I just love Fall!

I have Pumpkin Butter cooking right now...yes, it is that time of the year!

A leaf in a leaf ...that 's what my Granddaughter found today when she go off the bus today!

I love the fall season!

Good Night dear friend!

Pumpkin Everything!

I have to say that this is one of my most favorite times of the year...FALL! I love the weather, the fall colors and I love Pumpkin everything!


 I was drawing some Pumpkin cards the other day and then decided that I wanted to make something Pumpkin to eat

Jeff and I tried a new recipe each. He loves Split Pea Soup, I tried to make a healthier version and it came out great. Then I also made a Pumpkin Oat breakfast dish and Jeff made an incredible Pumpkin Cornbread...so yes, it is fall, Pumpkin Season and I am loving
it!!!!

The Night before Fall!

Its the little things! Now we have been looking at a lot of stamps with all of the stuff for Lauren's Bridal Shower and Wedding but ...it wasn't until Angie noticed the seasons on the stamps the other day, that I realized that I have been going soooo fast pace for the last couple of months! Maybe I have missed some of the little things!
I had the girls for a 3 night / 4 day sleep over this weekend and once again I am reminded about the little things that count!
Like Beautiful Stamps...

 Girls with amazing IMAGINATIONS...

CREATIVITY from just about anything...

Enjoying a Night Before Fall mean! With homemade Apple Crumble we made all by ourselves! And even for Pumpkin Fairies that brought the girls little cute pumpkins, because she felt bad that out of their whole pumpkin patch this year...they didn't get ANY pumpkins!

The girls worked for sand animals ( reptiles) that Brad found when cleaning out the garage. So the girls now have inherited them and we found homes and blankets for each of them! See that is creativity at it's best isn't it?

Well, it was a fun filled weekend to say the least!

Happiness!

Loved this quote, oh how true that is. Happiness can not bought or borrowed! It really is a choice, and an inside job.
May we all stop for a moment and see if we are truly happy in our lives ...and if not, may we have the courage to change that!

Fall is coming, what is there NOT to be Happy about ?

I love Fall!

From the time I was little... my favorite season was FALL. As my children were growing up and I was working part time with painting and selling at the big Fairs around, then naturally I had a lot of decorations that I had made for each season. Then over 10 years ago I started quilting and now I have almost a few things made for each season too. Each season my kids could not wait to put up the decorations for each holiday. As they got older, they liked it being up but weren't thrilled to help get the boxes out of the garage to put up:) Funny how that works.
The tradition has passed over with my grandchildren, they love all the decorations and remember each year, certain ones that are their favorites.

It was funny because the other night Lauren said, " Mom, we need to put up Fall decorations" I said  "well, it is almost fall, but not till next week actually". She didn't care, she still put on the tea pot and make some hot apple cider, got a new sweater from the 2nd hand store and then spent the rest of the day and night hauling out boxes from the garage (by herself ) and totally set up Fall. I loved it, she (like when she was a kid ) got excited about all the things she started pulling out of the boxes. It was fun to see and a big help to me of course.
Anyway, the days are getting shorter and there is definitely a nip in the air...I love Fall too!
Good night dear friends!

This quote ( above ) could totally be Lauren's Life Motto!

Boston is beautiful!

Didn't get into Boston till 1:00 something this morning, we were wiped out but with the time difference, I think we got up at 11:30 this morning too! What a beautiful place, need to put on some pictures but they are on Jeff's phone right now. I forgot what wet leaves smell like, not that we don't have wet leaves in Seattle; but the there are so many more trees here, the street where Brad and Krystal live of lined with them. It looks like a Post Card around here. Jeff or I neither one have ever been here and it is amazing. We went downtown and got to see Brad's office, his view of the whole city is amazing.
 We took a bus and the subway to get to downtown. I have never been on a Subway before...felt like I was in the movies! :) Kai was quite the little trooper and travel today and tonight, guess that is probably because Mom and Dad love to travel so much.
What a blessing it is to be here and get to know Kai a little better. Of course he has really taken to his Poppa, but not quite so sure about Nana! How can that be? :) We are going to try and do some sight seeing tomorrow because bad weather is suppose to hit by Sunday from the Hurricane.
As we walked and walked the streets of Boston tonight, I felt blessed that I am healthy enough to travel here and strong enough to walk around and see this beautiful city with my family.
So many people have helped me get to where I am today, and I especially am thankful for my Heavenly Father. It was almost 4 years ago that I was diagnosed with Cancer for the 2nd time. It was a time of fear, doubt,pain, sadness and for a long time I couldn't quite look to the future. I didn't plan for things... all I did was worry if I could make it through the next day. I didn't look forward, just stuck on the here and now. I never thought that bad feeling and worry ever would go away. Some times I still worry that it might come back, but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am still here for a reason. I am here to continue to share my story, and I am here because I have a lot more to do. I just pray that I will always be willing to do whatever it is Heavenly Father wants me to do. I pray that I will spend real time with my family and that I will always tell them how much I love them. I am blessed and I am still here maybe... so that I can spend time with the kids here and to see how beautiful Boston is in the Fall!

Good night dear friends!
"Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn."  ~ Elizabeth Lawrence
  
"When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses." ~Joyce Brothers

I love books!

