Another (brief) Break ...

Happy Sunday, my friends! I hope this note finds you well. I'm popping in this morning to let you all know I'll be unable to post/comment for a few days. My laptop is in dire need of a new hard drive (ugh) so for the time being, I am limited to using my phone for all things online. My phone is great and all, but this tiny screen and keyboard drives me nuts, lol. So that's the not-so-good news ... but the good news is my hard drive is covered by warranty *and* we should be able to save all my old data (photos and documents and such). Phew! Anyhoo, the whole process will take several days to complete so it will be rather quiet here until I get back up and running again. In the meantime, I am still posting on my Facebook page - and at Pinterest - so maybe I'll "see" you around the web now and again ... 😊 I wish you all a good week, and thanks so much for stopping by! I'll see you here again (hopefully) soon!

Leafy Days

"Every leaf speaks bliss to me ... 🍂 ... Fluttering from the autumn tree."

 * Lines above from "Fall, leaves, fall" by Emily Bronte 

❤

It's a mild and blustery day here, beautiful weather for this time of year! We spent some time in our yard this morning, enjoying the leaves flying above us, and laying in colorful piles at our feet. We gathered some to bring inside to begin an autumn leaf study ...

A little rain shower just passed through - we watched it from our windows as we ate our lunch - and now the sun is back out. Making everything shiny and fresh.

:)

 Well, my friends - I hope your Tuesday's going well ... and thank you for all your apple thoughts yesterday. We sure do love our apples! Today however, Mum and I are making up a small batch of picallili ... green tomatoes are hard to find this year!

Thanks as always for stopping by ... see you here again very soon!

It's Apple-Picking Season!

And what a season it is here in New England - with its crisp air and blue skies and colorful leaves - I can't get enough! Pumpkins might be all the rage, but my heart will always belong to the humble little apple - red, green, gold - I love them all.

 Well, last Friday we visited a local orchard - and spent a cool, gray afternoon picking apples (and having fun!) with our homeschool group. I took a crazy amount of photos, so I'd like to share them with you all here today ... but before I get too far, I'd love to know what YOU love about apples. As you can see above we came home with a LOT of apples and though a crisp is a must (there is, in fact, a crisp in the oven as I type) I'm trying to decide what to do with the rest. (The ones that don't get eaten right out of hand, I mean.)

So, do you prefer a crisp or a pie? Applesauce or apple butter?

Dried apples, fresh apples, heirloom, organic ...

Dear Readers, I'm dying to know:

How do you like them apples?

;)

Looking forward to your comments - now, here are my pictures!

(photo by Crackerjack)

 Well my friends, I hope you all had a nice weekend, and that your new week is off to a great start. Monday morning is starting off a bit nippy here - and busy as usual! Thanks so much for stopping by - I'll see you here again very soon!

❤

Friday Felines - Ever Vigilant

Watching the birds (and chipmunks) on the deck, a favorite pastime.

:)

Happy Friday, my friends! 

Angels Around Us

Happy Thursday, my friends! Today is the Memorial of the Guardian Angels, another lovely feast day in the October calendar. We have very simple plans ...

The "Angel of God" prayer was my maternal grandmother's favorite prayer, and she taught it to me when I was very young. (Not in any formal way, just by saying it for me and telling me how much she loved it.) Today I will begin teaching this prayer to our Earlybird - showing him the prayer card and writing out the words for him on a soft blue index card ...

We'll practice it as often as we can this month and see how it goes. He has trouble with memorization (by verbal rote) because often the very sound of the words - the chanting, singing etc. - hurts his ears, for lack of a better explanation. One of the first signs he had sensory issues was when he couldn't stand to observe fingerplays or to hear the "Happy Birthday" song. But he's come a long way and I think with a little practice - and low pressure - he might be able to learn this prayer. I'd love for him to be able to say it because I believe his own Guardian Angel has been instrumental in his (and our) life. 

We will also look up the definition of guardian angels in my tattered and beloved Catholic Child's Picture Dictionary (which once belonged to my dad) ...

"A guardian angel is an angel who is sent by God to take care of one person during his life. I cannot see my guardian angel, but I know he is always near me. Every day I ask him to keep me from harm."

❤

We've started a vocabulary box this year and inside there are tabbed dividers for different subject areas. Behind the "Faith" tab we will add a card with this definition. 

On a lighter note, we will also make "Angel Kisses" for an afternoon snack (simple meringue cookies) and for dinner there will be "angel hair" pasta tossed with roasted autumn vegetables served alongside breaded chicken cutlets ...

Yum! (I hope.) :)

***

Well my friends, I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday ... thanks so much for stopping by ... I will see you here again very soon!

Rabbit, Rabbit - Hello, October!

 

And that calls for a new classroom calendar!

 :)

I haven't filled in the post-it notes yet ... that will happen later today. But off the top of my  head, here are some of the things I'm looking forward to this month:

The Feasts of The Holy Angels and Saint Francis, St. Luke's Little Summer and of course, All Hallow's Eve ...

Apple picking, pumpkin carving, corn shucking and a visit to the Country Fair ...

Our annual frost watch, acorn walks, football Sundays, and our 21st wedding anniversary ...

Making soup, apple crisp, cider donuts and pumpkin butter ...

New Christmas stamps, Ina's new cookbook, and an intriguing new Masterpiece Theater ...

Now the trick is, to make it all happen ... and take time to enjoy it!

Wishing you all a brilliant and blessed October!

❤