A confession....

Yesterday my mom and I met up with my Aunt Jean in Freeport, well known for being the home of LLBean. My Aunt Jean (on the left) and my mom are pictured here waiting for me to get done shopping! We had a nice morning browsing through LLBean and then checking out its outlet store. Afterwards we had lunch in a small cafe. It was nice to browse around in LL Bean's and look over all the wonderful items. And I mentally made myself a long Christmas wish list!

Okay, I know I posted a few days ago about Christmas lights being lit already, before Thanksgiving even but I have to admit to wrapping the gifts I have already purchased! I try to buy presents a few at a time so as not to overwhelm the budget as well as take advantage of sales. So last night I wrapped up the gifts I have already purchased. I still have alot more shopping to do but its nice to know that I won't be up half the night on Christmas Eve wrapping presents as I have done many times over the years!

Sunday special

Bright berries against the brown marsh and the gray skies today.

I spotted this Red-tailed Hawk today. It swooped down to perch on a tree limb and proceeded to devour whatever it had carried in its claws.

After lunch he then dove into the brook to wash up. He fluffed himself all over and then settled in. Maybe looking for dessert?

A little more fluffing of feathers...

and with a look towards me that seemed to say "what are you looking at"? off he flew.

Christmas cactus, hens and socks!

You may remember I posted a photo of my Christmas Cactus a week ago. Today the plant is filling the dreary, drizzly and gray day with sunshine! It is a beauty.

Tucked into the plant stand below is this little cactus plant. Its color is somewhat a pinky, peachy color. It looks about ready to blossom.

And even the itty-bitty cactus is showing off! It only has the one bud but it is very pretty.

I was delighted to see a Hooded Merganser appear in the brook beside the house yesterday.

Along swam a Ms. Merganser.

Yesterday afternoon was time for a walk. We went to Porter's Preserve. However, in the words of my comical husband "we ran a-fowl of these birds". We stopped the car while the pair decided whether they should or should not cross the road! Finally a decision was reached and they let us pass by.

Friday night we went to dinner. As we drove along this beautiful sunset unfolded before us. It was simply glorious. On the way home we passed a house COMPLETELY LIT UP with Christmas lights and the yard was decorated with Christmas items. It was only November 13th!

Then we passed another home that had all of its many windows decorated with Christmas wreaths. First the stores have Christmas items out before Columbus Day and now Christmas lights are lit?? However I must admit to contributing to the early Christmas season as I did purchase the annual Christmas socks for Ashton, as I have since she was a baby. And yes, I have started my Christmas shopping as well. Its done a little at a time so we are not overwhelmed!

Fall's beauty

Yesterday was a lovely day here in Maine. The temperature hit a whopping 65 degrees in parts of Maine. BuddyTheElf and I sat on the porch steps enjoying the warmth. Buddy lay contently sunning himself and I had a cup of coffee, sitting on the steps in my pj's. Later in the day as I was walking the dog around the yard I thought how dreary fall can be with the bare, stark-looking trees, flower blossoms dead and drooping and the dead leaves scattered all over the lawn. I have been trying very hard lately to find a positive for every negative thought I might have. So I found this little blossom in the garden, struggling to bloom one last time!

Spotted a little yellow flower pushing its way through a bunch of dead leaves on the lawn.

This plant was looking pretty sad except upon closer inspection I spotted a pretty little blossom at the top pushing its purplish flower and green leaves up and out!

Then in the dead leaves on the bank of the little pond I glimpsed some more cheerfulness....these tiny asters still blooming with all their might.

Until now I just dismissed this plant as a weed. But when I took the time to check it out I realized even though its bloom time was all over for the season it had left behind white fluffy flowers. By taking the time to find a positive amongst the negatives I was pleasantly surprised by all that was left behind to make my day.

Pray for Stellan

Ashton and I have been following over the past year this blog: My Charming Kids. You've probably noticed the Pray for Stellan button I have on the sidebar. I found this delightful blog a year ago, actually the night before Stellan was born! For some reason I feel I was meant to find the blog. I have learned so much from MckMama as she and her family make this journey with Stellan. Never has a blog "tugged" at me as much as this one. I took the above photo on Memorial Day weekend along the shoreline of one of my favorite trails. I drew the six hearts in the sand around Stellan's name to represent each one of the members of Stellan's family and Mark even found a heart-shaped rock to place near it as well! I submitted the photo to the gallery of photos from all over the world praying for Stellan. A week or so later I was delighted (and surprised) to see my photo on a beautiful video that another blogger had made for this delightful family.

MckMama has "given" me so many lessons over the last year. She writes about her daily life with four children, one seriously ill, with humor, great faith and courage. Her faith is amazing. She writes in such a wonderful manner that it makes me stop and really think. I feel I have become more patient, more hopeful and much more open to others around me.

I am not the type of person to write such a post as I just have but I wanted to share with you this amazing story.

A taste of what is to come...

Here is what we awoke to this morning! The bird bath was covered with a thin layer of ice as well to add insult to injury.

The bushes were nicely coated with ice....

as well as the front lawn, which is still in need of raking! There are still leaves on the oak trees so Mark has been waiting til all are on the ground before he starts raking.

Most of the trees bordering the backyard are bare now.

I guess this is the end for the mum plant!

However on a brighter note, my Christmas cactus plant is just beginning to bloom. I think it will actually be a "Thanksgiving" cactus this time. I never know when it might bloom, it has in the spring (Easter Cactus?) once around the Fourth of July (a Firecracker Cactus?) and another time in the middle of the winter. This plant came from my grandmother's plant many, many years ago.

Buddy was overjoyed today when his yummy "Buddy Biscuits" arrived from Planet Dog. And his favorite rawhide chews were replenished as well.

Oh happy day I am sure I heard him say.....

And the icing on the cake so to speak was Ashton is home for the weekend! Today we had a nice "Mommy and Me" outing to our favorite "beautification" place where I treated her royal highness to a facial and I treated myself to a mani/pedi. Ashton mentioned going shopping but that seems to have fallen by the wayside, as she's taking a nap instead! Perhaps she's catching up on all the sleep she misses when she is studying hard at school....

Colorful berries

Today was a sunny and cool day so Buddy and I headed to town to walk one of the land trust's many trails.

Berries here, there and everywhere! I love the different shades of red.

This bright red apple caught my eye. There it hung, all by its lonesome!

I love the colors of the bittersweet. I recently learned that it is an invasive plant and can take over one's yard. I do think it is one of the prettiest of fall's flowers.