had a great time!

We found time to go for walks in between raindrops! This was a Sunday morning walk before Dad and Mom pulled out. Uncle Jerry and Todd came too but they pulled out Saturday afternoon. Uncle Jerry got up Friday morning and discovered he had a window missing in his bedroom! He’s not sure when he lost it but assumes it flew out while he was pulling. They were able to track one down right outside of Sigourney and ran and got it Saturday morning. There are times when technology is worth having! In the meantime they duck taped a piece of cardboard up and he said it kept him nice and warm and toasty! We didn’t pull out until later Sunday – it was nice to just have the campground to oursevles for awile. Joe and Drew went for a bike/scooter ride and I sat and enjoyed the fire.

The best part of the weekend was enjoying the campfire. There’s nothing better than cool air, a warm fire and good company! This may have been our last outing of the season and it was a good one!

Stitching

This is what you do when you take a break for a week. Last week when I was being a bum I binge watched Downton Abbey (I know – I’m way behind everyone else in my TV shows!) and I stitched. I stitched a lot! While it was hot and humid outside I worked on Halloween and fall things! I finally got them all died and filled and stitched into pillows. I love how Miss Grimhild fits inside this gourd – it’s like they were made for each other!

Fall Brings Fancey Blankett


Shoo! – by Wendy Stys-Van Eimeren, Pineberry Lane

My husband lovingly says I’m weird, or crazy, or odd. Which word he uses depends on the day! And I’m okay with that. I know I’m not normal and I really don’t want to be! He just shakes his head when I tell him how happy I am to see Fancey Blackett again. I know he’s thinking I might be a little loopy but that’s why he loves me! Fall is my favorite time of the year. I love the crisp fall air, the smell of burning candles, the leaves turning colors and crunching under foot. I love pulling out my sweatpants and sweatshirts and blankets to cuddle and making chili and veggie soup and casseroles. I love to decorate with pumpkins and mums and buckeyes and natural things. I could go on and on. But one thing about fall that I really love is bringing out Fancey Blackett. Who on earth is Fancey Blackett is what Joe asked me when I brought her up the other day. Well, Fancey Blackett is a sweet prim character created by one of my all time favorite artists, Wendy Stys-Van Eimeren of Pineberry Lane. Fancey Blackett is someone I get the joy of stitching into my home. She reminds me of all the things I love – sunflowers and pumpkins, gardens and black cats. I haven’t stitched up all the Fancey Blackett designs yet but I plan to. I’m taking my time and enjoying the process. I’m enjoying stitching Witch’s Brew right now and Fancey and I are enjoying our evening chats as I stitch along. It’s like visiting with an old friend I haven’t seen for awhile! She comes out for a  visit every fall. One of these days she just might not leave for the winter. She just might have to stay, pumpkins, broom sticks and all!

A bowl full of Pineberry Lane – October Ride (with Fancey Blackett) is middle left. Fancey Blacket and the Butter Churn is bottom center. Tansy, Yarrow, Rue top center and All Hallows Eve middle right.

Fancey Blackett – Witch’s Brew – love the little pumpkin border!

Still Walking

Today was a foggy morning for walking!

Week two of my new walking routine is going strong. Every morning now after dropping Drew off at school a friend and I have been walking – four miles every day to be exact. Last week was rough. I couldn’t believe how stiff and sore I was. This week things are going much better. I’m not near as sore and I don’t get near as winded. It’s nice to spend an hour and a half walking and talking. We talk a lot about God, our families, our grandkids, the ways of the world. It’s good to take this time to exercise and bond with a cherished friend.