Well, Howdy Darlin’s! I’ve been out gathering happy Fall blessings right here in the Ozarks! As much as I enjoy staying home and being delightfully domestic, especially this time of year, I also love to go on exciting adventures! Recently, I went with my sister-in-law Linda down south to Arkansas for some food, fun and flea-marketing! Since it was my birthday she treated me to all kinds of yummy goodness! Wooo-weee! We had a good ol’ time!
Our first stop was the Neighbor’s Mill Bakery and Cafe…
The minute we opened the door the aroma made us swoon “oh my goodness!”
Fresh baked breads of every kind, muffins, and cupcakes were stacked in neat little rows begging to be tasted.
And taste we did!
These were the yummiest pumpkin muffins I have ever tasted! The middle was filled with cream cheese frosting.
Yeah, we had one of those don’t-cha- know!
Inside felt like a big ol’ barn. Lots of wood beams and rusty corrugated metal.
We chose to share this little room off to the side with these sweet Mennonite gals.
Delicious homemade Tomato Basil Soup and Three cheese Pizza was my choice for lunch.
It’s so fun having a sister-in-law that loves the same things I do!
Here’s the cute bathroom…take a look at the mirror…it’s a vintage fireplace mantle! What a great idea!
After we shared one of those aMaZiNg pumpkin muffins with cream cheese frosting filling, we headed out to the Junk-shun Barn and to a few other antique/flea markets. I can’t believe I forgot to take pictures! I guess we were just havin’ too much fun! I did find a darling handbag from the 1950’s in like-new condition for $12! I need a vintage outfit to go with it now! I think I’ll call my vintage fashion-ista expert, my dear friend Cat from The Vintage Housewife who dresses in the cutest vintage clothes daily! I’ll get some tips from her…she knows a lot about vintage fashion…she’s aDoRaBlE!
We worked up quite an appetite and ended up at this darlin’ little Amish Bakery called The Homey Hearth for my Birthday dessert …the pumpkin muffin didn’t count :D
We shared a slice of Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie….my oh my!! Scrumptious!!
AND a slice of Chocolate Meringue Pie! YUM!
The Amish Bakery was the perfect spot to relax and chat like girls do!
That evening my hubby took our family to Big Cedar Lodge for my birthday dinner. If you ever come to Branson, Missouri this is the place to stay, or at the very least go visit the grounds and have a meal…it is breathtaking and oh so charming!!
The sun setting on the lake…
The winding road has two quaint waterfalls that you drive through...
The guests were provided with a campfire cookout…
and a romantic buggy ride as the sun set.
The restaurant that we dined at feels like an old cabin in the woods…
Rustic decor and a huge rock fireplace…
And another cozy one on the other end of the room…
My son Dusty and daughter in law Kimmy and grandson Kade came! Since this was a special occasion, little Kade wore his bow tie! Kimmy’s friend had the great idea of taking a little white Onesie and sewed a wee little bow tie to it. Kade looked so adorable and handsome in it with his little suspender pants!
I love being with my family! Of course I missed my other son J.J. and daughter in law Tiffany who live in California, and my daughter Ashley, her hubby Glen and my other wonderful grandson Johnny who lives in Kansas now. They are always in my heart and prayers. I treasure the times when we can all be together.
Just this past weekend I gathered more Harvest time blessings…
One of our family traditions is to visit the pumpkin patch.
We’ve done this since my kids were babies. Now I have the fun of going with my grand babies!
Dusty (my web site designer son) Kimmy (amazing mama) and Kade Austin, grammy’s sweet boy.
My little pumpkin in his farmer boy overalls!
Hmmm…which pumpkin should I pick? Oh, I see the perfect one!!
Summer Rose found one!
Such sweetness that boy! Kade is two months…fresh from Heaven!
Kade did not want to be the Scare Crow! Oh honey! Grammy will make it all better!
“There is music in the meadows, in the air– Autumn is here…”
~William Stanley Braithwaite
“Summer’s loss seems little, dear, on days like these.”
~ Ernest Dowson
“October…the artist’s paradise of wonder and beauty.
Harvest at its fullest.
Getting in the corn.
Stacking the wood for the long winter.
The falling leaves in a silent benediction,
like blessings that have fallen upon us all year long”.
~ George Matthew Adams
“October gave a party; The leaves by hundreds came–
The Chestnuts, Oaks and Maples, And leaves of every name.”
~George Cooper
Hayride
Let’s climb on the wagon, sit on a bale of hay
We’ll be laughing and a singing it’s a glorious day!
Chores are all done we can say with pride
Start up the tractor we’re going on a hayride!
Please hand up the apple cider and that basket, me oh my!
