On our porch!

;)

xo rachel

Let's Try This Again!

Well, the computer still isn't new, and neither is this car, but I thought I'd try again to navigate the computer and see if I can do a blog posting. Besides I thought it would be fun to take a little drive around our neighborhood and show you just how beautiful it is this time of year.

Our neighbor set their pumpkins out a few days ago.

I absolutely love seeing these fabulous buildings through the branches of this beautiful tree.

This tree simply glows with color.

And inside...I had the privilege of working on a "fall color" evening gown. You know, the kind of work that the "professionals" told them was impossible.

Don't let my seam ripper hear anyone say impossible!

She was thrilled with the results. And on a side note, I've never been one to take photos of the things I work on. One of my friends has told me for years to take pictures, and so has Mr. RP...I'm trying y'all. Really I am! Now I've been asked to "bring in" my portfolio. What? Me, a portfolio? Oh, yeah, sure! I'll be right in. So I'm trying to make one online.

Can you tell where I fixed the gown? Neither could she! Yay! That was the goal!

Doesn't it just crack you up when you see how easy this is? Just take it up under each arm 1 and 5/8 of an inch! That. is. all!

The "professionals" could make a new one start to finish, but it was impossible to change this one.

Well, I could make a new one start to finish too, but why not make this one work just fine? So that is what we did!

It was fun!

I guess it doesn't take much for me to have fun, does it?

But back to the neighborhood... in the summer this tree above our next door neighbor's carriage house, just looks like one huge green puff. Each fall, it is fun to realize that it is actually two trees growing extremely close to each other.

This area of our street takes my breath away in each season. I've taken photos of it laden with ice and snow and bursting forth with the new life of spring. Sometime when I have nothing else to do, I need to go through all of my photos and put the ones of just this view all together!

Look at this glorious color. I see it everytime I look out my kitchen window. Yes, I know the fence needs paint, but it is easy to overlook when you spend your time contemplating the wonders of the miracle of autumn.

I hope you enjoyed our little trip around the neighborhood. Now I'll see if the computer will let me truly show you!

xo rachel

Just So You Know

I haven't quit blogging!

We are having problems with our computer.

I am very careful about what I do and when I am on it.

Our computer's main purpose it to produce survey drawings with an AUTO CAD program. She is very very old, ten years old in fact.

Yep, I know we need a new one.

Until then we're taking care of what we have.

So she gets pampered a lot! She doesn't like me to leave comments or follow or scroll through blogs that have a lot of fancy things to do. Sometimes I think she makes me look "plum stuck up"!

And for all of you who have asked to be my friend on Facebook...she growls about that too. Just says, "Hrmph!" and grinds down to a stop. But I love you anyway!

sigh

I still have a gillion things I want to tell you, and all kinds of things I want to show you. As soon as I can I will! I promise.

Thank you for following me and visiting me anyway!

I don't know why you keep coming back, but I'm so grateful that you do!

Just so you know.

xo rachel

This Really Works!

It would be rare to visit our home and not find a bowl of fruit or fresh veggies!

Ugh, oh my the fruit flies.

They drive me crazy this time of year.

I've even kept the fruit and veggies on the back porch to keep the fruit flies out there!

Sharon shared an idea that works wonderfully.

Ah, bless her!

This is what you do:

Put a few drops of Dawn dish detergent in the bottom of a glass and then add about 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar to the Dawn. My family gags with the smell of vinegar...but I did it anyway! Poor dears! But they haven't missed the little critters one tiny bit!

I used one of my vinegar cruets. I think they are cute and aren't mistaken for a dirty glass sitting on the counter. You don't even have to have the mixture by the fruit. I actually like to have it in a obscure place so the flies are attracted to go over there instead.

AND THEY DO!!! YAY!

The fruit flies go right to it and sink to the bottom of the glass. In a couple of days, if I start seeing flies again, I add a tiny bit more vinegar.

This is amazing. It makes me so happy.

And so, I hope you have a happy day too, even if it takes a little bit of vinegar and dish detergent to do it!

xo rachel

p.s~please spare me the embarrassment if I'm the only one in the entire world with fruit flies and sympathize with me anyway ;)

Ladybug Fly Away Home!

And so we were out doing a boundary survey. Of course there was ample opportunity for me to observe nature and look at the bark on trees and such interesting things as that. Why oh why didn't I have the camera? I used my phone camera instead in an attempt to show you this colony of Ladybugs that have clustered onto the bark of these two trees and the fence that goes between them. Yep, those little blurry red dots are gobs and gobs of really really red Ladybugs! It was 47 degrees. Were they trying to get warm?
Then there was the Preying Mantis so perfectly camouflaged on the fence post that I almost put my hand on him. He twisted his triangular shaped head from side to side and did a backwards dance away from the uncertainty of what my pink phone camera might do to him. Ah, see those huge black walnuts (yep~those green little balls) lying all over the ground. I wanted to take every single one of them home with me. But I didn't pick them up. No not one. Oh, such discipline!
sigh
I just wanted you to see what I saw. I knew you'd find it interesting too!
When you were a kid did you chant this rhyme?
Ladybug, Ladybug fly away home.
You're house is on fire
AND
your children will burn!
We did!
Where in the world did that come from?
Have a great day, however you spend it...chanting rhymes, observing insects...whatever makes you happy...
xo rachel

Optimism

The guidance counselor at our daughter's school is such a neat lady. I've enjoyed the times that I've had an opportunity to chat with her and our daughter thinks she's great. She writes for our local paper. In a recent article she told of her father's involvement with "The Optimist Club" across his adult life, then she shared the optimist creed. Until then I'd never read or seen it.

I've pondered it a lot since then. It is interesting "food" for thought.

The Optimist Creed

"Promise Yourself

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble."

The next to the last phrase...fits me to a "T"! I definitely don't have time to be critical of others. I'd better scram and get this day on the move! Have an optimistic day!

xo rachel