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Anyone working much harder in their retirement years knows retirement does not include rocking chair time for the caregiver. Wish I did have a rocking chair.
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I love rocking chairs!!
We bought a pair of glider rockers for my parent's 25th anniversary and I still have them, but they don't really fit in my house so they are rarely used anymore as they are stuck downstairs where I rarely go except to do laundry.
I remember Windows 95 for Dummies, my sis probably still has it stashed away in her house somewhere... lol
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My very favorite thing, for a large part of my life, has been the search for meadows.
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One of my favorite things is for someone new to come on here, share and ask questions, and actually take some of the suggestions and try them, and write again to say how things are going.... and then to become another loving supportive member helping others......
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Someone shoulda said. No real grass-like meadows with flowers in drought conditions in So. Calif. But, loving long drives, have been having fun!
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Some favorite things...my birthday week has been fabulous! I've gone to lunch with my Mom and sister, seen 2 good movies, watched 2 teen girls' softball games with amazing action, lots of well wishes through cards and emails, sons remembering, husband remembering with beautiful yellow roses with red edges. This year has been very special through the simple things in life, which are always the best and I appreciate them very much.
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Colorsue, very nice!

One of my favorite things?
The weather turning colder and putting on my comfy UGGs for the first time! My feet always get so cold! Just use them more as slippers, they are like wearing sponges on the feet if worn in the snow. Don't try that at home.
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Happy belated birthday, Sue! Glad you had a great week. Just remember you'll be this age for another 51 weeks so you can still celebrate every week.
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The "Sunday Drive" was a favorite of my dad, the more removed from civilization the better. How my brother and I hated riding along looking at fields and trees and just nothing and having to make bathroom stops on the side of the road someplace! I have since discovered that having control of the steering wheel makes these trips much more enjoyable LOL
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Cwillie, Yes, to having control of the steering wheel. Remembering those Sunday drives too! Until my brother was learning to drive, on a mountain road, at night, driving to Lake Tahoe, now that was scary! I am loving the driving, and just now recalling how calming a drive can be, for the d r i v e r.
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Garden Artist, thank you for the garden meadow links and the book reference. One of the pictures reminded me of a meadow in Marin County, north of San Francisco, where the Lupines were abundant. Another reminded me of Yosemite's Tuolomine meadow on the floor of Yosemite Valley, when I was a child. Then, on a Sunday drive, a huge wildflower display of California poppys in the Palmdale/Lancaster area. One minute in the meadow, the next was snow and pine trees in the close-by mountains, snapping a picture of Dad with my brownie camera. Who knew your referenced photos could remind me of the lovely meadows in my mind.
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One of my favorite things this morning, even though I love a spotless yard, today the multi colored leaves are drifting down in a patchwork and making the most beautiful patchwork across the lawn...reds, burgundies, golds, yellows, all so pretty....it is chilly, it is still raining, and my pumpkin is glowing.....love it!!!

Yall memories of your countryside drive bring back happy memories for me, of when we would drive to my Grandmas house on Sunday afternoons, we had to go through a winding road through the lower end of the mountains, and there was a waterfall along the side...all the leaves turning and the waterfall sparkling ...and when the sky was blue....I can almost hear my brother and I both hollering with glee......wow I miss those family drives....
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Hope, did you sing: over the river and thru the woods, to grandmother's house we go, the horse knows the way......
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Send, I like your version of the snowflake avatar (or is it a flower avatar?) Yours is so much brighter.
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It was green. Thanking my hubby for the color helps. Seems with his chromebook he can do more than my kindle. I like to change out my avatar as often as some of us change our clothes daily.
Really have enjoyed each avatar change for you too! Just keep on changing Book, it's fun.
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Oh, it was glad who taught me the technical how to copy photos, plus a few others had chimed in with suggestions. Never know if one can learn it unless you try it, and have the time to devote to a lifelong learning process.
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Wait, I'm thinking about my favorite thing.....
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I'm back to my old avatar, halloween is over here for another year. It is raining, and I live on a quiet street, so I only had 3 little trick or treaters and two sweet parents who dressed up so they got candy too! I have decided that it is better to embrace holidays and special occasions and perhaps find a little joy than to sit alone and grumble and be a grinch.
Are you done thinking yet Sendme???
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Thank you Paularose for the prayers! For all of us caregivers out there, it is always a changing program with my mom! Sometimes l just have to laugh, and mom starts laughing too! It seems to soften the struggles!
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Oh no! I just cannot think straight with that old turkey ghost still staring at me!
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Pumpkin cheesecake, always a favorite this time of the year. It's light, creamy and oh, so delicious!
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If anyone just needs a good cry as we sometimes do listen on youtube to "The Dutchman" Liam Clancys version. My husband played it for me today and we both cried ( he never cries ) its about an old dutchman growing old and losing his memory but his wife margaret is by his side. It will reach the very depth of your soul. And we as caregivers find special meaning in it, at least i do. Good night all.
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The autumn fragrance of leaves, everpresent now after a few windy days have brought down most of them from the trees, except for the oaks. They're dry enough to crackle a bit when walked on, but still not so dry they crumble entirely.

