A Little Bit of This and That...

 So sad when you come the day before the apple orchard is open...

Such a beautiful place. Don't worry, we'll be back.  It felt like fall most of last week.  This week summer will return, but I've got that Autumn feeling going already.

 Beautiful countryside.

 Sunday outing with my girls.  Love these burr oak acorns. I am thrilled by nature! 

We were at a festival celebrating the Monarch Butterfly called MonarchPalooza at the North Park Village Nature Center in Chicago.  So many fun activities for the kids, but sadly, Grandmothers had to push in among the children for her, I mean their fair share of the fun.

 There were plenty of butterflies that were tagged and released all day.

 I GOT TO PET A MONARCH CATERPILLAR!  I mean the children petted the caterpillars.  (Really I was thrilled to actually touch one, and so was daughter Kris.   Penny...not so much.)

 Have I mentioned how great it is to have my girls to hang out with? Thanks to Grandpa for driving.

This was a Monarch that was a wild catch (meaning it was caught at the nature center, not raised there) tagged and released.  

These tiny stickers help to track the butterfly's migration. It has all the info on where the butterfly was released with info so you can report on it's flight path.  Next year we will be trying to catch a Monarch to tag.  I had the best time and was able to send off Lila (that's what the kids named the released butterfly) with a prayer of Godspeed as it starts it migration to Mexico. So amazing!

Later, I snapped a photo of  the elusive fairy Tinkerbell...Yes, I do believe in fairies!  I bought this costume for $2 at the thrift. I washed it up, and it's our girl's new favorite.  I found the fairy wings and Mom found the sparkling shoes.  Penny flutters about and brings magic to this Grandma and Grandpa's lives. When we picked the girls up, I picked up Penny.  She grabbed my ears and said, "I just love those chubby earlobes!"

Oh to be loved for chubby earlobes!  :Love, pure love.

I also had the best thrifting score EVER on 50% off everything, if you bring a friend day.  More about that another time. The official last week of summer.  Go out there and flutter.

Thanks so much for stopping by and for your kind comments.  Enjoy this beautiful day.

And the seasons they go round and round...

I have 5 years of photos on my computer, and I can pick a day and see what I photographed five years ago to the day.  It's amazing that a morning glory shows up today, almost every year.

Then the hosta in bloom.  Every year.

We can't return we can only look behind
from where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game.
Joni Mitchell

Bet I wrote this before too!  All my life's a circle, and that my friends, is another song.;-)
Enjoy this beautiful day!

Weekend Update, Tomatoes/Potatoes Edition

 I've been tomato sitting for my neighbor and was rewarded with beautiful home grown tomatoes.

Then, because I live an exciting life ;-)  the Wisconsin Spudmobile was in the parking lot of our local market. I love potatoes, and in fact I always tell my kids, "I am only here for the potatoes!"  I had to take a couple of photos to send the kids.  Just as I was walking into the market, the gentlemen from the Spudmobile insisted I come inside.

It was filled with fun facts about Wisconsin potatoes.  What a unusual experience. I mean, how often do you get invited into a Spudmobile?  Made me smile all day.

This morning in the garden

Our weekend included four rides into the city.  Back and forth, twice on Friday.  It was worth it having the family together to celebrate our dear Elizabeth's 29th (AGAIN?) birthday.  The City family is without a car, Jon's car was in the shop for the third time, same problem, so Grandpa to the rescue.  We had a great party with good eats and a great cake.  (Truth in blogging moment...I was making lasagna...bought everything except the noodles! Really who forgets the noodles when you're making lasagna?  Made a pumpkin cake, had no powdered sugar in the house...this is after 4 trips to the store.  I punted and made a layer of  cheater cheesecake for the top instead.  A new taste treat is born!)

 Marigolds are perfect for the fall.  I love how they smell and look.

 Poor zinnias, just about done, still look lovely in early morning light.

 My neighbor's apple.  Can't wait to apple pick with the babygrand.

 This sunflower is well over seven feet tall.

 Still reaching for the sky.

 The only photo from Elizabeth's party.  Still using the Frozen crowns from Penny's birthday.

A thrifting trip with my guy and my future DIL.  Autumn runner and Winter pillow.

