Sunroom tour…Fall 2015

I’m all set for fall in the house now. I love decorating and creating a cozy feeling in my home.

I made the centerpiece using an old wooden trough that my sister was selling at her yard sale. I filled it with pumpkins and grapes. It is sitting on an old piece of handworked curtain that I found at an antique sale.
   The candle-ier has some stained glass votive holders along with leaves and berries.

I set the table using my Williams Sonoma fall dishes. The acorn napkin ring holds the new fall napkins…a birthday gift from my sister.

Great news

I just had to share this good news. My oldest son Chris is getting remarried in October and has just bought a new house.

It is not far from where he lives now and Michele will be within a few miles of her new job at a dialysis center. She just graduated from nursing school.

It has a pool in the back...guess where grandma will be next summer.

 

The landscaping is lovely. I'm sure they will all be happy there.

 

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It's here

It's not here on the calendar yet and the leaves haven't even changed but in my mind fall is here. I can tell by the crispness in the air in the mornings. And by all the oranges in the stores. I long to put away the summer clothes and get out warm sweaters and long sleeves. I love walks in the fall. There is something about walking among the goldenrod which lights up the scenery with its golden touch. The cat tails are out along the road pointing their fingers to the sky.

 

 

J.K. Rowling

“Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year. The morning of the first September was crisp and golden as an apple.”

― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

 

But then fall comes, kicking summer out on its treacherous ass as it always does one day sometime after the midpoint of September, it stays awhile like an old friend that you have missed. It settles in the way an old friend will settle into your favorite chair and take out his pipe and light it and then fill the afternoon with stories of places he has been and things he has done since last he saw you.”
―










Stephen King, Salem's Lot

“Her pleasure in the walk must arise from the exercise and the day, from the view of the last smiles of the year upon the tawny leaves and withered hedges, and from repeating to herself some few of the thousand poetical descriptions extant of autumn--that season of peculiar and inexhaustible influence on the mind of taste and tenderness--that season which has drawn from every poet worthy of being read some attempt at description, or some lines of feeling.”

― Jane Austen, Persuasion

 

 

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Mum's the word

 

Nothing says fall like mums. Just put a pot on your porch and it's really all you need. Add a pumpkin and you have decorated.

Today I took down my little black fencing that surrounded the flower beds and carried some of the summer things downstairs. Little by little I am beginning to tuck things away. I know it is still early and we have some nice days ahead in September and October but I like to get a head start on it so I'm not doing it when the snow flies.

There are still some summer flowers like geraniums which are hangin on.

I love these tricolored mums.

 

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The grands

 

Sean and Sara got face makeup at a birthday party. Sara posing....what a ham.

 

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Down to the bare bones

Yesterday I took down all the summer things for storage and am ready to redecorate for fall. Up into the attic I go. 

It looks a little bare now 

Nothing much here. 

Really in need of a centerpiece.  Here I go. Stay tuned for more. 

Sadie update

I am fine, thank you. My mommy and daddy took me for a long ride and when we got to the animal hospital I knew where I was. But I waited patiently in the waiting room till it was my turn. You should have seen that barking golden retriever. Doesn't that dog have any sense of decorum?

I stood very still up on that metal table even when the vet poked something up my....well, anyway, I didn't like it. He felt my legs and body and thought that I was doing well. Then I thought we were leaving. We went out of the examining room and I turned to walk away with mum and dad. But..oh no..she handed the leash to him! Wait! I don't want to go,back that way! Mom! Save me! But they walked away..so I obediently followed the vet for my ultrasound.

I heard the vet tell mom and dad that there was no problem with the nodule on my spleen and we wouldn't worry about that. He cut my medicine in half again. I hope that I do well so that in two weeks I can only take a pill every other day.

I was happy to get out of there and thought we were going right home. But oh no. Mom needed to stop at Hobby Lobby for some oil paints for her class and then they ate at Red Lobster. dad always likes it when they have endless shrimp. They left me in the car..but left the air conditioner on for me. Finally they came out and we drove home. Boy was I glad to be there. I high tailed it for the kitchen and had a long cool drink.

The things I do for them....

 

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It all happens one day

 

I was resisting...hanging on to summer with both hands. And then the weather changed and fall was in the air. The mornings were coo and I could tell that my favorite season was on the way. I've really wanted to get out my decorations for fall but have been so busy these last two weeks I didn't have time. My goal is to do it over the weekend.