It's such a different fragrance, like that of burning wood....neither are sweet or soft, like lavender or roses, but a bit pungent and yet invigorating in their own ways.

It's also nice to hear the swish of leaves being shuffled around underfoot while walking.
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Love love all those things GardenArtist....today when I was raking I was enjoying that fragrance trying to pinpoint how it smelled...you got it perfectly! I love the sound of rustling leaves too...since it was drizzling I didn't get to hear those as much today but I do love them.when a chilly breeze is blowing and they are dancing down the street...the warm glow of a candle..I still have my pumpkin lit only now I have turned the face towards the wall and we are just enjoying the glow of an orange pumpkin. I think I will add some little fall people and leaves to that and make a cozy Thanksgiving centerpiece....I love Fall!!!
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Leaves dancing down the street in the wind.... I love that description. It conveys so much, whether the sun is shining and the leaves are glowing in their autumn colors, scampering about with assistance of the wind, or whether it's cloudy and the leaves are being battered by a cold autumn wind....you captured that moment so dramatically.

There's something about an orange object glowing with the warmth created by a candle...it's reminiscent of fragrant goodies from the oven, a warm fire, good companionship, and shelter from the cold.

I'm guessing you make luminaria as well?

Keep us up to date on your fall centerpiece - I suspect many of the gardeners here are also crafters. I used to make a turkey centerpiece out of some type of reed; it's been so long I've forgotten what it's called. It was so pleasurable, so relaxing.


Speaking of candles, has anyone ever made them by hand? Decades ago before candles became so complicated with multiple designs, I used to visit a place that sold wax in a big slab. I used to chop it up and make candles, but they weren't anything like the beauties in the stores today.

I never used the wick dripping wax method though. Someday....I like the idea of these old fashioned, homey, Mother Earth type activities.

Big slabs of good things reminded me that years ago I used to buy a 10# or so slab of chocolate, melt it down, pour the chocolate in molds and give it for holiday gifts. Good thing I don't do that any more - sampling was always necessary to ensure each batch was good, and well, you know how difficult it is to stop that once you start sampling!
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GA, I used to make candles when I was little...mine weren't fancy or anything but they used to have those candle making kits and little fragrance squares you could use. I remember one I made that was the standard metal cylinder and don't remember precisely how I did it, but put little crushed cubes of ice around the wick and immediately poured the hot wax over it and it made the oddest lacey effect...

It's funny to think back on things that were actually sold as child type crafts. Now you couldn't sell those for kids in that age bracket...We even had those hot as fire machines where you could bake rubber type bugs...I think my machine was called a creepy crawler....and my brother had one called incredible edibles and you could eat those bugs.....yuck...

You are so right GA, the warm glow of a candle against the oranges, burgundies, russet and gold...and I love the scent of cloves and nutmeg and cinnamon in my fall candles. They have one call "Fall Gatherings" that I got the other day at Kirkland and am about to enjoy that one now that my mocha café one is almost gone...

I have a little fall dressed girl who has maple leaves for angel wings and I want to find some little pilgrims, maybe some Indians, other little fake fruits and stuff. We have a little fireplace in the den where Mama is and I always fix the top of that with a scene of the season...so that's the project for today....

