Wednesday Hodge Podge

Click here to return to Joyce's page!

1. What pets did you have while growing up? Tell us a little something about them.

I had a white kitten...

her name was Snowball.. she was perfectly white with the cutest little perky ears and spiky tail.. She followed me around everywhere this 6 year old went. I loved her so much. But alas, she didn't live long enough to enjoy her first birthday... some neighbor teenage boys grabbed her and poisoned her. We found her in a construction site near where we lived. Those boys actually taunted me with the truth of what they had done. I never wanted another pet after that!

2. What is one thing you absolutely must accomplish today?

I must spend time journaling in my backyard journal...I am creating this as a model for my oldest granddaughter to become enthused to do the same. She lives in New England near a national forest and has so much wildlife in her yard.. frogs, snakes (garter) thankfully, deer, turkeys, and every kind of bird.I, also, have one last page of Bible study to finish before class tonight

3. Where were you ten years ago? What were you doing there? I was sitting here at home still recuperating from our one daughter's wedding and realizing what the empty nest was all about. I was very happily working on the renewing of my relationship with the Lord.... now that I had the time to truly focus my morning on Him!!! I was still in the wonder of retirement from teaching school.. and actually enjoying the onset of autumn.. the brisk air, the intensity of the blue sky. My previous classroom was built in the middle 70's and had one very narrow window so it was like living in a bunker... the glory of fall days was something new and wondrous... and it still is!! 

4. September 26th is National Dumpling Day. Did you celebrate? Apple dumpling, xiao long bao (steamed Chinese dumpling), chicken and dumplings, pirogi, matzoh balls, or gnocchi...which dumpling on this list would be your dumpling of choice? Have you ever made homemade dumplings of any kind?

I never have made dumplings of any kind... 

But I love these

Amanda's Asian FIL makes the most delicious ones...

He makes several rattan steamers of them at a time... and they get gobbled up so quickly!!!

5. 'There are two kinds of adventurers: those who go truly hoping to find an adventure and those who go secretly hoping they don't.' William Trogdon

So which kind are you?

I love adventures.. but,of course, my adventures would probably sound tame to most folks..

I love to explore new places... take rides down country lanes just to see where they go..sometimes we actually get rather lost... thank goodness for gps!!! Go for rides on new routes through the mountains hoping for a country store or mom and pop diner for lunch!..Last fall we drove an hour north on a mountain road and ended up right near the West Virginia line and there on the side of the road in a wide place in the road was this wonderful restaurant... the Swinging Bridge Restaurant!

And we never want to back track so we came back home around through the most gorgeous national forest and actually saw a wooden covered bridge along the way...

In our retirement we also love to hear about Inns and Bed and Breakfasts in out of the way places and plan weekend stays to explore the environs.

the view from our room!!

I'm thinking it may be time to go back there!!!

6. Insert your own random thought here.

We were lying in bed this morning dreading to get up... feeling our aches ... you may know how it is.... as I was messing around on my tablet my daughter piped up and said "Wanna face time and sing happy birthday to her oldest" who turns 4 today. Happy feet hit the floor racing to the get dressed and get online.. we got to see her open our present to her...We had already given her gifts when they were here and I had sent clothes for preschool so this gift was actually for all my girls..

Hope they like it.. these are on sale now at Plow and Hearth all 3 for 19.99. They are double sided and spin opposite sides opposite directions on ball bearings. Very nifty... 

Anyway.. hope everyone has a grand week...only 2 more days of hot summer... and then a nice dip in the temps.... can't wait to grab a sweater!!!

Autumn Mood

AW!!! Autumn is clearly in the air this week...  the temps are behaving and the air  is  spicy sweet...
It  inspires  such a homey feeling  in  us  that we can't help  but  create   an  atmosphere  that  draws   family and friends together  around  a cup of hot cider or tea and a  spicy, sweet confection!
A wonderful way to  capture  an autumn mood is  in viewing this months Autumn Bliss...

Subdue lighting makes me  want to  cosy up on the sofa and listen to something  softly, melodious music  sink into a reverie of  dream of  autumns from the  past.  

The table is set  for  an intimate  supper  with  good friends  

 

The Herdsman,  pattern  from Royal Stafford  is my connection to my  British heraldry...the anglophile in me  longs  to surround myself with  relics  from the Isles..  

One of my favorite  bring backs  from our trip to Ireland  was the beauty of the  meadows and glens  dotted with  sheep...

I really enjoy  utilizing the  battery operated  lit garland on the table  in  fall because there is so much going on the expansive  table the cord  fades in and out  of sight!!
Sitting here at the table  I can gaze into the parlor and see an echo of the  black and white  amid the  fiery colors of autumn..

Other glimpses  of  fire  are  spied  around the room!!

 But, I am most content to while an hour here in the  heart of the home...  where so many  pleasures  with family and friends  have  come to fruition... and memories abound!!!

 It is here  where we  especially  count our blessings  around our family gatherings and  rejoice in the goodness of  Creator and Lord!!!

Make it Pretty Monday

Amaze Me Monday

Grace at Home

Table Scape Thursday

Thursday Favorite Things

Happy Homemaker Monday

Click here to return to the SAHM

The weather:::

I  think this may be our last  week of  truly summer weather....  a  large dip in temps by week's end...  I will give a huge shout out..  ready for sweaters and  socks!!!  And oh, how we need  some rain!!!!

Right now I am:::

  thinking   about  what I can share this morning... but I need to  be  getting dressed to go meet my gal pals for lunch  in a few minutes.

On my reading pile:::

  James MacDonald's Bibles Study,  Think Differently, 

  1Peter

several  fall magazines..

