Happy Feet

Don't they look so comfy? Take my word for it, I'm quite sure they are close to foot heaven. My Birthday present. I bought them on clearance last year and when birthday time rolled around I told my family just what to give me! I usually make sure they all make an event of the day, but this year I just don't have the umph. Jon did send me a plant and make a spaghetti supper. Will baked me my favorite chocolate cherry cake, Grace spiffed up the place. It was a good day.

Harvesting Treasure

Corn Dog!!!

Fall splender--back yard version!!

Willy harvested the Indian corn for me. I just love it.
It is like opening a treasure, you never know what your going to get until you peel back the husk. Which kiddo can I con into doing the fall decorating?

This is my favorite, the color is black burgandy. Definatly a treasure!

Second thought the real treasure is the boy in a grubby MN Viking t-shirt.

Pumpkin Harvest

Its Willy's turn to harvest. Will was on his own. Ave was resting a migraine, he was bummed he miss out on the pumpkin harvest. Now comes the "I get that one" war.

We have a few green ones, we will still think of something fun to do with them. Back when we were homeschooling and had a Homeschoolers Harvest party I made a mock apple pie. I found the recipe in my Little House on the Prairie Cook Book. No one knew I used a green pumpkin. Love that cookbook-loved feeling like Caroline Ingalls if only for a day.

The best part of harvesting for Mom would be driving Dad's lawn mower.

That look of incredible happiness is 'cuz I just told him I would reward him with the corn harvest for doing such a good job on the pumpkins. Will is easy going and a good sport!

Foliage Fog & Football

Will took this misty morning picture. The tree is nice and orange, but the color is lost in the fog. In the lower right corner the "little boys" (A & W call the 5th & 6th graders) are in a huddle. A & W are almost done with their football season, they each have one game left. I will not miss the piles of jerseys, pants, & pads piled up by the back door. I will miss all the testosterone injected energy football burns off them. I will miss watching my tired, dirty, & hungry boys traipse home across the back yard.

Patience & Peace

I told Jon "I feel like I'm going to be depressed, I'm going for a walk." I walked the track for my prescribed 10 minutes. I thought about how sick and tired I am of this injury/recovery stuff. About how when I get fairly recovered from this surgery I will have to turn around and do it all again. By the time I paid my 10 minute dues I was in a mood to be sure. In the house a messiness greeted me, remnants of someones breakfast (I won't mention names), a huge pile of mail and papers behind the Cherrios box, honey in the no drip bottle ( Avery believes is one of the greatest inventions of all mankind) I was just about ready to start a rant about it all (I wasn't so miffed about the mess but about the fact that I am so limited and I have to choose my activities so carefully). There it was, not the writing on the wall, the writing on the coffee mug. The normal before injury person would come home from my morning workout, turn on my tea kettle and grab a message mug. Peace, Patience, Faith, Endurance, Love, or Kindness, I would ponder what I thought I needed for the day or what I thought the Lord thought I needed to work on for the day and drink from that cup accordingly. I so want the normal me back now. The Patience mug was front and center, with its sister Peace mug in the pile of dirty dishes on the dishwasher. Patience is having the strength to wait for the Lords perfect timing. Message received.

Gathering Gourds

Jon and the kids planted gourds for me to use as fall decorations.

This is just too much fun for me. Grace is once again my seregate

harvester. The boys have football after school so they miss out on

the fun (I'm not sure they would agree).

Grace Gathering

Otto enjoying the only spot in the yard that he's allowed to dig.

I told you this is too much fun!!

Fodder for Winter

We won't be had again!
Last year Jon planted sunflowers so I could feed the birds all winter long. He strung and hung the sunflowers outside the kitchen window for my viewing pleasure. Well to both our dismay and amusement the squirrels cleaned them out in 2 weeks. This year Jon planted 1 & 1/2 rows of sunflowers. We will dry and stash them so every little critter gets a fair share when the winter winds blow. Grace is so kind and doing the sunflower harvest for me.






"Oh Mr. Sun-Mr. Golden Sun please shine down on me!"


My kids sang this song when they were little.
Randi would always end with a big "YAH!"
















Store up the suns warm rays,
to share them on cold winter days.

"Follow the yellow brick road."
Speckeen Style







The bounty!! A wagon of gold--Brinks trucks have nothing on me! I love my wagon, a gift from Jon last Christmas. He gave it to me for use when I garden, but mostly so I can pull my grand babies.


Hung out to dry!

Jon strung a drying line in the new little garden shed he is building. Lets hope the savvy little squirrel's don't find them befor we get them stashed.

Apple Affair

Avery took this picture at the apple orchard. Jon and the kids took in the Galesville Apple Affair yesterday. They had brats and a piece of the 10-foot apple pie. Graci bought a rug from the Roadside Weaving booth (located between Galesville and Whitehall). It is pale yellow and made from an old chenille bed spread. I took in a nap, just for the record this recovery stuff is for the birds! I hate being so limited in what I can do. I am working on trusting that the Lords best will come of all this (Barb I don't think I "got it" quite yet). Jon brought me home a special treat, a bottle of maple syrup, he knows how to charm me!