The Vineyard Dressed in Gold

A transparent community is not simply one where we talk about what God did yesterday and how we came to enlightenment and grew and how today will be different. A transparent culture of confession is one where we say, “Here is where I am today and I am afraid I will always be like this and my inclination is to hide it away.” That is true transparency. That is true confession. - See more at: http://sayable.net/2015/10/stinking-christians/#sthash.cptXJHz7.dpuf

Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

Robert Frost

A transparent community is not simply one where we talk about what God did yesterday and how we came to enlightenment and grew and how today will be different. A transparent culture of confession is one where we say, “Here is where I am today and I am afraid I will always be like this and my inclination is to hide it away.” That is true transparency. That is true confession. - See more at: http://sayable.net/2015/10/stinking-christians/#sthash.cptXJHz7.dpuf

A transparent community is not simply one where we talk about what God did yesterday and how we came to enlightenment and grew and how today will be different. A transparent culture of confession is one where we say, “Here is where I am today and I am afraid I will always be like this and my inclination is to hide it away.” That is true transparency. That is true confession. - See more at: http://sayable.net/2015/10/stinking-christians/#sthash.cptXJHz7.dpuf

Roaring Run, A Walk in the Woods

    

     Autumn is by far my favorite season for hiking in the woods. The temperatures are comfortable, there are no bugs, and the fallen leaves smell incredibly good. It's an entirely different landscape with bare trees and no undergrowth. The mountainsides are visible rising up behind the woods and there's a better sense of the terrain.
     The aid was with my mom this morning, so when B. suggested a hike, I happily agreed! Roaring Run is a popular local trail that follows a stream and several cascades leading up to a waterfall. It's a super easy hike, perhaps a mile and a half round trip, and only a twenty minute drive from home. The creek dominates the landscape with the trail hugging its banks and crisscrossing it with bridges. Its rushing water guides hikers upward toward the falls. Henri was our little trailblazer and energetically scampered up and over rocks. Considering his age of ten years, he was quite limber. Lindy, who is years older than Henri enjoyed the trail as well and was a sweet girl to oblige the climb in her gentle way. We tackled the trail at a comfortable pace, stopping now and then to sit on boulders and enjoy the beauty of the woods. Bits of color still dot some trees while leaves cascaded down in slow motion all around us as we hiked.We passed not a soul on the entire way up. We chose an alternate trail on the way down and by that time, we spotted several other hikers on their way in. Although everyone was friendly, I'm glad we had the woods to ourselves for a while. There were a few men trout fishing where the creek widens into large pools at the trail head.
     Afterwards, we rewarded our appetites with coffee and biscuits on B.'s porch. Yes, it was mild enough to dine outside! These are fleeting opportunities as evidenced by the rain that began to fall on my way home. The air remains mild, but the chilly nights and cool breezes have soaked into the rocks and ground so nothing emanates warmth anymore. If you sit down on a rock or the ground, it will seep with cold! November sets in with its inevitable gray dampness.  It's still beautiful, though and it's a good thing I like rainy days.

Henri the Trailblazer

Henri keeps watch while we sit near the stream below him.

My prize find; a fallen branch of perfect pine cones

With a Little Help From My friends

 
     This beautiful scene is our neighbor's yard. It sits up the hill behind our house where I like to walk. This weekend proved to be an emotionally difficult one in caring for my mom. Not for any reason in particular, but for just feeling discouraged in general. We both had those colds and as minor as that may seem, it's still very disruptive to a ninety-three year old and her caregiver. Steve's extensive travel schedule has become wearying as well and we both simply crave "normal"... whatever that is. But, the walks I take with Henri are good medicine! Even if I can only circle the property, that's something I cherish. On better days I can wander two to three miles and return home feeling very refreshed in my attitude. There have been many little things that have proven to be big encouragements. Here are a few:

