A New England Vacation

Thank you for the welcome back! We stayed at my parent's house for 6 days, then my Nana and Papa picked us up in New York and took us across the Canadian border into Ontario. We were there for 4 days, then we headed back to my parent's house for another 6 days.

We had lots of time to visit, play, shop, hike and enjoy the beautiful Autumn colors. Here are some pictures of the highlights:

My parents have this incredible oak tree in their back yard.


It was the perfect source of fall leaves!


Emily enjoyed resting in the pile. :0)


There were lots of cousins to play with, including a brand new one to love. Grace is holding Aidan, my sister Amy's new baby.


Uncle Steve was the victim of many loud games of Uno!


One of the trip highlights for Grace was the horse ride that Grandpa treated her to.


It was a 45 minute guided ride through the woods and she loved every minute of it!


Other exciting news was that Benjamin caught his first fish ever! He also said it was the biggest fish ever. ;0)


A short time later, Grace caught her first fish.


Poor Emily seems to have my luck when it comes to fishing. A lovely catch of seaweed!


We also went on a couple of hikes through the woods. I have to tell you that we had a little trouble with a hideous tree vine monster. Can you see his huge tail hanging down from the tree? Don't worry, Emily took care of him for us. ;0)


I'll be back later with some pictures from our Autumn walks.

I'm back!

Hello everyone! We arrived home Saturday night and we have been busy unpacking and resting before this coming week. I have lots of pictures to share with you, but they are on Phillip's computer which uses a different program than I'm used to. I will figure it all out soon though.

In the meantime, I have some Autumn living room decorations to share. I had planned on posting them while on vacation, but they disappeared thanks to blogger.com!

I missed visiting with you all and am looking forward to seeing what you have been up to these past few weeks! I'm very behind on email so if you sent me a note, I will get back to you soon!

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A view of our livingroom fireplace.


The paper banner says "Autumn Joys."


Ivy Topiary with Autumn ribbon.


A pumpkin scented candle on the windowsills.


My sister gave me this lantern several years ago. It's one of my favorite Autumn decorations.


The top of the entertainment center.


The little cottage was a gift from Phillip. He brought it back from a trip to England many years ago. It holds a tealight candle which lights up all the windows!


Thank you for looking at my Autumn livingroom. I will be by to visit you soon!

"Show and Tell Friday!"

Welcome to “Show and Tell Friday!” Do you have something special to share with us? It could be a trinket from grade school, a piece of jewelry, or a treasured collection. Look around your home for something to share; dig through those boxes in your closet if you have to! Share photos and the story that goes with your special item.


I am still at my Mom's house, so I will show a few treasures from her china cabinet.


This beautiful pottery teapot set was made by my grandpa in the 1970's.


His workshop was down in the basement and I remember looking at all of his finished pieces. Sometimes he would let my siblings and I practice on his pottery wheel. It was always harder than it looked!




Sugar bowl


Creamer


He signed his name on the bottom of each piece.


Several weeks ago I shared my Great Grandmother Irene's miniature woodstove. She was my Grandpa's mother and she also made pottery. Here are a few of her tiny teacups.


Her nickname was Rene (pronounced Ree-nee), so that is what she wrote on the bottoms.




Thank you for looking at my show and tell! We are coming back home tomorrow, so I'll be back to my regular blogging schedule soon. :0)



Show and Tell Guidelines

What is Show and Tell Friday?
Show and Tell involves showing something to an audience, and then telling them about it. Your show and tell must be something that you own, and is in your home or garden.

What items work well for Show and Tell Friday?
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
-Childhood keepsakes
-Family heirlooms
-A collection you may have
-A piece of jewelry
-A special gift
-A favorite treasure
-Gardening pictures

What doesn't work well for Show and Tell Friday?
-Posts with no photos have no "Show." Please don't use them.
-Photos of events (trips, vacations, celebrations, etc.)
-Photos of things you are selling or planning to sell.
-Photos found on the internet, graphics or screenshots. Please use photos you take yourself.

There is no place like home is the original home of Show and Tell Friday. Please do not host your own.

Please do not feel that you have to participate every Friday.

How can I participate?
Once you've got your photo(s) and your story, it's easy as 1-2-3!

1 - Publish your "Show and Tell" on your blog, including a link back to There is No place like Home. If you don’t know the link code, email me and I will send it to you.

2 - Copy the link (or "permalink") from your post.

