Autumn

 

Hello, Dear Friends! 

It's been a while, I know. 

I've missed you and I hope you have missed me, too. 

I didn't plan on being away so long. It just sort of happened. 

Life carried me along and I went with it. 

xx

It was incredibly hot and dry this summer. 

We had less than an inch of rain from July to the middle of October. 

Two weeks ago, it was 88 degrees.

Now it is finally raining and much, much cooler.  

I spent the whole summer hauling 100 ft. hoses around, 

desperately trying to save all of my precious plantings. 

Our water is from a well, so I had to be very strategic and careful, 

watering one section a day. 

I am happy to report that I did manage to save everything within 

the 1 acre of plantings that I nurture, but the extended property 

of native forest, did suffer. 

I kept low buckets of water on the ground for rabbits, deer and squirrels, 

trays of water for frogs and snakes and other little creatures, 

and bird baths for the sweet, feathered friends. 

I even had a butterfly watering dish that was used by many 

different insects, especially the wasps and bees. 

All Creatures Great and Small...

xx

This kept me very busy.

These beautiful rays of light over the house are somewhat deceiving. 

They were actually illuminating the wildfire smoke that had filled our skies 

 here in western Washington State the last few weeks. 

At one point the air quality in Seattle was the worst in the world! 

It wasn't as bad here, 50 miles south, but we could definitely see and smell it.

We've since had some much-needed wind and rain that is 

damping down the fires and clearing out the smoke.  

We celebrated our 50th anniversary 

last month! 

We've been reminiscing through the years, 

and counting our many blessings.

We married young, worked hard, raised a family, followed our dreams, 

and kept true to our vows. 

Fifty years later, we are still going strong.  

From left to right, Son Gabe and wife Erica, Son-in-law Steve and daughter Jennifer, Ramblin' Man and me, Son Dustin and wife Jen, Son-in-law Eric and daughter Heather. 
The loves of my life.
(Along with our five precious grandsons) 
xx

Our four children and spouses took us out to a fabulous dinner. 

It was beyond wonderful. 

xx

We also hosted a 40th birthday party for our son, Dustin. 

We celebrated our eldest son, Gabe and son-in-law, Eric's 

birthdays at the same time, as their birthdays are all close together. 

A cozy and cool seating area on the deck.

It was a very hot day.

Daughter Heather is the charcuterie Queen! 

We had barbeque shish-kabobs, pasta salad, green salad, beans

and of course, cupcakes! 

I baked apple pies and coffee cake as gifts for the guys. 

I asked them what they wanted and that's what they requested! 

The birthday guys.

In other news...

Ramblin' Man finished the play-fort for the Grand-boys...

With a little help from son, Dustin. 

xx

Good job, guys! 

Hand-made door. 

xx

I helped paint. 

We can see it from the deck. 

Next year, I want to plant mini-pumpkins and gourds

in the barrels. 

Ramblin' Man has been very busy this year. 

He rebuilt the front corner of the old tool shed

from the ground up (dry rot) and rebuilt and painted the door. 

He replaced weak boards and the stairs on the deck, 

and then repainted the whole deck.

And these were just the main projects. 

He is busy every day. 

Although he is retired, he is still a work-a-holic. 

He genuinely enjoys it, I am happy to report.  

Nobody tells him what to do. 

Except me... and sometimes he actually listens! 

xx

I redecorated the home-front for the season. 

I always start with the 'Kitchen Queen' Hoover cabinet. 

I sewed a new 'skirt' to hide the cubby that holds my extra coffee cups. 

The basket on top was my Mom's, filled with bittersweet. 

My Dad made the crow whirly-gig.

Hard to believe they've been gone over 10 years now. 

xx 

I don't have an official autumn dish set, 

but I have collected a few serving pieces

to use with my basic white dishes. 

The pretty blue bowls were a gift from daughter, Heather. 

Sweet little snack plates. 

I copied this idea to fill a bell-jar with tiny pumpkins 

from a magazine. 

It's not as easy as you think! It took me a few times 

to get it right. 

The bead garland and wooden acorns were found at a pumpkin farm gift shop. 

(A wonderful day spent with our little grandsons.)

The candle was a gift from daughter, Jennie. 

Vintage fall napkins - another sweet gift. 

My two daughters took me out for brunch and a day

of shopping for my recent birthday. 

Everything I tried to buy, they grabbed out of my hands 

and paid for! 

xx

Here we are in the parking lot before saying goodbye. 

It was a beautiful, golden day filled with love and laughter. 

We had to hide behind a tree to keep 

away the sun's glare. 

My egg carton wreath. 

xx

The pantry corner. 

Sweet tea towel - a gift from my Sis-in-law. 

I changed the curtains to reflect the season.  

It looks so pretty when the sun shines through. 

The daybed gets an update, too, with warm, fall colors. 

The wooden bowl holds checkers. 

xx

I found the game table at pottery barn years ago. 

A precious, vintage needlework hangs above. 

Can you see the blue bird in the apple tree?

 

My old hutch opposite the daybed.

The door never stays shut.

xx 

These are vintage, ink and watercolor prints 

from the 1950's that I found in a thrift shop. 

My Grandson's charming, fall painting. 

A favorite corner. 

I made the strawflower wreath years ago from flowers that I grew. 

The dough bowl on the mantel, is filled with fall gatherings and spools of twine.

Another gift from my daughter. 

She knows what I love.

xx 

Hand-carved bookends I found this year at the flea market

hold my vintage bible. 

Ramblin' Man's hand-forged railroad spikes. 

He likes to collect old tools and wooden boxes. 

The bell-jar was a gift from son Dustin and wife, Jen. 

I fashioned the scene inside from a craft store bird. 

The old mortar and pestle is from my childhood in New England. 

My Mom and Dad loved to take us for Sunday drives and stop 

to explore abandoned farms for sale. 

I found this tucked over the inside doorway of an upstairs closet

in an empty, old farmhouse.

I also found an old basket filled with crochet hooks and yarn, 

which prompted me to learn how to crochet. 

Those Sunday drives are sweet, sweet memories 

of days gone by. 

We are ready for some cozy fires! 

 

I had fun decorating the little playhouse on the deck. 

All of the pumpkins and cornstalks were grown by my 

little grandsons in their family garden. 

I sewed curtains from a large stash of fabric that my Mom 

 had given me in her later years. 

She loved to craft dolls and other sweet things. 

She had a thriving business selling 

her and my Dad's wonderful creations

through local shops, but when my Dad 

was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, she had 

to give that up. 

Those were difficult years for her and the whole family. 

 

The old playhouse from when my children were young.

We used it as a dog kennel for years, after they all grew up. 

But the dogs are long gone and   

it is slowly sinking into the ground. Eventually 

we will have to take it down, but for now, 

I like to see it out my kitchen window. 

Backgammon, anyone?

I promise not to stay away so long, Dear Friends. 

xx

"Make one person happy each day and in 

forty years you will have made 14,600 human 

beings happy for a little time, at least. 

- Charley Willey, writer -

xx

"To be kind to all, to like many and love a few,

to be needed and wanted by those we love, is

certainly the nearest we can come to happiness."

- Mary Roberts Rinehart, writer -

xx