1000 Gifts (559-565)

  Join  Ann Voskamp   here  for  more..
559.  I was  successful today in  loading 2 large  bagfuls of   "stuff" and clothing  to take to the goodwill.....  yayayayayaya.. the secret is to keep a couple of bags handy!
  
If I tried,   I could fill one of these!
560. My  dearest  husband  is   such   a  hard worker around the home....   getting the outside of the  home  painted, and winterized...   what would I ever do without him!

561.  God is so  faithful in answering  our prayers....    562.  Our sweetest  and only daughter  will be delivering  her    first  baby     soon....   may it  be   an easy, uncomplicated delivery...

563.  I have broken the ice      as  co-chair  of  the Benevolent Committee   at my church starting in October....   Ive already     laid the groundwork for   my    responsibilities and   gotten a couple of balls in the air....praying I can stay  ahead of the curve...by
His power and grace  I  can!


564.  Looking forward to the choir retreat this weekend   when we   spend  almost a dozen hours   planning and  practicing  for the  Christmas  pageant...  this will be  our first   one of these to do as a couple.   Im trying to see this as a blessing...  does sound like  a   long,  tiring  weekend....  but  Im   focusing on the joy! 
 
565. Im very excited   that   Community Bible Study  has started and   I love my  small group leader and   the dynamics of the group!  Looks like a  fabulous year ahead!  

Zillow Proves it can be Done!

Don't you  love to peruse the internet for  helpful     sources  for improving  the home...

My mind set  this autumn besides  thinking of  getting   the pumpkins and   colored garlands   out of storage,  is   to think of   a  general  reordering of  the household.... possibly because  more and more I am thinking on what  we need to do to this house ready to make it   sellable... don't get me wrong.. I love this house,  but   I dont like   the stairs...and so many of my  friends   are   moving into patio homes....   which have   a certain allure for me...but     to   make  any kind of move requires a  major   paring back....   and organization....
 hard to believe that I have been through   the  curio cabinet   several times lately trying to  scale  back....

One of several hutches    demonstrates   my   weakness for    china...   and   as seen here,   rooms   filled   with too much  "stuff"!

My house is looking  just  like  grandma's and since Im   almost   a new grandma,   Im thinking   chances are if I dont start  in to   shedding   a  bit of stuff     the house  will really   begin to look like a hoarder's home without much provocation!  I get my inspiration to   de-clutter  from looking at  homes for sale on "Zillow"  ..... love that site,   but  I sure do have  my work cut for me!

     
I dont know... seems almost   nigh unto impossible to me!!
A Return to Loveliness at A Delightsome Life
Make it Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House
Cottage Style Party @ Lavender Garden Cottage
Open House Party at No Minimalist Here
Favorite Things Thursday at Katherine’s Corner
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home on Thursday

Something to Grin About

I dont  know what it is about  autumn...  it should be a  time of   rest and reflection  of the months gone by...    but   as  a teacher,  it was  the gearing up time.....   new beginnings,, and that  same   element  of  gearing up  has  spilled over into my retired life....  new Bible Studies....    choir start ups,  ....  time to  join  in new  civic    organizations....  church committee... the list goes on and on ...

I dont know about you, but  as I  get in gear up mode my  body  sort of  fights back....  it always has,   especially back in my teaching days.   Trying to     get  all those balls in the air  and  keep them there   was no easy task.... these days  I  offset my  anxiety  of  busy-ness  by beginning each day with my morning  dose of  facebook..

  I mean   autumn just  says   "take a break"....

0r,  "come up and sit a spell!"

because there is so much to   just  rejoice over!

all of the above photos   are   from    the Porch Sitting Union of America   site on fb.

  My latest  copy of Tea Time magazine  quotes William Cullen Bryant, 

" Autumn... the year's last loveliest smile"

  So  I  look around  my home and see if I can find  smiling  autumn  faces....for even though autumn is still a 

couple of weeks away,   home should at least  beginning   its  fallish grin!

The  hutch in the dining  room  is   gradually   beginning  to   grin, I think... 

 A sense of   merriment  and  warmth of color    speaks,   "Come on in and     maybe you'll be offered  a  cuppa something!"

When I turn to the table  I see a definite  shift to   autumn's  hues..I   love the   black and white    for   this time of year.. it   is inspired by my  latest  set  of transferware

The Herdsman, I   am working on  collecting!

I  love  the black and  white   juxtaposed    with the   colors of autumn...   they   make  such a striking  contrast  which to me   gives  an element of drama! 

and it  gives me  the  wonderful opportunity to   enjoy my  pewter and  more  rusticated  implements....

Now that is something to grin about!

PS...the completed look is yet to come.....   soon!

Home Party@ Sandi's   Rose Chintz Cottage  ,   

Tablescape Thursday 

and 

Grace at Home  @ Imparting Grace

and

Home and Garden at 

 A Delightsome Life

Our Labor Day Adventure

It has been a wild ride  this Labor Day weekend....should we or shouldnt we  for   over  2 weeks of deliberating....  I   love our car,   it has everything on it I ever wanted,  sunroof,  leather,   a newer radio with bluetooth and all the digital  gizmos  one could ask for,    and  I loved  its looks..

  But it is  12 years old and   has  over  120,00o miles....   so   we  finally  jumped over the moon and  bought a new one...  We are on our way to    make the trade and   even though it  is a more moderate  model,  it is   fresh, new...er, heheheh, and  has   very low miles, and  will be a safe  and   durable ride  when we  go see Little Birdie in a few weeks time..

