Sunday, September 30, 2018

Decorating...

  Getting some decorations set out. Filled this little tray with some small things, to make a centerpiece. It's not in the center of the table in this shot.
 I got out the pumpkins I made last year from old sweaters, doilies , lace, and twigs for stems.
 Stuffing , twine and twigs.
 Some old paint -by- numbers , that someone painted long ago. Got these from a thrift shop.
 I love the bright colors of these paintings. I remember doing some years ago when we were so young and broke. LOL
 Anyone can make cloth pumpkins. You do not need to sew even.  Use ribbons, twine and strips of lace.
 I bought this pheasant planter many years ago, on sale. I love his pretty colors. I never put a plant in it.
 Found this little oil painting at goodwill.  I just love it.
 So I put the old paintings,  old books,  tiny fake pumpkins, and the ones made from the  sweaters.
 I even used a couple cards I have saved from last season. Don't forget a sunflower or two. :):)
Here's the pheasant beside a couple paintings. So the mantle is fully decorated.  Sorry I forgot to show the entire mantle in a shot.  I have a basket of fake pumpkins for the porch, but picked up three little real ones today. My daughters got some different colors for their decorating schemes.  I 'll get some pictures soon.
  We had the nicest weather this weekend. Today was really pretty and low temperatures compared to what we have had.  No AC...hooray.  It's been so wonderful to have the windows open.
  Wishing all a great new week ahead. Be safe. XO

Friday, September 28, 2018

The Catholic Church...

 I am not sure how these picture were taken, possibly drone. There's Tipton's Catholic church  in it's glory .
 The two story house just to the right, on the corner, is the priest's  house. Big and nice for one man and a housekeeper. LOL
 This shows a better view of that house.  My mom's house was four blocks north of this corner. So I have always loved this old church. I have gone there for weddings, baptisms, and Communions. I was baptized into the Christian Church. Another of my favorites.
 When I lived in town , I  walked by this church on many of my walks. I would always look up to the crosses. One high upon a steeple and one on the tower with the rosette window.
  Many years back, lightening struck the steeple and the steeple  burned. The church replaced it . But who ever was in charge of all that rebuilding ,hiring the builders, no one thought to check the structural  soundness of the entire church.  After all lightening is a tremendous force of power.

 Things started happening to the church's structure, tiles and the coating falling .  The church was deemed unsafe. It had to be torn down.  The steeple was removed and saved. The pews, the stain glass, and the statues were saved also. Many more things.
 You can see the brick under the layer of "stucco" , not sure what that is called. So all that is left of that beautiful old church is the steeple . There's been fund raisers of all kinds, to rebuild our Catholic church.

 Over the weekend there was a festival in the little town south of Tipton. My daughters went for the day. I used to go with them, but honestly my feet can not do that many miles of walk and standing around.  Sad but true.
My daughter Karen bought this for me, in memory of the church. The man called it a pen and pencil holder. It is made from the pipes of the church's pipe organ. So thoughtful of Karen. I am thankful for my beautiful loving daughters.
  I hope you are still reading. On Saturday evening , my classmates and I were celebrating our 55th reunion. We are old for sure. After dinner, visiting and picture taking everyone went home. There are couples in our class that married .
  One such couple went home and the husband decided to call his son once more before going to bed. He had called him twice during the day and no answer either time. So he just goes over to his son's house . Upon letting himself in, he found his son dead from a self inflected gunshot.  A tragedy that has left us all shocked. I am asking for prayers or good thoughts for this couple, please.
  Please talk with your children about suicide. This was suicide prevention month.
 

Friday, September 21, 2018

Harvesting....

 Out driving we came upon a farmer harvesting soybeans. They are always dusty.
  This morning the sun rose in the road, oh I love to see that golden glare. I rarely get sunrise shots out here.
  The neighbor man had his crop wagon hooked up to his truck. He was on his way to his uncles, down the road.
  I call those wagons, bumble wagons as they make the loudest noise as Mike pulls them from the drive next door.


 While standing in the road, I turned to the west and saw a bright light.
 It was the sun striking the stop sign on the corner.
 I look back east and Mikes is on his way back to the field, next to his mothers.
  This is the cornfield, he started it yesterday and finished up right before a brief rain went through.
  This week we went to Liz's for an early dinner. Got to see Lynzie, Max and Luke. Also the chickens were out and about. The one with the fancy tail is the new rooster.  So pretty.
  They are in the gravel drive scratching around, just makes me smile to watch them.  That drive needs more gravel. :):)  I certainly enjoyed our baked spaghetti , with all the trimmings, and pumpkin dump cake , that Liz and Lynzie made for our dinner. So good. I thought I was going to have to pull Ted away from the table. LOL
  Hope all of you have a wonderful weekend. Please remember the people in the Carolinas going through floods and loss. XO

Monday, September 17, 2018

Sunday , A September Sunset....

 Last evening's sunset was too good to miss. I went to the middle of the road for this photo.
 The colors were changing quickly.
 My daughter said this look fake. :):) I ask you, who could better perfection ?
 I just kept clicking away.
 Around to the back yard.
   Then back to the front yard for a couple more shots.
 Then I sent some shots to my daughters. We like to exchange sunsets pictures at times.  Hope you had a pretty sunset.
 We have to keep all those suffering from Florence's destruction in our good thoughts and prayers. Please. XO

Saturday, September 15, 2018

A Slow Week......

  I have been chasing butterflies to get photos. :)
 The orange and yellow butterflies love these orange flowers. Not sure what they are.
  Black swallowtails on the pale yellow petunias.
  There were two of these and I think I snapped them both in the same spot. Must have been some sweetness left in these flowers.
  Ted got a picture of this pretty tree when he went golfing this week.
  I made a small bouquet from some of our mums.  Stuck a yellow marigold in too.
  My daughter Liz got this big beautiful bouquet from her husband Matt for their anniversary.
 I loved the colors of this sunset.  Not much has gone on around here this past week.  I had classmate brunch with the girls this week, Ted golfed two days, trips to the grocery and that's about all we did this week.  One totally wonderful humidity free day.
    Hope all of you are safe and doing well. XO

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Preview.....

 After five days of rain and gray skies, we got this strip of sunshine at the horizon about sunset.
  It cast a golden glow on almost all the trees.
  On the pines in the front of the house.
 On the trees at the edge of the woods just down the road.
 Oh the shop/garage. I love seeing this , the shadow line at the bottom , is from the fence.
  At the same time as I was taking my pictures, my daughter Angie sent me a photo of the tall trees across from her house. This is a preview of a golden fall.
 Daughter Kathy sent this from her walk, some golden leaves already on the ground.
 
 Mums here are budding and blooming.
I really need to get outside and start trimming back on some things as it's been in the 60's...can you even believe that. After those scorching 80's and 90's.
 Let us remember today, all those hurt, killed, and broken heart from 9-11.  Also please send good thoughts and prayers to everyone in the path of the hurricanes.  Be safe everyone. XO