Tag Archives: Missouri

Oct18

“Bid Adieu”

Posted on October 18, 2026 by deannagreensandgardenart

“Farewell”. “So long”. “Goodbye”. The French say “bid adieu”. In so many words to say, “the hummingbirds went south”. I miss them being just outside my atelier window while I write. They have been gone for a few days. No chance of the hummingbird’s survival here in the winter as every year. Especially this upcoming winter as I hear we are getting incredible amounts of snow in the Midwest. The persimmons and willy worms tell us the same. I hope the hummingbirds survive the current and future tropical storms with their return to Missouri in April or May of next year. Our ferns, lantana, arrowhead plant, and herbs have done well this long summer. This weekend our perennials are back in the basement as some 30’s temperatures were forecasted the northern outskirts of the metro St. Louis region having frost. It is the first time I heard the “F” word being used by the meteorologists this season. A farewell to fair weather.

There are other “goodbyes” taking place these days. The amount of items Dean and I have collected over the years! Since mid-summer we have been giving away and purging for many weekends and hope to finalize before hard winter sets in. I know of two silent auction events this autumn to contribute to. We think vintage stuff is cool. And if we keep some of our stuff much longer, they will be vintage! Books, home decor, old picture frames, hardware, old paperwork. If not giving away to family, friends, or charity, then to the trash or burn pile will these items go. “Sai la vie” is the other French term. “Oh, well!” There is no sense in keeping everything. My hopes are our kids will appreciate these efforts later when Dean and I are gone.

“All goes back to the earth and so I do not desire pride of excess or power, but the contentment made by men who have had little: the fisherman’s silence receiving the river’s grace, the gardener’s musing on rows.” ~ Wendell Berry

I am moving onto a new job in these next few days. I will finish the month with my culinary work at the senior agency I have been with for 3-1/2 years. I started training with another food service company that assists the parochial school at our church parish. Our church is 3 blocks away from our St. Charles home. This is an answer to prayer regarding the wintertime commute dilemma for me with my medical conditions of rheumatoid arthritis and a severe allergy to the cold. I will work about the same number of hours and pay rate but with less food volume and younger clients. Change is good and I embrace this new opportunity with enthusiasm. I will miss some co-workers but have afternoons off to visit the St. Charles and St. Peters Senior Centers from time to time.

Farewell to iced tea and flip-flops for a few months. My herbs came indoors this week. I used the Genovese basil in caprese pasta again and have more to use up this week. Autumn goodies like hot tea, pie, kuchen, soups, and apples being used in various recipes are a part of the menu changes these days. I want to try making this apple butter recipe I found online. Festive weekend outings like a Poe play, the church picnic, and an overnight at a unique boutique hotel in a small Missouri town have given us relaxing fun between chores and jobs. Writing continues to keep me occupied while inside. Year-round, almost daily words invade my brain that necessitate me to write. More recipes, stories, and poems develop for my next book. “Bid adieu” to silence.

“Tell your story.

Shout it. Write it.

Whisper it if you have to.

But tell it.

Some won’t understand it.

Some will outright reject it.

But many will

thank you for it.

And then the most

magical thing will happen.

One by one, voices will start

whispering, ‘Me, too.’

And your tribe will gather.

And you will never

feel alone again.” ~ L.R. Knost

Aug9

Awesome Artsy August

Posted on August 9, 2026 by deannagreensandgardenart

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Thus far August has had a few mild days with temperatures in the 70’s and low 80’s and low humidity following the rainstorms. Very nice. And then other days, shoo wee, while those rainstorms are building up, the heat index climbs above 100. These temperature variations bring back memories of family gatherings at my great-grandfather’s farm in Franklin County, Missouri in the heat with drenching humidity, as well as finding a few days of reprieve during our family vacations to the northern lakeside. The daisies, black-eyed Susans, and coneflowers are swaying with a breeze. The butterflies and bees find nectar during their busy activity while I read and eventually nap on a cot in the screened porch. We’ve had both types of summer days in just this first part of August here in Missouri.