1. Neighbor W. regularly phones when he's going to the farm market to see if we want any produce. A little thoughtfulness from a neighbor is no small thing. Pass it along!
1a. He asked if I'd spoken to the new neighbors and I had not. I told W. that they don't wave back to me in passing on the road. He said they don't wave back at him either. We both felt better knowing that it wasn't anything personal. Haha!
2. Tess saw my discouragement yesterday afternoon when I shed a few tears while I was washing dishes at the kitchen sink. She made me take off my rubber gloves in order to give me a proper hug.
3. An invitation out for coffee. Best diversion ever!
4. A friend phoned with recommendations for two potential granny-sitters. (I don't know what else to call it, so I've come up with that title.) I'm hoping Steve and I can begin to go out on a date once or twice per month.
5. Mom said she wants to go out to lunch later this week. We can most definitely do that!- as long as her cough subsides.
6. L. gave me a daily devotional and it's wonderful for two reasons. First, the book is well made. I have an appreciation for a well bound book with quality paper and a good feel to it. It's a neat, tidy book printed on smooth, pure white paper. It's just a really nice book to hold. Secondly, the internet devotionals weren't doing it for me. I prefer to read in a chair with a book. I'm old fashioned that way. So, here I am, set for three hundred and sixty-five days. I just thought of reason number three: L. gave it to me : )
7. There is a monster-big Praying Mantis on the window screen for the second day in a row. It is fascinating to observe in a creepy-fascinating kind of way. It actually turned its head to look at me when I walked up to the window. That ET shaped head on that little neck tilts and turns just like a human head. Tess saw it grab a ladybug and we watched it eat for a minute. Every time I glance at the window, it's still there like a familiar companion.

Birthdays and Visits

     There were many happy events over the last seven days that I haven't had a chance to write about. We began with Tess' 19th (!!) birthday. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that our youngest is nineteen. We then had a three day visit from Claire and Daniel and the grandchildren. I was high on 'cuteness overload' with the three little ones here. Steve returned home briefly on Sunday, having half an hour in passing with Claire and family before they departed. He brought me some excellent toffee, which I shared : ). That afternoon we were able to attend a dinner reservation made weeks earlier at Tizzone. Twice per month Tizzone's holds wine pairing dinner events and this was the first one we tried. This one happened to be a four course dinner, each course being paired with a Bordeaux wine. The meal was delicious, the aperitif was my favorite, and Steve and I enjoyed being out together along with friends, old and new.
     Aside from all this, we've had some breathtaking autumn days. I even enjoy the rainy days when we make the house cozy with lights on in the day time time and blankets on our laps when we curl up for a movie at night. Most of us know the importance of cozying up our living environments on these shortened fall and winter days, but did you know the Danish are experts at this and raise it to an art? It is known as the Danish art of hygge. You can read all about it here.
     Before I could gather my thoughts to write about any one of these events singularly, my mother and I both came down with heavy colds. Needless to say, we've had several nights of disrupted sleep. I hope we will turn the corner on this and feel better soon. Steve is away again, which may mean he has been spared the suffering. We're trying very hard not to pass it on to Tess. She's too busy with school and work to get sick. I'll leave a few photos to highlight our week until I feel more up to writing.

Preparing Tess' birthday dinner of an excellent beef stew in the crockpot and...

... fruit pizzas!! Good recipe HERE 
We've been making these for years and they are so much fun to decorate and they taste great. 

For the grandchildren, I baked pumpkin-shaped sugar cookies, frosted them, and gave the kids candies to decorate them with funny faces.

Yes, bikes are allowed inside at Nonni's house : )

This little guy is ready to take some steps.

We also visited the sheep,

looked for the chickens,

and ran home across the field.

Waxed Paper Leaves

     This is one of three maple trees that we planted the year we built our house. Every autumn this  tree puts on a bright display of foliage. I think it's rather special because I can find every color leaf on this one tree- from yellow to orange to red, and many blends in between. This is its eleventh autumn here and the eleventh time it has given me delight. While mowing the lawn yesterday, I decided it was time to save some of these leaves before they all fell and blew away.
     What child hasn't ironed fall leaves between sheets of waxed paper? I recall the smell of waxed paper melting under the warm iron since the time I was five. I continued this autumn ritual with our girls when they were little and I continue it now, even after they've grown. Gathering leaves for a purpose, whether it be to iron them in waxed paper or to create a great pile to jump into, is half the fun. I gathered the prettiest leaves I could find and brought them inside. I arranged them between sheets of waxed paper and then sealed them in with the iron on a low setting. I like to frame them with black construction paper because I think it makes them look like stained glass. I use an exacto knife to cut out the center of the squares of black paper to make a neat frame. It's a free and easy craft that gives me pleasure every autumn. I keep  these preserved leaves around the house through Thanksgiving, long after the trees have shed all their color. It's a wonderful way to keep the color alive just a little longer than nature intended.