Movies or Shows I watched this weekend:::

We found a new detective series to replace  Shetland...  we  watched  all of season one of Broadchurch on Netflix...  set in Dorset...  very  good  show...  I like that  it isnt  gratuitously violent, but very  suspenseful.

On my TV:::

I really like Farmhouse Rules

She reminds me so much  of  me and my aunts...   and  I love  the  country feel of the show..!!

On the menu for this week:::

I am   in the mood for  some  delicious  homemade spaghetti..  I love to make my own sauce...  I always start  with a large  can of Cento  tomato  sauce..check out some Cento recipes here!

On my to do list:::

Kitchen......Hubs  does the dish washing    and sweeping.. yayayaya

Laundry..... put  laundry away

Living Rooms...... dust and Swiffer the floors

This week...

Work on my Bible study

Lunch with  my girlfriends

Journalling   

do some baking/cooking for a church picnic at the lake..I found this  great looking recipe on Facebook.

Ingredients

• 1 c vegetable oil
• 2 c sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 c flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 c chopped pecans
• 3 c peeled and chopped apples

Frosting:

• 1/2 c butter
• 1 c brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 c evaporated milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13″ pan. Combine oil, sugar, and eggs. Stir in flour and baking soda. Add vanilla, pecans, and apples. Spread in prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes. Cool for 2 hours. Then prepare frosting.

2) Boil all ingredients in a small saucepan for 2 minutes. Set pan in bowl filled with ice water. Beat icing until of spreading consistency. Spread over top of cake. 

YUM!!!

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::

Continue  sprucing up the house for autumn

Looking around the house:::

This is a throwback from last fall when I had the  gal pals over for breakfast...  always a bit of inspiration for me  as I  am thinking about  what to do each year!  I haven't found any truly great pumpkins yet this year...  but Im still looking!!!

From the camera:::
I love this photo daughter sent me  of  sisterly love...  Our big sister turns 4 this week...  and she is so protective of wee one..who will be 2 in December. I love the late  September sun filtering through the trees!!!

What I'm wearing today:::

planning to wear  my light weight   brown slacks and melon colored blouse and  fall leaves  scarf  to  lunch.. In fact I need to pause  and  see about it!!!

One of my simple pleasures:::
I wrote about this last week  but didnt get around to  doing anything so I  will surely attempt to  do some journaling  this week...  this week being a  very much more low key  week..

I love  journaling the wildlife that  comes into our yard...

this week I will be   writing about  

Also  I have seen a plethora of blue jays  of late...and since their  squawking  awakens me  of course  I will  do a bit of  blue jay  rambling

Inspirational Quote, Bible verse, anything you want to share:::

Wednesday Hodge Podge

Return to Joyce's page here!

1. What's something you'd rate a 10/10? Tell us why.

Well,  I   love Joyce's answer but  I'm going to  come up with   my number two I guess....  It is the idea of baking.. so inspired  by the Great British Baking Competition... I  am saving every recipe and   ordering the needed   tools.. Today my new aluminum double height baking  pan  arrived  from Great Britain no less!!!

2. What job would you be terrible at? What makes you think so?

 I think it would be nursing..  I don't do well with bodily fluids...

3. When did you last take a fall?

Oh, man,  I think about it a lot these days because I  don't feel as steady on my feet...  especially on steps  but to be honest I can't think of the last time...  I think  I tripped coming down the brick steps  at our  back walk...  I fell right on my knee... my poor knees....  these steps  are much better  traversed on your backside!

 What's something you're falling for (in a good way) these days?

And  again  it would have to be   the idea of  doing  some fall baking this year... I  can't wait to  bake an English sponge cake in my new pan!! And then I can't wait to try my hand at slicing the cake through the middle!  yikes!!

4. According to the Travel Channel here are some of America's best fall festivals-

National Apple Harvest Festival (near Arendtsville PA, close to Gettysburg), Harvest on the Harbor (Portland Maine), German Village Festival (Columbus Ohio), Wellfleet Oyster Fest (Cape Cod), and Wine and Chile Fiesta (Santa Fe NM)

Have you ever been to any of the festivals listed? Which one appeals to you most? Does your hometown have any sort of fall celebration, and if so will you make it a point to attend?

No,  we haven't been to any of these  but we sure would love to   go to the  Oyster Fest on Cape Cod...  next time we are up north  during the fall!!!  We  do not have a  real  fall festival here  except a small one at our church.... we do have  a local farm that  hosts  a festive October with pumpkins and  hayrides...I know our  younger classes at school  did field trips there every  fall!  But I've never been to Jeter Farm.

Looks like fun!!

5. What is your goodbye message to summer?

Dear Summer-

I can't say I'm sorry to see you go,  but  I  do treasure   the memories  of younger days in the sun

Signed-

The lady who is  paying the price  for sun exposure.. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.

We did not take  safety measures  but  we are  pretty careful  personal info  online and the use of  online  services

Autumn Arrives

"The goldenrod is yellow
The corn is turning brown
The trees in apple orchards
With fruit are bending down."
- Childrens song

Today I  removed  the  tokens of summer from around the house and  brought forward the  colors of autumn... my favorite  season!!!

First of all I    turned on my   lovely piano jazz station on Pandora..  Beegie Adair...

  Oh, my is she mellow. just perfect  for  autumn!
So I started with the mantel...

 

I  like to incorporate  a bit of wildlife...   the pheasants and   Mr. Fox

The end table  got  an  autumn upgrade! 

another  tablescape! 

Coordinating colors in the dining room 

 I like  mood lighting     in various places...

I love the shadows of  autumn! 

without  flash 

and with flash! 

It does feel great to have  this transformation underway!
Make it Pretty Monday

Amaze Me Monday

Grace at Home