In an Autumn Kind of Place

I was cleaning out a closet this past week and came upon a spiral notebook that I had completely forgotten about. I had taken it with me when Mother and I traveled back to southern Illinois for the last time in the fall of 2007. I used it to write down the stories she shared about her youth, her own hard-working mother and her courtship with Daddy. But I also collected beautiful fall leaves along the way. At each place that meant something to her, I picked up a few leaves and put them in the notebook to press. I even labeled the pages with information about where each of the leaves had come from - Dixon Springs, Horseshoe Lake, Vienna, etc.

Seeing those leaves, put me in the mood for fall and crafting.
Without a doubt, it's my favorite time of year. So, why not?
Maybe it will help make this intensely hot day feel a little less torrid and humid.

So, gather your supplies, we're going to make a wreath/photo frame that will spice up any space, and the best part is - it only takes moments to complete.

You're going to need: an old photo frame, glue gun and glue sticks, silk autumn leaves, scissors, pliers and ribbon.

I used a cheap, skinny, 8X10 wood frame I bought for $1, removed the backing and glass and then removed the metal glass holders.

There's no need to paint the frame or prepare it in anyway. Just cut the silk leaves off the plastic stems and begin hot-gluing them around the frame.

Remember, as I say every month to my Crafting Sistas, "It's your project. Make it your own and do what ever you want to do."

You can glue leaves part way around the frame, embellish it with a bow, put the glass back in, and use it as a seasonal photo frame. But for this project, I'm continuing with gluing the leaves all the way around the frame to make a wreath.

I had some little Styrofoam berries that I used to embellish my wreath by gluing them down in a few places.

Isn't it beautiful? And oh so easy. I took mine just a little further and added a big bow to the top, but I think it's equally as pretty without the bow.

You're going to think I'm crazy, but I can tell the start of fall is only a few short weeks away.
Yes, I know yesterday's high was 100-degrees and today's is not expected to be any different (which is why I'm not with my friends at the outdoor music festival in our quaint downtown).
Yes, I know that those who are not at the music festival are at the beach.
Yes, I know we live in south-central Florida, and there's really no such thing as "fall."

But every year, towards the end of August, the sun begins to cast its afternoon shadows somewhat differently than at the start of summer. In about two-weeks, I'll begin to notice a difference in the air; not cooler temperatures, but a lightness wafting through the heat that will definitely be the start of our fall. I notice that slight change every year, and I don't know if Mom also truly noticed it or if she just humored me by saying that she could see the difference, too - but it was nice knowing I wasn't alone.

For me, especially in these times of extreme weather, those not-so-noticeable changes soften the blow of the scorching sun and put me in an autumn kind of place.

In October of 2007, Mother and I traveled back to southern Illinois one last time. This is a photo of her standing next to the Willow Oak Tree that we planted in memory of Daddy back in 2002. The tree is planted

in Dixon Springs, Illinois - my father's favorite place to be in this whole wide world.

 I would love to see how this tree has grown.

 

Thank you for passing your creativity on to me, Mom. I love and miss you.

Happy birthday, Mom

Today would be my mother's 96th birthday.
Two years ago (only weeks before she passed away), she, my husband and I spent her birthday weekend camping in Winter Garden, not too far from where our son and his wife live. They were having new carpeting installed, and we had promised them we'd help rip out the old carpet in order to help them save some money. Mother sat comfortably in the living room, reading and watching television, while we helped hammer down nails that were sticking up in the plywood flooring upstairs.
That's just how she was; perfectly content sitting there for quite a few hours as the rest of us went about the business at hand.
She would have much rather been helping us, though. In fact, on of my trips downstairs to check on her, she asked, "Is there anything I can do to help?"
In her day, there wasn't anything Mom couldn't do. She used to love working in the yard. When she came to live with us, and she could no longer do that kind of work, she would see me out in the back yard pulling weeds, trimming the hedges and breathlessly sweating, and she'd often say, "I wish I could help you."
I know I've mentioned in previous posts how much she enjoyed ironing. Yes, it's true. She actually enjoyed ironing. In fact, giving up ironing was much harder for my mother to do than giving up driving! So, when I'd complain about all the ironing I had to do, she'd always say, "I wish I could help you," which would remind me of how lucky I was to be able to stand on two legs.

