“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It Goes On.”
Robert Frost

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Halloween Tricks

The huge bowl of candy awaits the little goblins and ghosts that will appear at our door.  My hubby has already picked out his favorite candy and stashed them away for later. I have to admit a couple of pieces have already gone missing.... Guy??

I hope you all have a fun and mysterious Halloween!  You never know what might happen!







“In honor of October.....

Brew me a cup for a winter's night.

For the wind howls loud and the furies fight;

Spice it with love and stir it with care,

And I'll toast our bright eyes,

my sweetheart fair.” 
                                   ~~Minna Thomas Antrim






Monday, October 28, 2013

Black Cat Awareness

October is Black Cat Awareness Month. 
Black Cats are beautiful! 
Sharing a few photos of my very own black cat, Mr. Guy Noir!









Guy Noir, admiring the trees and sky.






Guy, rolling in the grass and playing with the leaves.






"Did I hear a squirrel?"










Capturing an oak leaf.






Feeling like the luckiest black cat in the world! I was so inspired,
I even wrote a poem!  I found some Louis Wain illustrations that go
with it perfectly!










Black Cat Dance

Black Cats Dancing
In the forest at night
Spinning in circles by
The warm firelight

Only in the misty evening
will you see them, whirling, weaving

Dancing cats all black as ink
twinkling stars above them wink
Mysterious, wondrous!
What do you think?

Black Cats dancing in a row
Tails all flying to and fro!
Watch them, watch them,
There they go!

Black cats prancing
 all around
Nothing else like
this is found
anytime but Hallows Eve...
Maybe now's the time to leave!

~~ CraveCute














Working on his pose for Halloween!




 

Dot, showing only her "Black Side"! Haha!


For more on Black Cat Awareness Day click here.


Please note, Guy was never off leash in any of the photos.  I edited out the red leash for a nicer photo.

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

One Last Gift from the Garden

My garden decided to give me a gift before going to sleep for the winter. 

It came from my lovely Hansa rose. At the very top of the bush on some new growth, a cluster of roses formed.  I noticed it last week and thought how pretty but lonely they looked up there.  After hearing the forecast for the weekend, I decided to cut the little cluster off of the mother plant.


I pampered them and babied them for a few days and photographed them from every angle so I would remember this October gift.  I wish I could have captured their scent too.















"With its leaves so rich and heavy with elation
and its crimson face made brighter with visions of divinity
the shadow of a certain rose looks just like an angel eating light."

Aberjhani, Visions of a Skylark Dressed in Black





The seasons are in a hurry to catch up and we have had below average temperatures all week.  I have hurriedly unpacked my sweaters and fleece in preparation for what is to come!  Tiny snow flakes have been flying around and landing on the backs of my black cats! Dot especially dislikes the cold weather.

My first pumpkin pies have come out of the oven this week and I have seen the Junco birds in the yard! These are all sure signs that Autumn is half-way over and Winter may be arriving early!

Stay warm my friends! ~~ Diane





Thursday, October 17, 2013

Decorate Your Home, You'll Feel Better

Decorating can be therapeutic, especially when the world around us seems to be going crazy. Putting away the summer themed items and pulling out some fall decor has me in a better mood, oh and there was also that averting financial meltdown and finally ending the government shutdown thing.







Anyway.... I would love to say that my Autumn/Halloween items are all vintage, but alas no. The only vintage piece is the Fenton carnival glass bowl which I inherited from my mother.  The other pieces are all relatively new.

Vintage Halloween is really getting expensive and even harder to find.  I've been seeing more and more "Vintage Style" items on the market and if you are just going for the look and not terribly interested in the collector value, then they are perfect for you.




These pieces are either very lightweight and inexpensive or very heavy and impossible to knock over.  Only important if you have one bad kitty by the name of Guy Noir! Said cat has been known to walk across the top of the piano now and then.  I have to say though, that he has only broken one bowl.  That incident happened last year when Guy was still a baby and it was my hubbies falt for putting the bowl in a really bad location.





We waited out the past couple of rainy days in the house decorating, cleaning, and decluttering. Guy especially likes to help with all of these activities!  Today is clearing off and I see some sun, so I think it is time to take Guy out for a walk in the fresh air.  He is very patiently waiting on the table for me to put on his harness.  He does have his good moments too!



Guy Noir... waiting to go outside.

Does anyone out there collect Vintage Halloween?

