A journey of change...

We finally have an afternoon where the sun is peeking out behind wispy clouds, through the colorful leaves on the trees, and making its' way onto the sofa where I am curled up next to a paisley pillow. The aroma of a MacIntosh candle reminds me I can still enjoy autumn... even if I am only taking a break from laundry and dishes to watch Jacques & Julia on PBS. :)

Being a pondering kind of person, I found it interesting that getting away for awhile was just what I needed to refresh the spirit. I know part of it was spending time with the kids, grandchildren, and our friends (the Clarksons). I expect getting together with a few thousand likeminded (ie: Christian) women helped a lot.

But I think that which helped wake the senses was pulling books off the shelf and eating from the literary bread offered between their pages many evenings. How fortunate we are to live in an age where the experience and wisdom of men and women who have walked with God are available for the cost of a paperback book. (Not to mention the delicious fiction once in awhile.) :)

As I look back at other rather dry seasons of life, I find a few different reasons. First... fatigue has set in from illness, lack of rest and healthy food, or an extended time of trial. Second... I have let the technological things of this world take over my peace... TV, News, Radio, Internet (yikes!), mp3 players, etc. Third (and most likely what has happened now)... the change of seasons in my life.

I have had a child at home since I was twenty-three years old and either informally educating one at home or formally involved in homeschooling. With Christopher beginning University this year, the realization came that the child raising years are behind me. Don't get me wrong, the role of Mom as Counselor, Confessor, and Listener will always continue. But the clay has been formed into two amazing young adults and that season of life is behind me.

The post-homeschooling years are not what I planned. I had not anticipated at this time of life living on a very fixed income and dealing with a chronic illness. Let's face it, becoming a pastry chef as I'd desired would not be walking in wisdom for a Type 1 diabetic. :)

However, we all have such unexpected turns in life. I didn't plan to leave the corporate world in my early 30s, or to have another child later in life, or to become a homeschooling mom in my 40s. Such is life.

Change has never come easy for me. I could have been quite happy if born in another place and another time when the only change to take place was the usual cycles of life and death, springtime and harvest, and the occasional new family moving into the village every decade or two.

So... how am I embracing these changes? Well, I am definitely continuing the reading as I dusted off the amazing little book by John Piper titled Don't Waste Your Life. Yes, I did read this earlier in the year but as I'm going through the book again... everything seems new as I'm looking at it from a different perspective. I'm also reading the book my son-in-law loaned me by Gary Thomas called Seeking the Face of God. Thomas has put together an excellent book which makes it easy to absorb the wisdom of those who walked the path centuries ago.

Not all my reading has been quite so deep. Just before drifting off to sleep recently, I pulled out The Wind in the Willows to read a favorite section which I had discussed with Sarah last week. That part where Rat and Mole visit Mole's home is among the best literature has to offer (whether one is a child or a grandmother). How warm and cozy I felt as I sat with pillows propped behind my head and a quilt keeping me warm, imagining what it would be like listening to field mice singing Christmas carols.

I must now return to the tasks before me as sweaters are very carefully drying in a gentle heat and dishes must be put away behind cabinet doors. Ground beef is waiting to be turned into "something for dinner" while the butter and eggs have come to room temperature to make blond brownies (Stephanie called for the recipe this morning which brought about a craving). All coming together at a slow but steady pace with the usual pattern of work and rest and work and rest.

I must admit the sunshine helps all to be done with a good attitude.

Picture: Blue Stove; allposters.com

A little update

You may notice a difference in the Play List these days. With November upon us, George Winston's lovely Thanksgiving is the instrumental first song... beautiful music!

I printed out the recommendations and came up with about twenty five pages! How wonderful this is going to be even if it does take a little while to assemble. So many new (to me) authors and titles. I hope to have the post ready sometime next week. I also plan a few pantry posts and I have three books to review. Is there such a thing as job (blog) security?

My poor tekkie math and science type son recently spent days working on a writing assignment for his English class. We've been e-mailing his assignment back and forth for me to offer suggestions. Although he is an excellent writer, it is painful to watch the process. I'm thankful words come easily for this blogger... math is a whole other matter.

The question was asked how I use my Amazon widget (great question). I have a rather odd Wish List where I've "parked" book & DVD recommendations. Quite often when I have enough credit assembled, I will purchase a book from my Wish List (sometimes "new" and also "used" at a great price).

I've also used credit to purchase a birthday gift for one of my grandchildren that I would not have been able to buy without the credit (like the cute tea party game). I know other bloggers who use their credits for homeschooling books.

Thank you so much for taking the time to enter Amazon through my widget or through another blog. I always have to remind myself when ordering to do the same at a friend's blog.

Speaking of friends... Sarah Clarkson wrote a great post about technology that spoke 100% to my heart. I had already planned to link to it when I saw her mom did the same thing. You can find Sarah's excellent writing... here.

