Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Autumn Musings...

The warm days of fall will soon be fading into winter. We finally received some much needed (still not enough) rain... and more is on the way. The winds have definitely been picked and we had quite the line of storms move through this morning.  The wind was wicked!  Gonna be a blustery day!  I always call them the "winds of change" this time of year. We have plenty of firewood, so I can enjoy one of my favorite fall and winter pastimes... sitting in the comfy living room chair in front of a crackling fire w/ a good book, magazine or a movie!
One of our many woodpiles

My Favorite Golden Maple
 The leaves are turning quite nicely despite the lack of rain... the landscape is painted golden, red, brown - earthy. Pumpkins are everywhere... apples are a frequent staple in my salads and snacks. Cider, well of course I am enjoying cider from my favorite orchard.  So many rich blessings of fall!  I have traded in the outdoor grill for my stockpot & crockpot! (although we have been known to grill a steak or chicken breast on a snowy evening!)

For the most part we have put the garden to bed for the winter. There are still a few turnips to be pulled (I peel them, cut them in chunks, toss in olive oil, sprinkle w/ kosher salt and cracked pepper and roast at 350 degrees until golden brown. They have been a wonderful addition to our fall meals.


Brussels Sprout Plant
 The Brussels sprouts plants still stand tall waiting for the Thanksgiving harvest. Each year the day before Thanksgiving Jim cuts down the plants (this year we have 4 plant), we remove the sprouts, soak them in salt water overnight to get rid of any critters (grin) and we enjoy a nice dish of steamed, fresh Brussels sprouts tossed in butter and salt on the Thanksgiving table.  I am so thankful that my Grandmother inspired me to garden, that Jim's mom inspired him to garden.  We truly are blessed to have fresh veggies all summer long and into the winter months.  When I open a can of tomatoes I put up from the garden bounty, it's like a taste of summer in the middle of winter. 


One of my favs this year!
We still have quite a bit to do around the house in order to batten down the hatches for a long winter's nap!  The windows have been washed, the storm windows washed and put into place to keep out the cold and wind.  We have pulled the faded summer flowers from their pots, thrown them into the compost and stored the pots in the barn until spring.  This weekend we will store the patio furniture away *sigh* I love to relax on the patio... thank the Lord for my comfy chair in the living room!  The flower beds and landscaped areas are cleaned out, the peonies cut down and we have been raking, raking, raking leaves.  Did I mention we have quite a few trees?  AND our neighbors have quite a few trees.  I do believe all of our neighbor's leaves end up in our yard!  We purchased some gorgeous mums this year - they are in pots right now, however I would like to get them in the ground and  hopefully they will come back next year! 

The bird feeders are overflowing w/ seed so our feathered friends (and the furry ones - squirrels) have been quite happy.  I love watching the birds flit around enjoying the seeds.  Nuthatch, Titmouse, Chickadee, Cardinals, Junkos (Snowbirds), Wrens... oh and our woodpeckers!  We have quite a variety of woodpeckers each year!  The bird book and the binoculars are ready for use at all times! 

The inside of my house is ready for fall as well.  Fall decorations are up, throws are placed back on the sofa and chairs to cuddle up when it gets chilly.  Pumpkin scented candles are burning.... the color scheme of my house definitely shines this time of year!  I waxed and polished the hardwoods this past weekend. (our floors aren't sealed - so I still use old fashioned Bruce's floor wax).  The windows are also washed inside and the blinds are clean!  I have cleaned out the closets, donated items and organized!  My pantry is cleaned out, organized and ready for the winter stock up! 

OK, so I have rambled on too long about our fall/winter preparations! I hope you are enjoying this season!  Pumpkins, apples, leaves, sweatshirts, bulky sweaters, football, cider and hot cocoa!  What's not to love!!!  What have you been doing around your house this autumn? 

8 comments:

http://bitsandpieces-sonja.blogspot.com/ said...

Hi Kristen:

I just hopped over from your comments on Elaine's page. What a beautiful blog this is. I've really enjoyed looking around and sharing your warm and cozy pictures and thoughts as Fall moves forward...

Blessings!

onja

Cindy said...

We got the wind and storms up here too...along with some tornado sightings.

I love fall and the whole idea of getting things ready to snuggle in for the winter.

Anonymous said...

Today was something wasn't it? I love this post.... It made me feel very much at home and craving all the goodness of this season. Love and hugs my Friend!

elaine @ peace for the journey said...

I wish I were there for a fireside chat. In our new home, we have a fireplace with gas logs. Now to wait for colder temperatures to turn them on. I imagine they will be my great comfort in coming months.

I do so love the changing of the seasons and colder weather. Call me crazy... winter is my thing!

Love you.

peace~elaine

Angela Baylis said...

I was just telling someone that Fall is my favorite season in Michigan. I love the crisp air and the smell of burning leaves. I love all four seasons, but I'm honestly not too crazy about what comes next. You were right about the wind today. It brought in some cold weather. I'm not ready for snow yet! Lincoln and I went to TWO orchards this past weekend and found the best cider and donuts. You are so organized! Since you are so organized I was thinking maybe you could come to my house to get it ready! Oh, and I love that you love gardening and fresh vegetables!

Love you,
Angie xoxo

p.s. Thank you for your kind comment on my blog. It meant a lot to me! :)

Paula said...

I just want to know when you got so domestic. :P

Sarah said...

Look at those sprouts! I'm not a brussel sprout fan, but your picture makes me wish I was! We're looking forward to the cooler weather around here too!

Nichole said...

We enjoyed our second annual trip to a friends orchard for the Apple Cider Squeeze this past weekend. Fall is so enjoyable!!! Your wood pile is quite impressive my friend! The organization of it! My daddy would have loved to train his girls to stack it that way :)