Monday, August 13, 2018

A Cooler, Rainy Weekend!

Our weekend was a lovely one. Quiet and low key.
Not one but two days at home! Friday and Saturday.


Friday morning the Texas Sage bloomed out big time!
It was already raining when I woke up but I went out and took a picture anyway.
 'Barometer Bush' is a nickname for Texas Sage as the plant blooms when it rains.
Except for once last month during that string of 100+ days!
An amazing thing happened. The bush bloomed and there was no rain in sight!
First time I have ever seen it do that.


It rained both Friday and Saturday. Not all day but enough.
At one point on Friday, I opened up the house and turned the attic fan on for a little while.
It was 74 degrees outside and the air was fresh and cool.
We don't often get rain in August so this has been a big blessing.


I have kept the art table out so I could dabble a bit every day.
I decided to touch up this pumpkin.
I bought it last year at a thrift store......


and now it looks more like my kind of a pumpkin.
I have it hung on the knob of a green dresser in the sewing room.
I just love green and orange together.


I have been working on the Western Santa and need to get a move on with some of my other Christmas paintings.

I was doing pretty well in not trashing the house as I slowly brought out a couple of tubs of fall stuff at a time. Then late Saturday afternoon, I fell off the decorating wagon and started hauling ALL the tubs of decorations out of the storage building and piling them up on the patio by our bedroom door.


And just like that - I was throwing fall all over the place!
I can't seem to do anything half way. Or with any degree of moderation.
But I went to bed happy Saturday night! The den was all but done!

Sunday morning we attended a Cowboy Church right here in Irving.


Louis Dean found it online and liked what he saw so we decided to visit.
My friend, Virginia, met us there.
We really enjoyed it.
The songs were all country style and there were lots of trucks in the parking lot and lots of cowboy boots and hats all around.
The congregation was a good mix of ages.....young couples, older ones and some elderly along with a good many children and teenagers.
Louis Dean loved the music! 
When they took up the offering, the ushers used a cowboy hat!
We will be back to visit again.
I'm not in the market to change churches but I will visit with Louis Dean from time to time if this is where he would like to attend.
But next week we will be back in our own church.

After church we went over to see Reaoma for a few minutes and this time she was in the dining room.
We didn't stay long - Summer, Rayne and Sabrina were on their way to our house - so we will come back on Tuesday so Louis Dean can play some music for her.


We had one last little visit with Rayne and Sabrina before they headed off to the airport.
I had baked a big tin full of pumpkin muffins for her!
They are her favorite!


Their special dog, Sunshine, is a frequent flyer herself.


One last pic and a few more hugs and they were gone!
They will be back for Thanksgiving!

Louis Dean and I both took good long Sunday naps.


My name is Linda and I am addicted to fall decorations.
I admit it.
If a little is good - then I will go to excess!


I have decided to get it all out and up and sit back and enjoy it.
I'll be missing most of the month of September so I figure I can use these extra August days to make up for it.
I'm saving Neil Diamond, my special fall coffee mug, the fall candles and other traditions for the proper time - September First - which falls on a Saturday this year.
Just 19 days and I will wake up to my favorite day in all the year!

12:42 in the morning as I close this journal entry....
so that makes it only 18 days now!!


19 comments:

BeachGypsy said...

Glad you were able to open the windows for a bit. I love to throw open the windows, watch the lace curtains billow, and feel the fresh air, unfortunately we haven't been able to do that here for months, and it will be some time yet, ha ha LOL I'ts okay--despite the heat, I am really enjoying this summer but I am kinda looking forward to Fall. It arrives very late here, more like late December, ha ha ha LOL Love how you get all excited for "YOUR DAY", September 1st! Might as well get those decorations out like you said, to make up for the lost days, I agree!
P.S.--I love your last haircut best of all, you look so cute in the sunflower picture!

Vee said...

Wonderful that you enjoyed a respite from all that heat. One breath of cooler air sent you on an autumn decorating frenzy. 🍂 As you may remember, I have ban on autumn until at least September 1; sometimes, I’m a real stickler and keep it until September 21. Winters are long and harsh here...quite like your Texas summer on the opposite side of the spectrum. I will not blame you for hoping for cooler days.

Glad that you enjoyed the cowboy church. 🤠

Vee said...

please forgive missing words and spelling errors...using iPad.

mxtodis123 said...

Hopefully your cooler air will head over here. Well, to be honest, we have had the cooler air but the high humidity takes all the joy away from it. You have some gorgeous autumn decorations. I'm wanting to bring mine out in the worst way, but it just don't seem right in this weather.