And now the B&B post

I have so many things I want to write about. That two week break refreshed my brain and renewed my creativity. My only challenge right now is feeling better. I appear to be fighting some kind of bug (which is not surprising considering how many people I was around in the last few weeks). Thankfully, I have an easy week to rest... all the gotta do's can be done slowly or wait for awhile.

Regarding the B & B, Stephanie asked if I was interested in staying there instead of a hotel. It was actually cheaper and all it would "cost" us was driving about twenty (?) miles from I-90. As it turned out, the distance between the B & B and our home didn't require us to travel all the way up to the Interstate and saved us time. It only added about twenty or thirty minutes to our drive from the B & B and our New England destination.

The B & B is called the Dream Horse Guesthouse and it is located on State Route 7 about 30 minutes south of I-80/90 in western Ohio. I think it was originally a barn and the owners have fixed it up to be a charming place for people and animals to stay. Well... the horses can't stay in the rooms. How often can you find a place that not only accepts pets but horses, too?!!

It was voted the Best Pet Friendly B&B last year on BedandBreakfast.com. The owners are wonderful people, we enjoyed getting to know them so much. Both hubby and I also enjoyed their two kitties, you "met" Hazel already. I was talking to Stephanie on the cell phone out on their "porch" when one of the horses let us know she was late getting her breakfast so loud that Steph heard it through the phone!

The first breakfast we had there was a chard quiche with fresh fruit and veggies from their garden. The second breakfast on our way home was the most delicious stuffed french toast and fruit that I have ever eaten (and stuffed french toast is one of my favorite foods). Since I gain weight so easily these days, I am usually a fairly light eater. I made a pig of myself and had three of the stuffed french toasts. Yum...

We highly recommend them whether you are traveling with pets, or just humans like us. The only people who may not appreciate it are those traveling with very small children as the stairs to the rooms are quite steep for little feet. Although they had recently had a family with a four year old who loved it there.

We stayed in their Open Sleigh Room, which is small but has the most comfortable sleigh bed! Perfect for a single person or a couple. The B & B was completely booked the first time we stayed (since it is so close to Amish country and there were a lot of people there to vacation locally). On the way back, there was only one other couple but we enjoyed chatting with them and the owners before starting the long drive the rest of the way home.

It is well worth the short trip from the Interstate for those driving I-80/90 just into Ohio from Pennsylvania. It was also easy to get to by a couple major highways in Ohio.

Their website is located... here.

Their recommendation page on BedandBreakfast.com is found... here.

An autumn sunrise

God's World

by Edna St. Vincent Millay

O world, I cannot hold thee close enough!

Thy winds, thy wide grey skies!

Thy mists, that roll and rise!

Thy woods, this autumn day, that ache and sag

And all but cry with colour! That gaunt crag

To crush! To lift the lean of that black bluff!

World, World, I cannot get thee close enough!

Long have I known a glory in it all,

But never knew I this;

Here such a passion is

As stretcheth me apart,—Lord, I do fear

Thou’st made the world too beautiful this year;

My soul is all but out of me,—let fall

No burning leaf; prithee, let no bird call.

I love this poem as it speaks... as poems often do... what I could not put into words when driving through the gorgeous autumnal scenery last week. I understood better the word "breathtaking".

Regarding the kitty... yes, we do want to go to the shelter and bring home a new furry family member. There are so many cats in need of a home and people like us who are in need of a cat.

Finances do not allow it right now (as there are a few basic costs involved) but bringing a kitty home will go on our priority list the next time hubby works at the bookstore (end of semester work).

Picture: The view from my kitchen window Monday morning... way too early

Enjoying the conference

A picture of a section of the conference

As you probably know, Stephanie lured me to New England with the promise of meeting Sally at the Iron Sharpens Iron conference for women in Hartford. It was held in a beautiful (and very large) church. We did have an enjoyable time. I particularly liked Elizabeth George's keynote speech that morning and only wished it was longer.

Since Sally's seminar had been switched to the afternoon session (so she could appear on Fox News' Fox and Friends program that morning in New York), Steph and I decided to attend a morning seminar about raising teenagers. While she is far away from having a teen in the house, she thought they would have advice she could use now. I thought they had some good, practical information about parenting.

Of course, my favorite was being able to hear Sally's seminar that afternoon. It was suggested I run ahead and save a seat for Stephanie (who was with Sally and Sarah) and me as they expected her seminar to fill up quickly. It turned out to be good advice.

How Sally can travel to New York to appear on TV at 9:00 (at least a two hour drive, even if they were picked up by a Fox News driver), travel back to Hartford, and give a great presentation... is beyond me.

Stephanie and I had already decided to get away for lunch and thanks to the directions of a very nice African American parking lot guy at the church, we found our way to the nearest Boston Market. It was so good to get away and chat "just the two of us". Steph has long been my best friend and each time we get together, it is like no time has passed at all.