“The month of August had turned into a griddle where the days just lay there and sizzled.” ~ Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees, 2001

“August creates as she slumbers, replete and satisfied.” ~ Joseph Wood Krutch, Twelve Seasons, 1949

“I love borders. August is the border between summer and autumn: it is the most beautiful month I know.” ~ Tove Jansson, The Summer Book, 1972

This summer has lent itself to great writing time when the heat is too much for outdoor activities. I have written a few poems and even a fairy tale. The book, The Artist’s Rule by Christine Valters Paintner, I am reading with a book club encourages different creative exercises like walking a labyrinth or putting together an artist’s family tree. This is where you write down the names of 4 or 5 people who have influenced you in the creative field and then connect their names with the 4 or 5 people who have influenced them, and so on. These can be a teacher, musician, artist, photographer, writer, craftsman, or culinary professional. This exercise demonstrates how we all are interconnected and are creative beings. Our God who made each of us is a creative god.

Dean and I will be getting away for a few days very soon. Due to gas prices and time, we are taking the shortest trip possible from our locale to see some sand, shells, lighthouses, and hopefully feel consistent cooler air. This will be the most northwestern section of Indiana and southwestern section of Michigan along Lake Michigan. We have not been in these parts of the United States, so we look forward to the new discoveries and change of pace. Meantime, this week I will prepare a “coastal” dinner of seared scallops and carrots glazed with a citrus sauce over jasmine rice.

Jul5

Nostalgia This 4th of July

Posted on July 5, 2026 by deannagreensandgardenart

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Wow! The 250th Birthday of the United States of America! Communities have had many events planned for months with this 3-day holiday weekend. Dean and I’s wedding anniversary is on the 2nd of July, so we usually plan a few days of celebrating with America’s birthday. This year we had our anniversary dinner out at a quaint St. Louis City neighborhood Irish eatery. On Friday, July 3 late afternoon we made the hour-drive to the small German river town Hermann, Missouri. It is the town Dean and I were married 16 years ago. That evening their 4th of July parade was taking place along the downtown blocks near the riverfront. Lots of cool vintage cars and excited kids waiting for candy to be thrown to them. Thirsty after the July humid heat, we stopped in the local brewery. I had their new seltzer, a lemon-lavender. Very refreshing. Dean had a red ale while relaxing in the air-conditioned brewery. We shared a delicious freshly made thin crust pizza. Afterwards we strolled to the riverfront park where many townies were getting situated for the fireworks display. The sunset brought its own special glow on the Missouri River before the town’s music and fireworks.

I let my hair go, not attempting to straighten the natural curls and frizz. With the humidity above 90% and heat index over 100 degrees, freedom from hairdryers and makeup was commanded, and eventually sweaty undergarments removed matching this freedom celebration. Memories going back into my childhood surfaced these past few days. A bit of nostalgia. I was 16 years old when our nation turned 200. I remember fun times in the pool that summer, making new friends through Teens Encounter Christ (TEC), playing music in the park, walking to softball practice, having evening and Saturday ballgames in old town St. Peters, bike rides in the neighborhoods down the road from our tree farm, and our 3-week summer vacation traveling to visit our family in Washington state and our friends in Minnesota. I even imagined what I might be doing at this 250th birthday year. Thought to be married, busy as a wife, mother, and grandmother. Here now I am very busy as a wife, mother, grandmother, and even a great-grandmother as well as serving the community as a culinary professional and writer of words. A partial retirement has been a good fit for me. Back then, looking forward to the 4th of July in 2026 I expected a celebration of a parade, festive music, and patriotic fireworks.

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” ~ Psalm 33:12

Here I am this holiday, my whole weekend has been full. We spent our Friday in Hermann. This Saturday in our hometown, St. Charles where we attended the Main Street parade in the morning meeting up with one son and his family, then the fireworks display at dusk. We set up our lawn chairs in our church’s parking lot situated on a hill just 4 blocks from the Missouri River. We could look downhill towards the river where the barge was set up with the explosives. Fancier fireworks in this town’s display. A bigger town with a bigger budget for such a luxury. The night sky was explosive colors and pops throughout well into the midnight hour. The sights and sounds matched my heart filled with gratitude for the freedoms I continue to have. I am thankful to God for the nation I live in; the freedom to worship my Jesus, the employment opportunities my Dean and I are occupied with, a retirement income, health benefits, nutritious food to eat, a cozy home, peace with our diverse loved ones and neighbors, and hope for our future. On the 4th of July ABC televised Brandi Carlile singing America The Beautiful in NYC. Such a gorgeous rendition, a prayer as the singer described. At church this Sunday, we sang this same anthem. Make these words our own. Here are the lyrics:

