Happy Pumpkin Day!

MAKING JACK O' LANTERNS

Just take a golden pumpkin
Of quite the largest size,
Cut all 'round the stem, just so,
Scrape out the inside below,
And cut two holes for eyes.
And now fix a nose beneath,
And such a great big mouth with teeth,
And you've a jack-o'-lantern!

Then fix a tallow candle,
Just big enough to light,
And when it flickers, see him blink,
And when it flares up, see him wink
And smile so broad and bright.
This is the jolliest sort of a fellow,
With cheery face so round and yellow,
This funny jack-o'-lantern.

~Anonymous~
*(A vintage poem)*

May your evening be full of sweet treats, wind whipping through your hair, dancing leaves, and happy glowing jack-o-lantern faces!

Pumpkin Smiles,

Janice

Baking Day

Today was baking day. I made two loaves of banana bread (adding half a package of milk chocolate chips to the batter). I also tried a new recipe for granola bars. They were fun to make and turned out really good. The recipe says they freeze well, so I put some in the freezer. Here is the recipe:

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup any chopped nuts
1 cup chopped dried fruit or raisins
*(I used a combination of coconut, craisins, and chopped apricots)
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
*(I used milk chocolate chips)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup peanut butter

Preheat oven to 325 F degrees. Spray sided cookie sheet with cooking spray. In large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well. Press evenly into prepared pan. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly. Cut into bars. Store loosely covered at room temperature. Makes 36 bars. These freeze well.

A morning walk

This morning while out taking a walk I noticed a huge area covered in little toadstools. They had come up through the pine needles. The photo does not do well showing how many there were, but the ground was just covered. It looked like an enchanted fairyland in the damp foggy morning air. I imagined the fairies still sleeping in their little houses, soon to wake up for the day. While the rest of the nature world is getting ready for winter by changing colors and dying back, the violets come alive. One little bloom among the wet leaves and spider webs, caught my eye. The leaves on the Japanese maple are different every day.

She's Back!

Victoria is back, like an old friend returned...full of the same charm, beauty and grace as before! What a joy to find this first new issue arrived yesterday! My mailbox has really been generous to me this week! :o)

Another great mail day!

Yesterday brought more goodies in the mail!

I received a wonderful assortment of teas and notecards from Revee, at Country Roads. She recently hosted a contest where readers shared what they thought was her most memorable post. The winner received a prize, and the rest of us who participated recieved these wonderful 'thank you' gifts for participating! Is that sweet?! Thank you, Revee and girls! I love it all!

And now a drum roll for Kelli's first issue of Seasonal Delights! I ordered a paper copy and was excited that it arrived so quickly! It's a wonderful magazine for little girls and their mothers, though I am quite sure her readers will not just fit into that category alone. It is full of fun recipes, patterns, poetry, puzzles and more! Wonderful job, Kelli and Phil! May you be blessed with a very successful magazine business!

Sewing with felt

Yesterday I made this eye glasses case for myself out of felt and embroidery floss. Hopefully I can perfect it a little and then I plan to make some for Christmas gifts with different designs on them. I always enjoy hand stitching (much more than the sewing machine which makes me feel tensed up) and I love the feel of working with felt.

Stitching

I started this cross stitch several years ago and decided recently to bring it back out and work on it. It's done it three shades of blue only and the verse surrounding the two friends says: 'A true friend is a found treasure'. I love the little sewing box that a friend gave to me a couple of years ago. It's wooden with handles and a little pull out tray. Does anyone else take years to finish a project? :o)

Nature Journal Blog

Dear Friends,

I've been wanting to create a nature journal blog to help me keep track of and share my discoveries. For those of you interested in taking a peek, the link is listed under 'my other blogs'. Blessings!

Mail Delights

It's always such a treat to recieve something delightful in the mail! Today my mailbox hosted something from two of my pen friends, Elizabeth and Kelli. I have been exchanging letters with both of them for, um, let's see.....shall I guess about three years? I wonder if it's been more? (lol). Anyway, Elizabeth sent a pumpkin day card with two sheets of stickers. I think the card is so cute in that one black kitty is popping out of the pumpkin to suprise the other. Kelli sent three bags of tea (Cinnamon Twist, Thanksgiving, and Trick or Treat), a lovely tag with autumn greetings and a verse on the back by Nathaniel Hawthorne:

"There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October."

Thank you, my friends! I can't wait to taste the tea and use the stickers! You are both very thoughtful! AUTUMN HUGS xo

October Glory

What glory! A sunny October day full of the sights and fragrances of autumn:

*Wood smoke curling out from the chimney

~Damp, warm earth covered in pine needles, cones and acorns

*The bluest of skies

~Warm sun on our faces

*Yellow, brown, red, orange and green leaves dancing on their branches, some skipping along the ground, already fallen,caught up in the breeze

~Birds busy singing, calling, flying back and forth to the feeders: nuthatches, chickadees, juncos, blue jays, with woodpeckers and hawks in the distance

*Chickens scratching in the dirt

~Bees of every kind enjoying a nearly last fling in the warm air

*Dogs stretched out on their sides in the yard soaking up the rays of sun

~Flowers giving a last burst of energy to show off every bit of color left in their beings

*Butterflies flitting, darting

~Violets waking up along the stone steps after their rest during the hot summer

*Chores being done outside to prepare for winter, with a quite-often pause to look around at all the beauty of the day

It simply does not get any better than this. I am so very very blessed by God.

Responses

Thank you each for your lovely comments on my blog. I always look forward to reading and enjoying your words! Just so you know, if you ask a question or comment on something I want to respond to, I will do so on the same post as your comment was left on. Hopefully we can keep track of our conversations that way!

