Last day of August

August is fading and the rich colors of autumn will be showing up soon. I love autumn but I'm not quite prepared for the chill in the air yet. So I will enjoy each sunny warm day as it happens.

The birthday party was a success and the birthday girl had a lot of fun.

Thinking back I remember. My fifth birthday. I was living in DuBois, PA. I have a picture of me at the table with all my friends. Above us were streamers of crepe paper hanging from the ceiling. Another birthday that stands out was my sixteenth when my parents rented a hall and I had all my friends. I was thrilled that my parents got me a red hifi. What birthday was special to you?

 

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MIA

Sorry I went missing without a previous warning. Everything's ok in fact great. I'm having a ball with my family. Today is Sara's fifth birthday party and yesterday I helped Jenny make fairy crowns for the girls.

Do you know how much fun that was for me? I haven't done a craft in quite a long time. I used to love making things and creating. Just sitting there doing girly things made my heart sing. We took an icy vine, put it In a ring and added flowers , burlap and ribbons. Today is the big pool party. Sara is so excited.

 

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New pics of the grands

 

 

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Who's the alpha here?

 

Obviously Sadie is the dominant one in our relationship.

I have had dogs before but I never had the challenge of raising a Jack Russell Terrier. They have a reputation of being energetic and intelligence. But you have no idea until you see one in action. It is a constant battle to make sure that she doesn't get herself in trouble. She is six now so she is better than the first five years but still you have to be ever vigilant or she will find some trouble. She watches and waits and if you leave some food...or pills...or anything out where she can reach it you are courting trouble. She will get up on the kitchen chair and drink Don's coffee if he leaves the room. Just when you think you can trust her you are wrong.

She lets you know exactly what she wants by her looks or by being vocal. She will whine at you if she feels it is time to go for a walk.

I've read the dog training books and I know I have let her be the boss and think she can have an opinion about what she wants to do. But I like that I allow her to learn and be smart. Ok...I'm a pushover I admit it. Just love that dog. She needs this button.

 

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Sharing

Putting yourself out here on blogland takes a lot of nerve. When I first started blogging it was acting like a personal journal with pictures. I wanted to capture my life and have a record of it..since I knew my bad memory wouldn't remember the things I did and the way I felt. I did it only for me..and maybe my family if they were interested. I don't live an extraordinary life. I don't do amazing crafts to share with the world. I'm not into fashion. I'm just a gal from western Pennsylvania.

Then I had a few people reading me. Mostly family. Sometimes friends. Occasionally I had visitors fom strange places and foreign countries. I figured they were just curious. Then I started gttting some regular readers. And finaly some commenters and through that have become freinds with a few bloggers. I value those friendships.

One of my friends shared something personal about herself today on her blog. It made me think how my image is portrayed on this platform. Usually I keep the really personal stuff to myself. But today I'm sharing some little known facts about my life. Not deep down secrets but just some little tidbits so you can know me better.

....I was such a tomboy when I was little. I spent one summer up in a tree in my bathing suit with a stick pretending I was Jane of the jungle.

.....I always liked people and being around people. I loved college because no matter what the time there was always someone to talk to.

....I once was hit by lightening. I was in my basement taking clothes out of the washing machine when lightening struck nearby and came into the house, through my thumb and out my waist. I had red marks there. It didn't hurt except where it went in and out.

.....I was very athletic as a teenager and loved to play basketball, field hockey, and ride horses.

.....I took piano lessons for only two years but continued to teach myself afterwards by buying my own books.

...I once had something published in Victoria magazine. It was a little story about my husband's romantic gesture.

....we each have these little moments in our lives. What is one little fact that I don't know about you? For those of you who never comment. Just choose anonymous after clicking comment below. I'd love to hear from you.

 

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I feel it coming

I can feel it. Fall is sneaking up on me. I've always love the Autumn season best. I brag how I love the plaid colors, love the crisp air, like putting on layers and scarves. But this year..not so much. I don't want fall to come so soon. It seems the summer should last longer. We get a late start to summer since our last frost is usually Memorial day. It's been a great summer but I'd like it to stay just a while longer. I feel time passing...so quickly now. I'm a carpe diem kind of gal and now I want to cram in all I can before the weather gets bad.

Speaking of scarves here's a little scarf storage trick I saw on Pinterest. I wish I had a space for this. I do have a hanging scarf storage plastic hanger with pockets that works. I'm crazy about scarves.

 

And here is something that looks interesting to try. Dip pine cones in paint and when they are dry they look like porcelain.

How do you feel about the coming season. Are you ready? And when do you start putting up your fall decorations? What is your favorite season?

 

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Random Saturday

 

I wanted to get a shot of the courtyard at night and took this one with my iPad. Of course it didn't turn out so well so I got out my big girl camera but the battery needed charging. I find I hardly am using it since the iPad is so much quicker...but not as good.

Another drone shot of our town square at night.

 

Trying out a new app.

I was going through some old pictures to take to the reunion and came across this one of me. I don't have very many of me as a child.

 

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A flower gif

I was so envious of Tammy's gif I had to try one for myself. Tammy, I think I need a tutorial...it turned out too small.

