It's A Creepy, Spooky, Haunting, Fun Thyme….

We're ready on this end. The 6 o'clock hour is approaching and 
the candy bucket is full. Now all I need are all the ghosts and 
goblins, big kids, little kids, anybody in a costume…they all get 
treats.

HALLOWEEN TIDBITS:

*Towns in USA with Halloween Theme names…

           Frankenstein, Mo.; Scary, W. Va.; Spook City, Colo.;

           and Candy Town, Ohio.

* Did you know $1.9 billion is spent on Halloween candy each

   year? Take that Valentines Day!

* First jack-o'-lantern was made from a turnip.

* The tradition of going out and asking for candy was not

   introduced to the United States until World War II

Sam's ready

                                                                                                                                                                               

                                   
*Tootsie Rolls were the first wrapped penny
candy in America.
*The fear of Halloween is known as 
Samhainopobia.
*Halloween is the 2nd most commercially
successful holiday; Xmas the 1st.
*Snickers is #1 as the most popular
chocolate candy bar for trick-or-treaters.




I'll be watching for you….

Baked Apples and Book Review #7

Can you stand it? A book review and a recipe. Well the fall season 
has me wound up. So much to share. And baking is such a big part
of the next few months. Oh the smell wafting from the oven is too
much. Yes, had to sample. Delicious! Baked apples are a favorite.
Easy to make, a favorite from my childhood and this recipe I've
adapted a little bit from my Mom's. She so loved Baked Apples.
A wonderful memory from way back when, is going apple picking
with my family. Up early, something hot to drink, and out the door
to the apple farm. Sun just rising, a chill in the air, and all those 
apples just waiting to be picked. Such fun. We brought home at
least 2 bushels. Kept them in the garage because it was cold out
there. We were so hungry after picking, and Mom fixed a big
breakfast. A happy memory! So see this recipe on EARTHLY 
DELIGHTS. Enjoy!

Isn't this a great book cover? And the inside does not disappoint. 
From Country Living, Happy Halloween is a delight. This is 
another one of my go to books that I've had for years.  You'll
find it all in this paperback book. Four chapters of recipes, party
ideas, decoration how-to, adorable costumes, and of course there
has to be pumpkins.  Colorful pictures and easy to understand 
ways to carve that special jack-o'-lantern. There's also templates
provided and the cover just happens to be a stencil. A fun must
have book, a tingling guide to Halloween. Definite A++.
                                                

Wait a minute…whose this guy? He that makes all things possible!

Taster of all my recipes, resident handyman, my sidekick to all my

mindful wanderings…husband Ron. Taking a rest here from our

weekend of leaf collecting. Why he's even thinking about hanging

Christmas lights!! Oh my!! "Love ya darlin'"

                                        

>  IT'S COMING >>                          

                                                 

"Look Up…A Rainbow"

Can you ever resist a rainbow? You just want to stand and stare at 
its wonder. Oh I understand the science of why and how a rainbow 
is formed, but again God has shown his Glory. Rainbows make me
smile and I feel good. Do you"get it?" Seen two recently. Glorious!
                       

                                       
Fall continues with weather not being anything that we can 
accurately predict. From 70's to 40's overnight we just move  
along with our lives. As we continue our transition seasonly
are you noticing late afternoons. With the sun's angle in the sky, 
its effect is beautiful. Bright, warm rays of sunlight provide a 
wonderful backlighting for the trees. But we still have to work
our seasonal chores before that first frost and drop into colder
weather. Now is the time to plant trees and shrubs. What a good 
way to make a statement for the environment. Planting now will
allow the roots to become established before the ground freezes.
Water well and mulch. Harvest the rest of your tomatoes. You 
can still ripen them. See my previous post from last fall on how
to do this. Clean up that garden area of exhausted plants, debris
and leaves. I've collected seeds from my Zinnias but still have
to prune a little of my Hydranges. You can tidy up other woody
perennials by pruning back and adding some mulch. I cut my
Hostas back to the ground and cleaned up some roses, not
pruning, just spent blossoms. When you are through with your
hoses, drain and store. Tools and pots can be cleaned up as well.

Sam helping!




Whatever your garden style, laid back or perfectly groomed,
this will determine your chore to-do list. There is no set-in-stone
manifesto. So set your goals and get to it. Remember leaf clean-
up continues for awhile if you have trees. 
Fall is also the time for pumpkins, mums, and HALLOWEEN. So
decorating possibilities are endless. I leave you to it. Good day!

October Garden Chores..Get Started

Remember those leaves we talked about last week? Yep they're 
falling and chore of the day…RAKING, BLOWING, or MULCHNG
with your mower. Gotta get done, because I know you just want to 
work on the lawn, right? Hmm, well neither do I. October just puts 
on a spectacular color show. The leaves fall to earth gracefully and
this is their end but the trees go out in a blaze, an eruption, a tidal
wave of glorious beauty. I don't want to think of what's ahead with
winter weather, I want to take in what Autumn has to offer right now.

                                                                                




Every leaf speaks bliss to me,
fluttering from the autumn tree.
                 Emily Bronte





Yes the leaves "speak" to Sam, he loves them, racing around running right into a pile. So funny.

Ok, hate to do this but back to lawn care. Leaves left on the ground become matted and that will create dead spots. And, lots of leaves will block sunlight. If you have a mulching mower and just small amounts of leaves then run the mower over them. They will naturally feed the grass. Otherwise, compost or collect. Your lawn will need moisture and an end of season fertilizing. We are finally getting some rain after a long period of dryness. Also continue to mow your grass while it's growing, you'll want it on the shorter side. Longer grass in the spring spells disease. Aeration is important in the fall as well so that water, oxygen, and fertilizer can reach the roots of the grass. Weeds are going to seed now and other types are germinating. So "weed and clean." Talk with your lawn care specialist about fertilizing and weed control. Also fall is a good time to do work on the bare spots. Most people have their own method of doing lawn repair. Seek out that information and get started. The sooner you get your lawn taken care of, the more football you can watch. 

Just remember to get out and partake of what season has to offer. Can't you just hear the leaves crunching under your feet. Somewhere this weekend there's a football game or festival. Enjoy!  

Welcome October, Thyme For Cookies

What better way to welcome October! Cookie thyme here. Saw 
this recipe online and I couldn't resist. Husband Ron loves candy 
corn, and this delightful cookie just compliments. They were very 
easy to do and have a buttery, shortbread taste. See EARTHLY 
DELIGHTS for the recipe. After we had our cookie treat, I froze 
the rest to share with my kids.
                           

The leaves are changing and dropping. Saw friend Cindy out
today blowing leaves to the curb. She has a lot of trees and
already her yard has filled. We're fortunate our township does
leaf collection throughout the fall season. I think I will be doing
the same starting next week. Oh boy, buckle up! So behold the
beauty of the changing leaves. Make some cookies. Next week
we'll talk October chores and lawn care.