America the Beautiful by Katherine Lee Bates
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassioned stress,
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!
O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country love
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness,
And every gain divine!
O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years,
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
Oh beautiful for halcyon skies
For amber waves of grain
For purple mountain majesties
Above the enameled plain!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
Till souls wax fair as earth and air
And music-hearted sea!
O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassioned stress,
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
Till paths be wrought through wilds of thought
By pilgrims foot and knee!
Oh beautiful for glory-tale
Of liberating strife,
When once and twice for man’s avail
Men lavished precious life!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
Till selfish gain no longer strain
The banner of the free!
O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years,
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
Till nobler men keep once again
Thy whiter jubilee!

Mar23

A Spring of Dreams

Posted on March 23, 2026 by deannagreensandgardenart

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Ahhh, spring! Or is it summer?! The weather jumped a season! A few days ago, we captured some early spring by going south about five hours to Nashville, Branson, and Eureka Springs. These towns are some of Dean and I’s favorite places. We didn’t have a whole week in January or February that allowed for us to take off, so we decided early March was a good time as any. We get back and had three days of frigid winter weather, a couple of days of spring, then a couple of days it is summer, and now like the seesaw Missouri weather is, it has changed back to winter!

The trip south kept getting greener as we went. More flowering trees and bushes, too. Spring is so welcomed. The Grand Ole Opry was our first destination, actually the whole reason Dean and I headed to Nashville, Tennessee. Jelly Roll was inducted into the Opry the evening of March 10. What a show! Craig Morgan, Ernst, Lainey Wilson, and Leanne Morgan joined Jelly Roll for his grand celebration. The Country Music Hall of Fame was our second stop while in Nashville. So much to see and experience. It did not disappoint. The special displays of Dolly Parton, Lainey Wilson, and the Muscle Shoals were our favorites. We admired the country stars and their costumes and instruments. So many country music stars’ dreams were a seed as a child. Their diaries and journals spoke their Opry presence into existence.

We travelled from Nashville through western Tennessee, then the bootheel of Missouri, then just north of the Arkansas border westward to Branson. That wandering snake of a highway had my tummy upset. Eating Mexican for lunch didn’t help matters, but we had no idea about the curvy, hilly state highway. By the time we arrived in Branson, nothing sounded good to eat. Another music town with shows and eateries galore. The new season is just getting started, so most places just opened that weekend we were in town. On Friday we headed to Eureka Springs, Arkansas from where my writing call was clearly heard quite some time ago. The Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow is a wonderful sanctuary for writers. We stopped in there for a visit. Dean and I caught up with eMerge Magazine publisher, Charles Templeton and his lovely wife, Sandra. Some of my recipes, poems, and short stories have been published with eMerge. Back in Branson we visited with my sister on Saturday and went to Mass on Sunday at the Our Lady of the Lake church before heading home. Now the flowering cherry trees have just burst open. Waiting for our red buds to pop like seen in Tennessee and southern Missouri a few days ago. Those warmer southern dreams eventually bloom here in Missouri, too.

Oct31

Another Friday, Five This Month of October

Posted on October 31, 2025 by deannagreensandgardenart

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Another Friday, five this month of October. Dean and I have traveled every weekend to visit family in other towns in Missouri. The countryside is lovely. As the month rolls along, each week Autumn shows its colors. Finally, leaves are a glowed after a couple of days of much needed rain. We already spent a couple of September afternoons raking brown withered leaves due to the drought. The hummingbirds long left town earlier in October. Our potted perennials and herbs were moved indoors last week after the threat of a freeze was forecasted. Still no freeze in our neighborhood as of today this last day of October. Writing has been my occupation this Halloween. A fragrant cinnamon apple candle permeates our cottage as we wait for trick-or-treaters to knock on our door this evening. This clear night sky and mild temperatures have brought families out tonight.

Jun19

This June’s Bipolar Nature

Posted on June 19, 2025 by deannagreensandgardenart

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What magnificent spring weather we have relished in these past three months in Missouri. In my recollection it has been many years since we have experienced three full months of spring. Typically, in these parts of Missouri, it is a long winter with a rushed four weeks of spring, then right into the heat of summer. According to the weather forecasters, that heat of the summer comes this weekend. With this true spring has come thunderstorms and tornadoes. The weather has a bipolar nature. The damaging winds wreaked havoc in the St. Louis area more than once. The city has not seen such devastation in over 50 years. Recovery is day by day.

