Forsysthia

Here in Virginia we were greeted with snow and sleet this Sunday morning! It is freezing cold outside, but thanks to the beautiful forsythia we can be reminded that Spring will soon be on it's way!

Winter Wonderland & Random Ramblings

It's funny that my last post had to do with a "White Christmas," because it looks like that's exactly what we're going to have here in Virginia! I have lived here most of my life, and I can never remember having one, so this is extra-special for us! The snow is coming down fast and furiously, and the winds are blowing, but we are all snuggled up by the fire all toasty warm. Tomorrow Miss Bonnie and I will do a lot of Christmas baking, and I have a good book I want to start reading.

Since we hardly ever get snow Miss Bonnie and I don't have any snow boots so we decided to go to Payless today. I do believe that half of the city was in there! Before we left I had gone on their website to see what they had so I could get an idea of what to look for. When we got there you could hardly walk in the aisles because of so many women!!!! Our eyes were darting from box to box, and then finally Miss Bonnie spotted them, said they were in a seven, so I said "grab them!!!" They feel so soft and warm inside, and the best part was they were on sale!

I don't think I told y'all, but my camera is broken and can't be fixed. BOO HOO, SNIFF SNIFF. That's why I showed you a picture of the boots for a least a little visual interest;) I don't think Santa will be able to bring me one this Christmas so my posts won't be very interesting for awhile.

After hearing the advice of several bloggers that I really respect, I have decided to allow anonymous comments, and Ill just go ahead and start doing comment moderation. I have formed so many wonderful friendships, and I would be real sad if I couldn't keep in touch anymore.

Well, how's that for a bit of randomness? lol I hope y'all have a wonderful weekend!

Much love,

Susan P.

Oh, No ~Not Another Pumpkin Post!
(I promise it's the last one;)

First of all let me say a big


The calendar might say it's the first day of Fall, but the temps are saying otherwise! It's in the 80's here in Virginia, but that's okay, I'm still going to cozy up my nest so I can usher in the harvest season with open arms!

Now, about that pumpkin post. I promise this will be the last one! I just wanted to share with y'all a cute way to say "Happy Fall" to friends and neighbors. This idea is as "cute as pie," (pun instended;)



Hopefully, you are having better luck at finding pumpkin than I was. If not, this idea isn't going to work for you. After you have made your pumpkin treat don't discard the can, instead rinse it out. *Next, take tape and completely cover the rim so that any jagged edges are covered. We don't want any cut fingers, that's for sure! Now, wrap up your pumpkin goodies and place them inside container. Finish off by attaching ribbon, tag, and embellishments of your choice. What a perfect way to say Happy Fall to those you love!

I'm just now finishing up my Fall decorating so I will be back tomorrow to show a few pictures of my home all dressed up for the season!

Much love,
Susan P.

Oh, and for those of you that asked about the recipe ~ I got it from one of my all-time favorite bloggers ~ Aunt Ruthie at Sugar Pie Farmhouse. If you have never visited you must go, because you are in for a wonderful treat! Go when you have some time, because once you start reading you won't be able to stop! Here's the link to the recipe.

My Son~My "Hero!"

Just look at what my precious boy found for his Mama! When he called and told me he found it I did the "happy" dance around the room:)

I wish y'all could smell the aroma in my kitchen now ~ pumpkin crunch cake hot out of the oven. It's now officially Autumn at our home place! All is right with the world!!

"Oh, What A Beautiful Morning!"

I awoke this morning to the sound of bird song and bright blue skies.The hot, humid air has been replaced with cool temperatures and a sweet gentle breeze. My heart is rejoicing because after three long months I am finally able to open up the windows and invite the outside in. Yes, indeed, it is a beautiful morning!


Happy September, dear friends!

Savoring Summer

Summer is quickly fading away ~ savor every last second you can!

I "Spy" Spring!

Peering through my kitchen window

A hint of yellow appearing like a ray of golden sunshine

Amongst the cold, brown earth.

It's frilly little head lifting it's head up high

Offering a cheery "hello."

Squeals of delight.

Surely, this is what hope must look like!

*What an appropriate last post for me, because daffodils are my very favorite flower! To me, not only are they beautiful, but they also represent happiness and joy, which is what I wish for each one of you!

Much love,

Susan P.

Chili On A Chilly Day!

With temperatures dropping almost 30 degrees this afternoon and the sound of sleet tapping on our window panes, I thought it would be the perfect time to cook up a batch of chili. I love how the aroma permeates throughout the house and it's even all the more better when it's the first of the Fall season. The perfect accompaniment to the chili was a pan of golden cornbread. Comfort food at it's best!

A "Berry" Fruitful Day,UNTIL. . . . .





We opened the jam to the taste!! YUK......it wasn't even edible, even though we followed the directions to the letter! What a disappointment. We have no idea what we did wrong! Oh well, I guess there's a lesson in there somewhere, I'll let you know when I find it! lol. . . . Gotta go now, I'm off to the store to buy some Smucker's ;o)

"The View From Afar"
Just A Thought
As Spring approaches I always anxiously await for the daffodils and tulips to show their pretty heads. I know that not long after their arrival our beautiful Bradford Pear tree will be in full bloom. It was a gift from Mr. P to me and so of course, it is very special. This particular tree only blooms for about two weeks out of the year, but, oh my, it sure makes up for that short time by putting on a beautiful show!! When I'm inside the house I have to take second and every once and awhile peek out the window to admire it's beauty because I want to truly "savor" it. I know those beautiful blooms will be gone very, very soon and I want to enjoy them as much as possible.

When I'm outside my very favorite thing to do is to stand underneath the tree and peer up through the blossom laden branches and see the clear blue sky in the background ~ a masterpiece for sure! I remember the first year it bloomed Mr. P and I were both so excited to see it! We would admire it every day and comment to each other how glad we were to have it in our yard. Then one day as I was underneath the tree peering up at the blossoms I happened to notice a very peculiar odor. I couldn't imagine where in the world the odor was coming from and the strange thing was that the longer I stood in that spot the stronger that objectionable odor became. It then dawned on me that the awful odor was coming from my beautiful Bradford Pear tree! Oh, no!! I couldn't believe that something that was so beautiful could produce such a terrible odor. It got to be so bad that I couldn't even enjoy the tree up close because I couldn't stand the smell, so the only thing I could do was to enjoy it's beauty from the confines of my home.

Y'all know I do a LOT of pondering (lol) and so it occurred to me that we, as human beings, can look at others a lot like I looked at that beautiful tree. From afar we see people who we think have it "all together." To us they appear to have the perfect life. We think they have the perfect home, the perfect husband, the perfect children, why, we think that their life is just like Miss Mary Poppins, "Practically Perfect In Every Way!"

As we look at these so called "perfect people," we start to feel unhappy and discontented with our own lives. We want what they have. We begin to think that it's unfair we aren't as pretty as they are, that we can't have the lastest fashion styles like they do , or even drive an expensive car like theirs. We look at their husband and wish ours could be more like theirs. We think that their children, of course, never seem to misbehave, or even get dirty, as a matter of fact!! And oh, how we would love to live in their homes. Everything is beautifully decorated and nothing ever seems to be out of place, needs vacuuming. scrubbing or dusting.

You see, those people that we envy and are jealous of are just like my Bradford Pear tree. We automatically think that because a tree is beautiful it should smell beautiful, too. From afar we admire the blossoms just like we do the people. The trouble is, we are only seeing the "outside." Upon closer inspection we might find that their lives aren't as wonderful as we thought. We are only getting a small glimpse and so, therefore we assume everything is perfect and wonderful. Maybe if we were to look closer we would see things differently.

Behind the smile there might be much pain and sorrow. The beautiful clothes they are wearing are bought with credit cards that have been maxed out. The husband that we think of as perfect might have cheated on his wife, or even abused her. The children might behave in public when we see them, but when they get home their mouths might be full of obscenities and disrespect towards their parents. And that house we thought was perfect is just that, a house, NOT a HOME. And speaking of that beautiful house, the couple is in way over their heads and can't even figure out how they will manage to pay their mortgage next month. They spend many sleepless nights worrying over the seemingly never-ending debt. The walls of the house might be beautiful, but the people inside those walls are miserable.

