The lake is cooling down

Here is an early morning scene a few days ago as the air cooled the lake we swam in all summer. Perhaps it's beginning to think about making ice for ice-skating!  Beautiful mists.  Today we are getting such strong, gusting winds that the remaining leaves are being blown from the trees and away.  Makes me wonder why I bothered raking the other day.

One of 4 Fave Seasons

Right now Autumn is my favorite season.   Soon Winter will be my favorite and so on!  We have been enjoying one of the most beautiful falls on record with moderate temps and glorious colors.  Here are some photos from my yard and home.  I raked leaves into a huge pile one recent day.... another reason why I love fall... raking!  Yes, truly.  Good exercise and it smells so good. 

I also made this pieced candy corn banner of quilt weight fabrics.... a "green" way to decorate and I can use it again next year.  The reverse is a Halloween print as well as the double fold tape.  I made the tape with one of those neat little tools and an iron.... very easy to do, inexpensive and it coordinates perfectly with the flags.

Lake Michigan Squalls & Lunch

The winds whip wildly off Lake Michigan this time of the year.... up and over the dunes creating white caps on the inland lakes, many of which have dredged access to the "big" water.  Such has been the weather the past couple of days, but that didn't keep me away from an estate sale yesterday providing vintage treasures.  I don't admit to many people that I get up before dawn, drive for an hour in a storm, sign up for a number to be issued in another hour securing my rightful order in entering the houseful of treasures, then wait yet one more hour in the rain for the sale to begin!  It takes some kind of nut......

The rewards are great, however.  I found two wonderful old oak school chairs, vintage skeleton keys, sewing notions, a fantastic vintage recipe file box chock full of hand written recipes.... can't wait to read through them all and try a few.   And to top off the morning I had an early lunch at the Blue Slipper Bistro Cafe at the end of the lake.... Chicken Curry Eggplant Soup to thaw me out!! Awesome Greek- influenced menu.

Harvest Moon and Pumpkin Spice Cake

If it isn't too cloudy where you live, check out that gorgeous moon.   I walked onto the end of the dock last night before bed and there it was shining down.   It's a special time of year.  The leaves are beginning to turn colors.  The squirrels are extra busy stashing acorns and raiding the bird feeders.

The autumn fruits and vegetables are in ample supply at the farmers market.  They make lovely centerpieces.... a good reason to display my vintage Vera tablecloth with the red ladybugs scattered through the brown and gold leaves.


The cool days have inspired me to make spice cake... what smells better than an apple pie or pumpkin spice cake baking?

If I am not baking, then I am sewing.  I just made some "candy corn" from quilt weight fabrics and perched them with pip berries in old vintage bed springs.  You can find them for sale in my Etsy shoppe.

Finding Tranquility

What a couple of weeks it has been!  A dear and talented neighbor/friend who was a genuinely careful and experienced motorcyclist had a car turn in front of him unexpectedly.  In spite of modern medical surgical miracles, he passed away as a result of his injuries.  Please watch out for bikers ~ both pedal and motor.   Thankfully, during this sad time,  I have had my granddaughter's corgi ~ the middle dog ~ to baby sit.  He gets along really well with my two dogs and there hasn't been a dull moment... a good distraction.

During a recent morning I heard the old-fashioned sound of a single engine airplane motor.   It was still and quiet with the lake like glass.... a perfect day to practice take-offs and landings.  And that is exactly what this little yellow sea plane did for a couple of hours.  I grabbed a cup of coffee and headed to the "thinking" bench by the shore and watched for quite a long while.   Hence, the tranquility I was looking for.

Flea Market Sundays

A friend alerted me to this fabulous Flea Market held each Sunday through the summer.  We went this past weekend and what a delight! 

The first thing that  hits you when you get out of your car is the smell of a bakery!!  Fresh donuts are made all morning long.... melt-in-your-mouth  fantastic!  And on the honor system, no less.   A tiny sign states 50 cents for coffee and 50 cents for a donut.  You make your own change and bag your own donuts.... if they make it to the bag!







The kitchen is in this delightful old building with the big porch and blue gingerbread trim... lots of tables and chairs to sit and savor the day and the donuts.

My finds at the Flea Market were this great rustic cottage table, a cluster of skeleton keys for my "steampunk" projects and appropriate to my last blog ~ a book of Hemingway's Short Stories!

Hemingway's Summer Territory

Ernest Hemingway's family's summer home was about 50 miles north of my home here in northwestern lower Michigan.  Workshops, retreats and tours abound in this area for the Hemingway fan.  Last week was our 5-county regional Quilt Store Shop Hop.  It does indeed take an entire week to leisurely visit all of the quilt shops and it was a great time of being inspired by all the wonderful new fabrics just in for fall quilting as well as the many quilts on display.

Three shops are in the vicinity of the Hemingway region.... between Lake Charlevoix and Walloon Lake.  Here are lots of woods to hunt in and streams to fish in.... all were inspiration for Hemingway's Nick Adams stories.   Here are a couple of photos from the village of Horton Bay... a sign for the book store and the General Store which hasn't changed one bit since Ernest was a teenager.