"Feathering the Nest,"

In The Fall

In The Fall,

Every Front Porch Needs

  Pumpkins!

In The Fall,

We All Want To Read,

Wrapped In A Comfy Quilt! 

In The Fall,

We Are Grateful!

In The Fall,

Open The Front Door

Let The Golden Sparkly Sunshine In.

In The Fall,

Put Up The Drapes, Put Down The Carpets,

Pull Out The Fall Colors, and Cuddly Coverlets!

In The Fall,

I'm Blessed When I Bake!

In The Fall,

Our Kitchen Is Seasoned 

With Homemade Love!

In The Fall, 

Light A Very Cozy Candle.

In The Fall, 

 It's Time To Set A Nature Autumn Table. 

Use Burlap, Wood Bark, Candles, Pinecones, 

& Indian Corn.

In The Fall,

Open The Back Door Too!

In The Fall,

Put A Pillar Candle In A Hurricane Vase.

  Surround It with Leaves, Acorns, or Small Pinecones.

 In The Fall,

The Air Is Seasoned With Spices.

In The Fall,

At Bedtime,

 It's Goose Down Snuggling! 

In The Fall,

He Makes And Brings Me Coffee!

In The Fall,

 I Love Love Love The Crackly Warm Fire.

And Mr. Dardy's Feet! 

In The Fall,

We Need the Firewood, 

Mr. Darcy Chopped in the Summer!

 

In The Fall,

It's Apple Kitchen Time.

In The Fall,

Everybody Wants

 To Bake Apple Pie!

In The Fall,

Open Up The Windows Too!

 Let In The Crisp Fall Air.

In The Fall,

Who Wants Hot Cocoa?

In The Fall,

Fresh Apple Cider Is On The Deck.

In The Fall,

It's Time For Cookin' Corn!

In The Fall,

We Alway's Read This Book AND Watch The Movie! 

"Squanto,"

  An Awesome Book and Disney Movie.

True Story!

In The Fall,

A Steaming Pot

 of Bigelow Orange & Spice Herb Tea,

Is Waiting To Be Sipped!

In The Fall,

 3 Generations 

 Of Fine Art Is On Display!

In The Fall,

Look Who Showed Up

 To Say Hey!

In The Fall,

Don't Worry, 

He Won't Show Up Here!

In The Fall,

I Get Even Fatter!

"HEARTHOUSE"

Feathering the Nest

by, Cheryl Harwell Bailey

Have you ever mindlessly performed a task?

 Your brain wonders what your body is doing! 

Your hands & feet fly as you clean & polish

 EVERYTHING!

 That’s me! 

My "Mama" says I started cleaning out closets 

when I was 3 years old. Isn't it kind of crazy,

 to have a passion to organize, clean, 

and fluff up every home, 

plus all the folks who live there? 

It drives some of my family nuts, 

but most of them say "come on sister,

 we need your gift of gussiness!"

 I believe God wants our dwelling places to reflect 

"the home within our heart."

 Making it comfortable, peaceful, and rest worthy.

 Bringing order to the inside and the outside,

 making it our favorite place to be.

 Our "Hearthouse."

 We within care for it, give it character, and a heart.

It says, "Hey folks, can't you tell, 

by looking at me, who I belong to?

 I"m Katies house!" Blessings fall on the neighbors, the town, the family who live there, and all who see it. The buzz begins; did you see that darling little cottage?

Buzz buzz buzz!

 Did you see what Susie has done with that 1960 stucco track home across town?

 Tweet tweet tweet.

 A spark begins, & before you know it,

 the sweetness spills out over the cup and into the saucer, (the world).

 Over 30 years ago, we lived in Germany. 

Non- military, we lived in a small flat. 

A friend informed my "Mother," it was cold and bleak, having seen it before we moved in,

 when she had also lived in Germany. 

Of course my mama was worried. 

She sent me a box of some of my favorite things, 

all the way from California.

In a week, the flat looked like a beautiful "Paris" apartment.  Full of homesick soldiers, who now,

 had a place to come "HOME" to, on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, indeed everyday. 

The village neighbors wanted to see it as well, 

helping the process of building friendships.

It brings to mind "Karen Blixen," 

taking her Limoge' china,  sterling silver, and crystal

 on the train from Denmark to Nairobi (Kenya),

 when she bought the "Coffee Plantation."

 In truth, we take our "nesting instinct," wherever we roam, 

leaving a lasting memory in the places we inhabit,

 and the people we meet.

  Bringing with us, the spark that truly is God-given.

One can do all this without spending a cent.

Use 

WHAT you already have.

Make 

WHERE you are now, "beautiful."

The instant 

WHEN you feel inspired, do it.

You are the 

WHO required to make it a "home."  

If you can't seem to put your heart into it, 

Barter with a friend who is gifted in Home Arts.

 Babysit her kids, while she rearranges  your family room for example. 

"Brighten the Corner Where You Are"

Guess who surprised me with "Royal Copenhagen,

" China for my 28th Birthday? 

Homesick soldiers! 

"Grandma's Cottage"
By, Cheryl Harwell Bailey

Grandma's Cottage
Front View

THE OKLAHOMA GIRL

She's lived in shacks and dug-outs,

But that's in day's gone by.

Now there's a healthy, roomy cottage,

that lifts it's gables to the sky.

All within is neat and tidy,

Ever cozy, even the squirrels,

At last upon the throne of her labors,

Sits the " Oklahoma Girl."

Written by,

"My Grandmother, Nancy Harwell"  

Gratitude

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.

It turns what we have into enough, and more.

It turns denial into acceptance.

Chaos to order. 

Confusion to clarity.

It can turn a meal into a feast.

A house into a home.

A stranger into a friend.

Gratitude makes sense of our past,

Brings peace for today,

and creates a vision  for tomorrow.  

By, Melody Beady

Apples

Apple Butter

I have been extremely blessed to experience a rare privilege.

In the early 1980's Randall was the "Pastor," of a church,

 in the coal mining town of  Rutland, Ohio.

 Like all churches it had a group of awesome women who had

 quilting bee's, bake sales, Bible studies, etc.

They had one yearly tradition every fall, that I haven't seen

 before or since. 

They made Apple Butter.

 Not in the way I have seen others do it, 
but in the way women of old made it

years ago, indeed, back hundreds of years.

We all met at the McGee's Farm, in the country,

 on a crisp fall morning.

The Apple Butter was done completely outdoors.

 A big table set with hand cranked apple peeler's, corer's,
 and boxes of a certain kind of apple.

Some peeled, some chopped, and some cooked.

They all knew what they were doing.

 And I couldn't wait to learn.

The focal point was the ancient giant copper pot,

 suspended on a tripod over the fire pit.

The pot would soon be bubbling with a little taste of heaven.

 Homemade by women, some who are in "Heaven," 
now as I write this.

 I want to thank them for giving me one of
 the best fall days of my life.

The hand grated cinnamon, the fresh cloves, all the spices, filling the mountain air

along with the apples, is a scent I will never forget.

By the time we filled the wide mouthed mason jars,

it was an all day affair.

I have tried many kinds of Apple Butter for years,

 but nothing knocks my nose or my tastebuds into the stratosphere like this one.

They certainly had no problem selling every single jar!

Apple Cake

Apple Pie

Caramel Apples

Apple Cider Ice Cream Float

Apple Dumplings

Candy Apples