A Change in the Wind

We have sunshine and warmth, but a cooler wind is blowing.  Dayle brought home a huge pot of yellow mums from his trip to Costco the other day.. how beautiful!

I do love the color yellow, it reminds me of a sunny day, corn on the cob and butter.. :-)

We have it on the steps of the deck so any visitors will get to enjoy it as they walk up the brick path.

Right next to my long needle pine tree in a pot that needs to be planted and the lamp-post.

We've enjoyed the wintered over geraniums that Dayle nurtures over the summer after he brings them up from the basement where they live during the cold months.

The garbage service picks up the refuse on Mondays and Mocha heard the noise through the open window and had to see what was going on.

Hi mom!  

Our hens are still laying well.  But as the days shorten and the light dissipates they will begin to lay less and sometimes they quit altogether during the worst of the winter.  I hope some of them lay through the cold days.. we'll see.

We had a lovely weekend.. the weather was fair, the windows open with fresh breezes blowing through the house, Dayle watched an action movie while I read lovely magazines.  Have you ever read a Victoria magazine?  The photos are so lush and beautifully done.  This is their Autumn issue.

What a pretty cover!

I was so pleased to see this article on sealing wax and stamps..  I've had a pen collection for years and an antique writing box that has little drawers for the wax sticks and pen nibs.

Here is my writing box in my antique secretary cabinet, I also have a collection of inkwells.  

Here is the box closed up.  It's oak.  I wish I knew it's story, it could have been a ship captain's box, or carried by a soldier during the civil war, or a traveler crossing the sea or land.  Oh how I wish it could tell me.

It opens up and the lid is held up by an little chain.  It has 2 built in glass inkwells and drawers for wax and nibs and matches to melt the wax and 3 rests for pens.

A closer look.

Let's open the tiny drawers and see what is in them.

The 3 little wax stamps I got long ago.. 

The carved stamp in the front was never engraved, I'd like to get a T engraved in it.

My most precious inkwell is this one, made by Pairpoint Glass.  The top is brass.

You can really tell the age of this and how much it was used by the underside of the brass lid - see the patina from the years of ink inside?

Pen nibs of all sorts.

One last look.  :-)

Back to the magazine, look at this alfresco supper table.

And look at this Autumnal floral arrangement!!  Wow!

Next up is slowly savoring this gorgeous British version of Country Living.. yes, it's an older edition, I have some magazine reading to catch up on.

I can't go swimming today as the heating element at the pool is broken and I froze to death on Monday and Friday.  It's supposed to come in on Wednesday, I sure hope so.  I won't go back until the water is warmer.  So... we've been invited for clam chowder in a bread bowl for dinner at Travis and Kristi's - so that will be our excitement for the day.  

What are you up to today?  ((hugs)), Teresa :-)