I just finished decorating my house for Halloween and Fall today! I know... I know it is only the 20th of September. But I have a great excuse so,hear me out. Jeff and I are going to celebrate our 30th anniversary in October and we are also, going to Boston to see our little grandson and family.  So....I didn't want the girls ( my granddaughters ) to miss out on one of their favorite decorations at Nana's house this year; you should see how cute it looks, very homey and warm. Wish each of you could come over and visit for awhile, that's what Homes are for you know.
I worked on a table topper for me today, that is really unusual...I am usually sewing something for the shop, my family and friends but this one was made for my living room. It is a spider web mini quilt/table topper, I will have to try and get a photo of it. Where is Lauren when I need her? :)
Tonight a friend and I were going to go to a meeting together then at the last minute she had company coming in and so I decided to go by myself. But the traffic was horrible and so I ended up missing the meeting and going to the Book Store instead.
I found out that one of my favorite authors just published another book called Sunset. His name is S. Michael Wilcox and this book is a collections of all the things he wrote and felt during his wife's battle with cancer. He talks about what it feels like to lose a loved one and even though he thought some of the things that happened in his life were hard ( up until this point ) but realized they were nothing compared to losing his companion. I sat down and began reading it, and within 10 mins I was crying so hard...that I decided to put it back on the shelf. Having had cancer myself, all of that seems to hit too close to home. Plus, through his books and life's stories I got to know this author and it just broke my heart to hear of his experience. But as his books usually do, he helped you see the hope and faith that it takes to keep going. Still I thought I had better not get it yet.
Then I saw the newest book from another one of my favorite authors called THE THIRTEENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS by Jason Wright. I could hardly stand it, I have read I think almost all of his books, the first of which I became aware of was THE CHRISTMAS JAR, so here were two of my favorite things, the latest book from a favorite author and also a Christmas story... and all of you know I collect and love those. But I showed restraint again and wrote it down on my wish list. But since it is a Christmas story, I will have to read it before then ..don't you think? :)
As I was in the bookstore, Jeff came in ( he works close by there ) and what a fun surprise it was to see him. I love that guy, even though he makes me crazy some days... I can hardly wait for him to come home each day. We decided since I had missed my meeting, and it was late and we both hadn't eaten dinner yet, that we should go out to eat and so we did. That was kind of a fun little surprise Date Night, still we get to have another one tomorrow night! I am a blessed girl!
I wondered as I was driving home why I didn't read more books as a little girl. I could have traveled the world and to much safer places ( in my mind ) if only I would have been good at reading. But since school was a challenge so were so many basics ( like math, reading and writing ). Guess that is why I escaped in my art work, that was a good place too! Still I love books and hardly can wait to read more and more now!
Good night dear friends! 
"The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it."  ~James Bryce

"Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers."  ~Charles W. Eliot

"The art of reading is in great part that of acquiring a better understanding of life from one's encounter with it in a book. " ~André Maurois

It’s fall!

My daughter took photos of some of our dear friend’s little girl, she is just too cute!  It made me think of this sweet poem about Fall!

Good night dear friends and I hope you are enjoying the cool weather and beautiful fall colors!

A Fall Song

by Ellen Robena Field

Golden and red trees
Nod to the soft breeze,
As it whispers, "Winter is near;"
And the brown nuts fall
At the wind's loud call,
For this is the Fall of the year.

Good-by, sweet flowers!
Through bright Summer hours
You have filled our hearts with cheer
We shall miss you so,
And yet you must go,
For this is the Fall of the year.

Now the days grow cold,
As the year grows old,
And the meadows are brown and sere;
Brave robin redbreast
Has gone from his nest,
For this is the Fall of the year.

I do softly pray
At the close of day,
That the little children, so dear,
May as purely grow
As the fleecy snow
That follows the Fall of the year.

“Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile.”  ~William Cullen Bryant

"I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house.
So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air."  ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

Fall is in the air!

Jenny is excited because our neighbor’s apple tree is dropping apples off in our back yard. Angie knows that the mornings and evenings are getting cooler… and for a week now they have asked me when we are going to put up Fall and Halloween decorations. I told them not till this weekend, but today was just too beautiful and sunny and so I caved in, and today Angie and I repotted our Fall Mums and some Fall/Winter Kale plants. We got everything cleaned and dusted and started putting up all the Halloween decorations. I have friends who ask me why I keep going to all that work to put up decorations for every season, but if only they could see my granddaughter’s eyes light up as they pull the decorations out of the box and then help me find the perfect spot for it, then they would probably do the same themselves.

Yes, with each Halloween night light, spider or pumpkin, they would give a loud cheer and say “ Happy Halloween”! Oh, it was too cute and it really was only a couple of days early…that is good for us Holiday nuts!

I felt like tonight I was starting a cold, gee I hope that isn’t going to be true. I have been pretty healthy for quite awhile, so I am going to close early tonight and get to bed. I feel blessed to live in such a wonderful, beautiful part of the world. Days like today, certainly remind me of my blessings.

I hope you are starting to enjoy the first few days till Fall?

Night dear friends!

 

“Delicious autumn!  My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.”     ~George Eliot

“I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house. So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air.”   ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

“Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn.”     ~Elizabeth