Snow, Tea, Trips and Staying Warm.....

Snow has finally arrived, along with the cold Winter weather...

We have been getting the house all decorated for the holidays.
We've been reading a lot of good books, baking cookies, drinking hot chocolate, sledding outside, drawing, playing, and going on trips!

Only six days until Christmas, I can't believe how time has flown by here in Wesleytown. It seems like only yesterday that we were outside, in the garden weeding or picking veggies,or raking the leaves into big piles to play in! 

Last weekend, Joe, Rosie and I went for a trip to the big city. We had a blast walking around and seeing all the sights, it was so beautiful! :)

~ Winter: My Secret ~

I tell my secret? No indeed, not I:
Perhaps some day, who knows?
But not today; it froze, and blows, and snows,
And you're too curious: fie!
You want to hear it? well:
Only, my secret's mine, and I won't tell.

Or, after all, perhaps there's none:
Suppose there is no secret after all,
But only just my fun.
Today's a nipping day, a biting day;
In which one wants a shawl,
A veil, a cloak, and other wraps:
I cannot ope to every one who taps,
And let the draughts come whistling thro' my hall;
Come bounding and surrounding me,
Come buffeting, astounding me,
Nipping and clipping thro' my wraps and all.
I wear my mask for warmth: who ever shows
His nose to Russian snows
To be pecked at by every wind that blows?
You would not peck? I thank you for good will,
Believe, but leave that truth untested still.

Spring's and expansive time: yet I don't trust
March with its peck of dust,
Nor April with its rainbow-crowned brief showers,
Nor even May, whose flowers
One frost may wither thro' the sunless hours.
Perhaps some languid summer day,
When drowsy birds sing less and less,
And golden fruit is ripening to excess,
If there's not too much sun nor too much cloud,
And the warm wind is neither still nor loud,
Perhaps my secret I may say,
Or you may guess. 

~:  Christina Georgina Rossetti :~

Table set nicely for dinner.

Candle lighting art.

Art.

Aimaija with her "niece", Annie Rose

Paper creations.

The one and only Celeisa!

Playing...

Hmmm, lets see who can drink it faster..

The snow has finally arrived!

The Christmas tree.

Cheerful Christmas tree lights in the school room.

More lights.

Hot cocoa.

And here are some pictures of our trip to the big city!

Looking at the view.

I didn't know this many apples existed in one place! ;)

~ Julia

Birthdays...

The holidays are arriving and with it the cheerful feeling of Christmas and the New Year. 

The house has been busy with the hustle and bustle of  making food, lots of reading, roller skating, and lots of other pleasant things that you do, to wile a way each and every day. 

And with the drinking of hot tea and reading books.

We had The Great Big Birthday Celebration, and here are the promised pictures.

 We had a big feast... it was three courses!

Starting with Mushroom Soup (with crackers),  followed by Sausage and Peppers, Asparagus, Roasted Potatoes and  Rolls. 

All summed up with dessert!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ 

Showing off one of his birthday gifts.

Food.

Opening Gifts.

~ Julia

Of poems, pictures, and birthdays....

The days have been slipping by... the house has been filled with the happenings of every day life.
We have been making bread, knitting, sewing, drawing, cleaning, cooking, baking, visiting,  playing the piano, reading, and, if I sat here and thought, I am sure I could go on and on! ;)

It seems that we have quite a few birthdays in the fall and winter months, so we have been celebrating birthdays, in what seems, one right after the other.
 We are planning a great big birthday celebration for Stan Lee and Nicholai, this Sunday. Rosie and I are going to make a surprise meal, and do it "Medieval Style", we are still in the "planning" stage of it though. 

I will have to try and get some pictures and post them after :)
:::::

     Leaves...

"How silently they tumble down

And come to rest upon the ground

To lay a carpet, rich and rare,

Beneath the trees without a care,

Content to sleep, their work well done,

Colors gleaming in the sun.

