Category Archives: Fall

Glimpses…

…of Fall in my world.

I couldn’t walk away from this mum for $9.99 to add some late color to the deck.

Love these cascading vines on the neighbors fence.

I made a quick stop at Ste Michelle Winery and one of the resident peacocks was out but camouflaged…

Some dahlias were still showing beautifully at the winery but there wasn’t much fall color showing yet in the trees.

We are headed into another busy week at this old house. I’m looking forward to Dear coming home from Austria on Wednesday. What’s happening in your world?

Septembers Past and Present

September 2007, Woodinville, Washington

September 2008 in California

September 2009 Stanley Park in Vancouver, B.C.

September 2010, Beaufort, South Carolina

September 2011, Kirkland, Washington

September 2012, Seattle, Washington

September 18, 2012. My mom and dad at their apartment. My mom got home from the hospital on Tuesday and my sister Lana took this photo.

Plans are afoot for my time in Southern California this weekend. The first day of Fall will include a taco party with my family at my niece’s house. More big plans are afoot for October. I’ll be able to share more soon. Hope all is well with you my friends…

What’s New…

…in my zoo!

Speaking of new…Happy Rosh Hashana to all our Jewish friends. The Jewish New Year begins this evening and ends September 18th. L ‘Shana Tova!

I finally put away my red, white and blue. My fall bins are ready to come down from the attic. I was at Target and saw these fall tin wall pieces and they were priced right for me…

I subbed out my plates for the tin pumpkins and pear for the Fall season. That might just be a tall skinny pumpkin but we’re calling it a pear after our pear bounty here.  At Christmas time I’ll add something new again.

Here’s a closer view of the pumpkin. These pieces were $2.50 each.

On Saturday Dear and I went to Cabela’s in Tulalip and while he was spending his gift card from the kids I found this table top tripod for myself. I’ll be using it for my food photos.

I bought this crown shelf piece to incorporate with my Christmas and Easter decor celebrating Christ as my King.

My hydrangeas are fading but still beautiful to my eye.

The maple leaves are falling and before we know it the lawn will be totally covered! Look at all that clover in my grass…

Later on Saturday the work continued on the siding with Josh helping again. I made a big pot of chili for the workers to enjoy when they were done.

Progress is good to watch…

We are still promised many dry days and Dear is encouraged with the extra time to finish the siding before the rains come!

When our Saturday was almost done we got one of those dreaded calls that my dad had to call 911 because my mom was very disoriented and didn’t know what end was up. Family met my dad and mom at the hospital and the doctors think she had a TIA event. They kept her overnight and are doing more tests today. I’m happy to be flying down to Southern California next Saturday so I can visit with my mom and dad in person.

So…what’s new in your zoo!?

The Joys of Autumn…

A walk about the yard revealed some lovely fall color this week. Jenny at Alphabe-Thursday threw down the Fall challenge. This is the last Thursday to join in the fun so click over and leave a link.

One of the things that brings me joy in Autumn are the changing brilliant color on bushes and trees. The photos above are of our Dogwood tree and our blueberry bush.

Our Asian Maple which is more of a bush than a tree.

Sadly I forgot the name of this tree. It looks like a Golden Rain Tree. Part of the year its a brilliant green and at other parts of the year it has crackly pods on it. It really is flaming nicely right now.

Do you enjoy raking leaves? I usually vacuum them up with the lawnmower! I enjoy watching the leaves fall.

Papa Murphy’s is selling this Jack O’ Lantern pizza right now and I caved and bought one. Isn’t it cute?

Comfort foods and wonderful soups are way up there on my I like Autumn list. I also enjoy sweaters and coats.

What are some of your Autumn favorites?