It has sandwiches and goodies and my granny’s pumpkin pie!
Grandpa’s dozing in the corner, tired because the day is done
After having fun for hours we sit and watch the setting sun
All is well, all is dear, sharing joy with our family near
We thank the Lord for all His blessings and such cozy Autumn cheer.
~Karen Rupprecht & Pam Minor
“Tis the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.”
~Laura Ingalls Wilder
Oh the fun of the Corn Maze!
Grandpa strolling Kade through the Corn Maze…precious!
The Perfect Pumpkin indeed! What a happy day this was!
To all of the mama’s out there, I just want to encourage you to keep up the good work! Keep putting forth the effort to make family life happy. With all of the challenges you face in raising your family, they are worth it! The seeds of love and joy that you plant today in your family will someday bring you a bountiful harvest of more love and joy. Pick at least one tradition you can do with your family each season. Something you’ll all look forward to each year. Take pictures! Celebrate the seasons! Make it part of who you are as a family. “Our family enjoys_____ each fall…that is what we do”. When I was growing up my dad made pancakes every Saturday morning. It’s the little things done with love that make happy memories.
As a mama of four, I know there are days when you feel like pulling your hair out! Trust. Me. I. Know! (see what I mean in the picture above…Ashley has always been EXTRA creative!!)…
(and here…Summer helped herself to some pie) I just want to tell ya, hang in there darlin’! Our children are only with us for a season…make the most of that season! Before you know it they’ll be off living life on their own, hopefully with warm memories of home.
Three of my children are married now and on their own. In the past two weeks my “harvest” came in from the seeds I planted years ago…a harvest that blessed the socks off of this mama’s heart…
My son J.J., age 24, who is newly married living in California sent me this text out of the blue. “Mommas homemade smell good recipe” along with a picture of orange peels, cinnamon, and cloves simmering on the stove. I couldn’t believe it!! My rough and tumble boy actually noticed that in years past (before yummy-smelling candles) I would simmer these ingredients to make my house smell good. He remembered! What?? That was a heartfelt harvest right there! Yay!! I love that he wanted his house to smell like “home”!
Then for my birthday, my other son Dusty wrote words that I will treasure for the rest of my life…“Momma, I love you so much! Having only raised Kade for a few months, I realize how much you did for me in those early years, not to mention once I grew up! When I go to Heaven, I’m going to give God a hug and thank Him for picking you as my mom! I love you…your baby boy.” Oh. boy. I needed a tissue for that bountiful Harvest of Joy.
I got another text from my daughter Ashley who lives in Kansas…it’s a picture of a scarf she is crocheting for me…she just learned how to do this a month ago and already she’s wanting to make something for me. I’m so proud of the woman, mother and wife that she is! Another harvest!
Lastly, my youngest daughter Summer came home from school the other day and with a hug she said ‘Mom, I just love coming home.” Oh honey! I love this harvest!
***
I share these “harvests of joy” with you not to pat myself on the back…goodness no! I’m the first to tell you that I’ve made my share of mistakes, things I wish I could go back and do over. Things I cringe at. But thankfully the good news is the Grace and Mercy of God stepped in and covered me, smoothed over my faults, and filled in the gaps. God is right here to help you along this motherhood journey, just ask Him!
***
I share these with you to give you hope. To let you know how very important it is to find ways to bring joy into your home-life and to do everything with love and lots of prayer and in due season you will reap a heart-warming harvest! Be the mama your kids need you to be. Create the home that your family feels loved in. Whatever you plant that is what you will harvest.
“So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good.
At the right time we will harvest a good crop
if we don’t give up, or quit.
Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance,
let us work for the benefit of all,
starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.” Galatians 6:9
***
Thank you Sugar Pies for stopping by for some Harvest Joy Pie!
As always I so appreciate your comments! I wish I could get back to all of you, but please know that you are loved and that I pray for you by name. God bless your darlin’ hearts!
Aunt Ruthie
My oh my, Sugar Pies! It’s that time again! Time to stoke the fires in our hearts for “home sweet home”. Time to nestle in and get cozy before the chilling North Winds frost our windowpanes.
“Come, ye thankful people come, Raise the song of Harvest Home: All is safely gathered in, Ere the winter storms begin.”
It’s time to gather God’s bountiful goodness of this autumn season to deck the halls and festoon our mantles and tables! When we brighten the corner where we are, we light up the hearts of those we love. A heart that is lit with love is a heart that is warmed. Our goal as homemakers should be to create a place where our family feels safe, loved, comforted and joyful.
Ya know what Darlin’ ? Even in the midst of hardships (clearly, so many have been affected, either financially, by natural disasters, or heartbreaking personal challenges) with faith we must look and find our comfort in God, in His Word and in the goodness that He has blessed us with.