How wonderful to have another person on the planet who has a shared family history and talks the same language. (At Stephanie's church, the ladies kept talking about how alike we were... poor girl.)

We returned from lunch a little late as we stopped for caffeine for the Clarkson ladies (a very important stop on the way back). Even then, there was a big crowd. I wanted to take a picture of the sanctuary but I soon realized if I didn't hurry, I'd be separated from Steph. This is the only picture I had time to snap.

I don't remember the last time I was in such a huge crowd where everyone was pushing each other around. Hmmm... perhaps a couple months ago during my last visit to Starbucks on a weekday morning? :)

It was nice to meet Irina, who is a reader of this blog. She said she would be there but what were the chances of meeting one person in the midst of thousands? She was sitting near the entrance to the sanctuary where Sally's book table was located... smart! We also met her adorable little baby. :)

Except for meeting Sally, my favorite part of the conference was the worship. The worship leader was amazing. I could have listened to him for hours and I usually am one of those people who gets tired if the praise & worship goes to long at my own church.

Next time I'll share about the Bed & Breakfast (since I've received e-mails asking for details) and I think that will be enough talk about the trip. :)

The journey home...

Horses at the B&B

How can I share all that happened last week? I thought I'd try with words and phrases just from the trip home... I'll be a little more specific about the conference and the Bed & Breakfast in the days to come.

Sights and sounds on the ride home:

• Combines busy harvesting in fields in each state
  
• Snow on the evergreens in the Berkshires
• Breakfast at the Cracker Barrel in Upstate New York
  
• Breathtaking color in Pennsylvania and Ohio
• Amish Buggies parked at Wal Mart in Ohio
• Waking to the sound of the buggies' "click clack, click clack" on the road at the B&B
• Breakfast of strawberry stuffed french toast, coffee, and conversation at the B&B
• Hazel the cat and horses demanding breakfast at the B&B
• Changing our route home to drive through Amish country
• Stopping for groceries in an Amish grocery store... and coffee "to go" next door
• The highways and byways of the Midwest
  
• Being thankful for the open gas station in the small town at dusk... thirty miles from home
  
• The comfort of familiar sights as we neared our house
  

At the Wal Mart parking lot in Western Ohio

Color in Pennsylvania and Western Ohio

Hazel, one of the kitties at the B&B...
who made us miss Sasha and Storm

Pictures and ponderings

I have always enjoyed these days as the weather turns cooler and the outside light shortens a little each day through December. In the midst of spring and summer's warmth and light, I think this year will be different. This year I'll not want the cold and dark which arrives in late autumn.

However, by mid-September I am ready... each year... each season. I need these indoor months to rest and read and ponder... not to mention the making of soups, stews, bread, and the occasional cookie.

I have a few pantry posts in the ponder process (try saying that three times quickly), a couple book reviews, and I've had e-mails from those hoping I will share what I'm studying. I'll be happy to as it all becomes clear enough to put pen to paper (or keyboard).

Today or tomorrow I'll print out all the book and media recommendations and get them assembled into one post. The last time it took about a week to sort through each comment and combine them into one larger list. Thank you for all the wonderful recommendations!

The "color" here at home is spectacular this year. I took the camera outside on Friday and wandered around the house, down the gravel lane, and stood on the county road (constantly looking behind me for cars) and clicked away.

Hubby was repairing and painting one of the fences while the temperature was nice. Both of us just had to get outside as the weatherman said we had only one day without rain in the short term forecast.

I'll write more this week about the conference and the rest of the trip. :)







All of this beauty can be seen from our yard (or at least from our mailbox).

Below is the tree in the front yard on Monday morning. It is even more colorful but you may notice how many leaves from the other trees are now on the ground! Good thing I got out with the camera when I did.

Sunday Afternoon Tea

My ponderings this week have been about our recent trip. To be honest, I wasn't looking forward to the travel as I do not fair well away from home and out of my daily schedule.

It causes more physical distress to my body than usual but my daughter had done all she could to make it easier for me (including staying at the B&B half way there and back).

Saying yes to travel means getting out of my comfort zone in a big way. I am no longer in control of my environment, or schedule, meals are at strange hours (especially during the long drives in the car) which causes highs and lows in my blood sugar. I also have to stop every two hours or so to leave the car and walk for awhile which adds a couple hours to each day's travel.

Having said all that... I have always been happy I made the effort. I knew it would be wonderful to see my family and their friends, the "other" grandparents, the Clarksons, the gorgeous scenery, and to glean the wisdom of various speakers at the conference. What surprised me was how much I needed to get away each evening to absorb the teaching from the various books I read most evenings.

