House painting

This is what I've been painting and it's finally finished.

A painting of our house.

And it's already framed and hanging in the living room.

I wanted to show you some other paintings of houses I've done.

This is a house in Wilmington, NC that I fell in love with one day when we were driving around the area. It had a beautiful wrap-around porch and I loved the moss hanging from the trees.

This is a house we lived in on Orange Street in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It was a big 3-story house with so much character ~ stained glass and leaded glass windows, open staircase and beautiful woodwork. There was also a grape arbor in the back and two walnut trees.

This was a row of houses across the street from us.

I actually counted the number of times we've moved since we've been married and came up with 16 times! (I wish I would have painted each one!) Each new house was an exciting endeavor as it sparked my creativity for decorating. I loved picking out new wall colors and rugs and window treatments and incorporating what we had and making it work in our new surroundings. I loved creating something beautiful out of something old and, in some cases, ugly. I've torn down ceilings, ripped up carpet, scraped off wall paper, painted rooms, scrubbed from top to bottom ~ and made each house into "our home".

We're happy at our little cottage house now, but I must say, I'm up for the challenge of redoing another one!

Painting

It's chilly this morning.

I've made myself a cup of steaming hot coffee and now I'm heading to my art table and I'm going to paint ~ all day!

Here's a peek of what I'm working on.

I'll show you when I'm finished!

Fall Leaves Painting

This was a view from our sunroom window when we first moved south to North Carolina. There was a wooded area across the road from where we lived. The leaves were so vivid that fall.

So out came my paints as I tried to capture the beauty.

And now this painting hangs in our home, many years later, and is a reminder of that time and place.

Halloween

HALLOWEEN

A gentle breeze rustling the dry cornstalks.

A sound is heard, a goblin walks.

A harvest moon suffers a black cat's cry.

Oh' do the witches fly!

Bonfire catches a pumpkins gleem.

Rejoice, it's Halloween!

-Richard Anderson

Halloween is upon us! Are you ready for all the little trick-or-treaters?

When you become reluctant to change, remind yourself of the beauty of autumn.

October

"There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October."

- Nathaniel Hawthorne

Have a great October day!

NC State Fair

What would fall be without the state fair?

We spent the day at the NC State Fair with our two daughters, granddaughter and son-in-law. I think one of the best things about the fair is the aroma of food as soon as you pass the gates. So the first thing we did was eat!

There is always so much to see and do at the fair and here are some of the events of the day.

The exhibits were great.



We did the crafts building too, and I was so busy looking that I didn't take photos. The only thing we didn't see were the gardens, and that will have to wait for another whole day!

A fantastic time!

A successful walk

Our Hemophilia Walk was a big success! We made over $51,000, and we had a great time doing it! This was the first Hemophilia Walk ever to be held in North Carolina.

Here is our group....family and friends.

Amy, our team captain,

and Dasher, our team mascot.

There was a large turnout.

We even walked despite our handicaps!

Lake Crabtree County Park is a beautiful place. It's located near the Raleigh/Durham Airport. It offers boating, fishing, hiking, picnicking, mountain biking, volleyball, horseshoes, and other outdoor activities.

After the walk there was a large hot and cold buffet waiting for us. We came back to our pavilion and had a toast to our Dad! (non alcoholic champagne, of course!)

What a fun day!









My two lovely daughters,




and granddaughter.

Hemophilia Walk

Our Hemophilia Walk is this weekend so I will be busy and away from the computer for awhile. Our daughter, Amy, flys in tomorrow from NY and will be spending a few days with us. We're so excited to see her!

It's going to be an exciting time, as our whole family will be walking on Saturday.

This walk is in honor of our Dad who had hemophilia and died from AIDS (as a result of his blood transfusions), and the many others who are suffering today from this disease. You can read more here.

It's going to be a walk to remember.

Delightful weather

We had the most beautiful fall day today, which felt more like summer, with temps in the mid 80's. A great day to be outside.

I used my new watering can in the garden.

Otis watched from the lounger.

Riley climbed up on the picnic table to watch.

In the afternoon, we took a walk to the park.

Riley tries to catch a squirrel.

Racing each other.

Then home to the back patio for some rest and relaxation.

Otis tired himself out.

Hope you're having a beautiful fall day.