Fall is Around the Corner!

You wouldn't know it with the heat and humidity we are experiencing but the signs are there. Apples are starting to appear on the orchard shelves.

 

I made a batch of caramel to cover the apples and for dipping.

 

 

Leaves are starting to fall to the ground. 

 

I have the itch to decorate for fall.  I am trying to hold off until at least Labor Day!

May you day be filled with joy and contentment!

And It Begins...

Chasing dust bunnies, sorting, organizing and getting rid of stuff!

A sorting station has been set up in our messy garage.  Hubby agreed to this a with only a little bit of reluctance. :)  The compromise is that one full weekend will be devoted to the garage at the end of this fun.

After our busy and sometimes chaotic summer this is much needed.  It always amazed how much of a mess you can make when you aren't home much.  I am moving one space at a time. 

I started with Megan's fall clothes first.  I went through and gave away the items that had become to small, looked through items that have been purchased over time and washed what was left.  They are now in her closet waiting for the weather to change.  They will then be pressed and put away.

The cleaning started in Megan's room.  Oh my, oh my!  Lets just say that after finding a bottle of glue that was somehow missing its top and was all over her desk I went into overdrive. :)  Every space in her room was gone through and there was tons of things given away.  I would say that half of the items in her room are no longer there.

It is a wonderful feeling to walk into this space and know that everything is tidy and orderly.  It feels so much lighter and I know that it will make things easier for Megan to keep things tidy.  She has already been warned that if she is still have issues with keeping her things put away I will be returning to do another purge.

I don't know about you all but there is something about cleaning in the fall that is very appealing.  More so then in the spring.  Maybe it has something to do all the time I know that will be spent inside.  Nothing beats a clean, organized space to cozy up in!  I am looking forward to lightening the load in the rest of my home.

May you day be filled with joy and contentment!

Marshmallow Roast

Megan has been asking for a fire for several weeks.  For a variety of reason we had to keep saying "not tonight."  Finally I said we just need to do it.  

I am so glad we took the time to do this.  A perfect night to relax by the fire and watch our girl roast a marshmallow or two... or maybe three or four!  :)

May you day be filled with joy and contentment!

Grapes!

I have been faithfully checking the grape arbor.  After last years drought and little production the year before that I have been joyfully watching them grow.  They started to turn a couple of weeks ago.  I slowly watched them start to disappear.  Not that I can blame the critters for wanting a snack but I am not willing to share!  I would have liked to have left them on the vine a while longer but not wanting to risk my bounty I went ahead and harvested them.  Almost five gallons!

While the boys napped I sat on the back porch and plucked the ripe ones from the vine.  I feel like saying we have been blessed the past week or so with wonderful weather is an understatement.  It has certainly made my task more enjoyable.

Our weekend was full.  So full that I wasn't sure I could get these taken care of.   Not wanting them to go bad I made sure to work them down before we left Saturday morning.

I have this wonderful juice waiting for when I have more time.  I plan to clear an afternoon this week and get it done. 

Can I say again how much I enjoy backyard gardening.  Not only because I know what I am feeding my family, but the satisfaction of knowing I made it is a wonderful feeling.  :)

If you would like to see how I make grape jelly you can go here. 

May your day be filled with joy and contentment!

Crate Create

I have been seeing crates all over the place. I looked here and there at them but the prices were more then I was willing to pay. The wheels started turning and I asked Chuck if he still had scrap from our fence project.  Sure enough he did. 


  

I have an idea to use the crate in my fall decorating.  A few measurements were made and we kicked around an idea or two.  The pickets ripped in half and then cut to the appropriate length.

 Chuck is great about taking an idea I have and making it not only reality but ten times better then I imagined.

I wanted the crate to look like something that might have been used for harvest on the farm.  I printed off the wording I wanted in Word (incase you are wondering I used the font Impact).   The name of the farm is a play on our last name. I then taped the wording on the slat and traced it with a pencil.  It made just enough of an imprint that I could trace and color them in with a sharpie.  I then let it sit overnight to give the marker time to dry.

I then stained it.  I used cherry stain as that is what I had on hand. 

 I think it turned out great!  The best part is it cost no out of pocket money.  My kind of project! 

 May your day filled with joy and contentment!

Be Still

About eight this morning I was out hanging up a load of laundry. It is a beautiful morning... 57* with a slightly cool breeze. The refreshing coolness and the beauty of the sun filtering through the movement of the branches caused me to pause. Not necessarily in movement but in thought.

 He says "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10

 This verse keep fluttering through my head.

 

I have a few things on my mind. Not really worries, just a concern or two about the next year. As I continued to hang laundry I thought about how he has never forsaken me.

 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Hebrews 13:5 

 All my needs are always met. Maybe not at the exact moment I want, but they are always met. 

 

Lord, thank you for the reminder.

For we live by faith, not by sight.  2 Corinthians 5:7

May your day filled with joy and contentment!

Feeling Crafty

I am by no means rushing the end of summer but I am starting to think of fall. Honestly I am looking forward to the routine and slow down that starts when the season changes.   I haven't pulled out the fall décor yet but I am thinking about what I want to do.  When the urge to craft (okay, it is always there I just don't always have the time!) hit I knew I wanted to do something with a fall theme. 
 

I ended up making a banner.  I decided to go with the wording HARVEST.  That way I could make this work for Thanksgiving also.  I used some heavy weight muslin for the pennants and for the lettering I used fabric I had on hand.  I attached the letters with heat and bond.  Love that stuff! The pumpkins on the ends were on a piece of fabric I had.  I just cut them out and bonded them on.  The only thing I had to purchase with the rick rack and thread. 

I love the way it turned out.  Now if I can only hold off until Labor Day to decorate! 

 

You have multiplied the nation and increased its joy; They rejoice before You according to the joy of harvest,  as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. ~ Isaiah 9:3

May your day filled with joy and contentment!

Joy in the Ordinary

Look around, really look around and you will find joy... joy in the everyday... joy in the ordinary things.

A trip to the post office to mail books.

My laundry area is out of control.  On the list to get in order before the weekend is over. :)

After school snack. 

Nature campers. :)

A craft in the beginning stages. 

Pulling over to visit some animals while on a drive. 

Visiting a roadside stand.

Delicious Indiana grown corn!

18!  I can't believe my little sister has a child this old.  The one hiding in the background is her oldest who is 20.  Yikes! 

Enjoying a beautiful evening. 

 

May your day filled with joy and contentment!