~November Living and Thanksgiving~

So, I've been wanting to write a post for about 2 weeks now, but my phone would. not. sync. to my computer and it's taken me this long just to retrieve my photos! 

But, oh, November- you've been crazy. Crazy in lots of good ways. We've had everything from bright, low-angled sunshine to our first snow and a wind storm that knocked our power out for a day. Two weeks ago it was 24 degrees and today it was 65!

I've been enjoying all the fall decorating this year- preserved leaves tucked here and there . . . mini pumpkins and dried hydrangea bunches . . . and the joy of getting out my small collection of brown and white transfereware. Everywhere there are pinecones, some strawflowers, and maybe a stuffed scarecrow sitting in a wee chair. 

I can't tell you how many candles we've already gone through this month- they flicker away the cold and dark and make the house smell just right. There's been lots of kitty cuddles and kitty photo bombs . . . and even a craft fit in there- Loving my sweater pillow cover- idea found over here. 

Our garage is full of wood and we let the fireplace blaze on Sunday afternoons. We play board games on Sunday evenings and sometimes there are hot baked scones to accompany us. 

This month I was even able to convince my 12 year old to let me read to him from one of my favorite Autumn books, Mousekin's Golden House. 

We are feeling blessed and full of Thanksgiving this month. Thank Full. As we finish up with our last minute Holiday preparations and plans, I just want to leave you with President Lincoln's Proclamation of Thanksgiving as a reminder to us all that it benefits us to give thanks to God in both good times and hard times . . . 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Washington, D.C.
October 3, 1863

By the President of the United States of America.

A Proclamation.

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consiousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

From  http://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org

~Carved~

I was up to my eyeballs in things to do all weekend (the house was overflowing with teenage boys and even a visiting friend from Belgium), so I was unable to respond directly, but Thank You all for your hurrahs and encouragements on my last post. It was much appreciated- and yes, the cake was delicious, thank goodness! :)

After all the birthday and visitor hoopala, we ended last weekend with some pumpkin carving. I have to say I'm not big on Halloween (for lots of reasons), but I do enjoy pumpkin carving now that the boys are old enough to do it for themselves AND help clean up afterwards (I do not enjoy the aftermath . . .)

The Husband's creation
I think he looks like Frankenstein :)

The Youngest's:
that is suppose to be a cigarette sticking out of it's mouth (no idea) and if you look closely you'll see he wrote 'karen' on it's side- a reference to the movie 'The Watcher in the Woods'- a family favorite

The Oldest's pumpkin:
I was guessing Picasso, but he says it has to do with an anime show he watches

My cat'o lantern
(I was too tired to think of anything more creative)

Twister decided Cat o'Lantern made a good companion- no fleas

Anyway- our creations found their way to the front porch and tonight I will light them up to greet anyone who may come to the door.

I also have these darling tattoos I found at Target to hand out. I picked these up a month ago- I prefer to not hand out candy simply because having it around the house is dangerous for me and my lack of control where sweets are concerned.

  In fact, I already have quite the stash of chocolate of my own- all the way from Belgium, courtesy of our Belgium visitor. I think this may be the first year I will not be raiding the kids' trick or treat loot!!

