The greeting cards have all be sent

the decorations, gift gathering, and planning are done.

As the days towards Christmas start winding down, 

so do the days that mark the end of another year.

While I did not get as much as I had hoped accomplished in this one year,

I can say I am happy with what I did accomplish and with what I have learned on what I do want to accomplish in the year to come. I am not one for resolutions....but I do have plans and hopes of what could be possible.

How about you?

The outside grounds are just now starting to die down for a long winters nap.  As much as I would like to stay inside and stitch by the fire during these days, these cold days allow me the opportunity to clear new garden spaces and to get" hard to manage" projects out of the way.  Simply because there is not 100 degree heat to try to tolerate and the rattlesnakes are a little less aggressive.  I feel a little bit safer working on a chilly day and I can get much more accomplished

I have the  reward of my needle waiting when I am through.

As the last days of this year pass one by one, 

here's wishing you joy, peace and contentment.

Have yourself a Merry Christmas!

So remember while December

Brings the only Christmas Day

In the year let there be Christmas

In the things we do and say

Wouldn't life be worth the living

Wouldn't dreams be coming true

If we kept the Christmas spirit

All the whole year through.

Author unknown, c.1962

visit my country cooking blog for the recipe for this  delicious chicken meal.

you can find the recipe at this link:

Skillet Chicken Florentine

 

  

A Visitor

 

" Allow yourself time to appreciate the little things. 

 Because, of course, they really are not so little after all"

                                            Margaret B Moss

***Western Tiger Salamander 

As I sit outside on the pleasant early November days,

 I watch the leaves of the twisted mesquite trees, falling to the ground, drifting with the breeze.  These are small, long , narrow, leaves and in the early sunlight, it looks as if it is raining  golden raindrops. 

The woods and much of the trees are still green in color at this time of year..........yet, the ground is getting covered by the leaves that are turning gold and letting loose .........they know, it is time to go to sleep for the long cold days ahead. 

Amazingly, there are still butterflies and large fuzzy bumble bees lingering in and out of the  .......still blooming, remaining summer flowers......gathering what they can from the lovely petals that soon will be gone. 

In the,  what seems to be, slowing down time, it is actually a hurry up and get things done time.  With the daylight ending early, the outside matters need to be tended to.....from clearing garden spaces for late fall flower seed planting,  and bulb containers waiting for bulbs to be planted, to wrapping plastic housing around plants that stay outside of the greenhouse to endure the winter months. 

Inside, a quick survey and a list is to be made for things needed in the pantry and for the ingredients to make  meals for the upcoming holidays.  Even with a year of me knowing the holidays are coming........I am still in a rush mode when it gets down to just a few weeks left to be ready.  

In spite of the rush, these are pleasant days  to enjoy...........full of long walks, amazing morning skies, and calming golden sunsets.  

Tell me, are you busy getting outside things prepared for the cold days ahead?.......are you planning on fun gatherings around your holiday table?.......are you taking time to enjoy these pleasant and calm days?  

Here's wishing for you much pleasantness and peace these November days. 

Wishing you a happy Halloween

 

Gnome and elf and fairy,

Witch and ghost make merry

On this last of dear October’s days.

Lettie C. Van Derveer, Halloween Happenings, 1921

The lovely days of October are here............

 and fall is taken over summer, yet,

here in Texas, it still feels like summer.

The days are sunny and most of the time in the 80s and low 90s.

The flowers in the garden are still as lovely as can be.

The morning glory is full and a beautiful blue

and the most beautiful creatures hide within it's leaves.

The rose moss is still cheery,

the zinnia is still showing off it's vibrant colors

They are such a happy flower it seems

The cosmos are the loveliest ever this year

The wild prairie aster that grows along the grounds, 

has chosen a section of the garden fence to grow.  

They are such a cheerful flower.

Nature knows that cold weather will soon be here 

and  many creatures have been discovered hiding underneath

any kind of covering on the ground.  It is a time 

that we have to be very careful and observant to avoid being 

bitten.  Thankfully this is a checkered garter snake.

A very shy and gentle creature.

And with October being a favorite time for the taste of pumpkin,

it is also a time for the warm wonderful flavorful dishes 

that apples can bring.  I have a recipe for a wonderful treat 

for just this time of year.   You can find it on my cooking blog  

at this link:  

Apple Crisp

Here's wishing you lovely and pleasant autumn days!

 

From my garden.................

Flowers are the music of the ground,

From Earth's lips

Spoken without  sound

Edwin Curran

 

I'll tell you how the Sun rose –A Ribbon at a time....Emily Dickinson, c.1860

 

Slow buds the pink dawn like a rose

From out night's gray and cloudy sheath;

Softly and still it grows and grows,

Petal by petal, leaf by leaf...

Susan Coolidge, "The Morning Comes Before The Sun"

Suddenly it is September.................

 

and summer is almost at an end. I love and look forward to 

the arrival of fall, yet, I still feel a bit of sadness to see 

the time pass so quickly.  Now is the time that I start to gather 

the seeds from the flowers that are growing in the gardens.