3 - Add it to Mr. Linky, along with your first name. I usually put Mr. Linky up on Friday at 12:00am Eastern time.

That's it! After that, you can start visiting all the other Show and Tell participants!

Please type only your first name into Mr. Linky (not your blog name or what you are showing). This will make the list easier to read. Thank you!

"Show and Tell Friday!"

Welcome to “Show and Tell Friday!” Do you have something special to share with us? It could be a trinket from grade school, a piece of jewelry, or a treasured collection. Look around your home for something to share; dig through those boxes in your closet if you have to! Share photos and the story that goes with your special item.



I am still on vacation, so have fun with Show and Tell!!




Show and Tell Guidelines

What is Show and Tell Friday?
Show and Tell involves showing something to an audience, and then telling them about it. Your show and tell must be something that you own, and is in your home or garden.

What items work well for Show and Tell Friday?
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
-Childhood keepsakes
-Family heirlooms
-A collection you may have
-A piece of jewelry
-A special gift
-A favorite treasure
-Gardening pictures

What doesn't work well for Show and Tell Friday?
-Posts with no photos have no "Show." Please don't use them.
-Photos of events (trips, vacations, celebrations, etc.)
-Photos of things you are selling or planning to sell.
-Photos found on the internet, graphics or screenshots. Please use photos you take yourself.

There is no place like home is the original home of Show and Tell Friday. Please do not host your own.

Please do not feel that you have to participate every Friday.

How can I participate?
Once you've got your photo(s) and your story, it's easy as 1-2-3!

1 - Publish your "Show and Tell" on your blog, including a link back to There is No place like Home. If you don’t know the link code, email me and I will send it to you.

2 - Copy the link (or "permalink") from your post.

3 - Add it to Mr. Linky, along with your first name. I usually put Mr. Linky up on Friday at 12:00am Eastern time.

That's it! After that, you can start visiting all the other Show and Tell participants!

Please type only your first name into Mr. Linky (not your blog name or what you are showing). This will make the list easier to read. Thank you!

An Autumn Kitchen and Dining Room -Oct. 15

Hello everyone! I'm still on vacation, but wanted to show you pictures of my Autumny kitchen and dining room. This is what everything looked like before I left. When I get back, everything will be covered with dust. ;0)

The china hutch in my dining room.


The sideboard has a candle tart warmer, jars of apple butter, a bowl of caramel candies, candles and a dish of acorns, along with various old cookbooks.




A mini white pumpkin on a teacup saucer.


Leaf ornaments on the hutch doors.


This little wooden acorn is the size of my thumb.


It's actually a placecard holder!


A pumpkin and berry garland centerpiece on my kitchen table.


My mom painted this wonderful picture for me many years ago. Can you see my dream farm there in the distance? :0)


A basket of Indian corn, gourds, mini pumpkins and apples.


A little spot on my counter. A "tea for one" teapot, a pumpkin scented candle and pumpkin salt and pepper shakers.


Thank you for looking at my Autumn decorations!!

"Show and Tell Friday!"

Welcome to “Show and Tell Friday!” Do you have something special to share with us? It could be a trinket from grade school, a piece of jewelry, or a treasured collection. Look around your home for something to share; dig through those boxes in your closet if you have to! Share photos and the story that goes with your special item.

Hello everyone! We arrived at my parent's house earlier this morning and have been having lots of fun. Since I'm on vacation I wasn't planning on participating today, but then I saw all of my mom's teapots and had to share them. :0)

My parents live in a 1925 Tudor style home and have this wonderful built-in cabinet in their dining room. My mom has her Bunnykin dishes on the top shelf and several teapots on the middle shelf.


Springtime tulips.


Marjolein Bastien is one of my favorite artists. There is a sweet scene of nuthatches at a feeder on this teapot.


Who doesn't love Peter Rabbit? :0)


A beautiful rooster teapot, along with a sugar bowl and creamer.


A teapot for two.


We have already had tea in this pretty pot twice today!


I think this rooster teapot is so fun!


And finally, this may be my favorite one. My mom found this lemon teapot at the resale store for $1.75!



Thank you for looking at my mom's teapots!


Show and Tell Guidelines

What is Show and Tell Friday?
Show and Tell involves showing something to an audience, and then telling them about it. Your show and tell must be something that you own, and is in your home or garden.

