Pumpkin Carving and Working on My Happy Place

A friend's daughter voiced a love of carving pumpkins and since I had 4 needing to be carved and a two year old, I willingly agreed to have her help. She did a great job on them and took care of the two biggest. As you can see Caroline is busy tasting everything and it got to the point of her tossing the pumpkin guts around the kitchen; but we got it done and had fun at the same time.

I started working on my sun room again. Basically I'm trying to make this area of the house mine, where I can go and get away from all and to needlework, read, listen to my music, or generally just space out looking at the sky. It has been primed since we moved in about a year ago and has SLOWLY transformed into what it is now. The most recent change is painting the lower area below the windows an antique gold/yellow (mustard) and hanging swags to try to cover the ugly framing of the ugly windows. I like the idea of the swags but I'm not sure if it's the wrong material or if I should paint the window trim white like the rest of the walls (I don't think the antique mustard would be good because of the shelf being white and things maybe being too chopped up looking if I did it) Let me know what y'all think...PLEASE !!!! Also, as a reference regarding pre mustard paint, check out some of the most recent pictures of Caroline, I think you can get an idea of what it looked like.

After paint, looking from living room into sun room.

Same, but different angle

Had to show off the pumpkins.

Here's Some More

Finally got some pony tails in...lasted about 10 minutes.

A 16" cucumber, she ate the whole thing.

Being sassy at "Eagle lookout" (didn't want her picture taken)

Decides it's OK to have picture taken and is totally hamming it up.

Hamming #2
Hamming #3
Hamming #4

Playing in the raked leaf piles
Brett and Lili helping Caroline fill "scary" pumpkin head bags.

This is the end result of an extremely energetic toddler walking nearly all of a two mile hike.

A Month In Review

We went to FL and GA to visit family and had a wonderful time. All the pictures from the trip are in limbo somewhere in computer land. There were some great ones of Caroline playing with various reptilian type animals (snakes, alligators, and turtles, oh my). Anyway, the following is a pictorial review of the past month.

Reservoir from what I call "Eagle lookout" cuz I've seen eagles while there (beginning of Oct)


"Eagle lookout" different view (beg. Oct)


"Eagle lookout" (beg. Oct)

Pasture at trail head of Mary Edwards Trail on Mountain Rd looking towards Mt. Tom

Looking from the Mary Edwards trail towards the big maple in the middle of the pasture.

"Eagle lookout" again later a couple of days ago (overcast day, but can still see colors)

Today on the way home from the grocery store. I missed an amazing shot on my way there. I was coming down a hill and the sun exploded onto the trees on my left just slightly in front of me and no where else. The sky surrounding this light pocket was still overcast with dark storm laden clouds.

This is the intersection at the bottom of Mt. Rd. I thought the old barn surrounded by color was nice. On a better day, probably better, but oh well.