“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It Goes On.”
Robert Frost
Showing posts with label seasons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label seasons. Show all posts

Sunday, September 25, 2022

The Days of September


September is coming to a close, where did the time go?  But it sounds as though our October will be a lovely month, so I'm looking forward to it.  Our summer has been so hot and dry here I'll be enjoying the cooler weather. Here in our area we are still in a Severe Drought so my flowers and plants did not do well at all. The blooms were sparse and short lived. The image above is from a few years ago when we had ample rain.

The good news is that the winter is forecast to have plenty of snow, the bad there will also be plenty of extremely cold temperatures. 

Our yard has been a haven for the wildlife. We have had visits from many birds, rabbits, chipmunks, raccoons, and deer. Many of the wild areas have withered away and unfortunately most of the neighbors have nothing but grass and a few trees, so the wildlife has nothing to eat. They have been using our garden as an oasis! We put out shallow pans of water during the hottest and driest times and water our plants just enough to keep them going. The rabbits and deer have been eating our hosta plants more than anything else. We've never seen them this badly damaged. I don't blame the poor critters they are hungry and thirsty! Here are a couple of photos of the damage. It's never been this bad in all the 20 some years we've lived here.

Usually this flower bed is full of ferns, bloodroot, hostas and other wild plants. The bare stocks used to be covered with hosta leaves.


Another area where the small leaved hostas have been a favorite of the deer and rabbits. We've been watering when we can, but it is still extremely dry.

September was nice with:

Flowers, Cool Nights, Warm Days, Fresh Crisp Mornings...

 

source

 


 

Here's a beautiful image by children's book illustrator Elsa Beskow.

image source

 

Sorry I haven't posted much lately. We had many family activities going on and my attention was there for the last couple of months. I've also noticed that I really don't care for the new Blog Post Editor. They did away with the colored font options and it seems that the bar at the top is so large that I only have half a screen to edit and work on a post. Not good for someone who is visually challenged!

I really am becoming a little old lady! LOL!

Take care out there, until the next time. ~ Diane

 

Thursday, November 15, 2012

The Golden Almanac . . .

This is one of the cutest books ever! This wonderful book was written by Dorothy Bennett and illustrated by Masha. It was published in  1944 this is the second printing of the book (March 1946). It is in remarkable shape for it's age (66 years).  I listed it in my shop a while back and retook some of the pictures recently. I had to go back and verify the age of the book because I thought the art work looked so modern. In doing so, I decided this book was worthy of a post.

Dorothy Bennett lived and traveled throughout the United States her entire life. At one time she was the Assistant Curator at the American Museum of Natural History. This explains the expert detailing in her explanations and stories within the book. I found it interesting that she had a Minnesota connection, in the bio below I see that she received her Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of MN in 1930.

Dorothy Agnes Bennett (1909 -1999), anthropologist, archeologist, astronomer, editor, teacher. Interviewed in 1994by Fauno Cordes. One audiotape and transcript (copyright Society of Women Geographers). BA, University of Minnesota, 1930. Diploma from the Institute of Archaeology in London. Bennett was the senior anthropologist with the Museum of Anthropology, University of California. Director of Epoch at Berkeley. Organized a Junior Astronomy Club at the American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York. Published the first Star Explorer, a revolving chart displaying more than 500 visible stars. Edited the Golden Books series for children, including the Golden Almanac (1944) and the Golden Nature Guide Books (1950). Astronomy took her to Peru and various locations in the Pacific. Member of the American Astronomy Association, American Archaeological Association, American Mentor Association, honorary member of the Geological Society of Peru, and a Fellow of the American Geological Society. Joined SWG in 1945.*



Masha illustrates the nativity scene for Christmas.
Masha was a mystery illustrator of children's books back in the ’40s.  There is little information about her other than her real name, (Maria Simchow Stern) and that she illustrated the very first Little Golden Book, Three Little Kittens in 1942.  The book jacket gives a little more information about her. Masha's Russian name came from Russian parents, but she was born in the U.S.A. She also illustrated the book Merry Christmas under the name of Natasha Simkhovitch.

The book was obviously cared for very well because it is in very good to excellent condition. It even has it's dust jacket. The author Dorothy Bennett uses the book to guide children through the months and seasons. It contains all sorts of interesting facts and tidbits along the way. The book also includes songs, games and stories.



"From snowflakes to maypoles, from rainbows to baby bears.. The Golden Almanac describes and explains what happens in the world of nature throughout the seasons. It is full of squirrels and scarecrows,maypoles and tadpoles, holidays and famous birthdays."
                       


