Having fun with Photography

 I have always been that person who one could count on to look at vacation photos in their entirety.  Most folks give a cursory look and move onto something they find more interesting, whereas I would study them. Used to be that folks would bring prints to work and show off what they had done, but of course that has been replaced by swiping through phones in search of the goods. I miss those print days, but I still look at most folks vacation photos because I love photography so much. That said, I'm somewhat of a snob because I look for something that makes it more special. Most of my photos do not fall into that category, but it does not keep me from trying to be clever in my photography.

What happens to me is that I see photographs everywhere and no more so than in our new home where opportunities present themselves seemingly all of the time. For example, I walked into the dining room from the kitchen and how could I not take the photograph below?

Perhaps you are wondering what makes the above interesting and if that is the case, look again and hopefully you will see what I was seeing. Speaking of the room above, because of the repair to the plaster in the adjacent kitchen area I am thinking of painting that room a new color. Of course I am vacillating and really, who doesn't when they are choosing paint colors? Anyway, I'm wondering about carrying the "Hubbard Squash" into the kitchen. But, of course there are always shades of green to consider.

On Saturday I walked into the guest room and of course a photo op appeared before my eyes and brain. I had my phone nearby so I used that. Not much later I realized it was time to change the quilt that was bright and cheery for spring and summer. Folding it I discovered that I'd forgotten what the back looked like and I have to say, I was pretty pleased with myself. It's probably been like eight years since I made it and that striped fabric is from an awesome estate sale, tagged with 1972 as the date it was purchased.

Once I put the autumn quilt on I took the same photo.

To be quite honest, I had nearly forgotten that I made the pictured quilt as it was stashed in the blanket chest! Anyway, it reminds me of butterscotch or caramel. 

Sunday afternoon the photo below presented itself.

Undoubtedly our Florida friends are jealous of that open door that stays like that as it has been very comfortable.  The front door remains white for now.

Here's a friendly suggestion for you. Should you be looking for something to plant in your garden, look no further than Caladium bulbs because they are the bomb! Unlike so many of my flowers, the caladiums have required nothing from me and have remained looking fabulous for months now.

You can count on me planting more bulbs next year that's for sure.

One day last week we joined a bunch of other seniors to play mini golf as part of the Senior games group.

Mini golf Gail? It was not pretty, but I will say it was prettier than my previous attempt, in part because we had someone in our group, Linda, who was so encouraging no matter how many shots I took!

Unlike us, who do this once a year, she plays with her grandchildren as often as possible, which come to think of it, may be why she was so encouraging, having had experience with doing just that with the little ones. At any rate, she was very fun and we followed it up with an ice cream, all for $5!

Can you guess whose scorecard is whose? Duh, my name is on it but just look at how tidy that husband of mine is!

Ann, a new friend from church invited us over to her new cute home for a house blessing by our pastor. This was something new to me and made me think perhaps we should have considered the same in light of the reported rumors of ghosts in our house? The good news is they have been "ghosting" us if there is one here! I love the color of her door!!

Speaking of the church, well folks, we did it!! We finished reading the Bible, all 64 books, an accomplishment that seemed elusive when first presented to us. Whirlwind, I will grant you that, but now at least we are familiar with it from cover to cover. To celebrate, we played two games of Bible Jeopardy, led by Wil.

It should be noted that Ann put us all to shame. :)

Last Thursday Anita and Bruce did an amazing mowing job at the Harshaw chapel which is looking better every day. As a refresher it is purported to be the oldest building in Cherokee County. 

Saturday was action packed in a very good way. Several of our friends were featured in a big quilt show, held every other year, in Blairsville, GA, about twenty miles from here. 

If you could see the size of his sewing space you would wonder how he did it, but darn if there was not a first place ribbon on that quilt when we arrived on Saturday!! 

Another first place winner in the color use category by our friend Patty.

And now let's meet Ruth, the maker of this amazingly fun quilt.

She's about as big as a minute and spry as can be. And how do we know that? She told us! Twice a week she hikes on the Appalachian Trail, but says she is slowing just a bit now that she is 85!!!

The quilt show was wonderful as was the nearby Union County farmers market. Our inaugural visit did not disappoint, in fact we were blown away by how great it was.  Looking for fresh, foraged mushrooms? Look no further.

Jams, jellies, breads, preserves and yes mushrooms.

Peaches anyone?

Seriously I was going crazy taking photos! Funnel cake coming right up.

The knitted goods were gorgeous, made by artisans who use the Alpaca wool from this farm in Murphy.

At this time of year, of course there were pumpkins!

And even more pumpkins.

It is pretty satisfying buying from folks who grow the food, including these wonderful Shishito peppers that I cooked up the minute we got home!

A blazing hot cast iron skillet works like magic.

And just when you thought it could not get any better? It can. We watched this happen,

I wish I had a different camera with me but using what you have and not lamenting what you don't is the way to stay happy.

Woo hoo baby!!

