Perseverance

Can you believe it? It will be 91 degrees today. Too hot. I hear it is Fall but.....My roses don't know it yet! This rose is planted by the storage house in the back yard. I didn't plant it...it has been here since Sweet Mama bought this house. It always has looked a little sickly but this year it has persevered. It has decided to grow....and grow...and grow! A little house sure hasn't got it the way! So it reminds me that no matter the challenges...never give up!

I'll let you know if it blooms!

Change of Season?

The days are getting a little cooler...sort of! It starts out chilly and then ended pretty warm. It has been in 80's in the afternoons. I have been waiting to change out my clothes from summer to winter...I guess that will have to wait. Good thing I have some Halloween t-shirts!

Beau, no matter the weather, can always find a patch of sun. Hope your Sunday has been a relaxing as his!

Pumpkin Pie Spice Coffee Creamer

Now that the weather has gotten a little cooler...here's a little something to put you in the mood for Fall!

Pumpkin Pie Spice Coffee Creamer

4 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. allspice
1 cup powdered non-dairy creamer

Combine all ingredients. Mix together. Store in an airtight container.
Makes about 1 -1/4 cups

Enjoy!

Whew!

The past few weeks have been busy! After a trip out of town to the DR and minor surgery things were starting to calm down...then the rain came! Of course we needed it but we got 5 1/2 inches in one day! That's not as much as they got in N.C. but for us it was plenty! Lots of tree branches came down...and I had to haul them to the street. After I moved the cushions out of the wet area of the porch, Belle found a great napping place! Whew!!

Now after rest and relaxation I am back to my old self...just in time for all the Holiday orders to start! Did I tell you that I now have 700 sales my shop? www.apronsandmore.etsy.com I hope to make 1000 by January!! It could happen...! :)

Hello Fall!!

I am so glad you are finally here! Although it was 93 here today...hopefully cool days can't be far behind!!! I noticed the goldenrod was starting to bloom last Friday, which means 6 more week till cold weather. For once I can't wait! It has been so hot here for so long...my Spring projects never got finished because it was too hot. My front porch rocking chairs were in the process of being stripped and primed. Only one of the 2 got primed, the other is sitting on the porch looking a little long in the tooth! A bit grey... SO Fall should bring me cooler weather to finish the chairs so they will look great for next spring! Just in time to turn yellow from all the pollen!! Oh well...



In honor of the goldenrod here is my latest apron! I love this fabric!! But I love Fall and all the Fall colors! Don't you!!

Back from Vacation!

I am back from vacation!!! I took Sweet Mama to Iowa to visit my brother and his fiance...and the two grand dogs! We had a great time... Played a lot of cards and wii!!! Sweet Mama bowled, ski jumped, golfed and ping ponged!! A fierce competitor is she and actually not bad for a one-eyed woman! We also did a little bit of shopping! The street above is in Dubuque, Iowa...about 90 miles away. There is an incline railroad there that ends on this street with cute shops below. It is called the Fenelon Place Elevator built in 1882. It has been described as "the world's steepest, shortest scenic railway, 296 feet in length, elevating passengers 189 feet from Fourth Street to Fenelon Place. Magnificent view of the business district, the Mississippi River and three states." Yes I did see all three states! More info can be found here www.dbq.com/fenlco

It was fun! We rode from the top to the bottom. This was at the bottom.

You have to pay at the top which is on a tiny neighborhood street. It was $1.00!

When I was in the shops there was a cool bookstore (which I bought a Crochet book!) and a neat antique shop which had this!

I have never seen a mannequin like this one! Check out how the skirt can be expanded! It was $200...if I was closer to home...and rich! Too cool!!!

Here are some pictures of the grand dogs. Bruiser is the alpha dog...a chihuahua. (He was named after the dog on "Totally Blonde"). He is very sweet and cuddly. Sam is a flat coat retriever who is camera shy! He is actually a foster dog and is going back home to Missouri on Saturday. He belongs to H's parents who had moved to Arizona and could not take him with them. But they are now back in MO and now, a year later, Sam is going back home too! Bruiser is getting a girl friend sometime soon..Cinderella. He can not be left alone...he gets lonely. So he is getting a cute babe...Pictures to come! I hope he will be nice!

We had a great time but the drive home was long. It takes 2 days! Skippy kept the cats and they loved him! That was nice..so glad they didn't have to go back to the kennel...Beau HATED that!! They are thrilled we are back and life is getting back to normal...whatever that is. I just miss the cool weather..although they said it was hot up there. I couldn't tell! It was 94 degrees here when I checked one day with a heat index of 111...Didn't miss that one bit!

It was nice not to think about work and relax..just like Bruiser!

Locks of Love

Here is my contribution to Locks of Love!! Since Sweet Mama was sick and the the hospital off and on I didn't have time to drive down to Savannah to get my hair cut. My hairdresser has been cutting my hair for almost 20 years! I felt like I would be cheating on him if I went to someone up here...so I let my hair just grow! I had been wanting to donate hair for quite a while now but it has to be at least 10" long. I would get tired of it ....break down and whack it off before I was even close! This time (because of Sweet Mama and time constraints) I made it a year and a half! When it was cut I had 12"!!! Yippee!! Locks of Love is an organization that makes wigs for kids suffering from long-term or permanent hair loss, many are cancer patients. http://www.locksoflove.org/

What a great way to give back and help others dealing with cancer!