I Love Fall Y’all!

To start the new season today at sundown I have fences, signs, and fall color for y’all!

The vines covering our neighbors fences are turning color already.

My Dogwood is ablaze in fall colors.

Even the cats on my daily walking route are sporting fall colors.

And at the end of my walk I found a couple of signs to throw in the mix.

Looks like we have a new baby in the neighborhood. I’m not sure if I’d want all the details on a sign in my front yard.

I’m linking to signs, signs with Lesley and Good Fences with TexWisGirl at Run*A*Round Ranch Report.

Our fall is beginning with lovely cool mornings and sunny days. Today we are experiencing lots of traffic snarls because the Chinese President is visiting our region and driving around a lot to his different events. I’m happy to be able to stay put at home with only short drives to the grocery store etc. on my list of things to do. Hope your Fall is starting well or if you are in the southern hemispheres, I hope you are enjoying your Spring.

A Busy Start…

…to September.

Spiders really have been busy. We are always amazed at what they accomplish overnight when we walk from the house to the garage brushing the new webs off our faces!

It seemed like the leaves changed their colors overnight, too. This is our Dogwood.

This is our Chinese Flame Tree.

These are the 3rd and 4th Jalapenos we’ve gotten off our little bush. It’s a new plant for us this summer.

Our lavender bushes still have a few blooms. I love working around them and enjoying their great scent.

Early September brings Dear’s birthday, too, which is a good reason to set a table for a celebration.

Decided on some nice bold colors for our dinner table. We had a great time at the table getting caught up with each other.

Dear and our SIL Andrew are very busy working on Josh and Laura’s remodel. Living without a kitchen is always an interesting challenge. Katie is busy interviewing for a job. I’m the support vehicle during these busy times for everyone else. Running errands, making dinner, and running that ever full dishwasher. I’m thinking about getting busy adding more daily exercise to my routine. Hopefully this week the thinking part will become reality in action!

Today Katie and I are going shopping to refresh her work wardrobe.

Have you been busy with changes in September?

Early Signs

Our Flame Tree seems to have changed overnight. We had an early summer this year and I think we are getting an early Fall, too.

Today the Queen of England reached the milestone of being the longest reigning Monarch in U.K. history. She doesn’t want any fanfare.

We stood outside Buckingham Palace in September of 2013 on our trip with Josh and Laura. Long live the Queen! We were hoping that she’d make it to this milestone day.

Today is also Dear’s birthday and he would probably like a little fanfare so those of us on this side of the Cascade Mountain Range are getting together for a dinner celebration tonight. Our second MGCC cookbook Celebrations is opened to the pages that have my Sirloin Stroganoff with Buttered Noodles so I can follow the recipe…

Instead of green beans tonight we are going to have zucchini since we have one from Dan and Jamie’s garden to still make use of. That way something from their side of the mountains will be with us at the table.

Dear is the longest reigning King at this old house!

Happy Birthday Dear! Long may you reign with your love and kindness!

Neighbor’s Fences

I’ve been watching the leaves fall on our side of the fence this week. The huge Maple tree that drops those leaves is on the other side of the fence but this tree feels it’s just fine to drop all it’s leaves on our side of the fence. Judging by the leaves that remain on the tree we will still have two major leaf raking exercises. This time of year I need to remember the blessings of shade that this tree affords us in the summer. I also need all the exercise I can get so I’ll count the raking of the leaves a blessing, too.

Do you have to rake leaves this time of year?

I’m linking up with Tex*Wis*Girl for Good Fences #34

Signs of My Times…

My times these days are filled with a variety of activities that I will share with the following signs.

On Monday, Wednesday and Friday I show up at the Northshore Senior Center at 9:30 and exercise away with some great seniors who are determined to keep moving. This is something new that I just started in September and it really has been good for me. One of the gentlemen that comes to the class is 93!

I’ve been trying to use the library more and buying less books and DVD’s for our viewing and reading pleasure. This is my library of choice and just today I picked up a Doc Martin DVD to enjoy.

