Now tell me would you walk up and ring the door bell with this hanging there?  No it is not real.  Yes it is inside the storm door.  But it makes you hesitate a bit when you first see it.  This hairy monster is on the red door to the house along with a scarecrow, an owl, and a frog which are hard to see in the picture.  That is our Halloween picture for today.

Jay has gone to dialysis so my day is planned out with Salmon fillets cooked according to the Northern Exposure cookbook, baked Acorn squash with a little syrup and butter in the center, and an attempt at making turnovers with our canned peach filling in them for supper.  This could be good or a disaster.  But I won’t know until I try. 

There is a rumor floating around here that we might be canning again.  I saw a couple of recipes on Jay’s computer desk yesterday.  One was for New England Cran-Maple Chutney and with turkey time coming up that sounds pretty good.    The other project is for Marinara Sauce which is a sore spot with me normally because the recipes we cook call for a 1/3 or 1/2 Cup of sauce then the rest of the store bought jar sit in the fridge and turns ‘green’ before you use it.  By canning our own we can put it up in smaller containers, have it on hand when we need it, and not waste so much.  I think that makes canning it worth the effort.  We have a week free of appointments so the time is right. 

Well three more blossoms on the Patriot rose have started to open and three more buds are on the way.  The weather man says it will start turning colder so I will have to keep an eye on the outside plants and bring them is soon.  Oh well this is between six and nine more roses than I expected to have. 

I told Grammie Pammie that I had 10 more squares for her then proceeded to do some more before I got them mailed out. I should have at least a half an afghan worth (15) before they get boxed up   We will see how the evening goes. 

Haven’t been practicing walking one legged yet but I figure it will be learned real quick when the time come.  We are working on figuring up how to set up the wild bird feeding station so it will only be one or two steps outside the French doors.  I so enjoy seeing them when winter comes.  I have set up my appointment with the eye doctor near the end of October and have to change a DDS appointment also.  Jay has surgery to tie off some of the vein work in the left arm at the end of October.  So we are cleaning up some of the loose ends this month.

Enjoy the sunshine while we have it and I’ll be back to bug you again!

An update—Presenting my peach turnovers!

I swear they look more like a bad train wreck!  Now I know why I don’t do pastry any more.  I can only hope they are like cake.  You know looks shi*** but tastes just Yummy!!!!

If you happen to wander up to our ‘official’ front door which is actually an entrance in to the utility room you would be greeting with this holiday decoration.  Now we don’t use this door (lovingly painted blue by me) because it is difficult to greet a visitor when your washer and dryer stand waiting for your latest dirty laundry.  No, our front door ( lovingly painted red by me) is facing the driveway/parking area.  Why is my ‘front’ door red you ask?  Because I feel red is a hot, welcoming color, I’ve had one for many years in many location, and I love red front doors. ( That’s enough reason for me.)

Now if you drove in and park in front of my red door and looked at the front of our truck this is what you would see.

I had found this plate in a Mobil station when I was driving a newspaper route for the Oakland Press some years ago.  I bought it, put on my new pickup, and when the people in the loading area saw it they asked what was up with that.  I told them it was up to then as to whether it was the truck or the driver.  Jay located an appropriate license plate frame and put it on for me.  Somehow barbed wire seemed to enhance the message of the plate. 

Oh I have so much fun with this license plate.  Young boys read it and giggle because there is a gray haired old broad driving.  Older women pretend not to see such an obnoxious thing and their faces reflect disgust for it.  Young men laugh out loud at the sight and old men hide their smirk from their companions.  Yes I love my plate because I love jerking chains of the unknown around me.

Now Grammie Pammie I’m sending on to you ten more crochet squares for the Ghana project.

All but one is in Homespun yarn which is a little heavier hope you can use them. 

It looks like another what I call Indian Summer Day with temps in the eighties in the daytime and the fifties at night.  Now I’m not sure if that qualifies for the Indian Summer title but one thing is for sure it is gorgeous sitting out in the swing in the daytime and great sleeping weather at night.  I could take a whole lot more of this.

Well the rose plant now has red showing on three more of the buds and the one blossom is holding on.  The grass isn’t quite long enough to mow yet but I think another couple of days with rain will pull up the blades for trimming and I will get the John Deere out again. 

Have a great weekend and we will visit again.

I found this hanging in the basement the other day and had to bring it up so you could see it.  Next to the ‘you want it when’ cartoon this is probably one of my favorites.  Now I don’t really feel this way now but there was a time!  How about you?  Do you have a list?

It is a beautiful 82 degrees outside and I have spent part of the day taking down summer decorations and putting Halloween things.  I’ll try to get pictures later.  The other part of the day was spent in the swing with Brandy reading. 

We were at the doctor’s office yesterday and Jay got a glowing report on his progress with the blood pressure. blood sugar, and general health.  We also got Flu shots for both of us.  I had only started getting them last year and I have to admit I was wrong not to have started them sooner. 

If you get a chance hop over to Jay’s Jammin’ for an update on the canning.  I (and I cross my fingers when I say this)  hope we are done finally.  I want to start shipping my jam early, around the last part of this month, so all will be done before my surgery. 

Speaking of surgery, while we were at Bed, Bath, And Beyond we bought another one of those plastic one step stools that folds up for storage.  Jay but a rope on it and now I can step up with one foot, put my butt in the truck seat, swing my legs in, then with the rope pull the stool in and put in the back seat.  Hopefully that will solve another of the problems I am going to face. 

I had promised you some pictures of my Dad’s bedroom set a while back.  So without moving too much around in the basement here you are.

It is a beautiful old set that needs some work on it.  I don’t know what I’m going to do with it but my brother wanted me to have it before he died. 
I have been furnished in ‘early orange crate’ all my life so this is a dilemma for me.  But I have three children and maybe one of them will take it and take care of it. 

Well the seven inch squares called to me again so I have two crocheted in Lion’s Homespun and a third one started.  I don’t know how many I’ll get done this time but every little bit helps!

Keep well, smiling, and I’ll see you when I’m visiting again!

Yep it is October One, a balmy 60 degrees outside and a very angry sky.  Brandy and I have been out for her morning constitutional, pulled a few weeds in one of the side gardens, then decided it was a little chilly for slippers and night clothes.  Ain’t it great to live in the country!  About 15 minutes after we came back in the sky opened up and dumped water all over the outside. 

While I was out there I spotted the vine that I had moved from the kitchen garden to the one between the front door extension and the bedroom extension when they installed the natural gas line and meter four years ago.  ( Still love natural gas over propane anytime).

You know I have a book on Birds of Michigan, also one on Trees of Michigan but I don’t have one for bushes and vines so I don’t know what kind of vine this is.  Pretty sad when you reach the age of 72 1/2 years old and you don’t know Jack S*** about the things that grow in your yard don’t you think?

Well this weekend on Saturday Jay and I shopped at Sam’s Club and Bed, Bath, And Beyond spending way more than we planned on but such is life. 

On Sunday I spent a little time with Harry Potter and started reading my book on Embroidery Stitches.  I sat out in the swing with Brandy—that way she lets me read.  Also got through the Sunday paper (only the second time in a long time to read before Wednesday),

Well my friends I have sneaked in a breakfast of pancakes and sausages and had Brandy outside in the rain (yep it is still raining) while writing this post.  But now it is time to pretend I am a Domestic Goddess and haul my butt off this chair and into the household chores for today.  Talk with you soon.