AUTUMN FINDS

I don't remember a prettier, more delightful autumn.  I'm looking forward to the leaves changing, which will take place in more abundance in November.  I live on a heavily wooded lot, so the falling of the leaves can be quite a chore producing event.  My garden is going to sleep and I've got some clean up work to do.  My Nandina shrub is loaded with berries, which will be a great decoration for Christmas, and my gardenia is throwing a few snowy white blooms here and there.  The light is changing, the leaves are falling and the air has a bit of crispness to it. Rah fall!!
Yesterday I had a fabulous time meeting my old friend from high school. We drove around the old neighborhood and reminisced and laughed because 40 years ago you would find us doing EXACTLY THAT! I can't tell you how many hours we spent driving around, going no where, talking, talking, talking. I'm sure teen angst propelled our conversations. Now adult angst propelled them:)

I'm joining Mosaic Monday at The Little Red House. I hope you're having a great Monday. Thanks for stopping by!

WIP Winter Cross Stitch

I was moving along quite well on my winter cross stitch when I realized I had a whole line that wasn't placed correctly and I had to frog it. Sigh.  Here it is now, minus the offending line.  The stitching doesn't show up very well as the colors are not very vibrant, but I still love it.
What do you have planned this weekend? I'm really going to try to get my bulbs planted (no really! I am!). I have a lunch date with an old high school friend! Can't wait to see her.  One vivid memory I have of her is that we often went to the park and picked violets in the Spring. She would collect a HUGE handful, making a lovely little bouquet, but my can't/won't-stick- to- it attitude would kick in and I would only have a small, non-impressive little bit to that wouldn't even fill out a small vase...funny how you remember things like that.

I hope your are having a lovely Saturday, thanks for stopping by!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

I've had such a lovely day. The beautiful bouquet of flowers is from the PTO at my school. Wasn't that thoughtful of them?! My sweet and thoughtful dh always makes the day so special. You'd think I was a princess. He brought me lunch to work. Then he grilled my favorite - Salmon - for dinner. He gave me a few charms for my bracelet and a beautiful Bromeliad. This morning when I went to get my coffee I was greeted with  two handwritten personal notes from my children. They always write the sweetest things. I'm so blessed! Thanks for stopping by, I hope you've had a lovely Thursday. 

SATURDAY AWESOMENESS

How is your Saturday? It's been a lovely day, one that has kept me outside for much of it.  I still haven't gotten to my tulips.  I had every intention of planting them today, but suddenly I had an urge to make a wreath and I did that instead.  I should say I attempted to make a wreath.  You can see I need to tweak my technique a bit.  But it was fun and I'll work to get better. I was working on it and then kind of rushed at the end because my dh came in.  I don't work well with someone watching me, so I rushed it and photographed it before I actually stopped to look at it.  If I had not been interrupted I think it would have looked a little better. Perhaps I'll have a chance tomorrow to work on it a bit. 

I hope you're having a great Saturday. Thanks so much for stopping by! 

HAPPY FRIDAY

Beautiful weekend ahead.  Blue skies, pleasant temperatures, smiley faces all around! I hope to plant some tulips. I still don't have them all purchased, next payday I'll buy more.  The squirrels are so busy preparing for  winter, I thought I would  help them out. I bought some plain raw peanuts and put them out and about. I don't think they've found them yet, or maybe they have better things to gather for now. 

The little arrangement above, with the green berries, was inspired by this pretty little pot (click here) at Bloomsterverkstad. I LOVE her interesting and fun projects. I like her berries better, but I found the berries of my Red Tip (Photinia) shrubs work well. 

I hope you are having a wonderful Friday. Thanks so much for stopping by! 

AMICALOLA FALLS

Part II of our weekend trip to the mountains. After we enjoyed lunch in Dahlonega, we traveled down the road a few miles to Amicalola Falls.  

 This small stream, so peaceful and lovely becomes a torrent rushing over the mountain side.

 The picture above was taken on the bridge that spans the creek.  

 I walked down three flights of these steep stairs and took a few pictures of the falls cascading down, but I didn't try to go any farther down (the bottom was 500 feet down). I hardly made it back up from the short distance I did climb!

The name Amicalola is derived  from a Cherokee Indian language word for Tumbling Waters.  (Wikipedia) The falls drop for more than 700 feet.

I borrowed the above picture from Wikipedia.

A conversation:

Me:  I've never been here before.

Him: Yes you have.