When mother turned 89, we celebrated her birthday in a big way. We had a surprise party for her at our son's house, inviting all the known family. My brother even surprised her by coming in from San Antonio, Texas.

Here she is, entering my son and daughter-in-law's house, totally surprised.

(Look at my silly Sam trying to be the first one in the house, going between her legs.)

She asked me why we threw such a big party for her 89th birthday. "Do you think I won't be here next year?" she asked.

We always celebrated Mom's birthday in as big a way as possible - except the year she passed away.
Two years ago.
We did go to a restaurant and have a nice birthday dinner with some family, but it wasn't the big blow-out we had grown accustomed to.
I wish I had known. I would have done so much more.
I just wish I had known.

The passage of time does not make me miss her less, though it has slightly softened the pain.

I carry your heart, Mother. I carry it in my heart.

Happy birthday!

 

Floating high above the treeline

I've recently returned from what my husband and I call "the vacation of a lifetime."

We aren't wealthy people, so many of our vacations include camping - which we both love doing. But this one took us by air to Seattle, by train to Vancouver, by cruise ship to Alaska and then back home by air. And, being one who is so terribly fearful of flying and heights (to the point where I must have pharmaceutical help to get on an airplane), this vacation tested every nerve in my body. But it was well worth it. We saw and we did things we'll likely never see and do, again. Out of hundreds of photos taken, I'll share a few of our highlights. I hope you enjoy them and the journey.

It starts with our flight out of Orlando.

And before you know it, we make our descent into Seattle, and catch our first glimpse of Mount Rainier. Stunning!

We hit the ground running, so to speak. We rented a car and drove up to Mount Rainier, making stops along the way to see waterfalls and views of the mountains.

Our first of many, many waterfalls is one named Christine Falls.

                                     

Being from Florida, its not often that I get to see and play in the snow.

 

I wish I had the words to describe the beauty that surrounds us. Just like the Grand Canyon is filled with vivid colors at sundown, the same is true of Mount Rainier and the Cascade Mountains of which it is a part.

We stayed at Paradise Inn, a lodge at the base of Mount Rainier. And after a yummy hot chocolate with mint schnapps, it was early to bed and early to rise for our day of hiking.

Don't get me wrong, though. My husband and I are not trail-blazers. We love to hike prepared trails, but are not equipped for what others might call true hiking. Although the temperatures were in the 70s, we had to climb a 10-foot wall of snow just to get to the trail. And that was just the beginning. My husband and I were not prepared for hiking in the snow (no cleats), so we went as far as we could before the trek became a tad too treacherous for us, and we turned around, wishing our son and his wife well as they marched on. (I found myself wishing we had made this trip when we were younger.)

At this point, we don't know how deep the snow is, but we do know we are standing among treetops.

From there we hiked some lower trails, seeing waterfall after waterfall, and then we crossed a short suspension bridge to see some of the largest and oldest trees in North America at the Grove of the Patriarchs.

My husband finds a friend at the Grove of the Patriarchs.

It was time to leave Mount Rainier National Park and spend a few days in Seattle, where - the next day - I found myself above the tree-line, again, (or so it felt), taking the 605-foot ride to the top of the Space Needle, high above the city. After a delicious lunch, it was over to Pike Place Market where we saw the infamous fish throwing guys and the equally infamous gum wall.

It's totally disgusting, but we had to see it. (That's probably where I caught my cold.)

 

Early the next morning, we board a train to Vancouver where we then embark on our cruise to Alaska.

The train ride was beautiful, overlooking the coast of Washington into Canada. But getting to the cruise ship was even better. My husband and I had been anticipating this trip for nearly a year. That evening, we enjoyed clear skies and a full moon -- could it be any better?

See the cruise ship following us?

 

We spent a day at sea, and the next morning, we grabbed a much smaller boat that took us into Tracy Arm Fjord, while the ship went on to Juneau. There's no better way to experience glaciers than to get as up close and personal as possible, and this excursion allowed us that opportunity.

After going through a field of icebergs, we end up at Sawyer Glacier.

This picture doesn't do the blue-ness of the glacier justice.

This is one of the many waterfalls we encounter while on the Tracy Arm Fjord excursion.

