Getting into the swing of Fall

After getting back to school (homeschool, that is) we've had adjustments to schedules, frustrations and small triumphs, long days, short days, you name it. It didn't help that I'm still waiting on a few teacher's manuals so that I had to do it the hard way and work out each problem on my own. Good exercise for MY brain, too lol.
I've spent time thinking how I can keep ahead of things I need for me. I find that the older I get, (turned 50 this year!) the more I need light in my life. Yes, the Lord is my first Light. And I need sunshine. I really had a hard time thinking fall was coming and the days were shortening again. The thing I try to remember is spring will be right around the corner, trying to be optimistic, you know. I find that I need brighter light in my home. I plan to be in my greenhouse more this season and in the winter. I think if I get outside every chance I get, enjoy planting stuff in my greenhouse, and keeping the brighter bulbs in the fixtures, I'll do well.
It's time, too, to work on those projects I've collected in my head all summer. Although it was hard letting summer go, I was reflecting on all those bright orange and gold leaves everywhere here in the Pacific NW. I'm thinking that the reason they're so bright is that they're full of summer! Just a little different!
So, projects, here I come. And baking! The holidays are my busiest baking time. I'm all signed up to do a few bazaars in the Longview area. Kristin and I really, really wanted to do the Vintage Winter show at the Church again this year, but just ran out of time. Maybe next year. For now, I'll be at the Toy Soldier, the Canterbury, and the 3 Rivers Christian School holiday sales. So, nothing boring about the winter coming!

I'm a proud Mom...

I'm a bit chatty, yes, I know this. I wrote a ton of sentences in school; never could figure out how the teachers thought practicing penmanship was going to have an effect on my ability to hold my attention steadily on something, but I tried. Trouble was, something would pop into my head and my best friend sitting behind me would know in about 10 seconds what had popped into my head. I secretly thought the teacher had set me up, always putting me in FRONT of my friend. I was always the one in trouble. I see this with at least one of my grandchildren too, this inability to not flit around in my head. Attention deficit? Oh, I don't know, maybe just an active imagination, and I think we need that in our world, instead of the drug to make us slow down and get sleepy.
Anyway, I digress...again. My eldest daughter is a sweet kid, if you call a 30 year old daughter a kid. She is mom to 3 or my 4 grandkids, is a great wife to my super son-in-law, and most importantly, I'm proud of her walk with the Lord.
She and I are actually good friends! We get into discussions on deep subjects like cooking, canning, home stuff, home schooling, raising kids, crafts, sewing, gardening....we actually have a LOT in common.
I was just going through my blogs I follow and noticed that she has finally been posting blogs! I was amazed at how much alike we actually are ! Our thoughts are pretty similar on subjects, and I have to say, it is soooooo nice to be friends with your kids. Just thought it was time to take that plastic accordian folded thing out of my purse that women are known to use to brag with, and give you a glimpse of my beautiful daughter!

Gathering a Harvest of Vintage Stuff

Gosh, it's been awhile since I went through a lot of my stash of stuff I've hoarded! You forget you have things and it's like Christmas getting into it again. I'm getting ready for the Uncovered Ruby Outdoor Gala! I can't wait for the weekend, but I'm also trying to get my stuff together. I have it in too many places I think. If I have enough space in the car (hoping I can borrow my dad's trailer), I want to bring my bike...and my old sewing machine...., the old metal chairs I was going to make planters out of but never got to it...well you get the idea. I can't wait to see what everyone else brings!

New Friends at Vintage Gathering

I made Kristin pose, telling her she looked like a pin-up girl, lol.

Chantel even came with us this time, although she would probably rather ride her horse or something else.




Isn't Kristin's car cool?
What a wonderful weekend I had with my daughters taking part in the Vintage Gatherings flea market in Battleground! We baked a lot of stuff ( raspberry and marionberry coffee cakes, the Finnish Cardamom Bread, caramel corn, strawberry and apricot bars, and Swiss Bratzeli cookies) and took it up, didn't take much vintage stuff this time, but next time, we definitely will!
Lisa, at Uncovered Ruby was great with getting us involved; gosh, she even set up our tent, b/c there was no way I'd get there on Friday to set up due to the fact that I bake to the last minute. Thanks for all your help Lisa, and we DEFINITELY want to spend some time getting to know you better!
I took a lot of photos, and there was so much cool stuff, I could hardly take a bad picture, though I'm pretty good at that! Forgive my jumbled photos, they won't be in order with what I'm blogging about probably. I need to spend some serious time figuring out blogspot and how I can work with the photos better. It drives me crazy trying to move pictures around on my blog.
I loved everything about this show, but there are a few things that stand out BIG!!!
1) I met some really nice people! The vendors were all so friendly, I don't know if I've ever done something like this with a group where EVERYONE went out of their way to welcome us and be so friendly. Laid back, too! I liked that. Here we are on a gorgeous farm setting, everyone's having a good time, tons of stuff going home with customers, it was just great. I finally got to meet my blogging friend, Florence, too. And Monica, it was great to see her again. She's a loyal cardamom bread addict lol.
2)Like I said, it was a friendly group, and Kathy is a very hospitable hostess! I kinda wanted to sneak and take some pictures of what I could see of her home as I went in to use her restroom and get a cup of coffee in the kitchen. It smelled so good in her house, too, with candles everywhere! Her covered porch was a place we made good use off, in shifts (my daughters and I) I wondered at first where Kristin had gone for the longest time....she was taking a nap on her porch! Well, I had my turn later in the afternoon. I had gotten 2 1/2 hours of sleep, due to the stupid computer/printer/program problems I was having for my labels the night before. Kathy also had a huge, I mean HUGE apple tree that I spent a lot of glances looking up at, thinking YUM! Huge, gorgeous apples! Anyway, thanks Kathy for your hospitality!
3) Something I have spent days soaking in, pondering on, taking in......
There was a mom, probably in her 30s I'd say, with a little girl, probably under 10, shopping with her father and mother. There was just something about them that touched me. They were at our tent, looking at my Finnish Cardamom bread, and they were mentioning Challah bread, kinda comparing recipes, what type of bread Challah was. Being inquisitive, I asked if they were Jewish. The mom said she was, I asked if there was a synagogue near here that she went to, and she said, actually, my husband is Jewish, and they were Messianic Jews. Well, that started a great conversation in itself. but the thing that totally kind of mesmerized me (I know, I'm always spacing like this) was how they were as a family, as people. There was just this peace I felt. The father was just so friendly, and so encouraging. After they left, I kept watching them, feeling just "blessed" somehow. In a little while, I saw the little girl packing out this hamper that was almost as big as she was, the mom was laughing, telling her dad "she got a hamper!", the grandpa and grandma were smiling, kinda touching her with affirmation without actually touching her, saying, "you got yourself a hamper". You would have thought she got a doll, or a bike, but no, it was a hamper. They just had this thankfulness about them.
As they were walking away, I told Kristin I was going to go after them and ask them to adopt me. Somehow, they had blessed me. I'm not sure if they knew they had, but I had this sense that God had done this, given me this euphoric, peaceful, content feeling, to just enjoy. I have not gotten over it yet, and I hope I don't for a long time!
Here's that little girl's hamper.
































I kept seeing Michelle, we'd visit, very nice person!











We were close to Lisa and Sally (Uncovered Ruby), had a lot of fun watching stuff fly out of their booth. Even more fun watching people trying to fit their finds into their car! By the way, they are having their show on October 3rd in Battleground, so put it on your calendar. We're going to be there, too!