End of September and Finding Mitford

Hi everyone!  Can you believe it's the last day of September?!!  It felt like a quick month to me, but it feels like that all the time anymore.

First Day of Fall

Hello Dear Readers -- I'm so glad you're here!  It's the first (official) day of fall -- the most glorious season of the year!  I've been reading your blog posts this morning, and it seems that everyone is happy to see fall arrive.  In addition to the cooler air and blue skies, I love all the harvest celebrations.  There was an Apple Fest at a nearby community over the weekend, but I didn't get a chance to go.  It sounded like a lot of fun -- apples for sale and apple pies, too.  I need to put this on my calendar for next year.  ;)

Two weekends ago, we took some pictures along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina; those of you who read here regularly know that's one of our favorite things to do.  The trees hadn't really started turning yet, but we still found some nice color here and there.

Spectacular Zinnias

Well, it's Monday again -- what a quick weekend!  Did you all have a good one?  Friday, September 18th, was my birthday, and I have to tell you it was one of the best birthdays I've had in years.  I officially joined the senior citizens club (the big 55) and though in some ways it's hard to get older, I'm just very happy to be here.  As George Burns famously said, "It's better than the alternative."  ;)

I went to my parents' house for a visit and lunch.  My mom made homemade chicken salad and the most delicious homemade chocolate pie with fresh whipped cream.  Yum!!!  My sweet neighbor, Nancy, sent me a Jacquie Lawson birthday e-card and so did my dear friend, Kitty, who blogs at Kitty's Kozy Kitchen.  I also had a long-distance birthday message from my in-laws, who are traveling right now.  My husband came home from work with 18 red roses for me, and our son played a dedication song for me on his Friday night jazz radio program (didn't expect that at all!)  Yes indeed, I have a lot to be thankful for.

Today, Hal and I drove to the mountains, with Duncan in tow, and Hal took some pictures of these roadside flower beds.  This is a very common site in North Carolina alongside highways and interstates, thanks to the N.C. Department of Transportation Wildflower Program.

What I'm Reading

Hi all!  I hope you're having a good week!  Just wanted to share with you the book I'm currently reading.

source

Last Known Rescue Dog From 9/11

A friend shared this on his Facebook page today (Thanks Shawn!) and I wanted to share it with you.

 source

Tweaking the Guest Bedroom

Happy Labor Day everyone!  I think most of us consider this the official end of summer, although here in the south, we'll have several more hot days before summer's truly over.

You may remember when I posted our guest room reveal back in April of this year.  I mentioned that we'd be getting a vanity/dressing table that was part of the bedroom suite, and I showed you the dressing table in this post.  After cleaning, polishing with beeswax and orange oil, and touching up nicks, chips, and scratches, I can finally show you the dressing table.  This is as good as it will look without paying a professional to completely re-finish it.  We think it turned out pretty well.

Hello September

Hello September, I'm happy you're here -- my birthday month, and the start of one of my favorite seasons of the year.  Even though you can still be hot, you bring a subtle relief from the scorching humidity of July and August.  You bring the promise of a change of pace after the long days of summer.  When I was a child, I looked forward with such excitement to your first days of a new school year and all that it might hold.  New clothes, notebooks, and lunchboxes.  New teachers, classrooms, and new friends.

The roadside wildflowers are in bloom,