So, if we were to really look closely at their life, beyond those beautiful blossoms, we might find that things aren't really perfect after all. Just as the Bradford Pear, you might even say that their lives, to put it bluntly,"stink." Just as we can't judge a book by it's cover, neither can we judge a person life from afar, or expect a tree to smell beautiful just because it is. This is exactly why I'm going to always try to focus and appreciate what I DO have and what I AM blessed with. I will keep my eyes on Him, and try very hard not to covet what others have. When I can do this, that foul odor will be replaced with the sweetest smelling perfume I could ever imagine! It's called contentment and gratitude.

What Do You Do When . . . .

The sky is blue, the clouds are puffy white, and the temps are in the 70's?

Why, have a picnic, of course!!

Mr. P always makes me laugh:o)

We only had one ant join us, but hey, it wouldn't be a picnic without at least one!

My Special Friends

Brr....winter has it's icy grip on us and doesn't want to let go! The last few days have been too frigid to venture outside, but with one exception, and that is that I must feed the birds! Whenever I think of simple pleasures this is one that surely comes to mind. As I've told you many times before I get such happiness from looking out my kitchen window while watching my little bird friends fly hither and yon. We have such a wide variety of birds that I never tire of looking at them. Each has it's own beauty and personality, just like we humans!

As soon as I see the feeders getting low I bundle up and trudge to the shed to gather more supplies for my feathered friends. When they see me coming they quickly scurry away, but in the distance I can hear them sing their happy songs as they watch me replenish their feeders. Each variety of bird has it's own special song to sing and all together they make up the most beautiful melody!

As I am filling up the feeders I like to think about the different species of birds and what makes them each so unique! Some love the plain seed, some the sunflower seed, some raisins, and some even prefer cracked corn and nuts! Some like to perch on the feeder itself while others are strictly ground feeders. I even have a special feeder that allows the finches to eat the way they love which is upside down!

Our old oak tree is also home to many squirrels. They are such creative little acrobats and are, oh, so determined. When I watch them I feel like I can actually see the wheels turning in their little heads as they try to figure out how to get the seed! Many a day they have brought a smile to my face as I gaze into their little world. Not to worry though, on the other side of the yard they have corn I have put out that they can feast on! Sometimes I think they are like we humans, wanting what others have! lol When they finally decide to dine on the corn I love to see them sitting on their haunches as they merrily munch away! If they were children I believe they would be the ones that would always be sitting in the corner;o)

Once the task has been completed I come in and shed all the warm weather gear and then I go and stand by the fire to warm myself up. After the chill has left me I go to the kitchen and put the kettle on and then stand at my kitchen window and get ready for the next show! As I slowly sip my tea I watch as the birds quietly come out of their hiding places, one by one. Soon every spot is taken and after they have partaken of their meal I see them fly away one by one back to their homes. It somehow gives my great joy to know that they have left with nourishment that will last them another day.

As the sun starts to set I look out my window again and see that all is still and quiet. All the little birds are safely back in their nests resting yet again for another night. They can rest in peace because they know that their next meal will be waiting for them when they are ready. Isn't it amazing that such little creatures could bring such joy to my life! Something that is so simple, but then again, isn't that the beauty of it?

Guest Post
Jake


"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, it's S N O W I N G!" "Hurry up Bonnie , tell Mama we don't have time to take pictures ~ we have more important things to tend to!"



"Why are you just standing there, Bonnie"? "Let's get a move on!"



"All right, would y'all stop it with the pictures..... enough already!" "Golly, you'd think they'd never seen a snowflake before!"

"Finally, this is more like it!" "Keep up the pace, Bonnie, I've got places to go and people to see!"

A Snuggly, Cuddly, Cozy Kind Of Evening

Yesterday we had some high winds and very cool temperatures as a result of the storm Noel that is going up the coast. It was the kind of day that you wanted to stay indoors and hibernate! There is nothing like a hearty bowl of homemade soup to warm up your insides and so that's exactly what I decided to make for our supper. A big thank you to Monica for this recipe! It was delicious and so easy to make!

Potato Soup sprinkled with bacon

Warm homemade muffins

Pan fried apples (with cinnamon and nutmeg)

The perfect meal on a chilly autumn evening!

