This Week

Autumn has finally arrived.  After unusually warm weather for weeks, it turned cold on Friday and has stayed cold.  We've even had a couple frosts.  That means my flowers are no more.  I'm always a bit sad when that happens but also a teeny bit relieved.  No more weeds!

This is the last flower from the garden.  Zinnias are so hardy, and this little one hung on through the frost, but I picked it and put it in one of the Belleek vases Dave gave me for my birthday.  So sweet!

It did this today~

So Dave did this~ 

The first fire of the season!  It drove the cold and damp away!

I have made good progress with the Christmas shopping already.  Every year I tell myself I'm going to get ahead, but I've never managed it.  I'm pretty pleased with what I've accomplished this year so far.  Today, I started wrapping~

                               

In other news, the girls and I made these turkeys~

They look rather Picasso-esqe, don't you think?

Catching Up

Hey, y'all!  Sorry to be AWOL the past few weeks.  Travel.  Events.  People.  Dave and I went to the Just and Sinner conference in Illinois a few weeks ago, held at the church Dave previously pastored.  We reconnected with lots of old friends and made new ones, too.  We stayed through Sunday morning, which gave Dave the opportunity to promote Wittenberg Door and build prayer and financial support.

That Sunday morning was Reformation Sunday, an important day in the Lutheran church!  Three pastors and a future seminarian officiated.  Dave is on the far right; Pr. Cooper is second from the left.

The following Monday was actual Reformation Day, also known as Halloween.  These two adorable trick-or-treaters dropped by for a treat from Grandma and Grandpa.

This fall has been unusually warm and dry, which I think led to a not very colorful autumn.  It's been beautiful in other ways, so I won't try not to complain.

Lichen on an old tree stump in our yard

My birthday was last week and we all gathered at one of my favorite restaurants, Cheddars.  All of us, that is, except Hannah, who had a cold and was not feeling very how (as Eeyore puts it).  The pictures I took were terrible (bad lighting!), but trust me, we had a good time! Then we went to my daughter's house for cake, ice cream, and presents.  Arane was so excited that it was my birthday! :)

                                           

Dave and Hannah brought me these lovely flowers.  I love fresh flowers.  The little vases are a gift from Dave, honest to goodness Belleek.  He knows my weakness for fine china!  Aren't they darling?  I have Four other pieces of Belleek, all with the traditional shamrock design except one, which has a pansy motif~ also very pretty. 

There's lots more I could say, but I'll save it for another time.  Thanks for visiting!