Happy Halloween!

Pixie, kobold, elf, and sprite,

All are on their rounds tonight;

In the wan moon's silver ray,

Thrives their helter-skelter play.

Joel Benton

Hat

O.K. - I just had to buy the hat.  It was $5.00.  Satin roses, moss green netting, black netting, little chenille balls, black spiders, black feathers and constructed out of moss green satin.  How could you go wrong?  And my husband was only too happy to take a picture and show people how much of a witch I can be!!  Anyway - it was fun! 

                                                                                                     Diane

In the Pumpkin Patch

Just had to show you the latest picture of my little great grandson.  This Halloween he's 22 months old.  I think he's quite a little punkin'! 

Killing Frost Last Night

"Last night, there came  frost which has done great damage to my garden.....
It is sad that Nature will play such tricks on us poor mortals, inviting us with sunny smiles to confide in her, and then, when we are entirely within her power, striking us to the heart." - Nathaniel Hawthorne,
                                                                                                                 The American Notebooks

Paddling Upstream

Ducks make it look easy - swimming upstream, paddling against the current, trying to get somewhere but going in the hardest direction.  This duck was blithely taking it all in stride today and I was fortunate to get some shots of her.

Some days I can check off the things on my to-do list - check, check, check, done!  Other days it feels like I'm walking in quicksand, or taking one step forward and three back.  How about you?       Diane

Just a Thought

One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living.  We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon - instead of enjoying the roses that bloom outside our windows. today.                  Dale Carnegie

Still The Mother

Walking today I ran across mother wild turkey and her family.  I know that it's them and not another flock of turkeys because they all stay very close together and she still tells them where to go.  And I counted, there are still 8 younger ones.  She still hovers over them  very protectively.  It was June when I saw the tiny little chicks and she still has them together, amazing to me.                        

Gittin' Er Ready

In this picture my husband is tuning up his tractor for snowplowing our driveway (and the neighborhood) this winter.  Last winter he was upset because we only had one snow that was deep enough to plow.  If you'll notice - he's so intent on working on it that he's forgotten his ever present oxygen bottle. 

Colder weather, possibly snow, is predicted for next week so I've been trying to get the yard in shape.  Everybody in the neighborhood has been doing the same thing.  Nothing like a change in the weather to get motivated.             Diane

Lions and Tigers and Cats, Oh My!

Here's my fat little cat out on the dining room table to celebrate the upcoming Halloween festivities.  The best thing about him is his spindly little legs, they're so comical.

 And here's a journal page I just finished recently.  It was time consuming cutting out the edge between the letters but I'm really pleased with the way it turned out. 
Hope you're having a good weekend.  Diane

October

The fields are harvested and bare,
And Winter whistles through the square.
October dresses in flame and gold,
Like a woman afraid of growing old.
                                        Anne Mary Lawler

Remember?

A while back I told you that I had a surprise.  Well this is it - a new paint job for the cottage.  I'm still debating as to whether I should repaint the little window trim white or leave it like it is.  Since I'm not fond of painting (especially trim) I've almost talked myself into leaving it like it is.  My husband insisted we paint it this year because he says it will last longer.  To make the job easier I chose a lovely color called French Castle.  I think the flowers will stand out better against the lighter color, too. Hope you've had a good day. Diane

Funny Goings On

Wierd things have shown up around here......

We noticed that some strange person was snooping in the drawer on the patio and seemed to have had an accident.....

Jack-o-lanterns have taken up residence on the front porch.

A raven has decided to perch on the back porch...