I have only recently realized I was mad at God. Not the stomp-my-feet anger one can feel in a crisis but a more subtle annoyance about allowing chronic illness and fatigue to overtake day to day living... not to mention all the little foxes of finances, family health, saying goodbye to Sasha, car and household repairs... even the coffeepot breaking! (I mean, really, we do have priorities.) :)

By getting out of my comfort zone, I not only had plenty of time to think (loooong hours of Interstate travel) but being physically removed from my day-to-day life had the same affect mentally as fresh air from an open window brings a new freshness to stale air in one's home.

As I drove the New York Turnpike on cruise control, I pondered the Letters to the Churches in the book of Revelation. Believe it or not, they are one of my favorite sections in all Scripture. I like verses that lay out what makes God happy and what does not. It doesn't get much clearer than these Letters.

I felt like the church which was doing so many things to please God but He had "this against them"... you have lost your first love. Not to mention that whole lukewarm thing. My life has become vanilla, bland, and lukewarm. I'm tired and fatigued and at times... frustrated.

Books.... people... friends... family... faith... house & home... all come together to form who we are and what we do. In the next few weeks I plan to spend time pondering and planning, reading and writing in my scrapbook journal. As I learn... I will share.

So, as the weather has turned cold and the clouds appear to be settling in for winter, I hope to spend more evenings with a scented candle flickering on the coffee table reading carefully chosen books which will teach and inspire, think, ponder, and become renewed.

Tea Time in New England

We so enjoyed going to a tea room with my son-in-law's lovely mom (aka: Gramma to my four grandchildren). I keep telling Stephanie she is so fortunate to have such a mother-in-law.

This was a vacation day from her job as a preschool teacher and she used it to cook a huge (and may I add... delicious) meal for all of us later in the day.

Since we were the only people being served at the time, the owner allowed me to go around the tables and take pictures.






As you can see, the tables were absolutely gorgeous. I loved trying different Harney and Sons teas that I had seen in their catalog. I especially liked their chocolate mint tea, which has just the hint of flavor. I've taken note that Harney and Sons tea was used in other tea rooms I have visited. :)

The food was just okay... not terrible but nothing special at all. The scones and muffins were rather dry, and the tea sandwiches were bland. Although one sandwich filling was interesting, she blended together cream cheese with roasted red peppers and a little lemon juice.

Having said that, we all overlooked the so-so food while enjoying the visual feast around us. I'm not sure the girls could possibly understand how rare that day would be in their young lives... all three generations of ladies having tea together. :)

Friends and Family

Sally and me... remind me not to wear
my tent shaped coat the next time I take a picture!

I am so happy to be home. The trees in our yard are at peak color, our neighbor has begun using her wood burning stove so the aroma of woodsmoke meets us as we walk in our front yard, and the air is gently cool... after freezing our giblets in New England. It snowed all day on our final day there but more about that later.

Staying at the home of my daughter and son-in-law is as good as the best Bed & Breakfast. The food is incredible, their Master Bedroom is beautifully decorated and peaceful, there is an entire library of great books, Bleak House was playing on the DVD each evening... and let's not even begin to start talking about the grandchildren. :)

Scenes from a walk on the first weekend

There is so much to chat about that it will take a few days. Perhaps the best day was on Sunday when I finally got to meet Sally and Clay in person (not to mention Joel took the train over from Boston). I'd already adopted Sarah as another daughter since she flew in on Thursday. She is truly one of the most remarkable young women I have ever met.

I was disappointed waking up on Sunday morning to fairly heavy rainfall. Little did any of us know that the rain would turn into snow! That meant we would not be able to travel to Old Sturbridge Village... sigh. I love that place. However, that turned out to be a good thing as we spent an entire afternoon and evening chatting and eating and eating and chatting (did I mention Stephanie cooked a lot last week?). Of course there was coffee in the morning and tea in the afternoon.

After knowing someone online for awhile, there is always a nervousness about meeting them in person. Would they like me in person? I believe the actual meeting of the two families was far above what we had hoped. My husband and I talked a lot about how much fun we had on Sunday. We so enjoyed Sally and Clay and after meeting two of their kids... we know whatever they write about certainly works. :)

One of the most amazing memories Stephanie, Sally, and I will take away with us must be the drive through the small New England town where our kids live as multiple large, fluffy flakes of snow were falling gently on the colorful trees and vintage New England homes.

It truly was as if we were caught in a moment a couple hundred years ago when two seasons came together in the quaint town (overlooking the automobile, of course). If it were not for the rusts, golds, yellows, and deep crimson leaves... I would have expected to view Christmas tree lights through the windows as the falling snow was more often found on Christmas Eve rather than October.

Elisabeth sat in the back seat with me since I had already visited the town before and wanted Sally to have a perfect view of it all. It also gave me a nice excuse to hold Miss E.'s hand as she was a little under the weather. That evening ride was full of Narnia magic. Along with the food and beauty and fellowship of the rest of the day... what remarkable memories were made.

