House and Home, September 2020 Edition

This rose is yellow. Well, was yellow until it picked up some genetic material from the red rose that grew next to it for 30 years! The last rose of 2020.

If nothing else, we have all become a bit more familiar with our homes over the last 6 months. Our seasonal changes are around the corner and a time that I fondly refer to as "The Nesting Season." I am not sure where I came upon that phrase but it perfectly describes my Summer to Fall mentality.

I am a bit behind in my cleaning routines because I just didn't feel like washing down walls etc. but I do need to get into gear because closing up the house for the colder weather will soon be upon us.

The gardens are still going strong, I want to try to dry some of my beautiful zinnias. They are stunning this year.

These bricks were gathered from a defunct brewery up in the foothills near us. The property had been sold and the building dismantled and bricks sold off. We built this little patio, a large retaining wall, and a small retaining wall from them. Recycling was our passion in 1974!

• I have a couple projects that really must get on the schedule.  After much searching, purchasing then canceling an upright freezer we have apparently found one, the only one, in West Virginia! We have confirmed it, twice. Delivery scheduled for September 22. As a result of this situation, I have not been able to freeze certain garden items as usual. It is distressing. Light a candle, I will be so glad to get the food from my son's house to our house. The trek to gather needed items for the week, while not really a big deal, is getting tedious. 
• The big item is new furniture for the family room. In a conversational moment, we offered our relatively new leather furniture to Son. While they are not quite ready to move in due to delays in shipments of certain supplies, I need to get a direction and look at replacements. Really, I may get caught in delays as well. It will not be leather.
• I want to make new curtains for my kitchen and breakfast area. Nothing fancy, actually, just the opposite. Simple, white, maybe a decorative stitch hem. 
• Since I keep a turntable on the table for condiments, teacups etc., I need to make a new Fall runner. Something with autumn colors. 
• I have lots of quilt batting scraps. My plan....pot protectors. I saw something like this a long time ago and tucked it away in my mental filing cabinet.  My cast iron cookware is stacked and currently padded with tea towels. I know, duh! So I need to get creative here and stack them more thoughtfully. With such an investment I want to protect them. 

A quaint little house in the English countryside. I am building a photo-portfolio with a focus on foundation plantings. Next Spring, or maybe this Fall I need to have everything relandscaped, deer resistant plantings are essential.

Ambitious planning isn't it. But as with all season changes for many years, I develop a long term plan and short term goals as well. If I didn't, nothing would get done, much like this Spring/Summer Pandemic debacle.