I've decided that I'd like to paint our entry/mudroom red...I've been to and fro-ing, back and forth-ing on this subject for the past 3 years...basically since we moved into this house. But it has to be the absolute right color red....and THAT'S the dilemma...

Sometimes it's just a matter of light and shadows....so will it look too dark...now that it's pitch black at 4:30 in the afternoon? Hmmm...

Are you seeing red now?!! So HOW does one ever decide...?? There are way too many reds!

While I deliberate some more...jump on over to Green Pioneer for the Intro to our new series!

This morning we heard such a loud chorus and honking going on...as the largest flock of Canadian Geese we've seen yet were circling around overhead. I wish that I had gotten it on video...just so that you could hear them. You can't imagine how loud they are! We live near a lake where the geese gather...before they take off for their long trek south.
Oh! This is a sign winter is definitely on its way!

Three stragglers...but we could hear each one of their calls!
They're so lovely...

Bye Bye Geese! See you next Spring!

My enormous TREAT today was to be swooped up by Jennifer and Susan (Jen's mom) and carried down to the Booth Bay area for more fun treats of pumpkin lattes, cherry cinnamon coffee cakes...and of course lots and lots of eye candy! That's right...it was another one of our special girly days and did we ever cover some fantastic and always idyllic Maine territory! And please, don't even ask me where all we went because I completely lost track! All I know is that it was picturesquely unpretentiously Maine perfect! Say that 10 times fast!

This is where we ate lunch...or at least where they ate lunch...I just went straight for dessert with a most generous portion of coffee cake packed full of huge fresh cherries. I loved this little deli called "Treats" with its exposed brick walls, oversized baskets, rustic furniture, colorful pottery, delectable local cheeses in every size, shape, and form....among numerous other scrumptious items too lengthy to mention.

A couple of doors down was this quaint little florist shop where I greatly admired  the red speckled stool and perched pumpkin atop...and all of the berries upon bunches of berries...along with that prickly little porky-pine in the window....is he a cute little fella or what...??

A ways down the street on the other side was Rock Paper Scissors and their cornucopia of colorful cards and everything craft and paper goods...

As well as Smitten that provided an eclectic array of modern country Maine....if you can imagine such a thing! I know it's a bit of a stretch so you'll simply have to see it for yourself!

The final stop was at Alewives that is the fabric store to beat all fabric stores. I could just sit in this shop and imbibe its interior for hours! Their front porch alone kept my camera buzzing (as you'll see!) and it's all nestled amongst wonderful rambling farmhouses on a coastal inlet. By the way, Alewives (ALL-wives) is named after a fish indigenous to this area. They are, in fact, building up some fish ladders beautifully done out of stone for the purposes of these fish. Unfortunately I don't know all the details...but don't worry...we will definitely be back!

UPDATE by Jen:
Stopped in Woolwich first at Ed's stuff, then onto Wiscassett (ate at Treats) visited Rock Paper Scissors and Smitten and that other wonderful place (can't remember the name!)  Damariscotta was next (North Cottage Coffee, I think), and then I think Alewives is technically in Nobleboro... wait a minute...Alewives is in Damariscotta Mills!
It WAS fun!!

So that's where we went! Whew!

And yes, this is me (below) grinning from ear to ear having just personally caressed Amy Butler fabrics up close and personally, grabbed a free pattern for a darling grocery tote, and surveyed gorgeously handmade quilts, aprons, woven rugs, floor cloths as well as numerous cutely contrived children's outfits. And last but certainly not least, I viewed the pages of Anna Maria's pristine new book hot off the press...Seams To Me...Amy Butler's book for little ones...and Purl Bee's most recent publication, Patchwork + Quilted Gifts, all of which I must have in some future sewing room or bookshelf! By the way, while you're over on Purl Bee you've got to check this out! Thanks so much, Jen and Susan...you're the greatest!

It's that time of the year once again....my birthday (that I determined to quit counting several years ago) rolled along inevitably yesterday. And, as usual, my sweet, darling family made it very special for me. My husband had bought some old-fashioned shingle making tools off e-bay (that's a whole other topic unto itself) and it turned out that the person he bought them from was in Ellsworth...not too far from here...along the coast on Hwy 1...which also happens to be a beautiful drive!

