Year of the Begonia and Coleus

The shorter days and cooler evenings are telling me it's October!  It's always been a favorite month for me.  It's our anniversary and birthday month as well.

The leaves are falling all over the lawn.  Not yet the colorful leaves, except the red, yellow, and orange black gum leaves. 

The summer wants to hang around a little longer, even into October, in Virginia.  Temperatures creeping up into the 80's and the humidity follows suit.  Our flowers are still blooming.  The potted plants need frequent watering when rain doesn't fall from the heavens. 

If you buy a chrysanthemum be sure to water it frequently if you potted yours.  We bought a couple yellow ones last week and potted them.  I like to get the tightly budded ones in hopes they will last throughout the Autumn season. 

If you are a gardener, I'm sure you have noticed each year brings surprises.  This year bought a surprise to the gardener and the plants.  I was having quite a bit of pain throughout the spring into summer and found I have spinal stenosis.  I'm much better now after this flareup with the help of physical therapy but my garden is not.  In spite of the health issues a garden does what it pleases.  Plants grow or not and weeds always thrive. 

I'm calling this year the year of the Begonia and Coleus!  I've had them popping up everywhere!  In the driveway, on the edges of the bricks along flower beds, even in the lawn!

I'm not complaining as it has been quite joyful to plant these little beauties all about the neglected garden.  I'm just letting a lot of them to just bloom where they are.  It's like a sign from above that everything is okay.  Seeds always amaze me.  I marvel at the seeds that have been in the ground for years will suddenly germinate and turn into a lovely flower!  Did you know that seeds from the ancient pyramids still germinate?  If that isn't a miracle, I don't know what is! 

The seeds of this morning glory has still failed to blossom!  It's almost taken the arbor down with the weight of the foliage.  Grayden has fortified it several times and it still continues to grow and not bloom.  I guess all the energy is being used for its vines!

I've always had begonias in the urns on our front porch.  Red, white or pink have been planted over the years.  They drop their little seeds and under the right conditions (our rainy summer)  they germinate and flourish!  They are happy the gardener failed to refresh the mulch and frankly so am I!

The same with coleus.  My Nanny always had them and I usually have them as well.  This year I planted none, but they surely came up everywhere!  Several different varieties that I haven't seen for years.  A garden is full of surprises.  It's one of the reasons gardening fascinates me!

  

"There is a kind of immortality in every garden. " Gladys Taber  

October birthdays and an Anniversary

♫ Music ♫

October is a very busy month celebration wise!  Grayden and I both have birthdays and it is also our anniversary month.  We are so blessed with a happy and long marriage.  We usually go away for our birthdays and anniversary and this year was no different.  Usually you would find us going to Williamsburg or the mountains and some years even to a beach for our celebration.  This year we decided to go somewhere completely different and quite unusual for us.  We went to Scottsdale, Arizona last week to celebrate 48 years together!

This photo was taken when we were dating and right before we were married.  Grayden was a senior and I was a freshman in college.  We were so young, but very much in love.  We knew what we wanted in life and very much wanted to get married.  My parents were quite concerned that we were too young to get married.  They said we should wait, but we had other ideas.  I was not a rebellious teen, but I wanted to get married!  Grayden and I had plans to marry no matter what.  So we decided to elope!  Now you must know I was the child that always did what my parents wanted, but I felt they were being unreasonable and I knew what was right for me!  How confident I was that I was doing the right thing!

Grayden picked me up from school on a Friday afternoon and we traveled to South Carolina to get married.  You could not marry in Virginia without your parent's permission!  How bold we were.  We had rented a small apartment to move into after we married.  We were poor college students that were certain of what we were doing!

My parents were so hurt by what I had done, but accepted me and Grayden with open arms when we returned back home on that Sunday evening.

Looking back on this experience I find I can hardly believe I did this.  I am so blessed to be married to a fine man who loves me and I love him.

As I grew older and had children of my own, I realized how bold I was to have taken such a step as a young woman.  I don't recommend it to others.  Marrying so young is not advisable!  I was very lucky that it worked for us!  That alone is a miracle that is a gift that I thank God for every day! ♥

Autumn Happenings

♫ Music ♫

I can hardly believe it's October.  For me the most glorious of months!  August and September have been very dry months for us.  October promises to be quite different in that department!  Most of the east coast is getting a lot of rain this weekend.  We're thankful that Hurricane Joaquin is staying away so far.  The creeks and rivers are filling to capacity or more.  It's interesting that with our weather lately it's an all or nothing event.

The oak tree out front has continued to drop almost all of its leaves.  We will continue to watch this tree and hope it will recover from whatever its problem is.  Meanwhile we are seeing the change of colors on the dogwood trees.  They always seem to be the most colorful first.

The hawks have been quite busy recently.  I'm so glad they send a warning call when they fly around!  Grayden and I were talking about the fact they send out the warning.  One would think they would be quiet with their hunting.  I think it's God's way of protecting the small critters.  The small birds and squirrels always scatter when they hear the call.  This is not scientific so don't quote me as an expert!

The lunar eclipse was interesting for us as it was quite cloudy.  We were able to see little bits of it as the clouds raced by until there was no visible sign of the moon at all.  I am always filled with awe at the wonder of the heavens!

I decided to move my sewing machine up into the office.  After our son moved out years ago, I made his room into my craft/sewing room.  It stayed that way for years.  Now that our grandson lives here it is his room.  So my sewing machine was moved to the downstairs family room.  I must admit I haven't used it much while it was downstairs.  Hopefully I will be motivated to use it more in the office.

I made the most interesting peanut butter cookies this week.  Many of you have probably already made them.  They are gluten free if that makes any difference to you.  They are easy to make and are quite yummy.

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup of peanut butter
1/2 cup of sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl.  You can make these by hand--no need to pull out the mixer.  Shape into small one inch balls--I made 20.  Place on parchment or silpat lined cookie sheet.  Flaten with a criss-cross pattern with a fork.  Bake in a 325 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Let cool and firm in pan for another 10 to 15 minutes.  Remove to cooling rack.

These no flour cookies were a hit in our home.  Happy October! ♥