~He's Fifteen and I'm Still Playing Mom~

It's been a REALLY long day. 
It started early this morning: get up and have a family birthday breakfast to celebrate The Oldest turning 15. Let him open a few cards and gifts. Send him and his brother off to school. 
Drink Coffee. 
Get showered, dressed and do some light picking up. 
Drink More Coffee. 
Prepare Ebay packages to be shipped out, as well as a birthday package for a far away friend, and a package for my mother (which happened to be 3lbs of coffee). Eat lunch. 
Somewhere in there, The Husband comes home from work unexpectedly because the internet connection at the office isn't working and he needs to work from home. 
We have a cuppa coffee. 
The kids get home from school (two hour early release) and I take The Oldest to his birthday gift: a 2:30 pm. ear piercing appointment. So we fill out lots of paper work and a young gal plunges a needle into each lobe and off we go. 
We stop at the drug store for the recommended cleaning solution. They don't have it even though the paperwork we have says you can find it just about anywhere. But we don't have time to go anywhere else because we have a picture appointment to get to. 
So we go to our 4:00 pm scheduled picture appointment, walking in at exactly 3:50. Early for once!! But they are 'having technical difficulties' and we don't start our photo session for another 45 min. So when it's finally done and they say we can wait about ten minutes until they should have our photos ready for viewing, I'm pretty much like, 'Yeah, right'! And can you guess what I need at this point? 
Yup- More Coffee. 
And something to eat because I'm starving! Thirty mins and some coffee talk later,  Oldest and I go back and sure enough, our pictures are "almost done". I call The Husband (who is suppose to make dinner) and tell him he's got plenty of time. And when everything is bought and paid for we walk out of there at 6:30 pm- 2 1/2 hours after our scheduled appointment.
Oh! But we still have to find that dang cleaning solution for his ears. We stop at a nearby Target. No such luck. I grab the least recommended thing they have and we go. 
Home at 7pm. Dinner nearly done! 
We dine on Baked Ravioli, Garlic Toast and Salad with Ranch Dressing- all at the specific request of the birthday boy. It tastes amazing because I didn't have to make it!! 
But I DO still have to make a birthday cake for his party tomorrow. And it's 7:30 pm, but no problem, right? 
Oh- but I'm making an icecream cake that requires layers to be frozen one at a time, starting with the crust. The crust is made, popped in the freezer and we spend the next hour looking over old photos of The Oldest as a baby. 
The Husband and I ooh and awhh, The Youngest does a remarkable job of allowing all the attention to be on big brother and The Oldest looks bored and rolls his eyes impatiently. 
Layer One is done!! 
Layer two is vanilla icecream. Cool- literally. Ha! This layer takes a quick 20 mins. to freeze and we are half way. 
Then comes the hot fudge layer. No problem, right? 
Thirty mins. go by- not even close to frozen. 
An hour goes by- nope, still runny. 
An hour and a half . . . ? 
I give up and go blog.  
And now at 12:29 am, here I am- still waiting. And we are SO. NEARLY. THERE! And then? One Last Layer to go . . . and then it's suppose to freeze overnight- though at this rate I'm not sure we'll get the full 'overnight' in. 
So everyone's been long ago to bed and sound asleep, but me. Because I'm waiting for hot fudge to freeze. 
And no- this time I do not want any coffee.

~At the Patch~

Last Sunday the men and I braved the pushing-ninety-degrees-heat to uphold one of our very favorite family traditions- a trip to the pumpkin patch on Sauvie Island. Never, in the 14 years we've done this, has it been that miserable hot. What is it about the October sun that makes heat waves so much more uncomfortable than in July? Is it just because we know that it's suppose to be about 65 instead? Is it the lower angle of the sun? I'm not sure, but whatever it is, it makes pumpkin patch picking preposterous! (say that 5 times fast) ;)

The Husband found his right off.

And The Oldest wasn't far behind.

The Youngest took some time . . .

but he found just the right one in the end.

And after a quick pose by the corn maze . . .

it was caramel apple time. :)

I wouldn't have been surprised if they had melted before we could finish.

At this point we were pretty much dripping with sweat, so we decided to call it a day (or as it was, about 45 min) and headed back to the car.

I did poke my head into the barn on the way out and was rewarded by this mama on her brood . . .

and Sleeping Beauty below. Her name was Matilda. Doesn't she look happy as she's laying there dreaming? I think she has the sweetest face. I hate to think of what the future may hold for her, poor dear. 

And after that brief pause, we were in the car- windows rolled down and cool air blasting our faces.

The hottest- and shortest- visit we've ever made. Now I'm hoping our pumpkins will actually make it through the month!

~Summer Is . . . ~

 a bowl of cherries . . .

cotton-ball-cloud skies . . . 

kitty-carcasses in the heat

red, white and blue pancakes . . .

floppy daisies is an old bottle . . .

summer decorating with whites and blues to cool us down . . .

trips to the lake . . .

and  floaty blowing . . .

hydrangeas on my bedside table . . . 

the potential for fresh squeezed lemon aid . . .

 and bouquets stuffed into beer bottles!

Cheers, Summer!