November Storms

“When the storms come, we know a profound sense that autumn is going to slip away into winter before long.  Wind whips away all of  summer, rain sluices the air.  Branches fall.  Windows rattle.  Smoke backs down the chimney.”-Gladys Taber
Last night we had one of our first November storms.  We have them often here [...]

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Sunday Walk

Sunday afternoon…the sky is blue, the air crisp, the sun is shining.  I head out alone for a walk on an old railroad track  that has been turned into a walking trail.  Just a few leaves are starting to turn, but when a gust of wind blows, the leaves swirl down reminding me that fall [...]

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Treasuring Summer

“There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart”- Celia Thaxter

This morning I woke to blue skies and a cool 51 degrees.  We’ve had a hot August here in the Seattle area, but there has been a slight shift in weather the last few days.  I’m noticing the days are getting shorter, and the trees [...]

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Estate Sale Shopping

People will buy anything that is ‘one to a customer’ -Sinclair Lewis

Last week I happen to stumble upon an estate sale that was going to be held on a farm near our home.  I have been to estate sales, but I have never been there for the “opening” of one.  Oh my…what I have missed!  [...]

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Portland by Train

Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember,
and remember more than I have seen.”
-Benjamin Disraeli
Last week I had an adventure by going to a conference and taking the train to Portland.  Since I went alone, I decided to take the train and explore the area through mass transit.  It [...]

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The White Picket Fence

The flowers and roses are blooming here at Cottage House.  They are so charming  peeking out  from behind the white picket fence.  Several years ago, an acquaintance had a lot of old wooden crates he got from a store that used them for storage .  I was longing for a picket fence and he thought [...]

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Here Comes the Sun

The warm sun finally returned to the pacific northwest last week breaking all the old heat records.

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Flower Girl

If you’ve never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom,
maybe your soul has never been in bloom.  ~Audra Foveo

Today we all go back to our routine after the Easter holiday.  This year we had a house full with not only family, but a few friends joining [...]

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Daffodil Valley

A house with daffodils in it is a house lit up,
whether or no the sun be shining outside.
~ A.A. Milne
These pictures were taken in the valley at a bulb farm.  Fields of yellow daffodils fill the valley with their sweet, bright blossoms.  They are picked to sell, and the bulbs are sold in the [...]

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All Creatures Great and Small

All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful, The Lord God made them all.
Cecil Frances Alexander 1818-18

Today was a blustery cold day. Olivia and I walked to her toddler play class in the windy weather, so I was more than ready to get into the warm house when [...]

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