Withered Autumn Leaves In 3 Versions...

"A withered maple leaf has left its branch

 and is falling to the ground;

 its movements resemble those of a butterfly in flight.

 Isn't it strange? 

The saddest and deadest of things is yet so like the

 gayest and most vital of creatures?"

~Ivan Turgenev

Fathers And Sons

Every once in a while I like to put one of my photos through the enhanced filters I have available in my photo editing software, or my favorite photo editing site... Ribbet. Here we have an example of one of my photos if it were done in watercolors, rather than as a photograph. I really like this version, and it makes me wonder why I don't convert my photos more often? I have also planned to do some paintings of my photos. I have the easel right here, and a lot of paints, yet something stops me every winter from getting my act together, and doing that painting! Maybe this will be the year. Shrug. I kinda hope so, or even better yet, maybe Alan and I can finally do that couples painting we have been promising to do. That sounds like fun too! You know, a little procrastination makes for missing a lot of fun! And for what? Wasting time? It's not like I am getting younger... like the leaves... I SO not getting any younger! LOL. But I am doing quite nicely at withering away... LOL.

(Original)

(Cool Tone)

So tell me, which one of the three versions do you like best?

Leaf Of The Day

November 21st 2015

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Autumn, In The Midst Of Living At My Desk

"My ideas usually come not at my desk writing

 but in the midst of living."

~Anais Nin

Here is what my old desk looked like...

When we still lived in the cottage, but since we moved my office space has changed, like all other parts of my life, completely. First of all, I have my own office, rather than using an extra large space off the kitchen that I think was meant for a pantry, but which fit my needs as an office much better. Now, my office has a door! LOL. And it looks out over the swimming pool, which is nice, because it casts a soft blue/green glow in the room early in the morning. It's on the east side of the house, which means I also get the gentle morning light of early morning. It's pretty early in the day, I just love that golden color. 

It's all white on the walls, but I have hung some posters and put up some simple shelves I got from IKEA. I have a new TV on the opposite wall, so I can watch my favorite shows while editing photos and posting to my blog. The biggest change might be my new desk, also from IKEA. I had a big desk, as you can see in the above photo, but Alan didn't want to move it, and it was kinda on it's last legs, so he took a hammer to it. My goodness my heart broke. I had a lot of good times at that desk, but it was time to move on I suppose. Sigh. Well, anyway, my office isn't quite finished, but it will be soon. Until then I will leave you with this brief glimpse.

 There is more to come, so stay tuned!

Leaf Of The Day

November 20th 2015

Mood: Happy/Nostalgic

~Me :)

Curb Appeal

"The smell of burning firewood and the molding of organic, earthy substances reminded her of jumping wildly into the enormous leaf piles of autumn past

 and she suddenly wished that it was appropriate for someone her age to do such a thing."

~Abby Slovin

Letters In Cardboard Boxes

I love leaves! I love everything about them. I love when they turn and fall from the trees, and I love raking them up into big piles. Granted, I appreciate doing that more when my body isn't inflamed with Fibromyalgia pain, but even when I have to take it easy with the amount of leaf raking I can get done, I enjoy any time spent with leaves, and I am thrilled to live in my own home now, where I have complete control of the landscaping around me.

By this time next year I hope to add at least 5 more rose bushes, and at least 4 dwarf Japanese Maple varieties. I am going to plant a couple of them in the yard and a few will be in decorative pots. Because of the drought in California, Stockton has a list of trees and plants you are allowed to plant and fortunately some of my very favorite are on the list! Ginkgo is especially lovely. I love their little fan shaped leaves, and Willow is another gorgeous option. I want to make the place lovely for us, I am lucky to have a hubby who loves autumn as much as I do! And trees too!

 It's our plan to live here a few years and then maybe move back to the Bay Area, so I will be able to, hopefully, take a couple of the trees with me, but I want to leave the place peaceful and lovely for whoever purchases the house next. I want the yard to not just have curb appeal, I want to house to put out a genuine welcoming vibe and spirit.

 An autumn spirit.

Do you have a favorite tree?

And tell me, if you were buying a new home would trees and shrubs be a deal maker or deal breaker?

Leaf Of The Day

November 19th 2015

 

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

What Is The Name Of Your Dream?

"What is the name of your dream? A lovely wooden cottage in the middle of a forest? Or walking in an endless autumn path? What is the name of your dream? Don't give a name, always give a list! Fill yourself with dreams because dream is the path to reality!"