Susie said...

Linda, You made me laugh at the end of your post...yes, you are the queen of fall decorations. LOL. I wish I could make myself decorate more. I basically do most of my fall decorating outside. I like the way you spruced up the thrift store pumpkin. Beautiful Rayne is growing, I love the picture of her with you and LD, even though she is making a funny face. Glad you got some rain . WE were predicted to have rain since Thursday and it never rained any in our town. Blessings for a beautiful week there. Love you, xoxo, Susie

Estelle's said...

I look forward to your fall decorations every year...it's so whimsical and fun! I am curious as to how you will enjoy your cruise....hope it's a great adventure for you both! Isn't the rain just glorious?

Arlene G said...

I always think of you on September First Linda. I know it its your holiday. I have thought about going through some of my fall things just to take inventory. I always forget what I have!!

Changes in the wind said...

Well your two days didn't sound so laid back to me but I think you enjoyed them and that is what counts. I don't do any decorating except for Christmas. I guess you would call me boring:) Cowboy church is special, that is for sure.

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

So glad you got some needed rain and a cooler day to enjoy. That Texas Sage is beautiful and so is that lovely granddaughter. I know you'll miss her, but Thanksgiving will come quickly, especially since you'll be traveling. Good idea to get those decorations out so you can enjoy your favorite time of year. I probably won't put mine out until LaborDay weekend. It's the unofficial beginning of fall here when we say good bye to most things summer. Good we can enjoy them all the way through November when Thanksgiving comes. Hope you have a happy Monday!

Linda said...

Fall is my favorite season for decorating. You definitely improved the looks of that pumpkin with your touch.

Ginny Hartzler said...

You are like me; all or nothing at all! I do tend to go way overboard with everything! I am so glad you ventured out in the rain to snap the Sage. Until you showed me, I had never seen any. It is gorgeous, and I don't think I have EVER seen any until you. I think someone said that this is what will turn into a tumbleweed? Cowboy Church sounds so cool! Now I want to go to one! Your change to the pumpkin is beautiful!!! Now that I see what you did to it, I don't even like the way it looked before. Hey, you are wearing a big sunflower hat in your picture with Rayne! Suits you perfectly! I put my fall things out usually in the last week of August, so I will not be far behind you! I have lots of big keepers full in the basement.

MadSnapper said...

in the pic of you and Rayne you have a sunflower halo... just perfect for your early decorating spree.. I wondered what you would do on Sept 1st and now I know you save a few things.... I would like to try the cowboy church, was it in a building? barn? drive in? I did not know that about sage, very odd it bloomed. maybe a teeny tiny shower passed through during the night. the pumkin is so much better with your touch

Jan said...

This cooler, rainy weather has me thinking about some fall decorating too. This rain is such a blessing and so needed!

Bluebird49 said...

I love your pumpkin!
I can't believe it will soon be September! Your month!

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

You made that cute pumpkin into a beauty! That’s a gift you have, of making beautiful things. Cowboy church sounds fun. I’m glad you both enjoyed it!

What a nice break in the heat! It really got you I. The fall mood, didn’t it? I think if fall decor makes you happy, then you should do it!

Carole said...

I guess we could call your decorating style Texas Maximalism... or now Cowboy Maximalism... Glad you had that rain. Cheers

Robyn said...

Sounds like you had a lovely weekend. That bush is absolutely beautiful. I know exactly what you mean how you can never do anything half way. I'm like that when I get cleaning my house. I have an objective but then.... I'll see something else and before I know it, my dusting and vacuuming has turned into a major project.. LOL.. I am SO tempted to start decorating for fall but it's still so hot here in SC I can't bring myself to do it yet but I want too. I hope you'll share some photos when your house is all decorated. Spring and Fall are my two favorite seasons :) XO

bj said...

OOO, I'm not nearly ready for fall yet...altho, I swear I can feel it in the air on early mornings.
Boy, you do have a lot of fall decorations...I don't have many...Christmas is my most fav time to decorate.
Your house is always so cheerful and warm looking. xoxo

peggy said...

hi Linda, if you go back to visit the Cowboy Church, tell us more..like do they sing the old songs (hymns) and do they have a choir and do they use a hymnal. Years back I had a record by the Cowboy Church Choir, it was kids singing a cute little song. I looked it up on you tube not long ago and it is still around.

Some of us just can't restrain ourselves when it comes to fall stuff. I have been selling some dried yarrow and fall dolls at my craft mall lately. You are not alone! Love your pumpkin.