Fabulous Fall

So Simple Summer has morphed into Fabulous Fall. My favorite season. Steamy soups, rich stews, nature aglow with vibrant colors, the Harvest Moon hanging low and shining bright orange like a Halloween pumpkin. Today I’m cleaning up the remnants of summer. Chopping off dead leaves, crinkled up vines and 
faded blossoms. I’ll dump them into the mulch pile and they’ll become transformed into organic waste for next summer. I really don’t want to be mulch for the next generation, but it seems as if that’s my destiny. Any thoughts, my dear, devoted readers? 

Simple Summer Fading

The pumpkins are playing peek-a-boo among the fading foliage that has protected and nourished them all summer. Time to show their bright orange faces!

The Dakota Prairie Hyacinth have lost their lustre. The second half of this summer has been tough on my plants. Water from the hose just doesn’t have the magic growing power that rain from heaven has. Time for this baby to go to sleep and give up its seeds

to hibernate in an envelope and be ready for next spring. 

The heat and drought has also taken its toll on our lawn. What lawn, you say?! 

These brilliant fuschia petunias managed to proliferate despite the harsh conditions. Part of the harshness, I have to admit, comes from lack of care this past month. I lost motivation for some reason and the weeds won. It happens. 

And so, my dear, devoted readers we are slipping into fall. I can see it in the tips of the trees and feel it on the cooling evening breeze. The simple summer didn’t turn out so perfectly simple after all, but I have learned an important lesson this season:

REAL PERFECTION IS IN THE IMPERFECTION OF ALL THINGS, PEOPLE AND CIRCUMSTANCES. 

Simple Summer of Vines at the Pines

It’s the summer of the vine at Whispering Pines! I love the look of wandering, trailing, climbing vines. I’m excited to have been able to nurture and grow some lovely ones this year. Take a look...

Simple Summer Rain

Lenny and I were out working in the yard on a beautiful Sunday. Picking weeds, rototilling the pumpkins and squash,

watering with Miracle Gro, when all of a sudden the sky opened up and rain dumped! It was amazing. A few short 

weeks ago we were moaning and groaning over what we thought was going to be another drought summer. Lo and 

behold, so far it has not turned out that way...We have puddles! 

What is that crocodile doing in this simple summer sky?

Father’s Day 2018

My Dad loved to laugh. He hid much of his pain, disappointment, grief and sorrow behind humor. He was the funniest person I’ve ever known. For every circumstance and situation there was a joke or funny story. He liked to hold court at the head of the dining room table on the farm with my mom, the children and grandchildren around the table. He gave humor as a gift to all of us as we took in his infectious laugh. His favorite jokes were about Ole and Lena, Sven and Hilda. When his jokes veered away from “appropriate”, Mom would give him the look. But that didn’t stop him. We always heard the punch line. And laughed until we cried. 

In my Dad's honor this Father’s Day, I’d like to share a joke I heard from my brother. 

“ Two nuns decided they wanted a 6 pack of beer. The new Pope had loosened up the rules and they were out for a night of fun. But they were afraid of what parishioners would think if word got out that they were in the liquor store. So they made a plan. They would tell the clerk that the beer was for a shampoo for their hair. After all, they didn’t wear habits any longer, they had hair for all the world to see. So they went to the neighborhood liquor store, set a 6 pack of Bud Light on the counter and told the clerk they were making a shampoo to help their hair shine. The clerk took down a bag of pretzels, set it alongside the 6-pack and said, “Sisters, you can use these for curlers.” 

Simple Summer Sunday Supper

Summer of Simplicity 2018

Gettin’ the green on after a glorious, much needed rain. 

Happy Sunday!