Dean and I have a huge, 50 – 60-year-old tulip poplar tree in our backyard which became victim to a pop-up thunderstorm a couple of evenings ago. It lost three medium to big-sized branches which landed between our house and the neighbor church building. Believe me, there are plenty of other branches for its survival. Today, I spent about an hour picking up small branches in the backyard and found a few in the front yard. My injured back only allows so much bending over, and it starts talking to me. I stopped before it started screaming at me. Dean has his various sized saws in use, binding up the large branches cut to 5-foot length as required by our trash company, and the smaller branches going in our lawn refuse totes and lawn bags.

A June respite comes with the mild temperature days. Some resting, meditating, reading, and writing this month. I have to thank God we are safe after each storm. Damaging gutters and roofs can be fixed and clean-up long, but Dean and I are safe and are generally in good health. I facilitated a writers’ workshop in Clarksville, Tennessee earlier this month. The six ladies gleaned much from this workshop where my co-facilitator and I emphasized the importance of observing with all seven senses. Yes, there are seven senses identified now. The traditional five are sight, smell, taste, hearing, touch. The two others are vestibular, associated with movement and balance, and proprioception allows a person to associate one’s own body with space. These last two are related to touch. I will mention there is a spiritual sense, which would make eight senses total for those who are believers.

“A comfortable breezy June morning … The clover is now in its glory. Whole fields are rosed with it, mixed with sorrel, and looking deeper than it is. It makes fields look luxuriant which are really thinly clad. The air is full of its sweet fragrance… These are the clover days.” Henry Thoreau

Thoreau wrote several lines in his journal on June 19, 1852, mentioning many other types of vegetation such as the crops of corn and potatoes, berries on the vines with anticipation of their ripening, even mildew and fungus he writes about. Several birds are included in his journal. He doesn’t miss any of the details and uses all his senses in his writings. Midway in this journal entry Thoreau mentions clover in three sentences and concludes with “the clover days” of June. I have seen clover growing prolifically this month. The honeybees love clover, which makes for healthy gardens. The bees will come if the chemicals are not used. Folks, keep it organic like in Thoreau’s time. Keep all those senses stimulated. And journal your experiences.

Jan19

The Mid-January Landscape

Posted on January 19, 2025 by deannagreensandgardenart

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“In winter … temporarily abandoned by my suddenly frigid lover, the garden.” ~ Margaret Roach

I love my perennials, herbs, and flowers during the warm growing season. The dread of the winter months in Missouri has lessened as I have learned to love staying indoors, too. Time slows down, and I slow down to read and write. This week included a few afternoons to do just that. Besides, some of my green friends come indoors with me for four or five months. My poem “The Neighbor’s Tree” is started on Thursday afternoon while sipping on a cup of Earl Grey tea, watching the birds at the feeders, and gazing at the colorful sunset. I finished the poem when we gathered in Kansas City with family for another indoor weekend. Our granddaughters made valentines for Papa and me. The children did carpet sledding in the living room rather than snow sledding as single-digit temps started our days this weekend and will continue this coming week. A message from the 8-year-old was left in the bedroom we stayed in, “remember do good things”. Out of the mouths of babes. The mid-January landscape dressed in glistening snow was a beautiful sight during our travel eastward to home this afternoon.

The Neighbor’s Tree
The neighbor’s tree this wintry late afternoon
reaches upward to the gray-blue sky, the sun
spotlights its rough-barked limbs outlined in white.
The squirrels scurry back and forth
on a quest for more seeds and nuts
as the light creeps into the evening.
Pinks and purples fill the once blue sky
as shadows dissipate, dimness surrounds,
dusk gently blankets the snowy hillside.
The obscurity, ambiguity, then a glowing light,
the sun’s rays concentrate as a flashlight, 
a January twilight is on the horizon.
Then night takes over minute after minute
with subdued moments leading to a hush,
the songbirds utter quiet rest in their nests.
The neighbor’s tree this late evening
is a perch for this night’s chatty barred owl,
“Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?”
Anna Marie Gall - January 18, 2025

