Monday, October 3, 2016

Our Fall Porch at the Cottage

Hello, friends!  

I hope your Monday went well.  Mine was busy, busy, busy at the office.  However, I felt blessed with an extra measure of energy today.  It's almost as if this time of year carries its own special magic for me, spurring me to get things done and kicking off a fresh round of nesting! 

And now, I am eager to share our Fall front porch with you!  

My greatest desire is to keep things SIMPLE this year.  

It has been my recent goal to simplify in many areas of my life.  This has spilled over into seasonal decorating, as well.  With our new paint color, everything looks so different - more vibrant and intense.  The details stand out starkly now, so a little goes a long way.  The purple mums, though still tightly budded at the store, looked full and healthy; so, they made the trip home with me.  The pumpkins are arriving in different colors and sizes, one or two each time we visit the supermarket.  My asparagus ferns are stunning this year, having done so well in the super-sized pots I found at Big Lots this Spring.  We will enjoy them through the first freeze and they provide beautiful greenery and texture as a backdrop for the more autumnal colors!  





~ My Camera ~ 
When I was home for the lunch hour, I popped the battery for my Canon camera onto the charger so I could play with it a bit this evening.  It's not a terribly fancy camera and I am still learning to use it.  (My husband surprised me with it a couple of years ago - and I mean it was a wonderful surprise, totally unexpected!  He took all the pocket change he had saved for the last few years over to the bank and had it counted - coming up with enough to purchase this camera out at Sam's - so generous!)  The model is a PowerShot SX510 HS, and I can transfer images directly from the camera to my tablet via our wifi network!  Imagine that, no pulling the SD card or searching for the USB cable!!!  I am still learning the settings, but I took all these images using the auto setting. 

Something NEW - If you hover over any of the post photos in the blog now, you will notice that I have added the ability to "pin" directly from this page to Pinterest.  
So, by all means, please PIN AWAY!!!

Now, that I have gotten my camera back out, I can't wait for some great lighting so I can get photos of some of our interior Fall decor!  

Now, there are a couple of things you can do for me.  First, I would love to know that you've stopped by - so, leave a comment for me and say "Hello"!  Then follow along with me on social media, by clicking on the following links ~ 


It's much simpler for me to find moments throughout the day to post on those platforms and you will see me there much more often.  So, I hope you will pop over and take a peek. 

Back soon for another visit on the porch! 

Jane 

Sunday, October 2, 2016

Winding Down the Weekend....

Sunday evening....again.  I find myself reflecting on the weekend, trying to figure out where those precious two days went.....

Yesterday was our "lazy day".  Well, not so lazy, actually.  We traveled the 20 miles over to Merkel to watch our granddaughter cheer for a junior pee wee football team.  It was deliciously cool earlier in the morning, but by the time we got settled on the metal bleachers under the midday sun, it had warmed considerably!  There were moments when it felt like we were roasting alive as we sat and watched the game and visited with Bonnie.  We sipped our Big Gulps and munched on Fritos from the snack bar - and survived the heat.  By the time we stopped at a small diner and split a hamburger and an order of fried pickles after the game, we were wiped out.  Naps in front of the television, listening to the Ryder Cup were definitely in order and well deserved!

This morning, we grabbed our list and headed out to do our weekly grocery shopping.  This is always a "date" for us - and we try to make it fun.  We browsed the pallets of assorted pumpkins out front of HEB before heading inside.  We picked up another couple to add to the collection growing on the front porch.  


After giving the house a cursory cleaning, I drug out some more seasonal decor to layer in.  The last couple of years, I have picked up some cute reproduction vintage Halloween items and it was fun to shift things around in search of the perfect arrangement while the husband continued watching the Ryder Cup.  

I had planned to take a slew of photos on my iPhone, only to get sidetracked by the issue that my phone's storage is just about full.  Deciding how to handle that seem to eat up an inordinate amount of my time this evening.  In short, I found that I couldn't power up my laptop and download my phone photos because the power supply seems to be fried.  (Considering that I haven't turned it on or used it in several months, I guess this was something that was just waiting to be discovered, at some point....) Thankfully, I have my trustworthy little Surface Pro tablet to keep me connected.  I just don't want to try to load it up with the tons of photos that need to come off the phone.  It is a dilemma, to be sure.  But, something I should be able to get resolved so I can get back to taking more photos.  Either that, or I will have to break out my Canon digital camera, that sits largely ignored these days!

So, the weekend has wound down and it's nearly time to turn in and try to get a good sleep before the new week begins.  Sunday evenings always seem to feel a little melancholy, like the end of a vacation when you know you have to go back to work.  Don't get me wrong - I like my job.  I truly do!  But, I love being off on the weekends and wish they lasted just a bit longer.  Can you relate?  

Hope to have the photo issue resolved soon because I would love to share some new photos with you! Our little cottage has seen some good changes this spring and summer.  And beyond that, there is so much to see and share.  Hey, maybe I will just get my "real" camera out and keep it handy!!!

Peace to you and yours....

Jane 


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