AUTUMN FLOWERS BRING SMILES

MUMS in early AUTUMN seem to add some charm to our small estate as well as everywhere I see mums adding color to the landscape.  I stayed in the purple range for color and am not disappointed.  The urn had been in the backyard ready for some color to be added.  Up on the porch she went.  Lovely.

I may decorate the front yard bench with more mums and a scarecrow.

I have a pumpkin and another small mum on the porch as well.  We're getting ready for the HOLIDAYS.  October's AUTUMN, November's THANKSGIVINGS and December's CHRISTMAS all in a row.  

I won't be decking the porch out with full blown AUTUMN decorations, because the porch is going to receive another coat of paint in October.

Planning on doing something special for CHRISTMAS though.  I've been sketching ideas for CHRISTMAS as to what we'll attempt to do for the house's exterior.  Gathering garland, twinkle lights, and oversized ornaments.  I hope we pull this off in November before it gets too cold to work outside.  First the garland and lights will be hung and then the week-end before the Holiday Decorating contest, the ornaments will be hung on the garland.  grins.

WALKING.  I started walking again.  Did alright.  Only walked a half of a mile though.  It's been 7 months since I last seriously walked due to a bum hip.  After receiving chiropractic treatments, she seems to have healed up!  I am so grateful.  So very grateful.  I have to ease back into this walking program.  If I can, I'll walk everyday 1/2 mile then begin to add some more distance as I go.  Keeping it simple.

We had an extremely busy last week with so many medical appointments and just overall running about.  This week to come has got to be a slower paced one.  Back to working on creating an ATTIC at the storage unit.  The end of the month is drawing near and I had hoped we'd be done.  I really don't think this is going to happen.  We'll creep into the month of OCTOBER.  I'll continue to go through boxes determining what to do with stuff.  

We'll be cashing in the change we've collected over time this year.  Hubby and I have made guesses as to how much the change will come to.  I figure this money will be used for our outings when we buy coffee or tea for refreshments.  What's your guess?

Mom will get a pumpkin pin from me this week.  It'll be mailed tomorrow.  I bundled up a onesie in a mailing envelope for my Great Grand baby to mail as well.  A gift to my Brother-in-law was mailed with an extra fee attached to it because of the energy increases.  This one surprised me.

Prices at the GAS pumps have taken a jump.  I suspect that just before the mid-term elections the prices will suddenly lower some to encourage voting republican.  THEN after the elections, the prices will jump again and be blamed on something other than what the real cause is.  Am I prophetic?  

Utility prices will climb due to the political scene.  Living in a small house has advantages.  Grocery prices have climbed.  We shopped at Dillons the other day.  Stocked up on beans at 88 cents a can.  I'll be buying more canned tuna and chicken from SAMs to stock up for our pantry.  

As we cut back on meat in meals, the beans will add fiber and nutrition our way.  With our working at lowering our A1Cs, the legumes will help with that.  Snacking on nuts and seeds as well.  Less carbs and more veggies.

As the world turns, I'm praying.  

~d

MUMS THE WORD, A SMILE ON MY FACE AND CHRISTMAS DECORATING THOUGHTS

THERE's AN AREA BESIDE THE CELLAR DOOR THAT HAS THE START OF A MUM BED.  It didn't do so well.  The Winter killed off our plants.  Only one scraggly plant survived which finally bloomed a garnet color a few days ago.  It went from tiny to a nice size plant.  

In late Summer, I purchased 2 large yellow mums from a Topeka Grocery Store for front porch urns which have stayed alive!  For a woman whose middle name is FERN, I do not have a GREEN THUMB.  They are doing nicely.  We have been dead heading them as the blooms fade giving the plant more energy to continue blooming.  They're almost like a bush in a container. Additional garnet colored mums were purchased a couple of months ago that have sat in front of the porch.  Recently 4 more mum plants were bought from a Topeka Hardware store for $5 each. Surprisedly large for this affordable price.  Two garnet and two purple.  Cooler colors for this AUTUMN SEASON.  I may have to get some rust colored ones to add splashes of a warmer color. Oranges and rust.           

Hubby planted them in the Mum Bed.  They look stunning in full bloom.  After the cold weather comes blowing in full force, the yellow mums will be planted in the mum bed as well.  The urns will hold PUMPKINS then when appropriate, small Christmas trees.  That's the PLAN.  MUMS the word.

💻INTERNET TIME.  I have been reading about thyroid health, vitamins and just things in general.  Always working at getting a heads up on things.  I try to stay away from political jargon on my blog, but I assure you I stay in the now about the Presidential RACE that will take place November 5th.  Somebody is planning a Civil war and it aint me.  Are THE PROUD BOYS standing at attention?  Probably.  Makes me uneasy.

