A Welcome to Fall

After going to a Bunco Birthday Dinner on Tuesday evening, with sneezing, eyes watering, and nose running I thought I would be in bed recovering from a bad cold on Wednesday.  But after taking 3 Advils, 1000 IU's of Vitamin C, and a Benadryl I went to bed and slept (not surprised with all that) and woke up feeling almost normal again.  Took another in the morning Benadryl and another 1000 IU's of Vitamin C just in case and got up, got dressed and went to Bible Study.  I am really enjoying this new book about Martha and Mary and I sure didn't want to miss the first lesson.

Since I was having Book Club at my home on Thursday evening, I had to get busy and finish the book....it's always appropriate that the hostess reads the chosen book and leads the discussion....so off to bed I went to read, read, and read.  I did finish, and I liked the book, "The Language of Flowers".  So interesting how flowers can speak and relay the exact emotions you may be feeling.  Interesting and different from anything I have ever read.  Good book club read.

Then it was time to drag the Fall decor up from the basement.  Having the girls coming over sure helps me get my motor running to get the house ready for Fall.  Last year I think I finally put up a few things in November, hardly enough time to enjoy before the Christmas decorations were saying "it's our turn".  And I love all the Fall colors.  So now I can enjoy these beauties until early December.

For bookclub I decided it was also time for something Fall tasting....so I called my culinary friend and asked how I could make pumpkin cupcakes using a cake mix.  Use a white cake mix, reduce the liquid, add 1 cup canned pumpkin and 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice plus I added 1 cup chopped pecans because I just love nuts in just about anything and voila....they are now baking in the oven and I will add a cream cheese frosting to these delicious morsels.  Oh yum, I frosted one in a hurry and oh wow, these are really tasty...moist, pumpkinny and with that cream cheese frosting...bliss.  My cupcakes are not the most beautiful specimens, but they sure are good.

OK, must run, girls are going to be here in about an hour and I still have bunches to do.

Linking to Deb's This and That Thursday and Nancy's Rural Thursday....

"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives."  ~  Annie Dillard

Until next time....

Harmony

Yesterday morning began Women on Wednesday's (WOW) 5th year together.  There is nothing more beautiful than women gathering to dig deeper into our spirituality together.  "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World" is the subject of our Bible study this fall.  If you are not familiar with Mary and Martha the story is rather short, but it speaks volumes.  If you have a chance, read Luke 10:38-42, 5 short verses that introduce us to the tale of two sisters and then tell me if you are a "Martha" or a "Mary".  Five short verses reveal so much about ourselves and during this study we will learn to balance our Martha with our Mary to live a more harmonious life.

And speaking of harmony...there is nothing more harmonious than a walk through my favorite garden center on a September afternoon.

There were yellows.....

And pinks....even the bugs are coordinated

An orange...

Reds...

And finally Jiminy Cricket...

O Christ, do not give me tasks equal to my powers,

but give me powers equal to my tasks, 

for I want to be stretched by things too great for me.

I want to grow through the greatness of my tasks,

but I shall need your help for the growing.

~  E. Stanley Jones

Linking with Deb's This or That Thursday, Leanne's Flower Art Friday and Nancy's Rural Thursday, Misty at Camera Critters and Walk & Click Wednesdays.....

Until next time....

Thursday Thoughts

I entitled this post Thursday Thoughts, but honestly I don't have any thoughts tonight.  I could make a comment on the trial of John Edwards, the golden boy turned scum-bag that used thousands of dollars in campaign money to hide his mistress and baby from his cancer-stricken dying wife, but I won't.  I could comment on the Vatican nun crackdown that hits the US group for "radical feminist" ideas, but I won't.  Or I could comment on the fact that the state of Illinois now has 2, yes, 2 former govenors in federal prison for corruption but I won't.  Instead I am just going to post some pretty pictures that I took in my backyard today.  These make me feel a whole lot better than the 3 subjects that I am not commenting on.

These are all pics of the Bridal Veil Viburnum bushes that are growing in my yard and my neighbors yard.  Aren't they pretty?

Adorama is having a $5.00 sale on 16x20 poster size prints, so decided to have this made into one.  The poster was $5.00, shipping was $6.95 hmmmm.

Same flower, different processing....no poster.

As I walked out my front door this evening there was this sweet red robin perched right on top of this red truck.  I ran in, grabbed my camera, changed to my trusty Tamron 18-270mm lens thinking all the while that the robin would be long gone before I got back.  But nope, there he was, pretty as a picture and posing for me too.

So I think displaying these pics was a better choice than commenting on any of the above subjects, don't you agree?  Sharing with Deb at This or That Thursdays and Nancy at Rural Thursday....

"There are only two things you "have to do" in life.  You "have to" die and you "have to" live until you die.  You make up all the rest."  ~  Marilyn Grey

Until next time......

More of This and That

Spring left, or it left last night and did not return this morning.  It is cool, cloudy, drippy, not an ideal time for a photo walk, so thought I would continue to post photos from Galveston.  I have a gazillion, and each one of them brings me back and floods my mind with special memories.  I don't know when I will ever return since my brother is moving, so these photos will have to remind me of a special time.  

You probably think this is a strange Galveston memory, but they do have cattle there, not for milk, but for beef, eventho the trend is to eat less beef, I feel sure that there are plenty that still love a good steak.  Love those little birds that hang with the cattle, they are Cattle Egrets, appropriately named.  The one on the left looks like he is cautioning the cow not to get any closer.  Sharing this with Nancy over at A Rural Journal for Rural Thursday (I know it's Friday, but that's OK)

I haven't even begun to post the multitude of images I have of all the lovely flowers that were in bloom in the Galveston area...these are just a few.

Flowers grew everywhere, even in the cracks of the sidewalks....

Fences were loaded with blooms...

 Hibiscus...enough said.  Linking this up with Alicia for the Leap Into Spring Challenge.....

I am not familiar with this flower but it was on a bush, resembled a hydrangea but with thick waxy leaves, a stunner.

This little sweetheart was down at the beach being blown by those strong surf winds...

Love these little iris'.  They grew in large clumps with strong saber like leaves and the flowers sat right on top just pretty as you please.

And the roses.....oh the roses were supreme.....

And because it is so grey here today, without sun or surf here is a great reminder that summer will come to our part of the country some day (soon I hope!)

And.....one of the gorgeous sunsets that came my way.  Don't ya think that sunsets and sunrises just seem to be more beautiful at the beach?!  Linking up to Through a Photographer's Eyes....

Whew, I think I will stop now....more to come.

If you aren't completely exhausted looking at all these, I would be most gratified if you would stop by my collaborative blog, Focusing On Life where I am musing on more of  My Favorite Things.

"The unexpected and the incredible belong in this world.  Only then is life whole."  ~ Carl Jung


Until next time.....