Happy Friday! Today is the 100th post in this series. That’s pretty amazing.

We’ve now officially entered autumn. I don’t know if you can see the changes yet where you live, but we are definitely seeing the shift here. The changing light (which I love), turning leaves, and a temperature of only 39 degrees this morning. I love fall!

This Week’s Artwork

Today I’m featuring The Front Parlor by William McGregor Paxton. Isn’t it gorgeous?

From Wikipedia:

William McGregor Paxton (1869 – 1941) was an American painter and instructor who embraced the Boston School paradigm and was a co-founder of The Guild of Boston Artists. He taught briefly while a student at Cowles Art School, where he met his wife Elizabeth Okie Paxton, and at the Museum of Fine Arts School in Boston. Paxton is known for his portraits, including those of two presidents—Grover Cleveland and Calvin Coolidge—and interior scenes with women, including his wife. His works are in many museums in the United States.

There’s much more to read about his artwork and the relationship he had with his family in the full entry.

Family Autumn Fun

Yesterday was the first day of autumn and our weather here was absolutely PERFECT for apple picking – partly sunny and around 60 degrees. We went someplace we had never been and it exceeded my expectations. We drive past it on the way to church and we’ve watched it steadily grow and expand over the past five years into a cute little cottage industry.

What was most memorable was when you walked out of the back of the little building they erected, you expected to walk into the orchards. But the orchards were just over to the left and right. Straight ahead were towering pine trees that probably went on for about 80-100 yards. They were about 40-50 feet tall, but bare trunks at least half way up so you could walk around on the pine needles that had fallen. Underneath all of the evergreens was where they had put pumpkins and mums of all varieties and sizes to buy. It was so charming and I never saw it coming. I wish I had taken a picture to show you. I may have to go back just to do that.

We picked Fuji and Honeycrisp apples to bring home and enjoy for weeks. We also selected some small mums and pumpkins for the deck. They had enormous bags of apples for animals for $10. Caroline wanted to get one so badly for the deer who come to our feeders that she offered to pay for half. LOL! So we brought home a huge bag of apple seconds and look forward to watching the deer discover them over the next week or so.

So we had our autumn apple picking outing and it’s nice to know we have it done and had a wonderful time. We don’t have to plan for it around weather and other obligations now. We had not done this in many years so it was good to enjoy this opportunity.

And I took no pictures. We simply enjoyed being a family and making some wonderful memories.

Homemaking

I’m trying so very hard to finish up my cleaning out of the basement after we moved everything around. It seems like there is always something else more pressing or else I’m not in the mood to work on it.

I did do some work in the kitchen this week. I took some things out of kitchen cupboards and moved some things around to where they make more sense based on how we cook now. So I’m getting it done a bit at a time.

Caroline has a birthday next week so I need to make my to do list related to that and make sure I’m organized.

Homeschooling

You know how things will just click with your child? Well, this week it finally clicked with Caroline how much more free time she has when she gets up earlier and digs right into her schoolwork for the day. How she can be done with all her work by early afternoon and have the rest of the day free without it hanging over her all afternoon.

Do you hear that?

That’s the sound of angels singing.

What did you do this week? I hope you’ll leave a comment!