Remind me to tell you about the loofa that is drying in the basement. Sarah June had more than she could use, thus we have one. I can assure you that not once in my past 71 years did I imagine I would have a loofa drying in my basement but here you go... now I do! 

The last of the hydrangeas are still hanging in there.

Christian continues to be a little jolly boy who is crawling like mad and pulling himself up as often as possible. Plus he giggles and babbles which is a joy to witness. Fallon frequently shares videos that we watch over and over again.

I was going to close with a picture of the Japanese Maple tree but I don't think the change is dramatic enough in a photo. That's the thing, photography is great and all but in person, well, there is no substitute. Instead I will share a photo taken this morning during a drive to Young Harris for a well doctor's appointment for Bruce. The corn...I love it!

The mountains, the fog, the clouds, I love it all! That said, I will be the first to admit that while it may look inviting in the photograph, it is much more so in person.  I realize that my title is somewhat ambiguous and maybe implies a little trickery on my part, but rest assured, I am still shooting photos the way I want them to look without any photoshop. There is plenty of that out there!

And oh yea, we are going to see Downton Abbey at the Henn Theater on Tennessee Street this afternoon,  a few blocks from here and did I mention the admission is $5.50? Hard to beat that.

your friend,

Gail

Decreasing Daylight

 My goodness me, I am several days behind my promised weekly blog post and for that I apologize. As the title suggests, daylight is diminishing and with it has come some crazy busy days. Weeks, for that matter. It seems as if with the impending cold, activities are scheduled at a frenzied pace. 

What a good problem to have, right?

Baby it is cold outside! This morning the front porch temperature read one thing while the back porch read another, however, the real story was told by the frost found on the front lawn, as well as the bird feeder lid that I just  went outside to fill. I'm thinking that gloves may be in order for the upcoming winter.

So what does one do when the temperature plunges? Make chicken noodle soup of course!

To be honest, I made it for what I imagined would be lunch here at the house when our friend Karen from Orlando  came for a visit yesterday. 

In addition to that, I made an apple crisp that while tasty, is not the most photogenic dessert. Neither were consumed with Karen because, as I thought about things more, I decided that because the last time she visited while we were living at the cottage, she and Rich did not get a chance to see the sweet town we fell in love with, Instead, she came first to play pickleball, next we took a walk along the river, followed be the house tour. It was a nostalgia trip for her as her folks had a home built in 1925 in Orlando. We walked into town with our friend Nancy, got a table at the Mason Bar and waited for another Murphy friend of Karen's to meet us for lunch. It was delightful, cut shot though because Bruce and I were to meet at Laura and John's at 3 PM for yet another adventure.

A pontoon boat ride on Lake Chatuge with their friends, Steve and Sue! Laura brought blankets and all of us were in our coats to ward off the chilly windy weather that one encounters on a boat in 45 degree weather. 

A brilliant blue sky overhead, along with the warm sunshine and spectacular mountain views made for a great time. Steve and Sue were super nice, their home lovely, his visiting sister was a dynamic person and the meal they prepared was fantastic. What, pray tell is there not to like?

Plus, the drive home was lit by a gorgeous full moon. This morning though, the fog is still thick and the frost as mentioned is on the ground. I am trying to get this written before we head to work at the bi-monthly free lunch at church, but we shall see how far I get.

Meanwhile, your favorite blogger's husband is in the basement working on his chair project. A few days ago he met with his group to continue the process. Arthritis in his hands prevented him from getting done as much as he liked, so he brought it home in order to catch up.

It is a complicated process with many layers of weaving involved.

It looks to me as if he is doing an excellent job. No surprise there, right?

Meanwhile the lady of the house made a wall hanging for her sewing room. Seeing the design online, there were no instructions, but you know who figured out the measurements and off I went, using the fabric I bought at the local art gallery the week before. Did I write about that? Walmart donated all of their bolts of fabric because they were going to folded fabric. The price is definitely right! I put it all together and of course it wasn't exactly square so...

Since the picture was taken, I've finished it up, adding tabs on the back for hanging, as well as the binding. Another project that, while working on, I second-guessed myself but in the end I think it turned out pretty neat. Instead of above the futon as I envisioned, I think we will hang it in the upstairs hallway. And what shall we use to hang it on you ask? Stopping at one of our favorite thrift stores on the way to Blue Ridge, we roamed around and what should I see for $1.00? A large wooden dowel that will work perfectly! Woo hoo! One of the things, and there are not a whole lot of them., but one thing that I feel as I age is less confidant in my ideas and choices. Writing that statement I'm wondering if that is a good thing or a bad thing? Your thoughts.

We were heading to Blue Ridge because, as mentioned above, this is the time of year for Fall festivals and art shows. To the best of my recollection, admission is not charged at any of our outdoor art festivals in Orlando, but here they have a five dollar admission to increase the coffers of the local art museum.  Perhaps the fees charged to the artists are less? If so that is a good thing because it is hard sledding having to pay for a space and sell very little. Fortunately, aside from the one time we had torrential rain that washed out a show, I was never in that position, but many of the artists surrounding me at shows were most definitely in that boat.

