A Weekend Walk

Oldest son came over to watch college football with us on Saturday.

He brought along shrimp cocktail and a seven layer dip with chips which served as lunch.

Once the football game was over and the food was devoured, it seemed like there was only one thing to do.

Get out there on that beautiful fall day and take a walk.

Hopefully burn off some of those calories while getting some fresh air and exercise.

We decided to explore one of the trails in the neighborhood.

It provided a good workout with several inclines.  

I wanted to soak up every bit of the vibrant fall foliage before it all disappears until next year.

Near the end of our hike we came to this outdoor fireplace.

It was hard to pass up the opportunity to sit a spell.

Brett made himself comfortable in the nearby chairs.

I tried them out too and, in truth, could have sat there for quite awhile enjoying the sights and sounds of nature.

But, since it was exercise we were after, it was time to hop back on the trail toward home.

The little beaver that someone had set on the fireplace mantle added a touch of whimsy.

How was your weekend?

                                                                      

Apples and Amaryllis in Autumn

Always a delight when the colors of autumn arrive in our backyard wetlands.

One afternoon this week I glanced out the window and noticed golden leaves softly falling as the sunlight filtered through.  I just stood there and watched for awhile.  It was so pretty and peaceful.  A bit like being in an autumn snow globe where the snowflakes had been replaced with beautiful leaves.

Our week has been such a nice one with temperatures warm enough to allow for open windows during the day.

It was also ideal weather for being in the garden.

Deep purple pansies and a tulip mix called "Spring Delight" gives me hope for a beautiful courtyard display next spring.

A pot of violas to cheer up the back patio.

Love those sweet little faces.

Now that we are into November and our mild days are numbered, my thoughts turn to indoor gardening.

The Meyer Lemon, Christmas Cactus and Norfolk Pine have all been re-located to the inside of the house.

I couldn't pass up the amaryllis display at the local garden center.

This one came home with me.

It had a plump bud on it when I removed it from the box.

Almost looks like it was waiting to fly out of there.

It will most likely bloom long before Christmas.

This weather has put me in the mood to bake.

So, when the neighbor ladies scheduled a girl's night, I volunteered to bring a dessert.  I wanted something that tasted and smelled like fall.  I found a recipe on line for apple squares.  The recipe made an 8 x 8 square.  I wondered if that would be big enough.  I know ladies can be dainty eaters when it comes to dessert, but I also wanted to have enough for everybody.  I considered just doubling the recipe.

Having never made it I would have been disappointed if this didn't work out.  Overthink much?  Welcome to my world :).

  

Around this time I happened to be visiting a blog.  Someone who I know is an excellent cook and baker.  While there I poked around in her recipes and came upon this.  The ingredients were almost identical to the original apple square recipe, although there were a lot more apples (yay) and best of all . . . 9x13 pan.  Perfect.  Plenty for the girls and extras to take home to the husbands.  Win Win!

Thank you to Lorrie for coming to the rescue.  Even though she doesn't know she did.  Just one of the many ways we connect in wonderful blog land.

I can tell you that the recipe was a huge hit!

I've already had one request for the recipe.

This afternoon the clouds have moved in and rain is on the way.

I've been turning my amaryllis regularly to encourage a straight stem.

It appears to be working.  

I think it has doubled it's height in a week.

I'm kind of glad I don't have to wait until Christmas to see that bud turn into a blossom.

I'm thinking I may need to visit the garden center again for another one or maybe two.  This is the easiest gardening ever and the reward is amazing.

                                                                  

Tiny Words of Thanks

Have you ever gotten excited over a new floor mop?

It would seem as though this is an issue I have been pondering for years.

My most recent issue has been to find a mop for the laminate floors in the laundry room/office.  Apparently the thing you don't want to use on this type of flooring is a mop that leaves too much water behind.  I've tried a few choices since moving here and none have been too great. Either they did leave the floor too wet and/or were hard on the old back.

The other day I moved it up on my priority list and got serious about finding thee one.

Sometimes I avoid doing this as it can be time consuming and a bit overwhelming.  Easier to just plug along with the less than ideal situation.  Anyhow, after checking out the options, I decided on Bob Vila's top choice.  I figured he ought to know what he's talking about and it did receive rave reviews.

While this post is really not a mop review, I must say I LOVE everything about this system.  Perhaps most of all I like the simplicity of the instructions and the simplicity of operation.

You know a product is a success when you look forward to washing your floors.

You may be wondering what this post is about if not to promote a microfiber mop.  

I guess it is more about those small unexpected words of thanks.

When I selected the mop I had no idea I was supporting a small family business.  

The handwritten thank you note included in the box let me know.

Some might think it was just in there to garner favorable reviews.

I'm not one of those people.  In this case I will be happy to leave a highly favorable review.  After all those reviews helped me make an informed decision before purchasing.

As I've begun my Christmas shopping I am making a concentrated effort to support small businesses.  

My husband has been a small business owner for over 30 years and we surely appreciate our loyal customers.

He is in the business of selling and servicing a very specialized type of machinery.  Most of his customers are machine or tool & die shops.  Kind of a man's world to my way of thinking. I guess if I had my own small business it would be selling something different than machines.  Maybe home decor, flowers or books ;).  Anyhow, machinery is our business life as I have worked alongside him in one capacity or another all of those years.

When this tiny note fell out of the envelope with a customer's payment, Brett read it out loud and then dropped it in the trash.  I promptly removed it from the trash and tucked it into my desk drawer.  Something about a man in his machine shop taking the time to pencil out this note makes me smile.  That was many months ago and I still find it smile worthy every time I open the desk drawer.

Have you received any unexpected notes of thanks recently?

Let me take a moment to say a big

Thank You

to all who stop by and visit here.