Bits & Bobs & Life Goes On

Thank you all for your very kind words about my sweet angel, Lily - the house has been so quiet since she's gone. I was so used to the sound of her nails tapping around - even though the other two babies make their own little taps, I am still missing the sound of our tip-tappity Lily. 

How To Overwinter Your Geraniums

Remember back in the spring I promised to show you how to overwinter your Geraniums? 

Well, it's time!!

Autumn In The Mountains

It's been kind of a weird Autumn up here on the mountain top. One day it's chilly, the next day warm and humid. 

But it appears that's about to change. 

Happy Fall, Y'All!

The leaves are changing and starting to fall and there's a nip in the air most evenings now on the mountain top....and I couldn't be happier!

It's finally here, it's finally Fall, Y'All!

Looking Forward To Fall

It's been ridiculously hot on the Mountain Top this summer, which is quite bizarre for us.

I have to say I'm not loving it.

Autumn On The Mountain Top

Autumn has well and truly settled onto the Mountain Top. 

Well, at least Autumn colors. 

The temperatures, on the other hand? Not so much. 

5 Things I'm Making This Fall....and Only Two More Days To Vote!

The leaves are changing like mad up on the mountain top, and there is most definitely the excitement of autumn in the air. 

This & That

In the wake of the most...shall I say, INTERESTING...election in history - most of the country is still reeling over the results.

Yesterday was quite the day.

I'm glad the election is in the past, but I'm afraid for our future.

Meanwhile, on our little mountain top, life goes on.

Heaven On Earth

Saturday was such an absolutely glorious autumn day on the mountain top that I started snapping photos the second my feet hit the ground!

I never tire of waking to the sights and sounds of horses outside my bedroom window, although they managed to escape my camera on this gorgeous morning. 

Try as I may, it was impossible to truly capture the golden glow that was shining in through the windows. 

While I was enjoying my coffee, the Monkey was enjoying her usual morning spot....in a sun puddle, as usual. 

She always makes sure she has a few of her favorite things up on the chair with her. When I straighten up the house and fluff the pillows I typically find 5 or 6 toys tucked into the corners of this chair!

After a trip to my local farmers' market, there was work to be done around the house. 

I decided this heavenly autumn day called for a vegetable beef stew in the crock pot that could cook as I took care of some necessary chores. 

I browned some ground beef that I picked up at the market and threw it in with some onions, garlic, shallots, sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, and celery. All the items were either from the farmers' market or grown in my crooked little garden. 

Next came some beef broth, herbs, pepper, and a couple of bay leaves. I gave everything a good stir, turned it on high, and went about my day. 

Eventually I couldn't resist the pull of the outdoors. It was time to abandon any further chores and enjoy the amazing beauty I am so blessed to be surrounded with. 

The firepit was calling my name. What better way to spend a lovely fall afternoon in the mountains? 

So, I did what any good mountain girl would do and made myself an apple cider martini....with a cinnamon rim, of course.....put on my ugly old uggs, grabbed a throw, and headed outside. 

It was time to settle in and watch the show at the feeder. I gave the birds a bit more seed and some peanuts before I got comfortable, and I knew they would show up within minutes. 

Oh, how I missed feeding the birds and critters! I know the bears haven't hibernated yet, but they haven't been bothering my home lately, so all is well. 

There's nothing I like more than spending time in nature enjoying the beauty God created, while my little furry and feathered friends enjoy the feast I put out for them. 

That's heaven on earth, right there. 

My sister asked me when she visited last if the squirrels can climb the feeder poles clamped to the deck. 

The answer would be a resounding yes!

There's nothing that keeps the squirrels off the feeders for good - they always seem to figure it out. It's just part and parcel of feeding the birds. 

Although the firepit on my deck is propane, the smell of woodsmoke surrounded me from both my woodstove and my neighbor's. 

I love the way the afternoon sun hits the mountain across the way. The mountain top just seems to glow....and then the sun dips down and is gone, as dusk settles onto the mountain top. 

It was time to put out the fire and go inside, to warm up by the woodstove. 

And enjoy a bowl of vegetable beef stew and some warm crusty bread. 

Heaven on earth. 

