Review of 2014 By Seasons - Autumn

Our last review of 2014.  Autumn is on the bottom of my list as favorite seasons.  It heralds the end to our fabulous summers and the start of the rainy season.  I love a good rainy day - but spring and summer are my absolute favorites.  Since we don't suffer with unbearable humidity that some do, and no bugs to speak of - I never wish summer to be over.  I want it to go on and on - like it did in 2014.  The best summer ever!

Now on to my remembrances of Autumn.

 Mullein blooms on the roadsides.  I once grew some in our yard and our oldest daughter and I picked the tiny blossoms off each morning to make ear oil.

 The garden spiders begin to make their Autumn webs

 And apples hang heavy on the trees

 Rain drips from leaves

 A plane trip gives a view of the leaves turning color

 Leaves drop and mingle with the waterfalls

 The perfect time of the year for a ride to Edison, just down the road - for lunch at our favorite little cafe from the 40s - and an old car going past.

The autumn colors are stunning around Bellingham, just a few miles south and the colors are not as vibrant.

 Ducks gather on the lakes

 Sheep and goats grow woolly coats for the coming cold weather

The harvest moon glows in the sky

 And on the sunny days the farmers get in their second and third haying for the year.

 Rainy days are good for indoor projects - like sorting and winding bobbins of embroidery floss.  In the top left you see the pile of floss - and the others show the bobbins of floss sorted by color.  This photo is for you, Julee and Lynn.

 Time slips back an hour - bringing earlier evenings

The perfect time for tea and scones, using the vintage Sears Cattail dishes

 Canada Geese settle in for their winter stay on the nearby lakes and ponds

  And  farmers load up their trucks and sell pumpkins for kids, young and old

Wild blackberries ripen, ready for the picking - pies, cobblers and jam are on the menu now

The eagles return from their summer nests - waiting for the fish to spawn in the rivers. 

 Clouds move in and remind us the old weather adage - "If a man leads his sheep to water, can rain be far behind?" 

 The moon peeks through the trees and clouds - it is almost Halloween. 

And the Sisters Mountains get their first dusting of snow - signalling the end of Autumn. 

And Then There Was Christmas Brunch

Instead of a big christmas dinner we have a christmas brunch.  Our daughters and their families have their own time at home in the morning, opening gifts and enjoying time together.  Then we all gather at our house around 1 p.m. for brunch and opening more gifts.  Brunch is nice because we can nibble all day long, whenever we feel hungry.  And it makes the day much simpler - more time to spend with family.

 I start with my favorite Pine Cone Tablecloth.  I found this at a consignment shop in California many years ago.  I liked it so much that  I copied the pattern and made one for each of my cousins in Oregon, Linda and Cat.

 The handwork was excellent and the linen fabric in perfect condition.

 Next the flatware - I picked my Bakelite knives and forks, collected over the years from thrift and consignment shops, often for as little as a nickle each.

 The Pine Cone Salt and Pepper shakers were a gift from my dear friend Franni, we miss her so much and think of her often during the holidays.

 For the centerpiece I picked a tiny little christmas train and thought about using my child size tea set with pine cones - a gift to myself when I started a new job.

 Added in a loon - but it just wasn't right

 I love the tiny tea set - but we needed something else.

Two candle lanterns, along with the tiny train and the glass Loon - that should do it.

 The metal candle lanterns are from a friend's yard sale

 The glass loon, a gift from my son-in-law

The pine cone dishes are one of my favorites.

 Napkins are red and green cotton napkins that I fringed - and knife and fork napkin rings

 Trying out different arrangements - I think I have it now

 Don is pouring juice in our Twelve Days of Christmas glasses - also bought at Woolworth Dime Store years ago.  The cheese ring in the foreground is customary - made by our son-in-law for every family dinner.  We call it his "World Famous Cheese Ball".  He makes it in different shapes for different holidays.

 One daughter brought a frozen grape and pomegranate salad - delicious!

 The perfect compliment for our other daughter's breakfast casserole

You can see a little more of the Twelve Days of Christmas glasses

 We baked the ham early christmas day

A wonderful time was had by all !

Christmas Eve - A Little Late

Our Christmas Eve Buffet is always a fun event.  Don plans it and does the cooking.  He chooses the table setting I will set up.

This year we served cheese and crackers, snacks and soups.

 The table is set using my green and red plaid tablecloth - and we always use the Holly dishes that I've collected over the years.  The first piece of Holly was purchases in West Bend, Wisconsin in the late 60s, when it was a brand new product.  Now these Holly dishes are considered antiques.

 The train centerpiece is one I painted at our weekly ceramics group in California.  The three cars are candy dishes and always carry a cargo of M&Ms.  Our kids and grandsons can't wait for the cargo to be uploaded each year.

 The holly glasses were purchased at Woolworth Dime Store in the 80s - all the Woolworths that we ever shopped at are now closed.  I loved that store.

 The soup bar included Macaroni and Cheese soup, Bratwurst Vegetable Soup and Corn Chowder

 Toppings for the soups - croutons, shredded cheese, bacon and green onions

It was a wonderful evening - full of fun and good food - Allll Aboooooard!