Yes, there are still blooming roses here in Columbia, even on the 24th of November. :) These particular roses are flowering near our favorite grocery store. Here is another section of blooms:
Not at the height of its abundance but still producing lovely color. :) The autumn weather here actually covers a seasonally appropriate time span - most of the leaves have fallen but there are still trees turning color:
Our front yard was carpeted with beautiful red maple leaves until recently. Monday (I think) our lawn service guys came and blew off all the debris. There are still more leaves that need to fall before their work is done - when I used to rake the leaves myself, years ago, I would have to tackle the chore three times during the autumn to get all the crackly bits taken care of. :)
Yesterday, Thanksgiving Day and Our Birthday (23rd of November is mine and my brother's dual birthday), was a lovely time. I cooked dinner - we had unconventional food as I did not feel like tackling turkey: Johnsonville bratwurst, lima beans, shoepeg corn, cranberry relish and pumpkin pie did us proud. :)
Skip (my husband) helped Kevin with some iPhone issues Kevin was having. After dinner (and digestion), Skip and I cut down two enormous boxes for the recycling bin (the sofa from IKEA came in them). There is more work to be done in the condo but it is looking quite liveable at last! Kevin seems to be happy living there alone, though I generally spend two or three afternoons each week with him - grocery shopping, errand running or 'touristing' by turns.
Today was another lovely day. As is usual for Fridays, Barbara, Patty and I met at Barbara's house to sew together. Today was the first clue for Bonnie Hunter's Indigo Way 2024 mystery quilt:
If you click on the photo you can go read about the project. Barbara is actively sewing on this - she got at least her first five sets of HSTs sewn while we were meeting. I think Patty is abstaining this year. I thought seriously about participating as I adore the color indigo and all fabrics made in the tradition, whether Japanese, African or otherwise. :)
Now I think I will dig out my indigo bin and work on making my own creation alongside BH's version. I have a couple dozen fpp blocks made with indigo/cream and a lot of ideas about ways to feature the colors. We'll see - first I have to FIND my beauties in the bomb crater that is my sewing room. :)
I spent my sewing time working on a mosaic kit I purchased a while ago from Cheryl Lynch - my idea of where I'd like to live (in a perfect world:) - a pink beach house with palm tree. You can see the design if you click on the link and scroll down the page - near the bottom left. :) Patty assured me that I have lost my mind for fiddling with such small bits of fabric (3/8th inch squares, half squares and rectangles). :)
Tomorrow Skip and I will go over to Kevin's condo to tidy some and take back our tools that have been there for a while (a frame step ladder, moving dolly and our big vacuum cleaner). I might take Kevin to the movies on Sunday to see The Marvels before it leaves the theater.
He and I had originally meant to go to the theater on this past Tuesday. Sadly, I spent Tuesday and Wednesday down with a mild case of some kind of stomach virus and had to cancel. I thought Kevin would be upset with me for missing his movie but I overheard him telling Skip that he (Kevin) was glad not to go out in the pouring rain that fell most of the day on Tuesday. :)
I'm still thinking about gratitude and my life - I tend to get reflective around my birthday each year and cogitate about things. :) Goodness abounds! I got birthday phone calls with good wishes from my daughter, my niece Amy and my niece Stephanie (along with my sister who lives with her and from my great-nephew, Isaiah). Happy times!
:) Linda