{ Taking a breath while preparing for Thanksgiving }

This time of the year, although exciting and something that we look forward to, not just for the delicious food but the family get togethers, also means a flurry of constant activity, busy days and a stressful build up, especially for those of us who host Thanksgiving in our home.

 

I have been right there, in the thick of it, trying to prepare, trying to make sure the house is ready and the food is enough and that nothing is missing.

 

But in the middle of all the preparation, I often find myself stressed and needing a breather, and that is when I step back and go outside to get some fresh crisp Fall air and just ground myself.  It helps so much.

 

That is what I did, and here is what I captured while in my backyard.  Hope it brings some peace and smiles to your face, as it does to mine.

 

In the kitchen meanwhile, there are pie crusts being made, turkey brines being prepared and a collection of dishware being labeled for different dishes.  How is your prep coming along, are you hosting or going to someone else for your Thanksgiving meal? 

{ A Fallish kind of day }

Last week was a total throw out, forget about it kind of week.  We were just at the butt end of the shutdown and trying to sort out bills and budgets etc., and then Nick and I got a cold, and a few days later Curt got a cold.  It was just one of those weeks that I was glad to see end, but it also meant that I didn't get to come in and do any blog posts.

 

I was mighty proud of myself for sticking with the blogging daily and getting a post up per day, but you know what, life sometimes gets in the way and we need to roll with it.  So I'm going to forget about the missed days and just get right back on that wagon.

 

We've been having weird Fall weather with temperatures that are far too high for this time of year, with two days actually seeing new high records.  Oh Texas, ohhhhhh Texas, what are you doing?

 

Thankfully the temperatures are dropping now and everything is looking much more fallish.

 

I am particularly obsessed with the changing leaves and the beautiful colored trees all around me.  From deep oranges to bright yellows and dark reds, and everything in between.  Don't you just love God's paintbrush?  

 

 

Homemaking has moved at a slower pace, cleaning, dusting, laundry, food prepping, whatever it is, it is done almost with methodical precision, as if any fast move I make will derail it all.

 

There's a certain joy that springs forth from these mundane daily chores, that seem to become magical during this time of year.  Maybe it's the lighting, maybe it's the darker moodier days, or that amazing fall scent in the air that is synonymous with home and comfort.

 

Whatever it is, I love homemaking even more during the colder months.

 

 

And after the house is clean, and everything is set to order, I take time for myself, to do my daily steps and exercise, but then to sit with a book to read or planning for a holiday or a meal or whatever it may be.

 

I completely forgot I have this cookbook which I very much love, I mean every recipe in there is amazing (except for the squirrel or whatever, I'm sorry but I won't do that lol).

 

Miss Kay has some fantastic recipes and I especially love her Pecan Pie for this time of the year.

 

I hope you enjoyed taking a look at a pretty regular Fall day around my home.   

A slow Fall kind of Saturday

The hot days are still hanging on, much to my chagrin, but there are signs that things are changing and that my favorite time of year is slowly creeping in.  I will admit that some of these signs are self imposed, put on by my own hand in a way to force this new season to arrive, knowing full well that I have zero impact in the weather, or the seasons, but I like to think that at least inside my house, I can control it.

 

Many love summer, many enjoy the hot weather and the busy chaos it brings, vacations, pool and lake, family get togethers and barbecues.  I however, seem to melt into a puddle of unhappiness during these 3 months.  

 

I start my mornings pretty much the same.  Head to the kitchen, give Elliott a ton of kisses and hugs, feed him, start my water boiling for our coffees, then open the back door and either go let the chickens out if it's my turn (on the weekends), or just open the door then go back to make the coffees and pack Curt's lunch for work.  Whichever one of these is going on, I can tell you that the mornings seem a little cooler, crisper, and just yesterday the neighborhood owls have started hooting high up on my soapberry tree.  A sure sign that seasons are changing.   

Our weekends have been jam packed, full of activities, places to be and things to do.  We may as well just have long weeks because it doesn't feel like we rest much.  Thankfully this weekend, we have a bit of a break and I fully indulged.

