BailiwickStudio

Rain, Rain, Rain

Here in Washington it has rained a lot. We've had sprinkles, moderate showers, steady rainfall, and gale force winds that whipped around the house with a midnight howl. I love it all! There have also been days of sunshine and deep blue skies with scudding clouds, which seem even more brilliant when the temperature is only in the 40s.

 

The beaches here are full of driftwood and seaweed, sand dollars and feathers, flotsam and jetsam.  The air is fresh and pure, being constantly washed by the rain.

 

 

So now I've had a bit of true Autumn - even a touch of Winter. I'll go home with a jarful of feathers and a pocketful of sand dollars and thoughts of vast windswept beaches.

And best of all, I've had the pleasure of being here for my oldest grandson's 7th birthday!

 

 

Linked with Little Red House for Mosaic Monday.

November

 

November has been weaving itself around me in a very non-November way - it has been much too warm. There haven't been any November mists or rainy afternoons or blustery grey days that make you think the right thing to do is to curl up inside a quilt with an interesting book. This is what I get for living here, in the California desert.

 

 

I'm impatient, waiting for Autumn. It's true, there are some neighborhood trees dressed in scarlet and gold; I've heard the crunch of fallen leaves underfoot; Standard Time has returned with it's early twilight; but still, none of it seems Autumn-like when the temperature is in the 80s!

 

 

However, on Friday I'm winging my way to Washington State for a visit with my daughter. I'm sure I'll find fog, mist, and rain there. There's bound to be Autumn magic in the trees and in the air, and I will be completely captivated by all of it. Finally, my spirit will feel the shift of the seasons.

A Ghost Pumpkin

Well, hello! I know that I've become a once-a-month blogger, and I'm not sure how to get myself back into regular posting. I still love blogging, but I've indulged far more time into reading blogs than I have into writing my own.

 

But now it's truly Autumn, and more of the day is spent indoors where the computer is. Maybe this fact will help change my non-blogging ways?

Anyway, yesterday I pulled a coat out of the closet, for the first time since I put it in there last Spring, and went to a pumpkin patch to find a white pumpkin. I love the one I came home with - a ghost pumpkin with light blue spots. It pairs up quite nicely with the pink cosmos that's blooming in my garden, in my newest white pitcher from a local flea market. Love.

 

 

I've finally done a bit of seasonal decorating, too, and here it is mid-October already! I just couldn't pull out my Fall things when the temperature was hovering around 90° as it has been for the last few weeks. Now that it has cooled down, a wreath of nuts and berries is on the door and my collection of white ceramic pumpkins is in place on a table. Love Love.

Now it's beginning to feel like Autumn!

 

Linked up with

Little Red House for Mosaic Monday

Beverly's Pink Saturday with Pumpkins

September, I Love You

I'm ecstatic to finally turn the calendar page to September. I'm always more than ready to leave August behind - the days have become too long and hot, my energy level is low, the garden isn't producing much of anything any more, and I'm simply ready for a new look. So, at the end of August I start my "fall cleaning". I've swept away all the dust bunnies that hide in corners, dusted the tabletops and bookshelves, washed the linens, sparkled up the kitchen appliances, organised cupboards and closets, and now I'm raking the first leaves that have fallen from the trees, all in anticipation for a month that seems more like the start of a new year than January does.

 

This September is especially sweet. Our son is coming home after nearly 6 years in the US Army, this very afternoon! We are so thankful and grateful that he is returning in one piece. He says he's ready for bigger and better things, so the start of September is definitely the beginning of a new chapter in his life. We're so excited. And now with him here and our daughter & Co in Washington state, we're all in the same time zone - and that is something to celebrate after they've been scattered around the globe for the past several years. No longer will I have to do slow math in my head to figure out if it's a good time to call.

Now that I'm in my Autumn mood, I'm on my toes waiting for that first hint of woodsmoke in the air, and weather cool enough to wear my favorite scarves and boots. I'm looking forward to early twilight, pumpkins, crunchy leaves, simmering soup and the scent of cinnamon and cloves. Is anyone else ready too? Let the season begin!

