Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

Ok, so no chicken dinner, but I do have a winner!  I love giveaways but I always wish I could give something to everyone.  But, that wouldn't really work, so I put all the names in a hat..very technical..and pulled out...DRUM ROLL PLEASE!  Cindy from Living..Laughing..Loving!  Cindy's blog is about her family, more importantly, she writes about caring for her Mom who has Alzheimer's.  She's a hero in my book.  So Cindy, please email me your address so I can get this stuff out of my dining room!  I'll get it to you ASAP!  Before Fall is over anyway!

Let's FALL Into A GiveAway!

I promised a Fall giveaway today..and I make good on my promises!  I took a short drive down my country road to my favorite little hangout..The Parsley Pot.  Love that barn full of goodness!  They were chock full of fall items and Halloween goodies.  I know that many folks aren't into Halloween so I kept my items to things most would enjoy...things that taste good, look cute, have a function, and I must add...smell good! My Father-in-law used to say I would buy anything that was deemed "cute" or "smelled good".  He was right on!  I did put just a teensy bit of Halloween in the package..so if it's not your thing please pass it along to somebody who would find it fun.  I'm all about "pass it on" when it comes to fun!

There may even be a bit of the Pines thrown in when it arrives at your house..I'm not telling!  Just comment this weekend and I'll pick somebody on Monday.  Now for some of my "Friday Night Lights".  For some that might include Friday night high school football.  For me it means Friday night campfire!

Jack and our little Granddaughters got the fire started in the pit while I got the chow ready. It was fun to sit around the fire eating and laughing with these grown up kiddos. I enjoyed my kids when they were little, but it's also great to have them as adults.

Yum!

How to balance a napkin under the chin and a plate of dogs on your lap?

Just move to the ground...much easier!

Although Lexi did have a good chair technique!

As the evening got darker, the flames got hotter and it was time for the s'more fest!

Perfection on a stick!

Gooey mess on the hands! It was a wonderful, star filled night. This week has been so perfect weather wise.  Sunny, blue skies, 70de., cool at night and just so lovely.  I even spotted a shooting star the other night! Love that! We enjoyed listening to Addy tell us all about the planets..she's 4 but she knows all about them.  She loves Saturn because of it's pretty rings...she likes the name, Venus...but she feels so sorry for poor Pluto...she cracks me up!

Have a great weekend!

 

Whooooossss Getting Ready For Fall?

 

Who??  Well, that would be me! I started to get the Fall decorations out and decided that,  since I'm behind,  I might as well get started on Halloween too! I scored this little guy at the hospital gift shop.  I need to quit going in there!

I started my Fall madness last weekend with a trip to the apple orchard and then made my first apple pie of the season.  It was yummy and I'm sure it won't be my last effort this year!

Wreaths hit the doors!

Greetings galore!

Pumpkins and ideas for Halloween costumes!  I love my little "Lori Mitchell" figures.

Cool LED candles sent from my son and his family....well, I must give the credit to my Daughter-in-law Amy and the kids.  They spotted them at Costco and new just what I would love!  Thanks guys,  they are perfect!

My friend, Shay,  gave me this picture last year after Halloween.  She found it at my favorite little shop..The Parsley Pot...and knew I had admired it and, since she found it on sale, she grabbed it and then gave it to me...I was floored! Thanks Shay!  If you were to see it in real life, the lights in the windows flicker so it looks like candle light and gives it a spooky look!

So Whooooossss getting excited about this season? You guessed it right....Me! I found this cute plate at...guess...yep, the hospital gift shop. I told you I need to stay away from there!   I've decided to have a giveaway to celebrate Fall.  I'll tell you all about it on Saturday.  See you then!

A New Me...Not Really

I'm not really new, but my computer is!  I'd been having problems for a bit and was getting tired of the slowness, crazy stuff showing up, and loudness.  I just wanted to "get 'er done", so to speak.  I wasn't blogging and that just aint right!  So this is my test blog to see how to get my pics and all the new do-dads figured out.  So far...so good!

Yep, Eddy is impressed.

You talking to me? (notice the one-eyed movement technique)

So as the sun sets on the world here at Whispering Pines, I caught the trees on fire because I'm sure they are excited about this new computer too!  The trees aren't really that red, it's the sun doing it's thing.  But that big tree out front has lost a ton of leaves already.

