Ablaze with Autumn

Autumn has finally arrived here  in our neck of the woods....
This  bookcase  near the   stairs showcases  a simple  vignette to remind us of your kingdom  life and responsibility..    that, first of all, we are the sheep of His pasture,  and  follow  the guidance of our Shepherd...  but we are, also, warriors, equipped to do  spiritual battle to  subdue the  earth  of its  dark forces and    reflect  the light of   the One who loves us best,  Jesus Christ!
As I  peer  into the  mirror,  I see   fallish hues   reflected...

When I  look outside,  there are  definite  signs that  autumn is here!

Lynn and I have had   quite  a fun time   on  our various pumpkin escapades...Im still  seeking  the perfect   flat pumpkin   that   Ive been promised  will  arrive   next week!

I am thinking   to  create  a  pyramid of pumpkins   if I can find just the right ones!  heheheh
For now, these beauties   please  me.

As I   move  on into the parlor,  I spy the  wall hanger  appears to  be  complete...

Again,  I  am so pleased to be using my   silk gingko leaves I  found in Boston last  fall, along with the   Japenese lanterns.
As I  move across the room,   the fiery  hues of  autumn  attract me f rom the    mantel...

This year, I am   enjoying   the   beautifu hand-crafted   wreath of  oak and acorns  that my mother made  several years ago, when she   participaed in the  the SW Virgnina Mountain Guild.

My bronzed   birds found a home   on the mantel, as well. 

Stepping   around the corner into the  dining room,    it  surely  doesnt look like   autumn  has taken a break....   blazing colors   attend  every   

spot!

This  table has  been in varying  degrees of readiness,   and now  it  appears  complete... 

It  was  great to finally   bring up the   box of  autumn  fare  and find  this  arrangement that  needed only a  bit sprucing up...  it accents the black and  white   with the most welcoming  array of  cheerfulness!

I am still loving the   pewter colored napkins from Kohl's and   the  Armetale  accents  that  lend their country    quaintness  and warmth to the scene!

I started   my small collection many years ago  when I was  teaching Virgina History and   decorated our first home in  Colonial  Americana.. so why shouldnt it lend its grace to my  olde  English   themes!

My  black  transferware, the Herdsman,  from Royal Stafford  are the  perfect compliment to  this table 

 I am  quite  happy with the final  effect!

Home Party@ Sandi's   Rose Chintz Cottage     

Tablescape Thursday 

and   

Thursday  Favorite Things

Grace at Home  @ Imparting Grace

Home and Garden at  A Delightsome Life

 Home Sweet Home@The Charm of Home

Inspire Me Tuesday@ A Stroll Thru Life

Happy Homemaker Monday

Visit Sandra here for more HHM!

The weather.....

Love the weather...   autumn has arrived!

Right now I am....

sort of  jumping in here to  do this post.... I have about  5 minutes  before I need to get  ready for  my morning....  but  I   felt the tug of the computer....

Thinking.... 

This may very well be  the week our first grandaughter is born.....praise the Lord!!!

Looking forward to...
getting  to  actually see and hold Little Birdie in my arms...

On my reading pile....

Earth's Earliest Ages, by George Pember

Daily Bible reading...ITimothy, Mark, Isaiah 

Daily devotional.. My Utmost for His Highest 

On my TV..... 

Master Piece Theater,   Foyle's War 

Blog Hopping

I   wouldnt call it a blog  exactly  but it sure is inspiring
Porch Sitter's Union of America

On my to do list....

coffee   clatch this morning  with the gals (yayayayayaya)

laundry

errands
clean house (this list never changes)

grocery shopping  
visitation with my   parents  

Bible Study

Looking around the house....
I am    deep in the throes of   autumnizing...     this week I will be  dragging out the   boxes from the    storage room.....

From the camera:

One of the the  items I love to  decorate is this   wall hanging   container with holiday  cheer!   I  absolutely love the gingko leaves I found at  Pottery Barn last season!

On my prayer list..... 

Our family, parents, daughter ,  Little Birdie*, son-in law, 

Our church, and church family 

our nation, leaders, 

Israel and the Middle East 

Bible verse, Devotional  or  thoughtful  words:

Romans 1:11-12

11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.

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!