Hitler lured people into a slumber with his speeches and you know where that went.  Did Hitler turn into a dictator?  Yes, and the rest is history.  It bothers me when I hear someone adores dictators and wants to be one for a day.  Please don't throw rocks at me.  It concerns me as an old lady what I see and hear.  You don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand the nature of human beings with behavioral issues.  Seeing through a facade that something fishy is going on and we're being played by a unholy cabal.  

You know when Jesus let it be known that the LOVE of money is the root of ALL EVILS, He wasn't kidding.  He meant it.  

PLANS FOR SOCIALIZING some this week at a Ladies Luncheon.  It's been a while since I rubbed elbows at a LUNCHEON.  Looking forward to it.  Like minded people.

MEDICAL.  Received my test results back about TSH.  I was stumped as the numbers were excellent from ten days ago.  They went from 0.266 to 1.47 so quickly.  Right where it's healthy for me.  A beautiful place to be.  Shall see if I stay in this arena.  Will be checked again in a couple of weeks.  Shall see how it goes.  

GAWKING.  I'll go for a drive this week to gawk at people's yards and flowerbeds.  I'll get a feed from seeing the beauty.  How people decorate their porches sends a smile to my face.  As the leaves of trees are drying and twirling to the ground, it is AUTUMN.  I want to drink it all in before the trees go naked.  I know Winter isn't far behind.  The brrrrr factor kicks in.  

🎄CHRISTMAS.  I started imagining how to decorate for CHRISTMAS.  Going extremely simple.  I mean really simple.  The Nativity Scene will sit on top of the Living room antique walnut chest.  Green wreaths only with garnet colored ribbon bows will be hung on the two front doors. Hopefully we will have our TV room up and going to where the old buffet that sits in front of the Living room bay windows will be relocated to the TV room opening up the area in the Living room for a Christmas tree to sit.

This is where I will go incredibly SIMPLE decorating the tree.  Twinkle lights and garnet colored velvet ribbon bows will dangle.  Maybe an angel on top.  That's it.  This is the simplest tree I will have ever decorated in my adulthood.

FAUX GREENERY will be added to the tops of mirrors and pictures.  Bringing green to the indoors will resonate CHRISTMAS.  I'll have oil lamps sitting out to where I can light them in the evenings.  Oranges covered with cloves will make a centerpiece along with pinecones placed about the rooms.  

🕯White candles and greenery will make some appearances.  🎶CHRISTMAS MUSIC will be played throughout the December month.  Christmas cards filled out and mailed early on in the month.  Christmas gifts made simple by cards and cash except for the youngest member of the family.  A little baking done.  A Christmas meal prepared and hopefully some company.  

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JESUS.  Remembering as Jesus is truly the reason for the season.  Having a godly Holiday.

Colorful mums, smiling as I tour the neighborhoods and thoughts of Christmas.  Be it ever so humble, there's no place like HOME.

~d

SEEING COMO RED

FOR MY JULY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

LAST YEAR

I was blessed with this galvanized tub 

which we used for icing down sodas 

when we had company.

The tub fixture remained in the KITCHEN through out the year collecting bags of potato chips, potatoes and just a little of this 'n that.  Instead of putting it in storage and not using it very often, 

I thought it would make a cute planter.  

We moved it outside to the KITCHEN PORCH.

I wanted to be the one to drill holes in the tub for drainage. 

Asked HUSBAND if he would show me how to use his handheld power drill.  He did and I felt powerful using it.  4 holes later, I wiped the tub out and we dumped nutritious potting soil in.  Placed the mum in and patted her down.  Watered and admired the lovely BELGIAN MUM in the tub.

Two other MUMS will be planted in the large round containers that sit on the patio.  

All the same color called COMO RED.

~BEFORE~

~AFTER~

Glad we did this simple little chore.

Makes me HAPPY.

We should get hours of pleasure when looking at the flowers in tub. 

AUTUMN is in about 43 days starting on September 22nd.

Pumpkins will join the encore soon.

Temps need to cool off 

and the evening shade start earlier.

Thinking about wreaths for the front doors.

Autumn colors.

Blessings to you,

d

SUNDAY SERMONETTE: Thou Shalt Not Dilly-Dally

SUNDAY IS HERE.  Hopefully a day of rest.  No church service today for me.  On line is available.  So are a multitude of programs that can be watched anytime of the day or night.  This is one element that is really nice about the internet and having a home computer.  Still can listen to a recording, listen to the radio or watch the tele, but the internet can far reach for me.  

Some places of worship are returning to gathering together as a body.  Outdoor services are a plenty.  Tents available much like the tent meetings of old.  When indoors, there is concern of sitting too close to one another.  

Our neighboring community ignored social distancing during Fair Time.  I was surprised they had their Fair this year.  Word is out the virus struck and today the sheeple are ill.  Developing into what is called community spread.  

