Autumn to Winter

Things are looking very different now. The colorful beauty of Fall has turned several shades of brown with some patches of grey here and there.

Thanksgiving was nice with my sister and brother-in-law here. Since they were leaving to go back to Ohio this morning, Patty and I went out last night and enjoyed a Blackberry Sangria ~ we made a toast to our brother, Patrick, and took some time to reminisce.

The Blackberry Sangria? Oh my! There are no words! These days, I'm just a once-in-a-while drinker, but I think I could handle one of those Sangrias every evening.

Patty and Mom worked on getting Mom's Christmas tree and Nativity up on the days following Thanksgiving. I tried to get caught up on some things and did a little Christmas shopping over the weekend. I refuse to go out on Black Friday. There is no sale worth fighting those crowds for. Sunday wasn't bad.

They headed north early this morning and now it is too quiet here.

Casey and Amanda are coming for Christmas. I am very excited to see them and have them here for several days.

Hopefully, each of you had a pleasant Thanksgiving Day and shared some time with those you love.

♥ audrey

Thanksgiving Day 2010

THANKSGIVING DAY 2010

I wish you JOY

I wish you LOVE

I wish you TIME to spend with loved ones

Remember how blessed you are to be together, breaking bread. Thank God for the memories you will make today and for everything and everyone who is a part of your life.

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I thank God for each of you, my dear friends. Every comment and every email I received gave me hope, lifted my heart, and made tears that needed shed to come to the surface. I will be ok. I know it will take time for this raw pain to become less intense. This load was just a bit heavier than any I've had to carry. Thank you for your sweet, kind, and loving words of comfort.

Happy Thanksgiving!

♥ audrey

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Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn, or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude. ~ Denis Waitley

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Seeing our Father in everything makes life one long thanksgiving and gives rest of the heart. ~ Hannah Whitall Smith

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Two kinds of gratitude: the sudden kind we feel for what we take, the larger kind we feel for what we give. ~ Edwin Arlington Robinson

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Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul. ~ Henry Ward Beecher

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Thanksgiving Week

I've been feeling somewhat blue and a bit overwhelmed with all the things that have transpired. I've lost six friends and family this year ~ I keep thinking about all of them and the fact that they are gone forever ~ taken with hardly enough time to prepare.

I've put most of my energy into my consignment space, keeping Mom busy, and trying to get caught up with so many things that have piled up ~ literally. My desk has a mountain of paperwork on it and there are things on every surface available in there. Now I'm faced with the Holidays and all that comes with them. Suddenly, I'm tired and I feel like a scrunched up heap in this chair.

I think I've masked my sorrow with daily tasking. I seem to have so much to do and I'm running day and night to get it all done and yet I feel like I'm not accomplishing anything. That "zip" that keeps me going most of the time is not there. I've just been going through the motions.

I'm not sure what made me realize these things. It just dawned on me that I am running in circles and not really doing anything. I need to snap out of it and get back to normalcy. Since I now realize what I've been doing, I think I'll do better.

I've heard so often how hard it is to get through the Holidays after the loss of loved ones. I am looking forward to being with my family. I want to be with them and hold them close.

One thing I am thankful for this year is you, my friends. Getting to know you better over time has been delightful. I wish you all a Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving.

♥ audrey

Morning Mist

Yesterday, we woke to a misty foggy morning ~ it misted most of the day.

The color is dull in this photo due to the sun being blocked by the clouds and the misting rain, but we still have some colorful leaves hanging on in the woods right next to our house.

The trees in the front yard are losing their leaves quickly now, but I'm loving every red and orange leaf that is still hanging on.

The red leaves on these bushes will stay for quite a while yet ~ they refuse to let go in spite of the wind and the rain. However, the birch tree leaves are just about gone.

In spite of the rain, we still have some vibrant color around the neighborhood. I snapped a few photos in the rain on my way to the store last evening.

Today, we woke to sunshine and clear skies ~ we are blessed with another beautiful Autumn day.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Susie !!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Lisa !!

Fungus

I took these photos in October. I spotted this fungus growing at the base of a large tree on the lane leading out of the cul-de-sac I live on. Very strange looking organism, but fascinating and actually kind of pretty.

I thought about these photos today because I happened across a lot of talk about fungus on Facebook and Blogs. So, these photos came to mind and I thought I would post them and dedicate them to my

fungus

fascinated friends:

Anne

Ces

and

Manon

Holiday Open House

This weekend was Holiday Open House at the consignment shop where I have a space. It was a grueling week getting things ready and making sure my space was full and ready for Christmas shoppers.

After spending so much time in there this past week, I decided to stay away this weekend and wait until tomorrow to find out how I did.

These are photographs of the large windows in the front of the building. I was leaving the other night after being in there working and it was dark outside. I looked at the windows and thought they looked really wintery and Christmasy. Usually only seeing them in the daytime, it was neat to see them all lit up at night.


This building is VERY large and houses over 140 vendors. I feel very fortunate to have a space in here. It is voted the best consignment shop in the area year after year.

Here's hoping I had a lot of sales. I need room for more goodies I have stashed in the garage and basement.

These large decorated windows remind me of the windows in the downtown stores in Canton, Ohio, where I grew up. When I was a little girl, Mom would take me downtown to see them. It was so exciting. Since the birth of the Malls, the downtowns don't do this anymore as the stores have moved out. I believe New York City is the closest place to see Christmas displays and animation in the windows these days.

Oh, That Moon

First Quarter Moon

Early this evening.

Sky a little later this evening.

First Quarter Moon

Late tonight.

MAGICAL!

ORANGE

ORANGE is flamboyant, energetic, and vibrant! It's a combination of red and yellow so it shares some common attributes with these colors. It denotes energy, warmth, and the sun. But orange has a bit less intensity or aggression than red, calmed by the cheerfulness of yellow.

As a warm color, orange is a stimulant ~ stimulating the emotions and even the appetite. Orange can be found in nature in the changing leaves of Fall, the setting sun, and the skin of meat and citrus fruit.

Orange brings up images of Autumn leaves, pumpkins, and (in combination with Black) Halloween. It represents the changing seasons so in that sense it is a color on the edge, the color of change between the heat of summer and the cool of winter.

Because orange is also a citrus color, it can conjure up thoughts of Vitamin C and good health.

If you want to get noticed without screaming, consider the color orange ~ it demands attention. The softer oranges, such as peach, are friendlier, more soothing. Peachy oranges are less flamboyant than their redder cousins ~ but still energetic.

In keeping with its transitional appearance in nature, you might use shades of orange to indicate transition or a bridge between two opposing factors.

Orange is often synonymous with Autumn, yet the brighter oranges are a Summer color. Use shades of orange for seasonal-themed Fall or Summer materials.

Orange is mentally stimulating, as well as sociable. Use it to get people thnking or to get them talking.

I've posted some of my Fall photographs depicting shades of orange.

The photo of the oranges is not mine ~ a gift from the internet.

Be sure to click on the photos to get the full impact of the beauty of orange!