Fall Day in My Part of the World.

Today is such a lovely fall day in NE rural Missouri.  With a somewhat upset stomach, I must say I have not done much, but am still enjoying the day while I sit on my laptop out in the screened porch.  My little dogs play in the yard, all but Hemingway, who always sits or lays near me.  At this point he is laying on the table next to the laptop while I type.  He is such a great companion.

Yesterday I took out the pumpkin patch and fixed a fall decoration by the front porch.  My little guys saw the big pumpkin and growled.  So funny.  It was grown by the Amish who farm about 15 miles from here.  Yesterday was a bit cooler but breezy and nice.  Today is a bit too warm for me, but so nice and sunny.  

Walnuts keep falling from the backyard trees.  So glad they have yet to hit one of the dogs.  We pick them up nightly and throw them over the fence so they don't chew on them.  Some years family have taken them to market.  Some years I have dried and hulled.  For me, purchased already cleaned ones at Sam's is a much better deal.  It takes lots of work to dry and hull the nuts, but I know many who do.  Blessings to them.

My outside annual plants are just about finished, but the zinna keep blooming on in full color.  While the fall mums are looking so colorful as are my blooms on the Sedum, I enjoy picking some dried bouquets of Black-eyed Susans and even weeds.  

Fall brings me to checking out all I have planned for my fall trip home to Wisconsin, and especially Door County.  The leaves will be great, the food and entertainment wonderful, and friends will be fun to reconnect with.  Artists, authors, and musicians who I have come to know are always happy to visit and catch up with things each year.  Even the tea shop I always purchase leaf tea from and is on my facebook, states they are ready to see me again.  Such nice English ladies.  

Fall dress of blue jeans again, as in the summer it is just too hot here for jeans, at least for me.  I wear lots of capris and skirts.  But now jeans or cordaroy pants are the thing, as are sweaters and heavier tops.  Some days I will have to wear a light jacket, but nothing heavy yet.  Some winters here I don't even have to wear a heavy jacket because it is simply too warm.  I have a long heavy winter coat that I have worn only a few times in years and years, but it is a Wisconsin coat and I will keep it for those few days.

The last of the apples will be picked this week.  Making a few batches of jelly, as I have much froze and canned already.  Bread making and crisp and pies will use up some.  It seems all are too busy to come and pick theirs but would take them if I would do it.  My thought is they need to take the time to enjoy the out of doors and apple picking which is part of the fall.  They would have liked some of my pumpkins also.   I am not greedy, but am not turning any over to any who want to miss the whole great experience.  If they are too busy to pick and miss the joy and appreciation of the growth and even the grower, then they can purchase theirs at WalMart or elsewhere.  For me, as I walk past my front porch, I admire all of my decor of corn stalks and pumpkins and mums, and will go in the house and eat some freshly picked apples, sliced, with warmed up carmel.  

Moral of story is to never be too busy to enjoy the seasons and the outdoors and the produce from it all.  And maybe appreciate the person telling you to come and enjoy and profit from the produce.  I used to work alot, but still grew and canned and picked.  There is time for what is good for you if you really want to take it.  Maybe stay off of your phone or computer more and seize the moment of the day.