Bittersweet Magic

There are many things in life that are bittersweet....both good and bad, happy and sad...at the very same time. Like having to say goodbye to people you love after a really good visit....or transitions from one phase of life to another.  Life is full of bittersweet moments.

At the end of our walk this morning I was completely smitten with bittersweet the plant....growing wild along the edge of the woods. It caught and held my attention for quite a long time....I couldn't stop looking....and taking photos.

The plant itself is actually bittersweet....both beautiful and invasive....often tangling around and sometimes smothering other plants around it. 

But today I'm choosing to celebrate the sweet side of bittersweet. I'm celebrating this moment in the fall when the orange capsules split open and reveal the bright red berries inside. I love this color combination this time of year....fall orange and Christmas red.  

And I can't see bittersweet without thinking about my dear friend Linda....who loves it more than anyone I know. 

And when you happen to catch bittersweet dripping from the overnight rain with the sun rising behind it....it's bittersweet magic.

Past and Present

I'm sharing a few fall paper projects from shared art journals from the past.....all the way back to 2013 to be exact. The black tree is a papercut over the colored paper background swatches. And the leaves on the right are cut apart and put back together over the black leaving a little negative space. I used commercial papers in both of these....but will revisit these ideas with hand painted papers and/or fabric again at some point.

 

I took advantage of the "present" 60+ degree day and put together a basket of greens for the front of the condo.  

Some of it is from the woods....some of it from the greenhouse.  The green fuzzy balls will be replaced with bright red berries after Thanksgiving.  I don't want to rush the season.

I just found this oversized basket at Home Goods for a very reasonable price. I needed something large and don't want my pottery pots out for the winter.  This will work well.

Transitions

It's nice when we catch the sunrise over the pond on our morning walk.  

Does anyone else struggle with transitions?  I often need several days to settle into any kind of a groove after a trip....and there have been a couple big trips.  Thank goodness for puzzles......my favorite transition activity.

This one has nearly put itself together and has been absolutely delightful. I almost finished after my breakfast and thought I'd leave this last bit until tomorrow....

....but I couldn't.  

90!

Margie turned 90 today!  And just to put things in perspective....she ran the exercise class at her independent living complex this morning.  She's amazing! We're so blessed to have in our lives on a regular basis.  JOY!

Today was just round one....a more official family celebration will happen on Sunday.  

Did It Wait?

What do you think the chances are this white rainlily knew how much I would enjoy seeing this last bloom?  Do you think it knew that I had two condo board meetings today after just getting home that would monopolize my time and attention....and that I would need a little splash of joy? 

When I noticed a bud during the summer it would generally open the very next day.  But 5 days ago before we took our road trip you may recall that I noticed one bud on the nearly dormant plant.  I thought about it several times during the trip...sitting in the dark and quiet condo and I assumed it would open while we were gone. But there it was this morning....just opening up.  

Did it wait for me? I'm choosing to believe it did.

And I deadheaded two Christmas cactus blooms before I left....and came home to several more.  I haven't had this many buds on this plant...ever! Almost every branch has a bloom or a bud....and will bring me weeks of enJOYment.

Layers of Color

"Whatever you accomplished today is enough."

Our trip was wonderful....but it's so good to be home. Paul and I continued to enjoy the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with the layers of color.....we loved these strips of coppery trees. 

This colorful variety of fallen leaves caught my eye at John and Sue's.....

and during the drive home I uploaded it into the comic view of the app "clips." 

Gratitude

Today was a travel day....and we spent a wonderful afternoon and evening with dear friends in Boiling Springs, PA.  Tomorrow we'll make the 8 hour drive home.  

Tracie sent me this delightful photo this morning of her grandson catching a snowflake on his tongue along with a quote worth repeating.

"There's a self expansive aspect of gratitude. Very possibly it's a little known law of nature: the more gratitude you have, the more you have to be grateful for."  Elaine St. James. 

My sister Marilyn and I did a seasonal exchange many years ago....and I created a collage based on a photo she had sent of her son catching a snowflake on his tongue.  You can read about that here:  https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-winter-challenge.html

And just a few days ago Becky sent me this photo taken by her son Johnny who has become an expert in looking closely and sharing what he sees.

And just a few weeks ago....Brenda sent this photo of her parents ginkgo tree day....for those of you have been following the blog know why this was such a treat.  I do miss my ginkgo tree!

Three friends from Madison...sharing their joy.....I am so grateful!

Joyful Abundance!

I'll start where we ended....because today was really about the wedding...and we partied into the evening.  Paul has been retired almost a full year....but he stepped right back in doing his thing....Zack and Genna's wedding was beautiful!

Paul's message during the ceremony about taking something that is already good....and making it more.  That's what today was.  I wrote the rest of this post this afternoon when the day had already been really good....and a beautiful wedding just made it more.  Joyful Abundance!