Today I got a haircut, met with a finicial advisor, and next will be going to meet with an art instructor. Busy day. And tomorrow we go back up to Buffalo for Sadie. So this weekend will be perfect to stay at home and decorate. All the bins are in the attic so it is a process to get them all down. I have waaaay too many fall things but I love them all. THis year I will try to be selective. Look for some before and after pictures.

Are you ready for the change of seasons?

 

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Circle of Friends, September edition

Today was our monthly meeting of the Circle of Friends, our old Red Hat group. Linda Flynn invited us to her home in the woods for an hor'd orve party. She has a perfect entertaining spot in the rear of her home with a covered patio. Her flowers were at a peak and added much color to the event.

 

 

We had a very enjoyable afternoon with perfect weather to chat and catch up on the news. The food was great also. I brought Sausage Wellington. It is a crescent roll base filled with sausage and cream cheese with sesame seeds on top. My favorite was water chestnuts wrapped in bacon, basted with a mixture of brown sugar, mayonoise, and chili sauce and baked.

 

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Is there a chill in the air?

We've had a turn in the weather. When I got up this morning it was 46 degrees. I know some of you don't have that kind of weather until the dead of winter. But here in northern Pennsylvania our weather changes quickly. Last night we turned on the heat and cuddled under blankets. But don't worry tomorrow it will be going up to 85. We have a saying in Bradford...if you don't like the weather, just wait a minute. I am able to sit outside on the swing as I type this...with a sweater on.

Today was the first day of my new exercise program. I went to the YMCA with my girlfriend Joan and we started using the machines. Today I only did the arm ones mostly since my hips have been killing me lately. I did do the reclining bicycle a little too. It took us a good half and hour which I thought was good. We will go again on Wednesday. I could tell that I have gotten weaker since the last time I lifted weights. I could only do five pounds. I didn't want to strain my muscles today so I took it easy

Don fixed our power washer...had to order a new pump and put it in. He cleaned up my car engine and will wash the driveway and seal it tomorrow. I guess down south you don't seal the black topped driveways...do you? Then this week I'd like to start putting things away for the winter. In fact I'll bet there are a lot of things you don't have to do.

How about the closet rotation? Do you have to pack any all your summer clothes and store and bring out all your winter things...like warm sweaters, thick socks, cozy pjs? And put the rest in the attic? And do you have at least six winter coats of various weights for light snow or blizzards? Is the bottom of your hall closet filled with three kinds of boots...low, medium and high for the varying heights of the snow? Do you get the snowshovels, salt and ice choppers ready? Is your freezer full, just in case you can't get to the store someday? Do you have to take down and store your outside table and chairs, decorations? Does your winter last until the middle of March ?

Yep, preparations will soon be made. I know bradford is not unique but two years ago we were second in the contest by the weather channel for the coldest place to live.

So I'm going to put all those thoughts aside and just enjoy this beautiful fall day. Hope you do too.

 

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A Walk in the Woods

 

Everyone who loves Robert Redford raise their hands. He has been a favorite of mine since the sixties. I think the first movie I ever saw him in was The Sting. That boyish manner and good looks had me at hello. He followed that with many other movies but my favorite scene of course was in The Way We Were when Barbara Stristand pushes a lock of his hair back in place.

Don had been wanting to see this new movie ever since he saw the previews on tv. If you don't know the premise it's about two old geezers who want to walk the Appalachian Trail. It was a pleasant movie and Nick Nolte added humor. But Don's opinion....they could have had a few more adventures. I guess because it was based on a true story it lacked the hollywood special effects and wow factor. But there was a lot of talk about nature and aging.

We had a nice lunch at Applebee's and stopped at Kohl's to spend my Kohl's cash. Why is it when you have money you can't find anything to buy? I ended up getting a woodwick candle in three spicy fall scents. That will put me in the mood for Fall now.

 

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Finally some rain

It has been such a dry summer and today's rain is so welcoming.  It has cooled off and I am enjoying the fall weather that is upon us. I am getting caught up on my rest after my vacation. It was so great to see my southern family again and through Facebook I hope we keep in touch. 

  Today I am planning on a full day of nothing but relaxation...reading, playing on the computer and TV watching. Oh, well, there is that laundry to catch up on..LOL. 

Playing with apps again

 

This was created with Pixlr. Love that app. And of course Sara loves to pose.

 

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And she's back....

Thank you dear readers for indulging me as I posted pictures of the grandkids. I spent a week in Tennessee visiting and now am back in Bradford. It was such a fun filled week as I played with the kids and spoiled them as much as possible. It was real hot there...ninty six at one point. I had a hard time dealing with that much heat. In my town it rarely gets up above eighty five.

