IT CAN'T BE NOVEMBER

I live in British Columbia, Canada. We don't usually have the best weather in the month of November. Well with that in mind I went through my yard today and took picture of what is still blooming out there.

There was lavender, hydrangea, bellflowers, sedum, the same yellow roses that are posted on my sidebar, fuchsias.

There were impatiens, asters, begonias, snapdragons, millet, more fuchsias and potato vine.

This is really quite surprising for us. I don't ever remember having this much still flowering this time of year. I guess this is what it is like in California right? Okay maybe it is a little warmer there.

I am joining in with Mosaic Monday. Head on over to Little Red House to see what is going on over there.

I am also joining Tootsie for Fertilizer Friday (no fertilizer required) Boy can this woman grow flowers. Go by for a peek.

BREATHTAKING PHOTOS FOR YOU

These photos will take your breath away. It is a slide show and you can make it full screen by clicking on the word Fullscreen below. You can view it page by page as well if you like using the controls at the bottom of the screen
Amazing Photos

ALL I HAVE TO DO IS DREAM

A RE-POST FROM LAST YEAR

One of my coffee buddies and I were talking about dreams this morning. She had a dream that she was driving in her car and two people crossed in front of her car. One reached right in the front and touched the dashboard. Only then did she realize that her car had no windshield. 
We discussed the many possibilities that this could symbolize. We concluded that she didn't have a protective shield up. Her guard was down. 
I find it strange that in 28 years without my mom I have never seen her in a dream. Twice I have dreamed that she was on the phone but I have awoken both times before talking with her. 
As a child I often dreamed that I was flying through the air. It was like swimming actually. Arms pulling me around the sky like strokes in a pool. 

As an adult I have had nightmares once in a while. My BB guy has had to wake me up a couple of times when I am making very strange sounds in my sleep. It turns out I was trying to scream but nothing was coming out. 
I have struggled with lack of sleep for a while now. What is really harmful about that is that I don't dream then and that makes your brain act very strange after a few days. It isn't healthy. When I take melatonin for a couple weeks to reset my sleep patterns my dreams are always about current things going on in my life. Usually they are specific to that day's events. Otherwise, when I am not taking melatonin my dreams are random. 

How about you? Do you have nightmares? Do you dream in color? Do you fly?

PUMPKIN PIE CUPCAKES FROM MICHELLE

I saw a recipe on Michelle's site Big Black Dogs this morning. She bakes and cooks all the time and has a wealth of information on her site.
These turned out so tender and delicious. I highly recommend them. I had a lot of left over cream cheese frosting but I am sure I will find something to use it on. 

What are you waiting for??? Get over there and say hi to Michelle and try making something from her recipe files.

TAKE AWAY MY BLOGGER CARD

I am so ashamed. I am sorry. I will hand in my blogger's card immediately. I don't know how I could have been so neglectful. So amateur. So unprofessional. 

 My BB Guy took me down to the US for the weekend for my birthday (Oct. 26th). We stayed at a lovely casino (I don't gamble) and enjoyed some really great food and wines. We shopped and got some good deals. They have lovely gardens.

I forgot to bring my camera!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so ashamed. What kind of blogger goes away for the weekend and doesn't bring her camera to document the events? 

A bad blogger that is who. 

Hanging head in shame. 

Well if you want to see where we went and what we did you can click HERE to see our trip from last year as it was the same place except for we didn't go to La Conner. 

It was a lovely time and my guy won right away so basically the weekend was free.  

If you guys will let me keep my blogger card a little longer I will try to make it up to you. 

THANK YOU

SO VERY, VERY SAD

http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/

It was not a good day. When I left to go to the coffee shop and then to work I was stopped by a traffic tie up due to an accident the night before that took all night to clear. 
I managed to get past most of it by taking back roads to get into the parking lot at work. I left my car there and walked past the traffic to the coffee shop. I spent about 25 minutes with my coffee buddies and walked back to work for my shift. 
I had a message to call the owner of the coffee shop when I got home. Sadly there were two young people killed when another vehicle went out of control and landed on top of them. 
The young girl killed works at the coffee shop. I am stunned. She was scheduled to work tonight. I just saw her Saturday afternoon.
I am also freaked out because a few years ago when we used to go to a different coffee shop one of the young women working there, the same age as this one, was killed in another freak accident that I wrote about here. 
I am so sad and I can not tell you enough to hug your kids and your friends and your family members.

