cherished family and friends that gather...... 
and for the peaceful life I live each day.....
for the sweet, simple things in this life that cheer me.....
and the surprises that come along the way.....
And my wish is that you find your cup running over
and that you find yourself surrounded 
No matter who we are...........
No matter where we're from.............
No matter what we do in life...........
We all............ at one time or another..........
and have put on their yellow leaf dresses.
like this...............
and finally this.
when they might happen to take a walk.....they will feel like they are being watched!
When I am not hanging in the trees with a paint brush, as you know, I am busy stitching .Come visit my embroidery blog to hear about the latest embroidery project I have done! Click on the link http://yesteryearembroideries.blogspot.com to go to Yesteryear Embroideries.
One such thing, is a field that is off of our property. When we first moved here, it looked like this......33 acres of mesquite trees and brush, a comforting blanket surrounding our home. Not long after, the farmers made a decision to tear down the trees and clear the field for planting. I remember the day I heard the trees snap and buckle under the heavy machine, that looked like a dinosaur, chomping it's way through the woods, and the snap and pop of the fires that the trees surrendered to........a very sad day for me.......how I did not want to see this happen.
But I have found that even in things that I think are bad, good things come to surface. Because of the clear field, I now can see the early morning fog......coming towards the house......with the shadow of a lone deer walking through.....so still and quiet......breathtaking. No matter how many times I have come to this field, every day, it shows me something different.
I have witnessed the power and beauty of storms that come and go, raging through the grounds and leaving in the same moment with calmness.
In the still quiet darkness of early morning,with the calls of the coyote all around me, I walk to the field where it greets me with the beautiful colors of hues that my camera just can't justify. I am thankful to be able to arise to such a work of splendor each day. This I would miss if the trees were still there. 
And as the day draws to an end, a large old harvest moon comes dancing across the prairie, promising a night full of light and shadows. 
Mirella came to live here a year ago, handed down to me by a dear aunt who was moving. I have had a small Alovera plant now and then, but nothing quite as big as Mirella. I could tell she had been taken good care of. My lessons in the care of succulents would soon be taught to me by Mirella. The first thing I learned was that Alovera plants bloom. As Mirella showed me with her beautiful long orange spike. The next thing I learned, that even though hardy, these plants can still freeze, which most of Mirella's offspring did, because of the greenhouse being too cold this past winter. Mirella, herself, almost did not pull through.
She did, however, growing quickly and sprouting 20 offspring, which I spent a good part of the day separating from her and planting in other containers. I did not realize how many of these plants can come from one plant! Now, the back shelves of the greenhouse are full with Mirella and her clan. I have no idea what I will do with all of them........decorate the porches in the spring and summer perhaps, find other homes for them maybe. Have any of you worked with an Alovera plant like Mirella? I would love to hear!
With October passed, I feel that fall has already gone, even though there are still warm pleasant days here. The garden has pretty much died away. All that is still hanging on is the wall of morning glory that surrounds the garden grounds......although it is also looking tired.
The large patch of Vinca, my husband brought home to me in early April, is still crisp and budding with colorful purple and white blooms.
The marigolds are showing off their fall colors in every flower garden and container.
The garden grounds look tired and weary. It is time for me to till and turn over the earth and give the spaces a rest.
Well, all of my blogging friends, you had so many questions about the zinnias I grow and the seed, that I want to answer your questions. Thank you so much for your comments. In earlier years, I only planted a small bed of zinnias,.............then we moved to the country with lots and lots of ground! I usually buy 3 packs of zinnia seed of good quality each year, but last year, I had grown tired of spending so much $$ on so little amount of seed. I saved all of the seed from my small garden, which resulted in a large amount of seed for the garden I have previously posted about this year. And now...I have gotten 10 times that amount of seed, in which I am storing in jars. Do I sell the seed? Well, no, I share the seed with friends, but a lot of zinnia seed does not sprout unless a germination test has been done......I haven't gotten into that part of growing yet. I also have not sold the zinnias.......I grow them for the pure enjoyment. I have played around with the idea of a flower farm....... I have plenty of acres........we'll see later on down the road..I have a lot to learn and I need a lot of equipment......as well as $$$$$! {:
Sweetie worked a lot of hours overtime at his job and got the next half day off......and he spent his free time.....helping me out! Such a sweetie!
Of course we had quality supervision. 
Back to the greenhouse.....we anchored down the sides all around the greenhouse with a double layer of brick.
Hopefully to keep the plastic from blowing and to keep the greenhouse sealed. If the brick prove to be too weak in the west Texas wind, we can tie a rope around the bottom if needed. Greenhouses need air to circulate, I sealed the windows and will leave the door open during the day for air if the weather permits.
Sweetie, supplied the greenhouse with an electrical outlet to plug the heater in............
And here is my greenhouse, snug and warm. The plants inside are singing and blooming...they can't believe how cozy it is. And so far, this method is working. So if any of you have a greenhouse, you might try this method. The plastic and the heater are both around the $20 range at a local Wal-mart. So it's a good investment. The true test will come when Winter's winds and extreme cold hit. I will keep updating as time goes by. Thank you all again for your comments. I so love hearing from you!