We went through Bucksport and over their newly constructed bridge. And, yes, you can even climb up to the top of the tower and take in an incredible view....that I can only imagine how incredible it is since we didn't actually go up there this time.

But we did go over the bridge...which the children thought was a great thrill anyway! Bucksport is actually an innovative little town on this big river. It has a huge paper plant and the local residents are assertively looking into fully creating and providing their own energy for the entire town...exclusively from this river. Pretty neat, huh! I just love little towns with big ideas!

And talk about BIG ideas...or at least BIG on chickens...on the way back we stopped in at the Chicken Barn that our friends have raved about and we had yet to discover for ourselves. As you can see this place was an old chicken barn...and is also absolutely massive!

The above photo is one half...and the other half is in the bottom photo. Can we spell B-I-G...??!! The first floor is crammed full of antiques and collectibles of every variety imaginable...and the upstairs is stocked to the rafters with used and rare books, magazines, posters, you name it. If it's used and printed on paper, it's bound to be in this place!

We were a little late getting back home but I did breeze in for my final sewing class that I signed up for this Fall. We loved it so much that we begged our instructor to teach another session in January...and she has sweetly consented! So my wonderfully delicious sewing days are not over for good! Yay!

Daddy and the kiddos picked me up after my class then we proceeded to dive into the most decadent of chocolate chocolate cakes that my children could manage to scrounge up for me! What are birthdays for after all...??

The drawing above is my 9 yo daughter's rendition of what she thought 'Voting Day' would be like. Our kids even thought (or were hoping) that the candidates...especially the one we were voting for...would be there in person...cheering us on! Or us cheering him on! Or everyone just cheering in general! Wouldn't that be cool?

This year we voted for a write-in candidate for the first time...and I have to say, it made the whole process so much more interesting and...what word am I looking for?...sobering? significant?...for us. We voted with our conscience more than we ever have before...and that was a good feeling. It's not that we haven't ever felt enthusiastic for a particular candidate before, but over the past decade or so, I have to admit, we've become fairly apathetic overall. Our children were far from apathetic, though, so we explained to them that we couldn't really expect this candidate to win, but that's also not really the point. What this election brought home to us this year was that we have an example to set for our children. We also felt more than ever that we have been given an extraordinary privilege in this country to protect and uphold a set of extraordinary documents - one in particular being the Constitution of These United States of America...that our Forefathers drafted and then defended with their blood, sweat, and tears....along with subsequent generations.

Lo and behold, we were actually given the privilege to vote this time around for a candidate that articulated and upheld our position on many issues that we hold dear...including the sanctity of life and our inalienable rights as spelled out by our Constitution and The Bill of Rights. We may not have that privilege again, so we acted on it in this election. Therefore, we supported Chuck Baldwin of the Constitution Party. We are indeed 'One Nation Under God' and we have come to the realization in our family and through this election that a person's vote...done legally and in order....can never be considered 'a wasted vote.'

"Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost."
-- John Quincy Adams

I simply love late Sunday afternoons and the long shadows out my bedroom window...waning sunlight...I think that's my favorite....

 

I'm just so blessed to have waning light through my windows with a sweet oasis to soak them up in...that's what I was thinking this lazy afternoon...while folding the pile of laundry on my bed...

And this is my knitting bag overflowing with mellow colored yarns, needles of various shapes and sizes...and several U.F.O's (unfinished objects - as our sewing teacher refers to them...she's a hoot!)

We gained that precious hour back today that we'll lose again next Spring...which seems eons away....so it will now be dark by 4:30. Oh well, we'll be picking apples at dusky dusk. I can't say that I've ever in my life picked apples in the dark...but there's always a first time!

A final farewell to...

October's Bright Blue Weather

O suns and skies and clouds of June,
And flowers of June together,
Ye cannot rival for one hour
October's bright blue weather.

