Early September . . .

It's the first week of September and just about everyone I speak to says the same thing. “Where'd the summer go? It went by so fast!” No matter their age … its not just us old folks … everyone seems to be a bit saddened by the obvious and seemingly abrupt end of summer sights and sounds.  But it has been sneaking up on us in subtle ways for almost a month. On drives home from Buffalo on country roads in mid-August, I noticed the leaves changing color on many of the maple trees along the way. And from our back deck, the maples and willows along the Tonawanda Creek that runs behind our house have lost their bright green hues of summer and are now a washed out pale greyed green. 🍁

And it's not just the view that I notice changing. The sounds are different now than even a month ago. The birds sing different songs. The adults have done their job and raised their broods. The fledglings have flown their nests and are able to fend for themselves. There's no more food sharing from momma's and poppa's beaks to their young. The feeders aren't visited very often and there's no music. They are making their way south. 🐦

The breeze is noticeably brisker and the leaves aren't making their soft sounds. They are more bristly and dry sounding and some are even sneakily tumbling to the ground. There's a peppering of yellowed leaves on the lawn. Not enough to notice though, unless you look. 👁👁

When summer officially ends on September 22nd, I'll be grateful for the summer I enjoyed and the promise of another autumn with all of it's colors, sounds, fragrances, tastes and traditions. The produce at the farm stands and markets in the late summer and fall offer my absolute favorites. The culmination of all the hard work of our local farmers warms this farm-raised girl's heart. 👩‍🌾

Do you have a favorite season? What is it and why? I'd love to hear from you.

Below are a few photos from the past week. My closing remarks will appear below them.

A new hat for late summer.
 It's hard to resist a clearance rack!

Two blossoms that we hope will open to big blooms on our new hibiscus bush. I've admired these in neighbors' yards for a long time. Why did I wait to get one?

It might seem a bit early for mums, but we love the selection at Badding Brothers in Amherst. They were a great purchase last year, so we picked a couple up the other day. They're a mix of three colors.

Again  ... something I've wanted for a long time. Why did I wait so long? It's a sanseveria, also known as a snake plant or mother-in-law's tongue. We brought her home from Badding Brothers. We named her Edythe in honor of my mother. ❤ She had one of these that grew quite large over the years. When I was a little girl, I used to get up close to this pot and imagine going on adventures in the woods.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. You can click on any of the photos to enlarge them if you want a closer look.

👁👁 

As always, your questions and comments are welcome here on my blog or on my Facebook post. Kindly add your name, initials or something that will identify you to me when you post comments on my blog. Blogger doesn't always recognize my friends and calls everyone "anonymous"! I love to read your comments and after I've read and approved them, they'll appear on my blog.

It is my sincere wish that you and those you love are happy and healthy. And until we meet again, may the Lord hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Emmy

It Is Time . . .

When is the right time to start something new? If you are like me, it may be when everything else on your TO DO list is crossed off. At least, that is how I tend to think and operate. However, since everything is NEVER crossed off my list, that means it is never the right time to start something new. This tendancy to wait for the right time is my enemy. It prevents me from being my creative self and the result is frustration and sadness. It is self-imposed and there is no one else to blame for it but myself. This tendancy to put limitations on myself is unhealthy. Why live with such a feeling of defeat and punishment? Why can I easily sit down every morning and plan my day with its errands and chores, but not plan for more enjoyment? Is this really how I want to live my life and spend my days? There is a real disconnect between my task-oriented self and my creative self.

This past spring and summer, when I awoke from my self-imposed hibernation over the winter months, I realized the tension this was creating for me when many of my friends and acqaintances told me how much they have enjoyed reading my blog posts over the past several years and my occasional outfit of the day facebook posts. They said they liked to read my blog and liked the photos I posted on Facebook, but they missed them lately, since I had not been writing or posting as often. I was very touched by their kind and heartfelt comments. To ignore them would be rude and thankless. Afterall, they shared a part of themselves with me when they told me I had made a difference in some small way to their lives. I hadn't considered that before. They were earnest and I was very moved. I want to change, and the only person who can make that happen is ME! So, this short blog post makes it official. I have put it in writing and into the universe. Now, let’s see what happens!

