For Hygge

Gray Squirrel Atop a clothes line pole
set into an umbrella stand
He left when his tail entangled in the pinwheels

 There are times when what we see, 

is just there for us to smile about.

Thank you to Gray Squirrel

aka Mr. Pinwheeler

Day 287 of Week 41 for October 2023, Strolling Down the Old Photograph Lane

Lincoln, Vermont circa 2021

Lincoln Vermont Country Road

Robert Frost Interpretative Trail

Mount Abraham in Clouds ( PC pic)

Middlebury River 
south view from bridge on Robert Frost Trail

Robert Frost Interpretative Trail

Rugged Maple Leaves 

Meadow at R.Frost Interpretative Trail
looking northeast as low clouds
cover mountains

Morning Dew on a Maple Leaf

A strange thing, when I look at old photographs,  I remember more of them than I'm finding. The folders have been checked to locate some photos. I have an uneasy feeling not all the pictures made the transfer to the memory stick.

All of the above images are taken from my Blog archive. Searching online for this blog's images doesn't work well because Google results show more pumpkin seed recipes than this blog's content.

Make a note, if your blog has a food item in the title, then you take the chance of your blog being buried in recipes on Google after the top few search results.

Have a Colorful Weekend!

Bake an apple crisp

Make French Onion Soup

Toast buttery garlic bread for the soup

Tell a pair of socks a story

Memorize a poem about autumn

Call a friend for a phone chat

and recite the poem

Browse novel tee shirts online

Read a Stephen King novel

Pray Long for Peace

BAR HARBOR MAINE (Part 1): Acadia National Park, South Bubble, & Lobster...

My favorite autumn video on YouTube. Their hike is insane, gorgeous views and scary.

Mum, Weather, Drained & One Thing

Middlebury Garden Center

Selecting mums this year was a challenge. In the various stages of blooming, I wanted plants that will bloom into October at a time when I want to see a lot of flowers open. 
The large golden mums bloomed early. If I don't look close, then those mums have nice color.
The golden rust mums have been the most spectacular. The deeper red is a close second on length of bloom and vibrant color.
Next year will be easier to chose using my notes from this year.

Weather. The ambient temperatures are cooler at this lower elevation at 194 feet (59 m) in Vermont close to Lake Champlain. In comparison, Stowe, Vermont is 889 feet (271 m). The highest peak in Vermont is Mount Mansfield at 4395 feet (1339 m) with the lower Stowe nearby.  

In my backyard, I see a lot of green just barely turning colors. Up in Stowe, the foliage map indicates it is peak foliage. I expect with this week's lower temperatures, that peak foliage in the mountains and hollows will excelerate. In other words, this week is good for a leaf peeping excursion.

Drained. Not everything that happens in life needs to by ananlyzed. Feeling drained of energy, for example, doesn't need to reason unless it is chronic. I have no idea why I feel so drained of energy, especially when I love to see the foliage. 

The other morning after getting a take out coffee, I wanted to keep driving up to the mountains. I had on long pants and a jacket. Problem, I was wearing sandals! By the time I got back indoors, I didn't feel like getting ready to go back out. I told myself it is a peak holiday weekend where there are lots of folks out and about. For a few minutes, I thought about why I was so lazy. Two days later, I might go for a short looksee at the foliage. Or I might stare at the fabric foliage I stuck into the window lace curtain.

One Thing. If I don't go out to get a best autumn photo, and hopefully a landscape to paint, then I won't be ready to start the as I go progress painting series this year. My plans depend on my doing that one thing.

Still in my pajamas at noon time, I think laundry can wait. The floors were washed yesterday. The dishes are almost finished. There's a flannel shirt waiting for me to get out and about...sometime this week.

How are your energy levels? Do they fluctuate in the fall?

Indigenous Peoples' Day

 

Indignenous Peoples' Day Rocks Foundation 

Held in Stowe, Vermont on 8 October 2023, 

as a yearly event, the celebration has 

next year to plan for. Sign up to 

volunteer, particpate or sponser.

Check you local area for IPD events.

PBS Programing

This is the long weekend of October celebrating on Monday, 

Indigenous People's Day.

Searching the local PBS schedules, thinking I will find programs about the Indigenous people of America, I find nothing being aired today. Instead, one station has an afternoon marathon, for a Black American series, and the other station is airing programs about Elvis.

I'm guessing this is only Sunday. There will probably be programs about Indigenous people tomorrow. On Monday, 9 October 2023 EDT, one station at 10 PM EDT has a program schedule to be aired, "The American Buffalo: A Story of Resilience," hosted by Judy Woodruff. The Vermont PBS station has nothing about American Indigenous people on Indigenous People's Day.

I have no words.