I'll be around to your blogs soon! 
Have a great weekend everyone! ~~ Diane



Linked with Common Ground: Be Inspired

Thursday, October 10, 2013

October Throws Herself Before My Feet

Yes, she does! All you have to do is gaze down at the ground and in most places you will see beautiful leaves twirling about in the breeze. Leaves of gold, crimson, purple, brown and even a few green.



Leaves in my back yard..... ash, maple and oak.


Today I'm sharing a few internet photos of glorious October and to go along with them, a song from a few years ago that is set in October and whose first line appears in my title today. I enjoy this unusual song by Irishmen Kevin May and Mick Lynch (Guggenheim Grotto) called "The Universe is Laughing". It is an acoustic song with ukelele accompaniment and some wonderful lyrics.


Fall Canopy



Here are a few of my favorite lines from the song.....
  
October throws herself before my feet
and the sky goes powder blue
holding her breath for me.....

And the galaxies, the galaxies are howling
The silent moon, a kick of pink and gold
and the whole damn universe is laughing
and all a boy can really do is watch a boy unfold...




pink moon















October moon






October Skies

Thank you for joining me today. 
I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
~~~Diane~~~

Click on the photos for the linked source.

Friday, October 4, 2013

An Autumn Poem

I was looking around today for a nice little Autumn poem and just couldn't find anything I really was in the mood for. I was checking my bookmarks and came across this goofy website poem generator that I had saved.  I have used it a few times just for fun, and decided today I would have it help me write a poem.




I  used the generated poem for inspiration in the poem I wrote below.  Sometimes it's fun just to play!


Autumn's Rosy Red Apples
I could stroll down this path forever
  overjoyed with a lovely orchard
  full of rosy red apples and orange pumpkins
  breathing in the blustery brisk air
  feeling the sunshine on this autumn afternoon
  what a gorgeous way to spend the day.

Look to the blue sky
  the leaves are falling like confetti on the grass
  orange and reds glimmer on the pond
  the reflections draw my eye down towards
  water as the leaves float to and fro
  isn't this enjoyable? Gorgeous!

I could stay here forever
  so if on a carefree whim you happen
  on an orchard on a warm and
  sweet Autumn day
  you may find somebody
  happy go-lucky adoring
  the rosy apples
  and it might just be me.
                      ~~CraveCute







My other inspiration for the poem was my trip to Jim's Apple Farm  a couple of weeks ago. I hope you have all been able to get out and enjoy some of this beautiful weather.  We are getting some blessed rain finally, but next week is predicted to be gorgeous again!  We are barely into Autumn and Winter is already nipping at our heels! We have snow in the states just west of us and I am NOT ready for that yet!















































Just follow the orange pumpkin-ed road to the end of the row and you have a great photo-op for your family! So cute!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! See you in blog-land! ~~ Diane


Linked with Common Ground


Wednesday, October 2, 2013

The Tale of a Wee Old Woman and Her Wee Cat


Minnesota has their "Grumpy Old Men", (filmed partially in Wabasha MN) and apparently Sweden had their Grumpy Old Women!

This has to be one of the more unusual children's books I've come across in a while. It is not exactly a warm and cuddly book by today's standards. Elsa Beskow (1874-1953), a Swedish author, wrote "The Tale of the Wee Little Old Woman" in 1897.  The book above was translated to English and published in 1958. Her book pages and whimsical paintings are often surrounded by decorative framework of the Art Nouveau style, as you see in this book.

This book is collectible because of its unusual theme and the lovely lithographed images. There are about ten pages and each image is blank on the back, so they are perfect for framing if someone would want to display it in such a way.

I thoroughly enjoyed her lively artwork and her depiction of the cranky, Wee Little Old Woman! I haven't given away all of the illustrations or the story though! If you would like this book for your very own it is available here. 

Below you may read the text on the images and then my version of what happened after the wee cat drove the poor wee old woman to distraction!










Buy the book Here at my Etsy Shop!





The wee little woman put a wee little bit of milk in a wee little bowl and set it on a little wee table...

Just then the wee little cat came in....




My version...
 And then the wee little old woman went a wee little crazy and chased the poor wee cat about with her wee little broom all the while hollering wee little bad names at him...


So the wee cat ran away to the woods and NEVER came back again, because it found a new and loving family on the other side of the woods!!


And the Wee Woman Lived Happily Every After... and so did the cat! The End.

I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this book!

Until next time.. ~~ Diane