Signs of Spring

 

The white blossoms of early February have faded away, and now green is popping out everywhere. The lavender is beginning to bloom, the trees are budding, and I think the garden rabbit is quite pleased that his garden is coming to life again!

I'm joining Little Red House today for Mosaic Monday.

Winter is Back... for a Minute, Anyway

The Spring coup that the flowering trees around here had practically won has been smashed today. Winter stuck his long nose back in and sent snow our way.

We woke up to a thick dusting of it covering the bird feeders and birdhouse rooftops,

and the plants and grass and tables...

so of course our curious cat had to get out there to investigate.

Now the sun is shining and the snow is melting, and tomorrow we may be back to Spring. It's a crazy winter, isn't it?

Christmas Mantle

Christmas cheer is appearing at our house, slowly but surely. For the first time ever, we are decorating without a tree this year. I suddenly had no desire to put it up and take it down, especially since our kids won't be here and Christmas Weekend will be spent elsewhere. There are other ways to decorate and there's plenty to do it with - after all, I have five giant Christmas boxes full of trimmings! I decided not to buy anything new this year, but use what I have (I made that pledge after I bought a silvery garland covered with tiny jingle bells at Crate & Barrel).

This year we're using silver, white and red - snowy pinecones, red berries, vintage silver candlesticks with red candles, and white poinsettias. I hung a few of my mercury glass ornaments from the edge, and our stockings too.

Yesterday the bricks around the fireplace were red. I've always wanted to paint them white, and after finishing the mantle I decided it would look so much better if I did it right then and there. So I did, and I like it so much better now!

I bought this concrete angel casting at the Rose Bowl Flea Market a few months ago, and couldn't decide where to hang it. It seems to look just right in this spot! I got the peacock panels there as well, about three years ago, and they've been hidden in a closet ever since. A quick coat of white spray paint, and they found a place too.

There are a few Mantle Linky parties going on in blogland this week... wow, there are some beautiful ideas out there!

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
From My Front Porch to Yours
Southern Hospitality

Autumn

Today is the official opening of Autumn! I am so happy about it. I even put on a robe this morning when I woke up, because it felt chillier than yesterday. And so far...

I've been planting pansies and mums

The first yellow leaves have fallen off the trees and are scattered across the yard

I've been driving by the pumpkin patch to see if it's open yet

I switched the wreaths on the front door

I've been thinking of what I could make for Christmas gifts this year

And last but not least - I'm wishing a very happy birthday to our son-in-law Zach, who is lucky to share his day with the Autumn equinox!

Thursday Market

With sunny weather comes all the good fruits and veggies that can be had at a Farmer's Market. Our local market is on Thursday mornings, and I wandered through with all kinds of healthy ideas running through my head.

Tonight's dinner will be breaded eggplant and roasted brussel sprouts.

and maybe asparagus too...

revved up with fresh herbs...

 

and finished with juicy nectarines for dessert.

I love the beauty of the color and pattern in the displays... 

and after shopping I can hardly wait to get home and throw some of my bounty in the blender ~

for the best summer drink ever.

I'm linking to Finding Beauty Friday today because fruits and vegetables are truly things of beauty!

Desert Flowers

I live in the high desert of California - high because it's about 3500 ft above sea level. This means it has four real seasons, which is nice because most of Southern California has only two - warm and not-so-warm. Springtime is especially beautiful here - the hills are green and covered with wildflowers in yellow, orange, violet, and white. Soon much of it will wither and become tumbleweeds, but it's a lovely show until the weather gets too hot. I drove around last week with my camera - I found some of these flowers along my walking route close to home, and others nearer to the mountains where the elevation is even higher. Seeing them blooming on hillsides and in valleys, in great patches of color against the brown and green, reminds me how blessed we are by God's handiwork - even in the desert!

I'm linked to Mosaic Monday at Little Red House - be sure to visit all the mosaics!