Reflection Monday, October 2023

The Pondering Squirrel

 

Balance

Fair vs unfair

Light vs dark

Heavy vs light

Rough vs Smooth

Wavy vs still

Pure vs sullied

Windy vs calm

True versus false

Of all the contrasts, the opposites, the antonmyms

where does our society presently lean?

Common Sense versus Stupid

P.S. There's an article on the subject in 2022 The Atlantic if you have a subscription

Pumpkins & Crafts

 Links to websites with lovely pumpkin

Flax & Twine Easy Pumpkin Crochet Kit

Three 7.5 to 2.5 inch pumpkins in the kit

Alice & Lois Marbled Indigo Pumpkins
An easy way to gorgeous up a faux pumpkin

Hurry Back on Etsy, Faux Rustic Wood Pumpkins
Love the rustic look!

Salt Dough Pumpkin Face
at Salty Pumpkin Crafts

     Selecting a favorite pumpkin to buy or to make can be daunting there are so many lovely design ideas out there. The marbled pumpkins are gorgeous. The Rustic wood pumpkins melt the heart. Crocheting pumpkins from a kit feels like an easy and relaxing project while watching television or listening to an audio book.

     Ah, The Pumpkin Hunt! 

Along country roads, grocery stores, garden centers,  you can make it into a yearly special excursion event.

The local Shaw's supermarket has huge boxes of good sized pumpkins for sale already. I like the small pie pumpkins because I can bake them. The larger pumpkins can be used for cooking as well. Roasted pumpkin seeds I have had no luck with. 

Browsing the many pumpkin crafts online, I've decided to use some scrap wood I have to make a flat twig style pumpkin to hang on the wall. Similar to the one at Thistlewood Farms website. Burlap ribbon from last year tied with jute twine will be the decoration. After Thanksgiving, I can add a spring of pine and pine cones for the holidays.

Not a sponsored post

Arranging Furniture Fun

Abstract Untitled

    The change of seasons means moving furniture to the winter arrangement.  Table space is premium for craft, sewing and art projects. This year there will be more surface area to use after I finish making a larger craft table.

The wood card table will be used for puzzles, and odd projects like a place to allow things to dry. 

During the furniture moving, there's also clearing out stuff. The tall trash can where I stored rolled up drawings, wallpaper and such is now a clothes hamper. A file cabinet is in the corner instead. More has moved here and there to organize, tidy up, declutter. I've also found small projects to add to the cold weather indoors project basket. 

The abstract is one such discovery rolled in a tube with other stuff. I recall it as being on gesso primed paper. To my surprise, it is on primed canvas without a stretcher.

Who know moving furniture could be so much fun.

I found a 1982 duck applique and stuffed decoy book with the pattern; a cross stitch door pull kit; wood  pieces for projects; tons of buttons; a knitting project; drawing paper; and more. 

So that's where that was!...ruled.

Day 259 of Week 37, September 2023

 

Creeping Smartweed (Persicaria longiseta)

The location of the random photograph is a mystery to me. Taken in 2014, I see a piece of blue braided strap, a chunk of red sandstone, and, a  dry leaf in the center that looks like a duck. The dark area is a deeper crack the red sandstone leans over.

Big landscapes leave out the small things we are closer to. The amount of feeling we have for the outdoors, the large and small views, I feel, doesn't differ widely. I believe our need to connect to Nature is one size fits it all.

Have a naturally wondrous weekend!

Sing to your dish towel

Read about ducks in your area

Write a poem about midnight

Browse photo editing software online

Learn how to make pineapple syrup

Draw blueberries

Study a map of New Hampshire

Give your favorite coffee mug a name

Happy Collect Rocks Day!

P.S.

Oh Wow!

I just realized my change to the default font on this blog to the Delius font works! I went into the HTML page, found the header where the font I chose is, and changed it to Delius. I realize it work because the comments are also in the Delius font.

Creating & Holiday Preparations

Handmade Holiday Stockings

Cleaning out sewing drawers to organize winter projects, I found a bunch of pretty fabrics folded up. To my surprise, they are holiday stockings I forgot I started to make using sturdy upholstery and draperies' fabrics. 

As families age, gift  giving can be difficult on the budget. The gift basket style in a handmade stocking is easy and fun.

I take the discovery as a sign to get busy design my holiday greeting cards. I go for the rustic Nature outdoor minimalist vibe. Whatever I create, I'm sure it will require hot glue and lots of cutting paper. A card that can be an ornament is interesting. 

Have you started your holiday cards?

There is often a stage with designing where I over do it, and have to take it back to the practical. The scale of a design as well as the project has to be  enjoyable. This year I decided on a vintage Christmas card theme for decor. Down to 2 small artificial trees, I can make small cards to fit them using magazine cut outs. 

Before the trees go up, there's faux foliage and pumpkins to dig out of the closet.