Cinnamon, A pleasant spot, What to do during piano lessons

1. Warm little muffins, dipped in melted butter, then rolled in cinnamon sugar, melt in your mouth.
2. The library is the perfect place to spend my extra 20 minutes. It's right in town, it's near the school and everyone is friendly.
3. It was a toss up between the home store and the antiques mall- I chose the antiques mall. I'm less inclined to spend money there because I'm perfectly happy to browse.

Better late than never, A good match, A good day

1. After one day of sun, the rains have returned. The greens that are left in nature are deepening to a lushness we haven't seen all summer.
2. A pot of Pasta Fagioli simmers for dinner, perfect for a cool, damp day.
3. She tells me about being called on in class and being rewarded with a lollipop for having a perfect answer. We're never too old for lollipops. (Or rewards in general.)

Changes, Perking things up, Packaged

1. Breaking clouds gave way to sunshine and clear air. Cloud shadows rolled over the mountains contrasting the sunny spots of gold flecked trees.
2. It is finally time to add touches of fall to the house. A harvest plate, some dried leaves and berries, and sunny orange mums change things up.
3. I packed up a chicken pie, assembled in a foil pan, then wrapped and labeled for freezing, into a bakery box. I keep bakery boxes in various sizes along with foil pans and plates on hand for when I take a meal or treat to someone. These are so easy to transport with no dishes to return. (I made an extra for our freezer!)

Raleigh, NC

1. Steve has loaded the crib, dresser and high chair onto the truck. We add our suitcases and Henri and we're off to visit Claire and Daniel!
2. I've packed sandwiches for our dinner on the road. Steve says, "Ever since Cape Cod, you've packed a picnic when we travel." (That was in 1981.)
3. Claire and I leave early Saturday morning for the Liberty Antiques Fair. The guys stay behind to tile the laundry room floor. This seems unfair, but they're happy, so we're happy.
4. It is hot, hot, hot. A vendor is selling freshly squeezed lemonade so we sit in the shade with a glass and sip lemony sweetness piled with ice cubes.
5. Browsing 100 acres of antiques is a bit overwhelming. I buy a wooden dough bowl and two vintage Christmas ornaments for my collection.
6. Preparing dinner side by side with Claire.
7. We opened her new paint spray gun and practiced. She is a pro in no time. The cradle is very pretty with its new coat of white paint.
8. Sunday brunch at Tir Na Nog in downtown Raleigh.
9. On our drive home, we stopped at a working mill. It has finally begun to rain and the sound on the tin roof of the mill was peaceful. The rest of the drive home was through a wonderful, soaking rain.

Rummaging, Summing up, Is that...?

1. I found two back issues of Country Home in the sale bin at the library. A prize for 20 cents!
2. The kitchen is the gathering place at the end of the school day. (It's where the food is) The girls share their stories and we give each other our opinions.
3. One daughter never, ever, ever sings...except in the shower with her country radio station on.

Love, Out the window, That's me!

1. I happened to be pulling into a friend's house when a caravan of church friends drives up at the same time. They pile out, hauling cleaning supplies and a vacuum. She has been sick and they've come to clean her house. The look of surprise on her face is priceless.
2. Thunderstorms were a rare occurrence this summer. When the storm rumbled in this afternoon, I realized how much I've missed them.
3. I refer to myself as "Grandma" during a conversation with my mom about the granddaughter we're expecting. We share our disbelief and pleasure that this stage has come to our lives.

It could have been a LOT worse, It's hard to pull when you're laughing, Snails

1. I have driven a month with my "check engine" light on, so I reluctantly went to the VW dealer. The malfunction was due to a mistake they made the last time I was in and there will be NO CHARGE to fix it. Yes! And my car is zippy again now that cylinder 2 is firing properly.
2. Steve and I need to move the huge and heavy compost bin across the yard. He uses two of the kid's scooters as dollies; I pull, he pushes. This cracks me up and I laugh all the way across the yard at the two of us maneuvering this hulk on scooters.
3. Silvery snail trails crisscross the cement landing.

Artificial cooler, Makita, Evening

1. Still thankful for air conditioning! I always have a burst of energy in the fall with long lists of projects I would love to tackle. But the daytime heat is relentless so I use the cool air conditioning and keep moving down the list.
2. After a frustrating attempt to hand-sand our butcher block island, Steve came home and dug out the orbital sander for me. I love this little guy! (I mean the sander) The island is now soft as a baby's you-know-what, and sealed against spills.
3. I work outside until it is too dark to see, wishing for just a little more daylight because it's so beautiful out here tonight.

Painting friend, Happy faces, Start dumping

1. I made a new friend today. It's a Campbell Hausfeld Gravity Feed Spray Gun. I was a little intimidated by him at first, but we quickly became friends and I'll never use a paint brush again, (if I can help it.)
2. The Cosmos that I laid out for pressing looked so cheery, I had to take their picture.
3. Steve finished building our compost bin today. It has two sides which will enable us to rotate our piles. It reminds me of a dog kennel because it's so big, but we'll have it filled in no time.

Fields and trees, Synchronized, Cool down

1. Nature is changing her color palette. Greens fade into browns and golds, while reds and burgundies turn up their hue.
2. The fire alarm blasted just as we opened the door at school. We looked at each other with expressions that asked, "Did we do that!"
3. Late summer evenings turn cool as soon as the sun sets.

Greeted by three, Feels nice, Think of it this way

1. Visiting a friend's log home built in the woods. I smell the creek as I walk up the drive, then a spicy aroma blends in at the front porch near the pumpkins and mums, finished with the sweet smell of wood enveloping me as I step inside.
2. Staining wood outside after dinner with a refreshing breeze as my constant companion.
3. Finding ways to explain a math or science concept and seeing your child "get it".