Joy is harvested when we are grateful to the Lord for His blessings. Our hearts are revived when we become intentionally thankful. It reminds us that God loves us and will take care of us. Today I read in Psalm 27:13 “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.”
Sugar, God’s goodness is all around us. Take joy in this glorious season. The beauty of Fall is a gift from the Lord. Thank Him for it. Celebrate it. Delight in that big ol’ Harvest Moon as it shines through your window… light a Fall scented candle… gather some fallen leaves bursting in colors of butterscotch, cinnamon and apple red…set a happy pumpkin on your table… simmer some soup…eat a sweet crisp apple dipped in warm caramel sauce…get cozy in a chair and read Psalm 103 to find out how much you are loved. Do those simple and lovely things… it will nurture your family and comfort your heart. Let this be the season of gratitude, comfort and joy. Thankful be, Sugar, thankful be.
So, dear Sugar Pie Darlin’, I hope my words gave your heart the hug that it needed! And now I’d like to invite you into my Ozark home to share some of my Fall decorating ideas with you…there’s nothin’ fancy about it…just down-home and simple…just the way I like it. I hope it brings you comfort and joy. Now make yourself comfy…grab a hot-cuppa-somethin’ yummy and settle in for an armchair visit with me!
Come on in out of the cold Sugar…make yourself at home!
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, then it’s no surprise to you that I love decorating for the seasons. I always have, ever since I was a new bride …we talkin’ 33 years now! It just makes home-life so much more fun and exciting. It adds such warmth and sparkle to each room. It sweeps away the mundane and brings a home to life! It revives and awakens our hearts to the glory of God’s creation and His faithfulness. It makes kids happy too! My kids always looked forward to seeing their mama transform our home with festive seasonal decorations.
This is my living room. I used to have a love seat sofa in front of the fireplace but moved it to another room. The round table and chairs now sit in the center. It’s a nice spot to have tea, do my Bible study ,chat with loved ones, or to enjoy a slice of pie by the fire! Wish you were here to join me!
On the mantle, I took natural preserved leaves and set them in ceramic urns (that I got at Micheal’s Craft store at 50% off a few years ago). I stacked some old books, with the page side showing instead of the binding for a more neutral palette, and topped them with white pumpkins. I also tucked in some family photos. ( Tip: Can’t find cute white pumpkins? No problem! Just paint them! Real ones or fake ones!)
“Every leaf speaks bliss to me…fluttering from the Autumn tree.” ~ Emily Bronte
These old paperback books, with the covers removed, are tied with cotton string
and embellished with a chandelier crystal. The edges are sanded for a more “worn” look. I purchased it last year at an antique store.
I think it would be a fun and easy craft project!
A few year back I picked up these branches that had fallen in an ice storm and secured them in a bucket of Plaster of Paris (a kind of cement found at the craft store),
then put the bucket in this bronze colored urn.
It comes in handy every year.
I’ve hung photos from these branches, icicles, and ornaments.
This year I kept it simple by tucking some baby pumpkins in some golden straw at the base.
An old wooden tray and part of a Turn-of-the-Century baby buggy makes for a fun display piece.
Comforting thoughts of “home sweet home” are like honey-colored falling leaves…
they come swirling in the Autumn breeze. ~Aunt Ruthie
For a few years I’ve thought about painting this wardrobe-turned-bookshelf the color white,
but the planks of wood on the interior remind me of the inside of a barn…and I love barns!
So I don’t think I’ll paint it …for now! ;D
I can’t think of anything more simple or farm-y
than a frosted pumpkin sitting on a bed of straw in an old white enamel dishpan.
I told you my decoratin’ was nothin’ fancy!
The rusty old shovel with the handmade Hickory stick handle and the orchard ladder
were relics from the old Ozark homestead where my house sits. To me they are treasures found!
They hold a lot of history and could tell a lot of stories…and I love that!
A pair of vintage fluted gelatin molds make the perfect nest for my white pumpkins.
I got them for only $3 each. I just placed them on top of two wooden candled stick holders. Easy peasy!
I recently purchased this cream colored galvanized metal Bread and Cake cabinet. Oh! The stories it could tell!
I would love to know about the sweet farm wife
that used this little cupboard to keep safe and fresh her homemade goodies for her family!
I wonder how many cakes, pies, cookies and loaves of bread she stored in this little cubby.
The label reads:
Home Comfort
Bread and Cake
Cabinet
(aDoRaBle!)
Take a peek inside! A loaf of golden brown bread, jars of homemade jam, and a pumpkin pie…oh my!
This is how I pictured it might have looked back in the day!