Perhaps the funniest part of our entire week and a half was when we were on this drive and Stephanie decided to stop by her friend's house... the one who so loves Sally's books... without calling ahead. The look on her face when the four of us walked in her lovely home was priceless.

After church the first Sunday.

I mentioned Bleak House earlier, that turned out to be quite unexpected as Stephanie had taken it from the library for the two of us to watch and it was her father who became hooked on it! (We must bring home the rest of the series from our own library.)

I watched the first night and really liked it but found myself each evening after that reading (fast) three John Piper books and another by an author whose name escapes me right now... becoming spiritually fed by good teaching while I had access to their library. :)

I'll write more about the rest of the trip later. Stephanie and I were talking before her Dad and I left Monday morning that it had been worth all the effort and money spent (by she and her hubby) and the long days of travel by us. They paid completely for all of our travel expenses as well as the two nights at the Bed & Breakfast in Western Ohio.

We pray for them that they be blessed as they have blessed us. We live on a very small income so being able to go out to tea and coffee or stopping at the Cracker Barrel on the way home was so appreciated. :)

The trip was amazing but it is good to be back, once again typing away while a chicken is baking in the oven (for dinner immediately and soup tomorrow). Matthew was asking why we had to go home and I told him Uncle Christopher needed his mommy... he understood completely.

There is still time to leave comments about favorite books and media, I will not be able to even start assembling all of it into one post until this weekend (at earliest).

Home

We arrived home tonight (Tuesday) with lots to chat about. However, driving a thousand miles (twice) has completely worn me out so I'll need a day of recovery.

I'll write more on Thursday and share pictures throughout next week (not to mention how much we loved getting together with the Clarksons... Sarah now has dual familyship which is similar to dual citizenship).

So... that gives you another day to leave a comment on the Book and Film Recommendations post. Don't forget great TV shows, too. I will be linking back to that post after assembling all the recommendations together.

Yawn... must sleep.

Still time to comment

Can you believe we are half way through our vacation? The leaves are beautiful here but when we drove through Upstate New York, the trees were mostly bare. It looked like winter... brrrr. It's only about 32 degrees here right now. Another brrrr...

It has been very nice to see the kids and Stephanie announced she is expecting #5! Which is why she has been rather green and eating lots of crackers during our visit. :)

We have great suggestions but far less than we did last time. If you want to include your favorite books and films that make you feel warm and cozy, do so within the next week on the last post.

Just so there is no confusion, this post has no comments. I'll be back next Wednesday with some pictures from our trip.

Books and movies that make you feel warm and cozy

Last spring, we recommended our favorite books and movies which included warm and cozy scenes as well as authors who tended to write such books. I thought for autumn, as we are entering the cold months in the northern hemisphere (I'm sure those in the southern hemisphere can remember the recent cold!)... we'll recommend books and movies that make us feel warm and cozy.

I enjoyed learning about new authors and movies to search for at book sales and the library.

I'm including a link to the May recommendations to give you an idea of what we did before. Do feel free to include the same books and movies on this list if they are your favorites. All I ask is this... that whatever books and movie suggestions are given, they would be appropriate for young ladies.

You can give as few or as many recommendations as you like. When possible after I return, I'll assemble them all in one post as I did before. I will also include the link back to this post where you can read comments. Feel free to wax poetic about your suggestions and perhaps let us know why a particular book or movie makes you feel warm and cozy.

I will be dividing them between: Recommended Authors; Fiction (which includes favorite children's books, grownup books, poetry, etc.); Book series; Nonfiction books about cooking, gardening, and decorating; General Nonfiction; and Recommended Movies (which can include TV show DVDs).

I can also add a Misc. column should anything come up which doesn't fit anything else. You will also notice some books will be listed individually as well as part of a series... that's fine.

I'll be adding my recommendations later but here is an example giving some of my favorites that make me feel all warm and cozy in cold weather...

AUTHORS (Fiction & Nonfiction)
Edith Schaeffer
Elizabeth George
Sally Clarkson
Gladys Taber

FICTION
Christy by Catherine Marshall
The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder

BOOK SERIES
The Mitford Series by Jan Karon
The Oxford Chronicles by Melanie Jeschke

NONFICTION BOOKS ABOUT COOKING, GARDENING, & DECORATING
Creating a Beautiful Home by Alexandra Stoddard
Living a Beautiful Life by Alexandra Stoddard
Georgia Cooking In a Oklahoma Kitchen by Trisha Yearwood
The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen by Thompson & Edwards
Down to Earth Gardener by Suzy Bales

GENERAL NONFICTION
A Woman After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George
The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson
A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola

MOVIES & TV SHOWS
Casablanca
You've Got Mail
Last of the Summer Wine (BBC)
Mr. Rogers (PBS) (yeah, really). :)

As you would expect, I have many more books and media that make me feel warm and cozy but the above is just to give you an example. This is going to be your list to print and use! You have given me so much... this is an easy way for me to give back.

