REMEMBERING OUR VETERANS

My heartfelt thank you goes out to all our veterans and to our servicemen and women who are presently serving our country.

I personally have had several family members who have filled those shoes throughout the decades. My Dad and Uncles in the WWII era, brother and husbands (deceased and living) serving the Vietnam to Desert Storm timeframe and my son and other relatives in the Iraq to present timeframe.

It breaks my heart that these men and women gave their all and still are as I watch our nation self implode. Our stiving to remain "politically correct" has become our "political pitfall."

God Bless America!

My Wireless World

I remember a time when my kids were quite young and the television quit working; it bit the dust and was a goner. In those days, we didnt run right out and get a new one, we spent months SAVING for a replacement.

But as I recall, I accomplished more in those few months than I did in several previous ones. I pulled out the treadle sewing machine and stitched up some of the cutest little kids clothes, and patched up worn out work jeans.. Ok, I know you're wondering about the "treadle" machine, and NO - it's not that I'm that old, it's just that I loved that machine and it was all I had at the time, it was functional and so I put it to work.

I delved into my recipe collection and rediscovered cooking and baking, I spent time playing with the kids, took walks, READ books and finished up a lot of odd little projects that had been put on the back burner for too long.

Now several decades later here I am caught up in a world where I sit in front of a computer, spending precious hours surfing the net, wasting time day dreaming, doing virtual landscaping, getting upset with online news reports, shopping, etc. My evenings are spent multi-tasking - I'm in front of the tv and on the laptop at the same time. Such talent! When in reality, it's such a waste of talent.

I wonder what my world would be like if I lost electricity. I still have that treadle sewing machine, lots of candles and oodles of crafting supplies gathering dust. Hmm... just wondering!

Off the Beaten Path

Even though yesterday was a "gray day" we still took our usual walk. This time we decided to go a little off the beathen path to do some exploring in areas we hadn't yet visited. We turned left instead of heading down our usual trail, and knowing the general area and how the roads ran, where the river was, in what direction the lake was etc. we headed straight into the woods.

We really do live in a beautiful wooded haven. Pine trees reaching high into the sky, maples dropping their varied colored leaves and ferns preparing for winter. My thoughts kept going back to the numerous hours spent playing in the woods and exploring as a child. I loved it then, and I love it now. You never know what's around that next corner, like a bucket hanging on a branch, way out in the middle of nowhere. I think it was there just in case someone like me came along with a camera, which I did. I've learned to pocket the camera for just such occasions.

We came across this beautiful little oak tree. The display of bright red against the browning leaves was brilliant, even for a "gray day."

It's quite obvious that our fall is beyond it's peak but there are still a few trees holding on as long as they can. Although we've already had accumulating snow that lasted a few days before melting; I'm like that tree, holding on to the hopes of a few more warm days to call autumn before succumbing to the wiles of winter.

Snow pics coming soon !

Chickens and Goats

They say that a good fence makes for good neighbors. Well ~ we put up a fence and it changed what used to be a tolerable old neighbor into a cantankerous old fart! The man just won't smile at us any more. Okay, okay ... So maybe it's the way my husband finds humor in staring at him as he tries to back his pontoon into his driveway, or it could be the fact that we put up a fence in the first place because he was treating our yard like his private parking lot. So being the good neighbors that we are, we measured out the limits set by the codes and we proceeded to build a beautiful split rail fence.
Of course this lead to the old codgers curiosity and he quickly sprinted to the best of his ability, to inquire as to what we were up to now and to inform us we were too close to his property... the humor being that we had already measured and knowing where the survey post is buried we were WELL WITHIN our limits. We even left enough room on "their side" of the fence (which is actually still our land) to enable us to use our riding mower on that side. So... back to my naming this post chickens and goats.
When the old grump asked "what are you up to now?" I responded "We're going to get some chickens and pygmy goats." I don't know what made me say it but I thought they were going to faint. The way their heads spun around was like watching "The Exorcist!" I was laughing so hard inside, but I was still able to maintain a straight and serious face. My husband fell right into my joke and never cracked a smile ~ at least not within thier view.

Now mind you, WE DO LOVE ANIMALS and we would love to have goats and chickens but although we live on the outer skirts of what we laughingly call the "city limits" we are still within them, so we don't have goats or chickens ~ yet. But we might just check into that a little further and see what limits we can push. I do love my farm fresh eggs, and who can resist those cute little goats?

I woke up this morning snickering to myself after dreaming that when our snow-bird neighbors returned from wintering down south ~ we had chickens and goats. But it was only a dream.

Our Corner of the World

Fall seems to have taken a turn for the worse here in Upper Michigan. We've already seen snow and the cold set in long ago even though we're just now in mid-October. The leaves on our maple tree are green and changing ever so slowly. Leaves are falling off of it but its so much duller than last year due to our cool weather and early frosts.

Our maple tree this year ~

Our Maple tree last year ~

We raked and raked and raked today. Covering the flowers and raised garden beds with leaf mulch before the snows decide to stay. Brr... just too cold for this time of year.

The Scuffle

I've been having a scuffle amongst myself. My mind has such great aspirations but my my body lacks the ambition. Without the get up and go, what good are my ideas? Even in my dreams I'm doing fantastic things and accomplishing all my undone tasks; so why can't I get that burning desire to actually get things done?

Today I'll blame the dreary weather. Tommorrow I'll blame something else.

Maybe if I keep journaling about it, I'll get tired of my own prattling and take action.

So it goes...

A Hidden Treasure

As we wandered around the sales at the "Fall Harvest Festival", my dear hubby spotted the top of this little lovely, hidden behind a table displaying a huge set of dishes. He mentioned it to me, so I peeked under the table and immediately knew it was an interesting piece. When we asked the gentleman if it was for sale, he replied he didn't think so and that he would have to ask. Someone thought it was a prop, and then this sweet lady piped up " If someone wants to buy it, sell it for crying out loud." When she asked me what I thought it was worth, I named my price and she said "SOLD."

I immediately envisioned it standing in my garden however it's too fragile for the outdoors. He stands 3 feet tall and fits perfectly in our home.

I just love when you find a little something special, something you don't really need but it still fits into your life. But what I love the most is the fact that Thom thought of me when he spotted it, knowing I would love it.