I'm so blessed. 

Fall Fashion Over 40

It's that time of the year when I transition from sandals to ballet flats and boots....scarves and sweaters. 

Layers....lovely layers!

The Last Hurrah

Well, that's it - gardening season is officially over.

That's not to say there's not plenty of work that remains to be done, in and around the garden. Not a chance.

It's just that our short growing season has officially come to an end.

Seasonal Harvest Tour

I still can't believe I'm here, part of this incredible Bloggers Seasonal Harvest Tour! I'm so honored to be among this amazingly talented group of bloggers, opening their homes for an autumn tour. 

I am eternally grateful to Brenda from Cozy Little House for her friendship, her guidance, and for including me among the 25 talented bloggers for the 2016 Bloggers Seasonal Harvest Tour. 

Fall Is In The Air!

Fall has well and truly arrived to the mountain top and I'm delighted to see all the vibrant colors everywhere I look!

We could  all sure use a little happiness and light after the sad week we had last week. 

It's Coming!

Every day brings more changes to the mountain top, now that Autumn is nearly upon us. 

Frosty Mountain Morning

It was a cold one last night with temps dropping down to 22 here on the mountain top! 

There was a heavy frost this morning making the simplest of items sparkle in the sunshine. 

And let me tell you, all this frostiness is not helping me NOT think about Christmas!

And Christmas decor. And Christmas trees. And wrapping gifts. And Christmas dinner. 

I've been trying to hold off....but it's bubbling up inside of me and I am going to break down one of these days soon!

I'm just so excited to decorate my new home for the holidays!!

But for now, let's just browse around at the beautiful frosty mountain morning. 

The front garden is a sea of ice crusted blades of grass this morning - it was a beautiful sight looking down from the upper deck. 

No coffee on the garden swing this morning!

I guess the chairs by the fire pit are a no-go also this morning - Brrrrr!!

Look how thick the frost was on the deck railings - it looked like snow. 

Like Christmas snow. Oops, sorry, there I go again!

My little garden cottage has a heavy frost on the roof. I guess it's time to dump all the pots and stack them in the shed for the winter. 

Summer grass gives way to fall leaves...which give way to winter frosts. 

The horses were up by their little barn - the lower paddock is all frozen over. Must be a bit warmer up on the hill. 

I could see the vapor coming from the horse's breath on this frosty morning. 

No warm glow coming from the solar path lights. 

The Lamb's Ear looks like it was dipped in sugar. 

And the Snow in Summer looks more like Snow in Autumn.

Back up on the deck Strawberry plants look so beautiful even in frost. 

The rubber stair treads I added yesterday are terrific - nothing slippery about my deck stairs now!

Back inside the warm steamy kitchen the bean soup I started in the crockpot yesterday is making the whole house smell like heaven. 

The sun is pouring in through the front windows and the dining room is glowing in the morning light. 

And there's a fire burning in the wood stove, keeping the house warm until I return. 

There's nothing like coming into a nice warm house on a frosty day. 

Welcome home. 

Puttering

It's a damp, cold, miserable kind of a November day in the mountains today....but I don't really mind that much. It's a good excuse to be indoors doing one of the things I love most on my day off - puttering. 

I love when I have a rare day that I don't have to go anywhere. Nowhere. No deadlines, no timetables, no schedule. I can just putter around my house doing bits of this and that. 

At my leisure. In between checking out blogs and rambling around the internet. 

Best kind of day EVER. 

I started my day with a cup of Cappuccino, as I love to do on my day off. Super awesome weekend treat to myself. Perfect way to start my morning. 

After feeding the birds I made a nice weekend breakfast of scrambled eggs with cheddar, a side of crispy bacon, and raspberry white chocolate scones. Decadent! And no, I didn't make the scones - my sister brought them when she came to visit a few weeks back and I froze the leftovers. Yumzers!

After washing up the pans I decided to make Sunny Simple Life's Homemade Bleach Cleaner - it was so easy to make! 

