Halloween is a fun time to try a new look. This horse decided on being a skeleton. I understand last year he just wore a hat, but wanted to be more creative this year. I think it worked. I’ve been impressed by what I’ve seen the dogs in the neighborhood wearing. The witch costume is adorable, but I’m surprised the dog doesn’t knock the hat off.

Costumes and candy are what Halloween is about to me. We recently visited three haunted houses in Williamsburg, but didn’t see any ghosts. The tour guide was great and he assured us he’d seen a few. I say better him than me! I know the Celtic people wore costumes so evil spirits wouldn’t bother them on Samhain. Building bonfires also helped ward off evil spirits. Some of the scary costumes I have seen would certainly do the job!

This is a bench in my church’s prayer garden surrounded by flowers. It is one of my happy places because I can sit and enjoy the beauty and release my cares and concerns to God. I took this picture remembering how I used a bench as a writing prompt for my students.

I began by having them picture walking through tall grass on a winding dirt path. They were to look as they walked and notice what else they saw. Some noticed the clear blue sky and others noticed things in the grass. Flowers and animals were seen. One mentioned the wind blowing the grass. The path led to a pond and by the pond was a bench. I told them to sit on the bench and invite someone to join him or her.

It was interesting to hear who joined them. One was a grandfather who had passed, another was a father who was in prison and a few mentioned friends. No one had to share and most kept their thoughts to themselves. I don’t think the classroom had ever been so quiet. Even though it was a writing assignment, I did not ask them to turn it in. They were shocked. I said this assignment was just for them. As I watched them, I realized it was too personal to share. Some shared with me how the experience felt and one said she had always hated writing until today. She went on to say she thought keeping a journal or a diary was dumb but now she got it.

So many in my life have passed and I can no longer visit with them, and that makes me even more aware of the importance of keeping in touch with those who are here. I know I need to do a better job.

I don’t have a bench on my patio, but I have two comfortable chairs and the patio is surrounded by flowers. It is a perfect place for visits. Last night I video chatted with a friend in Canada who wanted to see lightning bugs, only she called them fireflies. It was a wonderful idea. After viewing the bugs, I sat in my chair and I could see her sitting in hers. We visited.

Hope you are enjoying the wonderful days of summer and hope you are enjoying visits with friends.

Fall is the season when those who like to decorate begin transforming their homes and lawns. I admit I’m one who happily charges into my storage area and begins pulling out pumpkins, ghosts and scarecrows. This poor apple suffered from an idea gone wrong. I think it kind of looks like a bird.

God is the best decorator. The maple trees are beginning to turn red and the cool air smells clean and fresh. The mums and asters brighten porches along with pumpkins and warty looking gourds. Today we are expecting rain and I know the dry, dry ground will appreciate the drink. All of my flowers and bushes should enjoy having rain over the garden hose water.

This is also the time to freeze fresh corn and apples. I already made corn chowder and apple crisp, but the plan is to be able to enjoy the fresh taste throughout the winter. One of my granddaughters wouldn’t even taste the chowder. When asked what was in it, I told her corn, potatoes, bacon, cheese and other things. “Chowder is a soup,” I explained. “Oh,” she said, “I only like tomato soup.” Kids!

Fall means football in Ohio, especially those who live in Columbus. We have Browns, Bengals and even Steelers fans, but we unite over the Buckeyes. Game day provides another opportunity to decorate. Homes, yards and people are covered in Buckeye attire. I know it sounds crazy to some, but it’s tradition.

World events fill the news, but nature’s beauty or a cute scarecrow can bring a smile. I am thankful for these beautiful fall days and abundant color to come. Fall is a fun filled season and hopefully it will bring a Buckeye win over Michigan this year!

Thanksgiving Day is almost here. It is one of the best days of the year. Preparing for this big day involves much more than cooking. Cleaning the house thoroughly and then ironing tablecloths and napkins are the first chores. If you are rolling your eyes at ironing napkins, I understand. It’s a once a year thing for me.

Our food choices have been discussed by all and some dishes have been eliminated but most have stayed. Green bean casserole was eliminated years ago. At least two people have to like the dish in order to make the menu. Mincemeat pie made the cut this year. I imagine some of you are groaning but with a lot of fresh apples added to the mixture I think it’s good.

Wednesday will mean my kitchen will be in chaos as three granddaughters will assist in making noodles and pies. I expect a fine coating of flour to coat the counters and floor. Think of it snowing inside and you’ll have the picture. I’ll make the pie crusts because I’m not ready to relinquish that job, but the girls can make the fillings. I’m excited to have them working with me and the mess will be worth it.

The best part of Thanksgiving is having my family here. I’m lucky to have many family members live close by. I give thanks for my blessings every day, but Thanksgiving is a day when I bask in them. Thanks be to God and may you feel his blessings especially on Thanksgiving.

Summer is pie season at my house. Fresh fruit calls me to showcase it in a flaky crust. I read that Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603) enjoyed fruit pies and cherry was her favorite. Early settlers brought their love of pie to America with them. They imported bees in order to have honey to sweeten their pies and maple syrup, molasses and cane sugar was also used. Pies were cooked in long narrow pans called coffins and coffins became known as crusts in the late 1770s. I’m glad that change occurred!

The first pies were meat pies and and were eaten in Egypt. These had a single crust that could have originally been made from reeds. The early crusts were not edible. This was true for centuries because they were designed to hold the filling. Hand pies were meat pies that had thick crusts for workers to carry in England in the 1800s so taste was not a consideration. The Romans created the first top crust and in the 16th century was used to hide a surprise for guests of royalty. The nursery rhyme Sing a Song of Sixpence was based on fact. Live birds and other critters were baked in pies to impress the guests. (Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie.} If a bird flew out of my pie, I’d never eat pie again!

A recipe for American pumpkin pie is found in American Cookery written by Amelia Simmon’s in 1796. It was called pumpkin pudding and was baked in a crust. Apple pie became known as America’s favorite due to soldiers in WW II writing they missed mom and apple pie. It is almost apple pie season and the types of apples that are best for baking can be found online. Cortland apples have always been a favorite, but I use a variety.

Many are familiar with the saying eat humble pie. Humble pie (originally umble) was a poor man’s pie frequently made from deer innards in medieval times. To admit you were wrong means is to eat humble pie.

The peach pie in the picture tasted as good as it looks. Labor Day will require more pies. It’s just not a holiday unless there’s a pie!

I love my garden and so do the weeds, rabbits and deer. I spend a lot of time tending it, and I enjoy doing it. The quiet time spent in my garden gives me time to think and reflect on life. I realized that the events that occur in a garden can be compared to life’s events.

Everyone experiences surprises in their life. Some are good and some are not. A visit from a deer is not a good surprise for the plants. Having their buds eaten deprives them from showing their beautiful blossoms. Illness and accidents alter many of our plans and may keep us from showing what we are capable of producing.

Plants need water and sunshine and so do we. Plants also need to be divided and weeds need to be pulled so the plants can thrive. That’s where people may have difficulty. Pulling weeds out of our lives is not always easy. It’s not always easy in a garden either. Sometimes a shovel is required.

Identifying the weeds is step one. Weeds that interfere with a person’s life can be an attitude, another person, a habit or even a job. Pulling out the weed changes the entire look of the flower bed and it changes lives.

I use fertilizer to help my plants grow. My personal fertilizer is prayer. Talking to God is uplifting and I highly recommend it if you don’t regularly pray. Seeing God’s creations in the garden is a great starting point. Praise comes first and then prayer. August has arrived which means summer is going quickly. Enjoy the plants of summer and consider pulling the weeds in your life that are keeping you from blooming.