“Remember do good things.” ~ Elise Gall

“One kind word can warm three winter months.” ~ Japanese Proverb

Jan2

Sow A Seed in 2025

Posted on January 2, 2025 by deannagreensandgardenart

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The word I picked for 2024 was “present”. Be present each moment and treat each day as a present or gift from God. Many moments of my days I was fully present. I had quality time in prayer. Moments spent with a cup of tea, watching the birds at the feeders, the bees and dragonflies on the pineapple sage, lemon thyme, and mint plants. More family time whether planned or took the opportunity as it came about with my oldest daughter, youngest grandson, and my cousin and her husband as they all relocated to St. Charles. Many days were spent writing, being present moment to finish my 162-page memoir (before photos) on my culinary life as well a mini book of 49 Haikus entitled “Balancing The Seesaw”. But there were plenty of other days not so much present moment, as I did too much regretting the past or fretting about tomorrow. I missed out on the blessings of those days.

“Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves – slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future; live the actual moment. Only this moment is life.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

In late February Dean and I took a trip to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia. I had been sick most of the frigid January and equally cold February but instantly felt better when we got into warmer weather and the sea breeze. Somehow, we need to make these 9 or 10 days stretch for 8 weeks. Maybe when we both are fully retired? That is at least 2 more winters after this one. The sinus infections and bronchitis lingered for weeks, with vertigo and inner ear migraines to follow. It was not until July after physical therapy and a prescription regiment that I felt normal again. This allergy to the cold is getting worse, not better as I get older.

“May this winter be gentle and kind – a season of rest from the wheel of the mind.” ~ John Geddes

Other trips were to Eureka Springs, Arkansas for a springtime culinary & writing workshop I presented at the Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow. We had multiple trips to the Kansas City side of the state to clean out Dean’s parents’ home of 50 years and place it on the market. It sold in June, and our weekend trips to Kansas City subsided the 2nd half of the year with occasional visits to see 2 of Dean’s kids and their families. We had a Labor Day trip to Jefferson City for a meeting place after Dean’s oldest granddaughter spent the weekend with us. Beautiful autumn family photos were taken in October near Dean’s daughter’s house. Three other travel destinations in 2024: a writers’ conference in Clarksville, Tennessee in June, a long August weekend in Branson with Dean’s kids and grandkids, and a flood relief trip to Asheville, North Carolina in November. The writers’ conference was excellent. The writers’ group that formed after the conference in 2023 provoke me to keep writing. We always have a good time in Branson. The Asheville trip proved productive taking donated winter clothing and blankets for the flood victims after Hurricane Helene left such destruction. We made new friends with our Airbnb hosts who coached us on non-profit groups to work with while in town.

“The area holds a magnetism beyond words.” ~ Country Cottage Living about Asheville, NC

I suppose the biggest surprise for 2024 was the death of my oldest brother, Rick. He suffered a heart incident on December 1 after arriving back at the local airport from a Thanksgiving trip to see his oldest son and family in Seattle. He never recovered after 10 days on life support. A young 65-years old, it seems Rick left this earth too soon. Jesus must have wanted him there in Heaven, where we all want to be once we pass on from this earthly life. Rick spent hours of research in his first 2 years of retirement and left an unfinished book about the men of the Lewis & Clark expedition. Dean and his love of archival history may be of assistance in the finishing of Rick’s book. My sister-in-law, Joan has this project in the plans for the near future. I miss my brother.

“The shadow side of love is always loss, and grief is only love’s own twin.” ~ Margaret Renkl

Dean and I’s occupations remain the same, Dean as an archival technician at The National Archives, and Anna as a culinary professional at Aging Ahead. This autumn I joined a women’s group, the local chapter of Epsilon Sigma Alpha (ESA). We serve the St. Jude Foundation, veteran, and local charitable organizations with fundraising and recognition efforts. These fellow sisters donated items for the Asheville victims. They were also there to comfort me after my brother’s untimely death. I look forward to building friendships while at our fundraisers and social events. Dean as well as other husbands assist from time to time. On occasion we make it to the DeSoto CIA and community events to support our friends.