I took everything off my kitchen counters, sprayed them down with the cleaner, let it sit for about 15 minutes while I bounced around blogland, and then wiped them down. They came out great!! And I really feel like they are SUPER CLEAN - I'm always a big fan of using bleach to kill any germs. And I am one of those people who actually likes the smell of bleach so that's a plus. It definitely killed the smell of the bacon in the house which is a big bonus for me!!

That went so well I decided to try out Sunny Simple Life's Super Frugal Easy Way to Stretch Your Laundry Soap. 

Sunny Simple Life

I have to tell you, I'm very impressed! I ordered the Fels - Naptha Laundry Soap on Amazon  since I don't have a dollar store around here but even at the Amazon price this is is most definitely a super frugal easy way to stretch the laundry detergent. I got two bars for under $6 and I think they will easily last me for MONTHS!

I was a little worried about how it would smell since I have never tried this product before...I thought perhaps it would smell like petroleum jelly or similar. Nope! Lovely fresh citrusy smell - I'm lovin' it!!

The stretched laundry detergent is getting the first workout on the fur-babies blankets. Even if I just use this "stretched" detergent for sheets, blankets, comforters, bath rugs, towels....the stuff that doesn't really get stains but just needs freshening - it will still save a ton of $$$ on laundry detergent. Thanks, Sunny Simple Life!!

My next task was to blow off the deck and deck stairs - I have such a great blower that I love - as a matter of fact I bought a bunch of their garden tools when I bought my house. I didn't want to have to mess with gas/oil mixtures, winterizing machines, etc. I read about the WORX brand tools somewhere and had to give them a try. 

Via

I have to say I'm very pleased with my little blower. It's so light and easy to use - even my daughter who is about 90 lbs soaking wet has no problem using it. When I beg her. 

Anyway. 

I wanted to get the leaves off the deck so I could put down these mats and stair treads I got from Improvements Catalog. 

Via

I ordered 6 stair treads and 2 mats for the top of the stairs. Let me tell you - those mats are HEAVY!! I had to have my daughter help me carry them up the stairs!

Here's how they look on my stairs - I'm loving them! These old wooden stairs get mighty slippery and I was nervous we were going to tumble down them in the winter. 

My sweetie will have to figure out how to trim that bottom one to fit around the moldings - I don't even know if that's possible - they are so thick and heavy, made from recycled tires. 

I'm really happy with them! And I was just finishing up this little task when a storm blew in with mixed rain and snow....so I ran into the house and put on the kettle for a cup of tea. 

Brrrrrr. 

My next project is going to be in the kitchen - I'm trying out a new recipe that has been up on my fridge for a while - Slow Cooker Gigante Beans with Tomatoes and Pancetta from Alexandra's Kitchen. 

Alexandra's Kitchen

I'm going to start with this recipe but adapt it (as I usually do with recipes) to suit my needs - I am going to use fresh tomatoes to use up some more of the billions of green tomatoes that are ripening slowly in the dining room. 

And bacon instead of Pancetta, since that's what I have. 

Doesn't this look absolutely scrumptious?? I love her blog....you should go check it out!

This will be tomorrow's dinner. From what I read it's even better the second day - and this means no cooking for me tomorrow evening, which frees me up to run to the market after work. 

Perhaps. If I feel like it. 

Depending on how my Monday goes. They aren't always good days. . 

Tonight's dinner will be roasted chicken in my new best friend  - which I absolutely adore, by the way. It's been over a month now since she came to live with me and I tend to reach for her first before any of my other pots. It heats up so evenly, cooks beautifully, and cleanup is an absolute breeze. I'm so thrilled. 

Martha Stewart

So, spiced roast chicken, sweet potatoes, stuffing, carrots from the garden - who's in?

Happy Sunday, Friends!!

The Thanksgiving Table

We have a long standing tradition in my family that my sister hosts Thanksgiving and I host Christmas. It's been this way for 25 years now!

Which means I don't have a lot of Thanksgiving decor around my house. I decorate for fall/harvest rather than specifically Halloween or Thanksgiving. 

The nice thing about that is the decorations go up in September and just stay up until my daughter comes home for Thanksgiving.

Then it's time for Christmas decorating! We always do it the weekend she's home for Thanksgiving because she's not back again until Christmas. 

Anyway, I digress. 