To view the link the first book recommendations post... go here.

I hope we get lots and lots of recommendations. I won't be posting for a couple of weeks (not only am I traveling but my brain needs a break). I will be reading my e-mails... and moderating comments, of course. :)

Added: I suppose this is obvious but in case it isn't... give your recommendations by adding a comment here, even if it is really long... or you can e-mail me if you want.

Another Added: I'm in New England! Gorgeous scenery and beautiful grandchildren! I forgot on my original list that I must have Frugal Luxuries by our dear Tracey. (It was on my list but I was in a hurry!) It is one of my all time favorite books to take off the shelf on a cold, snowy day. :)

Picture: Bedtime Story by Alan Sakhavarz

AAACK!

I don't know what it is about getting ready for a trip but I always go into 5th gear (for those who never drove a stick shift car... that's going fast!). My mother had the same way of preparing for a trip, starting out slow and then going into frantic speed as the day of the actual travel closes in upon her. My daughter inherited the same gene.

Mom always said we had to leave the house perfect so we could arrive home to a house looking nice. I think Stephanie has her figured out, though (she always did). Mamaw wanted to make certain if anything happened to her on the trip, no one entering her house after she was gone would find anything that would embarrass her.

Although there is some logic here, I'm switching both beds to their flannel sheets. Lows are to be in the 30s in the near and long term forecast.

Of course, in this case... I'm not leaving the house empty! I should know better. However, I still feel an overwhelming need to have all the house clean, the laundry caught up, and numerous house projects in various states between start and finish.

Did I mention I have a cold? Have I yet whined about the chilly, rainy weather? Which is wonderful when one can stay inside and be lazy. Not so much fun when running errands or getting the deck tables in the shed or the remainder of the garden harvested and then thrown in a wheelbarrow and taken to the compost... all because of freeze warnings... which also meant prepping all those green and red peppers for the freezer. There was no way I was going to let them go to waste when the cost of pepper skyrockets in winter.

Lest you think I've completely lost my mind (although long time readers have figured that out already), while I'm gone Christopher is having a LAN party and I know one or more homeschool parents will be in the house. That means I have to clean the bathroom mirror.

I'm making my Amish pumpkin bread today... one to leave behind and one to take with me (recipe on the recipe blog). I'm also making shortbread for the grandchildren (something David can eat with his special diet).

Did I mention I have a cold?

However... tomorrow evening will find me at a Bed & Breakfast at Ohio's eastern border. I have packed three books to peruse: A Gladys Taber book (perfect for autumn), God's Secretaries... about the writing of the King James Bible, and a book arrived which a friend had ordered for me (arriving just in time yesterday). She ordered the book for herself and one for me. I love friends like that. Feed me or give me something to read and I'm happy.

So... I will be hitting publish on the book recommendation post this evening... hopefully... God willing and the creek don't rise (and with all the rain, that is a possibility). :)

Added: Thank you again for anyone who enters Amazon.com through my Amazon widget. It has been quiet during summer but it all adds up. If you are going to order, anyway, you don't have to pay any extra and bloggers receive a little credit. You don't even have to order anything on the widget, you only have to click on one of the books to take you to Amazon.

I forgot to enter Amazon through my blog friend's widget last time so I completely understand how one can forget. I know lots of homeschool moms use this credit to supplement their home library. I just feed my addiction. I accept chocolate and coffee, too. :)

Picture: Make Yourself at Home; allposters.com

New England plans

I'm working on Thursday's post, packing, as well as making a few snacks and such so no one starves while I'm gone. Christopher has been chatting with his sister on Facebook, basically asking what he will do with Mom gone for nearly two weeks. We really should have included cooking lessons in his homeschooling curriculum.

I met my friends (and former neighbors), Sheila and Suzy this morning for coffee. We hadn't met since Sheila returned from Europe. She was in Finland with her husband while he was on sabbatical, teaching at a University there from January through part of the summer. When he finished, they did a bicycle tour of the surrounding countries.

There is obviously no empty nest syndrome in that house. By the way, all four of their boys are in college now since their oldest decided to attend Harvard Law School after teaching in an inner city school for a few years.

It was their house where Christopher stayed this summer, all their boys had internships in other towns so it was empty. Our sons grew up together and my son is their "adopted" gentile son. He was across the street at their house so often, they could have added him as a dependent on their tax returns!