That sky, right? So, so blue.

The only thing we came home with, actually much to my surprise, was this little bear that is made from fabric that a woman procures when she is in Guatemala helping the local women. As so often is the case, people are constantly raising money for worthy causes.

He's kind of cute isn't he? With the button eyes and nose, he is probably not meant for a child, instead a 70 year old child at heart!

Normally not one for decor items with sayings, when I saw the above pillow on sale for $5.00 at Walmart I could not resist as it says it all for this old couple.

Are the leaves changing you wonder? Not as much as I would like. Yet.  Perhaps you recall how I mentioned the leaves actually turning greener on the Japanese Maple tree? Here's exactly what I meant.

As you can see we are ready to head to our boat trip with me wearing jeans for the first time in six months. You absolutely know that is a big deal for me as I dislike wearing pants so much. 😉

While Bruce had the car at Marji's house for the caning adventure, I walked into town, all two blocks, on another beautiful afternoon. We have had a slight amount of rain since the hurricane, but not very much. Blue skies it is. That said, when the grey days of winter descend, I imagine we will be very much missing that brilliant blue greeting us daily.

Continuing up the hill I meandered a bit at Harshaw Cemetery which overlooks the town. 

Our home is just on the other side of the trees on the right. 

Another afternoon I walked a long ways on the River walk, finding one of the largest mushrooms I have ever seen!

If you have any interest in our time in Vancouver, this post shows me and my Vancouver friends taking a walk and finding all manner of goodies including a giant orange mushroom. 

Along the river, in this section of the walk, an abundance of wildflowers lining the path made for a very narrow pathway!

While we are on the subject of plants, my mini carnations from last year are looking very cute indeed. As our the geraniums that I moved to the back of the house. In reality, they look better than they havesince we bought them five months ago! Hopefully they will stay that way for awhile.

As to last night's freeze, we shall see how it affected my flowers. Here was something new to me. What was once bright white, turned to this.

Gosh I am so happy having lots of flowers around. 

Pumpkins. It would almost be blasphemous to have an October post where they are not featured! I came across this display on the next street over. Would you have tried to rub the price off of them before putting them out for all to see? Am I being silly?

That said, the variety is so interesting and colorful! 

A few weeks ago Diane issued an invitation to have a pumpkin decorating party that did not involve cutting them. Okay, why not? It turned out to be loads of fun and I am not a crafty person.

Pictured standing on the left, Diane had all manner of crafty items, as well as all manner of crafty people excluding myself! Dottie, pictured on the right made a funny pumpkin.

Does this look like a group of ladies enjoying each other's company? It should.

Miss not-crafty-at-all managed to decoupage these tissue paper leaves on hers with the bow compliments of Dottie!

Seemingly the cool days are what are keeping the pumpkin looking pristine. As to the cool days and nights, some folks have told us that they will help to bring the color on. One can hope!

Tom Payne, the man for whom the ramp was constructed, is doing so well! Honestly he is a marvel at 92 years old and now doing laps on the ramp, albeit with a cane.

When last we met, Bruce had gone to Asheville with John to deliver supplies. He came back with photos, this one behind a gallery. Can you imagine having to throw away so many paintings? 

The good news is that great strides are being made all over the region, with roads being re-constructed and water being restored in some places. All of the small Western North Carolina towns so count on the season to keep themselves afloat, so hopefully more tourists will begin to arrive. 

I so forgot to include in my last post a couple of photos I took at Mark and Mary Beth's house. Their chickens have grown and begun to lay eggs. Talk about free range...

Yes that is a road and yes they were in it when we arrived! How they get out of the way of cars is a mystery to me. Turns out a rooster was in the mix, much to their surprise.

They hosted another wonderful meal, this time with a Mexican theme which was a big hit.

Much to their relief, all of their children living in Tampa and the Sarasota area were mostly unscathed in Hurricane Milton, as were ours in Orlando. 

We have returned from four hours during which time we had a very good crowd for the chili and cornbread lunch. In fact, since I have taken on the role of official greeter and name tag person, not to mention keeping a running count going, it was the largest group yet. Count me surprised as I thought perhaps the cold would keep people away! Shows you what I know.

As I was scanning photos before writing this post, I came across the one below that I neglected to post when I wrote about the Big Brothers and Sisters event. Do you see who I see?

Many of my  friends here in North Carolina have husbands who are experiencing declining health and that makes me sad. Gosh I am so thankful and grateful for how healthy my honey is! At the above event Mr. Bruce outbid our local insurance agent for a set of Mr. John Lachance's fine outdoor furniture. Actually it turned out to be too large for our space, so we got something else instead, which I will show you in my next post.

For now I need to go on a little walk to loosen up before a group hike in the morning. Here's hoping it is a wee bit warmer AND that I can keep up! AND that I see some mushrooms!!

your friend,

Gail