"Button, button, who's got the button?"

I have visions of sewing, of creating beautiful clothes from gorgeous fabrics. My visions include trips to New York to buy fabric and buttons - dozens and dozens of unique buttons. Buttons are gorgeous and fun! I could design a suit around a button.

I have not, however, designed that suit, or anything else, for over twenty years. It has been that long since I made Arabian horse costumes. There are many other amazing things I want to pursue so I don't carve out the time to sew. What I will find the time for is to change the buttons on an old jacket. New buttons, exquisite and elegant, will spice things up a bit.

It was time for a trip to The Parker Button Company on Pittsburgh's South Side.

Walk into the store and you are greated by a wall of buttons.


All of the buttons are color coordinated and are stacked in lovely boxes.


There are simple buttons


and high-style buttons.



Visit Parker Button Company and you leave feeling very creative!

Road Trip

When my brother and I were young our family would often take Sunday drives. We road along in the backseat of the old Chrysler, eating cookies with pink icing, as Dad drove with no particular destination in mind. We all looked forward to drives in the country, dreaming about which farm we would buy if we had the money. I was always on the lookout for horses.

Even before the current surge in gas prices, driving for enjoyment had become unheard of for most Americans. Somehow we all became too busy and well, too driven, to take a ride to no place. We shifted to lives that move in fast forward rather than slow motion.

I am happy to drive less, to conserve energy and to do my part to cut down on green house gases. I've been combining trips and putting as few miles on the odometer as possible for too many years to know.

Today, however, was different. I took my mother on an outing, a road trip to enjoy the reds, golds and oranges of autumn. Mingo Creek Park in Washington County was our first destination. We then let the road and our desires tell us which way to turn. We had a great time! And, I took a lot of photos. Enjoy!




















Thanks for stopping by.

Wordless Wednesday - Our Front Yard

An October Evening

Today was one of those days I could hardly wait to leave work. My problem is not that I don't like my job. In fact, I love what I do. My problem is that my room has no windows. I ache to see the outdoors, to view the weather, to catch even a glimpse of the sun. I find it especially hard on perfect October days. Oh, I want, need to be outside!

Well, I was rewarded. I got home and ran outside with my camera. I went for a walk, watered the tree I planted yesterday, and before I new it - dusk surrounded me.

I was between an October moon rise on my left



and an amazing sunset on my right.


Instantly, all was right with the world. Life is good!

Remembering John Denver

Eleven years ago today, a beautiful, October Sunday, turned tragic when John Denver was killed in a plane crash. The earth lost one of her strongest voices.

We are blessed that John's spirit and inspiration live on in his music. To honor John today, I selected a 1995 video to share from YouTube. The title of the song is "It's About Time." It was written in 1983, but because our world is changing so quickly and because we are nearing the tipping point of an environmental evolution, I feel it especially appropriate. John was a great visionary who was always ahead of his time.



Listen to John today. And, plant a tree. I will do both.

God bless you, John. I miss you.

A walk around

My soul lives in southwestern Pennsylvania. I feel more connected to the earth here than anywhere else I have ever been. There is something special to me in this magical landscape of rolling hills. I especially love being here in October.

Today was a perfect October day. I had the day off work and was able to be outside ALL day. The sky was brilliant, the air fresh and the changing colors gorgeous.


It seems that I see more of life's tiny details when I take a walk with my camera.

These seed pods on a Bottlebrush Buckeye are about to burst.


The colors of the Redbud leaf, shaped like a heart, remind me of Aspen trees.


Some unknown critter drilled a perfect round hole into this Yucca seedpod.


The Pokeweed curves and twists like dancers in purple leotards.


The day was a gift.

Clean the Feeders- Please!

When was the last time you cleaned your bird feeders? Me? I'm embarrassed to admit that it has been a few months since I've scrubbed the seed feeders. It is critical to the health of birds to keep feeders clean and I let life and too-long, to-do-lists get in the way. Not anymore! The feeders are clean and the birds are happy!

I started by soaking and scrubbing feeders, containers, funnels and brushes.


Next, came the rinsing, A LOT of rinsing.


Then drying,


filling,


hanging,


and waiting, not very long, for the birds.


Tasty.