Meandering, Freshened up, Coming home

1. Walked alone, in circles at Target, comparing items and taking my time.
2. A haircut! The last week leading up is always the hardest, but it makes the cut feel even fresher.
3. Coming into the driveway after dark when the house lights are on. Home looks so inviting after a busy day.

Alone, Happy child, Big sound

1. A solitary, pale pink bloom emerges on the Flowering Almond. Whatever would possess this dear little thing to bloom all alone in the fall when all its mates bloomed long ago last spring? I talk to it and give it a kiss for being so sweet and brave.
2. Baby giggles to herself from the backseat. We laugh in return from the front seat.
3. The crickets' song fills the field tonight.

Random Photos of the Day #4

Sedum, Autumn Joy

Random Photos of the Day #3

My favorite view looking south

Random Photos of the Day #2

The north view from our back hill. Tidy rows of grape vines at Virginia Mountain Vineyard.

Random Photos of the Day #1

From an animal menagerie that was on on a child's cake in the 1950's

Sharing thoughts, Easing into autumn, They're back

1. When you're visiting with a friend and hours go by in what seems like only minutes.
2. A blue sky day, warm and not hot.
3. Tiny little stunted raspberries ripen on the canes. They're making a last-ditch effort in their comeback after being eaten down by deer this summer.

A very good lunch, And what do you think about...?, Young love

1. We had a delicious pork roast rubbed with a mixture of Dijon, olive oil, garlic and rosemary. It crisped over on top as it roasted. I cooked it over a bed of carrots, onions and potatoes.
2. We reconnected with book study friends tonight. As always, the comments are insightful, thought provoking and flecked with bouts of comedy.
3. He shaved off his chops and she can't stop touching his baby soft face.

Overcast day, New use, Fresh wood, 9/11

1. The misty kind of rain that sticks on your eyelashes and frizzes your hair when you go out for the mail.
2. I have re-purposed the table to serve as a desk in our bedroom. Tess helped me place it today and it's perfect; just as I imagined it would be.
3. The newly built compost bin smells of cut wood. (It won't smell this good for long!)
4. I listen to a montage of audio clips from 9/11. Moving comments, speeches and remarks from that day cut through the pain and bring out the pride that I have for my country. The good in humanity far outweighed the evil that day.

I'm not quite ready, At the right stage, Time to relax

1. The sedum is turning pink, leaves are scattered under the crab apple tree and the sun has a different slant. Summer is gently fading and fall is arriving whether I'm ready or not. I suppose I should get with the program.
2. A tractor pulling a load of budding mums turns into Country Corner and I make a mental note to stop in there next week.
3. Coffee and apple pie on the porch this quiet evening.

Arrivals, Clear the calendar, Cooler

1. Two packages on the doorstep and one in the mailbox!
2. It was supposed to be a very hectic day with appointments from morning to evening. But Tess came home early with a cold, so we canceled everything. I'm not pleased that she is sick, just glad to have the flexibility to scrap everything.
3. This evening's walk with Henri was extra pleasant. The wind rustled the leaves all along the way.

An old friend, A new friend, Riding with friends

1. We have a table that we found in the basement of an old house we bought in 1989 in Saratoga Springs, NY. It's an ancient farmhouse style table that we've carted with us wherever we have lived. Today I'm getting it ready for a new spot in our bedroom. I love it the same as always.
2. It is a functional thing of beauty, this 18 quart, white enameled, electric roaster. It exudes presence as it sits on the table, confident that it can feed a crowd.
3. The kids ride in the back of the pick-up as we head home over back roads.

Favorite wake-up, Show and tell, Tunnels

1. Biscotti dunked in coffee; my favorite breakfast.
2. Steve and I attended parent night at the high school. The teachers review the syllabus for each class and I realize our kids are being given a huge amount of knowledge and information to absorb. I admire the young, sharp mind and realize how fuzzy my old one is.
3. We tunnel home through the dark. Trees grow like a bower over country roads and our headlights help us worm our way through.

Ivory, Variety, Censored

1. I unwrap a bar of Ivory Soap and place it on the shelf in the linen closet. The big old house we rented in Maine was stocked with Ivory Soap and I want to experience that smell again.
2. The kind of perfect weather where you can sit in the sun or the shade and still be comfortable.
3. We've been watching The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour on DVD. Hysterically funny, I remember watching this with my family back in the late 60's.

Cosmos, Funny bone, Promise

1. Orange and yellow Cosmos light up the garden. You can see the artist's brushstrokes on each petal.
2. Talking with my mom on the phone, I make a comment that sends her into giggles and laughter.
3. "O Joy that seekest me through pain, I cannot close my heart to Thee. I trace the rainbow through the rain, and feel the promise is not vain, that morn shall tearless be." From the song, O Love That Will Not Let Me Go" by George Mattheson

The Lost Episodes

1. I've lost a few days here! Busy mornings, busy afternoons. It's all good.
2. Toasted coconut, crunchy and sweet. If I keep nibbling, there won't be enough left for the coconut cream tart.
3. It has been months since we've had weather this gorgeous. Sunny, breezy, cool and invigorating.
4. I think Tess actually likes school.

Nothing new, Shower, Crisp and clean, Zero

1. An errand takes me to the other side of town where I have a chance to browse some second hand shops and the Habitat Re-Store. I like the chippy old doors and beautiful fixtures from old, torn down places.
2. The temperatures are still running in the 90's. I drag the garden hose through the kitchen and out to the screen porch where I give the walls and floor a wash down. The icy spray is refreshing around my bare feet.
3. Fresh tablecloths and clean floors make me very happy.
4. She would like to ignore the zeros in math equations. We discuss why this might not be a good idea and we examine the huge difference it makes when they are ignored. I understand her reasoning- zeros are big, fat nothings so why bother with them.