I have a few blog posts started in my file and will peruse them to see if they are something I want to use for future posts. In the meantime, until I publish another post, here are some photos from recent months in the garden and around the house. My closing remarks appear at the end of the photos.

Emmy the Gardner listening to an audiobook

A male Cardinal enjoying the morning sun on the arbor with fragrant honeysuckle. In just one season, the vines have grown to the top. 

Close up of a honeysuckle blossom.
The hummingbirds love them.

A beautiful large hydrangea that bloomed again this year. It showed up in our garden for the first time last year. We don't know how it got here. We didn't plant it, but we're grateful to Mother Nature!

We scored this handy new-in-the-box greenhouse on Facebook marketplace. It came in handy this spring and now is a holding/staging area for pots and gardening supplies. Our birdfood is kept dry and pest free in the metal can.

My little amaryllis farm. They enjoy the summer sun and warmth on the east-facing deck until it's time to hibernate in dormancy in the basement from mid-September until mid- to late-November.

A cicada stopped by to say hello. Its exoskeleton looks like a scarab. 

This little one visits the yard and garden almost every morning. As long as she only eats the clover, she's welcome. ♡

My delicate little windchime that makes sweet sounds in the breeze. A contribution from my sister. ♡

Our farm box from Oatka Creek Farm in LeRoy, NY. We joined their CSA this year and have enjoyed the fresh produce. They're also at the Saturday morning Farmers Market in LeRoy. 

Finally a homemade pizza. It's been a while since I made one. This has fresh mozzarella, cup 'n char pepperoni and some of the eggplant from Oatka Creek Farm. 😋

Spiralized fresh ruby red beets from Oatka Creek Farm. ♡

My typical afternoon reward for tackling some projects on my TO DO list. That's double-strength half-caff in the mason jar.  👁👁

Pensive Emmy
Hoping to start something new.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. You can click on any of the photos to enlarge them if you want a closer look.

👁👁 

As always, your questions and comments are welcome here on my blog or on my Facebook post. Kindly add your name, initials or something that will identify you to me when you post comments on my blog. Blogger doesn't always recognize my friends and calls everyone "anonymous"! I love to read your comments and after I've read and approved them, they'll appear on my blog.

It is my sincere wish that you and those you love are happy and healthy. And until we meet again, may the Lord hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Emmy

Progress . . . Not Perfection

My composition book for daily lists. I didn't like using these at all in highschool or college, but really like them now. I'm not sure why. Perhaps I've become nostalgic and want to go back to my school days!

It's a new year, full of hopes and dreams. As we move forward into 2024, I'm trying to be positive and realistic. There are things we all must do on a regular basis to maintain equilibrium in our lives, such as paying bills on time, planning meals and buying groceries, making and keeping doctor appointments, cleaning our home, and getting vaccinated against the new onslaught of viruses ... just to name a few.

There are times in our lives when we get so caught up in the "must do" list that we lack the energy for the "want to do" things, such as hobbies and time spent with friends and relatives. It's winter here in Western New York state. It's cold and snowy at times and there's an uptick in COVID-19, influenza and RSV; but if we choose not to gather in person, there IS the option of using zoom and facetime to visit with others while we stay safe within our own four walls. These technological methods are a real gift and are relatively simple to use after a couple practice runs.

A zoom call image from a couple years ago. It's even better than a phone call because we can see faces!

