Tuesday, September 13, 2022

 I thought I'd better blog before the month was over! I can't believe that July and August that both have 31 days flies by so quickly when February that only has 28 days drags painfully along! Could be the cold and snow that keep us inside dreaming about July and August? Anyway, it's September and soon it will be officially Fall.  Next week is the Ashland County Fair but we'll be in Chicago visiting Midge and seeing our Son Craig who'll be there on a business trip. I'd rather do that than go to the fair!  I was trying to think of what I have been up too so I  could have something to blog about.  We're done with the vegetable gardens except for the green peppers. They still are going strong. I've canned the last of the tomatoes:

This batch was made into spaghetti sauce to be enjoyed this winter.
Planting some mums...these were just two of the five I picked up at the nursery.  I still need a few more for Fall outdoor decor.

This was going to be another Fall decor.  I thought he would be pretty impressive at 7ft tall. When we checked him out at home he  had a broken hip so back to the store he went. I'm kind of glad because frankly he would be a pain to store and who really needs a 7ft skeleton?  (I see a few raised hands!)
This pretty guy..or gal....hung around out back and then I saw him out front.
Sedum attracts butterflies and lots of bees but this morning it was chilly and misty so they were empty. I worked all day outdoor and didn't mind the cold and wet.
Annabelle was a big help!
However, she prefers a good TV show.
Or a good nap!  I agree on both activities over weeding!  
She does also enjoy a ride around the Pines on the mower! She sits quietly enjoying the mowing. I know many think that's a bad thing to put animals or kids on a mower and I agree with kids but Annabelle never moves an inch and frankly will even sit on there when we're done until I lift her off.  If she were fidgety or anxious I never would put her there but she's happy to  hang out with me unless I bring out the weed wacker...that she absolutely doesn't like and heads for the house when she sees it. Funny girl!   Last but not least a few things I've been baking:
I made homemade fortune cookies for the first time.  I used them for a Sunday school class and filled them with Proverbs from the lesson.  They are bit tricky to make but I might give them a try again! One of the kids liked them so much he asked if I would make them when it was his birthday! Ha!  I guess that's about all that's been happening at the Pines.  We're working outdoors trying to get ready for family coming next month so we can have our annual Halloween gathering.  Doing things indoors also. Jordan is moving back to Ashland with his job and will be with us until he finds housing. So rearranging some things to make room for him is a must as well as just plain getting rid of  "stuff".  Tomorrow we're getting an estimate on new carpeting for 2 of the bedrooms and that will start a few other projects that need finished.  Throw in working and I'm about full up on the calendar! Have a good rest of the week everyone!


8 comments:

Deb J. in Utah said...

I am sure those fortune cookies were a bit hit in your Sunday School class. I love those pictures of Annabelle, especially the one where she is riding on the lawn mower. I love all your mums. I have some mums too. To me when the mum bloom it is really fall! See you again soon!

Shady Del Knight said...

Hi, YaYa!

You always have an assortment of interesting things to blog about, dear friend! You really collected a bounty from your garden. Mrs. Shady served spaghetti for dinner this evening, and I would have loved to smother mine with your special sauce made from those fresh, plump peppers and tomatoes. For dessert, I would have loved to gobble down two or three (dozen) of your fortune cookies!

I hope you enjoy your visit with Midge and the chance to see Oregonian son Craig after such a long time. I hope you find both of them well and in good spirits. Niece dog Hope, too. Please drive safely out and back. It won't be long before the roads turn icy and slippery.

Yessum, I am a firm believer that every family should have at least one 7-foot skeleton (and keep it in the closet). What a delightful surprise to have that pretty butterfly linger long enough to take its picture. The other day, a squirrel came up to the window as I was looking out, and we were face to face inches apart. I don't think he could see me because of the glare, and so I was able to examine him for a good long while. I often think such close encounters with wildlife are some kind of sign, perhaps a loving hello from a lost loved one. We are trying to attract bees to our garden, but they have grown scarce in recent years, a disturbing trend.

