Halloween Eve

It's been a really nice weekend.  We went to see Elphaba and Glinda yesterday.  They were fabulous, as always.  We are already thinking about when we can go to see them again.  

Today we cleaned on the yard a little bit, shopped for groceries, and Mark went with me to work (on a Sunday!) to hang a shelf in my new office.  He's the best, as always.  

Tomorrow is Halloween.  We bought some candy--just for the trick-or-treaters, you know.  Not sure the weather is going to be as nice as last year--we hope Parker and Hannah will come to scare us again.  And we will be looking for pictures of Betsy and Kyle, as always :)

Wicked Saturday

This is the tree from the Michigan workshop last spring.  It took months, but this idea with the birds has been brewing for a while.  Next spring, it will be in a container with flowers and a bird's nest.  Yes, it's not even Halloween, and it's already time to be thinking about spring planting :)

And it's a wicked Saturday because today, we're going to see Elphaba fly!

Friday Flowers

Fab New Cab

I LoVe our new kitchen cabinet--all the way from Michigan!  Thank you, mama :)

October Flowers

Beautiful Bras

 The Wardrobe is having their annual Beautiful Bra Show fundraiser.  This entry was from Bella.  So cute!

 The tags make all the difference.   They can make you fall in love with a design.

 This was our favorite.   It's tag said "A mammogram saved my life 24 years ago.  Thank you for supporting Breast Cancer Awareness."  It was designed by a woman who works in an alterations shop.  Beautiful work.

Zinnias Far and Near

BK Pictures

Rachel has been taking pictures with her new camera.  Beautiful shots.  We miss them something awful!  When's the next road trip??

Fall Garden Scenes

Mark was a good sport about loading up the truck with Kentucky pumpkins.  Yes, I'll be buying Illinois pumpkins too, but sometimes you just want to bring a little bit of home back with you. 

This time of year, I've usually had pitcher after pitcher of zinnias.  As I've complained several times this season, my zinnia crop was slim--I won't go into it again--I'm tired of my own whining.  Especially since this pitcher has been so beautiful this week.  It probably needs replacing today, and I think there will be enough blooms to get a couple more before the frost hits.  Happy Weekend! :)

Kentucky Lake

We're already counting the days til we can go back again :)

Solidago Fireworks

There's an explosion of yellow right in the middle of the yard these days.  Mama posted pictures of her goldenrod too.  Some things in the garden are on their way out--the downed tomato cages you can see here, the containers that have died a slow death from thirst--but with a show like this going on, it's all good.

Home Again, Home Again

Another great week at the lake.  Mark caught lots of fish, I read several good books, visited with near and dear  people that I don't get to see nearly often enough, and in general just loafed around and did not much of anything! 

Flower Power

I have had beautiful flower-filled weekends lately with Michelle and the Petals & Co gang. Gorgeous flowers for a BuNcH of fall weddings!

Coleus

Before

After

It's about time to take cuttings of the coleus to overwinter.  And maybe the sweet potato vines too.   I remember one time when I was a little girl, I pulled up one of mammy's coleus just because I didn't like it.  Back then I didn't  know anything about "foliage".   I didn't know how valuable plants--foliage or blooming---must have been to mammy.  Where did she get that coleus?  We didn't have a  Lowe's back then.  She was mad at me, but she didn't get a switch.  Maybe she was tired that day.

Monday Vase

Nine Eleven Eleven

I was  watching Matt & Katie on the Today show before work one morning and Matt said, "We're going to switch here. . . there's something going on at the World Trade Center."  And a few minutes later, the second plane flew into the other tower.   

Judson was a freshman at UK.  Isaac went to school that morning, but I was sure that they would watch the history happening on tv.  His history teacher gave a test that was already scheduled for that  day. We should have stayed home together.  

I'm So Happy!

Mark gave me the best anniversary present--a much needed new watering can :-)

Happy Anniversary

If we were getting married today, I've love to carry this bouquet.  Everything from the garden--lilies, garlic chives, white flowers from the butterfly bush, sweet autumn clematis; foliage from the anthurium, lamb's ear, and coleus; with one of mama's hens & chicks thrown in for good measure.  It's beautiful outside today.  Today is PJ's birthday too.  Hope she's having as beautiful a day in her  Michigan garden as we are here in Illinois.

September

It was a dry month, but I had lots of good watering help!

It was one of the best Augusts of all time with Betsy & Kyle & Rachel here for a nice long visit.  And Judson too for the last couple of days.  But now it's September and this morning I heard Betsy call, "Grannie K, we have to go home to 'Tucky!"  Sigh. . . so we helped them load the car and waved goodbye.

It's a quiet house on this our 23rd anniversary.  Mark is cleaning, I'm paying bills and blogging.  Country music on the radio.

But it's the first beautiful fall day of the season too, and we're already looking forward to the next time we get to visit with our babies :)