Ah, October...

...I hate to see you go.

Lovely are the silent woods

on crisp October days,

when the leaves fall red and gold

about the quiet ways.

                               -Patience Strong

Trick or treaters have come and gone on this drizzly Halloween night. 

We're watching the Memphis football game. Soon we'll turn our clocks back and wake up to a new month. See you then.

Pumpkin Carving

messy part

taping pattern into place 

punching holes around pattern design 

sawing to remove certain parts

cleaning design and applying petroleum jelly

Boogie Nights

Random

misty, rainy, wet

Not sure where this metal leaf came from, but wooden box was one of my mother's kitchen items.

 

removed drawers to give this small cabinet a different look

pumpkin drawings on clipboards by Lucas and Nick 

a fun utility room decoration from cereal box 

         

Addicted to these...may be time to halt this collection

Goodwill bargains. Art by

 someone named Pearl Roberts
 for two dollars.
A picnic basket made in Hong Kong
for $3

pitcher on top of refrigerator in apartment 

  afternoons this week with Lucas and Nicolas

    
Random bits and pieces...little things from ordinary days...the good life

Cleaning and Rearranging

I am happy to report that the apartment is looking a whole lot neater since 
son #2 moved out to a different place.

Here are a few kitchen things. Some came from other rooms in the main house, but my mother's crock with those old utensils has stayed in that very same spot.

 

A New Treasure

There are friends who just get you. My friend Mary is one of those. She knows me well.  After all we met in eighth grade, and our friendship has endured through the years.

Today we reconnected. What a pleasure it was! We both have a love for old things and have collected special finds over the years. Our home furnishings have stories that go with them.

Old books appeal to me and have for a long time.

When I was a little girl I was fascinated by the books stored in an old shed on my grandmother's farm.

When teaching became my career choice, an interest in textbook copies grew.
I have a small collection of children's schoolbooks, mostly English, spelling, and reading.

So getting back to my visit with Mary...
She presented me with a special gift. Like I said she knows me well.

Not only does this book have old textbook pages, it is designed to hold journal pages in the back. Plus there's Mary's inscription on the inside cover...how special that message is to me. What a treasure to cherish the rest of my years! 

 I love that the school pages deal with grammar. My favorite subject to teach was Language Arts, and explaining and drilling parts of speech was a welcome challenge.  

To write or not to write inside this unique book???

Thank you, Mary, for this book and all the wonderful times we have shared.

Friends forever,

Love, Sandy

Enjoyment

Outside beauty

Little things inside

Susan Branch calendar for 2016

Her blog is exquisite in every way.

To go there is to take a mini-vacation.

She welcomes you into her world of art, travel, and home pleasures.

Getting shoeboxes ready for Operation Christmas Child brings enjoyment each and every year. I hope and pray the little ones get joy from the surprises and encouragement for the future.

Wishing you a weekend of enjoyment,
Sandy