My great grandmother's quilt to "snuggle" up under.

A nice warm fire.

Truly, there is no place like home!

It's Here!
What am I talking about? Fall has finally arrived! Like most of you we have been experiencing summer like conditions throughout the month of October. I can't tell you how refreshing it was to wake up this morning to very cool temperatures, leaves falling, and a nice, steady drizzle (which we so desperately need). I was so excited to finally wear a long sleeve shirt and even a jacket. Believe it or not, most days I had still been sporting my sandals!


Every year when the first sign of Fall arrives I make a quick grocery run to buy all the ingredients for spiced tea. I threw my jacket on this morning and off I went. I couldn't wait to get home and light a candle and savor that first cup of the season. The recipe makes so much I even decided to make up some little jars to give to friends! What is your favorite beverage when the cold winds start blowing?

When I went to make my tea I automatically reached for this mug. That got me to thinking that I hadn't used this particular mug since last winter when I had my spiced tea to drink. I then starting thinking that I also have a particular mug I love to drink hot cocoa out of and I have a favorite tea cup for hot tea. Isn't that funny ~ I guess I am a real "creature" of habit! Do y'all do the same thing?

Blessed
Do you ever have days where you feel so incredibly blessed that you can barely contain your joy? I sure hope so! Well, I'm having one of those days! Why? Absolutely no reason in particular; there is no big check in the mail, no fancy vacation to look forward to, or no party to attend. I am just so acutely aware of all that the Lord has blessed me with and my heart just overflows with joy!

We are having such glorious weather on this late October day. Vivid blue skies, white puffy clouds, and the occasional leaf can be seen dancing gracefully to the ground. Every window in our home is open and the gentle breezes are coming through, curtains rustling, fresh air being welcomed in. As I read my book and sip my tea a sense of deep gratitude flows over me. It is my prayer that I never become too busy or too preoccupied that I can't stop and appreciate these blessings. One of the biggest gifts you can give yourself is to develop an appreciation for the seemingly little and ordinary things of life.

I am such a creature of habit, as are most of us are, I believe. I love the ordinariness of my days. Our home has a rhythm as does each member that resides within. There is nothing I love doing more than being at home and caring for my family...... nothing! I am a born "putterer" and I love nothing better to walk about the familiar floors of our home thinking of ways to "cozy" it up.

Adding a small basket of colorful mums can always brighten up our table as well as our mood! Baking a delicious loaf of banana bread not only pleases my family taste's buds, it will also welcome them home with a wonderful, pleasing aroma. Fluffing pillows, washing quilts and polishing furniture until it gleams are all such little things, but they are all acts of love. Delicious stew is bubbling away on the stove while golden, buttered biscuits are ready to be placed in a basket which contains a beautiful embroidered cloth. Silver shining, candles lit, heads bowed in prayer. Clothes hung out to dry and then lovingly put away in cedar lined drawers, big fluffy towels to dry off with, warm afghans to cuddle up in and the fireplace glow to read by. These are just a few of the things that bring so much joy to my heart. These are the things that money can't buy. These are the things that are created out of love. These are things that make a house a home!

Welcome Autumn!
In autumn when the trees are brown
The little leaves come tumbling down
They do not make the slightest sound
But lie so quietly on the ground
Until the wind comes puffing by
And blows them off towards the sky.



It's a beautiful day in the state of Virginia. Today I will be busy readying our home for the Autumn season. Oh, how I love this time of year!

Too Hot To Blog






This is our indoor/outdoor thermometer that sits on the shelf in our computer room. Usually I don't have any problem coming up with things to blog about but I just couldn't come up with anything today. When I looked over and saw 103.5 degrees I immediately knew the heat was effecting my brain! See y'all when it cools off . . . . .

"What dreadful hot weather we have. It keeps me in a continual state of inelegance." Jane Austen

Picture courtesy of Allposters
Title: Lady With Fan

Baby, It's HOT Outside!

It was 100 degrees in the shade today. I took my Boston ferns down to give them a good drink and my kitty Bailey decided they would make a wonderful cool retreat from the blazing hot sun! I spy two little white legs and tail "peeking" out ;o)