"The Fallen Leaves...."

This was taken two years ago
when the leaves were just turning!

The cleanup - phase one

Today I looked out my kitchen window only to look again and see that all the leaves had fallen from the maple tree! Every last one of them. Only last week I marveled at the wonders of the coral and scarlet mix so brilliant they looked translucent. A glorious gift only One could bestow on us. Autumn was at her finest last week and I truly appreciated it because I knew that too soon the wind would pick up and those leaves would be gone forever.
Raked up, composted and mulched into soil, the leaves that provided my own private curtain are gone.  Why is it that the beauty of the autumn colors is so much more fleeting than the brilliance of spring blossoms?

What a pile!

The nights are getting longer, days are getting chillier and home is where we stop to sip a hearty soup at the end of the day. My thoughts are turning toward Thanksgiving tonight and all the family gathered for a traditional feast. Pumpkins, pecans, chrysanthemums and of course turkey. Warm colors and hearty food to remind us of our harvests and of all the goodness saved with the long winter days in mind.

Fall!

Ah, fall is in the air, the night was cool, the air crisp and fog blanketed the fields this morning as my grandson played soccer. He commented tonight that he enjoyed watching the fog disappear while he played his game. He is so observant, so vibrant in his descriptions that some days it is hard to believe that in a mere month he will be eight years old. He is wise in his youth, wise in ways we can no longer be because he has the curiosity and interest of a child. Every day is fresh with new things to discover. His interest in nature is so inspiring to me as it reminds me how important it is to live in the present and enjoy life in the now!  What a joy it is to spend time with him and see things new again!

Fall is a great time for a new look!... and...its giveaway time

As we approach a new season we look at our wardrobe and start looking for new ways to update our image a without breaking the budget. Did you know that you can get a lot of mileage out of just adding a few accessories like a new jewelry or simply by adding a scarf that can be change a multitude of ways?  A pashmina scarf can be tied as a scarf for an updated look.  Unfastened it drapes to become a wrap when an air conditioned conference room starts interrupting your focus. Colors and print choices are in abundance at your local department or discount stores.  My favorite is a pastel pink that goes with me to all of my breast cancer related meetings. It warms me in many ways not the least that it was given to me by a favorite sister in-law.

I like to look at my makeup collection too when the season changes. I like to make small changes such as lipstick or eye color to bring out the best in my characteristics.  A new lipstick to go along with a new pair of earrings, a new shade of shadow that is enhanced by a new sweater and I am set to go without surprising my husband with a bag to break the bank.

I am offering a special sale September 4th through September 18th: Buy one eye color bundle of your choice and get a free mini compact for your bundle!


Check out my website: I am giving one eye color bundle to one
lucky winner: http://www.marykay.com/mgrayhek/whatsnew/newproducts/eyebundle/eyeland.aspx?ab=lghp_eyecolorbundles


You must be a follower of this blog to enter.....Leave a comment about how you will update your look for fall...and what bundle of color matches your eyes.  Enter by Midnight Thursday, September 15th!

I have been waiting years for this!

 

I like oak trees, acorns and oak leaves...all sizes and shapes. When we bought our home 23 years ago, I was delighted to see a young oak tree in the back yard.
Every fall I enjoy the lovely apricot colored leaves and secretly wish our tree had acorns. I love this perky little nut! It has the cute top hat but it is very cute with or without the "hat". I like to use them for crafty wreaths and Christmas decorations. I look for acorns that have fallen from the trees at a city parks or along the sidewalks of old neighborhoods. I like to use them in their natural glory but sometimes they look great with a light spray of golden paint.

Today I was outside with my 15-month old grandson. Keeping up with him is quite an activity. He looks at everything and has that special delight in the small wonders nature gives us every day. It was on an excursion such as this that I looked down and saw, barely, these tiny acorns. I could hardly believe this find! I looked more closely and found that the squirrels had beat me to it and devoured the nuts! They scarfed down the insides of many an acorn and left the shells of a few.

I never thought about the insides of the nut but perhaps to the squirrel the baby acorns are a delicacy. After all, they steal all of the walnuts on my walnut tree only to bury these in shallow holes that become baby trees in a year or two. I'd rather have the nuts thank you very much! But they ate the acorns, leading me to think it was a treat for them too.

Now I will be on the hunt! As I put my flowers to bed for the season, I plan to look for as many tiny acorns as I can find...whole or not!