In the picture above you see an illustration of President Abraham Lincoln on the left and rhymes that accompany the illustrated months on the right. The verse for November and December are apt.

"Dull November brings the blast,
Then the leaves are whirling fast."

"Chill December brings the sleet,
Blazing fire and Christmas treat."


Colorful and fun illustrations.

Meteors, comets, and shooting stars are explained....



As well as the fantasy life of a hedgehog named Spiky.


Halloween by Masha

The holidays are all delightfully illustrated as in the Halloween scene above  and the Christmas skating scene below.


The simple and colorful way she illustrated these books definitely stands the test of time. The action in the illustration above has such life and depth to it. The images draw me in to take a closer look and once there, I get the pleasure of traveling off to a magical place, if only for a moment. 


If you would like the magic to continue, this book is available for sale in my Etsy shop CraveCute. 

              Did I mention I'm shipping to Canada now too?

Have a great weekend!


*notes - taken from the dust jacket of The Golden Almanac
              biography of Dorothy Bennett from  SWG.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Learning About Cute Animals....

Remember when you were a little kid and they would have story time at the school or library.  Do you remember that the books sometimes were huge and they had large illustrations to get your attention? As you progressed in school, the illustrations got smaller and there were less of them.  One day you picked up a book and there were no illustrations at all.  What a shame!

This fantastic book proves that by combining nature, science and art you can provide an exciting teaching opportunity for everyone, even adults!  The book I am featuring today is by the author and artist Margaret Waring Buck. The book is titled Animals Through the Year, published by Rand McNally, 1941.



Margaret Waring Buck was born in New York in 1905, she lived most of her life in Mystic, Connecticut, until her death in 1997.  She was an illustrator and naturalist who produced several self-illustrated books about animals life in the wild. Her books included both black and white drawings and stunning colored images depicting animals amongst their native settings.



 









Her art shows a somewhat "humanized" version of animals interacting with each other.  I happen to adore this type of art and love how she portrays the fox mother above.  Do I see a bit of a smile on her face? The baby fox (kits) are patiently and cutely waiting for their dinner. Buck was careful about the details in her art and depicted the plants, insects and animals in their appropriate settings. 



She supplied informative but uncomplicated text just right for a young naturalist beginning to learn about the subject.  The background information for this particular book was gleaned from the Chicago Academy of Sciences and from exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.






"Animals know about the Seasons---
The seasons of the year are just as important to animals as they are to us.  Animals know that winter will be  followed by spring.  They know that in summer there is plenty of food.  When autumn comes, they know that winter is on the way and they know what they must do to get ready for it.  Animals Through The Year will tell you how twenty of the most common animals of North America live during the four seasons......" 
                                               Margaret Waring Buck


This wonderful book is available at CraveCute on Etsy.


Thursday, January 5, 2012

A Splendid Sunrise


A splendid sunrise to start the day. These colors only lasted about 
fifteen minutes and then they were gone.





Saturday, December 31, 2011

A New Year Greeting...



 
Nature gives to every time and season some beauties of its own; and from morning to night, as from cradle to the grave, is but a succession of changes so gentle and easy that we can scarcely mark their progress.
       Charles Dickens (1812-1870)






Monday, November 14, 2011

Fall Into Winter....

I have a Pinterest board by the name Fall into Winter. I pin both autumn, winter and that in-between- season, photos there. In many parts of the country, we are in just that time period, so I thought I would share some of my favorites from that board. Enjoy some of these lovely photos and cherish the beauty of this in-between-season.


                                                                                

                                                 Winter is Coming ...





                                                                                                            
      Autumn At End…










Apple & Snow












                                                                                                                       

                                                    Autumn is here Winter is Coming…



autumn snow 2



                                                                                                                 
                                                             

                                                                                     
                                                          
                                       Fall into Winter Clothing

time for a scarf!
                                                                                                                    

Warm bird


                                       Saying Goodbye to Autumn and Hello to, well you know....


Want to see more.... check out my pinboard below.



Saturday, October 22, 2011

Do You Believe in Magic?....


So, do you believe in Magic? 
 I believe there are all kinds of magical things in this world and not just at Halloween. Today I am sharing some of my mystical, magical pins from Pinterest and a great song too! Feel free to sing along! Just remember to click the pause button on the player on the right side of your screen so you can listen to The Lovin' Spoonful.




               Do You Believe in Magic by The Lovin' Spoonful.









Due to changes on Pinterest, please visit my pinboard below for more images. Thank you ~~ Diane

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

What I Love Today...