Autumn Salad

    Today was very productive. In addition to tons of laundry, I canned nine jars of applesauce, cleaned three bathrooms, washed floors, and mowed the lawn. When I see 'nine jars of applesauce' written down it doesn't look like a big deal, but it is! I always consider home-canned foods as treasures. Maybe it's because it takes a bit of work to get from raw produce to can-on-a-shelf. Anyway, I canned nine jars of applesauce today. The family will be so pleased this winter when we bring a jar up from the basement to eat with our roast pork.
     I thought it would give mom something to do if I asked her to help with the applesauce. I started by having her quarter the apples and I planned cut out the core. But, when I saw her technique I thought for sure there would be bloodshed. So I switched to doing the quartering and had her cut out the core. My heart skipped a beat many times during our prepping of the apples.  I hope mom feels pleased to know that she contributed to the process of putting all those pretty jars on the shelf.I know
     We're still enjoying salads for lunch even in this cooler weather. Our current favorite is red leaf lettuce, slices of ripe pear, cubes of cheese, roasted pecans, and honey Dijon dressing. We've switched from peaches and almonds on our summer salads to pears and pecans for fall.
     While mom took an afternoon nap, I went outside to mow. It was a gorgeous day and I was so happy to be outside! The leaves are just about at their brightest colors and I couldn't resist bringing a small pile inside. More on that later...

    

IKEA and Parts South

     If Steve and I could have three days away with the only restriction being that it's within driving distance, where would we go? Why IKEA, of course. Not really, but it was the destination we chose. We were supposed to go three months ago to buy some Poang chairs for the office but Steve has been traveling so much and my mom needed a caregiver, so we kept putting it off. Finally, we took this opportunity during my sister's visit to go on our little road trip. We tied it in with a visit to Claire's family because we've missed going to visit them at their home. Claire and Audrey asked us to pick up some items from IKEA for them as well and I was armed with a list. It was ridiculous how excited I was about this road trip. Steve went along with my high spirits and probably enjoyed himself just as much. He even bought something for his contractor friend at work.

     IKEA is the kind of place where you should expect to spend hours, if not the entire day. They even have a cafeteria so you can stop to eat or snack and then continue to shop. We took a coffee and dessert break. The entire place is designed with simplicity and cleanliness in mind. It's super organized and just plain fun to browse.

Coffee and dessert cafeteria style

The cafeteria- Mary Poppins was playing on the screen near the children-sized tables and chairs.

The warehouse (or playground for Steve). 

Loaded up and ready to go.

  After browsing the showrooms and marketplace, customers use the warehouse in self-serve style to pick up what they've chosen to buy. There are employees everywhere to assist should you need it. In my opinion, IKEA has taken a mediocre product and marketed it very well. They have a great design team, evident in their room displays which are packed with great ideas. They've made shopping for the home fun. There's nothing high-end there, just good, simple, functional, affordable stuff for the home or apartment.
    After leaving IKEA in Charlotte, we drove to Raleigh, to Claire's house. It turned out that the NC State Fair was this very same weekend! The fairgrounds are within mere minutes from Claire's home. She and I took the children on our second day there and we had a great time. I enjoy fairs and this was my third trip to this one in particular. I like the agriculture displays, the animals, and the food! (Not in that order.) It was an overcast day which made it more comfortable to be strolling around outside. It was hard to choose which foods to eat because they all smelled so good. We ended up having the roasted corn: fresh corn, roasted in the husk, peeled open and dipped in melted butter, a corn dog, funnel cake, and cotton candy. Claire made excellent kettle corn at home, so we didn't buy any of that. The grandchildren were so easy to please and they went along with whatever Claire suggested. It was very crowded and we must have walked miles; it was great!

Look at the size of these melons! Notice all the potatoes behind the melons. This is a great fair.

It was worth the stickiness!

     It was time to drive home much too soon. We took our favorite back roads home to Roanoke and made our usual stops at a couple of antique shops along the way. It's time for my sister to return home and for our days to return to the routine.