With all this talk of fall and autumn fragrance..I think I'm going to bake an apple crumble... When I was at the grocery the other day, they had an enormous area where they had all these gorgeous varieties of apples...It looked like they had shined each one individually and the fragrance...mmmmm...I just stood there and breathed in that aroma....Are honey crisp apples in season yet? I don't think I've seen them but oh wow, those are just good for straight out eating...let alone baking... now I'm hungry....
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Creepy Crawlers, those were awesome LOL! Kind of like the macho alternative to the Easy Bake Oven!
I went for my walk today on the local river trail, almost all the leaves are down now and with the recent rains the river level is up so lots of burbling and rushing water sounds. Temps have been breaking records, absolutely stunning for the beginning of November.
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I've never used crushed ice when making candles, but I'd love to try that to create a lacey effect. Did you fill in the area around the wick with crushed ice, then quickly pour over the hot wax? How did you prevent the ice from congregating at the bottom of the mold? Didn't the hot wax melt the ice, or was that how the lace effect was created? That seems really pretty; I don't think I've seen anything like that.

I'm wondering now if little designs that are heatproof could be added? I don't know offhand what I'd use as a design, but snowflakes and leaves come to mind. I think stencil plastic would melt. Maybe some real items like acorns? Little bits of leaves?

What happened when you lit the candle? Did the original ice cause it to burn more quickly, or had it been dissolved and absorbed by the hot wax?

As to kids, oh my gosh I don't think they would be interested in that kind of creativity when they have so many electronic devices. As we were in the radiology waiting room yesterday one of the local newscasters announced that some study or other determined that teenagers spent an average of 9 hours daily looking at electronic screens of smartphones, cell phone, tablets, etc.

I couldn't help wondering if optometrists and ophthalmologists are experiencing a higher rate of younger people with eye issues. Staring at a computer screen for too long gives me eye strain and ophthalmic migraines.

Do you mix in nutmeg and cloves when you make candles? The aroma would be heavenly; I love the scents of those spices anyway. I'm thinking maybe I'll sprinkle some on my turkey centerpiece, and maybe on some fall wreaths...also maybe on the arborvitae wreath I have yet to make.

Michael's might be a good source for little figures to add to your fall centerpiece. Your project sounds like it'll really be lovely and comforting with the seasonal colors. And what a great project for this interlude of nice weather before the blustery November winds come!

When I made my turkey centerpiece years ago, I found miniature loaves of bread, gourds and pumpkins to add. I've grown the little pumpkins and really like them, but they need to be hardened off before they'll last inside.

I think my priorities for today just changed and all the work related ones got pushed back!

Apple crumble? Did I hear an invitation for us to come over for dessert today? Oh, I LOVE the fragrance of freshly picked apples, especially in a cool environment which seems to really bring out that apple aroma.

Honeycrisps have been sold here, but a lot of our apples come from NW Michigan. I'm not sure if they're in season elsewhere.

What I have trouble finding are the Northern Spies, which Mom used in her baking. I think they are absolutely the best for pies. One great store used to be the only store offering them in this area, but it sold out to Kroger, which offers a more traditional blend of apples.

Guess I'll have to go to a farm to get some Spies, but they're worth it.

I'm getting so excited now about fall baking!
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I must have missed something. Creepy Crawlers always reminds me of things sneaking underneath the mulch in the garden. What were these that you're both referring to?

Walking along a river trail in this weather must be beautiful. Willie, do you take photographs of the river scenes during different seasons? Do you do any art work, or use the photos in crafts projects?
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My nephew must have made thousands of creepy crawlers GA. Basically you had molds of various bugs and many colours of bottles of some type of rubbery compound. You designed your bug and baked it in the little oven and voila, custom creepy crawlers!
I don't have the patience any more to do crafts, I once spent hours knitting or crocheting or quilting but there just doesn't seem to me to be a point in it anymore when you can buy so many nice things for a fraction of the cost, plus that type of item is no longer fashionable and you can't even give it away. I haven't been able to find a new hobby to take up, I think maybe finding something satisfying takes having someone to share your interest with.
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