It will get worse before it gets better.  Numbers are climbing.  When living in small communities when the word gets out that there is community spread, you usually know the people it has made ill so you know the stats are true and not made up.   

If people choose to ignore the warnings they may get ill.  Not until it happens to them will they believe?  You know that saying you can lead a horse to water but you cannot force them to drink. It applies to humans as well.  Sometimes humans are more like donkeys.  Stubborn and mule headed.  Some will not heed the warnings and they do not take cover to protect themselves which leads to not so nice consequences.
      

                                                                    Proverbs 22:3 KJV

A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: 

but the simple pass on, and are punished.

In HOPES of a Blue Ribbon is not worth getting sick over.

Getting ready for the week to come.  Stepping outside one is quickly engulfed by humidity and heat.  It feels more like HOUSTON HEAT than Kansas weather.  I remember when I did live in Houston that some Summer months it was as hot at 3 in the morning as it were 3 in the afternoon.  During the Summer months, there was no cooling off during the evening and early hours of the day.  This was hot.  

I missed how Kansas cooled off during the night and it was bliss to open the windows or have electric fans suck the cooler air into the house to cool things off.   Bliss.

Standing on the Kitchen porch today is like entering a sauna.  No breeze.  Stuffy and difficult to breathe.  Back inside, the fans are running helping to circulate air which helps keep the body comfortable.

The Weatherman is predicting RAIN on Monday.  Welcomed rain.  This Summer has had it's fair share of rainstorms.  A wonderful phenomenon to have on the Prairie.  The scent of Kansas rain is sometimes unique having a pleasant aroma to breathe in.  Refreshing.

This past week I went inside Walmart to buy bluejeans.  Having much on clearance, I quickly shopped and did not dilly-dally.  It's been a while since I had been in the Walmart store.  Months.  One of the main door entrances were locked as to encourage shoppers to all enter on the other side of the store.  When at that entrance, security was monitoring shoppers to enter through one door as those exiting came out of the same entrance just a different door.

I saw no rioting or protesters.  

Inside on the floor were decals of traffic flow arrows pointing the way to go.  When I did get to the blue jean section, the dressing rooms were off limits due to COVID.  I purchased two pair of jeans and will use my home as the fitting room.  If needed I can return items which means an additional visit.    

Shopping for about 30 minutes was too long.  Twas hot inside with no air moving.  The inside of the car was a retreat for an old woman like me.  Mask off and air on.  The drive HOME couldn't have come quick enough.

The rest of AUGUST will have a concentrated effort to dust the inside of each room of our HOME.  The Kansas dust is everywhere causing frequent dustings.  Making headway on filing paperwork.  I pray that I can get to the bottom of this burdensome task.  Inching along on the new TV room.  Bills taken care of.  Hubby continues to work at rebuilding the screened in porch as it was falling a part.  Will plant some Mums.

    
We'll drill some holes in this galvanized tub, adding healthy soil to plant mums in.  Autumn is just around the corner and MUMS add some FALL CHARM when decorating.

We purchased some mums and they are about to open up with flowers.

This week the laundry will get attention.  The rooms tidied.  Time to think and meditate.  Some do not need QUIET TIME.  I crave it.

QUIET MOMENTS in the Dining room....

God bless and all the best,

d      

Mums The Word

Mums are a favorite Autumn flowering plant to me.  Instead of orange or rust color, purple popped out at me this year. 

I seem to like purple mums. 

The round containers made a come back for the front porch.
Though I was glad to get new urns this past spring....I missed my jumbo round containers
that I have used for uuuummmmmm like 10 years.  They've been a hardy container. 

Lil Miss helped her Grandpa plant the mums.

 

~MUMS THE WORD~

Nursing a cold with a hacking cough.  There's that annoying tickle in the throat.  Can't seem to not cough.  Will take some daytime cold meds and some good old-fashioned HONEY.  See if that helps.  Chewable Vitamin C's are a must.  It seems that the colds I have hang around for 10 days.  Day 7 just starting.  Hate colds.  This week marks my 38th Wedding Anniversary.  38.  What a great number.  Praying that God blesses my marriage and my Husband.  Hubby is doing very well from recovering from bat bite and taking a series of rabie shots.  Lil Miss is attending school and I am having some quiet time in the mornings where I can read my devotions before tending to daytime chores.  Needing to clean the house before company arrives for the week-end.  Labor Day will be rolling in with some much needed rain.  May you have a blessed and pleasant Holiday.  Wishing you all a very special day, full of energy and refreshing moments.  God bless us.  May we be praying for our country and for a refreshing revival to fall on a thirsty and dry land and people that don't know the benefits of personally knowing God. 
~d~