The pandemic required us to be creative and challenged us to employ new methods for doing everyday things. If you've followed me on facebook or here on my blog, you already know how much I like curbside pickup for my online shopping. Groceries, clothes, household items, skincare, makeup and just about anything you want or need can be picked up curbside ... not to mention, but I will, the CHOICES at the grocery store are fantastic because my shopper can schlep up and down the aisles for me! There's no searching for things in places I'd think they'd be ... only to come up empty handed. And while my shopper is working on my order, I can chat with him/her by text in the app to answer questions. Home delivery for medicines, as well as small appliances and bulky and heavy items, keeps us safe from falls on the ice and saves wear and tear on our aging backs. And, when we need information on how to do something ... anything ... we can hop on the Internet and learn from YouTube videos and blogs. There's really no reason for us to be in the dark in this convenience-focused information-filled world where so much is literally at our finger tips.

Instacart reminds me of the time I've saved by shopping from the comfort of my recliner!

All of these things are indeed progress. Yet, technology isn't perfection. It's a useful tool. Our own ingenuity can often surpass the inventions intended to make our lives easier.  Sometimes keeping it simple wins over downloading an app and having to use a phone or tablet for something that could be accomplished with good old-fashioned pencil and paper! Not to mention, it is good exercise for our brains to perform certain tasks, versus rely on a device. It might even mean that you have less eyestrain and exposure to blue light, which is bad for our eyes. There's not the distraction of notifications splashing across the screen when we use paper and pencil. How many times have we been pulled down a rabbit hole by a notification that is too tempting to ignore, only to be disappointed in ourselves because we were duped into clicking on it?

Since I'm always seeking balance in my life, this year's focus will be on progress  . . . not perfection. I will step back during each day to assess how I'm doing and stop focusing on tasks. Quiet time, play time, and hobbies will have a place of importance in my daily life.

What are you hoping to achieve in this new year? What methods will you use to stay on track? I'd love to hear from you in the comments. We can learn so much by sharing with each other. 

Look at all these days that lie ahead!

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. You can click on any of the photos to enlarge them if you want a closer look. 👁👁 As always, your questions and comments are welcome here on my blog or on my Facebook post. Kindly add your name, initials or something that will identify you to me when you post comments on my blog. Blogger doesn't always recognize my friends and calls everyone "anonymous"! I love to read your comments and after I've read and approved them, they'll appear on my blog.

It is my sincere wish that you and those you love are happy and healthy. And until we meet again, may the Lord hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Emmy

Reflections on 2023

Reflections on 2023

2023. It was a year of plans that seemed to never really take shape. My husband's medical emergency in April actually began in March. Not realizing how miserable and tired he felt wasn't just the due to the winter blahs was an eye opener when he was admitted to the hospital on Easter Sunday with a heart condition. It's just him and me here at home, so we are thankful for the people who've come into our lives over the past year as well as those we've  reconnected with ... from the cardiac team that watched over my husband, the surgeons, nurses and specialists from all the different departments to our visiting nurses and physical therapists, we both felt listened to, monitored and supported until the time came to leave us to do the necessary recovery work on our own. And we've done it!

Eating healthy is more important than ever now. We both enjoy cooking and trying new dishes. 

Sauteed mixed greens from a local organic farmer became a staple last summer to use in soups, omelettes and other dishes. 

Home-baked bread with a steak burger, greens, low-fat swiss, salsa and pepper strips was an occasional treat.