While I still have a lot to do to prepare for the trip, it was still nice to get together. I have found through the years that if time isn't made to stay in touch with old friends... it doesn't happen. I know so many people who travel all over the world at the drop of a hat and I'm hyperventilating just going to New England. Can we say... small town girl? :)

Here is the agenda Stephanie has planned so far:

• Attend their church on Sunday and then her friend's baby shower.
• Dinner at my son-in-law's parents (wonderful people!) the same day (I think).
• Reservations have been made at a tea room for Stephanie, Elisabeth, Tigger (aka: Faith), and both grandmothers... now there is a memory in the making.
• A trip to an apple orchard.
• Sarah Clarkson flies in at the end of the week (my grandchildren love her already).
  
• Off to Hartford for the women's conference... Elizabeth George is the morning speaker, Sally teaches one of the workshops (am I in Heaven, or what?). Yes... Stephanie bought tickets the day before they sold out! Whew...
  
• The remaining Clarksons meet with us at Stephanie's house on Sunday and spend the night (it will be a full house but lots of fun).
• We are planning on making a trip to Old Sturbridge Village if the weather is good... which is one of my favorite places on the planet.
• Lots of looking at fall colors at their peak... yes, I am bringing my camera (thank you to my blog friend who gave it to me so you can have pictures on this blog).
  

This is such a nice gift from my daughter and son-in-law. I am thoroughly spoiled. Life does have a way of balancing... difficult health and finances but wonderful kids and friends (like you all). :)

I'll make certain the book and film recommendation post is up by Thursday evening. It will stay up the entire time I am gone. Be sure to write your favorites in the comments on Thursday's post... that is the one I will link back to after assembling all the suggestions in one big post when I return. I will give an example on Thursday.

In the meantime, enjoy going here to find the most delicious pumpkin recipe links on the Old Fashioned Tips blog. I have loved Brenda Hyde's Old Fashioned Tips website for years and years. How happy I was when there was also a blog. I love the blog and website (for the website, go here).

Now... I must really get some more work accomplished. Miles to go before I sleep...

Be thinking about... books... and film

Tiny oil painting which sits on a bookshelf...
All pictures can be enlarged by clicking on them

I'm feeling a little better but I'm staying close to home today to rest. It seems I have a cold. Where did that come from?

It is almost time for another book recommendation post. If you want an idea of what I'm writing about, you can click on the Warm and Cozy Book Recommendations icon (the cozy chair and kitty) on the sidebar. It takes you to the list I put together from your recommendations awhile back.

This time, instead of just the books having warm and cozy scenes, I'm asking for a list of books that make you warm and cozy inside. Perfectly in time for cooler weather for many of us. :)

Like so many of you, I found wonderful new books from suggestions (and the gift of books from those who had an "extra", in which I found lovely authors to search for at book sales).

It doesn't matter if they were already listed in the last recommendations post. For a matter of fact, I hope we cover all of those and many more. I had so many e-mails from people telling me they printed out the recommendations and kept the list with them.

This post will coincide with a blog break while I am traveling. It is good to take a break once in awhile. Throw in New England in October, beloved family, and meeting friends... it is just what is needed for almost two weeks. When my daughter told me Sally Clarkson was speaking in Hartford and invited me to come out... how could I say no?

The recommendations post will give more information and it will be posted this Thursday night. It will stay up and be available for you to come back to the entire time I'm away.

I know the last time, many of us thought of another book or movie we wish we'd added. This will give plenty of opportunity to come back and add more suggestions.

Oh, yes... we will once again be asking for your favorite warm and cozy movies, too.

All I ask is that all book and film recommendations be such that young ladies could read or watch them without embarrassment.

What are your favorites? What fiction and nonfiction books and films make your heart sing? What author speaks your language?

Be thinking about them for Thursday's post (not this one). :)

Pictures: Just a few glimpses of my living room bookshelves.

Butterflies with diamonds

I wish I had my camera with me. How many times have you said those words to yourself? Yesterday was such a day when hubby and I had to run a couple of errands and we stopped by the walking/bicycling trail on the way home. I would walk twenty minutes and then enjoy the scenery while waiting for him to return to the park bench.

We don't actually walk together, anymore. He is soon out of my sight as I move much slower than my former power walking days. At least I'm moving. While only a few miles from my house at the edge of the forest, the trail is set in the grasslands. In the distance one views lines of trees where forest areas begin but in the immediate line of sight, it is the beauty of the wild grasses, flowers, and maze that I so enjoy... that combination of forests and fields which defines the Midwest.

It didn't take long for the lavender-purple wildflowers to pull my attention from that which was far away. The native plants were growing everywhere along the trail. While beautiful in themselves, it wasn't the flowers that caused me to stop walking and make my way within a foot or two of the rows of color. For each bush of purple flowers was covered by chartreuse butterflies and honey bees.

How nice it would have been to have a child at my side as I could not take my eyes off the butterflies, beauty shared is so much nicer. I had never seen anything like them. As they rested on the purple flowers, their tiny wings would fold flat and one could view the underside... which appeared to be covered with diamonds.

