This and that... On Dec. 8th...

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Have you ever made Mincemeat Tarts?  I make Mincemeat Pie for my husband.  But would like to try Tarts, sometime...  They look so cute.

The weather report missed, for Fri. night.  They said we could get 1-3 inches of snow.  Nope.  Just a little.  And it's all gone, by (Sat.) afternoon.

My 2014 calendar came...  That was a good thing, today.

"It is good to be children some times, 
and never better than at Christmas."
~Charles Dickens~

But my husband's little toy train set, will not be up, this Season.  He has tried everything, and he can not get it to work.  Soooooooo....   Out it goes.  And he is kind of "bumbed out."  :-)  It was so cute.  Little "Grandson" next door, used to love watching it.  Etc.

But since it won't work...  And since we have to get the ding-dang-tree up, we have to "step back and punt."

Below...

NOT, NOT, NOT my house!!!

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This picture is from "Between Naps On The Porch" blog.  As my click-able Source link above, says.  

I posted it, because it is soooooo gorgeous.  Oh sigh.  Oh my.  Oh sigh.  :-))))

Of course, there are so many simply breath-taking interior photos on the Net, this Holiday Season.  :-)

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"...the French plums blushed in modest tartness..."

Susan Branch knows "WHIMSEY."  :-)  I took photos of pages, from my copy of her "Christmas From The Heart Of The Home."  Susan knows whimsey.  !!!!!!! 

And of course, everyone knows she is a very, very, very talented artist.  Not only with her art-itself, but with personally writing, all the copy in her books.

-happy sigh-

My husband is making me Gluten Free Stuffin'...

...to cook in the chicken, we got at the Healthy Living Store. 

He always stuffs our family dinner holiday turkeys, with his special stuffin'.  But since it uses regular bread crumbs, I can't eat it.  -moan-  Soooo, he is making me G/F Stuffin'!!!!!!!!!

And I will be making him, a Mincemeat Pie with my home made crust.  :-)))  Which he loves.

-chuckle-  Did you notice my "painted nails"???  ,-)  Rarely do I put nail polish on.  Once in a while, I get the urge.  Since I've never had a manicure in my life, when I do it, I am the one who has to do it.  And I am the one who has to remove it, when it gets chipped and messy.  -moan-

But last evening, I got out all my from-over-the-years bottles of nail polish.  Selected one named "Merlot" and added a thick coat of "SpArKleS" on top.  Obviously, my pic is all-messed-up, from cropping.  But...  That's what I did.  -grin-

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Excited... :-))))))

Above, is the Apple Pie I made for son-next-door-&-family, on Sat.

I'm so excited.  Found that I can pre-order a Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie for Thanksgiving!   

My next door daughter in law loves Pumpkin Pie, but she has to eat G/F, as I do.  I always make her a Pumpkin Pie, and she will just eat the filling.  Neither of us, can eat the old fashioned crust which I make, for my pies.

But this time, she can eat the whole thing!  And I will have something I can eat for dessert, on Thanksgiving too.

I'm used to just sitting by, while family has desserts and at Birthday Cake times.  But this will be nicer.  :-)

We went for an early dinner, on Sun., at the Olde Bryan Inn.

It is a restaurant with real ambiance.  In 1773 it began, as a crude log cabin on the bluff overlooking the High Rock Spring.

Down through the years, it has been improved and enlarged, and has been many "things."  A home, an inn, with a blacksmith shop nearby, a laundry, and again used as a home....  Before becoming the present Olde Bryan Inn.

We sat just across from this fireplace, one of 2 in this room alone.  Such a nice ambiance for a dark and rainy Sun. afternoon.

Here is a professional picture!  Doing it so much more "justice," than my little camera can, in the pics above.  :-)

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And speaking of dark and rainy Sun., it was amazing that it was this way, with the Full Beaver Moon last night.  Usually, the Full Moon seems to bring clear skies.  Phooie.  Not last night...

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Apple Pie!!! All for my husband!!! :-)

Made him, his Apple Pie.  He is a "Happy Camper."  :-)

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 Not long now, till "Over The River And Through The Woods..." time.

Yes, I'm rather rushing things.  But still, there are only about 3 more weeks, to have fun with Thanksgiving decorations.  :-)


(And don't you just love primitive paintings, like the one above?  
 They make you want to pop right into them...)

Steadily moving, farther into the year...

