Roses in November

 A school holiday for our Penny was time for a visit with the old folks, and when the weather didn't cooperate, we got busy doing some crafts.  Our girl excels in art and crafts.  She made a beautiful necklace for her Mom.  She was thrilled by my little hardware drawers full of beads and trinkets.

Seven years blogging, my first bathroom shot.

  There was work to do too.  Cleaning for Uncle Mikey's birthday dinner.   Penny scrubbed and swiffered, windexed and wiped.

 Then she vacuumed and dusted.  Do child labor laws apply to Grandparents? She was so serious, and only let me "help" when she was good and finished.

 

Nothing was stopping this girl.  She decorated the chalkboard and helped to hang the 

felt birthday banner. Really good printing too.  Those are streamers on the bottom.

When we were done cleaning we cooked.  The night before we had made Dutch Oven Bread to bake for the spinach dip Penny whipped up.  She helped to roll little hot dogs in crescent rolls but left making the pizza to Grandma.  

Here's the birthday boy with his lovely bride to be Amanda. We had a couple of extra guests, friends of the kids and Kris and Doug and Jon and Charlotte.  A sweet party topped by a cheesecake, Mikey's favorite, and a recipe that has taken me his whole life to perfect.  I think if you keep trying anything for more than thirty years you are bound to become proficient. ;-)

The sun came out for the first time all weekend, just as the sun was about to set on Sunday.  

Sunday flew by, darn daylight savings time, and everyone went home after a very happy visit.
We sure do miss that girl when she heads home.  There is quite the prolonged goodbye and last kisses and things to tell us before she heads home with Mom and Dad. What a gift, my children, their sweethearts and our girl.  Makes for very tired and happy Grandma and Grandpa.

 Thinking ahead we took Monday off for R&R which started at the Gardens. November 6th, the temp was about 35 degrees, We bundled up and had a brisk walk. Alone in the garden, at last! 

Almost alone.

The garden sparkles in the Autumn light.

 If you're tired of garden photos, this is your chance to bail out of this post.  I can't help myself.

 Roses, still beautiful and fragrant after our first frost.

 The buds were all fine, the blooms had a little frost damage but still lovely.

 That sky!

 The only bare tree I saw.

 We could have bowled down this path and not hit another visitor.

 My favorite place, even with all the water features drained.

 We did see one man walk through this garden.

 Devastatingly handsome.

 Seeing these views without obstruction is rare indeed.

 Stainless steel #1 Don't you think it need a more romantic name?

 Another birch grove, don't think I ever really saw it before.

 Dearest thought I was taking a picture of his...you know.  I wasn't! Good girl that I am.

 Hundreds of people are here in the summer.

 Today, just us.

Not for long, it was cold, and our bodies have to acclimate to these colder temps.

I have a little Polar Bear blood in me, I love the cold and look forward to some winter outings.

When I was young we used to ski, that was my first real experience in the cold.

Not like when you'd walk home from school, or make a snow fort or snowball fight, but extended time in the cold.  I loved it.  I think I could still ski, but I would not be able to get up if I fell.

God knows if my hips would hold, or my knees.  Walking in the cold will have to do.

Sewing machine fixed and Kristen's sewing machine I also broke is fixed too.  Why is it that when you can't do something, (like when your sewing machine is busted) that is all you want to do?

I have a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving prep will start.  Until then, if I'm not at the Garden,

 I'll be sewing!

Thanks for stopping by my friends.

Enjoy this beautiful day.

Love, Penny