scary

Beware: DO NOT go down your basement on All Hallow's Eve!

treats

Trick or Treat!

Sweet treats for the gran-girlies tomorrow.

Better lose that spider first though...b

Friday corners

What's lurking in your corners this weekend?

Have a frighteningly fun Halloween...b

comfort food

My chicken soup begins with homemade egg noodles.

No fancy equipment required here...

 just my old pastry cloth and Grandma B's rolling pin.

 I love the red handles.

Throw in a rotisserie chicken and lots of fresh vegetables,

 or even some not so fresh that need to be used up, and simmer all afternoon.

It's comfort food for that first snowy day of the season.

While the soup was simmering I finished up these little dolly sweaters.

I wonder if dolly needs some soft flannel pajamas?   b

Snow?

This is what we woke up to this morning...

Snow and wind! I love being tucked in on a blustery day...

The second dolly sweater is on my needles and should be finished today.

Birdie enjoys watching the snow, blowing leaves

 and our resident squirrel foraging for winter food.

Pearl just ignores the weather and takes a catnap on her favorite quilt while the snow comes down.

For me...a snowy day calls for tea and a pumpkin muffin.  b

The Beverly Scarecrows

We don't brake for too many things,

but this display on the side of the road

had us applying the brakes...

pretty cute huh?

It gets better...

are you smiling?

I think they're the "Beverly Scarecrows!"

I know...Wow!  b

Moonlighting

We got to spend some time with our daughter, her finance officer and friend Josh this weekend. We don't get to do this nearly enough.

   The South Dakota Black Hills were still showing a lot of golds this weekend while we were there. Every season in the hills is pretty.  After our work was done we enjoyed some great food and shopping together.

We followed this big beautiful harvest moon all the way home. Mr. B drove off the interstate last night for me to take my picture just as it went behind some clouds. Let me tell you, it's not easy photographing objects from the car...b

Friday reflections

I got to witness our little granddaughters

 at their dance class this week.

I have one word for them...

Exuberant! - bubbling over with joy, high spirits, enthusiasm...

Dear Sweet Granddaughters,

May you never lose your sparkling personalities,   love grandma b

pumpkin thoughts

What do you do with your fat pumpkin?

Do you display it indoors?

 or outside on the front step with corn shucks and mums?

Do you carve a scarey face on it for Halloween...

and roast the seeds for a snack?

Maybe you paint a sweet face on it?

Or do you save it for Thanksgiving pies?  b

dolly's

These chilly mornings got me to thinking

 about sweaters for our dolly's...

           And of course that second sock is once again on hold.

 Keeping dolly warm is much more important don't you think?

 I love working with variegated baby yarn...

so soft and sweet. Just like dolly.   b

Jack Frost

Jack Frost came last night!

And the frost was on my pumpkins this morning...

Cold nights and warm sunny days are perfect.

Mr. b did a little cleaning up around the yard yesterday. It's always amazing how quickly a season goes by.

Maybe I'll have to dig out my favorite flannel pants tonight?  b

muffins

   Took a few minutes this morning to experiment with a recipe for healthy carrot muffins. I'm always looking for something to take to work for breakfast. Who could be hungry at 7:30 in the morning? A perfect job would be rising at 8 a.m. to be at work by 9:30 a.m.

   The muffins turned out a little too sweet but are very good. If you're interested I got the recipe from the food network.
   It's another beautiful day here. Maybe we'll try to pick up some of those leaves out in our yard...if only for the fresh air.   b

puppies

 My day in the country turned into a continuation of fall cleaning. A day of cleaning is a poor substitute for enjoying the pheasant hunting opener here in South Dakota. I called it quits at noon and turned my attention to an unfinished knitting project and some movie watching. It's not easy knitting while trying to read the captions of a foreign movie!

   This little "wrap me up puppy" is so cute. What I thought was a little project turned into a lot of knitting, all those tiny pieces - legs, ears and tail!

