Needle and Thread

My Mother painted with her needle and her threads. Exquisite scenes on linen now grace my coffee table.
As I do up the dining room table cloth I am awed at the precision of each stitch.

She did the cloths in my Christmas colors, pink and green.
Eight napkins were my Christmas gift one year. The coffee table runner the next year. The table cloth was to be a two year gift.
My Mother's health was failing. Her eyes were growing dim. The cloth laid unfinished. The last Christmas Mother was in her house she finished my cloth. It was a heroic effort. Thank you Mother. I treasure my Christmas linens.
She was an artist. Her work endures and brings joy to those that sit at my table.

Through the kitchen window

Downy found the suet in the west window box. December decorating is going smoothly. Only had to replace the lights on one indoor tree so far. I have kitchen and family room left to unpack. Thirty- two trees are finished. I think I have ten more to do.
The Enchanted Forest is coming alive.

Pine cones

I took a basket of pine cones to my sister-in-law. I have many pine cones even after decorating.
We did two wall trees for the stairwell. This pine cone wreath I did in 1975. According to the journal I replaced the ribbon in 1998.
Pine cones keep well. I have some ready to be used as firestarters. Last year I picked up over 600. This year I have not counted. I am leaving many on the ground. I still have a large bag full from last year, unused. Perhaps I will do up a few more baskets to give as hostess gifts. I can scent them with oil and add some pine branches and some cinnamon sticks.

Festival of Light

It is sixty degrees out at 9:30pm. Excellent temperature for nighttime photos.


We decided to do our lighting ceremony tonight.
Simple evergreen wreaths remind me of the sacred circle of light.

The Northern Cardinal

There are two pairs of Cardinals that live in the back yard. They live here all year long. They mate for life. I celebrate the Cardinal in December.
I enjoy their morning song.
The theme in the master bath for December is the Cardinal.

A walk in the woods

My husband went for a morning walk in the woods. He wanted to see the Hooded Merganser again.
This immature Red-Headed Woodpecker is just starting to get its red head.
I have been inside all day. December decorating takes me awhile. Making progress is all I am interested in right now. Seventeen trees are up and decorated. Five rooms ready for use. I am culling as I unpack, refining and redoing.

Mr. and Mrs. Phelps

Twenty years ago my daughter and I went to an Earth Day celebration. They gave out White Pine saplings. We planted our trees in the front yard. She named them.
Mr. Phelps is at least 30 feet tall.
Mrs. Phelps had to be moved a few years ago. She was growing into the front maple tree. At twenty feet tall it was an event to move her. She is doing fine, loaded with pine cones this year.
The pine trees need their fallen pine needles.
I think the pinecones are pretty under the trees.
Now is the time we trim their branches.

Blank Canvas

November is packed away. We are decorating outside today. The mums from the window boxes are planted in the ground.
Pine boughs and pine cones from the front pine trees will stay in the boxes until March. I will replace the suet as needed. The wooden pomegranates are only for December. I can add strings of cranberries and popcorn for the birds later.
The front porch is finished. The found mitten tree could use a found hat and more gloves and mittens.

Everything at once

Today I am doing twenty things at once as I prepare to decorate for December.
I took a few minutes out to enjoy Mockingbird in the Crab tree. Still very warm for November.
I replanted the mums in the window boxes and set up the sprinklers.
It is too warm and too dry.
My husband took photos of Robins yesterday. I saw some in the back bamboo this morning. Sulphur butterfly was out as was the Red Admiral.
Warm weekend is in the forecast. If all goes well we should be able to get the outside decorated.

Moccasins

I wear moccasins.
Our son made these when he was little for his Dad. The mink tails were my grandmother's. I have many pairs. Some are stored for next spring, some for next summer.
Some are wearing out. My favorite pair are on the right, the deer skin mocs I bought in Canada a few years ago. These are the shoes I wear as I walk about in my life. They are stained. They are comfortable.

'Tis the Season

'Tis the season for decorating. Through the trees I saw our neighbor's house.
Our festival of light begins December first.

Wren House

After pie my husband and son made a Wren house out of one of the dried gourds.

They hung it in the back Ash tree. I hope Carolina Wren likes it. It has drilled holes in the top for ventilation and drilled holes in the bottom for drainage. I like the natural look.

Our son gave us Tagua Nut figures. His "thank you" gift.

These are hand carved "vegetable ivory" miniatures.

We miss our daughter and our son not-in-law. We will spend Christmas with them.

Hunting for Wild Turkeys

My husband went hunting this morning. Armed with the camera he went to where I had seen the wild turkeys. He did not see them. He did bag a few geese.
When I saw his photo of the Hooded Merganser I gasped! His crest is up!
We had never seen them before.
He brought home photos of these two males and one with a female swimming near them. Oh my they are beautiful!

Happy Thanksgiving

Blessings to you and your loved ones. This postcard is dated 11-23-1908. It is an invitation to eat turkey dinner. I invited wild turkeys to come graze in the yard. We will not harm them.
I was up before first light,
as was Carolina Wren.

Bliss

I heard the sounds of the Red-bellied Woodpecker. He was in my front Maple tree.
The sun seemed to set quickly tonight.
I have had a blissful day. I look forward to pie day every year.

Avian Friends

My son called with a riddle. He said the answer was something for my Avian friends.
I am not very good with riddles even when I have clues.
The answer was, "wren's door". Tomorrow, for our Thanksgiving Day activity, I think we shall make a Wren's house out of a gourd! He knows how to do one!

Thank you butterflies!

At mid-day the temperature was 64 degrees. I went out looking for butterflies. My friend, Orange Sulphur, was finding food in the Dwarf Snapdragons.
The sun is bright,
my heart full of gratitude.
She is beautiful. I am so very pleased she stayed for the rest of the Autumn.
I do not know how many more Indian Summer days we will have. I am grateful for this one.