I try to *capture* pics of the little birds, scratching for seeds, out on the back patio.  They are precious to watch.  But I don't do so well, with photographing them.    

Another year's bitter sweet, out back.  I love this pic, so I am using it again.

Ahhh yes, it's baking time.  Actually today, I have to make my husband an Apple Pie.  All for himself.  ,-)  Next weekend, I'll make one, for son next door and family.  Then on Thanksgiving, I have to take one, over to other son's home....  For family Thanksgiving dinner.    

And the sad thing is, I hate making Apple Pies.  -moan-  They have to have my home made crust, and it's a wee bit of work.  :-)

This is another year's mantle...  Since I still have Halloween decorations up, and it's really time, to take them down, what to do next???  This Lady Pilgrim, carved by my husband, years ago, fits.  Now I have to find her and dust her off, for this year. 

Just another light-shadow.  When I notice something like this, I run for my camera.  :-)  'Cause they are interesting.  And it's always good, to have some random photos, to post.  

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Hunker down! November is upon us!

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"Now in November, the leaves spread a cloth of gold and red on the ground.  The open fields take on a cinnamon tone and the wild blackberry canes in the swamp are frosted purple.  The colors fade slowly to sober hues.  The rain falls with determination in long leaden lines, and when it stops, water drips from the eaves."

Gladys Taber

"The Best Of Stillmeadow"

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November can be a tricky month...  Nature is really settling down now, for a long winter's nap.  All of last Season, is being blown away, matting under foot, or completely harvested.  -sigh-

 Come the rains, the gray skies, the wind, the rather gloomy outlook.

 Sooooooooooooo, it's best to hunker down inside.  Make your own nest, as warm and cozy and comfy as you can.  Have a fire in the fireplace...  Lots of throws around, to put over one's knees, or wrap one's self in...  Some knitting beside your favorite chair...  Along with lovely books to pick up...  Pretty candles, warmly scented, if one's nose will allow scent in the home...

 Something baking in the oven....  Something bubbling on top of the stove...  Something slowly cooking, in the Crock Pot...

Warmth...  Comfort...  Coziness...  These we seek, when November rolls around.

Please share your own plans, for keeping the Nov. doldrums at bay...  :-)

"I am excessively fond of a cottage;

there is always so much comfort,

so much elegance about them."

~Jane Austin

Fire-pit... Goat products... Fasting BS...

Sunday evening, son and family (next door) had a fire in the fire-pit.

 Granddaughter's boyfriend was over.  Fun times.  "S'mores" were made, of course.  And just roasted marshmallows, too.

It's a beautiful-fun time of year.

Why am I not paying more attention to the now?

And less attention to the computer?

Trying to cut back on sugar.   I know... I need to go "cold turkey."  But wonder if I can????

My blood sugar numbers are fine...  According to the present medical info.

But a book (by a doctor) I'm reading, wants fasting blood sugar to be no higher than 88.........
 

 It seems as if, any cutback in sugar use, would have to be helpful...  Needless to say, this doc wants us to dump sugar, under all its different, sneaky names.

Yesterday, I ate some plain goat yogurt and felt so virtuous.  -grin-  All processed yogurt has "stuff" like forms of sugar, added to it.  Not this!!! 

Need the goat cheese/yogurt, etc., because I can tolerate that.  But my bod can't tolerate dairy, any more.

Less... More...

 

He wanted less...  I wanted more...

:-)

And we are out of "Juicing Stuff" again.

After about 25 doctor appointments today...  Ughhhh.

We have to get more organic fruits/veggies.

Juicing... And more Autumn, Autumn, Autumn...

Juicing again...  We did it.   We got away from doing it.  We are back to doing it.  Once during the day, like noon-ish...  If I don't juice veggies/fruits, I don't consume them.  And they are gooooood for us. 

 

Plop a couple of ice cubes in there and stir them up and sip them through straws.  :-)

 

On a sunny day, the nursery has such beautiful displays of Autumn flowers.  Vivid, vivid colors.  Just beeeeeautiful...

 

Inside the shop, they have lots and lots and lots of cute decoration things.  I just love, love, love this sign. 

 

Is this a vibrant display of red, red, red, red, red....?  Or what???????   :-))))))))))

Wow!  It's almost mind-blowing!  :-))))

 

More, more, more cute stuff for Autumn decorating.

 

Love this combination of colors...  Purples and pinks...  Why don't I remember to use this combo, in the Spring time???????   -sigh-

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