What items work well for Show and Tell Friday?
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
-Childhood keepsakes
-Family heirlooms
-A collection you may have
-A piece of jewelry
-A special gift
-A favorite treasure
-Gardening pictures

What doesn't work well for Show and Tell Friday?
-Posts with no photos have no "Show." Please don't use them.
-Photos of events (trips, vacations, celebrations, etc.)
-Photos of things you are selling or planning to sell.
-Photos found on the internet, graphics or screenshots. Please use photos you take yourself.

There is no place like home is the original home of Show and Tell Friday. Please do not host your own.

Please do not feel that you have to participate every Friday.

How can I participate?
Once you've got your photo(s) and your story, it's easy as 1-2-3!

1 - Publish your "Show and Tell" on your blog, including a link back to There is No place like Home. If you don’t know the link code, email me and I will send it to you.

2 - Copy the link (or "permalink") from your post.

3 - Add it to Mr. Linky, along with your first name. I usually put Mr. Linky up on Friday at 12:00am Eastern time.

That's it! After that, you can start visiting all the other Show and Tell participants!

Please type only your first name into Mr. Linky (not your blog name or what you are showing). This will make the list easier to read. Thank you!

Going on Vacation

Thank you so much for your comments about our Moon flowers! They are an annual, although by the sounds of it, they reseed themselves very well. If I get Moon flowers in the veggie garden next year, I may not think they are so romantic. ;0)

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So, the kids and I are going on vacation. First, we are going to spend a week at my parent's house on the east coast, then drive 8 hours up to Canada for a visit, then back to my parents house for a few more days. We'll be gone until October 27! I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again, it's been three years since our last trip. I'm also excited about the cooler weather and beautiful fall colors that I'm sure we'll see. I bought a new sweater for the occasion and I had better be able to wear it!


We have borrowed suitcases from various family members.


Of course, I had to do laundry before packing!


Piles of warm pants and sweaters.


Gifts and outgrown winter clothes for the nephews and nieces. My sister just had a new baby a few weeks ago and I've never met my other niece Keira, so I can't wait to see them!


Our kitty, Fern has decided to boycott our trip. She thinks if we can't get to the sink to brush our teeth, wash our face, etc. we'll call everything off. ;0)


I'm not taking my laptop on the trip. Are those *gasps* I hear?! I do have a few Autumn decorating posts saved up and "Show and Tell Friday" will continue while I'm gone! I will be posting Mr. Linky an hour earlier tomorrow night though. We have to get up at very early tomorrow morning to catch our flight, so I won't be able to stay up until Midnight Eastern time. It will be posted at 11:00pm Eastern time.

I'm off to bed, so I'm bright eyed and bushy tailed at 3:45am. Have a mentioned I'm not a morning person?

Bye for now!

Apple Fritters

Hello everyone! I made a fun Autumn snack yesterday: Apple Fritters. I found the recipe from Amy, who has one of my favorite blogs, Simple Folk. She got the recipe from Tina at Garden Goose, who was sweet enough to give me permission to share the recipe with you! Thank you, Tina!



I used "Honeycrunch" apples.


Apple Fritters

2 cups self rising flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs well beaten
1 cup milk
2 cups tart apples, chopped

Sift together dry ingredients. Gradually add beaten eggs and milk combined. Refrigerate batter for about 2 hours. Stir in the apples. Drop by tablespoon into hot oil and fry until golden brown. Roll in powdered sugar or a sugar/cinnamon combination.

I haven't fried anything in at least 8 years so I was a little nervous. I'm happy to report that I didn't burn my house down. ;0) The fritters fried up very quickly and easily and they weren't greasy at all.

I cooked the fritters on medium heat.


Then rolled them in cinnamon sugar.


Help yourself!


If you have any leftovers and want them to stay crispy on the outside, don't cover them.


Let me know if you try them!

Moon Flowers

Today I would like to show you some recent visitors to our garden. Grace planted some Moon Flowers along our fence and they finally showed their pretty faces!

This delightful vine, also known as the Evening Glory, grows rapidly and covers itself with huge six inch creamy-white flowers.


When most flowers are going to sleep for the night, the Moon Flower is just waking up.


They begin to swirl open in late afternoon and last only until morning's light.


As if the Moon Flower is not enchanting enough, these white trumpets glow in the moonlight all night long.


Filling the warm night with a sweet fragrance.


Perfect for those romantic midnight strolls. :0)

"Show and Tell Friday!"

