Warm Wishes for a Spooky Halloween to All our Family and Friends ~Memories and Family Traditions

 

Hubby has always been the Jack o’ Lantern artist in our family.

While he’s creating the design,

I’m in charge of roasting the Pumpkin Seeds.

It has always been that way…

This is the first Halloween we were married, 40 years ago,

sitting in the Breakfast Nook of our first house.

Daddy carved pumpkins with our girls all

through their growing-up years.

And now we are known as Papa and Gigi,

this is Jack’s first Halloween…our little Jack o’ Lantern.

We look forward to getting some new photos this year,

of Jack and our new little pumpkin

So, what is your costume this year?

Is it cute??

Or is it Scary?!

Have fun…Stay safe, everyone.

Take care,

~Natalie

Their Work Here is Done ~New Apron, Curb, and Approach ~Update on the City’s Progress

Just in case you were all curious about

the City’s work on our street…

My nose told me something was going on out there,

even before I heard the sound of their equipment.

Yes, it was that powerful smell of Tar.

Truckloads full of Tar.

Hot and Steamy Tar.

It appears to be a back breaking, labor intensive job.

The Tar Truck moved on to our neighbors, while these guys

stayed behind to make sure it was smooth.

And smooth it is!

I look forward to our first Test Drive into the driveway.

Meanwhile, in the house, I am happy to have

a new Coffee-Scented Candle to enjoy.

Take care,

~Natalie

Winterfest Countdown ~Five Weeks ~Here’s What’s on the Work Table ~After our Acceptance Letter

It’s that time of the year…It’s Winterfest Season.

Hubby and I stay busy with our creations all year,

however we received our Acceptance letter a week ago.

We organize what we have made throughout the year,

and then pick up the pace in our workspaces.

Hubby has an assortment of bottle openers, muddlers, coffee scoops,

Bowls and candle holders.

Winterfest is a juried show…

We didn’t apply last year, due to the Pandemic,

this was our booth two years ago.

One needs to submit photos of their workspaces

along with photos of a few of the items that will be on display.

Some of our best sellers, remain unchanged,

and sometimes I add some new features.

What do you think of this new look for my Wooly Owls?

I tried to design a new hat for my Gnomes.

I struggled with different ideas…

…but Helper Cat did not approve.

So I returned to the hat pattern I’ve used for a couple of years.

I checked the status of my Chunky Knit Cowls,

and found several that just need their yarn tails tucked in.

These feel so good when the Winter Winds are howling.

Since retirement,

Hubby has spent many afternoons out in his Woodshop.

The Muddlers and Bottle Openers make a great Stocking Stuffer

for your favorite Bartender…either on their own or as a matched set.

Same with the Candle Holders.

They make a nice gift, either alone or as a set.

As usual, we combine efforts for many of our items.

Hubby does the wood working, I do the painting,

he assembles the body parts, and I add the embellishments.

What do you see when you look at the fringe

on a Vintage Chenille Bedspread?

Santa’s Beard, of course!

These Retired Empty Nesters have 5 weeks,

that’s 35 days to pull it all together

and make all of the finishing touches.

Stop by again to check up on us and our progress.

Take care,

~Natalie

Things in Our Street Thursday ~The Little Things that Make Us Smile ~We’re Getting a New Apron

 

Several years ago, it was our neighborhood’s turn

to get new curb, gutter,  and approach to the driveways.

On our street, every home was re-done, except for three.

Yes, one of those was our address.

You can see our driveway’s broken edge on the left…

Yes, it was a bumpy ride into our driveway.

Of course, Hubby called the city officials, he questioned,

he complained, he requested reconsideration.

Every year the entrance got worse, and every year he called.

Finally, we are getting a response…

spray paint markings in the driveway,

pylons in our street, and then the equipment

showed up to break up the old apron.

There was a lot of noise in the process.

A huge truck arrived to take away the huge chunks of cement.

And then, it was lunchtime and all was quiet.

Since everyone was gone I went outside to “check” their work.

Well, not everyone was gone. There was a young man eating his lunch

in the cab of his machine.

He hopped down to chat with me. 

He usually packs his lunch in a cooler as he saves a lot of money

by not going out every day. Turns out, his wife was

a student in my classes a few years ago.

He’s a smart man.

In the late afternoon, it was quiet again.

All the big equipment was gone…

…but it appeared someone was coming back.

Another crew arrived with the cement.

This attracted several spectators,

as school was dismissed for the day.

Spectators that were young,

and young at heart.

They worked diligently to make good progress…

…because this was the forecast for the following day.

This is what it looked like when I took the trash out in the morning.

It rained most of the day.

Late in the afternoon, the sun came out,

so hubby got his leaf blower out to clear the driveway.

But, it looks like it will be a while that our vehicles

will be parked out in the street.

And a while before they will see the inside of our garage.

We are not complaining.

This is the best thing that has happened in our driveway

since our family was here playing Cornhole.

Take care,

~Natalie