Look at my honeybun Annabelle, hard at work there in the field supervising her one-mommy work crew in the garden! The next picture shows that she needed to relax and unwind in front of the boob tube after being on duty all that time. Did she ever watch Disney's 101 Dalmatians, Old Yeller, The Shaggy Dog, Lassie or Rin Tin Tin? :) She's so cute! We could never get our Toto to watch TV. She simply didn't want to look at the screen. The next picture shows Annabelle enjoying a well-deserved snooze at the end of her long day. The last pic of her is a doozy. I can't imagine her being willing to ride the mower with you. I would have thought the loud noise would drive her away. That's one of the funniest things I ever saw!

I hope your new carpeting gets installed AOK and is to your liking. Hooray for the return of Jord to The Pines! I look forward to seeing pictures taken during your family H-ween party next month. (I heard that the Yeti is renting a tux for the occasion.)

Yessum, you have plenty of exciting things going on up there, and I am very happy for you. Take care and enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend YaYa!

acorn hollow said...

that sweet little dog did not know what she was missing all that time in a cage. She looks so happy with her life.
sounds like you have been busy with projects. We are still getting some tomatoes, but I see green tomato relish in my future.
Have a safe trip to see family
Cathy

Andrea Ostapovitch said...

Our neighbors have a 20 foot skeleton I their front yard. They keep it displayed year round and dress it for all the different seasons and holidays. I can't decide how I feel about his rather intimidating presence.

Julia said...

That is a good tomato bounty. The deers have decimated mine in the large farm garden. They first ate the blossoms and the ones that happen to grow small tomatoes were eaten as soon as they appeared. I had about 30 healthy tomato plants with a lot being Marzipan plum tomato for my salsa but the deers had other plans.
My husband eats a lot of salsa and I was going to make more than last year but I may have to resort to buying some more tomatoes.

My uncle gave me some but only for one batch.

Annabelle watching TV is just too funny. I agree, a 7 foot skeleton is kind of large to store. I don't mind the smaller ones. I gave most of my Halloween decorations to my granddaughter for her kids. We no longer get trick-or-treaters in our neighborhood as there are no kids in the area.

Enjoy your next trip to your sister.
Hugs,
Julia

TheCrankyCrow said...

Who WOULDN'T want a 7' skeleton???? I've never seen them that tall...all mine top out at around 5'. And what's the bother about a broken hip?? If I get to his/her age, I'll likely have a broken hip (or 2) too. 🤣 I'm looking forward to seeing your Halloween decorating again. If anyone but me saw mine, I'd decorate too... I know I will break down and pull out a few things...mostly the lights because I love the coziness of them. Lucky you to have a gathering to host. Your garden really provides you with a bounty. I don't have a proper garden (i.e. for vegetables) but I do have herbs...and usually tuck a couple of pepper plants in amongst them.... I had always heard you need at least 2 pepper plants to cross pollinate (or whatever) so decided to test it this year. The result? I got a 4' tall plant with nary even one pepper. 🤔 Lesson learned. LOVE the photo of Miss Annabelle on the mower! What a testament to her trust in you. I turn on the Dyson and Snowdog grabs his favorite-at-the-moment toy and heads to the front door LOL. ~Robin~

Prims By The Water said...

Bob tried buying a 12 foot skeleton for the outside of one of our stores. They were sold out before he got there. My Sedum looks like yours. Yum on the tomato sauce! Annabelle is such a sweetie. Too cute as she watched tv!!! Janice

CHERI said...

Hi, Yaya....you have been busy...and what wonderful pictures, especially of Annabell:) Thank you so much for leaving a comment on my latest blog post (after many months!) Blogger is not treating me well though...I almost always reply to comments on my blog but it's not letting me other than letting me do it anonymously. How crazy is that!!!! I think I would have left the bony guy at the store too...he's a little too spooky for me and storing him would be a "nightmare"...LOL!!!