                                      I think he looks like a little burrito.
    And now that I have him off my size 3 needles I'm going to knit the second sock of yet another unfinished project...b



Green Friday

   I saw this morning that Daisy Quilts blog is hosting colorful Friday and the color green today.
   I declared green off-limits years ago after seeing way too much of it in the 1970's - green shag carpets, olive green appliances and Mr. B's green army fatigues!
   But I do like the new softer greens of today and it seems to be slowly creeping it's way back into our home - kitchen walls, throw rugs, sheets...

Who doesn't think of frogs with the color green?

And of course there's the daughter's high school letter jacket...

I've been saving this Dreambaby yarn for little stocking hats...

I love this old Fire King Jadite bowl

Yesterday I threw this broccoli-cheese soup in the crockpot.

So easy and fast. It is delicious!

1 small onion, chopped

oil

20-oz. pkg. frozen broccoli

2 - 10 3/4-oz. cans cream of celery soup

10 3/4-oz. can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup grated American cheese

2 soup cans milk

1. Saute onion in oil in skillet until soft.

2. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.

3. Cover. Cook on Low 3-4 hours.

I didn't have time to saute onion so chopped up fine and threw in raw, worked fine. I also blended up half or so (after cooking) in the blender to chop up some of the broccoli.     b



crows

All of the blackbirds in our neighborhood

inspired me to feature scarecrows today.

Famous Ones...

an infamous one...

and a carload of notorious ones!

Pretty scary scarecrows huh?

Look for scarecrows part two tomorrow...b

bunnies

Most bunnies are cute!...

Dust bunnies are NOT!

and I've been seeing a lot of them in the corners lately?

   So today is the day I started tackling my fall house cleaning. I devised a plan, drew up a diagram and started in.

\

Goodbye dust bunnies. Hello sunshine... b

through the woods

Over the river and through the woods...

   Mr. B and I took advantage of the Columbus Day holiday to go exploring. After stopping for a picnic lunch of sub sandwiches we drove down some very pretty roads headed towards the Missouri river where we enjoyed our tail-gate lunch.
   Mr. B's job takes him into some remote rural areas checking on telephone cabinets. I know he enjoys the solitude as well as the scenery and wild life, particularly a rare eagle siting. He's always anxious to take me back to some of the beautiful spots he's been to.
   It was just another perfect fall day here in South Dakota.  b



bossy

Two-year old conversations...

pink boss: "I need this leaf pile picked up before the parents get home!"

blue girl: "But boss! I've measured this pile twice and it's a foot deep..."

Pink boss: "I don't care if it's this high, just get it done."

"Oh Man! maybe I'll join the union

so I don't have to work on holidays." 

"Yup, it's great being the boss..."     

Happy Birthday Brother!

What a cutie huh?

May your day be all about you

 doing what you love
doing best...   sis

Albert!

Opened up MSN bright and early this morning

to see this...

Hello Albert the Bull!

Always nice to be greeted by an old friend.

We lived in Audubon, Iowa for a number of years and loved living there. Friendly people, good school... it's a beautiful town. It reflects the pride it's residents take in everything they do. We loved Iowa with it's rolling hills of corn field after corn field.

 But we had to go where the job was.

We miss you Audubon...b

Here's to your health

Don't you know?

Remember your mother told you hundreds of times?

Yup, you guessed it.

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away."

And it's apple season. Is it no wonder we love fall so much?

And if you don't care about the doctor so much, go ahead and add some warm caramel over the top of your apple.

I'm going to...b

Autumn Splendor

Been waiting and waiting,

and checking everyday...

And today is the day!

The mums on the south side of our house are open.

Oh, how I wish I had mums in every color surrounding everything this time of year...

But I'll settle for a few of these in a vase for now.   b

weekend fun

Highlights from a fun weekend...

Grandchildren bless their grandparents with a youthful vitality and innocence that helps them stay young at heart forever. -Anonymous

weekends scream for pizza!

oh, and a good movie...

This is a great movie for dog lovers, and Richard Gere fans. It reminds us of a pets powerful attachment and devotion to their masters.

We took a country drive Sunday. I love living in the land of seasons and being able to witness the changes in our beautiful landscapes.

Throw in a little sewing and my weekend is complete.

Now you can understand why we need 5-day weekends and two-day work weeks...b