Sitting on top of the cake stand, are little cellophane bags of Candy Corn.
It’s Fall! We gotta have some Candy Corn!
Some bags are plain and some have salted peanuts mixed in (my goodness what a delicious combo, ya gotta try it!)…
…either way they are a delicious treat for folks who stop by.
I rescued this “yard-bird” from a local flea market, she’s covered in moss and is quite weathered, but I love that little gal! I’ve named her Bertha Pearl. Until I have chickens of my own, she will have to do!
“While the earth remains, seed-time and harvest, cold and heat,
summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” Genesis 8:22
A vintage “Driving Miss Daisy” hat…a peaceful reminder of sweet days gone by.
The same place that I found my “Home Comfort” Cake and Bread cabinet, (The Feathered Nest in Ozark, Missouri—a FABULOUS place to shop!) I also found this Christmas tree in an oatmeal color. I couldn’t wait for Christmas to decorate with it so I decided to stick it in a bucket and try to fit it in for Fall.
I had a bunch vintage silver forks that I purchased for about $4 and didn’t know what I was gonna do with them…
Hey! I thought…why not hang them on the tree with pumpkin colored seam binding ribbon?
Yeah! That’s what I’ll do! Yes, it’s a little silly…a bit whimsical, but fiddle-dee-dee so am I!
I decided to tie the whole “fork” theme together with this little sign that I typed up.
I bet the gal who used to own these forks
never thought in a million years they would be hangin’ on a Christmas tree in the Fall!!
hee hee!
I wonder how many bites of pumpkin pie were eaten with this old fork.
“Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!”
Hey! Come on into my kitchen!
There’s nothin’ fancy about old coffee pots with a pumpkin sittin’ on top! But they sure are my cup of tea…or coffee! I inverted the lid on two of the pots to hold the pumpkins. I don’t know what it is, but I am so drawn to white enamelware!! Coffee pots, buckets, and dishpans! They were the essentials of every farmwife back in the day. They just say “down-home” to me!
See what I mean? More dishpans and buckets! Their good for scrubbin’ dishes, clothes and babies and for holdin’ a batch of fresh picked green beans waiting to be snapped out on the front porch.
My theme for life. Thankful be.
(Written with my fave Chalkboard Markers!)
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever Psalm 118:1
As a side note…while I’m taking pictures… I thought I’d share this tip:
I got these glass containers at Walmart and use them to keep handy my salt and pepper when cooking.
It’s easy access if I need a pinch or a spoonful. I like handy.
My vintage toy cow greets me each mornin’!
He reminds me to COW-NT my blessing’s everyday!
What do you call a cow in an earthquake? A milk shake!
Why did the cow jump over the moon? Because the farmer had cold hands.
There were 2 cows in a field, One cow looks at the other cow and says “moo.”
The other cow looks back and says ” Hay! I was just going to say that!”
(okay I’ll stop now! lol!!)
It’s the simple little silly things that make my heart happy ;D
You know me…how I love chalkboards so much I wanna marry ’em!
Here’s one I got recently at a fun Barn sale! It’s just an old cake pan!
Yes, a rusty old cake pan that some creative gal painted the inside with chalkboard paint!
What a grand idea! DeLiGhtFuL!
My baking center and window-pass-through to my pantry.
Gettin’ it all gussied up for some serious apple and pumpkin pie makin’!
Talk about simple! A white pitcher, a nest of raffia and a pumpkin.
On the side of my baking center hangs one of my most favorite calendars every year…
The AdOrAbLe Susan Branch Calendar!
It is so endearing!
Packed full of darling illustrations, recipes, quotes and homey goodness!
They get me in a happy mood for each season!
“By all these lovely tokens September days are here,
With summer’s best of weather And autumn’s best of cheer.”
– Helen Hunt Jackson
For lots of inspiration the Gooseberry Patch Quick & Easy Autumn is jam-packed with yummy goodness! I love my copy and will keep it out and refer to it throughout the season. Don’t you just want to climb into that darlin’ front cover?
The place we sit for family suppers!
“Bright red apples and purple grapes, orange pumpkins and golden corn,
these are what the harvest brings in the land where I was born.
Frosty mornings and cracking leaves, Barns all filled with their winter grain:
When the harvest work is done, listen to the rain.”
~ Eleanor Graham, 2 nd grade songbook.
Once again simple and farm-y…plump little pumpkins sitting in a row!
“There, there dear, everything’s going to be alright, we have pie.” ~Aunt Ruthie
Well Sugar, Thank you for stopping by! I hope you’ve enjoyed your time with me and perhaps found an idea or two. May your home be blessed this glorious Autumn Season!
God Bless your darlin’ hearts!
Aunt Ruthie
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