GRATEFUL THANKSGIVING

SITTING in my nice apartment I am so grateful this year that the ground is green and we have no ice or snow to deal with. We had 9 inches earlier in the week and it was 14 degrees one morning. This morning it is 55 and it is all melted. We had our preview of winter. I decided to put up my tree this week and enjoy looking at it. Gets me in the holiday spirit.                                        

Yesterday I prepared several dishes to carry to my Niece's home for dinner today. I am so grateful they moved to my town and we can visit and see each other more. I am so used to preparing dishes to pass for so many years that THIS year I can actually share them instead of eating them alone. She has a 4 year old and that is always fun being around kids for the holidays. Traditions come and go and since Mom passed in 2011 life has been all over the place for me. I am grateful this year we are all together and celebrating the holidays together again. I hope whatever you do and wherever you are this holiday you stay safe and enjoy the blessings of the holiday with family and friends. 

 

STAND BY PARIS...

Sitting at the computer and the news came on my Facebook page that Paris had been attacked. I turned on CNN and was saddened and horrified as to how easily these attackers destroyed lives all over the "City of Lights". It took me back immediately to the attacks on New York City. I remembered how we felt having some terrorists wreak havoc on our country that day. I am so glad that all the world is supporting France and praying for the victims and that we are UNITED in stopping those who want to do us harm. GOD BLESS FRANCE and GOD BLESS THE USA.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN..

Boy am I behind... time was long ago I would make many blog entries every week. Now I make one once a month. I still get out in the world but not very often. Depending on the bus now days to get me around is fine but sometimes not in the budget. I managed to get a few photos on my last trip out. The fall is slowing coming to a close here. Trees turned slow and mostly yellow. I did manage to find some color here and there though.These were taken at a local apple orchard near town. Never have I seen a person deliver gallons of cider on the back of a 4 wheeler though. This place had a whole little house where you could go and pick what apples you want. Kids love it..temperature controlled most of the time. Fresh donuts being made were mouth watering. Nothing like them in the fall. Here are some recent photos

Delivering Cider 

     

APPLE HOUSE

I ventured into our downtown and found it celebrating a scarecrow contest. I began to see a theme start. I am not sure what the one above was supposed to be.

This was the spa.

  

A nurse at the health dept.

On the bus for a country ride.

GOLD tree in the park.

                 HAPPY HALLOWEEN !

WHERE DID SUMMER GO??

Wow I have not updated here in months. I sure am slipping. Blog entry what is that?? I have to remind myself to even look at it when it used to be a daily routine. Life happens.. now I am more settled in my place and enjoying my freedom and have things to keep me busy. Things are still green pretty much here but I expect them to start turning very soon. I am keeping an eye out for the woolly worm to see what he predicts for our winter this year. Last year he was 100% correct for my area anyway.Here are some photos I have taken over the summer..odds and ends.The sky was so orange when a local fire hit. Reminded me of how bad it was in Ca. where fires were eating up so much of their land.Sure was an eerie sight. I took this at a local Walmart made entirely out of their stock. It was very creative and boy it screamed  F A L L !

Haven't been able to get around a whole lot because of the heat this summer. I wait for the cooler days. It is so much easier to breathe.

It was a summer of firsts for my niece's boy Theo.. he had his first real birthday party and his first trip to the local county fair.

Watching him grow up reminds me how short life is and we must enjoy every minute of it.

HAVE A GREAT SEPTEMBER...

THAT OLD HOUSE...

HAD to update here on the progress for our old house. MY my..seems the neighbors that lived around there were pretty sore about looking at it.

  The new owner had really let the place be trashy and unkempt and it needed help badly.They started painting it and the color was well .. not great...It proved to be a real pain to finish the job. When the spring and summer arrived things changed. They picked up the yard and removed the trash and PAINTED THE HOUSE.They hired someone to paint it.. It was a big deal because this old house NEVER had a COLOR before. It's probably 140 years old now and was ALWAYS white. Now it is fresh and clean and looks like this..

There is still plenty to finish up but this latest photo is so very nice to see. I am very happy for the old place to look good again. I love the color and it is such an improvement. AS FOR HELL HOUSE next door.. it is still standing and up for public auction and everyone is wondering if they will get any buyers for it. As a refresher.. Hell House was a home that had three or four apartments and left for the critters to inhabit. It had seen drug dealers and numerous arrests and fights and police visits in its past. The whole neighborhood would rather it be razed to the ground than bought and fixed up. It was gutted after the last tenant left the water connected in the winter and the whole place flooded and then black mold grew inside. It is nasty. Just glad our OLD HOUSE...looks good again.. Mom and Dad surely would approve!