Our beatiful days of sunny skies have continued well into October. I've been out trying to soak up as much sunshine as I can.
Our zinnias are still putting on quite a show.
The marigolds are not slowing down at all.
I know I'll want to remember all this fiery color in the coming dark months of winter.Miss P was channelling her inner Andy Goldsworthy while B and I harvested this year's Indian Corn over on the weekend.
I hope you are able to get out and enjoy the out of doors these days.
Soaking it Up
We're trying to soak up all of the warmth and sunshine that we can this weekend.
The last of the flowers are fading fast and the trees are getting bare.
Winter will be here soon.
I hope you are also enjoying a beautiful weekend.
Tiny Pieces
I'm back from a whirlwind trip to Houston for fall Quilt Market. I haven't fully digested it all yet but I wanted to share some of my favorites from the antique booths.You all know I have a weakness for quilts with tiny pieces. Have a look at these. I put my lens cap in the photos for size comparison.I love a good feathered star. There was a double row of the little sawteeth all the way around the quilt.
These snowball blocks were pretty sweet.
How about these little fans? Sigh.
It makes me want to cut and sew all my scraps.This star block was interesting in that not all of those star points worked out the same. This was made by a "make it work" quilter. The slice of muslin at the point on the right sure adds interest to the quilt.
Fall Harvest
Yesterday was a fall garden day which involved lots of weeding, digging, compost, and moving plants around.Today was a grape juice day.
Apple Time
We're making applesauce!
Thoughtful Sunday
"Sometimes one must travel far to discover what is near."The Treasure, Uri Shulevitz, 1978.
Milkweed
The Sorting
This week we finished harvesting our heirloom corn. After collecting and shucking comes the sorting.The smallest ears are fed to the chickens. We save the largest and best looking (making sure that we save some of each color) for seed.I pulled about twenty that I will use in my K-2 art class. I'll have the kids do a macro drawing of the corn with oil pastels.
P has filled a basket with ears that are pink. She plans to plant the pink kernels next year to see if she gets all pink corn.
We'll make corn meal from some of the corn for our Little Red Hen Bread, a family favorite.What's been keeping you busy?
Wordless Wednesday
Fall Fun
We had a beautiful and busy weekend here. We got the inside of the playhouse painted. P says it looks like a dorm room inside now - small and white.P also did a little fall decorating. She put pumpkins on the porch and decorated the house with leaves.
She did this while the rest of us were on the other side of the house. I don't know where she gets her ideas, but I like it.
We also harvested some of the Indian corn, put our pumpkins by the road for sale, and made progress on a few other outdoor projects.I hope we have another good weather weekend coming up. D will be home for fall break.
Fall
I'm slowing down to appreciate the warm sunny days of fall.
I even started hand quilting again this week.
It has been a long time. I need to build up some callouses on my tender fingertips.
The Blink of an Eye
I didn't realize how much I was enjoying this fall until I was looking at my photos from the month. I have over 1000 photos saved in my October 2009 file. And yes, I have deleted hundreds that weren't that good. For example, I have twenty nine photos taken at this corner across the street from P's school. All taken the morning of the Halloween party. Twenty nine, that I KEPT, from one corner, on one morning. I am really trying to savor the season.
Like raising children, it's all over too fast.
You can't stop it from happening.
Time marches on.
You just have to try to soak it all in, and watch from all angles.
In the end it all becomes a memory.
Enjoying Fall - or How I Spent My Time at the Cross Country Meet
Be warned that this post contains several thrills.The weather on Saturday was predicted to be cold and cloudy. I was pleased to see the sun and clear skies on our way to the cross country meet. I dressed for the cold because it was in the 30s! I stopped in town to take a picture of this tree that catches my eye every time I drive by. 
There were lots of pretty trees and leaves at the park where the meet was held.
This yellow tree was right next to the finish line.
Even the ground was beautiful.
Oh, and did I mention I was there for a meet?
Thoughtful Sunday
"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn't it? Look at these maple branches. Don't they give you a thrill-- several thrills?"Anne of Green Gables, L. M. Montgomery, 1908.
Out of Focus
Some days this is how I feel in the fall - blurry and out of focus - only able to concentrate on one small thing at a time.I have a lot of things I want to do and projects to work on. But when the darker days of fall arrive it is hard to keep the momentum. I move slower. When the cloudy overcast days start to pile up I just want to snuggle under a quilt on the couch and read a book while sipping cocoa or tea.I keep plugging along at a slower pace. One stitch at a time, making progress while I adjust to the shorter days.
Gratitude
I am grateful that I live in a place that has seasons. I enjoy the differences throughout the year and that each season here moves into the next right on schedule with the equinoxes and solstices.
We celebrated the arrival of fall last night with candles on the dinner table. P has been eagerly awaiting fall so that we can eat by candle light.