Halloween is everywhere in our house

                                                                                                             Diane

Cleaning and Thinking

Anniversary roses hang in the little rafters, sunflowers dry in a bucket, burnt orange colored roses dry on the floor and the place needs cleaned.  This is one of my "chores" in the autumn, to clean my little cottage.  Not only do I clean the windows, vacuum, dust and probably move everything in the place, but I sort out the things that I want to pass on to someone else.  Anymore, there isn't a lot that I get rid of.
I wish you could join me there.  We would talk for hours - maybe days.
Little children sometimes seem kind of in awe of an old lady who plays in a dollhouse.  To some children it doesn't seem to make much difference, they just take it in stride.  Others wish they could have a playhouse like Diane.  It's so nice to have the extra dimension to my life that I have with the cottage.  Diane

Creatures Everywhere

This day began with a heavy fog which blanketed our whole area giving everything a magical look.  Then the sun came out and brought with it the creatures of the day. 

...the mother turkey still herding her brood of eight around.  Still a little foggy here.  They still aren't as large as her but almost. 

The deer in the field across the creek.
And then there was the war....

Please enlarge

The invaders came to the grapevine, cedar waxwings, and the robins were up in arms.  The grapevine is their territory and they were trying to drive the waxwings off.  I even saw Mr. Pheasant tiptoeing around underneath the grapevine.  Good thing the robins didn't see him!!   What's been going on in your neighborhood?  Diane

The Raven

Exerpt

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore -
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
""Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door:
Only this, and nothing more." - Edgar Allen Poe

Diane

Oh, Honey!

This page was a lot of fun to make. 

It started out with the graphic - Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread, then

I used some of my stamps and my favorite - the bee.

It was fun to make the dripping honey down the side.

Hope you've had a honey of a day!  Diane

Doing Art

In my art I find that not only is it one thing but many, maybe most everything in

my life that it encompasses.  Instead of just sitting down at my workbench with some

glue, sticky tape, pictures, pens and papers it involves what I see

around me, what's going on, searching my favorite thrift shop for bits and

pieces and being on the lookout for graphics of all kinds.

Above is a card that I found in Billings and I also found some other wonderful die-cut card stock graphics. 

It's fun just going through everything deciding what I want for the place I want it. 

It keeps life interesting!

Diane

Thinking About Halloween

To me Halloween is a time for celebrating autumn and the changing seasons.  With the darkness coming earlier and earlier it's a little spooky when I take a walk near dark.  The sound of a cat rustling in the leaves, a branch not quite where it's supposed to be and even the moon looks a little eerier. It hearkens back to the times when Mother would help us make gypsy costumes and we could wear MAKEUP and some of her old jewelry. When you never knew who would answer the door when you knocked, and shadows flitted around the streets.  It's fun.  Sometimes we just need to have fun.  Diane

Winter's Coming

We had to go to Billings, Montana today for an appointment.  The Bighorns are so beautiful on the way, but I see there's snow in the high country.  This picture isn't real good, it's from the car.  Hope you've had a good day.  Diane

Glow

The light is amazing right now.  In the evening and late afternoon everything just glows.  Maybe it's the color

of the leaves, maybe the sun, maybe the atmosphere, I don't know and I don't even want to guess. 

It's just enchanting.
Tonight I walked Rascal late, after dark, and I heard an owl.  For some reason that's such an autumn sound.   

Thank you so much for all of your very nice wishes to Leonard on his birthday.  He just sat down and read them and was touched.  You're such sweet friends.                        Diane

Leonard's Birthday

Yesterday (Sunday) our grandson K.C., his daughter Rose, her husband Don who's holding Lili - granddaughter.  K.C. served a stint in Iraq and is still in the Marines and is attending

MSU in Bozeman, Montana.  He came down for his grandpa's birthday. 

Leonard had a big day, big weekend in fact.  What a joyful birthday!

Diane

Birthday Celebrations

Today is my husband's 71st birthday - 10/10/10.  He started celebrating Friday night with supper out at a place we like to eat compliments of Bean and Gregg.  Yesterday we were joined by my oldest daughter, Catherine, her husband Perry, their daughters Hannah and Lindsay (holding our great-grandson, Tatum who is 2 next January).  We had a great day, they brought the things for lunch and Catherine did the cooking and the girls helped prepare.  And she brought an elegant coconut cake.  It was a great day.  Today his daughter, Rose and her family should be here.                                                                 Diane

Again!

