Welcome Autumn!

What a busy summer it was, and I'm so happy to officially welcome autumn!  We are still suffering from the terrible fires in the surrounding mountains.  I live in the Boise area, and we often get inversions, so the smoke has just settled in.  It's like living in a murky, suffocating fog.  I'm hoping for a cleansing rain to come our way, and soon!

I didn't get any yard or craft projects finished this summer, my writing went on the back burner again, and I just don't know where the time went or what I did with it.  If I'd been blogging more faithfully, maybe that would give me a clue.  Oh well, I had some fun with my boys before they started school.  Both are happy in their choices.  One at BSU and the other at College of Idaho.  The empty nest thing is both wonderful and a little lonely at times, but they are both very near to home so they can drop in for visits.

I picked out an old photo to play with... "Autumn Leaves" which I tweaked with an "Ink Sketch" application.  I really like how it turned out.

I wanted to put a new image up for my header, but I can't get my photos sized correctly, or centered, so I decided to go with just the name for now.  You ignore blogging for a while, and you forget all your skills!  Hopefully, I'll get back into the groove very soon!  Have a glorious "first day of autumn" and many happy days to come!

Autumn is coming...

After a night of rain and thunder, today has been mild and much cooler.  I've been longing for Autumn, and it now feels like it's just around the corner.  I hope we get a long, drawn out, fall season.  I love when the leaves stay on for weeks, all yellows, oranges, and golds!

I've been trying to get stuff gathered for a big yard sale, but keep running out of steam.  It doesn't matter though, I'm getting it boxed up and if there's no sale, the Idaho Youth Ranch, St. Vincent's and ARC will all benefit!

I'm going to be looking into getting a new PC or maybe a Mac.  Can't decide which way to go.  I use mine for writing, photos, and internet, so I want tons of space and high speed.  Any suggestions?

Well, BSU football starts in half an hour, so I'd better get busy.  I need to prep some healthy snacks before game time!

December!

I don't know how December got here so fast!  Life just keeps running by.  While I've been absent several things came and went... my surgery,  my churchs' 70th Anniversary, my birthday, and Thanksgiving.  With all the craziness, what was to be a birthday Giveaway didn't get put together... oh sad procrastination... I am haunted by you!  LOL!

My promise... to get it pulled together, photographed, and posted before Christmas! 

Snow... we have it, and lots of it too!  Yesterday morning I measure 9 1/2 inches in my front yard.  That was at 6:30 am, and it continued to snow all day.  Every school for miles was closed, even colleges and universities including BSU.  Speaking of BSU... those who follow college football will know that we lost last week in Nevada.  Sadly, some "fans" decided to take it out on our kicker, Kyle Brotzman.  Yes, he missed two kicks that may have saved the game, but I'm with Coach Pete... it's a team loss.  Many mistakes were made.  And for all you "sunny day" fans... get over it or get lost!  A real fan is there in the bad times as well as the victories!  So I say, "Go Broncos!"  I'll be tuning in to the next game to cheer them on!

Today I'll be making my Christmas cards out.  A few will be handmade. I send way too many to do all handmade, for this year anyway.  If you want to be on my Christmas Card List, just send me your address.  I love sending cards!  I've saved special cards that I received over the years... some for the messages, some for the art! 

Hope your Christmas shopping and preparations are not making you cranky.  This year, I did all my shopping online.  Most of my gifts arrived, with just a few more coming in over the next week or so.  Paul got our lights up before the big storm blew in... it was so pretty to see them lit up against the snow.  So often we have a "brown" Christmas in this part of Idaho.  I have the luxury of really enjoying all this snow... I don't have to commute (or, like my Honey... deliver mail) in it!

Have a "Hohoho" Jolly Day!

Blessings!
Nita Jo

Brenda Photo Challenge - Pets

Today is the Brenda Photo Challenge. To see my entries, go to Nita Jos Photos. To see all the other wonderful photo entries, go to the Brenda Photo Challenge Blog.


I am loving this day. It's a cold, crisp, autumn day. My favorite kind. When I'm done here, I plan to watch my tape of Amazing Race, sort through piles of magazines that I haven't had time to read, and later put in one of my favorite autumn movies... Arsenic and Old Lace or The Trouble With Harry. Both are set during the fall season. I also love The Four Seasons with Alan Alda and Carol Burnett. That's only a few of them... so many choices.

Hmmm... an old, blue 52 Chevy just pulled in to the driveway. Guess the car show closed early... must not have liked the rainy cold weather. I just remembered there's a BSU game on tonight. They've been doing well. The movies will wait for another day!

BSU & The Brenda Photo Challenge

My photo entries are up for the Brenda Photo Challenge. Go to

Nita Jo's Photos to see mine. Then visit the

Brenda Photo Challenge Blog to see all the other entries!

~~~

Oh, and I must say "Yay for BSU!" We won against Fresno tonight. It was a fun game to watch! I just recently got interested in watching football again. BSU is our local university team. Our favorite professional team is the Green Bay Packers.

Some of my favorite memories involve a baseball or football game on the television. Usually, my sis and I were either dusting, ironing, folding laundry, reading, or playing a board game. Grandpa would end up napping, but if you dared to turn the set off, he was immediately awake! "I'm watching that!" he'd say! Grandma would watch the baseball, but was not much of a football fan.

You may think dusting and ironing are odd "good" memories, but there was something very satisfying in working together. I still love the smell of a hot iron against a cotton pillowcase or a hanky.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Happy Birthday Dear Son...

It's hard to believe my firstborn is now 23 years old. Here are a couple of my favorite pictures of MJ when he was very young...

How he loved to sing!

Isn't he the cutest thing! He had a train conductor hat that matched his OshKosh overalls!

I know it's an overused cliche, but time really does fly by. It seems to go faster the older I get. We had a nice family dinner, just the four of us. PJ brought home "the works" from one of our favorites, the Hong Kong Restaurant. It was just as wonderful as I remembered. Grandpa and Grandma took our little family there many times after a Sunday morning service. We had the Spanish Chow Mien along with our meal, in their honor. It was delicious! Later, we'll have one of MJ's favorite cakes... Lemon Poppy Seed Bunt Cake with Lemon Frosting. Since my hand has a wrap on till tomorrow night, PJ made the cake and I made the frosting. We got done with presents in time for MJ to turn on the BSU football game. I hope it's a win tonight! That would be the topping on the birthday celebration! Go BSU!

I love you son! May this be the start of another wonderful year for you...

"and many moooore..."