Storytelling . . .

What stories do you think this picture can tell?  What has it seen?  For how long?

Nightly Dinners

So, "Whats for Dinner tonight mom?" How many of us hear that on a daily basis or hourly basis . . .
Over the years I have come up with a solution that seems to work.
Mondays are always Breakfast for dinner - pancakes, French toast, Eggs, Omelets, Waffles, Oven Puff Pancake.
Tuesdays - something that is easy, can be eaten at various times, prepped early, it is Scout night and things get crazy  Pulled pork, Meatloaf, hot dogs,
Wednesdays-  This tends to be the big real meal of the week - roasted chicken etc..
Thursday - Pasta night plain pasta, ravioli, stuffed shells, Pasta with shrimp etc.. the options are endless
Friday - sandwiches/ go out/ depends on who is home, who is leaving early - gone . . .
Saturday - Pizza night- we make it here versus buying it unless crazy busy
Sunday- Soup night  or Baked potatoes with toppings and Salad. Easy Peasy make ahead and enjoy a lazy Sunday.

I also have a 8 week master meal rotation schedule that gives us lots of potential ideas for meals. I try on Sunday to sit down and sketch out the following week and tweak the upcoming week.  We record it on the calendar so that the kids know where to look.   What do you do?  Any good ideas?

Apple Farm 2011

 Golden Delicious

 Empire

 Ida Red

Apple picking is one of those seasonal family traditions that we have. We have picked Apples before the kids were born and 1-5 times a season every year since.  One of the highlights is the Tractor ride to the trees and cider doughnuts rank right up there as well. The only bad part are the bees/wasps, we do not like those.  This year we did all go . . . but one who is wearing braces and 15 was not into it as they do not eat them - even peeled and cut up . . . . must be the age . . . and then my senior in HS looks at many things as "her last" but I don't think so, we will be picking apples when she comes home from college or maybe there will be an apple farm near her college.  Yoda the youngest had the goal of finding a completely red apple all the way around and by gosh we did!! There is just something magical about all the bright red or green apples on the trees.  A rainy day today time for applesauce and crisp or pie.  My kids like fresh apples but not cooked or baked??? They are truly missing in my opinion.

Wordless Wednesday

A view from . . . Chestnut Hill

October Garden

Well this is what is blooming in my garden this month here in Western NY.  The sun was out today which was a special treat!  It is already raining and I doubt we will see the sun for another week. That is how it goes here.  I am particularly loving the Flowering Kale in the first photo.  The third one is Pineapple Sage blooming. You can never spend enough time outside this time of year, with the long winter ahead of us.  The furnace is cleaned up for the season. We probably will not turn it on for another month, depends on how the weather goes.

Morning Sunrise

When you start out with a day like this, it can only get better.  This day the fog was very cool, in horizontal rows and the sun inter-played with the Jet Streams, it just made the day!!  So glad we could see it and take the time to catch it on the camera.  So many days we are so busy with the getting to it going somewhere we miss out on these special moments.  Somehow this fall has seemed especially busy.   My lack of posts would rather confirm that.   Alas I will try to be better.   Here's hoping for some more spectacular Sunrises and having the opportunity to see them .

Its Pumpkin time!!!

There is nothing quite so telling of this time of year as a big orange Pumpkin.  We made a stop on our fall pilgrimage of sorts to buy family pumpkins.  So many choices and it was a gorgeous fall day, warm sunny and brilliant blue skies.  After this stop was Cider, cheese and apples!! Loved some of the colors of Indian Corn this year.

Thoughtful Thursday

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things

~ Robert Brault

Well this is kinda a funny picture. Definitely the everyday.  A Friday- garbage day, shows the cars we drive, even has our cat in the driveway.   Thursday nights are known for "garbage night"  everyone helps out collecting all that we do not need from the week.  Emptying cat pans, recycling, compost, it all happens on Thursday night.  We have always had a second toter to cover house renovation extras,  now we usually overflow our Blue Recycle toter as we strive to be environmentally friendly.  What small thing in your home is really a big thing?  We do not realize they are a big thing until by disaster or health we can no longer do that task.

Visiting Gaylord Opryland Hotel  in Nashville for the second time this year.  I was here  in January for Stampin Up and this time for American Society of Hand Therapists Annual Meeting.  The Gaylord Hotel has 52 acres under roof. The Main Delta  Island area is 5 acres I believe with the 1/4 mile indoor river- see the boat?  This river water is blended water from all 50 states and many countries. There is both Canandaigua, Hemlock and Lake Ontario water in it for my local readers. They have brass plaques telling all the water sources.  In May of 2010 it was badly flooded by the Cumberland River. The Delta area had 10 feet of water in it as did many other areas of the Hotel.  They were closed for 6 plus months reopening in Nov. 2010.  The bottom picture is from Saturday Night at the Grand Ol Opry!!! This to was flooded badly in May of 2010.  This night Nitty Gritty Dirt band, Dolly Parton and many more graced the stage to sing for us. Quite a performance to see, the hosts are great. Love the sponsor announcer as well.   The indoor plantings are just un believable.  When I was there in January I talked with a gardener.  They have 14 indoor gardeners and 14 for the outdoors. Now that we have hit October they start getting ready for Country Christmas in Nashville!!  Imagine Poinsettias everywhere!!

Fairy Houses

Fall is a great time of year to get outside and enjoy the magical colors that mother nature is providing.  While there take a look around for a Fairy house or 2.  IF you cannot find one then think about creating one.  The base of a tree or interesting root structure can be a great start.   Moss, Pine-cones, acorns, leaves sticks all make good building materials. Please use only those things that you find on the ground.  Do not peel Birch Bark off trees. This is a house we built in Maine this summer. 
Some areas of the country including Maine have actual  communities of Fairy Houses that you can visit. So get out there in the next month and search for or build a Fairy House.  My kids young and old have always been fascinated by the Fairy/ natural World.
  This image is from the internet  ( family fun.com) but it gives you an idea of other things you could do.


Another good link on building Fairy Houses.