Pink Pumpkins and an Amish Fail

Hello from the hot and sunny beach!

I know it's hot where you are too, but these temps are a bit of a shocker, hottest it's been all summer.

But October it is and so we must have pumpkins. Here are the early crop of glass pumpkins found at Home Goods in early September. They were, uh, hmm, yes----pink.

Other pale pastel choices.

A few traditional jacks.

Do you think the pearl encrusted Jacks are like a fancy version of the warty pumpkins we admire in horror each fall? Kind of sow's purse from a pig ear? [''silk purse from a sow's ear"]

Isn't this sign great! I wish I'd bought it.

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Later/ next day: I couldn't finish writing my post because the Internet was out for awhile. Things have changed, we went from mid 90s to next day, today, low 50s. Good thing, a-  I have a drawer designated ''transition'' clothes and b-I never actually entirely put away the winter clothes bec I couldn't lift the bin.
It is a lovely rain day, too bad I had to go in torrential rain to the Jeep dealer , about a half hour each way, to retrieve my now recall-free Jeep. This should last for like, a week?, til a new recall appears. My current Jeep has had, I think 12 recalls, though most were fixed before I got it [new]. Seems this is now a common car thing, not just Jeep poor quality. But still.

Anyway earlier in the week Mo and I sewed on September, better late than never, though still incomplete.

Isn't it cute? I added the oak leaves and acorns .

And when we were at Michael's yesterday, I treated myself to more embroidery thread. Such an array of colors. It's supposed to be again warm and sunny after tonight so I hope to get this block done; the October block is darling, have looked forward to it all year.

I also caught up on Lori's sewalong, Almost Amish.

I finished parts two and three so far. Fine, they're square, they're exactly 2 1/2" each, they look cute in their box and so on.

I didn't like the maroon and pale pink together, so 70s tacky so I switched in a few shades of very pale lavender.

On to Step Four: Late last night I just had to set out a preview, a Four Patch Nine Patch.

But! Ugh, they're awful, how disappointing.

And everyone else's on FB look so great. Start over or persevere?

The baby poop brown is darker than the photos and artificial 3 AM lighting make it look  but---ick. (Don't try to make me feel better, I know they're awful.)

 And! Look how these expensive Bella solids fray, what a mess.

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Mo liked the change in weather. But the rocky landscaping here, by a new bench I wanted us to try,  hurt his feet and he cried. [I lifted him over instead.] How mean to put sharp  rocks beneath a public bench!

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On the way home from the Jeep service/ repair as I drove through the marshes and wetlands I saw many flocks of bids, including blackbirds and Canada geese (some migrate in big Vs; some winter over on the golf course.) And a small group of 3 blue herons, flying together, quite low, long legs distinctively trailing behind. Sorry, no pics because I was driving.

And as of yesterday, October 2, The oystercatchers have gone. I wish them a safe journey and a happy return in March.

This wonderful photo taken Monday October 1, as the flock assembled near my beach, is from a nearby FB group, who monitor the OCs.



Have a great weekend. I'll be at the beach!


love

lizzy

gone to the beach.........

Inadvertent Collections

Hi on a hot summer/ autumn Sunday night! Thinking of Fall makes me think of fun outings like leaf peeping, flea markets and pumpkin patches, cider mill visits and apple pies.  My brother has been traveling around the Midwest to some of his favorite flea markets and he sends me photos that turn me green with envy. I love him and his wife for being such diehard collectors, no minimalism or decluttering at their house.

As previously mentioned the little Friday church flea has finished until next April; it's far too hot to even think about the big Sunday flea, so I feel a bit bereft. I am already squirreling away my dollar bills for next year, that worked well and made flea-ing fun and budget friendly, too.

Now, looking over my summer photos I am somewhat amused by seeing the sudden appearance of what I call Inadvertent Collections---things you see and pick up casually, with no intent to accumulate or to curate a true collection. For example here is blog friend Kit's husband's collection of hair ties! He finds them while running [he runs marathons!]. That is some collection! Since Kit mentioned this I have only found one hair tie, in maybe six month; her hubby must put in way more miles than I do.

And here is my funny accumulation of washers and nuts and other mostly metal rings and disks. 

This conglomeration numbers around 40 pieces now, picked up during dog walks beginning last December. I have strung them on an old chain. I even found the tiny key in the  beach alley one spring day.

I don't know why I pick them up, it's like finding worthless treasure.

 The disk on the right is a favorite, a Scotty dog medal? [upside down, sorry]

And a few bits are actually really coins!   $1.52.

At the beach, I am compelled to pick up and pocket beautiful pebbles.

I marvel at the eons of time that went into their rounded perfection.

Another collection recently has been souvenir plates.

I like them, they're fun. Usually cost about one dollar except for special ones like the antique Statue of Liberty plate.

I only buy them if they're predominantly blue, especially if classic Staffordshire transferware blue. And only places I've been or wish to go to someday, somehow.

The details around the edges are always very charming and interesting.

They're really tacky so I mix them in with the more traditional plates.And think maybe no one will notice.

What do you collect? Do you like to find funky things on the street , urban ''coin of the realm''?

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Back home, in a deluded moment of autumnal enthusiasm, I made farro stuffed winter squash. I used Delicata squash but any summer or winter squash would do.  I stuffed the squash ''boats'' with ground beef, onion, garlic, farrow [rice is actually better]; minced dried apples and apricots. seasoned with cumin, cinnamon, caraway and fennel seeds.  Drizzle w olive oil, and add some apple cider for liquid; top with garlicky bread crumbs and parm. 

Delish, if not exactly what we might want on an almost 90* day. Reheats really well too.You can find a number of stuffed squash recipes in my Pinterest ''Food'' board, here.

Happy last day of September, time goes too fast, much too fast.

love

lizzy 

gone to the beach.....

No treasure here!