Saturday, November 2, 2013

Celebrating the colors of Fall & Game Day

I have been wanting to stop and photograph this tree for a week now but never seemed to remember until I drove past and was almost home.  Today, in the rain, I remembered to stop.  I also took a handful of leaves to dry and press.  I like to use them in my art journals but more importantly, I tuck a few in an envelope and send them to my son who is stationed now in Berlin.  When he was in Afghanistan I sent a large envie full of them because he missed seeing the change in fall colors (he missed seeing any color other than sand). 


Have you ever stumbled upon something unexpectedly that flashes you back to your childhood?  At the Farmer’s Market I came across this:


Was this in your medicine cabinet growing up?  Mom used to rub it on our chest when we had a one of those too-stuffed-up-to-breathe colds.  She made us put a T shirt on over it because it was so greasy it would go through our PJ's then stain the sheets.  The smell was always comforting and it worked because we always seemed to fall asleep. Now of course we use Vicks Vapor-rub. 

Today is the annual college football “Backyard Brawl”,  Michigan's  U of M vs. MSU.  I am a U of M fan so of course I sported my maize & blue attire today.  It is fun to be out shopping on this day as perfect strangers, who wouldn't normally give you the time of day, will comment to you about your choice in teams or about who will win the game.  While I was picking up game day snacks I discovered this beautiful arrangement.

Go Blue!
This is the BEST game day snack on the planet: Sugar n’ Spice Chex mix. Yummy!

My The Random 5 Friday Meme:
1.  The chilly, drizzling rain is taking it's toll.  I can feel my inner self wanting to hibernate.
2.  I am dealing with the need to let go of all my classroom teaching stuff,  It's hard because there is so much emotional attachment there.
3.  I am learning to not shut down and do nothing when I get overwhelmed.  This is a work in progress.
4.  I need to focus more on creating in my art journals and less on creating things to swap, even though it's more fun to create for others.

5.  By taking more photographs, I am learning to enjoy the colors of fall more and letting go of my dread of the upcoming winter.

Are you watching any football today or are you a NFL fan?  Do you have a traditional snack you serve on game day or pizza or snack of choice?  By the way, GO BLUE!
Favorite game day pic!
Linking with Kim Klassen over at Friday Finds and a Rural Journal with Random 5 Friday.

14 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today and visiting, and hope to see you more here. I love that you are a journaler! I have a whole bookcase filled with journals from probably the past 20 years. I do art journalaling of a sort, although definitely not the really extravagant ones like in sommerset. I do love journaling though and it is a big part of my life and thinking process. I love your thinking that we need to find our life purpose, and it is a challenge when you pass 50 to find that newly defined purpose. Don't know how you can progress without knowing what God's purpose is for you. The poem on the left sidebar is one, or very similar to one that I carried with me for a long time.... It is beautiful. Your yellow tree that you photographed is gorgeous. I live in Texas, and it is still pretty green here. I really miss the beauty of fall color, and have made several "mini trips" recently, both to Wisconsin and also to Arkansas to catch a glimpse of Fall. so nice meeting you, and would love to follow your blog, but don't see where to "join up". ;Hope ;you are having an awesome weekend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for your encouraging words, it mean a great deal to me. I was stationed at Ft. Hood, Texas for 16 months. I enjoyed the different landscape, especially when the bluebonnets bloomed. I have a "follow me" by email and a Google + Follow on my blog. I saw how you have yours on your blog, not sure how to do that. Here's my email if you could be kind enough to give me guidance: dianebakerwilliams@gamil.com

      Delete
  2. It seems the colors of our trees this year have been turning the most vibrant shades of color than I can remember. Sheer beauty all around. Those yellows are gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your comment and stopping by my blog! I never truly appreciated autumn until I started photographing the colors. Now I see them with a new eye and see the beauty of the season. This tree was literally shouting at me to stop and take its picture.

      Delete
  3. Thank you for your comment. But how do you come to my blog?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I dropped either via Friday Finds, Random 5 Friday or Glue it Tuesday. this is a fun way to discover other beautiful blogs. thank you for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed my blog!

      Delete
  4. Lovely fall colors, those yellow leaves are gorgeous !
    Interesting Random 5, I'm always a bit sad when Summer ends
    but I do enjoy the autumn colors ...
    Nice weekend,
    Sylvia

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your comment and stopping by my blog. I love summer and I believe I looked at autumn's arrival as an end to the season I love so much. By taking photographs of it's beauty, I am appropriating it rather than dreading it.

      Delete
  5. I'm so glad you visited my site because it led me to your site! I love the photo of the tree with yellow leaves - all the trees in the Philippines turn to brown when they fall off. I've enjoyed exploring your blog, especially the art journals, which I have long wanted to try creating. Someday, but for now, I am rekindling my relationship with the camera.

    Your blog is awesome! I've subscribed and will be dropping by frequently.


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your photographs are so colorful! I have always taken pictures but this summer I took a phone photography e course which sparked a desire to photograph the world around me. I'm having fun but know I will have to eventually learn to better edit them. I will continue to stop by your blog and enjoy your world through your lens.

      Delete
  6. i really enjoy seeing every ones fall leaves all over blog land. reds & urs r so yellow... just amazing! ( ;

    happy week.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for linking up Diane... that tree is brilliant. My hubby is int eh military so I totally relate to the Afghanistan thing... but I have never thought of mailing him leaves. I'll tuck that away for later use :-) Your pressed leaves turned out beautifully.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog. The year my son was in Afghanistan was one of the most difficult. I was able to get through it by sending him boxes every month, sometimes having to be very creative in what I sent. When he said he missed the fall colors the first thing I thought was to send the color to him, thus the envie full of leaves.
      I wish you and your husband well as I know being in the military is difficult.

      Delete

Thank you so much for stopping by. Please share your insights.