"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands........" 1 Thessalonians 4:11

Monday, December 1, 2014

There is an oak tree in the back yard

that is  dressed in it's finest and colorful dress,
shimmering in the sunlight

and looking breathtaking against a clear blue sky.   I t wont be long however before these leaves fall to the ground, brown and dry......and the tree sleeps it's cold winter sleep. 
Once again, the long limbs grow from the bottom of the tree's trunk.........no matter how much we have tried to stop them......so once again the limbs get trimmed away.........

Instead of tossing them into the compost.......I take them in and place them in vintage vases to decorate the dinning room table..........

the various rooms 

\
and bathroom counters.  Just these simple twigs and leaves bring such beauty to a space......
don't you think?? 

Out in the greenhouse the flowers are completely unaware of the cold weather that is whistling around the corner........the snap dragons from this spring are in full bloom

as well as the various containers of moss rose. 

The geranium that had been so tired and frazzled from the past hot summer is budding and growing taller.

The tomato vines that I planted in large containers just for the greenhouse 


are giving me a wonderful bounty each week as I visit.

The cyclamen that stay in the greenhouse during the cold night, go out into the window boxes during the day when the sun pleasant this time of year. 

The migrating Sand Hill Cranes fly and call to each other in the late evening sky as they head to their roosting place in a wet land pasture a few miles away.

The evening has turned chilly and it is perfect for sitting around a fire and talking with my sweet one about the tapestry of our life that we have weaved for ourselves. We both wonder...........
where have all of the years gone??
It has been a sweet life and we reflect on that, as the fire crackles and glows.
How about you?
Are your trees showing off their brilliant colorful leaves?
Do you like to sit around and evening fire........inside or outside?
I would love to hear!


9 comments:

Lady Jane said...

I would love to sit by the fire with you guys and chat. Your tomatoes look amazing. Nice to still have them in Dec. Great idea to decorate with your leaves.

lil red hen said...

Such pretty pictures! The leaves here didn't seem to be as pretty this year. Your flowers certainly look cheerful, and isn't it wonderful to have fresh tomatoes in December!! We're still having tomatoes that I gathered in before frost.

I'm also wondering, where did the years go?

Debbie said...

The only leaves we have left here in central Illinois are the ones the rake missed. There've been some light snows and hard freezes. Different parts of the country. A days drive can make so much difference. I love the idea of decorating with pretty leaves still on the limbs.
Hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving.

Sally said...

The leaves are so beautiful, and I love seeing them around the house. We don't have that kind of tree, so no pretties here.

I do like sitting around an outside fire when it's cold enough. Last week would have been good, but the weekend into today not so.

Sherri Farley said...

So nice to see a post so full of color. Our fall wasn't the prettiest this year. It stayed green for such a long time, then all the leaves just seemed to turn brown and fall off. Winter is setting in and it seems so dreary here. The tomatoes look so wonderful. We often wonder where the time has gone, we've been
married 42 years, and just can't believe the time has gone so quickly.

Elaine/Muddling Through said...

Everything looks so pretty, Kathleen, and I think it's a wonderful idea to decorate with those colorful branches. We have had a lot more color this year than usual, but I see a lot of those pretty leaves are already turning brown and falling, especially with this cold front blowing in tonight.

Country Gal said...

Very pretty , Our trees now are all bare and it is bitterly cold out . Funny I did a post about our Birch tree lol ! Nice photos , thanks for sharing ,have a good day !

Debra said...

Your spot on the earth is lovely-really beautiful. The tomatoes are so healthy and robust! Lucky you to have a greenhouse!!!
Our trees are bare here, but I also love that kind of beauty...the beautiful browns every where have a nostalgic feeling for me-like some old painting all done in sepia tones. But I still look forward to spring!!!

Connie said...

Your pictures are so pretty, Kathleen. The leaves fell from our trees some time ago. We had rain mixed with little balls of ice today. Luckily, I didn't have to be out in it! Your fire looks so cozy and welcoming. I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving! :)