Even though I don't host Thanksgiving dinner I absolutely love some of the beautiful table settings I find out there online. I have always been drawn to warm colors in my home which lends itself well to fall decorating....there's just something about fall, am I right? 

Here are some of my favorites from around the globe:

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As usual my tastes are all over the place! The nice thing is that any of these could be used for any fall dinner party, not just Thanksgiving. 

Which one is your favorite?

Happy Weekend, Friends!!

The November Garden

It is an absolutely glorious day in the mountains - the kind of day that just makes you feel lucky to be alive. I stepped out onto my deck this morning to feed the birds and had to run right back inside for the camera!

It's about 65 degrees out today and the sun is shining through the bare trees and it's hard to believe that not long ago we had snow!  No doubt there's a lot more snow to come but for now I'll just enjoy the November Garden. 

The Violas I put in back in April are still going strong! They faded a bit in the hot summer sun but once the weather cooled they kicked into high gear. They have survived 4 frosts so far and are still glorious. 

I wish I had a place to keep them alive over the winter....I might try bringing them into the unheated garage and see if they make it through to the spring. 

The mums that hadn't bloomed by the time we got the first hard frost survived and are blooming beautifully now. 

The Weeping Willow at the top of the driveway is beautiful at all times of the year - this morning the sun was shining through it and the whole thing was aglow.

I don't know what this is growing along the edge of the property but it sure looks pretty in November with that gorgeous red foliage. 

The garlic I planted right before the frost is growing....gulp! I don't know what will happen in the spring - this has never happened before when I planted garlic in October. Fingers crossed it survives and grows into nice big heads of garlic. 

I had found a packet of old Mesclun seeds when I was doing my fall cleanup in the veggie garden and decided to toss them in to see what happens. Looks like a couple took! We might get a winter salad after all. 

The foliage on the Blueberry Bush is lovely. I think I might need a second bush in order to get fruit but I'm not certain. I didn't get any berries this year but it barely survived last winter in a pot - I had to cut it back so drastically when I moved here in the spring. I wasn't really expecting any berries after all that trauma. 

One of the climbing roses I put in over the summer is still trying to bud - the frost got the last bud, let's see what happens with this one. Look at that beautiful foliage with the pink edges - simply gorgeous!

More happy little Violas from the spring planting. 

The Creeping Jenny is still going strong and look at how the leaves are turning pink! This stuff is my favorite "trailer" in mixed planters as it comes back every year.  Saves a little money at the nursery int the spring! Plus I love the chartreuse foliage against the bright colors of the flowers. 

The Pansies in the whiskey barrels are still doing beautifully, although the geraniums didn't survive the first frost. The Pansies were also from the early spring planting, along with the Violas. It's weird the way the mountain top is totally different for gardening than down in the valley - I'm getting used to it, though. In my house in the valley the pansies and violas would fizzle out in the summer and that was the end of them. Here on the mountain they just seem to rest in the summer and then come back with a vengeance!

One of the two Sand Cherries I put in by my garden cottage when we prettied up the exterior. The other Sand Cherry is already bare of leaves. Weird!

The view looking back to the house from the garden cottage. So beautiful! The shrubs around the house are all evergreen and the lawn was mowed for the last time this season yesterday, mulching all the leaves into the lawn to feed the grass for the spring. I don't have time to rake and mulching the leaves in the fall just makes a ton more sense to me. 

The puppies were out with me, sniffing all around the property....they probably smelled Mr. Bear.  They love going with me on a walkabout - they do their own little sniffabout!

I just put in two of these beautiful Sunjoy Tangelo Barberries at the edge of the property, in between three Lemon Candy Nine Bark - I can't wait to see how gorgeous they will look together as they get bigger - the contrast in foliage should be lovely! 

The hydrangeas have dried on the bush - I don't know whether to leave them or cut them back. They look kind of cool right now so I'll just leave them be for the moment. 

The last of the Achillea blooming - it put on quite the show around here this year. 

I hope you enjoyed this little walk around my November garden - I'm already looking forward to spring and hoping that the critters didn't eat ALL of the 240 bulbs I put in right before the frost! I know they got some of them but perhaps they were kind enough to leave some for me?