O.K. One more post about the morning glories and then I'll quit.  It was cool and cloudy today so I was able to get a couple good shots of them.  Before when the sun was out the colors wouldn't show up good.

I know I'm not the only person to grow morning glories but they have just been such a bright, happy spot in the yard this year and they grew so well ..........and you should have seen my pathetic vegetable crop.  Diane

All Day Long Glories

Everytime I walk out into the driveway I'm thrilled at the morning glories.  I've never had such pretty ones. 

I wish you could see them.  The pictures just don't do justice and I

can't seem to get the right angle to show them good.  The entire section

of the fence is covered with them (in spite of my husband backing into it with his

pickup).  There's pink, dark pink, hot pink, lavender, blue, purple, and almost white.

They're growing so exuberantly that they're climbing right up into the pine tree above.  If they

had another month it's hard telling where they would go. And they don'tjust bloom

in the morning but all day long.  

Diane

The Party Is On!!!

That's the grape arbor in the background.  It's loaded with grapes and there are tons of them for the birds. It's so funny to watch the robins, they move in and have their own private party.  When one of us walks by on the way to the alley they either buzz us or chatter telling us that we're unwelcome guests at their little party! 

Or they flap and take off fast to try to scare us away. 

There's arguing among themselves, occasional singing and sometimes fights break out.  Reminds me of people at a party.   I'm glad to share them with the birds, it's worth the show.  Diane

Oh, My Stars!!!!

In the middle of the night I woke up and as I walked through the house it was so bright outside!  I checked to make sure I hadn't left the porch lights or the yard light on.  Then I looked out the window.  The stars!  I never saw so many stars, it was beautiful!!!  The entire sky was awash with stars, it looked like somebody had gone mad with the glitter bottle.  Oh, how I wish I'd thrown my coat on and went outside, but it was cold and all I could think was to go back to bed.                         Diane

Warning

You've probably read this before but I since I'm reading the book right now

here it is again

Warning

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple

With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.

And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves

And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.

I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired

And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells

And run my stick along the public railings

And make up for the sobriety of my youth. 

I shall go out inb my slippers in the rain

And pick the flowers in other people's gardens

And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat

And eat three pounds of sausages at a go

Or only bread and pickle for a week

And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry

And pay our rent and not swear in the steet

And set a good example for the children.

We must have friends to dinner and read the papers. 

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?

So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised

When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

Jenny Joseph

            

Thrifty Shopping

On the photoblog which I'm on I joined a theme on the masses.  This week's subject was shopping.
So I naturally posted these on mine.

 I stopped at a garage sale yesterday morning just to take pictures and was surprised how timid I was about asking people if I could photograph them.  Luckily there were two gals there who I knew (surprise!) and Kitty (the one above) was happy to oblige me.  Marabel (in the very top picture) wondered what I was up to. 

This picture is at Habitat for Humanity Restore.  I've known Lorraine for at least 150 years.  The man at the counter is actually an employee who was tickled to pretend that he was a customer, he even got his wallet out and was trying to dicker with her.  It was fun doing this project. 

When you think about it thrift stores, second hand stores, garage sales, and church basement sales account for a huge percentage of the commerce in this country.  I don't know about dollars but there's a massive amount of people who participate.  Even me!            Diane

On The Street Where We Live

We live in an older part of town and a lot of the city street repair money goes to the wealthier parts first.  If you'll notice we have potholes and the street does need repairs.  But I just hold my breath and hope that they forget about us.  The reason is the trees.  We have so many trees and they're so beautiful.  All the trees have been cut down on the streets that they've redone.  Saplings have been planted, there are perfect curbs and gutters and sidewalks they look artificial to me.  I'll take our own street and hope it will be a long time before they do ours.