I paint each particular flower or fruit onto an envelope and place in 

the seeds to be used for next year's planting.  I have plenty of seed

to send to friends and loved ones as well.

You may wonder about the "moon flower" packet for seed?

This is a moon flower in our back yard. It is also known as 

Jimson weed. 

It blooms large white trumpet flowers that are beautifully

fragrant and it only blooms in the very late afternoon and

through the night.

 

The days are still very hot but grow shorter.  The Monarch butterflies

and various migrating birds have made their way here,

stopping to rest, to get a bite to eat, and then in just 

a few days they hurry on their way to wherever it is they are going.

It seems that after Labor day the young people head back to school,

the working folk settle back into their jobs, and the

shores of lakes and beaches are quiet and lonely looking

as everyone has left to get back to"busy" with their

lives. Mornings here begin with a coolness and I am 

lured to just "sit" outside for a bit until the morning sun

burns the chill away.  Soon it will be chilly enough in the

evenings to linger out by a crackling fire to watch the setting sun

end the day.

Here's wishing you pleasant mornings and afternoons of 

these last summer days. 

It's funny how one does not realize how quiet a house can be............

 

the ticking of the old mantle clock ticks on, 

the sun glows through the window each early morning and late afternoon,

the wild birds and the wind can be heard from outside, 

yet, it is just the normal sound that one is accustomed to ............

and then..........something changes...............

(my little nieces) 

the wonderful sound of little ones...........laughing,

crying, yelling, running, and squealing,

 the sound of dishes and silverware clinking among the

 talk and laughter of loved ones, seated together over a meal, 

and it all turns an ordinary day and a very quiet house

 into a magical time.

Everything  that was once slow and usual.....

turns into a burst of a happy and 

memory filled time........one that 

will be looked back on and remembered for years to come.

Now, our little group has gone..........returning to 

their home and hurried lives.........

and now our house seems so very, very, quiet............

more than it ever seemed before. 

I long for a time again, when soon,  these same 

sweet sounds fill our house and hearts with such happiness! 

It was the perfect way to end the month of July.

I had told myself, long before the chill of February had passed,

 

that I was not going to plant one seed or one blossoming plant from 

the nearby nursery in the upcoming spring and summer season.

The reason you may ask?............

For years I always have dreams of blossoming flowers, gigantic pumpkins, 

maybe a few cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes...........

each year I scrape, dig, plant, water, and drag a heavy water hose around...........

only to be beaten by a harsh climate with sun that bakes the land into

a brick,  along with tough hardy insects and ground squirrels.........who I know, 

watch with great intent and  happiness as I plant..........and then go

and eat everything I have managed to get to sprout.

I decided that I would be content to linger inside this sunny season and 

to simply stitch the hours away , letting my needle create the lovely and vibrant

flowers I have always dreamed of growing. 

However, there is just something about the fresh, warm, soil in spring

that reaches out to me as if to say "come........work with me"

And before I know it, I have the knees of my jeans dirt packed and

my arms and shoulders a shade darker than my face........

as I dig, scrape, pull weeds and push seeds into the ground ..........

with hope.

and now........how delighted I am  to try one more time.

With the recent rains and my constant looking over, the flowers are 

the prettiest I could have hoped for.

I decided to outsmart the ground squirrels by planting my pumpkins

in a large raised container, hoping they will dip down into the 

ground to produce pumpkins,

so far, it looks as if my plan just might work.

Now, here in July, where my garden once looked like this,

it now looks like this.

there are many flowers in the garden that cant be seen

from a distance

there are 4 o'clocks in varied colors

moss rose ( portulaca) ......growing everywhere

groups of happy daisies

Mexican petunia

and a mixture of morning glory, cosmos, zinnia and prairie aster.

The cosmos and zinnia I planted late and will be taller and 

blooming by late August.

among the flowers are lizards and little toads, who 

seem to always have a happy smile

and there is always a gathering of lovely butterflies

my dry garden that holds my cactus collection has a tranquil

little Buddha 

who looks as if he is happy to sit in the garden in peace.

That is how I now feel this year with my garden spaces.  

It goes back to the saying:

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try, again"

I am delighted that I did try..........just one more time.

How about you?

Have you tried over and over to grow something and feel 

like you are losing the battle with weeds, garden pests, or 

climate? 

What have you been most successful with? 

I would love to hear!

 

 

 

Spring has slipped into summer

 and the days are filled with extreme heat.

As I grumble and whine about how hard it is to just take a stroll.......

looking like a melted , wind blown mess, 

everything stands tall and lovely in it's

 vibrant color

and it all seems to sing a happy song of summer.

Making me glad that I take the time........to melt.....

and to see it's beauty.

every creature finds it's own place of comfort 

and carries on with it's daily life

and I stop to wonder...........how do 

they not just wither and crisp up in this

harshness??

In all of their simple existence.........

they make me see how lovely each day can be

whether rain or shine.

Here's wishing you pleasant days with lovely things to see!

Visit my cooking blog for this wonderful sweet roll recipe 

at this link. 

Blueberry Lemon Sweet Rolls