Whew! It has been awhile! I've so often thought of sitting down and posting and then got busy with something more urgent.

So, I'm sitting down with my fourth cup of tea...I make mine rather weak and it's cold today....and finally getting to the posting.

Today, I've been doing a lot of browsing through my pictures and clip art, knowing that going through images I like will prompt me to write about things that are interesting (to me anyways).

I'll start with tea-for-one sets. I can't decide if I like them or not.... On the one hand, they are adorable in shape and therefore pleasing to the eye. They are the product of innovation and creativity. They are practical. They can be quirky, whimsical and nostalgic. They are a reminder to the individual to pamper one's self a little. On the other hand, they can remind the lonely that they are alone. Or the alone that they are lonely. They are not meant for sitting down with a friend for a cuppa and a chat. For that you need a bigger pot and 2 cups and saucers. Oh, and better yet, a plate of cakes and cookies! Makes you want to put your feet up, doesn't it? curled up in a wing chair?

But we are in a new age and if I had a tea-for-one set, I think I'd use it for sitting down at my laptop and checking e-mail, and writing posts here, and then all the up-sides would out-weigh the down-sides.

************************************************************************************

This is my harvest centerpiece::I slaved over it for at least 5 minutes on Wednesday, when I was home with the boys on Veteran's Day. I usually go to the parade, but didn't this year. Not for lack of respect for our Vets- just needed puttering time at home.

I also took the picture of the roses that I have on my dining room sidetable. I wish I were better at styling and taking pics. They are breath-taking and would have made a much nicer picture in someone else's hands.

I'm going to use them as an excuse to tell you about a cheery and stylish lady named Kay. Kay was on the staff at a school I attended in the 1980's. She was probably in her 50's (looked much younger), and was impeccably mannered and socially gracious beyond anyone I can think of. She was always enthusiastic about whatever she did, and very professional in her role. I remember she once told me that she adored autumn colors. At that time, I was firmly entrenched in pastel blue, the way some people are about purple. I remember thinking how reassuring it was that Kay did indeed have a flaw. Everything about her seemed so perfect and well-groomed and tasteful. And then to discover that she loved autumn golds, reds, oranges and even browns. Well, that did it for me. Kay was inexplicably flawed in my mind. Now, keep in mind, that having survived the '70's and its fascination with orange and browns ("natural" colors), harvest golds and avacado greens, (think household appliances and vinyl flooring), I and many like me were rejecting all things macrame and hippy in home dec and fashion. This was an era of big hair and "jewel" tones, Dynasty and Falcon Crest. Everything was blue-based, even the pinks and greens. The popular neutrals were no longer ecru and ivory and beige, but instead any shade of gray. Green virtually disappeared in favor of "teal", a color label which, while appropriately assigned to shades of blue-green, seems to have widely supplanted "turquoise" even for aqua shades that are exactly the shade of the semi-precious stone. I feel like I "date" myself to use that color name now.

Anyway, back to Kay, she is likely retired now, and I hope is enjoying the fall foliage wherever she may be. And now, guess who is the autumn color enthusiast? Of course, it's me...and since I also love vintage aprons and hearts and flowers and the smell of laundry dried on the line, how perfect is this little vignette?

I bought this apron on ebay, couldn't resist. It is well-made and clearly was a gift for a young girl, based on the size. Can't you just picture her, rolling out the dough for her first apple pie? Or maybe making holiday cookies with cutters and sprinkling colored sugar on top. Or maybe it wasn't baking at all, maybe she was trying to learn how to fry an egg, how to flip it without breaking the yolk, to give Daddy his eggs over easy just the way he likes them. I remember my grandmother telling me that if you could fry an egg just right, you were really on your way....

*************************************************************************************

On a different note, I have finally photographed my cocker spaniel Tammy in her sweater. I made it almost a year ago and finally have a pic to post on my ravelry page. You shoulda been here for the photo shoot - it was hilarious. Tammy turned into a quivering lump of Jello! She gets so nervous when she doesn't know what you expect of her. And being a dog of very small brain, she rarely knows what you expect of her. I bring my outdoor urns into the dining room to allow the geraniums to winter over. There are buds on that plant, and if the sun streaming through opens them, I'll be sure to get a picture.....

Speaking of my "ravelry" page, if you aren't familiar, it's an online knitting and crocheting community, an endless resource of patterns, projects and advice, as well as a way for each member to catalog successes and failures. I don't have a picture up on my profile, since I don't have one that makes me look like Marilyn Monroe. I found an image today that I'll be using, and wanted to share it with you.

I think I looked a little like that a few centuries ago.....I certainly had homemade calico dresses and pinafores and maryjanes and little white socks, and a love for my dolls.

*************************************************************************************

That's all for now..................tempis fugit.....................................

And the roses are fading on the vine................................

Maybe I should have used this image for my profile, since I aspire to age gracefully. I seem to have the sagging and wilting and drooping thing down pat.