~Mehmet Murat ildean

I love earth tones. My living room is decorated in browns and orange and rust colors, with a splash of deep blue here and there to catch the eye, and that is what happened when I saw these blue/purple flowers. I found myself almost fixated. That gorgeous color, bursting from some deep brown, crumbled leaves, made the whole scene come alive, and made me hungry for Blueberry Cobbler, which just might have to be the next autumn yumminess I make! I love baking in autumn! Oh well, lets face it, I love everything in autumn! There I go again... drooling over autumn! LOL. To me, autumn and all that comes with it, are just one long dream state, and I would give anything if I could just go on sleeping.

Leaf of The Day

November 18th 2015

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

A Different Monday Sunrise

"Morning is wonderful, it's only drawback is that it comes at such an inconvenient time of day."

-Glen Cook

Sweet Silver Blues

I bring you another beautiful Central Valley sunrise! I am really falling in love with this gentle, yet passionate sight! And this sunrise, like the one from last week, comes on the heels of a strong, blistery storm. Don't think that metaphor is lost on me!

Leaf Of The Day

November 17th 2015

Mood: Happy

Me :)

Woosh Goes The Wind

"If you move faster than the music, it will look strange; if you move slower than the music if will look strange! Be like autumn leaves which follow exactly the rhythm of the wind!"

~Mehmet Murat ildan

There was a tornado yesterday. Not where I am now, but rather were I just was, Turlock. Well, actually, it was on the border between Turlock and the town of Denair. It wasn't like the ones they have in the mid-west, but it did a bit of damage, mostly like a prank played by the wind. LOL. Sorry if I laugh a little, I know it's not really funny, but when I first spoke with my original "real estate specialist" one of the first questions I asked was about insurance while the condo I was considering purchasing was being built. Who pays for what, should a big wind or a devastating fire occur prior to the condo being finished. I don't know why, but the thought of a tornado seemed viable somehow. As did fire. But the "real-estate specialist" just looked at me with saucer shaped eyeballs and a condescending grin and said... "Tornado? We NEVER get tornadoes in the Central Valley. Fire? Why would there be a fire?"

I wonder if she was thinking about me yesterday

 when that bit of wind was blowing between her ears?"

Leaf Of The Day

November 16th 2015

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Cold Autumn

"It looked like the world was covered in a cobbler crust

 of cinnamon and brown sugar."

~Sarah Addison Allen

First Frost

I didn't feel like doing any photography yesterday. I just wasn't feeling inspired, so I did some more unpacking... can you believe I haven't finished that yet? It's not that we have that much, in fact after living in our little cottage all those years I managed to accumulate a lot for a small cottage, but not nearly enough for a three bedroom house. LOL. I suppose that is a good thing, but in reality it doesn't matter if you don't unpack what you do own. I guess I can blame my malaise on the circumstances surrounding the move, or the shock of suddenly going from a renter, to a buyer, or even the fact that since we moved in here we haven't gone two consecutive weeks without our television and Internet service being interrupted. I don't know what to say about AT&T Uverse here in Stockton, but for some reason or another my service hasn't worked, and they seem to think it's a huge mystery!

I don't know what is causing the trouble, but the situation isn't helping one little bit, but it's not really the root cause. I guess most of my lack on inspiration this weekend has to do with the horrible mass killing in Paris last Friday. My goodness, how can that not be depressing? I don't understand. I don't understand that situation any more than when a sick mind went into a schoolroom in Connecticut and killed 26 children and adults, just before Christmas a few years ago. But then I also don't understand the lack of common sense laws, that while probably couldn't stop this nonsense, but could be a good place to start educating people on responsible gun ownership. I don't understand the apathy... and I don't understand the refusal of we humans to learn from our mistakes on a national level, an international level and sometimes personal levels as well. 

But enough of all that. If I could have gone out with the camera yesterday, I would have sought the photos you see in this post. These are from my archives, and have never been posted before. They represent the light for me. They are the colors of life in autumn. Alive, Loud, Comforting, Enthusiastic, Harmonious... LIVING OUT LOUD... light. The kind of vibrancy that lifts me up, and can only be found naturally for 12 weeks, or so, out of the year. It's that light I seek the rest of the year, and find often, but it's only really authentic in the middle of autumn. If I could ask God a favor, it would be to let autumn, be autumn, for just a little longer this year. I need to make up for some time I am losing, letting the sadness run too much of my life. Maybe it's a good thing that soon autumn must move on. Balance is a good thing. The seasons are there to remind us that everything happens in it's time. There is a time for every purpose under Heaven.

Silly me.

 It will get better. 

Leaf Of The Day

Sunday, November 15th 2015

Mood: Quiet

~Me