So off me go!

Autumn Gently Comes to Stay

Earlier  this week  I   started introducing   decor   that   would  move me  gently into autumn,   using   bolder colors  on the mantel... for example...

Using found objects from  other rooms,     it is  fun to house shop to coordinate   color  themes     that  help   make transitions.

Now for the sunroom,  I have two inspirations....  First of all,  I am   so  excited about Lil Birdie's arrival in September,  I   decided to highlight this fabulous planter   our daughter gave me for Christmas last year. Is that a Lil Birdie I see on there??

 You may also see   the   impact of  apples..   ever since  I  taught third grade I associate September  with apples,,   "Back to School,   Johnny Appleseed,  An Apple for the Teacher,"""   So a marvelous opportunity to start   the season for using  my   inherited  Franciscan  apple  dishes...

And   I love how    this   fabric I bought last  summer  to make  this  table runner  keeps the     mood   summery  with a  hint of things to come! 

I find this a very welcome   sight  as I come into   our home,,, the colors   just seem to  say  we   are  joyful  happy loving folk...   step in and   get  comfortable! 

Also, with  apple season  upon us,  this  tablescape  puts me right into the mood to   be creative in the kitchen with apples  and other  summer fruits...
simply  delicious! 

APPLE BLUEBERRY CAKE

 from COOKS.COM

1/2 c. butter

1/4 c. whipping cream

1 1/4 c. sugar

3 eggs

2 1/3 c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 c. (2 med.) tart cooking apples, peeled cored, coarsely chopped

2 c. blueberries

Heat oven to 350 degrees in 1 quart saucepan. Cook butter and cream

over low heat, stirring occasionally, until butter melts (7-8 minutes). Set

aside.

In large bowl combine sugar and eggs. Beat at medium speed, until well

mixed. Add butter mixture, flour, baking powder and salt. Continue beating

until smooth. Stir in apple and blueberries.

Spread into greased and floured 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Bake for 45-55

minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm with sweetened

whipped cream

Home Party@ Sandi's   Rose Chintz Cottage  ,   

Tablescape Thursday 

and 

Grace at Home  @ Imparting Grace

and

Home and Garden at  A Delightsome Life

One Thousand Gifts (550-558).

  Join  Ann Voskamp   here  for  more..
550.  Gathering around the scriptures with like minded  brothers and  sisters in Christ  is a taste of  heaven one earth!
551.  Seeing  my  dearest  in a choir robe for the first time.....   and  he  loved his  first  Sunday   singing for the Lord!

552.  Realizing that  life in   God's kingdom is  a life of freedom and joy more  each and every day! 
553.  Learning  a lesson of  forgiveness   this last week..   Such an important  element in our daily lives.
554.  

The  bus trip we took Saturday is just one example of the   wonders  retirement has  brought to us as a couple,,,   otherwise,  Saturday  would have been a catch up day around the house!  Life is so sweet!

555.  The joyful  countdown of days until  we get that   all  important call that Birdie is here!

556.  Sitting   in  the most  lovely   room last evening   looking out the long  bank of windows  to the wooded  scene  with the   blazing  sunset  mingling   in through the branches....  breathtaking!

557.  Knowing that   while  I type this my  dearest is  outside  painting the windows...  and  making great headway to get  them accomplished   today!

558.  Listening to the mellow  tones of Paul Cardall on my spotify list....  So soothing!Awesome story of his life!

Late Summer Colors

I am honored to have been

here

Today,  as I begin a   week,  I am  thinking of  moving forward... ok,  I confess,   I  am counting the days  til  our  sweetest, Amanda, delivers  our  first grand daughter, Birdie....

This was  taken  in June.....   Birdie  has   growna  bit since then!  We've called her that   ever since her shower  where  the   theme was  Birdies! 

And I again, I confess,    the name  has  grown in my heart.
  So   Birdie will arrive in September   so Im thinking  that is right around the corner!  No matter what   this is  late summer....   ana evenings  cacophony  of the porch  attests to that..   click off the  music   at the top and enjoy a  bit of   evening   symphony!

Anyway,   I am thinking of the  colors of alte summer....   the  pastels of   spring and summer give way to the  jewel tones of autumn.....   but  it's not  quite autumn yet....   so  we have the   beginnings of   transformation   taking place   around the house...

The first mark of change comes to the  mantel

 with the  shades of  teal  replacing the  spring greens of early summer

 A    change of pillows to accent the subtle   greens   that  mark this   time of year...

Recapturing the  Olde English tone of the room  the   spring items  are   put away,  for now...

 This single  black on  white   plate   with the  gorgeous  Warwick Castle    finds   its new home.

 It seems  quite  comfortable   near  the   gothis  cross and   Shield that  remind  us of the   deep importance of   Spiritual Warfare,   which   our   Bible Teacher  reminds us   in these  trying days  we will  either   be a warrior or a casualty...m speaking of    the  magnitude  that we should place   on our prayer life!

More  on   the   late summer transformation   to come! A Return to Loveliness at A Delightsome Life
Make it Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House
Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life on Tuesday
Cottage Style Party @ Lavender Garden Cottage
Open House Party at No Minimalist Here
Favorite Things Thursday at Katherine’s Corner
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home on Thursday