Me: Really? I don't remember, I guess we've just never been to the actual falls.

Him: Yes we have, you thought it was beautiful.

Me: Hmmmm. Am I having a good time in my life?

Him: Yes, you're having a great time.
Me: That's nice. So glad you're remembering my life for me.

When my kids were a lot younger, we pioneer-camped beside a creek at Amicalola, perhaps it was this same creek. Those camping trips have left all of us with such wonderful memories. We wanted to see if we could find the place, but decided we needed to start home before the traffic began to build.
  Perhaps another time.
Thanks so much for stopping by today.  I'll be joining Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Daydreamer.

TO THE MOUNTAINS

We took a lovely trip to the mountains of North Georgia. Just a little family get-a-way.  It's so rare for all of us to be together, which made it all the sweeter.

We went to the city of Dahlonegha, where the first major Gold Rush happened in the 1800's.  It's also where the Appalachian Trail starts.  .

The day was cool and cloudy, with a heavy haze over the mountains.

This was taken from the lodge at the top of the mountain. I would have loved to sit in one of those Adirondack chairs with a cup of hot chocolate, what a gorgeous view!

The town is beautiful and quaint and interesting, too!  

  The square was wonderful. I bought a few knick-knacks, but they really called to me and made me smile.  We had a blast going in all the shops, and managed to get away with having only spent $12.00... not including lunch. 

 I liked these pots, they had small stones mortared in, sideways. I liked the blue one.  They were a little out of my price range, about $80.00 for the tall ones.

 I bought a pretty little heart rock in this store. I'll show it to you in another post.

 Boxes, I've always had a thing for boxes.  

After we left the square we went to Amicalola Falls.  I'll share about that in another post. 

 It was such a lovely day, spent with my husband and children and dear SIL. 

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you've had a great Tuesday.

WIP CRAZY QUILT

Another crazy quilt square for you.  I love all of the embellishment on this square, especially the little flower motif above.  It is made with bullion stitch, oyster stitch and detached buttonhole.  This has been a very difficult block to photograph.  Some of the other blocks I photographed outside in natural sunlight, but this one I didn't take outside. Now I really wish I had.  I even used a tripod, but it doesn't look like I did.  It seems so blurry, which I thought the tripod would have taken care of.

I have a four day weekend ahead! We are going to take a little day trip on Monday, all of us. It's so special when all of us can go somewhere together. I'm really looking forward to it.

Hope you are having a great Friday! Thanks for stopping by.

WILDLIFE FUN

Lest you think when I write about golf cart riding with my dad that it's a peaceful, quiet time...here is what a ride on the golf cart with my Dad looks like....

Whoosh!!!  He's 87...drives like a bat out of h.---!

 But when I yell, "STOP", he obliges! I just love all the little ducks on the lake, and their little trails. 

It's a Blue Heron.  Isn't he pretty????!!

 More duck trails.

Two Turtles! The other just has his head out of the water. Can you see the spider web strand?

Golf cart rides can be such fun on pretty fall days! I know it isn't really fall yet, but my mind is already there, and it refuses to go back!

I'm joining the party at A Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday. I hope you'll hop over and take a look! Thanks for stopping by!

SHAKERAG CRAFT FAIR

Saturday was a beautiful day to have an arts and craft fair.   This little craft fair is held in the small town next to my own, and my father lives there. He takes me in the golf cart and reads the paper while I look around. I was there early, but the aroma of Funnel Cakes was already heavy in the air. Aren't they devine?!?  My dad and I shared one and practically needed a bath by the time we got home - the jostling of the cart paths making a cloud of powdered sugar around us and on us:)   Today there was a potter that I really liked and I purchased  two simple little pieces. There were a few other potters, but my lady was the one I liked the best.  She had a beautiful large bowl, and I really, REALLY loved it, but I just have no where to display it so I passed it by.  It was fun to walk among the vendors and see the different craftsmen. So many talented people in this world!

I hope you've had a great Monday, thanks for stopping by!

SATURDAY HAPPENINGS

Hi all! I hope you are enjoying your weekend. Our temperatures are inching back up, but surely that crispy fall air will arrive soon!  I'm spending a lot of time on my winter stitching and really loving it.  I'll be working on the second half soon!

Today I will be attending a small craft fair. My Dad drives me on the golf cart, it's fabulous to not have to deal with traffic.  I hope there will be a good selection of vendors this year. Last year it seemed to have less participation.

Happy Saturday! Thanks for stopping by!