The fall garden

I wanted to snap a few photos of the garden this week while we still had flowers blooming and bees buzzing.  Sunday the weather changes for us and there will be frost on the pumpkin when we wake up on Monday morning.  

We had a fire in the fireplace this morning to warm up a bit and to take the chill off.  I guess this is what we can expect for November.  Enjoy your day!

Random things

 

Hello, dear friends.  How are you?  I just realized my last post was in August...how did this happen? ~ I guess time flies when we're having fun.  And here it is fall already.  Don't you just love all the warm autumn colors?  I bought a big orange pumpkin today for the front step and yellow and red mums for pots.  

We have had quite a lot going on lately.  September is a big birthday month for us and we celebrated our granddaughter's 2nd birthday with family at Galen's mother's house in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  It's a good central meeting place for all of us since Amy and Bruno and the kids live in New York.  What a great time we had!

And our other granddaughter, Maddie, here in North Carolina, just turned 15 in September. It seems like only yesterday that she was just a toddler, and now, here she is getting her permit for driving!  

Also, in September, I had my  6-month follow-up appointment at UNC Cancer Center.  Everything is good!  A little osteoporosis setting in but that is treatable.  I feel great, and this will be two years cancer free!  I am thankful everyday for my health and that I can garden and do all the things I love to do.  

And speaking of the garden, I planted kale, broccoli and spinach for the winter months, and have harvested quite a few tomatoes and peppers.  I've been cleaning up the flower beds, too.

Just to let you know, I may not be posting on my blog as often as before, but I am still here and will check in occasionally.  

Enjoy this wonderful fall weather! 

'till next time, 

Decorating for the season

One of the things I love to do this time of year is plant pansies.  

These pretty flowers are certain to bring color all winter long, and carry through to the spring season here in the south.  

You can buy cascading pansies for hanging pots and hang them outside your window where you can see them every day!  

I am also catching up on my inside fall decorating here at Mourning Dove Cottage.  

I dried these large hydrangea blooms late in the summer.  

I like to put them in urns on the fireplace mantel.  

A few ceramic pumpkins and some berries.   

Pumpkins everywhere.  

I'm a bit late with my fall decorations, but better late than never ~ 
next week we will be getting out all of our Christmas things, right?

Hope you're enjoying this beautiful season!    

A pumpkin candy dish....

my latest thrift find ~ only $1.50, I love it!

I think I'll be filling this with candy corn.

No frost on the pumpkin here.....

it feels like summer.

Temperatures today hitting 88 degrees. Unseasonably warm.....balmy, humid, and chance of thunderstorms.

I'm rather liking this because in a way, I'm not quite ready to let go of summer.

...more fall things and the Hemophilia Walk

...these golden yellow mums brighten a spot in our garden,

and I've added a few more pumpkins here and there around the house.

This ceramic black cat and pumpkin sit on the back porch. It was given to me by my mother years ago and I bring it out every year. The pumpkin lights up and so do the cat's eyes.

Not only are the mums beautiful, but my red geraniums are putting on a show right now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

We had a great day at the NC Hemophilia Walk 2010 on Saturday.

I forgot to take my camera, but here are a few photos that my brother-in-law took.

A family get-together after the walk.

Our team was named Elmer's Art Walkers (after my Dad, the artist).

It was the perfect day for the walk, 72 degrees, absolutely gorgeous. There were a lot of walkers, fun activities, music and food. As of Saturday morning we had raised over $52,000.00.

We spent the rest of the day with my oldest daughter and granddaughter. The house was all decorated for Halloween, and I wanted to show you how cute it looked, and we enjoyed making a "garbage bag spider" with our granddaughter.

We enjoyed sitting around a nice fire ~ perfect for a fall day.

Hope you enjoyed your weekend!

Pumpkins

pumpkins by the barn

watercolor

I've been painting pumpkins...lots of pumpkins. They're everywhere this time of year. I love seeing them by the front door welcoming friends, or piled high in an old farm wagon, and just the site of them growing in a country field making it look like a sea of orange...beautiful.

stacked pumpkins

watercolor

pumpkin

watercolor

These pumpkins come in little prints that are perfect for framing.

They also come in note cards so you can send a little Halloween or Thanksgiving greeting to someone you love, or maybe a thank you note.

Find them all at whimsytwo.

October

It's time to do a little fall/halloween decorating. I keep it simple. A wreath on the front door.

The fall flag goes up.

Did you notice my summer flowers in the window boxes are thriving, so I haven't changed them for fall and winter yet.



And, of course, a cute little pumpkin on the window sill.

Keeping it simple.

Pumpkin spice

One of my favorite things about fall is the smell of pumpkin spice. I like to light the "pumpkin spice" candle in the kitchen when I get up in the morning, along with turning on the coffee. The warm aroma fills every room in the house.

A big bowl of "pumpkin spice" potpourri sits on the side board in the dining room.

And what would a fall morning be without a piece of "pumpkin spice" bread.

Enjoy your day!