 

I spent the day pottering around the house, taking care of all my plants, moving things here and there, bird watching, eating healthy snacks, reading, watching tv and just allowing my body to slow down. 

I pulled out my Fall decorations and was only wanting one or two pieces, but before long, every room and every corner of the house, had some sort of item reminding me of what is to come.

 

Soft warm blankets in dark greens, browns and reds.

 

Little mushroom houses sitting on a bench.

 

Fall colored flower arrangements spreading their beauty and joy on coffee tables.

 

And the first scent of a pumpkin cheesecake candle lit early morning. 

It may not mean much in the grand scheme of things, or even be in any way representative of the weather we are still having outside, but in my mind, and between these four walls, we are closing the door on summer and welcoming in the BER months and the cooler weather.

 

And for that, I will not apologize, I am not a summer person, I don't enjoy it, I don't thrive in it, and like some people get the blues in Winter, I get the blues in summer.  It just is what it is.

 

I'm off to enjoy a cup of tea and get a bit more reading in my book.  Have a blessed Saturday! 

{ Hello October, I am back }

 

The temperatures have dropped, days are getting shorter, and there is a feeling of coziness and warmth, that is slowly spreading across my home.

My favorite time of year, has descended upon us, and with it, it has brought a slowness that I was desperately needing.  I have been waiting with baited breath.  I sometimes feel that I hold my breath during summer, because instead of it being a lazy, relaxing time, it usually is a terribly busy, chaotic, constant on the go time of year.  At least for me and my family.

So here I am.....I am back!  Back where I belong, back where I want to be and so incredibly thankful and grateful, to be sitting with at this computer, and typing up a blog post.

{ Time to move things around }

 

If you've known me for a while, you should know that the minute Fall officially comes around, I get right into deep cleaning my home.  With that, also comes the time to move things around.

If you don't know what that means, you're probably wondering what I'm talking about.

I got into the habit, once we moved into this house, to switch the dining area and the sitting area, during the colder times of the year.  We love having dinner by the fireplace, and in the summer, we love having dinner right by the big window, watching the property and the animals outside.

 

Yesterday, I managed to get nothing done, due to my allergies.  I was ok in the morning, but as the day went on the allergies increased and I found myself really struggling towards the afternoon.  I would tell you I am so over this nonsense, but I'm sure that would be a waste of time.  If you suffer from allergies, you know what I mean.

As I woke up today feeling much better, I decided to get right into it.  I pretty much worked all day long, took about an hour break in the afternoon to work on the meal plan and grocery pickup, then got right back to it.

 

It is a lot of work, a lot of moving, pulling, grabbing, carrying and pushing big furniture around.  But I love seeing it all done and the end result.  It's always worth it.

I did get quite tired, and my hands starting hurting after a while.  I wanted to stop, but I know that if I did, then tomorrow I would not want to get back to it all.  So I finished moving everything where I wanted it to be, and then tomorrow I'll just clean and tidy whatever is still needing work.....the fireplace specifically.

I also managed to carpet clean the room carpets, and both rugs.  Let me tell you, you think your house is clean, until you run your carpet cleaner over one of those rugs, and then want to cry yourself to sleep just seeing how much dirt was still on it.  Don't ask how that is possible, I have no clue because I feel I'm vacuuming and carpet cleaning all week long.  

I guess it's just one of those chores that is never ending.

 

The days are getting shorter, and I am already thinking of dinners around the fireplace, with candles glowing nearby.

Hearty soups, slices of fluffy soft apple or pumpkin cake, hot cups of coffee or milky tea and warm blankets draped across our legs, as we turn the page of the book we're reading.

Fall just evokes all these warm feelings of cozy.

 

I have a list of fall specific chores that I need done.  One of those being the clean up and harvesting of the last garden produce, so that I can get the fall and winter garden going.

Another of those chores is chopping wood for the fire, which I think Curt and Nick are doing this weekend, and I'll just get it all packed away and ready for use.

I'm also hoping to get all the remaining pecan harvest boiled, dried and in the chest freezer.  I don't think we are getting a pecan harvest this year, since they only produce a harvest every 2 years, and if I'm not mistaken we got a huge one last year.

