VOLUNTEERS

 

These bright faces just popped up in the ditch in front of our home recently.

Judy said the seeds were just carried down by our recent rainfall and where they came to rest they dug in and sprouted.

Mother Nature is amazing.

AUTUMN

 No, this post is not about our neighbor, whose name happens to be  Autumn.

It's about the season of the year we are now ensconced in.

It's that time of the year when changing weather causes the trees to turn from their summery green to the beautiful reds and yellows and oranges made lovelier still by a soft sunlight.

But this gorgeous season is also called Fall.

That could be because all of those beautiful leaves are blown from the trees and fall gently onto our yards and sidewalks and driveways, calling out for a human with a rake to get busy.

Grrrr!

A PASSAGE

 My cousin, Bonnie, called this morning to let me know that her mother had passed away peacefully in her sleep.

Almost 8 months ago, my Aunt Lil had celebrated her 100th birthday.

She had a long life in Montana and she raised some great "kids".

Nine years ago she and some of those offspring surprised me with a visit here in Arizona.

This is a picture taken on that day when Lil was merely 91.

She was always fun.

R.I.P. Lillian Mantei Hylland.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

 Yes, I know what you're going to say.

"He's rushing things, isn't he?"

And I know, Halloween is more than a week away.

But what can I say?

My Comedy Corps has been sending me follies full of witches and goblins and black cats and I just have to share them with you.

So try not to get too gobsmacked by all of these hobgoblins and just enjoy the humor of the season.

Oh, c'mon, I knew you'd like that one.

By the way you may have noticed that I didn't post yesterday.

Nothing about picture hanging or plumbing or getting settled in our new home.

Just nothing.

That's because yesterday was International Sloth Day!

You could Google it!

As for today, let's go get 'em.

Eat well, drink well, play well and have an absolutely wonderful weekend.

Avoid pumpkin spice anything, if you can, and always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

ONWARD!

 

All of the plumbing was done yesterday.

Today my buddha collection was hung in a proper place.

It was hung before but it wasn't level and it was too close to the bookcase.

This is better.

HOME

 Slowly our house is becoming a home.

We hung some artwork yesterday.

The pastel of my uncle, Zenas Howland Taylor, was done when he was a young accountant in San Francisco in 1930.

It's hard for me to believe that the picture of him is more than 90 years old.

It's been in our family for many decades and I've always loved it.

He's now keeping my new blog header of Blackwell company.

Meanwhile the kitchen got several pieces hung yesterday.

And a couple of our larger pieces have finally found their places in the living room.

I say "finally" because at first they were reversed and, dang, those framed pieces are heavy.

Meantime, some other works are on and against the couch for now while they find their proper places.

It is said that a house is not a home.

We feel a house is not a home until the artwork finds it's proper place.

And Judy has always said it's not right until the books have come out of their boxes and been placed on their shelves.

It's feeling more and more like home.

BLACK SATURDAY!

One of my faithful contributors to the Humor Bank sent me this photo last night with a note: Blackwell would be proud.

For those of you who don't know, Blackwell was my beloved and departed black cat whose photo is on the upper right of this blog.