This Halloween Rocks!

When Jodie spent time with me on her week off, we filled up one afternoon painting rocks for Halloween. I got the bug that day, so spent another couple days painting more -- including adding a layer of sparkle paint on top. They all glitter in the light now.

I was really looking forward to handing out candy this year. We have a neighborhood full of kids and full of people who decorate over-the-top for Halloween. I anticipated a lot of fun.

But Dale got sick. Covid. Our first bout of it. (I imagine I'll be coming down with it in a day or two. Poo!)

So instead of handing out treats, we came up with a plan to set up a table with candy and painted rocks. The kids can pick out their own. We can keep an eye on things through the window.

Yesterday I made the haunted house. I drew a design on a big cardboard box, cut it our with an Xacto blade, then painted it with some thinned-out black paint using a sponge brush. The entire process was much more successful than I anticipated when I began. I even taped some purple fairy lights to the back of the facade so that eerie light will shine through the windows once the sun goes down.

This afternoon I set it up, along with some signs and tombstones. I added candy. Then filled in the blank spots with the Halloween rocks. I also set out the "monster rocks" I painted about ::cough cough:: three years ago. There's enough there for 50 kids!

As I write this post, I hear the first of our Trick-or-Treaters on the porch.

"Mom! We get a candy AND a rock!"

Yes! Exactly the reaction I was hoping for.

We Like Fall Most of All

Our home is ready for the trick-or-treaters and the aroma of pumpkin pie

Something Special for Abby

If all goes well, baby Abby will be in our arms in January. I'm making her a special gift to keep her warm.

I found the Around the Rainbow Blanket kit on the Mary Maxim website. Soft colors. Interesting design. Super sweet.

The directions are very hard to follow, though. Jodie came by and helped me decipher them. I'm grateful she did. I was lost in the tall grass.

I've finally got the hang of the repeat pattern and have completed the first few color changes. It's beautiful.

It's a lovely thing to sit with yarn flowing through my fingers and get into the rhythm of crochet. I believe Abby will feel the love I'm stitching into her afghan.

Homegrown Pumpkin Harvest

I harvested just over a dozen of the mini pumpkins. Pretty. 

Colorful. 

Lovely details.

Full of personality.

Flowers for Friday: Life Cycle

I'm not sure when sunflowers became a "thing" for me. They started showing up in my life several years ago, and have, shall we say, grown and grown. Now I decorate with sunflowers every September. These beauties didn't show up in my yard until October, though. 

So here I go again. From bud.

to curvy stem

to full bloom

#flowersforfriday

Throwback Thursday: Oh, Idaho!

 I got such a laugh when I happened upon this scene in rural Kootenai County Idaho. 

Driving my daughter to work along the back roads, I caught this "dog" out of the corner of my eye. I did a double take and turned the car around to capture the scene.  

I still wonder why there is a camel in north Idaho standing under pine trees on damp soil with a slash pile burning in the background. It's not exactly an arid, sandy habitat!

Pausing to take the photo was worth it. I hope I didn't make my kid late for work.

Autumn on the Wetlands

I took a short walk on this crisp Autumn morning. The wetlands are looking particularly lush under the cloud-scattered sky.  

Trees reached peak color this week. Two Air Force jets roared overhead, practicing their maneuvers. Dogs walked their special people, frisky in the brisk breeze.

The mushrooms are coming on boldly under the trees in the damp grass.

Have I mentioned lately how much I love living in Oregon? What a great place to retire!

It's That Time of Year

We turned the heater on this morning to warm up the house. Temperatures aren't quite hitting 70° during the day. It's time to snuggle in and do quiet cold-weather things like jigsaw puzzles.

Jodie had a week off work, so we were able to spend extra time together. One afternoon when we were both too fatigued to go out exploring or even do crafting, we sat side-by-side and put this 350-piece puzzle together.

The puzzle's name is Creative Crafting. That's nearly like playing in my Studio, right?