334 / 365 Going Nuts

A closer look at nature’s bounty… when you get right down to the detail, it’s amazing.

333 / 365 Let it Shine

Early signs of Christmas are popping up everywhere.

332 / 365 Drama in the Sky

This dramatic sky greeted me when I left work… a fitting end to a cold and rainy day. 

331 / 365 Watch Your Step

Taking pleasure in the simple things today… a small patch of moss in the middle of the driveway.  What a gorgeous shade of green.

330 / 365 Early Bird Special

H and I were taking a walk in Roswell Park before going to dinner and almost missed this beautiful hawk on the branch above.  I’m sure he was thinking of his menu options too.

329 / 365 Parade of the Sprouts

This picture was taken as I worked on preparations for the afternoon Thanksgiving get-together with family.  Brussels sprouts aren’t a huge hit, but we have a few lovers of the miniature cabbages – including myself.  Our group of twelve enjoyed turkey, ham, nine side dishes, and five desserts.

328 / 365 Thanksgiving

Well, the Monopoly game did not turn out quite as I had expected, but fortunately H was (as always) a gracious winner.  The dinner was delicious and well-received by our honored guest (H’s mom). This most excellent fruit tart was a fitting conclusion to the meal.  We all have much to be thankful for.

327 / 365 Game On

Thanksgiving day at our house is pretty quiet since we don’t gather for the big family event until Friday.  We usually have a nice breakfast, watch the Macy’s parade with H’s mom, and enjoy an elegant dinner in the evening.  This year, H and I have also scheduled a friendly early-afternoon game of Monopoly.  H was in charge of the snacks.  Thank goodness he picked out his favorites, because he’ll need plenty of consolation when he loses big time!

326 / 365 Late Bloomer

Today I discovered that a camellia bush in our front yard, which has never bloomed in the six years of its existence, is covered in flowers and buds.  Their centers look a bit like sea creatures with waving tentacles.  I’m completely in awe of Mother Nature.

325 / 365 Birds of a Feather

I love looking at the preschool art projects, especially during the holidays… they just make me giggle.  With this Thanksgiving theme (featuring turkeys and owls on fence posts) I feel like I’m walking through a quirky aviary.

324 / 365 History is Made

For the first time in over a century, stores in certain cities and counties in Georgia can now sell alcohol on Sunday.  The county where we live has not yet voted on the matter, but the city of Roswell (five minutes up the road) has… and so H and I stopped by a local supermarket in that fair community to pay tribute to the new law.

323 / 365 Tea Time

Today was overcast, windy and quite cool… a perfect day for a cozy cup of tea.

322 / 365 The Big Move

This large lump of plastic is actually my mother-in-law M’s new sofa.  It arrived early this morning, and we all held our breaths at its unveiling.  M grinned after the movers left and announced, I think it’s pretty gutsy to buy a new couch at (almost) 91 years old.

321 / 365 Autumn Leaves

In the last twenty-four hours the temperatures have been dropping dramatically, and so have the leaves. 

320 / 365 Vigilance

This is Saint Rose, the patroness of gardeners (among others).  I bought her several years ago and placed her in the Secret Garden, where she keeps an eye on things.

319 / 365 Crystal-Clear

I’ve been collecting rocks and minerals since I was a kid, and I have small bowls of these earthly artifacts scattered all over the house.  I’m particularly fond of this little grouping, which I keep in a small ceramic leaf that belonged to my great-aunt.  There’s just something very tactile and soothing about them. 

318 / 365 Order in the Court!

This week I’ve been called for jury duty, something I’ve never done before.  I’ve always heard that there’s a lot of waiting involved, but my experience today was relatively speedy... there at 8:00 am, selected and on a jury panel by 9:30 am, and done by 4:30 pm.  I hope the rest of the week is just as efficient.

317 / 365 A Snack in Hand

It feels like H and I have been eating non-stop since our travels began last Thursday, and yet, stuffed as we are, it’s difficult to turn down the snacks that await us on the flight home.  This buttered shortbread cookie was one of today’s treats.  If we don’t explode tonight, we’ll be back to routine eating tomorrow… thank goodness.

316 / 365 Traditions

Each year H and I celebrate an early Thanksgiving with family (three generations on H’s side) in Arizona, where the house is filled with chatter and laughter, food and games.  We follow the same traditions each visit… Dunkin’  Donuts in the morning, a field trip to a local park, expert turkey carving by nephew G, a scrumptious meal, and a rousing game of Taboo to complete the evening.  The ships you see here are part of a festive table setting.  They’re salt and pepper dispensers that have been part of the family for many years.

315 / 365 Take Me Out to the Ballgame

It’s not baseball without a tasty snack… one of several devoured as we watched the Phoenix Desert Dogs lose to the Scottsdale Scorpions at the Phoenix Municipal Stadium today.

314 / 365 Blue Light Special

We’re presently visiting my sister-in-law C and her husband H in Arizona, where we learned that scorpions are a particularly bothersome nuisance.  Locals know that the best way to detect the critters is to shine a blue light on them, which causes the Day-Glo effect seen on the successfully captured (and quite dead) invader above.  Small blue-light flashlights are readily available in stores all over town; C and H keep theirs close by for sweeping the dark corners of the house.  We’re all watching our step.

313 / 365 A Dog’s Life

As H and I waited at a red light, this fellow pulled up next to us.  All the time in the world… he looks like he owns the road.

312 / 365 In a Hurry

After another day at the office, this peaceful scene greeted me as I walked to the car:  An impatient moon waits for the sun set. 

311 / 365 Time to Relax

My sister S has a booth at the Mt. Zion Craft Show this weekend, and I stopped by her house today to see what she has been working on.  Her table was filled with all sorts of goodies for relaxing, including these bath salts, tea baths, and happy little flowers that are actually magnets for message boards. 

310 / 365 Fading Light

The time has changed and the days are getting shorter, but the secret garden still beckons.  Today as I finished tucking in the flowerbeds for the winter, the light waned across the pebbles in the new pathway… so peaceful.

309 / 365 Eye-Catchers

When I stopped by my sister’s home, I discovered that her neighbor has a collection of gourds lined up by the side of their house to dry out.

308 / 365 On the Way Out

Even in decay, Mother Nature can be gorgeous.

307 / 365 Late Bloomer

I love this little plant.  Known as Ladies’ Tresses, it is a member of the orchid family. I bought it and seven others at the Chattahoochee Nature Center’s fall native plant sale two years ago, and I’ve had two blooms each year.  I’m ever hopeful that the others will be inspired to shine next fall.

306 / 365 The Secret Garden Gets an Overhaul

Although H and I have a manicured backyard, a hidden section behind a wall of trees and bushes is wild and woody.  I love this area and refer to it as the Secret Garden because it’s such a surprise to step into.  After years of making small improvements to the space – planting native wildflowers and ferns – we took the much bigger step this week of adding some professional landscaping.  I now have new paths to wander through… and it’s like stepping into magic.

305 / 365 Fall Reflections

This birdbath sits just outside our back porch… it appears to be a reflecting pool for nature.