At other times, they wildly fly
Until they nearly reach the sky.
Twisting, turning through the air
Till all the trees stand stark and bare.
Exhausted, drop to earth below
To wait, like children, for the snow." 

~   Elsie N. Brady  ~

~~~~~

"The morns are meeker than they were,
The nuts are getting brown;
The berry's cheek is plumper,
The rose is out of town.
The maple wears a gayer scarf,
The field a scarlet gown.
Lest I should be old-fashioned,
I'll put a trinket on." 

~  Emily Dickinson ~

She is getting so big and cute..

She likes being with her Pa though!

They have been busy drawing and creating.

The kittens are getting big too..

Here are some pictures of the falls... they are really beautiful, this time of year!

~ Julia

Welcome Autumn....

September has come and gone so quickly that I do believe it passed before my very eyes.
 October is here and with it the changing of leaves and the beginning of cooler weather. It is now time to start wearing sweaters and hats, and having the wood stove going, as to take off the morning chill out of  the air.

We have been busy here, preparing for the long months of winter wonderland to arrive... and have been enjoying the last few days of warm weather that we have before the snow sets in.

Last week, Aimaija, hosted a "Paper Art fair" and invited all of Wesley and Claire's little folk over. It was a wonderful time! 

So, here are some pictures of  busy days in Wesleytown....

Pictures of the party...

They made there own personal pizzas... and made their own little messes as well :)

Piano art.

I'm still not really sure what this.

The leaves are all falling on our driveway.

One of the new, cute little kittens.

Celeisa.

Just one lonesome leaf.

Art.

~ Julia

The closing of a beautiful summer....

Summer seems as though it has gone by way too fast, and although my favorite season is Autumn, I am still sad to see the leaves change there color and the flowers slowly die. 

Well... I should not be too quick to say that, as I see so much beauty in this one season.
It seems to me that there is nothing more pleasant, then to sit outside around the campfire and roast hot dogs and marshmallows while the cool wind gently weaves around you. I love the feeling of wearing a sweater and hat as we go for long walks down the road and through the fields, arriving home with cheeks red from the cool biting wind against them.
The feeling of the brisk air in the morning when you step outside to watch the sunrise. The trees changing color, although sad to some, leaves me with the feeling that everything is slowly closing for the long winter ahead, and it is just going to sleep,only to awaken when the long winter months have finally come to there close.
~~~~~~~
Apples from our neighbor's apple tree, waiting to be made into apple pies.

My cute little nephew :)

Meggie...

Tomatoes in the garden.

And we have now discovered pumpkins!

The front porch

The table set for dinner.

Dinner on the stove.

Art.

Freshly made apple pies!

:~Hello Autumn~:

I hear the songs, of autumn singing,

The wind, it hurries through the trees.

The air is getting crisper daily,

A chilly nip, is in the breeze.

The katydids, in raspy chorus,

and crickets too, join in the song.

Reminder that, there comes upon us,

another season, won't be long.

The birds now gather, for their journey,

they gossip loudly, as they fly.

Their destination, still uncertain,

just heading south, to warmer skies.

And even butterflies, are going,

their darting seems, to have no plan.

But if we study them, more closely,

they're headed south, to warmer land.

The forest dressed, in all its splendor,

intoxicating, views abound.

All up and down, our lovely valley,

and mountain sides, of country towns.

The leaves are searching, for a new home,

they flutter down, on wings of gold.

The trees they left, are looking lonesome.

abandoned soon, to winters cold.

The pumpkins waiting, for the kitchen,

with shocks of corn, in fields once green.

The season soon, will call together,

our friends and kin, so long unseen.

Boots and mittens, make their showing,

with Christmas things, on shelves in stores.

Lawn mowers now, go on vacation,

snow shovels soon, prepare for chores.

There seems to be, a certain sadness,

another year, has come and gone.

The next one waits, around the corner,

adventures new, and memories born.

Already daffodils, are planning,

to welcome back, from its sojourn.

Their faces searching, toward the heavens,

first robin here, on its return.

:: Nevin Hawlman ::

~Julia