 

The next port of call was Skagway, where we rented a car, went for an early morning hike through the Old Miner's Cemetery, took a glass blowing class and then took the Klondike Highway as far as we could into the Yukon, until it was time to turn around and get back to the ship.

The glass blowing class is phenomenal and great fun; one of many highlights of the trip.

 

Canada's Yukon Territory is nothing short of spectacular. Everything is larger than life and more beautiful than any photo we had seen online. We traveled to the picturesque Emerald Lake, Carcross Desert and beyond Carcross, before we had to make the U-turn to return to the ship.

Emerald Lake -- simply stunning!

On our drive back, we stop and do what hundreds (if not thousands) before us have done, and we build our own stack of rocks, or inuksuit as some call them (if they are in the likeness of man).

 

The next day, our ship sails all the way into Glacier Bay National Park. Wow!

I thought the trip into Tracy Arm Fjord was spectacular, but this is really beyond. Miles away from our ship stood centuries old glaciers, yet they seemed as though they were close enough to touch. The day spent in Glacier Bay was like nothing we've ever experienced. We saw whales, bears, eagles, sea otters and seals. 

Marjorie Glacier is one of only 12 out of more than 1,000 glaciers still living and thriving today.

On our way out of Glacier Bay, we pass Sea Lion Island.

The next port was Ketchikan, where my nerves would be tested, once again, as we flew a float plane for about 45-minutes to Anan Creek to see bears, eagles and more. We were not disappointed. After about a one-mile hike, we "perched" and watched as the bears came out to catch their prey - the salmon were running, and it was a field day for the bears.

Mere feet away, we watch as the brown bear catches his meal, then scurries off to play in the river. That's when the black bears come out of hiding.

A very protective mamma watches over her cub.

After one of the most exciting days of my life, it's time to head back to the ship.

We arrived back in Vancouver to spend a few days there sightseeing. Again, I found myself high above the treeline (or so it seemed), as we crossed the Capilano River on the Capilano Suspension Bridge and stayed on the 20th floor of our hotel.

This park is quite fascinating, with many more suspension bridges on the other side that take you high into the treetops and a cliff walk that literally takes my breath away.

 

Our stay in Vancouver included a visit to the Museum of Art (and another gum wall -- what's up with that?),  checking out the place of the Olympic Torch, eating a Japadog, seeing a steam-powered grandfather clock, walking the Gaslight district, biking around Stanley Park and more.

For grins, we walk around downtown Vancouver with moustaches. Fun times!

My husband shades himself under a giant leaf at Stanley Park.

I don't know how we do it, but we get lost bike riding in Stanley Park!

I come out of the woods at Stanley Park, after being lost. (We never confessed this to our son and his wife.)

 

After spending a long day at the park, it was time to end my vacation above the treeline and fly back to Florida.

In the early 1980s, my parents had planned a trip to Alaska. My brother was living there and they were supposed to visit him for a few weeks, but my father came down with shingles only days before they were to leave - forcing them to cancel the trip. They never rescheduled it, and I don't know why. This is one of those times when I wish I could get a simple question answered, but that window of opportunity is closed. So, I took my parents with me -- in heart, soul and mind.

My husband and I celebrated our 40th anniversary nearly a year ago, and that's when I gave him this trip - as an anniversary gift. Our son and his wife decided to also take the trip, and I'm so grateful they did.

One of the things I love most about my daughter-in-law is her zest for the outdoors. If my husband and I had taken this trip on our own, we'd have flown into Vancouver, taken the cruise and come home; perfectly satisfied. But because of our daughter-in-law's insightful planning, we jammed so much more into what became a two-week vacation. We hiked, biked, flew, took glass-enclosed elevators and crossed suspension bridges. To me if feels as though we spent our vacation floating high above the treeline, and - even though it might be short-lived - I overcame some fears and I'm ready to fly, again!

As I get closer to retirement age, I'm quickly learning how to live in the moment. I wish I had learned earlier in life. Better late than never, though.

If you're ever afforded the opportunity to travel to Alaska, I strongly urge you to do so. It's majesty, vastness and beauty cannot be truly appreciated through these few photos.

I love you Daddy and Mom. I hope you enjoyed the trip.