Raspberry Rah-Rah!! :)

I've been so pleased with the row of raspberry plants that I planted in the garden this year! :)Last year's canes strained, fizzled, and died, with the exception of one plant, while this year's cane's showed real savvy and settled in and established themselves! :)
I suspect the added care I took with the soil preparation, and this year's extra mild summer, worked in their favor! :)
They've even begun to bloom and form fruit, which I wasn't expecting since raspberries don't usually produce their very first year in the ground! :)
The row is comprised of three types of raspberry plants, 2 red and 1 yellow! :)
The raspberry pictured is a yellow berry, Anne, that is said to have an exquisite flavor with hints of apricot, making it a special treat! :)
I don't know if they'll have time to provide fruit before the freezing nights return, this year, but we should be tasting them next year, for sure! I can hardly wait!! :)

Autumn's Embrace! :)

I'm aching to fill this blog with autumn color, texture, and flavor, but alas, I'm still limited to one photo!
Simply stated, I love how festive nature is this time of year!! :) It's like the big grand finale, with all the streamers, fireworks, and big bands sounding off at once!! :)
I'm welcoming Fall by burning fabulous, fragrant, spicey candles, and am ready to decorate the house with autumn splendor, and the front deck with pumpkins and brightly colored 'mums!! :)
I've got a sudden desire for hot apple cyder, and to heat up the oven again baking squash and pot roast!! :)
This morning we enjoyed a sunrise that seemed to be reflecting back, with shared enthusiasm, the reds and golds the plants in the yard have been rioting!! :)
Even though I love all 4 seasons, - I find it difficult to let summer, and gardening, go every year! Then nature starts splashing bright colors, and putting that little chill in the air, and before long I feel Autumn's embrace, and can no longer resist getting enthused about embracing her right back!! :)

"Nothing Time"! :)

Hobbes: "Well, Summer is almost over. It sure went quick, didn't it?"
Calvin: "Yep."
Calvin: "There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want."

I'm hoping when you click on this photo it will enlarge so you can enjoy Bill Watterson's art work! As I've said before, our whole family are big fans of Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes! :)
We can truely relate! :)
Summer seems to always go too quickly, for us, but this year it sped by extra fast! We were so busy this summer, that we didn't get enough "nothing" time!! :)
The guys managed to spend a little time on the hammock, (one of our "nothing time" favorites), but I think I spent a total of two minutes on it all year!! :)
I love to lay on it, with one leg ready to push off the ground, keeping a steady, gentle swing motion going! It's so pleasant to listen to all the sounds of nature, and watch the birds fleeting to and from the feeders! :) It's especially nice when the sun is shining and there's a soft whisper of a breeze caressing my face! I can even look up at the sky and watch the clouds shifting shapes as they go drifting by! :)
I'm promising myself, right now, that I'm going to make more "nothing time" for myself in 2011! It's going to be one of my resolutions, because "nothing time" can be very restorative!!! :)
Sometimes we need to make "nothing time" for ourselves, to exhale; feel our heart rate slow down; listen to nature; remember the bigger picture; and that we have a loving Heavenly Father Who is aware of us, loves us, and wants to be an ongoing part of our lives! :)
Here's hoping we all get a little "nothing time" now and then, and enjoy it's great bennefits! :)

Evaluating Accomplishments! :)

It's all too easy, when evaluating one's year, to think of the goals that didn't come to fruition, - especially when there are goals you so longed to do! :)
I think of the 2010 veggie garden that I had such high hopes for, that ended up not coming together! This was the year I'd planned to get all the flower beds weeded, add additonal plants, and lay fresh bark throughout! Here it is Sep. and I'm Still hoping to get some free time to get some of that done! :)
This photo I took reminded me of the importance of taking a moment to acknowledge what Has been done, instead of focussing on what hasn't! :)

After all, the reason I didn't get the garden and yard work accomplished, this year, was because of other goals that I was involved with, that took precedence over them! :)

Instead of getting our yard in order, I was working on getting our home in order!! We now are enjoying the blessing of new doors and windows, and the dining room window that I've envisioned being glass french doors, is now a reality!! :) Next summer we plan to add a patio, and patio furniture, so we can make better use of our back yard! :)

And looking through these glass doors I see the new deer fence that my Sweetie built, that will be a huge blessing with the many gardens that will yet be planted there! The raspberry vines I planted last spring have settled in nicely and expect to produce fruit in 2011! :) The garden has been 'tilled and "put to bed", and will be ready to work for us next season! :)

Whatever doesn't get done this year will swap over to next year's goals list! :)

2011's garden, I reason, will be that much more spectacular because I'll have had two years to plan it!! :)

There's other goals too, that my Sweetie and I can feel good about, like losing alot of our excess weight, and working on reading our scriptures! :)

I still have tons to do before the new year! The most exciting one is going to UT to help when our daughter has their 2nd baby!!!! :)

So here's hoping we all take a moment to evaluate the accomplishments we've had in 2010! :) Before we know it, the new year will be upon us, and we'll be setting new, (and rolled over) goals for ourselves!! :) And doesn't it feel good to take a moment to acknowledge our accomplishments!!!!? :)

We Can See Clearly Now! :)

What a difference new windows and doors make!! :)
My blog is still only allowing one photo per post, so since I can only show you one photo, I chose my favorite window! I still need to iron and rehang the valance, but it's the windows I wanted to show you, anyway! :)
We now have Mercer windows, and I have to tell you that I Never have seen window glass that looks so clear, in all my life, nor did I dream it exsisted!! When the protective plastic was removed it looked like there was No glass there!! :) We couldn't be more pleased!! :)
It's a far cry from the windows that used to be there! There were streaks Inside the glass, itself, that no cleaning would remove, - and it always bothered me!
These windows will be fun to clean, because they will look clean when I'm done! :)
And I Do mean clean!! :) It's a happy adjustment because we can see clearly now!! Hurray!! :)