Harvest Days

It seems like fall signs are appearing everywhere ....cooler temperatures, shorter days, fall colors and LOTS of pumpkins. 

We attended the Savor the Central Coast event that is sponsored by Sunset magazine.  It is an amazing celebration of harvest.  Check out this great idea.

I was told that they go out to the pumpkins in August and carve the names into them.  The pumpkins then scar over and this is the result.  I think that I will be trying this technique next year.

This is another fabulous idea.  Talk about having your salad at your fingertips!!  I have a pallet of strawberries growing here, but mine is just sitting on the ground.  I may have to elevate mine. 

We've been watching little ones lately so there hasn't been much creative sewing going on here, but we have enjoyed the little ones.  Their visit included a trip to the pumpkin patch.

Taking the train to the pumpkin patch.

If my cow had that name, I might be a bit worried about riding in it too.

Even Grandpa fits!!!

The last few days we were in Atlanta for business.  While there we were able to spend a few hours at the incredible Oakland Cemetery.  It is as much a botanical experience as it is a cemetery.  I, unfortunately, forgot to bring my camera so these photos are from my camera.  I just have a couple of pictures, but this cemetery dates back to the mid 1850s.  Among the well known people buried there include Margaret Mitchell (author of Gone With the Wind) and Bobby Jones, the golfer.  The cemetery has sections which include soldiers from the Civil War - both Union and Confederates, buried separately.  As a sign of our history, the plots are also divided into the black section, the Jewish section and the pauper section.  Known for it's statuary, it was an amazing place to visit. 

Granite obelisk from stone obtained from Stone Mountain - the Mt. Rushmore of the South.  This was a tribute to the Civil War soldiers.

I think this fellow must have like trees to have his stone as a tree trunk.  Interesting!

I loved this flower, but I have no idea what it is.  It was just gorgeous.

I'm thinking something like this might be nice.  The cemetery was filled with different family ones.

We had our first measurable rain yesterday with some wild thunder and lightening to go along with it.  We even had a rainbow that arched right over our yard.

Pot of gold?????  Looks close.

Finally, the winner of my Leafs Me Happy Blog Hop was Barb of Mountain Quiltworks - selected by Random Number Generator.  Congratulations, Barb.

Randomness

Random thoughts and movements - that's all that is happening around here.  I feel like it is a constant game of catch up after a delightful month away from real life.  I am not complaining about it, but it is amazing how long it takes to get back to being "in the groove" of life.  Of course it would help if I didn't have to spend hours on the phone with customer support figuring out printer problems and figuring out why I have had nothing other than a blue screen on the television since we got home.  All is settled now and we are now able to watch more than DVDs!!!  Great news! 

Speaking of DVDs....is everyone out there enjoying Down*ton Abbey?  We are loving it.  Surprisingly, we only heard about it when we visited Ireland.  We have since caught up on Season One.  It is similar to Up*stairs, Downstairs, but a bit more modern.

I am hopelessly behind in my Civil War blocks.  I think I need to make five to catch up.  I am finishing my September Birdie Stitches block and it is almost time for November's to come out.  Sigh!!  But......I have been doing some sewing since returning.  Halloween is approaching and I have finished a couple of costume for the little ones.  This family consists of a flower and a watering can.  The parents will someday have to take the wrath for coming up with this idea.

A couple of mug rugs also made their way into my sewing machine.  I loved the witches undies fabric.

My quiet time stitching has been a cross stitch Christmas stocking.  I started it on our trip and have the backstitching left to do.  I love to see the features come alive with the backstitching. 



 While our British guests were here we did spend a lot of time in the studio.  The guys were golfing so the gals kept busy piecing and quilting.  We managed to complete four quilts (except for hand sewing the binding down), but somehow I only managed to photograph three of them.  We put them all in a Space*Saver bag, sucked all the air out and she managed to carry them on board with her. 

We took four little ones to the pumpkin patch this week.  It is an amazing place on a farm near us.  The children had as much fun as we did.



A pumpkin house!!!


We then picked up lunch and went to the park to eat, play and feed the ducks.  I hope they slept well for their parents afterwards.

This week while watering my pots I noticed two seed pods on my plumeria.  I have raised these for years and have never had even one seed pod.  Needless to say I was thrilled to see it.  This is a plant that was my father's so it is even more special to see it.

They look like little helicopter blades.

I wanted to share a couple of fun pictures from San Diego.  We were on the 25th floor and each morning the fog would roll in.  We loved looking down on it.

The morning we left - looking the opposite direction with the moon shining on the bay.

The last random photo is one I snapped after church last Sunday.  The children were fascinated by this dead snake that was in the parking lot.