If the hat fits, wear it...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Yesterday

A walk down the path to the Wayside Chapel on this crisp autumn day.

Beautiful colors surround St. Francis in the chapel garden.

The Herb Cottage is nestled in among the colors.

A walk back along the path.

The Lodge welcomes me.

Good morning, art classes!

Wednesday's quilting

No collage class today, but quilting in the afternoon. A start on my applique square.

Andersonville!

I love a history lesson!

"Andersonville's roots as a community extend well back into the 19th century, when immigrant Swedish farmers started moving north into what was then a distant suburb of Chicago. In the 1850's the area north of Foster and east of Clark was a large cherry orchard, and families had only begun to move into the fringes of what is now Andersonville."

The yummy Swedish Bakery. I have fallen in love with a coffeecake called the "Butter Ring". It is kind of a high cake made of the traditional Danish dough with streusel and powdered sugar on top.

A walk along the many interesting little shops on Clark Street. "The Paper Trail", "Toys Et Cetera", "Women & Children First" bookstore and more. And don't forget the "Swedish American Museum & The Brunk Children's Museum of Immigration". http://www.swedishamericanmuseum.org/.

Lunch at "Ann Sather". A starter of hot apple cider with mashed apples in it and rimmed with cinnamon sugar. Yummmmmmee!

A wonderful assortment of breads and cinnamon rolls tempted us through our meal.

Erickson's Delicatessen. A must stop for Swedish delicasies. Lingonberries and a Carl Larsson cookie collector's tin filled with Swedish Pepparkakor drew me in!

An old Swedish custom is to place a Swedish Pepparkakor in the palm of you hand. Then, Make a wish. Using the index finger of your free hand, tap the cookie in the middle. Swedish tradition says that if the Papparkakor breaks into three pieces, your wish will come true. If the Papparkakor does not break into three pieces, you'll just have to savor the cookie in smaller portions.

Here is the symbol of Sweden, the Dala Horse. A wonderful day, yesterday, with friends!

Brrrrrrrr.

my Autumn leaves

Will be snipping and snipping again today. Lots of windows to fill and I'm glad these leaves can stay up until Thanksgiving. Danielle will help me tomorrow.

We had a little excitement last night. Dear hubby offered to take "Henri" for his 9 o'clock trip to the backyard. "Peter Rabbit" was waiting earlier than usual. He doesn't seem to think we can see him, doesn't move until we are almost on top of him and then his tail goes bouncing through the fence like a big white ping pong ball. (boing boing boing) Well, "Henri Houdini" went bouncing through the fence right after him and down to the little creek beyond our house. Hubby hurried out of the gate and called and called for "Henri"! He turned around and there was little "Houdini" sitting right next to him. They both came in panting.

Raining this morning and the trees are swaying and the leaves are flying. Chased "Bunny" out of the yard early, when i took Henri out. I told him it was for his own good. Did get some leaves cut out yesterday and will get them on the windows today. Promised Danielle that she could help, so will save one room for her.

Still time to decorate!

It's time!

The witches are waiting!

and I'll be good...

I have not even started to decorate for Halloween! I do have some favorite things, even from when i was a kid, that I like to put out and see again for the month of October. Here it is the 25th! No leaves on my windows! Today is the day to get out my pressed leaves, colored paper and scissors. Time to decorate!

Thursday's drawing class

Decided to work on a drawing that I started last Fall, get it done, and maybe use it for my Thanksgiving greeting. It is from a photo that I took of my grandson walking down a path at college. College campuses are so pretty, especially in the Fall. Okay, now to finish it.

The colors of leaves and quilts

Beautiful colors greet me.

"Churn Dash"

A potpourri!

"Jacob's Ladder"

Inspiration.

Ooops. Where's the seam ripper? Caught some material in this "not so easy" sew.

A chilly October day, but a pretty one. The colors at The Center are beautiful. This morning's collage class went well, with everyone finishing a "winter" piece. Then some quilting in the afternoon for me. Stayed an hour and a half to sew, as Henri is becoming more manageable for everyone in the household.

Growing up with Henri

Henri had a visit to the vet yesterday and weighed in at 17.5 pounds! He is also now signed up for "puppy preschool" beginning November 6th. He needs his manners polished.

Come my pretties...!

"On a weekend of creativity and Halloween magic, we packed our witches hats, journals and sketchbooks to enjoy the magic of the autumn woods and the magic of Halloween fun, nurturing the magic of our creative spirits!" The Center

A witches' wagon ride

To the other side -

Off to Indian Hill
In the night chill

cackle cackle

he he he

Join the tea

Come with me...

And so the witches

Had some fun

Hay wagons passed

But then would run

As cackling witches

Shook their brooms

In every corner

Where darkness looms

"Come here by me,

Over here by the tree"

The wheels sped off

And the witches scoffed.

Around the fire

They sat in a circle

Black hats with gold -

Some with purple.

They told tales till

The fire burned low

Then where they went

The trees only know.

Off with their brooms

They flew away

Surely to return

Next Halloween Day.

Today they hiked

To the magic yellow woods

They thought they should behave

They thought they really should.

The fairies and the fungus

All made their presence known

They brushed their hair and hid their hats

So no one knew that they had flown.

They had such fun

And leaving was sad

But the time came to go

Before they were caught being bad.

Witch April

Autumn Arts Retreat

A welcoming table decoration.

Dinner is served to the 13 witches!

Our "carriage" awaited and we had a night haywagon ride to Indian Hill. We 13 witches cackled and told scary stories circled around this big bonfire sipping "Spider Cider".

After breakfast on Saturday morning, a walk in the autumn woods.

The colors greeted us. Reds...

and yellows.

Back to the Magic Yellow Forest.

We found evidence of fairies!

We left them some little gifts.

A little misty atmosphere.

Nature revealed some beautiful still lifes!

Breathtaking colors!

And interesting finds!

A perfect autumn day.

Gathering back and another sip of "Spider Cider". cackle cackle cackle

Bottle Fish

Children's Art tomorrow and we'll be making bottle fish. 2 Liter pop bottles, painted with tempera paints inside.