“The lesson which life repeats and constantly reinforces it, ‘look under foot’. You are always nearer the divine and the true sources of power than you think.” ~ John Burroughs

Texas is on our radar for a few days this February to escape the Missouri winter tundra and weather. Soon after we will be welcoming our first great-grandchild into the world. My oldest granddaughter and her fiancé are due late March. Early June I will be presenting a workshop on block-out poetry and ekphrastic poetry at the Clarksville Writers’ Conference. The theme is on gardening, my favorite subject to write and talk about. A destination for admiring the more flowers, woods, and sunsets is planned for September.

“A seed neither fears light or darkness but uses both to grow.” – Matshona Dhliwayo

I promise to read for 25 minutes a day in 2025. My word for 2025 is “seed”. At the end of 2025 we will have lived a quarter of a century into the current millennium. Where does the time go? I dare say I have been busy, but maybe not busy enough with what really matters. Maybe I can make this 25th year count for what is truly worth the energy and time I expend. Sow a seed with a kind and sincere word; help with making the air fresh and the water clean; provide a garden, kisses, sheltering arms, a cozy bed, write words worth reading, and love enough for it to be returned.

“She did not need much, wanted very little. A kind word, sincerity, fresh air, clean water, a garden, kisses, books to read, sheltering arms, a cozy bed, and to love and be loved in return.” ~Starra Neely Blade

“Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.” ~ Psalm 126: 5 & 6

Sep26

This Month’s Preoccupations

Posted on September 26, 2024 by deannagreensandgardenart

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September is finishing up nicely. Cooler weather and rain after a few very hot days in the midst of a seven-week drought in our parts of Missouri. Some humid late afternoons led into early evenings bringing huge thunderheads, and spotty rain showers. In St. Charles they didn’t produce precipitation. Our trees, shrubs, and blooms were begging for some. We watered occasionally with the garden hose, and filled the birds’ fountain a few times these parched weeks. One Friday evening while the Main Street boutiques stayed open a couple of hours later, Dean and I did some early Christmas shopping. While out we captured the sun reflecting on a huge thunderhead, creating this beautiful orange sunset. Finally, much needed rain came the past two days.

September is a few weeks away from October’s first freeze, typically mid to late October. We start preparing for the planters of perennials and herbs to come indoors. Probably next weekend for the big move as the mid-40’s is predicted for the week after next. Our ferns and arrowhead plant won’t like those low temperatures. My potted herbs are sensitive to the cold air, especially my basils. I grew Genovese Italian and Tai basils this year. I clipped their blooms a couple of weeks ago to allow them to dry on a paper towel in my kitchen. Last evening I spent an hour extracting their tiny black seeds from the Italian variety. I will take on this tedious job with the Tai variety another evening next week. I enjoy the satisfaction of growing from my own plants’ seeds and cuttings. This autumn purple asters grace our front porch. They are a lovely contrast to the nifty turquoise door as well as the orange pumpkin and front door wreath. I have to read up on how to care for them. Asters look similar to mums though have ferny-type leaves that are attractive. I have not much luck with mums, so thought to try something different this fall.

This autumn season fabric pumpkins and pillows are all the rage for me. Dean is into Halloween doodads and widgets. A stop at the antique mall last weekend was successful with reasonably priced, handmade finds for both Dean and me. We had a fun evening at the Smartt Field hangar dance last Saturday. Dressed in tropical casual, with many others in period clothing and WWII uniforms. The band was led by my OB doctor when I was pregnant with my son 31 years ago. So nice to see he is still using his musical talents as well as still active in his practice in the community. Reminds me of someone else I know, using her technical and creative skills to serve her community. I am still at it in the kitchen of our community senior center as well as writing.

Sep2

Blue Vignettes

Posted on September 2, 2024 by deannagreensandgardenart

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September came beautifully this past weekend. A granddaughter eager to have time with her Papa; the Japanese Festival at the Missouri Botanical Gardens with blooms, dragons, dragonflies, butterflies, and friends; a donut, tea, and coffee breakfast at the park with our son, daughter-in-law, grandsons and granddaughter loving time with her cousins; a drive through the countryside and country porches with vessels of late summer blooms along with a stop at our state capital with a sky so blue. Shades of blue vignettes provide a calm for this Labor Day weekend. Engraved words, “labor is the great producer of wealth” at our state capital remind me that wealth is not just money, but also the bountiful nature, family, and friends in our lives. We are a blessed people. Take care of what God has provided.