Cool and very Autumn like this morning, I am enjoying it.  The changing of the seasons is the joy of living in the Midwest.  Four distinct seasons, as my dearest would say, sometimes all on the same day.;-)

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy this beautiful day.

Ahhhh Tuesday!

Our weekend was quiet...until Sunday.  We were just going to head to the city to pick up our son.  The temperature was in the 90's and his car has no AC.  We were going to bring Jon and Charlotte back to the burbs for some R&R

First to drop off some items at my friend Jean who lives near our parish.  We were seeing signs all along the way for a rummage sale. Of course we had to drop in.  We bought the bag, so to speak, and I proceeded to fill it with cool stuff.  Funny, I liked the stuff everyone else left behind.( Last 2 hours of the sale.)

 Beautifully crazed saucers...

 A Blessed Mother planter, frames, terracotta pots...

 This charming Avon chicken guest soap holder complete with egg shaped soaps!

 An amazing tatted collar...

 Hours and hours, maybe hundreds of hours of work.

 Thirty vintage hankies...Wow!

 A vintage hand towel, embroidered pillowcases.

This is the graphic on the box of the Avon soap holder.  It SCREAMS 1974!  I even managed to put a few things for the babygrand in and one thing for Grandpa.  A very satisfying bag.

Then off towards downtown Chicago via the Kennedy Expressway.

This might be a Blue Angel or a spot on the windshield

We were listening to the Air and Water Show on News Radio WBBM 780 ( unless the Cubs are playing...then tune to 105.9 on the FM dial.) It's like listening to the game, except they are describing  what was happening at our beautiful Lakefront in the air.  It was near the end of the program, with the last act...THE NAVY BLUE ANGELS!  Looking out over the skyline we could see the Blue Angels from the Kennedy.

Hard as I tried I didn't get any photos.  I was shaking, my heart rate soared to see these incredible machines dart across the sky right in front of us.  I was laughing, crying!  When they came directly overhead I pumped my fists and cheered!  It was the coolest 30 minutes EVER.  I felt the most patriotic feelings, with the power of these planes and the bravery of our pilots. I was still shaking when we picked up our son.  Maybe next year I'll be on the Lakefront, or maybe being on the Kennedy is the best place for me.  :-)
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Great shot of our antenna 

The Sunday got more interesting when we stopped by to see our babygrand and she ended up coming home with us.  

Just to show you what I am dealing with with our grand daughter...We had dinner on Sunday and everyone was relaxing.  Penny wanted to go for a walk.  We started down the block.  Penny said, "Let's have a little adventure."  I was wearing sandals, not really walking shoes.  Penny insisted that we go back home and that I put on comfortable shoes.  She wanted to walk to the park.  Now we've been to this particular park ONCE.  After changing my shoes and heading out again, I wasn't sure we would make it all the way to the park, so when I tried to turn back into the neighborhood. Penny stood her ground.  "This is not the way to the park!" I could not convince her that we could go another way.(I really wanted to stay close to home.)  I took her hand and crossed the street, this time heading towards the park.  When she saw the playground Penny said, "I told you Grandma, this is the park where we watched the fireworks!"  She was right, but she's only three years old!  How in the world am I going to keep up with this girl? ;-) We had a great time and Grandpa magically showed up and took us for ice cream!  Do all grandparents have this much fun?

Then on Monday the cousins came.  We had a house full of fun. Yes, Tuesday.  Glad to see you.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy this beautiful day.

Winding Down

As summer slips away, I am drawn outside to savor the last treasures.  A hydrangea tucked into the arbor dried a beautiful bronze.

Sunflowers started from tiny seeds, growing and attracting a variety of bees and pollinators in big beautiful blooms.

 Another sunflower reaching for the sun, soon to open and thrill a small girl who helped plant it.

 It's getting crowded on this flower.

 My experiment in drying cone flowers.

I hung a huge bunch with some already dry hydrangeas.  I had a bountiful harvest of both this year.  What grew well for you this year?

I haven't been doing much thrifting this summer, but I found this quilted throw I just couldn't pass up.

The time is coming when the kids will come home and cozy up. This throw will be perfect. The joy I get from covering a sleeping child o mine is tremendous.  Yep, summer in winding down.

Have a great weekend my friends and enjoy this beautiful day.