Our church that we’ve been attending for about 3 years now just changed it’s name to Northshore Community Church instead of Northshore Baptist Church. It was a good time for the change since one of the goals of our church is to support and help our community.

I shop at a variety of stores like Costco, Fred Meyer and a local fruit market but Safeway is probably the most convenient place for me to shop and I’m here at least once a week.

I am very proud of our son-in-law and his service in the Marines but this sign on my car also works real well in helping me find my car in a big parking lot with lots of cars that look just like mine.

On this past Monday night we were at the Sounders soccer game against F.C. Dallas and I’m happy to report we are moving on in the playoffs and have two more games in November against L.A. Galaxy. We were all given these signs to hold up after the National Anthem. Fun times.

One of my favorite things at our Sounder games is the singing of our National Anthem. Our Seattle crowd really belts it out and we have a great military branch presence that holds the flag while we sing.

Hope you didn’t get bored seeing the signs of my times. In the future I might post some more that involve my history.

We are experiencing a cold snap here in the Pacific Northwest and today I talked with our son and he had snow at his place in Eastern Washington. The leaves continue to fall and I continue to rake. Hope all is well in your corner of the world.

I’m linking up with signs, signs hosted by Lesley!

Closer to Home

…and what’s been going on here at this old house. I’ll start with the latest and work back.

We switched out our old fireplace insert for a new one with no brass and a larger window, quieter fan and more efficiency. We are happy with our choice. While the installers were at my house on Wednesday I scrubbed down all my kitchen cabinets and scrubbed my hardwood floors.

No I don’t have my Christmas Tree yet, but can you believe all the Christmas merchandise in the stores already? I digress…

I posted this photo to show you the 3 bookshelves full of books that on Thursday while I waited for the Inspector to sign off on the fireplace insert I dusted. Yep, each and every book and all the shelves. My wrists and arms and knees are calling for a couple days off now! And speaking of Christmas our mystery tree this year is going in a new spot and I’ll show you that in December!

I received a package from bj (Sweet Nothings) in Texas because my name was drawn on her giveaway. She has such a good sense of humor and I enjoy visiting her blog.

A few Saturdays ago Katie and I met some friends at the Seattle Center for the Northwest Tea Festival. We enjoyed sipping tea samples and then we all went out for lunch at a Thai Restaurant close to the center.

These girls have been friends since elementary school.

My new getting out and exercising plan is continuing nicely. Some views from my walking trail…

On a overcast morning I thought this boat and it’s reflection was very cool and look at these great looking mushrooms!

The following week these same mushrooms had spread out to a huge flat top and I didn’t have my camera with me. Epic fail…

After exercise class this morning Katie and I are headed to University Village for W Day in honor of the University of Washington homecoming. We’ll be wearing some vintage sweatshirts from when Dear was in Pharmacy School at the University of Washington. There are special offers and discounts available from merchants if you are wearing purple or UW-licensed apparel.

Katie and I look a little different now but we’ll both be wearing a sweatshirt like the one I’m wearing here at Disneyland back when the University of Washington went to the Rose Bowl and played Michigan on January 1, 1992. Dear was able to get tickets for the Rose Bowl game and we decided to take a family trip to California and enjoy a day at Disneyland with the kids and time with family for Christmas. Fun memories…

Hope you all have a good weekend!

Hello Autumn!

The Autumn (1833), by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Go, sit upon the lofty hill,
And turn your eyes around,
Where waving woods and waters wild
Do hymn an autumn sound.
The summer sun is faint on them —
The summer flowers depart —
Sit still — as all transform’d to stone,
Except your musing heart.

How there you sat in summer-time,
May yet be in your mind;
And how you heard the green woods sing
Beneath the freshening wind.
Though the same wind now blows around,
You would its blast recall;
For every breath that stirs the trees,
Doth cause a leaf to fall.

Oh! like that wind, is all the mirth
That flesh and dust impart:
We cannot bear its visitings,
When change is on the heart.
Gay words and jests may make us smile,
When Sorrow is asleep;
But other things must make us smile,
When Sorrow bids us weep!

