Fall treats, Catching up, Repelled

1. I baked little apple pies because I can't wait for cooler weather and I want to start eating autumn foods now.
2. B. came over for a nice, long visit over coffee.
3. Sweeney's deer repellent seems to be working. The deer have not munched my Black Eyed Susans for a while and today there were enough blooms to pick a little bouquet.

Lined up, Life in the country, Gift from the garden

1. Packing lunch bags- ice pack, cold things, warm things, napkins; fitting the contents like puzzle pieces and then lining the bags up on the counter.
2. While the glue set, we had to sleep with a sheet in place of the front door. The weather was dry and mild, so no problem... until I turned the lights off for bed and thought, what if a bear wanders by and smells food? We go back into the living room to slide a piece of furniture in front of the opening. It probably wouldn't stop a hungry bear, but at least we'd hear something crash and awaken us.
3. A bag of lavender placed in the old dresser to freshen it.

Meeting up, Current read, How can we fix this?

1. A huge flock of birds rises over the treeline. When they begin to flock like this it can only mean one thing; the curtain will be closing on summer.
2. I began reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Witty and charming. I love the characters.
3. Steve and I agree that we should try and repair the rotting bottom of the front door rather than hastily buy a new front door. We typically take this approach, to "make do" the way our parents always did. It's a little harder these days because many things are made of a disposable quality whereas our parents had better quality stuff to work with.

The auction, Candy corn, Vineyard evening

1. A country auction quickens my pulse. On certain Saturdays our firehouse will move the trucks out to make room for an auction. People arrive with folding chairs and coolers, ready to hunker down and wait for a deal. Pre-auction viewers examine the wares, sizing up the competitor standing next to them. I love musty, old stuff and the fun that is had in hunting it down.
2. I like to bite off the fat, yellow, bottom part of the candy corn.
3. Met with friends at The Fincastle Vineyard and Winery to spend a late-summer evening listening to music. People with blankets and chairs picnicked in the field while children played and dogs behaved, all under a darkening starry sky.

Just add a touch of apple, A good day, Flash in the garden

1. The end of summer smells rich and sweet.
2. Tess' teacher replies to my inquiry. Her entire note is kind and considerate and I think this is a great teacher! An excerpt reads,

"I look forward to working with your daughter this year and will do everything in my ability to make her 8th grade year a good one. Please do not hesitate to let me know if you have further concerns or questions. That's what I'm here for! Have a restful weekend."

3. Bluebirds visited the garden this morning after being absent all summer.

Tender thoughts and crust, Oh dear, Busy enough

1. I baked cherry and peach turnovers as a treat for dessert tonight. I've been thinking about my family all day.
2. Tess returned home from her first day in public school a bit shell-shocked. Her sisters encircled her with love, good advice, phone calls and facebook posts. Friends also rallied 'round her with encouragement. The best(?) advice was from daughter #3, "Suck it up."
3. The day passed quicker than I had anticipated.
4. We decide her motto should be, "♪ Always look on the bright side of life! ♪♪" from The Life of Brian...with the whistling on the end.

Bobby Had A Nickel

Today was the first day in 25 years that I did not have a baby or home schooled child at home with me. We have been anticipating this day all summer. Everyone has asked, "What will you do with all your free time?" I will admit that the day felt like a tight, new pair of shoes that I couldn't get quite comfortable in. I kept thinking of this book from my childhood, where a little boy is given a nickel and he must think of how to spend it. There are many pages to the book with sweet 1950's artwork depicting what he might buy. He finally decides to spend his nickel on an experience rather than on a thing to own. I thought of this book all day long as I thought about how to spend my precious time.