My final thought for tonight is this:  What pictures do you see in these clouds?  What does that have to do with a new computer? Nothing. 

13...Good Or Bad?

Some people are freaked by the number 13 and, more importantly, the day...Friday the 13th.  Movies are even made about it!  Me? Not so much.  Today is a good example of Friday the 13th that was not scary, bad luck, or disturbing in any way.  Maybe it was due to the motivational seminar I attended on Thursday.  I learned how to shake your hand, introduce myself, ask questions to get to know someone else better and how to have a good start to the day.  He suggested the "power hour".  Get up early....wake up, put a big smile on your face, take a deep cleansing breath, and say to yourself, or outloud..."Today is going to be the best day I've ever had"...or the best selling day, or the best writing day...you fill in your own blanks. New ideas I've never heard before? Nope..but it was a fun way to spend a Thursday.  Although sitting in a seminar is hard for me because I'm not used to sitting during my day at all! I did get to spend it with 4 co-workers and we had fun..don't we always? I took pics but Jack has my camera because he went camping with the Scouts.  The pics didn't turn out that great anyway!  So I'll give you some shots of my "best day ever" on this Friday the 13th.

I took off to the Creepy Woods early as the sun was shining over the backyard. Our temps have gone from 95 on Tuesday and Wednesday and muggy 80's yesterday, to a high of 55 today and in the 40's tonight!  We did have rain off and on, but it was a great fall feeling day! Loved it!

Of course Eddy was with me and we haven't been up here all Summer and he was smelling and exploring this overgrown world.

Sniff...Sniff

The pretty weeds are like an outdoor bouquet!

The Buckeye tree is loaded with buckeyes ready to fall and get in my way as I mow!

The pool time is at it's end.  We had a time of it when we..well, mostly Jack, was getting it all set up in early Summer.  But it's been fun and the Grandkiddos have used it and enjoyed it as much as I have. 

The roses were covered in raindrops..as in "raindrops on roses"....A favorite thing?

I scored a lovely mum plant on clearance for 5.00...see, not such an "unlucky" day!

Even  a black cat crossed my path...  That didn't bother me at all!

As the rosy sun set tonight I was thinking that it really was  "the best day ever! "

 

 

 

Property Guest...Sammy

I can't really call Sammy a house guest since he's been staying in the garage.  We're temporarily cat sitting my Granddaughter's cat.  Sammy is a really cool dude..very sweet.  We like him but he's a bit wary of Eddy.  Sammy's never been around dogs and even though Ed just wants to be friends, Sammy is not thrilled. Then there's the matter of our cat...the cat from hell...Squeak. She's very territorial...like stay off my/her deck..my/her inside of house.  Lucky for Sammy, Squeak stays mostly on the back deck and Sammy has found the front of the house and garage to be his spot. It's working...mostly.  Here's the little character:

He's a climber.  He like car tops...treetops..railings. I think it makes him feel safer.

Surveying his temporary kingdom.

Hello down there. So here's the question.  Would you rather see this:

This:

This:

 Or this:

While you're deciding if the cat from, you-know-where, or Sammy, should come and live with  you, I'll give you some almost fall shots. I always think my flowers really look best toward the end of summer.

All lush and filled in.  The trees are starting to turn. You can spy the oranges and yellows coming on.  I took this shot near sunset and it made the locusts look really redder than they are.

We're having up and down cool days...some days hit over 80....some nights have been in the mid 40's.  It's coming folks and I do love this time of year. Hope the weekend is a good one!

Ahhhh...No Labor On This Day...Just Fun!

A quick post to wish everyone a happy Labor Day! The end of Summer festivities and back to school and work tomorrow.  But the temps are cooling...the leaves are slowly looking toward fall in a few weeks...and a pleasant day with family...What could be better?

 Beautiful anniversary flowers! Thanks Babe!

A family cookout that had the pool full of Grandkiddos!

A young man just learning how to swim and enjoying every second of it!

And Eddy just hoping a hotdog had fallen somewhere near here! Hope everyone enjoyed this long weekend or atleast this nice day. Happy September!