Certain activites are challenging enough in our 70's without complications and limitations due to our health. So ... that exhaustive goals list I prepared last New Year's Day got tabled. Hospitalization, surgery, physical therapy and dietary changes filled our minds and our time. Daily roundtrip drives into the heart of the city of Buffalo for several weeks was exhausting along with the phone calls and worry. You know what I'm talking about if you've had a loved one in the hospital. We are grateful for all the support we received in person and online from friends, family and special neighbors. Living in a rural setting ... a small village over an hour away from our doctors and hospitals can be challenging, frustrating and tiring, but living where people watch over us and care about us is a real gift. Help was truly just a text message away. And, of course, some of the strangest things happened while I was here alone. Wet feet from a leak under the sink, scary noises in the basement, uninvited and unwelcome critters trying to take up residence with me. It only added to what I needed to manage ... and without burdening my very ill husband with the details. All I can say, is when push came to shove, I did it! I got brave, looked around the house AND called our angel of a next door neighbor when I needed help. I'd have been lost without him. And on both occasions when my husband was discharged from the hospital, he assisted with the long journey from the driveway into the house. Helping a big tall man who was now as weak as a kitten was more than I could handle, but our neighbor did it with grace and skill. We can never thank him enough. ♥️ Cupcakes, brownies and fresh-baked bread are a drop in the bucket for what we owe him, but I make an occasional delivery next door. He just shrugs when we thank him and says he feels it is just what a person does to help their neighbor. I hope that you'll have an angel watching over you if you ever need one. He truly is a gift from God.

After a successful appointment with the cardiac team, we enjoyed a healthy meal together at a popular steakhouse in Buffalo.

I've spent the entire morning of this first day of the new year reflecting on last year and dreaming about what is hopefully ahead for this year. My list is long and I already know some of it will get moved down on the priority list, but the annual ritual of writing it is helpful to me. Later on this afternoon my husband and I will sit down together with a glass of wine and a snack and compare notes. We will forge a new (and revised) path toward our goals both as individuals and as a couple.

In my next post, I plan to write about some of our dreams 💭 and goals 🏆for the year 🗓 ahead.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. You can click on any of the photos to enlarge them if you want a closer look. 👁👁 As always, your questions and comments are welcome here on my blog or on my Facebook post. Kindly add your name, initials or something that will identify you to me when you post comments on my blog. Blogger doesn't always recognize my friends and calls everyone "anonymous"! I love to read your comments and after I've read and approved them, they'll appear on my blog.


It is my sincere wish that you and those you love are happy and healthy. And until we meet again, may the Lord hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Emmy

Unfinished ... But Not For Long

 A box of UFOs ... UnFinished Objects ... that's been hidden in my quilt stash for a very long time. 🧵

It's finally fall and warm days spent outside in the yard and garden are fading. After a very long hiatus, it's time for me to get back into my sewing room. This box is one of many in my stash that holds UFOs ... unfinished objects in quilt talk. I can't even call this a box of WIP ... works in progress, because what's inside doesn't show much progress! In fact, what has been hidden in here are random orphaned quilt blocks ... including some that date back 25 years. 

Digging in.
There are more blocks in here than I thought there were!

Close up.
I made some of these while I spent afternoons and evenings with my mother in her nursing home room. I kept a small portable sewing machine in her closet. 🧵

At this point, some quilters would be able to part with them, but not me. I either have a love affair with every fabric I've ever owned, or am so guilt ridden that I can't admit to myself (and now you, dear reader), that I've lost my way. And, I'm not getting any younger. Time waits for no man, or in this case, woman and quilter. I have more fabric than I can realistically use in the years ahead. At least I've stopped buying, but thats more a result of my shopping habits and opportunities changing. First, the COVID-19 pandemic kept me home and out of the quilt shops, second ... over the past couple year ... a few of my favorite shops closed, and third ... some of my other hobbies required more of my time. Avoidance behavior? I'm not sure if these are reasons or excuses, but at this point, what does it matter?

My local quilt guild, Museum Quilt Guild  ( https://museumquiltguild.blogspot.com ), held its monthly meeting on Saturday morning. I waffled on whether or not I'd go. After a few years of not attending, I was a bit anxious about it. Why? I'm not sure. I was active in the guild until about 4 years ago. I decided there's no time like the present . . . and also came to the conclusion that if I missed one more opportunity to be social and get inspired, it wouldn't help me get and stay connected again with people I'd known for years. I'd remain isolated and that's not the goal I have in mind for myself. So, I went to the meeting. I was greeted by many familiar faces and got lots of hugs. I mingled during the break and caught up with people. It was a great way to kick off my day. I look forward to getting involved again, finishing quilts for the next quilt show in October 2024, and enjoying a hobby I've loved during much of my life. ♥️

