Almost end of October already

Fall has arrived--we have had a lot of rainy days, windy days and sunshine.  All of the leaves are turning colors and dropping.  The cats are taking long naps on the bed.....

 Last Friday night and all day Saturday, sandy and I went to Croptoberfest--a fall scrapping event.  I worked on my calendar pages so didn't have to haul all my stuff and Sandy made cards.  We had fun, won prizes and ate great food.  A nice time to relax as it has been very stressful between Mothers and work.

My crabapple tree is a constant source of beauty--after the rain

 I also took a bunch of pictures while driving home from work to show the beauty--not a real safe thing to do.  This one below is my favorite stretch of beauty in the fall....

Dixon  got caught in a shot one day... what a ham

Yesterday was sunny most of the day-I continued working in the yard--pulling up and cutting back dead plants.  Can't move today!!!   I glad we have another week before the time changes so I can get some more done after work.

I did get an early birthday present but will save that picture until my birthday....

Windy and wild week

 We had a full moon and clear cool nights so I took some pictures as usual.  Actually it was a beautiful week for sunshine and temperatures until the rain on Thursday.  Now it is windy and sunny today.

 Getting into the winter sleep mode-actually an all year thing --they just change where they sleep....

The wind has blown most of the leaves off the crabapple tree but a few linger--very pretty in the sun

A few flowers that haven't been pulled up yet. I have been working on the deck and middle of the yard--still have a lot to do but making progress. I have the deck cleaned off except table and chairs.

I still have roses blooming--actually a lot of them yet......

I have been very busy with some swaps---these are the finished masks I have been talking about.  I stamped with Impression Obsession big stamps on both of them with Versamark and used embossing powder.  Since I used watercolor paper, I painted the silver one and used watercolors on the other one. I sent them off this week....

 Some more ATCs I received this week--all part of Sept swap....

My friends from my Altered Book Round robin group decide to do another RR so I decided to use the book I had made the little drawers in and my theme will be birds.  I painted the covers with a Magenta Luminaire paint and will finish when I get it back'
Here is the first set of pages...

 second set

 third set.....you can see the little drawers along the side so we each will have one to fill.

I also did another Photo Art Journal page for that Yahoo group--theme was Doors, gateways and portals and we had to make a door that opened on the front---can I say these were a lot of work but done now..   These are all pictures from Heidelburg Germany...

Here is a picture of the birthday boy Dixon turned 3 yesterday and enjoyed every moment of attention!!!

Fall amd what is still blooming in my garden??

 We have had a gorgeous week of sunshine, warm weather, cool nights and the Tigers winning!!!

 We have had some great sunsets--almost every night

My crabapple tree is overflowing with abundance this year and so pretty

The cats are an unending source of photo ops--here is Truman

 then Fritz joins him

 Then Dixon wants attention so he gets behind the blinds to look out the window..

 Check him out-he is is trouble now!!

Oh well, Dixon decides to get in the pictures

 Wasn't I the center of attention and cute???

Sandy and I drove up to Cedar Springs to meet up with Joann on Saturday to get a Norfolk Island Pine she was giving me.  We had some great views of color along 131..

It turned out to be quite the adventure as we were late do to a lot of traffic in GR and then their truck broke down but we connected in the end despite never exchanging cell phone numbers!!!  Sandy and I had a nice late lunch at Big Boy in Cedar Springs and plant made it home to my house.

 Here are the fall asters blooming by my back deck as they do every year--so colorful--everything else has been frozen and needs to be pulled up.  sandy has done quite a bit of the garden but I am still eating some of the tomatoes and peppers but mainly finished for season.

I do have roses still blooming--many still beautiful..........

   The gerber daisy on the deck decided to bloom one more time this year

A few cards I received this week and some more ATCs from the swap I was in.....

I have been busy finishing up my masks and starting another swap involving an altered book and a canvas so prepping both of those too.