I am loving a couple of things today. First off, the fabulous weather we are having. I do wish we would get a bit of rain though, as it is awfully dry here. That doesn't stop me from thinking how lucky we are to get this bonus week of loveliness!

The beautiful weather has brought us some delicious apples and my first apple pie of the season. I am trying to shop locally and prepare food as it comes into season. Now we are enjoying the abundant harvest of our many orchards in Minnesota. It is officially apple season here and to kick it off, I am starting with a Mile High Apple Pie. I did not inherit my mother's perfect pie crust making skills, so I use Pappy's Pie Crust Dough. I have included a link under the recipe if you would like to check out their site. I highly recommend their dough, it is better than any other I have tried.




Mile High Apple Pie
INGREDIENTS:
Pappy's Pie Crust Dough for 2 layers (I use three rounds, split the third round and add the extra to each of the other two rounds.)
3 pounds tart apples
1 C sugar

3 TBSP flour
dash of salt

2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 TBSP butter


PREPARATION:
Preheat your oven to 400°. Place a pizza pan or cookie sheet in the oven to catch any drips.
Pare apples and slice thin. Mix sugar, flour, salt, spices and apple slices. If apples are not tart, add 1 TBSP lemon juice. Place bottom crust in 9" pie pan, put apples in and press them down slightly, dot with butter. Place top pie crust layer on top and crimp edges. Prick with a knife in several places on top of crust for steam vents. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to
350° and bake for another 30 to 40 minutes or until apples are tender.

Adapted from Pappy's Old Fashioned Apple Pie recipe. 




McIntosh & Honeycrisp Apples and Pappy's Dough


Apples Piled High




Edges Crimped and Pie Bird Added

 There should be another picture here of the pie just out of the oven. Somehow I forgot and almost didn't get this picture of the pie before my family and guests ate it all!

Vanilla Ice Cream on the Side



















Happy Wednesday Everyone! I am linking with... The Charm of Home   and

lollipops

Monday, October 3, 2011

Glorious October


Taken from my back yard, I added Kim Klassen's Autumn Burst texture  to the photo.



Hello October,
We love you! Beautiful sunny days, cool crisp nights. That is what we have in store for us for at least the next week. We are having a warm spell here in southern Minnesota. The highs will be in the 80's and the lows in the 50's. It seems that summer continues, until you look at the trees.

Almost overnight they have turned into warm yellows, fiery orange and red, with just enough green around to really make the other colors stand out. Most of the oaks are starting to turn a warm brown color and some leaves are already falling. We will enjoy this lovely gift from mother nature!






















I ran across this quote the other day, I think it sums up my feelings pretty well.

Autumn truly is what summer pretends to be:     
The Best of all Seasons.
 ...George Eliot




Wednesday, May 4, 2011

One Lovely Blog Award




Thank you Val for passing on the One Lovely Blog Award to me. I am very pleased that you thought of my little blog.  Val has a Lovely Blog too, ValValVoom. Once awarded I am to share 7 wonderful things about me, and then pass on the award to 15 more lucky bloggers. So here goes.


1. I'm a romantic at heart and love the PBS movies like "Sense & Sensibility" or anything by Jane Austen.


2 .My favorite animals are cats but I love all animals. I am fortunate to live on a small lake and we are visited almost daily by ducks, geese, squirrels, assorted song birds, and rabbits. I have been lucky enough to see the following animals at least once since living here, red fox, coyote, mink, ground hog, turkey, and the most exciting - the bald eagle. Fabulous!


3. My favorite musicians  are Best Coast, Callers, Nina Persson, Dan Mangan, Kelli Scarr, Little & Ashley, The Love Language, Rosi Golan, Katie Herzig, Cafe Accordion Orchestra and many more.


4. I love to collect things and decorate and my style is a kind of English Cottage. I started decorating and rearranging my own room when I was six years old. My parents always wondered what I was doing in there! Then they would see the Christmas Tinsel Garland on the wall! My decorating has gotten much better!


5. My favorite colors are blue, pink and yellow. My least favorite color is orange, but I do love it in the autumn leaves, pumpkins or oranges! Just not in my house or garden!


6. I love my flower gardens and as you view my blog you will see many more of my favorite things as they come into bloom.


7. The changing seasons are something I look forward to every year. My husband and I lived in California for a few years and I dearly missed the winters. Now that I am older I really look forward to the nice winter get-aways to Florida!


I will be looking for the next 15 bloggers to pass on the award to and will be posting them here in a few days.