A highlight of my vacation was going to Georgia for a family reunion. Through Facebook my cousins there and I connected and hastily put together a reunion. It was a hit and well attended. I was born in Elberton, Georgia and my mother's people are from there and South Carolina. She was one of thirteen children so there are a lot of descendents. I got to get reacquainted with my cousins and meet their families. We had close to one hundred people there.

My cousin Leslie discussing family history with my cousin Tommy.

Now our generation is the older one. It was interesting sharing photos and I saw some that I had never seen before. THis one shows my grandfather (on the far right in the top row) with his family. In front is his father and mother.

We stayed with my cousin Leslie and his wife at their beautiful home. Beverly is a true southern hostess and we talked and laughed the whole time we were there. Leslie is a carpenter and did all the remodeling of their delightful home.

My sisters also attended so it was great spending time with them. All in all we had such a wonderful vacation. Now we are back and chores are calling. It is time to cut back all the flowers and take care of the outside to get ready for winter coming. In another month we will put away all the outdoor furniture and tuck everything away. We cannot leave things outside in our harsh winters. What we cannot carry we gather together and tarp. After this glorious summer I don't want to think of being inside for months.

 

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Kids and apps

 

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All the Light we cannot see

This book was a departure from the thrillers, mysteries, and romance novels that I usually read but I kept seeing this on recommended book lists so I picked it up at the library. When I checked it out the clerk said that she really loved it. When I first began it I found it very detailed and it took me a while to get used to the way things were described. It is really two stories which come together in the end. By the time I got to the end I was practically alternating between tears and applause. I highly recommend this to you. Here are some reviews.

Marie Laure lives with her father in Paris within walking distance of the Museum of Natural History where he works as the master of the locks. When she is six, she goes blind, and her father builds her a model of their neighborhood, every house, every manhole, so she can memorize it with her fingers and navigate the real streets with her feet and cane. When the Germans occupy Paris in June of 1940, father and daughter flee to Saint-Malo on the Brittany coast, where Marie-Laure’s agoraphobic great uncle lives in a tall, narrow house by the sea wall.

In another world in Germany, an orphan boy, Werner, grows up with his younger sister, Jutta, both enchanted by a crude radio Werner finds. He becomes a master at building and fixing radios, a talent that wins him a place at an elite and brutal military academy and, ultimately, makes him a highly specialized tracker of the Resistance. Werner travels through the heart of Hitler Youth to the far-flung outskirts of Russia, and finally into Saint-Malo, where his path converges with Marie-Laure’s.

Doerr’s gorgeous combination of soaring imagination with observation is electric. Deftly interweaving the lives of multiple characters, Doerr illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another.

Winner of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for fiction and the 2015 Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction; winner of the Australian International Book Award; a #1 New York Times bestseller; a finalist for the 2014 National Book Award; the 2014 Book of the Year at Hudson Booksellers; the #2 book of 2014 at Amazon.com; a LibraryReads Favorite of Favorites; named one of the ten best books of the year by the New York Times Book Review; a best book of 2014 at Powell’s Books, Barnes & Noble, NPR’s Fresh Air, San Francisco Chronicle, The Week, Entertainment Weekly, the Daily Beast, Slate.com, Christian Science Monitor, the Washington Post, the Seattle Times, the Oregonian, the Guardian,and Kirkus; and a #1 Indie Next pick, All the Light We Cannot See is his most ambitious and dazzling work.

 

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Dried up

We all get blogger's block once in a while. And especially me when I have been blogging since 2006. There are times when I'm busy and love to blog about my trips. Then there are the times when nuttin' much is happening. And then there are times when my blogging needs a little stimulation.

Pinterest to the rescue with some blogging topics.

If you could only wear one outfit the rest of your life what would it be and why?

Mine would be a red plaid wool skirt with a matching plaid jacket with black trim. I never had a lot of clothes growing up but when I went off to college I got this suit. The skirt was short as was the fashion of the times. I was a tiny thing then and when I wore this I felt fashionable and powerful.

What relaxes you?

Most of the time music helps me relax. Doing something pleasurable too. But if I am stressed out to the max I will climb into a hot bubble bath and soak for a half an hour until the stress goes away.

How about you? What would you wear and how do you relax? And what do you do about blogging burnout?

This picture has nothing to do with anything. It's just painted pine cones but I love how they look like flowers.

 

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