 

If I'm wrong, you will surely know as you'll no doubt start seeing pecans show up all over my photos.

 

That is pretty much all I did today.  I almost didn't take photos, but then I reminded myself that I need to get back to my daily blogging, since I missed a few days last week.  So out came the camera, took just a few to document this day, and even though I don't have much to share with you, or talk about, I still wanted to come in and get a post up.

I hope you're all having a wonderful Tuesday.  I will come around tomorrow, to all the Happy Homemaker Monday participants, to say hi.

But I'm going to end this one right here, as my laptop battery is getting low and I really need to charge it.

Have a great night friends,

Sandra

{ A quiet Wednesday }

 

As Autumn starts coming around the corner, the days are getting darker sooner, and brighter later.  Where the sun used to shine bright well past 9pm, it is now dark around 7:30pm, and no doubt as the days go by, it will get darker and darker.

For some this is the start of a depressing season, darker days, cold mornings, cloudy skies and snowy days bringing in the blues.

But for me, it begins a season of warmth, of slow days, nights sat around the fire, cups of milky tea and shortbread cookies nibbled after being dipped in the hot liquid.

 

I absolutely love the slowing down of the summer days.  There is a coziness that seems to be peeking around the corner, just waiting for the busy, activity filled, hot days to disappear so that it can make it's entrance, bringing with it cinnamon scents, pine cones and a sea of candles ready to burn.

I tend to thrive in the cooler months, as crazy as that may sound.  

My days are spent as usual, puttering around with homemaking, baking, reading.  I tend to do all my chores in the early morning, so that the afternoons are for leisure activities, if I so wish.  Not every day goes that way, some days I have more things to do, errands to run or appointments to get to, and on those days I have no time for sitting down.  

So I tend to leave my reading for night time, which is usually a gamble considering by 9pm, I can't keep my eyes open.  

Long gone are the days where I could stay up into the wee hours of the morning.  Now, if I am awake during the night, it is definitely not by choice.

 

The death of The Queen, it has catapulted me into another season of period dramas, history lessons and reading anything and everything, that is remotely related to English history.  It's always been a love of mine, but even more so now.

It started with the mention of the lead coffins that the Royals use.  I was talking about it at dinner with the family, and they asked why that was so.  Why were the coffins made decades before, why were the made of oak and why were they lead encased?

The answers is pretty simple.  To keep the body preserved longer.  As with see with royal deaths, the time from their death until they are actually buried, is quite a long period.  If they weren't lead encased, the bodies would decompose quite rapidly.

But, being lead based also means they weigh a lot, like 540 pounds lot.  

It's a tradition that has followed the royals for many years, dating back to Charles II and Elizabeth I.  Fascinating isn't it?

Anyway, squirrel moment, but back to what I have been watching.  

I finished Becoming Elizabeth, which I really enjoyed and am hoping for a second season.

Over on Youtube, I came across a channel named Royalty Now Studios.  It is such a fascinating channel.  The channel owner, Becca, recreates historical figures in the modern day.  Go on over and take a look, it is so interesting seeing these portraits come alive.

I have also started The Serpent Queen which follows the life of Catherine de Medici.

In between these, as I cook, or do laundry or clean, I usually pop on a documentary.  These are the ones I've watched the past few days:

Elizabeth Woodville:  From Commoner to Queen

Haemopholia and Porphyria: Royal Diseases from Tainted Blood

I also made some delicious hamburger buns which I'll share in tomorrow's Cooking Thursday.

I have tried many recipes over the years, but this one is a winner.  They are soft, fluffy, they are even wrinkly like the store bought hamburger buns.  Delicious.

I sure hope you are taking the time to welcome in Fall in all it's glory.  Enjoy every minute, every degree that drops in temperature, every leave that dances down off the branches and every sunset that bathes the earth in golden tones.  

I know, I will be enjoying it.

{ Fall weather, even if just for a few days }

Then all the leaves stopped being green.  They were yellow and scarlet and crimson and golden and brown. 

- Little House in the Big Woods -

We had a cold front move in yesterday.  If I were in Idaho, it would mean actual cold weather, but it's Texas, which means our cold fronts means 80s instead of 100s.  I'll take it though.