Today is predicted to be chilly. I hope by its end I can pat myself on the back and say, "I did it! I spent the day in my sewing room, and finished one little project." Baby steps. It's a start. 🧵

Where should I begin? 🧵

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. You can click on any of the photos to enlarge them if you want a closer look. 👁👁 As always, your questions and comments are welcome here on my blog or on my Facebook post. Kindly add your name, initials or something that will identify you to me when you post comments on my blog. Blogger doesn't always recognize my friends and calls everyone "anonymous"! I love to read your comments and after I've read and approved them, they'll appear on my blog.

It is my sincere wish that you and those you love are happy and healthy. And until we meet again, may the Lord hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Emmy

Before Daybreak . . .

3 a.m. It's too early to be up and at 'em, so I sit in my favorite old chair in the dining room, next to the hospital bed that my husband is using during his convalescence from heart surgery. Together 24/7. Learning what it was he did around the house that I wasn't aware of and figuring out how to fit his chores, my chores, errands, patient care and visits from the home care nurses and physical therapists into each day. I think I'm coping, but being up in the wee hours of the morning, which is my new "normal", isn't the best way for me to spend my nights. I should be sleeping. Our mind and our body have a sensitive relationship. When one suffers, the other is affected. My brain is full of thoughts. My body is weary. 

So, here I am ...  up at 3 in the morning. I watch my husband sleep. I listen to his soft unlabored breathing. His chest slighty rises and falls in a soothing rhythm. Soft music plays on the TV channel called New Age music. I like it because the tunes are unrecognizable and there aren't any lyrics to get stuck in my head. And then, there's the coffee. Coffee at 3 o'clock in the morning tastes really good. It's a little ritual that I'm enjoying during this crazy phase in our life. Life. As I type the word, it jolts me. Life. It's never boring or predictable. And as much as I like to plan out my days, and my imaginary routine, those plans often go out the window as soon as I put my pen down after I finish composing my to-do list. There is no routine.

Flexibility is a learned habit, practiced under duress and a requirement made real by this unpredictable life we're sharing. When my husband was recovering in the hospital, I marveled at how the nurses dealt with the challenges of their job. Their "normal" 12-hour shift was exhausting to observe. How they coped was a mystery to me. I gained a greater appreciation for their profession. Their ability to be flexible and handle emergencies was part of their job, and not for just one patient, but for 8 or more patients ... each one with different medical needs. They taught me so much. I need to remember them in my prayers. 

Deep breath. I can hear the much-needed rain falling on the roof and trickling down the gutters. In the absolute quiet, I can settle down a bit. My brain and body have a chance to chill out and do a reset before daylight introduces another day.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. As always, your questions and comments are welcome here on my blog or on my Facebook post. Kindly add your name, initials or something that will identify yourself to me when you post comments on my blog. Blogger doesn't always recognize my friends and calls everyone "anonymous"! I love to read your comments and after I've read and approved them, they'll appear on my blog. It is my sincere wish that you and those you love are happy and healthy. And until we meet again, may the Lord hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Missed Calls

The advancements in communications over the past 50 years is mind boggling. In my lifetime, which is well over 50 years, we've gone from having every phone call that was made from home facilitated with the assistance of a live telephone operator, to wireless texting that is instantaneous. And it's not only for a small calling area, but across the globe. I can text a friend in Europe and receive a reply in mere seconds.

