Day 21 This morning I got up early. Living with a mountain to my East it's darker in the morning than anywhere I've previously lived. As I looked off in the distance I saw just a glimmer of light where the mountain dips a bit. Then, I turned away and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Just a bit later I returned to look out the window. The clouds were pink and violet as the sun was beginning to rise above the mountain. It was glorious. I grabbed my camera and hurried back to the window.... In just those few seconds that it took me to crank open the window, … [Read more...]
Day 13 Every year as Fall rolls around we make plans to go apple and pumpkin picking. But, most of all, my husband can't wait to sink his teeth into a hot apple dumpling at a local apple barn. When we lived in Michigan we often took a drive to Crane Orchards and Crane's Pie Pantry Restaurant & Bakery in Fennville. We joined long lines of people, standing out the door and winding around the building while waiting for a seat, there to enjoy a fresh-baked peach pie, or apple dumpling, and a 10 cent glass of sweet apple cider. We have since moved … [Read more...]
Day 6 The early evening light in October is extraordinary. Magical. I relish it. The sky is a deeper blue. Trees stand proud in a blaze of color Illuminated leaves appear as wispy stained glass windows. Leaves.... Piling up on the sidewalk. Brilliant on the trees. Extraordinary. Stunning. Magical. Leaves. “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” ~ Albert Camus Savoring every glint of Autumn's light. Marveling at the colors of the trees in full Autumn bloom. Infinite … [Read more...]
Hello! If this is your first time here, scroll down to read day one. Otherwise, here are the current links to the rest of the series:: 31 Extraordinary Days…. {Day 2} 20 Extraordinary Little Things...I Love About Fall! {Day 3} October Dining...Outdoors! {Day 4} Autumn Inside Outside {Day 5} Just a little kindness... {Day 6} Autumn....where every leaf is a flower {Day 7} Joy Day! | Intentionally Developing a Heart of Gratitude {Day 8} Organize the Nest for Fall {Day 9} Fall Fluffing {Day 10} Breathe {Day 11} think about such things {Day 12} Fall Window Box ~ Plumping with … [Read more...]
A Skeleton of Queen Anne's Lace silhouetted strong against the sunset sky There is a harmony in autumn, and a luster in its sky, which through the summer is not heard or seen, as if it could not be, as if it had not been! ~Percy Bysshe Shelley Will you join me each day in October for... If you aren’t a subscriber via RSS feed or e-mail… PLEASE take the time now to subscribe in the little green box up to the right… and be ready for the start of our new series… 31 Extraordinary Days beginning October 1st!! Wishing you An Extraordinary … [Read more...]
It's leaf peeping time! Right now the trees are just beginning to turn color. It's my favorite time of (F)all. The mostly green leaves provide the perfect backdrop for the riot of yellows, oranges, and reds. I'm sure you'll agree...it's extraordinary!! Just a few days ago, I spied these leaves when out for a walk and shared about it here. But there's more to the story. Several of you have commented that some of those leaves looked almost unreal. They certainly were striking. And I'm certain that I've never seen any quite like them. So, when I finished my photo session with the … [Read more...]
Everyone's doing it. Decorating their mantels for Fall. But, not me. Nope. In order to decorate a mantel, one must have a mantel. It's one of those details that makes all the difference. I had a mantel. Once. It was lovely. Of course, I just might be a little biased since I designed it. That was my Michigan mantel which surrounded my favorite brick, and housed a firebox where we burned cherry. Mmmm. So fragrant. I loved that fireplace. The mantel too. On a fall evening I could be found tending the fire, almost sitting in the firebox, to get … [Read more...]
Happy First Day of Autumn! Time for a little leaf peeping! What do you love most about Autumn? It's so lovely.... ...and so fleeting. Hope you can take time to soak in the sun, the scents, the brilliance, and the drama. Wishing you An Extraordinary Autumn! Diane Sharing at... A Rural Journal + Sunday Snapshot + Simple Things Sunday ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thanks so much for reading! Please stop by Longaberger Lifestyle A lovely basket to be filled with extraordinary Autumn goodness!! … [Read more...]
Happy Labor Day! What does the holiday mean for you? An end of summer hurrah? One last day or two at the lake or beach? Maybe a gathering of friends with a fire or cookout? A chance to knuckle down and get a DIY project done? And maybe even for some, it's no different than any other day. There is a bit of history behind Labor Day and why we celebrate it which I won't get into that here. Instead I am thinking, if we have work...be it for someone else or we're our own task master...we are blessed. Recently I heard that the "real" unemployment numbers are more … [Read more...]
Earth laughs in flowers. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Hamatreya" Queen Anne's Lace Abundant along the roadsides, this lovely lacy flower has a bit of folklore attached to it. It's said that Queen Anne, wife of James I of England was a great lace maker and one day pricked her finger with a needle while making lace, spilling a drop onto a nearby flower. Thus, the lore behind the tiny purplish black or deep red floweret gracing the center of the flower. The plant was introduced to the Americas by early settlers who brought with them seeds for their gardens and medicinal uses. In … [Read more...]
Five things. Heart-bending. Mind-grabbing. One of my favorite bloggers, Emily P. Freeman whose blog Chatting at the Sky I always read, wrote a guest post over at A Holy Experience. She addresses one of my big issues. Fear. Maybe sometime I'll chat about that. But right now, I want to draw attention to this. Emily wrote: But if we have forgotten how to live, it’s only because we have also forgotten we’ve already died. The life we hold on to isn’t really ours. And it’s hard to fear a thing if the worst is behind … [Read more...]
Seeing God demonstrate his love for us in nature. If we just look, God has object lessons of his grace and love all around for us to see and experience. Almost exactly 3 years ago to the day, my husband and I were sitting in the office of our executive pastor. We were anticipating some new changes in the structure of the children's ministry. Tim was leading a thriving and growing ministry to children with excellence and grace, and we were anticipating a good meeting. Several minutes later we were told that we (I was Tim's ministry assistant) would no longer be leading the children's … [Read more...]
One of my favorite things to do is to take a walk with camera in hand. On this particular day, we strolled down Main Street to the Diamond. It was late in the day. The light was lovely. The Dogwood trees were dressed in all their splendor. Glowing. White. Beautiful. The shutter on the camera clicked. And clicked. And clicked. And here...a celebration of light and tree and blossom. It seems fitting to include a poem, written in 1965 by the Poet Laureate of Maryland, Vincent Godfrey Burns DIALOGUE OF A MAN AND A TREE The Man: Why do you grow so tall, way up … [Read more...]