The tiny dots sprinkled across each little wing actually glittered in the sunlight... hundreds of yellow-green butterflies sitting on purple wildflowers and surrounded by an equal number of bees buzzing as they went about their important work... and the wings glittered as if they were ladies all dressed up for a fancy ball.

How like our Creator. He is the original Artist who enjoyed gilding the lily. Each butterfly would easily be appreciated just for the color and He had to add... sparkle.

I have been asked many times how each of my children grew up to make God an important part of their life. Instead I wish the common question would be... how could they not? In our family, He was ever present.

When we would come upon such a scene as butterflies with diamonds sharing the flowers with bees, leaves which lose their green only to show off their colorful undergarments, the way the colors of each season blend together perfectly with all that surrounds them, that our taste buds delight in pumpkin and cinnamon and nutmeg as the air grows colder... no, it was easy to make Him the center of all things.

I thought of His wisdom as many trees and bushes are forming berries on branches to provide food for the bird's winter meals. How lovely it is that the cardinal stays behind each year to give those who are looking shades of red against the white snow.

Was it man who decided red is the perfect color for the occasional barn or was it Someone whispering in the ear of humanity as decisions were being made... and later smiling as we gasp at the beauty of the red against the snow in January as the shades of black and gray in each tree offered their own architecture. I suppose all artists and builders inherently learn from the Artist.

For some of us, we could no more leave God out of the equation as we could stop breathing and exist. Especially when I find diamonds on the back of butterflies... and, no... I never did get back to my exercise.

Picture: End of Harvest; allposters.com

Amazon widget

I have no idea why the Amazon Widget showed only one of the four books I added already.

I went back and added the three Karen Andreola books again. It looks like it added them. Technology... who can understand it at times? :)

Yes, both the Karen Andreola fiction books can be enjoyed very much by people who do not homeschool. Besides enjoying them as a wife and mom, I believe they are very good for high school age girls, too.

Pictures and prose

I have been "under the weather" these past few days. I'm hoping the yucky feelings and higher blood sugar levels end soon. Whatever was keeping me on the sofa also raised my blood sugar. One becomes their own medical detective...

I went to the eye doctor last week, who told me she had good news and bad news. My eyes are very good for someone who was misdiagnosed (as a Type 2 diabetic when I actually had developed Type 1) and went without insulin for so long.

Unfortunately, there is a spot on the retina of my right eye. She wants to check it again when we get back from New England to see if it goes away on its' own or if I have to see a specialist. I'm praying a lot! Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness.

I thought you might like to see the 25 cent teapot cozy I found at the Mission Thrift Store a few weeks ago. It was on the same shelf that I found the elegant cozy for $1.00.

As I wrote before, I have been influenced a lot by the book The Gentle Art of Domesticity and the Daisy Cottage blog to bring in color.

This is the perfect size for my smaller teapot, the one I use all the time but it can stretch to fit the bigger teapot.

Since our coffeepot broke, I've been making tea for us each morning, as well as our usual green tea in the afternoon and evening. Both of my everyday teapots are getting lots of use.

The clearance valance turned out to be lovely. After living with the beige for years, the green adds just enough color while still being calming. The two valances it took for this window cost a little over $8.00. The original cost was around $180.00 for the two... a significant savings.

We all love our old soft and cozy family room sofa. It has seen a lot of years and quite a few moves but it is still so comfortable. Christopher sleeps there quite often when he arrives home from studying late. College students are on a different body clock than normal people. :)

I read such a lovely book while resting on the sofa. It was purchased with a gift from a wonderful blog friend, who knew just what I needed to take my thoughts from Sasha for awhile.

It is a very good novel by Karen Andreola called Lessons at Blackberry Inn; Adventures with the Gentle Art of Learning. Although it is the sequel to Pocketful of Pinecones; Nature Study With the Gentle Art of Learning, you need not have read the first book to enjoy this one.

Both books follow a family who homeschools using the Charlotte Mason method, the scenes are about domestic arts, homeschooling, nature studies, mother expecting another child, taking care of the poor, hospitality... lots of great ideas in fiction format. I think they are suppose to take place in 1940s America.

Karen wrote my favorite book about teaching with the Charlotte Mason style called A Charlotte Mason Companion; Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning. Although a nonfiction book, it reads like a novel.

I've added all three to my Amazon recommendations widget. I just love all of them. Some may find the two fiction books a little too "sweet", for me they were so relaxing as well as informing. As Karen says when talking about the fiction books, they show more what we would like our home to be about.

I enjoyed the book even though I no longer homeschool, it is a pleasant novel for anyone who enjoys reading simple fiction with a domestic setting. Stephanie has a copy of Pinecones already, the latest book is on the stack of "things to pack for the trip".

Speaking of my daughter and Charlotte Mason... she has added another post about her Ambleside trip... here.

Picture: The shelves in the family room which show my inner child... the remnant of a former teddy bear collection.