The dearest hands that clasp our hands, —
Their presence may be o’er;
The dearest voice that meets our ear,
That tone may come no more!
Youth fades; and then, the joys of youth,
Which once refresh’d our mind,
Shall come — as, on those sighing woods,
The chilling autumn wind.

Hear not the wind — view not the woods;
Look out o’er vale and hill —
In spring, the sky encircled them —
The sky is round them still.
Come autumn’s scathe — come winter’s cold —
Come change — and human fate!
Whatever prospect Heaven doth bound,
Can ne’er be desolate.

This is one of my very favorite times of the year. I hope you are enjoying your days…

Faeries and Banners…

Our daughter made her face up to hand out candy to the little neighborhood kids that would stop by last night.

We finished the night off at 7:54 P.M. with 57 little trick or treaters. All very polite and gracious.

Earlier in the day I completed a little project for an upcoming event at our house in November. It was a simple cut and clip project but I was still proud of myself to get it done. Now I’m talking myself into making some napkins from some fabric I bought to go along with our theme. Once the event is over I’ll share the decor and the theme.

How did things go at your place last night?

It’s November and I finally got the Thanksgiving bin down from the attic. We will be celebrating two Thanksgivings this year. One early on the weekend of the fifteenth with our kids (that’s the weekend our son and his girlfriend can join us) and one with friends on the actual day set aside by the U.S.A.

I Can See Clearly…

I’ve been moaning so much about the foggy pattern we have been in that I could not delay in showing you the turn in our weather. It will not last forever or even until Thursday so I had to hurry up and post the photos of the beautiful light in my corner of the world.

Romans 13:12 (ESV)

The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Of course you notice that all the leaves I picked up in my mower last week have been replaced nicely by my neighbor’s huge maple. Today I hope to ~~vacuum~~ mow the latest fall leaves up again. Seeing the leaves that still remain on the trees we’ll have to mow at least 2 or 3 more times before we retire the mower for the winter months.

Instead of cooking today I’ll be mowing.

If it’s Tuesday, it must be La Corona.

On Tuesdays at this old house we go out for Mexican food.

Do you have traditions at your house each week? They don’t have to revolve around food, either.

Birds of a Feather…

We have had birds and more birds pecking about our yard the last couple of weeks. It has been fun to see the many varieties.

This European Starling is a new addition in our yard this year.

They like to stick together and they fly off together, too.

We had a fun time this weekend with a few members of our family. Girls of a feather that enjoy sticking together, too. It wasn’t the whole flock but we take what we can get. My oldest sister Kathy’s two daughters were able to fly to Seattle to stay with my baby sister Lana. Our daughter Katie and DIL Laura joined the girls at Lana’s for a few days of nonstop fun.

Michelle, Melissa, Katie and Laura

Our hostess, Auntie Lana, joined the girls for a photo!

And Auntie Ellen, too.

Between seasons of Downton Abbey we were able to fit in a trip to Country Village in Bothell where we made some fun purchases and after the shopping trip we met up with all the guys for dinner at the Purple Cafe.

There were 10 of us at dinner but I couldn’t get a great shot of everyone. Lana’s husband Steve, Dear, Ryan (my niece Michelle’s husband) and our son Josh joined the girls for a lovely meal out and then it was back to Lana’s for more Downton Abbey…

The guys were very accommodating to the girls this weekend and we appreciate them very much. We only had enough time to make it through 2 whole seasons and the Christmas Special from Downton Abbey. My sister Lana is the only one of us who hasn’t seen season 3 yet and we left the DVD’s with her so she can finish off the series before Season 4 starts here in the states in January.

We said our farewells and our guests headed back to the airport to fly back to Southern California. We all look forward to the next time we can be together.

We are in a foggy pattern here in the Western part of the Puget Sound that has extended up to British Columbia. We are hoping the sun can break through the fog in the next days ahead.

The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b.

To honor and encourage

Category Archives: Fall