Pumpkin Patch…

It’s Autumn, the season of orange, brown, and yellow. A wonderful time for hearty soup and hot drinks. The scents of wood burning, cinnamon, pumpkin, and hot apple cider fill the air. I love this season of cozy blankets and nice wooly sweaters. Instead of Alphabe-Thursday Teacher Jenny is asking for some Fall photos to share for the rest of October. Katie and I stopped at a local small pumpkin farm and took these shots…

It seems like the colors are finally changing here in the Northwest. On Friday I’ll be headed out again on an overnight to British Columbia. I’m joining several of the Mennonite Girls Can Cook for the Westcoast Women’s Show in Abbotsford, Canada. We will be signing books at the Winks Home Garden and Gifts booth at the show. We will be at booth #490.  On Saturday and Sunday we will be on the kitchen stage with special recipe demonstrations.

Where Oh Where…

…did Fall go?

The snow has been falling steadily since 7am this morning on our hill. Yes, we live on a hill which means for me “the driving in snow wimp” I’ll be stranded on this hill today and probably for most of tomorrow. Sometimes getting down the hill works but coming back up the hill doesn’t. Our daughter is a little concerned about her flight out of Seatac tonight. She’s headed to Florida to see her Marine who gets leave Thanksgiving weekend. She has all night flights with planes changing in San Jose and Atlanta. We’re praying for the best for her. Time will tell. Dear will be driving her to the airport not Mrs. Wimp. Our Thanksgiving company arrives tomorrow night from California. We already had our Thanksgiving meal at home but we are looking forward to being with a house full of our friends on Thursday. I’m bringing the Yams and a few other treats.

So how’s the weather where you are and what are your Thanksgiving plans?

 

Pumpkin Patch

Last Friday I took a short drive to this pumpkin patch. There weren’t any school buses in the parking lot. I parked and trekked out to the field. There was a group of pre-school children hunting down the perfect pumpkin.

Pumpkin Pumpkin
Big and round
I’m glad you grow
Upon the ground
If you grew up in a tree
You might just fall right
Down on me!

It was a gorgeous Fall day with fluffy clouds, crisp air, and sunshine.

I observed a group of Hispanics picking pumpkin blossoms in the patch. Being the wondering person I am I asked what they’d be doing with the flowers. They explained to me how they saute them with onion to use in their Quesadillas. They said they really enjoyed the taste of them. They also reminded me I should wash them first.

That Pumpkin Time of Year…

The truth about me and pumpkin patches…

 

It’s all about the photos. I’m not fond of crowds and to arrive at a Pumpkin Patch with 10,000 10 school buses in the parking lot makes me wince. Have you seen the prices of pumpkins at Safeway? $1.99 and $4.99 for smallish and medium size pumpkins and there are a gazillion to choose from. I have to admit, though, the photo ops at Safeway were non-existent. Maybe, just maybe, since the weather has been dry here all week long and the mud will be in dry cake form I might try to make it to the pumpkin patch tomorrow. How about you…do you buy your pumpkins at your local market or do you trek out to the pumpkin patch? Do you make the trek even though you don’t have little ones to take along? Maybe you avoid pumpkins altogether…go ahead I’m listening.

 

 

 

 

Autumn Begins…

There are some tell tale signs of Autumn around here…

One of the first I notice every year are these great dew dropped spider webs.

Sometimes the creature is centered just right on the web.

We had a party yesterday afternoon to celebrate the Engagement of our daughter Katie and Andrew. It was a last minute open house since Andrew leaves today for his Infantry Training in North Carolina at Camp Lejeune. Twenty of our dear old friends and family came by to celebrate. Some of these dear old friends are only in their twenties, but you understand what I mean by old. When important events like these come about it’s interesting how you appreciate the ones who have been around and connected to your life through the years. It might not be that you see each other regularly anymore but they were there when Katie was born, or at her 5th birthday party, or her 10th birthday party, or at church with you way back when. You’ve kept up with each other over the years and now it’s time to get together again and celebrate another important milestone in life.

Make new friends,
but keep the old.
One is silver,
the other is gold.

We do not know when the wedding will be. We have to wait and see when the military will allow for some days off for Andrew. We are up for the challenge and we’ll get what little we can get done till we have an idea of the time of year we’re planning for. When the date is set we’ll be off and running with a lot of flexibility and we will “Choose Joy” in whatever comes our way! We do get to go dress shopping though~~ whoohoo!