Welcome to “Show and Tell Friday!” Do you have something special to share with us? It could be a trinket from grade school, a piece of jewelry, or a treasured collection. Look around your home for something to share; dig through those boxes in your closet if you have to! Share photos and the story that goes with your special item.

Today I would like to show you my hankie collection. I started it a few years ago when my mom found several of them at a yardsale and gave them to me. I keep them on my nightstand, on top of a few stackable boxes.


The lady that my mom bought them from would pick up a new one whenever she went traveling. The bottom left one says "Bermuda."


"Frae Scotland"


My friend Gwen gave me this yellow rose hankie (Hi Gwen!), and my friend Susan gave me the white and yellow one. They both know yellow is my favorite color. :0)


I love the delicate blue lace along the edges of this one.


My Nana gave me these two. Pink and yellow roses.


Lastly, my only round hankie. I found it a few months ago at a yardsale.


More lace...


Thank you for looking at my show and tell!!


Show and Tell Guidelines

What is Show and Tell Friday?
Show and Tell involves showing something to an audience, and then telling them about it. Your show and tell must be something that you own, and is in your home or garden.

What items work well for Show and Tell Friday?
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
-Childhood keepsakes
-Family heirlooms
-A collection you may have
-A piece of jewelry
-A special gift
-A favorite treasure
-Gardening pictures

What doesn't work well for Show and Tell Friday?
-Posts with no photos have no "Show." Please don't use them.
-Photos of events (trips, vacations, celebrations, etc.)
-Photos of things you are selling or planning to sell.
-Photos found on the internet, graphics or screenshots. Please use photos you take yourself.

There is no place like home is the original home of Show and Tell Friday. Please do not host your own.

Please do not feel that you have to participate every Friday.

How can I participate?
Once you've got your photo(s) and your story, it's easy as 1-2-3!

1 - Publish your "Show and Tell" on your blog, including a link back to There is No place like Home. If you don’t know the link code, email me and I will send it to you.

2 - Copy the link (or "permalink") from your post.

3 - Add it to Mr. Linky, along with your first name. I usually put Mr. Linky up on Friday at 12:00am Eastern time.

That's it! After that, you can start visiting all the other Show and Tell participants!

Pumpkin Butterscotch Bread

This afternoon I was in the mood to bake, so I made some quick Pumpkin Butterscotch Bread. The recipe makes two large loaves. I ended up with a medium loaf and four mini loaves. Two of the mini loaves went into the freezer for a snack later on.


There are quick oats in the bread which technically makes it healthy. :0)




If you have never tried pumpkin and butterscotch together you should give it a try!


Our neighbor had a baby this past Sunday, so I saved the medium loaf for her and her family.


I cut out a square of fabric with pinking shears, placed the loaf (which I wrapped in saran wrap) in the center of the fabric and gathered up the corners and edges.


I secured the bundle with a ribbon bow and I also added a "Congratulations" gift tag.


Here is the recipe if you would like to make some too!

Pumpkin Butterscotch Bread

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup quick oats
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
3 eggs
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease two 9x5 loaf pans. In a large bowl, mix flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices together. In separate mixing bowl, beat together eggs, pumpkin, sugars, oil, and milk. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and blend well. Stir in butterscotch chips. Fill prepared loaf pans and bake for 45-60 minutes, depending on size of pan. Bread is done when toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to cooling rack.

I hope you all are having a great week!

~Welcome October!~

There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots
may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on
the feelings, as now in October.
- Nathaniel Hawthorne

Here are some simple pleasures to welcome in the wonderful month of October!

~Plan an outing to a pumpkin patch or farmers' market. Go on a search for the perfect pumpkin.

Door Stop by Neil Faulkner

~Take a drive in the country to admire all the colors of the season. Take along a picnic!

Autumn Road by Diane Romanello

~Watch a squirrel gather nuts for the winter.

Acorns and Oak Leaves by Giclee Print

~Bring home a small pot of mums for your kitchen table.

Fall Mum by Barbara Kelley

~Make caramel apples and share them with friends.

The Cider Mill, 1880 by John Brown

~Harvest your herbs and flowers and hang them in your kitchen to dry.

Hanging Dried Herbs by T. Chiu

~Enjoy the longer Autumn evenings with your family. Give them the gift of togetherness.

Cozy Cabin by Judy Gibson

Listen! the wind is rising,
and the air is wild with leaves,
We have had our summer evenings,
now for October eves!
-Humbert Wolfe

I hope you all have a wonderful October!