 

It's been absolutely bliss waking up to 50 degree weather in the mornings, and then staying in the 80s during the day.  It makes the days so much more bearable.  

I've been opening my windows and letting in the fresh breeze, have left the back screen door open and enjoyed the cool temperatures and even Elliott has been loving sleeping by the back door.  Usually it is far too hot to do that.

 

I've started pulling out some of my Fall decorations, adding little bits here and there.  The weather and the trees outside may not be in full fall mode yet, but at least inside it's giving me warm and cozy vibes.

These two antique items below, belonged to my husband's grandparents.  No one wanted them, but and I jumped at the chance to keep them.  They are just the kind of antique piece I look for, and being that they belonged to family members, it's a definite treasure to keep.

Have you ever just sat back and wondered what an item's story is?  When were they made, how they came to be?  Who bought them first and what was their intention?  What did they see, what homes did they live in?  Were they used at dinner parties, or special occasions, or did they just sit on a shelf?

Oh if only they could talk, the stories they would tell.

As I started going through my boxes, I came upon some favorite candles that I actually forgot about.  I thought I had used them up completely and was quite sad, because I bought them at a vendor in Arizona, when we used to attend our Renaissance Fair.  There are a few posts here on the blog, and a full album on my Flickr Account.

We first attended in 2010, I still remember that day as if it was today.  I was in the middle of cleaning the house when we heard the commercial on the radio.  We dropped everything, grabbed the kids and headed out the door.  It was about an hour away from Phoenix, in Apache Junction, but it was worth the drive.  

You can read all about that first day, on this post called Hear Ye, Hear Ye!  Also, Where did we spend our Saturday?

Anyway, you get the idea.  We went pretty much every year that we were stationed at Luke AFB, except for the last year, I think, or the year before.  I know we missed one year and we kicked ourselves for it. 

When you attend your local Renaissance Fair, as much as we did, you start getting to know your vendors, because they're usually the same ones that travel from State to State.  One of my favorites was the Irie Lights, which made these amazing candles above.  They were and still continue to be quite inexpensive, and they bring out these really neat color combinations as well as fun scents.

I couldn't believe I still had some of the candles.  You can see that they are used and very much loved.  It got me thinking that I needed to get some more, and it had been years, and I mean years since I had bought any, since our last visit to the Fair was in 2011.  I was hoping they were still around but told myself I wouldn't get too upset if they weren't because it had been so long.

Much to my surprise, I found their website and not only are they still around, they still sell their magnificent candles and even candle making supplies (something I've really wanted to dabble in for a while, so will probably end up buying some soon), and they are still making these really eye catching candles with the best scents.  Oh and they sell incense sticks too as well as tiles. 

 

I bought 4 of the smaller ones and can not wait to get them, I'll be sure to share them with you when they arrive.  Here are the candles I bought previously, and thankfully they still had one of my favorite scents which is the moonshadow.

 

 

 

 

No I wasn't asked to advertise them but I love Irie Lights so much, and I'm just excited to know that they're still selling their products.  I wish so much we had one close by, but the closest is 2 hours or so away.  We still plan to make it to one this next coming year, but it will be pretty hard to top the Renaissance Festival in Apache Junction.  

 

 

Ok, enough about that now, just wanted to share real quick because I brought the candles out and just like I was saying above about the antique pieces, it seems every item in our house has a story, doesn't it?

I'm still continuing to clean and organize by room.  Did my bedroom today, cleared out my writing desk, and it looks so much better and not as cluttered as it had gotten.

Also, made this delicious cake, which I told you about in the previous post.  It is phenomenal, easy to make and your family and friends will love it, and beg for more.  I will try to get the recipe up tomorrow.

I am going to see if there's anything on the TV that I want to watch, and if not, I'll be getting a bit of reading done before going to bed.  I always read my Bible before sleeping, but I also am starting a fiction book today that I have wanted to read for so long.  

Some of you probably know it, and have read it, and if you have, let me know down below.  Would love to hear your thoughts, as it seems to be a favorite for many.