I'm baaaack

 Lately I have been reminded of the fun I had posting to my blog.  I miss that, not only because it was a record of my time and state of mind in the moment.  It was my diary so to speak but one I was willing to share.

Mostly doing it for myself, but loved sharing it with other bloggers, friends and family

So . . . I'm back!  And this is one of the crafts I'm up to lately.  Painting Fall leaves.  It's been an experience, and I've learned so much on how to "dot" them and then how to preserve them.  A lot of leaves have given themselves up in the process.

Memories of Fall at the cabin on Agate Lake, Minnesota

You can have the hot, humid, mosquito summers of Minnesota's Lake Country 

and you can have the cold, icy snowy winters that never seem to end 

but

I do miss Fall in Northern Minnesota with crisp cool days and glorious colorful woods 

  Looking up

Looking down

At the ready!

September Already? (a repost from days gone by)

"The breezes taste

Of apple peel.

The air is full 

Of smells to feel- 

Ripe fruit, old footballs, 

Burning brush, 

New books, erasers, 

Chalk, and such. 

The bee, his hive, 

Well-honeyed hum, 

And Mother cuts 

Chrysanthemums. 

Like plates washed clean 

With suds, the days 

Are polished with 

A morning haze. " 

-  John Updike, September

Autumn always makes me a little nostalgic for years gone past where I spent my days on Agate Lake in Northern Minnesota . . .

You just can't beat the colors of the maples, oaks and hickory in that part of the world

the smell and warmth from the fire pit on a nippy Fall day

The lake always seemed to change in the waning days of summer . . . a bit choppier and grayer with the anticipation that before long it would be covered over with ice.

Love Autumn But . . .

we had our first freeze of the year last night, and it cooked so much of my plantings.  The sweet potato vines look like they've been cooked; my poor begonia is drooping sadly.  I decided to save what I could of the zinnias and mini pansies.  Poked in a few little flowers and greens for what may be my last bouquet of the year.

Sun Up! Sun Down!

At this time of year, it is great to have an upstairs.  And a change of season.  And trees in abundance.  And a camera to catch it all.

 Canadian chokecherries backlit by a rising sun

Late afternoon through our maple and flowering plum trees

ATC World Revisited

Lately, I have gotten back into the fun of making ATC's . . . JAMs and individual ones.  Colder weather gooses me into creativity!!

Here is one of the three Fall/Autumn cards I'm sending off today.  They will be distributed to other members and, in time, I will receive three ATCs in return.

How much do I love playing with my papers!

Leaves in my snailmail

Oh ... how I love these little gifts in the mail.

Autumn Leaves from my swap partners on ATC-World!

Watercolor cutout leaves, zentangle and one large leaf over splashy bright watercolor background!

Hope they are as happy with mine as I am with their imaginative creations (2.5" x 3.5") 

Must jump in with another swap soon.

Four Pin Friday

SCARECROWS!

They can be stylish

They can be ethnic

They can be super scary

They can even be patriotic

Thanks again Pinterest for the fount of ideas, photos and inspiration!!

Fall Leaves ATC swap

Haven't done a swap in so long, but felt compelled to do a little artwork.  So here are my 3 for 3 offerings.

When I say little, I mean little.  Dimensions for ATCs are 2 1/2" x 3 1/2", and they are only to be traded . . . never sold!  Can't wait to see what I receive in return.

A Happy Surprise

Sometimes a lack of memory can be a good thing!  It must have been early last Fall I experimented with pressing a stalk of Chinese lantern and other Autumn leaves.  On a day when we are getting buried in snow,  something reminded me that I had pressed a thing or two earlier.

Opening up one of my three presses . . . a wonderful reminder (and a sweet surprise) of the previous season

 

Walla Walla in the Falla Falla

Spent two wonderful days with friends in Walla Walla, Washington this past weekend.  We all agreed it was a sweet little town . . . shops and galleries to stroll through, wine tasting aplenty, a book store for Dawn and Starbucks for Audrey!  Not to mention some great restaurants we all enjoyed.

Then, of course, there was the balloon stampede . . .

 the roadrunner

 tick tock crazy clock

and in the evening . . . "Night Glow"

spectacular.

Saturday's Farmer's Market with the most colorful array of vegetables 

Dawn and Kim fell in love with these hand~crafted chairs

and wine barrel lazy susans

Walla Walla is all about wine

Heaven for all five of us!

Getting his ducks in a row

As a child, I spent as much time at my Grandparents homes as I did at my own.  Most of my memories from 70 some years ago are fuzzy but, about this time every year, I remember my Grampa Joe packing his gunny sack with duck decoys and heading out for the day.

Fortunately I have these few very used and abused decoys to remember him by  . . . 

Grandpa and Grandma Richards led a very simple life.  She stayed home and kept house, baked bread (and the best raised donuts), heated water in a copper container to wash clothes.  They never owned a car nor did they have indoor plumbing while I was young.  Grandpa Joe was janitor of Ironton Grade School and umpired local baseball games in the summer.

But we all lived in one of the most beautiful places on earth . . . lake country of Northern Minnesota.

Four Pin Friday

After the summer heat, after the wind storms, after the drifting smoke over all of Eastern Washington, every little raindrop is a blessing!  Although today is bright and sunny, the forecast is for rain and much cooler tomorrow.  I'll take it!!

What I want to see out my window . . .

Thank you Pinterest for providing these hopeful photos ♥

My World

The sun is so far south at this time of year.  It is coming up over the Lower Selkirks across the border in Idaho.  Love this view!

And the geese are on the move.  Several flocks flying over the house lately.  You can usually hear them long before you see them.

Welcome to my world

Memories from four years ago

Kim suggested we check out Finch Arboretum . . . just south and west of downtown Spokane.  Neither of us had ever been there but had heard how beautiful an area it was.

We weren't sure of the weather this time of year but decided we would go Saturday morning and take our chances.  It turned out that it was the best day to go.  Temps in the 60s with lots of sun!  One of those perfect Fall days that could be the last this season.

Just so happened to be the Fall Leaf Festival!

 The colors were so vibrant

 The trails led all through the arboretum winding in and out . . . you could walk all day

 Peace definitely prevailed that morning!

 and the children enjoyed it as much as the adults!

What more could I ask for . . . a day out with my daughter, Autumn colors and my favorite outdoor activity . . . hiking!