Many blessings to each of you!You really make my blogging world delightful!

Polar Lights

I always love picking out new postage stamps at the post office. This time I chose the Polar Lights series, showing Auror Borealis and Aurora Australis. I think they are so pretty! Have any of you experienced seeing these in real life?

Now THAT'S big!

Another big pumpkin grown in my home state! Some of you may have seen photos of it on the news yesterday. Here are a few details from the article I read:

In the face-off between giant gourds, Thad Starr's monster pumpkin ruled the heavyweight champ. At 1,524 pounds, the freakish fruit from Pleasant Hill, Oregon, beat out 80 other pumpkins and took top prize at the annual pumpkin contest in Half Moon Bay, California. The gardener will be rewarded handsomely with another kind of green: cash. At $6 per pound, Starr's winnings for his prized pumpkin comes to $9,144.

Afternoon snack

What do you like to snack on? Have you had a favorite treat or goodie lately? I've been enjoying a bowl of popcorn in the afternoons the last few days. I love kettle corn, as it's a bit sweeter than buttered or regular, and I must have my 'sweet' somehow...(giggle).

Kitchen treasures

Last year I bought this old metal container at a second hand store. The only thing we can think of that it might have been used for, is a refrigerator drawer or box. When we have large family gatherings, I like to use it to serve rolls in (and add ribbon through the holes). The rest of the year it holds all of my cookie cutters. I have so many....some I've collected over the years, and many that were my mom's. If they could only talk, they would have many stories to tell of special holidays and happenings over the generations of family and friends.

I love the antique white and red enamelware. I have about three pieces. A small bowl is shown. I would like to collect it and hope to stumble across some more pieces at thrift shops. I looked on ebay once and some are quite spendy!

The measuring spoons are just something pretty I had to get a few months ago. It makes it even more fun to work in the kitchen with pretty things to use.

Autumn Seasonal Give-away on it's way!

Watch your mail, Susan @ Penless Writer! The autumn seasonal give-away package is headed your way! I hope you enjoy the fall items. I tucked in some little things not shown, so some of it will be a surprise. Again, congratulations on getting your name drawn! :o)

Faerie Herbs

'Sprinkle a little bit of this magical blend around your house or garden to attract Good Luck Faeries'

Today I am going to sprinkle my faerie herbs out and about in the gardens and maybe keep a bit for the house. My friend Gwen sent this little packet to me several months ago. I've decided this beautiful October day is just the perfect day for attracting faeries. Ocbober is such a magical month! Wish me luck!

October 'Flowers'

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf's a flower.

~Albert Camus~

A glimpse of our cabin from down by the pond. Our daughter took the photo. I like how she framed it with leaves as she stood under a maple tree. A canopy of leaves (at edge of our forest)

Dark Leaf maple




Cattails

Flowering Plum

The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady - October

What delightful pages full of birds and berries, this October month in the country diary!

'Then came October, full of merry glee.'

Spenser

The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady - September

Looking back on September from this delightful country diary, here are some highlight pages from the book, including a poem:

'Best I love September's yellow,

Morns of dew-strung gossumer,

Thoughtful days without a stir,

Rooky clamours, brazen leaves,

Stubble dotted o'er with sheaves -

More than Spring's bright uncontrol

Suit the Autumn of my soul.'

Alex. Smith

Sunflower Quilt

My mother-in-law made this sunflower wall-hanging for me several years ago. Right now, to honor autumn, I have it hanging on a dining room wall. It's one of many lovely things she has made for us!

Raccoon Family

We have a lot of raccoons around our area and have had some really brave ones come up to the patio at night hoping for a bit of left over cat food. We saw several doing just that over the summer. One in particular was very bold and would let us get quite close to him before he would turn and scurry off back into the trees. This photo, however, is one my dh recently took while driving a few miles away from here. It's especially cute because it looks like a little family and they are right out in the middle of the daylight!

Autumn's Song

Autumn's Song

Orange and red
Warm and glowing
Twirling, dancing
Gently flowing.

Pouring from
The autumn sky
Leaves are drifting
Flutter, fly.

Falling on the
Surfaced roots
Crunching from
Beneath my boots.

Oh what joy
Fall does bring!
Leaves that dance
Hearts that sing.

©Janice Cox - September 2006

I wrote this poem last fall while looking back with fond memories of the huge sweetgum tree that was in my parent's yard at the home I was raised in.

October Color

A bit of October color to share this morning. A bowl of apples sitting on my counter and a yellow mum blooming out in the front flower bed.

Autumn Seasonal Give-away winner!

The winner for the autumn seasonal give-away is.......Susan from 'Penless Writer'! Congratulations, Susan! Your name was drawn to receive the surprise autumn basket of goodies, which will be shown when I mail it to you. Your response to my question of what you like about autumn was: "My favorite time is we finally begin to get relief from Tulsa's very hot and very humid summers." Please email me your mailing address so I can get your package ready to go out! My email address is shown on my profile page. Many blessings to you!

Autumn Teas

I have discovered two new teas that have become among my favorites! The first is Bigelow brand 'Pumpkin Spice'. It has a warm full spicy flavor that will instantly remind you of autumn and all the wonderful things that go along with it. The second one is Stash brand 'Ginger Peach' green tea. The blend of these two flavors is light, crisp and refreshing. (I have to proudly add that Stash brand tea is made right here in my home state of Oregon). What are your favorite teas right now?

The tile you see in the photo is some of what we have finished around the stove area. The counters are almost finished, and I will sure be glad when they are!

October blessings to all!