Friday, November 15, 2013

and while we were gone...

The leaves that were green...
turned to brown.


And many of them are 'gone with the wind'...
like the red sunset maples that line the driveway.

The window boxes were still looking good when we left home.
Now they are in desperate need of attention.

As is everything else...
from the office to the yard.

But first things first.
Family!

We missed four birthdays while we were away...
Micah, Emme and Spencer...
and Heidi.

And we missed everyone!
And so they all came for dinner this week.

I donned my new apron...
and spent some time in the kitchen for a change.



I quite like my made-in-Maine apron!

In Maine they really pay attention to detail.
They use fancy stitching on all edges..
and corners are all perfectly mitered.


And the apron comes in the cutest jar...
with a blackboard/chalk label.

I've waited a long while to thank Vee for the apron...
since I wanted to show you the jar it came in.
The apron flew home with me from the east coast at the end of August.
But the jar had to finish the entire road trip before it arrived here.
I love my new apron...
and the jar it came in!
Thank-you!

What else has all happened while we were away?
I have really no idea...
since we basically heard no Canadian news while on the road.
With one exception.
The mayor of Toronto seemed to be making the news on a regular basis...
no matter where the road led us.

Oye...
as my friend Ellen would say!



On our grape arbour...
the last of the season grapes are still waiting to be picked.
I'm leaving them for the birds though.
They may find them more tasty than we do!
Do grapes go wild?
It seems they are not the variety we started out with.


The lawn grew in our absence as well.
And so it got a trim yesterday.
The last one of 2013.

Did I mention that it is good to be home?


Thanks for stopping by...
and have a great weekend!


18 comments:

  1. That is a fun apron! Glad all the kiddos made their way over to welcome you home. We still have one more mow to do here. Maybe next week. Love the photo through your grape arbor. Have a great weekend!

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  2. Welcome home, Judy! Good thing you have a cute apron for all that needs doing now!

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  3. Bless you for showing that neatly ironed apron! It looks so much better than the last time I saw it. LOL.

    I had to pin one of your photos. It is just so beautiful even if the subject doesn't taste so good.

    Keep enjoying home and don't fret too much about your "oye." We've got a big "oye" too in a much higher position.

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  4. Oye indeed!!

    Love the apron.

    So glad you're back home safe with family and friends. I'm sure it feels great!

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  5. What a beautiful place to come home to! Glad you had a great trip and that the Lord kept you safe along the way. I love the apron/jar idea....Christmas gifts perhaps!

    Hugs!

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  6. However lovely a journey is, it is so good to come home!

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  7. That Vee is a real gem isn't she? I love the apron and it's packaging. Great idea! It's nice to see your home and yard in it's fall beauty. The photo of the grapes is really beautiful. Enjoy being home, Judy.

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  8. What a beautiful apron and presentation. Vee is so thoughtful. There's always lots to do when returning from a trip. Enjoy settling in again.

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  9. Always good to be home after a trip. Everything looks so nice at your place. The grapes may not taste the same, but they sure make a pretty fall photo. I'm sure the birds will be thrilled with them.
    Leave it to Vee to think up such a clever presentation for the apron. It is very pretty and you look right at home wearing it.

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  10. Oh that Vee is such a dear! You look great in the apron and looks like you're ready to celebrate those birthdays! Oye indeed on the Ford fiasco!

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  11. I enjoy your postcards on the road but I sure love the view from your porch!
    That apron is really cute! I love the one that Vee sent me one year too. Where does the time go?

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  12. Such a pretty apron and presented in a jar, I love that! Always good to come home.

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  13. Beautiful pictures of your yard, Judy- isn't it such a welcoming sight when you drive into your own driveway again after having been away for awhile. Vee's gift presentation was perfect!

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  14. It is always exciting to be HOME!! When we were in the country for a week we heard NO news (other than on Facebook! Does THAT count??) and Louis Dean says that when we got home and back to the TV - it was the same old same old! I love Vee's apron gift. I love VEE!!! But doesn't EVERYONE?
    We have yet to get our flower beds in order and things pruned back. There's never enough time n the day to do all we would like to do - OR the energy to DO it!!
    Welcome HOME!!! We sure enjoyed your trip and all the post cards!

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  15. Isn't is always nice to travel but also always good to be home again? :) Yes, the Toronto mayor has joined the "bad boy" club...seems there has been an increase in membership in that club among politicians these days. :(

    I love you pretty apron and storage jar from Vee~

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  16. I enjoyed peeking in from time to time to see how your trip was going. I've been off-line for some time, trying to catch up and recover from a bug that followed me home from China!

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  17. The picture of your lawn and the one of the grapes both look like magazine pictures. Your apron in a jar was a lovely idea and I am sure you will be thankful for that as much as you serve dinners to family and friends.
    I am sure you feel a bit overwhelmed with things to do right now, but as my mother so often told me, "just take one minute at a time":)

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  18. Who ever is mowing your lawn deserves a round of applause! It looks great! Sorry about so little news coverage of Canada in the USA. Maybe if we could ever get our political act together we could cover the gentler news from the north. I am still laughing about the fact that when eight people were asked to name a country that started with the letter C none of them named Canada but one named Syria. Huh?
    So you don't want to make grape juice with your grapes? So easy and so delicious! Well, the birds deserve a treat too I guess.
    Your place is dreamy...leaving would be hard to do!

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'The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.'
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson