So Long, Farewell.....

It's time to say goodbye. 

At least for a while.  

I've said countless times that I love blogging and I do.  But, I have to be honest, my heart just isn't into blogging right now.  There is so much I've neglected lately and I just haven't been able to find that right balance between Real Life and Blogging.  

Too much time is being spent sitting on my derriere in front of a computer and not enough time attending to those chores and projects that I have piling up.  So, as much as I don't want to do it, I know I must.  Those short breaks I've taken weren't nearly long enough. 

I plan to be back when I've gotten caught up on a few things.  I'm slow, so it may be a while.  I'll be checking in and reading from time to time and, when time permits, I'll leave a comment, but my posting will be on hiatus for now.  

Take care and stay well, dear blog friends.  Enjoy the wonderful fall season...I certainly plan to!  We have our fall vacation coming up next month...I can't wait!

Until next time...

A Book Review - A Wilder Rose

Susan Wittig Albert is a popular and gifted novelist.  I received an email from her after my 3 part posts I'd written after our trip to visit the homes of Laura Ingalls Wilder in Mansfield, MO.  Mrs. Albert generously offered to send me a copy of her book, A Wilder Rose, for review.  That I was delighted to hear from her and then to receive the book goes without saying. 

This book is written as fiction, but is based on fact after the author's thorough research of Rose Wilder Lane's unpublished diaries and journals.  The question over the true authorship of the Little House books seems to be answered in A Wilder Rose.  The answer may surprise, and possibly disappoint, some of the die-hard Laura Ingalls Wilder fans.  

I found the story about the relationship of these two women, Laura and her daughter, Rose, to be very well-written, entertaining and fascinating.  Rose is a very intelligent and complex person who embraces her parent's work ethics, but often rejects their values.  She was also a highly successful author long before her mother, Laura, ever started writing the Little House books.   

There are many interesting tidbits in this book and one such tidbit was that there is a possible explanation as to why Rose built the new house for Laura and Almanzo.  For me, a few other questions remained after reading this book and I'm not sure they can ever be answered.  Taking into consideration Rose's very active imagination, I have to wonder if she might not have elaborated in her writings in her diaries.  Particularly during the times she was frustrated with her mother.  I also can see Laura's side of things, after reading about Rose's often Bohemian lifestyle and knowing how it would appear to a very small and rural community back in those days.  There was a reason she was referred to as The Wilder Rose.

Susan Wittig Albert has written a book that I will read more than once.  In part because I'm a fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder, but beyond that is the fact that this novel is not just about Rose and Laura and whether or not the Little House books were co-authored.  It is also full of interesting historical facts true to that period in the late 1920's and the 1930's and touches on the Great Depression and how it affected their lives.   

I'm not quite sure what to think about the conclusion the author reaches in this novel about the true authorship of the Little House books.  I know the evidence points strongly to the idea that there was a collaboration, at the very least.  I do believe that the stories were Laura's and I do know that she had written the manuscripts for the books.  Whether or not the manuscripts were just merely edited or totally rewritten is something I'd probably have to research for myself.  Either way, I still consider them Laura's books.  They were her stories.  

Thank you to Susan Wittig Albert for sending me this entertaining and thought-provoking book.  I thoroughly enjoyed it!

September Note Cards

 

For this month's Note Card Party, I'm sharing a few flower garden photos taken this year.  Fall officially begins in a few days, so my note cards are a salute to a wonderful summer! 

 

 

To see some beautiful photos made into note cards, just head on over to Vee's Note Card Party.  Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time...

The Weekend

I snapped some of the last zinnias over the weekend.  I think they are about finished for the season since it is so dry and I stopped watering them a while back.  As of this writing, we've had a little shower but much more is needed.  

Hubby took me to the Longhorn Steakhouse yesterday.   I had the ribeye on the left and his was, of course, the ribeye with the french fries.  We have a little joke in our family about his love for french fries.  They are his choice of potato.  Always.  Anyone see the movie Slingblade?  The character, Karl, loved french fries and mustard and Hub can imitate him perfectly saying so with the Uh Hum at the end.  You'd have to know the movie for this to make sense.  Moving on...I chose the dish in the middle pic in place of a salad.  I eat plenty of salad at home, so I chose the brussels sprouts au gratin.  It was very good!  

We did some other exciting things yesterday like go to Lowe's, Menard's, and Bass Pro.   Ha!   I did get to run into the Dollar Tree for some silk flowers to add to a fall wreath I'm trying to put together.  My fall decorating is coming along slowly.  How about yours? 

I've had a gift card at the local bookstore that I intended to use on a particular book I've been wanting, but the book wasn't in and so I decided to go with a selection of magazines.  I've had such fun looking at these and getting some new ideas.  Do you find decorating inspiration from magazines or do the wonderful home and garden blogs give you more ideas?  I really love seeing new ways to use things I already have.  

 

I just had to close with one more zinnia shot.  Shhh, don't tell Stormy!   I am going to miss them, but we have the wonderful, glorious fall colors on the way!  I'm looking forward to seeing them.  Mums and pumpkins are already at the market.  Have you bought a few yet?  Autumn officially begins next Sunday! 

Until next time...

Stormy Sez

My mom is letting me do her blog post today

because I do have something to say.

I hope it doesn't upset her or make her too mad.

Because I might not get treats if she thinks I'm bad.

I have to say it.  If she shows one more photo 

of a zinnia on her blog, I think I'll gag.  

Seriously.

I do my best to take care of the zinnias she
brings inside, but she insists on going out to

the garden with her camera and I'm not 

allowed to follow.

There are other things to take photos of...like me.

How can I purrsuade her to snap 

something besides zinnias all the time?

How could she pawsibly think zinnias are more 

interesting to shoot than I am?

I give up.  Look at that screen behind me.  I think I'll take a nap.  

Fall is coming and the zinnias will soon be gone and then she'll

have to find something else to photograph.  Maybe it will be me.

I hope your day is purrfect!

Until next time,

Stormy

Barn Charm

Once again, I'm sharing a barn photo taken in the Amish community.  I wonder what the room is used for where the curtains are hanging in the windows of this barn?   

Linking to Barn Charm

Until next time...

Mooning on Monday

The moon looked so pretty and red last night around 9 pm, and Venus is visible over on the right of the second photo.  I should have used the tripod for a better shot, but you get the idea.  

Happy Monday to you!

Until next time...

Random 5 Friday

It's Friday!!  Once again I'm participating in Nancy's Random 5 Friday.

1.  We are needing rain.  We're almost through the first week of September and we're hoping to see some cooler temperatures soon, too.  I think the weather and pollen is playing havoc with my sinuses.  I've had a yucky headache for a few days.
      
2.  I went to our nearest city yesterday and stopped by the resale shop.  I found 3 books that I didn't need, but bought anyway.  We have inherited a large bookcase that needs some sprucing up and I hope to get started on that project soon.  

3.  Speaking of books, last night I finished the book I was sent to review.  Now, I've got to try to do the review justice.  It was a good read, but also one that left me thinking.  I'll tell all about it soon.  

4.  I walked into a little antique/vintage shop the other day and it had a such a wonderful scent.  The owner told me that she was burning candles from W-Mart called Pumpkin Spice.  I picked up a couple of them, they were only 5 dollars for the large size.  Umm, they smell so nice!

5.  My decluttering project has never really gotten off the ground yet.  It's a daunting task.  I can't believe I've accumulated so much junk stuff.  A lot of it is paper...old receipts, bills, magazines, etc.  There was an article online that I read today that listed over 100 things you should throw away.  So if you need to declutter like I do and need help deciding what to throw out, HERE is where you can find the list.

Happy Friday to you and have a wonderful weekend!

Until next time...

September Memories

"By all these lovely tokens
September days are here,
With summer’s best of weather
And autumn’s best of cheer."

~Helen Hunt Jackson 

September is one of my favorite months.  It is the month that my favorite season begins.  You can begin to feel fall in the air.  The days may still be plenty warm, but the nights will begin to be much cooler here in the midwest.   

I have fond memories of those first days of school which began after Labor Day when I was young.  I also remember some of the best things about a new school year were the new boxes of crayons, new shoes and outfits to wear for the first time.  I wonder what kids today look forward to about school?  With so much available to most children now, I doubt a simple box of crayons means very much today.

September is a time for vacationing for us.  I'll never forget the vacation in which we took a 2 week car trip out west around 7 or 8 years ago.   We drove through 8 states and stopped at as many sights along the way that we had time for including the fabulous Grand Canyon.  It was a wonderful trip and one that I hope to repeat again.  It was the first ever 2 week trip for us. 

Our very first September vacation as a married couple was to Colorado with our 3 year old daughter.  The highlight of that trip was probably riding the cog wheel train up Pike's Peak in Colorado Springs.   

I'm going to miss going somewhere this month, but we've decided to wait until October to go to Branson for our vacation this year.  I hope we time it right to see the pretty fall colors.  We've already been to Branson a couple of times this year, but they were only long weekend trips.  

September is the month of Hubby's birthday and also the month we became engaged so many years ago.  I remember our favorite song at that time was Unchained Melody.  It remains one of my all-time favorite sappy love songs.         

September is also a month that none of us will forget for what happened to our country on 9/11.  I'll never forget that our country was attacked, but I'll also never forget how most people came together and we were united as a country as we had not been in a very long time.  What has happened?  Have most people already forgotten?  It seems to me that there are many who want to divide our people now. 

My hope for this September, as we remember 9/11 a week from today, is that we will remember the spirit of unity and love for our fellow man that we once shared and put an end to the divisiveness that only harms us.

   
Do you have any special September memories?   Do you have a vacation planned or a special project at home to work on?  A special celebration coming up?  Do tell....

Until next time...