When loud the bumblebee makes haste,
Belated, thriftless vagrant,
And Golden Rod is dying fast,
And lanes with grapes are fragrant;

When Gentians roll their fringes tight,
To save them for the morning,
And chestnuts fall from satin burrs
Without a sound of warning,

When on the ground red apples lie
In piles like jewels shining,
And redder still on old stone walls
Are leaves of woodbine twining;

When all the lovely wayside things
Their white-winged seeds are sowing,
And in the fields, still green and fair,
Late aftermaths are growing;

When springs run low, and on the brooks,
In idle golden freighting,
Bright leaves sink noiseless in the hush
Of woods, for winter waiting;

When comrades seek sweet country haunts,
By twos and twos together,
And count like misers, hour by hour,
October's bright blue weather.

O suns and skies and flowers of June,
Count all your boasts together,
Love loveth best of all the year
October's bright blue weather.

Helen Hunt Jackson (1885)

Since we're on the "Frost is on the..." topic, I might as well include my own version with 'the frost is on the'...this time being the frost is on my sweater...hanging on the frosty clothesline...along with the frosty sheet and dress...that I forgot to bring in the night before!
 

We didn't end up getting the big storm and possible snow slush they were predicting, however, last night we did see teeny snow flakes coming down! And there was a faint dusting of snow out on our deck.

I'm not quite sure if I'm ready for winter or not, but I still get that tickly feeling in my tummy when I see the first snow flakes start to fall! Even if they are only teen-weeny flitting little flakes. I'm also hearing the faint strains of "Walkin' in a winter wonderland" dancing around somewhere in the back of my head!

They don't call us O'Gallagher for nuthin'...

When The Frost is on The Punkin

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock,
And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin' turkey-cock
And the clackin' of the guineys, and the cluckin' of the hens,
And the rooster's hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence;
O, it's then's the times a feller is a-feelin' at his best,
With the risin' sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,
As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

They's something kindo' harty-like about the atmusfere
When the heat of summer's over and the coolin' fall is here--Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossums on the trees,
And the mumble of the hummin'-birds and buzzin' of the bees;
But the air's so appetizin'; and the landscape through the haze
Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days
Is a pictur' that no painter has the colorin' to mock--
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

The husky, rusty russel of the rossels of the corn,
And the raspin' of the tangled leaves, as golden as the morn;
The stubble in the furries-kind' lonesome-like, but still
A-preachin' sermons to us of the barns they growed to fill;
The strawstack in the medder, and the reaper in the shed;
The hosses in theyr stalls below--the clover overhead!--O, it sets my hart a-clickin' like the tickin' of a clock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock!

Then your apples all is gethered, and the ones a feller keeps
Is poured around the celler-floor in red and yeller heaps;
And your cider-makin' 's over, and your wimmern-foks is through
I don't know how to tell it-but ef sich a thing could be
As the Angels wantin' boardin', and they'd call around on me--I'd want to 'commodate 'em-all the whole-indurin' flock--
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock!

By James Whitcomb Riley (1896)

Take a look at this adorable children's book, The Frost is on The Punkin by James Whitcomb Riley...illustrationed by Glenna Lang!

These paintings are by Swedish artist, Carl Larsson, and his book A Farm. Are they wonderful, or what..??

We're rushing off to Lewiston today....hopefully to beat the snow showers predicted for tomorrow and the next day. Snow showers!! Can you believe it...???? I can't!! It snowed the day after Thanksgiving last year and we thought that was early!

Needless to say, we're in motor-mode trying to get everything ready for the winter onslaught. I can truthfully say that we're more prepared than we were last year at this time....but that's not saying much! Hence, my lack of blogging recently. But we're making headway and I just loved that prepared, tidied-up, everything-snug-for-the-winter feeling. Click on Green Pioneer for more on the homestead and Winter Readiness!

So enjoy some more fall photos taken over at Susan's (Jennifer's mom) backyard last week. I'm so excited...I finally gave Jen and her mom a knitting lesson, so I have new knittin' buddies now! Yippee! The children were in sheer heaven raking up leaves, pouncing on, jumping in, and throwing mountains of leaves.

Also check out my son's new glider...made from the insulation scraps thrown in the basement over on our land. Daddy always comes through with the latest and greatest!