But let's go back a few years . . . to how it was when I was growing up. My family lived five miles from town and the telephone was our lifeline. My earliest memories of our phone is of the heavy black one that sat on a table in the living room, just around the corner from the kitchen. When it rang, we had to halt whatever we were doing and count the rings. We were on a party line with five other families in our neighborhood, two of whom were both my maternal and paternal grandparents. We were the terminal phone on the line and we had to hear six rings before answering. Of course, as you can imagine, in a busy household with kids playing, the dog barking, my mother working in the kitchen, outdoors at the clothesline or in one of her flower gardens, we would often miss hearing the first one or two rings, or all six, so we'd miss the call.

orbis Historical via Getty Images

Photo: Corbis Historical via Getty Images

My mother was a social person and loved to talk on the phone. When she sat down for a break in the afternoon, she often called someone for a chat. She also took calls from buyers who called to schedule picking up truckloads of hay, straw, seed wheat, dry beans and potatoes.

When I was around 10 or 12 years old, the phone company modernized and upgraded to dial phones. It felt odd to spin the dial on the phone instead of talking to an operator. The numbers changed, too. They doubled in length. Our number changed from four numerals and one letter to an area code followed by seven numerals. But we now had the convenience of directly dialing any number in our phone company, or other companies, without operator assistance. This convenience changed our lives a little, but changed the lives of the operators and their families tremendously when their jobs were eliminated.

In his article, "The Rise And Fall of Telephone Operators",

https://www.history.com/news/rise-fall-telephone-switchboard-operators, Greg Daugherty writes, "With the coming of the 1930s, technology that allowed telephone users simply to dial another phone without the aid of an operator had become widespread. Phone companies took advantage of the moment to slash their workforces, and thousands of operators lost their jobs." Our rural road finally caught up with the rest of the world in the 1960's!

The new dial phones could be installed in more than one room in the house. You could get long cords that allowed you to hide in a closet or, as in our house, the stairwell, for quiet conversations. Party lines became a thing of the past and private lines were available even on our remote road! Eventually answering machines, and later on messaging services through the phone company, became available on our home phones. I enjoyed the convenience tremendously. 

Today missed calls are noted on the screen of our smartphones. The caller has the option to leave a recorded message. It's not easy to miss a call when the phone in your pocket or purse has a distinctive ring, often customized, and has the optional setting to vibrate. If a call comes in at an inconvenient time, you can set your smartphone up to automatically text the caller to let them know you are busy. Times have indeed changed.

Like my mother, I love to talk on the phone. I like short calls to check in on a friend, long calls while I sew, knit, work on papercrafting, and even while I work in the kitchen, thanks to my noise cancelling earbuds. However, even placing calls to friends and family has changed. Instead of just dialing someone's number, the current trend is to text first, find out if they're available for a call or not, and then proceed. For me, it takes away the spontaneity of just reaching out when you think of it. Often my friends and family want to schedule our calls. I oblige, but it still feels very strange to me. Having appointments to talk on the phone means I need to alter my plans so I'll be available when it fits their schedule. Isn't voice messaging enough? If someone can't answer, or doesn't want to, the caller can leave a voice message. Am I the only one who finds this strange?

The phrase "missed calls" has a double meaning for me. I miss calls in the traditional sense, but I also really miss calls that I used to make freely and moreover, used to receive. My phone rarely rings these days. Instead, I receive a lot of text messages. I think that text messages are great for several kinds of communication, especially the hearing impaired; but for an authentic conversation, there is nothing that will ever replace the human voice. Hearing someone's laughter, the concern in their voice, or their excitement is lost to me in words typed on a screen. When I am alone and in my old age someday, will I recall those special moments when I received a text message? I don't think so. But I believe I will remember a certain phone call, the voice at the other end and the comfort that I felt in the connection over the telephone. And, for me, that is important.

Missed calls. Yes. I miss them. But if you call me and I can't answer, please leave a voice message. I will call you back!

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. As always, your questions and comments are welcome here on my blog or on my Facebook post. Kindly add your name, initials or something that will identify you to me when you post comments on my blog. Blogger doesn't always recognize my friends and calls everyone "anonymous"! I love to read your comments and after I've read and approved them, they'll appear on my blog.

It is my sincere wish that you and those you love are happy and healthy. And until we meet again, may the Lord hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Emmy