All Things Pumpkin

Pumpkin pancakes with chocolate chips.

Treat bag made from a cereal box.

Crocheted Halloween pillow.

Mod podged jack-o-lantern jar.

Have you tried these?  (Not my favorite.)

 Crocheted gift bag filled with candy and sugar cookies for a friend's daughter.

 Pumpkin bread made every year from a publication of The Macon Telegraph and News, Macon, GA, dated October 7, 1984.

Mix together 1 cup sugar; 1-2/3 cups flour; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp cloves; 1/2 tsp cinnamon; 1/2 tsp nutmeg.  In a separate bowl mix 1/2 cup canola oil; 1 cup pumpkin and 2 eggs.  Stir both mixes together and fold in 1 cup craisins and 1/2 cup of walnuts or pecans.

Happy Halloween!

Blue Sky Blessings

Hurricane Sandy has spawned all sorts of crazy weather and chaotic conditions.

Hoboken, New Jersey is under water.

A community in Queens burned down because of high winds and downed electrical lines.

Parts of West Virginia and North Carolina are having snow and blizzard-like conditions.

Subways are flooded in Manhattan.

Millions are without electricity.

After winter comes the summer.

After night comes the dawn.

After every storm, there comes clear, open skies.

Samuel Rutherford

 Yesterday, for the third day in a row, Sam and I were able to take a nice, long walk.

And there was much crocheting done over the 5-day break.
Washcloths.

And jackets for jars.

But today it was back to school and all the busyness of the every day.

I'm glad to see posts from East Coast bloggers who have fared well through the storm.

Blessings to all those who are still in the midst of it.

Weather, Walking and the Waxing Moon

For most people, we often marvel at the beauty of a sunrise or the magnificence of a full moon, but it is impossible to fathom the magnitude of the universe that surrounds us.

Richard H. Baker

We are waking to early morning temperatures of 70 degrees and beautiful sunrises.

Every morning was a cheerful invitation to make my life of equal simplicity, and I may say innocence, with Nature herself.” 
― Henry David Thoreau, Walden, or Life in the Woods

Choosing a different path for our walk.

 

Taking in everything around us and enjoying the moment.
Meteorologists are saying that "when the moon waxes to its full phase this afternoon, high tides along the Eastern seaboard will rise twenty-percent", and that's without the storm surge that Hurricane Sandy could cause.

To all my East Coast friends, I send good vibes and wishes for safety and peace over the next few days.
Hugs and blessings,

Morning Walk

I dressed and went for a walk - determined not to return until I took in what Nature had to offer.

Raymond Carver, This Morning

Sam and I headed our for a walk yesterday morning.

We had our first little drizzly rain of the season as we headed back home.

And there was more rain this morning.

A nice change from our normal weather.

I hope all is well in your corner of the world!

Share and Grow

First, I would like to thank Anna at Hindustanka's Sunny Indian Days for the Leibster Award she passed along to me earlier in the month.  Anna is a transplanted Russian living in Northern India with her Indian husband and is one very crafty gal.  Please stop by her blog to say hello. Secondly, Dagmar from Studio D is giving away 2 sets of 5 postcards she made using some of her beautiful photos taken over the past year. Please go here to her giveaway post and enter your name for the draw that will take place on Monday, October 29th.  She will post anywhere in the world.
And finally, I would like to share with you Vicki's Grow Your Blog Party that will take place in January.  Go here to the official sign-up post.
The main purpose of the blog party is to meet and greet new bloggers.  Always a fun thing to do.
In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.

Khalil Gibran

Wishing you a beautiful day!

Baking

Today I made a chocolate butter cake for Zack's birthday using a recipe from Catherine's blog. 

 Mexican wedding cookies for the Eid.

Using a recipe given to me by my friend, Renee.

And sugar cookies using a recipe from Mimi's Kitchen.

Happiness is life served up with a scoop of acceptance, a topping of tolerance and sprinkles of hope, although chocolate sprinkles also work. ~Robert Brault

Sending sweet wishes your way,

An Orange Day

Sunrise

Trying a pattern from Whiskers & Wool for a pumpkin coaster and adding a Halloween-y touch.

Cauliflower & chickpea curry for lunch.

Roasted sweet potatoes with cornbread for dinner.

Sunset

Cozy kitty.

Today is the Day of Arafat and a day of fasting for Muslims.

Tomorrow is the first day of Eid Al Adha

and Zack's 14th birthday.

We are off school for 5 days.

Yay!

Happy Thursday!

Colorful, Meaningful

Colorful morning skies are a true sign that the season is changing in Kuwait.

 Sure wish I didn't have rooftop water tanks and satellites blocking my view.

 It's still hot during the day and has been very humid for the past week.

 But at least temperatures are coming down with highs of 100 during the day and 80 (or less) at night.

 For the record, I did not teach the girls at the shelter to crochet. Those who gathered already knew how to do that and are very skillful at watching and learning.  

I taught them how to make the Christmas wreath and stocking so they can sell them for pocket money at upcoming holiday bazaars.

These two wreaths were the first ones finished.

They did such a wonderful job.

And every time another girl would finish one, we would all clap and cheer.

All that clapping would send Tula, the shelter's little pomeranian mascot, into a tizzy.

She's the cutest little thing, very lively and loves to steal yarn.

 I bought this tote from the girls that is crocheted with plarn.

 And this basket which is made using their traditional method of weaving. 

They also make lovely rag rugs.

And are sewing other small items, too.

These girls have been through a lot, so while they wait to be repatriated to their country, they are given an opportunity to create and to have a purpose for each day.

Make each day a day of purpose.

Make it meaningful.

Make it count.

(Personalpower4me's Blog)

I hope you are having a great day!