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Untitled

 

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Sadie at the vet

 

Does she look nervous? Today we took Sadie to Buffalo..about an hour and a half trip..to the Orchard Park Animal Hospital..for a recheck. The doctor was pleased with how she is doing. They were worried that since she had the disease so long she might not recover but she is doing well. He did mention that it might have been Lupus sine that test registered high also. Either way we are treating her the same. He cut her steroids in half and she no longer needs to take an antacid with it. That means only a half a pill a day. She behaves so well when we are there and I am proud of her. Now she is able to go on walks which will make her very happy since she has been bugging me about it every day. SHe doesn't relent until I get out there. It's very good to have someone hounding me to exercise.

On the way back we stopped at Tim Horton's for breakfast/brunch. I sat down with my tea and the new Oprah magazine and now I'd better get something done. Enjoy your day.

 

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Anticipation

Do you like waiting? Does the thrill of anticipation make you happy when you look forward to something great happening? I am waiting for Our family reunion when I will be reunited with my southern cousins. Through Facebook we have reconnected after so many years. My mother's family are all from Georgia so we visited there every summer.

My mother came from a family of thirteen children and she knew all about family love. It was taught to us by example how important it is to have love in a family and a support system. My parents retired in Georgia and I spent many vacations down there. Both of my parents are buried there. The reunion will be held in a little church in Middleton where my mother attended and my grandfather sometimes preached. I wish that I could have know my grandfather better.

I am not a patient person but sometimes thinking about some pleasurable thing you are going to do in the future is exciting. I am really looking forward to seeing them all once more. I have been goin g through old pictures. People didn't take so many Pictures back then. There wasn't instant photography or Facebook to post them on. Now we document our life but then it was rare. I wish I would have had a picture of me at a young age riding on one of my grandfather's mules while he plowed the cotton field.

 

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A little date music please

Our date nights lately are date days instead. We find we enjoy going out for lunch instead of dinner. Especially when we have to drive an hour to get there. Today we went up to Chautauqua Lake and had our lunch at the Italian Fisherman right on the lake. Sitting on the deck looking out at the water was so relaxing.

 

Since it was our first time eating there we didn't know quite what to expect from the menu. They actually have two different menus. One for the formal upstairs dining room which doesn't open until four and another for the water Grill which is an awning covered porch overlooking the lake.

Don had the classic burger but I am a little more adventurous and had the Emma Jane Kobe sliders. There were two burgers filled with olives and blue cheese. I know it sounds weird but it was delicious. Also on the sandwich were roasted red peppers, onion straws, and a garlic lemon aioli. And the fries were out of this world. Parmeasean truffle! Yum!

Afterwards we rode around the western side of the lake and went by the place where his mother and father had their cottage. We spent a lot of time there when we were dating and then afterwards with the boys. I learned to waterski on that lake. Many summer weekends were spent there.

As we rode we started to reminisce about olden times and those who are no longer with us. It was a trip down memory lane. Now we are the old folks. So it goes.

It was a nice way to spend the afternoon. As we approached Bradford we ran onto just a quick shower. It was very hot and humid here today...86.

 

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First day of school

Sara started Kindergarten this year and Sean is in second grade. How does the time go by so quickly?

 

 

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Sunroom summer

 

I don't know when I got the idea for this head. Maybe it was because my sister got one. Linda is eleven years younger but she is my twin...not in looks but in taste. For some reason we like almost exactly the same things. It is funny when we shop together because we are drawn to the very same items. She can hold up a pair of earrings across the store and they will be the very same ones I have in my hands. Once we bought the a same coat..and so did my other sister..without knowing it. The funny part was she and I had also bought the same leopard print gloves to go with it. Thee are so many items that are duplicated in our homes. She doesn't have a problem shopping for me because everything she picks out is perfect for me.

So when she had a head I needed one too. Then I picked out the seaweed for mine and she needed that too. She is a lot more fortunate than I am because living in Fredericksburg, Virginia she has access to a lot more stores than Bradford. So I usually save up all my shopping until I go to a bigger city.

 

She doesn't have a Tatiana, the statue outside the window, yet but the search is on.

 

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A HIDDEN TREASURE

 

When I was cleaning the basement I unearth this hidden treasure. I had found this old too box at a garage sale and fell in love with its green patina. It was rusted in just the right way and I knew it had to come home with me.

 

I filled it with natural materials...stones, textured balls and grass like moss as well as faux seaweed. It seemed just the right thing for the end of summer.

I sat it on a textured place mat and put my favorite William Sonoma bird placemats on the end of the table. I love the little birdcage napkin rings I found a while ago at Pottery Barn.

Recently I covered the zebra parson's chairs with a green printed chair cover from Pier One. It's a nice change for summer. (Whoops, pardon the fit..I didn't get them pulled down all the way on this one chair).

I also changed the candle-ier. those are not real candles but ones on timers. I love that I don't have to turn them on each night.

I hope you enjoyed my new tablescape. I love creating vignettes. If I had to have another job I would love to be the person who designed the tablescapes for Pottery Barn or did window displays for William Sonoma.

 

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