PRIVACY ISSUES HERE AND IN FACEBOOK

As bloggers we put a whole lot of information about ourselves on our blogs. We talk about where we are going, where we have been, who still lives at home and all about our kids. (well not my kids as that is forbidden but in general).
We have become so comfortable with our readers that we open up our lives and share things that we normally wouldn't. Sometimes we don't even get that specific but the information is there anyways. 
For example there is  a local blog that is just fabulous. She mentioned on her blog she was in a really small town. I took one look at the photos taken in her back yard and I knew what town she lived in because I recognized the mountains in the background. She was a little surprised. 

 I have seen blog posts where the person has put a photograph of their magazines in the blog and you can read the address label on the magazine. 
I see posts talking about leaving on holidays. Shhhhh. Tell us when you get back. Not before your leave. 
Then there is Facebook. I use it all the time. I like it. I keep my privacy settings at the highest level and unless you are one of my friends on FB you can not access my photos, my friends or any other info. 
Is this good enough? Apparently not. There are many apps out there that FB users are using. They play Farmville and other things. They click on phony posts and then accept the terms to view a video clip.
These and many other apps that you may use open up your information and that of your friends to the companies. 
Last spring there was a campaign from Pringles that had an "Overshare" button to give to your online friends to tell them they were sharing a little too much on the social media sites. Clever marketing. 

Will I stop using FB or posting all about my life on here? Nope. But I will be careful. You can be sure that I never will put anything on my Facebook page that you will need to give authorization to the thing to read it. It will only be a direct link or photo.
My advice is to never put anything on FB or on your blog that you would be concerned about someone overhearing in the grocery store lineup while talking to a friend. 

Do you care if someone hears you have been ill? No. Fine. 

Do you care if they hear you are on antidepressants because your husband is a cheating scumbag? Well maybe so. 

Do you care that they know your child is a great ball player. No. 

Do you care that they know you can't pick him up that day from the ball park and he will have to walk home by himself? Probably. 

All I am saying is we need to filter some of what we put out there sometimes. Share your holiday plans after you get home. Will be away from blogging for that time? Just say you have some a busy week coming up and will miss us. 
Don't even get me started on Craig's list.

Now you have been warned. The next time I see some fabulous tablescape or great antique you got on Craigslist I may just come right over and steal it from you.You're not going to be home are you?

COFFEE GROUP CLIPS

TRADITIONAL STUFFING & SUPER EASY CRANBERRY SAUCE

 I don't like stuffing. It doesn't matter whose recipe it is I don't eat it. I do make it though. I follow the recipe/method that I used to see my Mom make. Basic, traditional and a big thumbs up from my family and friends. Click here for a printable recipe.

 Making your own cranberry sauce is as easy as pie....no wait it is much easier than pie is. It literally takes 15 minutes from start to finish. Click here for a printable recipe.

Foodie Friday is hosted at Designs by Gollum. Stop in and say hey and visit the many, many participants. 

THANKSGIVING DINNER TABLE

For those who live south of the border you may not have known that Canadian Thanksgiving was last weekend. I love cooking for these dinners. Everything is very traditional.

 

This year we were down to one table instead of the usual two we need. That is okay once in a while but I prefer a  house full. 

My friend brought me a lovely bouquet of flowers that took center stage on the table until dinner when we needed to make room for the food. Then I put them on the coffee table. 

 Oops my clock face is tilting. I painted that piece and then put a crackle finish on to it which turned milky white and ruined the piece. I have to sand it down and start fresh one day.

Tablescape Thursday over at Between Naps on the Porch is one of the most popular memes out there. I love joining in when I can. You will be inspired by the beautiful tablescapes out there.