"Sometime I only need stand wherever I am to be blessed."  Mary Oliver

It rained all night at our cabin in the woods....and the sound was soothing and restful.  We woke up to sunshine and beautiful skies....what a perfect day for a wedding.

We started the day with a delightful walk around the property.  The driveway alone is 1/2 mile....and there are trails all through the woods and fields of their 60+ acres. 

There was something about this slender stick with the tiny peach colored growths that captured my attention.

Our little cabin looks tiny against the rolling hills and fields of the property.

How can these not be celebrated!

Paul always notices when the sun is casting light in unexpected places....and in this case there was a layers of trees in the west that were just glowing from the morning light behind us.

Joyful abundance....all day long.

Cabin In The Woods

One of the perks of Paul's role as officiant at weddings is our lodging is generally taken care of.  And we really lucked out this time because Genna and Zack have put us up in a little cabin in the woods....right outside of the town of Lock Haven.

This is the view from the porch....I think we'll be just fine here.

The views are breathtaking in every direction.  How lucky are we! 

The whole drive across Pennsylvania was beautiful with hills, valleys. and vistas. Although the leaves were past prime....we could imagine them in their full glory. It was a perfect day for the last leg of the drive.

On The Road Again

After a few morning appointments Paul and I were on the road about noon. Five hours and five states later we're in Fishkill, NY for the night.  Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York...for today and Pennsylvania tomorrow.  The colors in the sky after the sunset were amazing.  

Traveling isn't so bad when you're doing it with someone you love. Clake took this photo for us when she visited in October....life is good with this guy!

A friend just told me that she is not able to comment on the blog.  I don't know what the issue is....and I don't know if anyone else has trouble....but when I have time I will try and explore. These kinds of technical issues are not my forte.  Most of you know how to contact me....and many of you do.  And for that, I am grateful.

Joy, Beauty, and Hope

This quote from Morgan Harper Nichols resonated with me today.

There are so many big things coming....Margie's 90th birthday, both Thanksgiving and Christmas, and Paul's birthday. Last year the holidays got a little swallowed up by packing and retirement so I'm going to savor them this year.

Then there are the quiet winter months in the studio....I'm so excited.  

I can't believe I'm saying this....but I'm heading out of town again tomorrow for a few days.  Paul is doing a wedding in Pennsylvania on Friday for some good friends...and we are making it a little driving tour. We'll meander our way there over a couple days and hook up with other friends on our way home.

So today was finishing up more fall chores, packing...and a little puzzle time.  There is joy in the waiting.

I'm loving this one.

And...there was beauty in the ordinary. The setting sun and the reflection of the bare trees in the pond late this afternoon were so beautiful.

I brought my rain lilies in weeks ago when the nights started to get cold.  I stop watering them, let the foliage die back, and tuck them away for the winter inside right in the pots.  

The white one is right inside the sliders for now....and low and behold I discovered a bud this afternoon.  Hope in unexpected places.

It will likely open while we're gone....but what a treat to see the bud  this morning.  Who knows....maybe it will open in the morning.  

Joy, beauty, and hope....three words to remember while I wait.

Catalpa Tree

This November day gave us a frosty morning....but a warm enough afternoon to continue my window washing.  I'm almost done!  

And there's that hint of October color....and a bit of November frost.

"November at its best...with a sort of delightful menace in the air." Anne Greene

I'm still processing and celebrating Colorado's Mother Nature.

I've never seen or heard of a catalpa tree....sometimes called a cigar tree. But we came across a couple on one of the paths around Liz and Alyson's complex. The long bean like pods caught my eye.....the tree was just loaded. And in case you were wondering...yes I brought one home.

The leaves are large and heart shaped....and apparently it has spectacular blooms in the spring.  Again....I'll have Liz and Alyson watching out for these.

Mother nature continues to surprise and delight me.

Serendipitous

November is a transition month. There are still hints of color from October...and clear evidence of the withering and resting that comes in December and the winter months.  

This zinnia caught my eye on our morning walk...the touches of red, the withered brown and just a hind of frost.  It perfectly manifests the transitional beauty of November.

I was quite taken with the trees and vegetation in Denver...many of them different than we have on the east coast. These seed pods caught my eye on the first day. There were several heads on the same stem...and most were quite tall and stood out in the withering landscape and against the bright blue sky. 

Sometimes you can only fully appreciate things like this in the transitional month of November.

They were almost thistle like....but I knew they weren't thistles. I intended to do a little research to figure out what they were when I got home....but hadn't gotten to it.

Then just this morning this image popped up on Pinterest from Gary and Heather of littleRamstudio.....I recognized it right away. Serendipitous don't you think!

 

Turns out it's teasle. It grows wild and can tolerate all kinds of climates but unfortunately can be invasive. The seed heads are strong and wiry...and have actually been used as a natural comb to tease the wool for textiles.  Hence the name.  

This is what it looks like when it's blooming....often starting in the center.  I'll remind Alyson and Liz to check it out next year and send me photos.

It may not surprise you that I brought one home for my collection.