AirBnB in Bowdoinham, Maine..

It's rainy and gray outside, so I'm enjoying this bit of sunshine on my kitchen counter-

some sunny sunflowers and the cozy glow of candlelight.

If you gave me a gorgeous crystal vase, I honestly wouldn't know what to do with it. Give me an antique jar, milk bottle or a piece of old earthenware, ironstone, or hob nail milk glass and I'll be much more pleased. This milk bottle is not an antique, but is a sweet momento of my 60th birthday trip to Maine.

(See the photo journey of that trip in these posts-

Kennebunkport-click here

Portland-click here

Fort Popham-click here

Bath-click here

Lobster feed-click here

Bar Harbor, Maine-click here )

Our AirBnB in Bowdoinham, Maine had the sweetest hosts. The kitchen was stocked with healthy, organic food for us and this bottle full of fresh milk. I asked if I could purchase the bottle, but our hosts insisted I just take it.

The AirBnB was located inside a newer barn style building next to the owner's old farmhouse. Inside was a two story apartment with a kitchen, dining room, living room and bathroom. On the second level was another bathroom, a loft area with a bed, another bedroom, then a large room/dance studio in which the hosts placed two more beds. The setting was beautiful with woods behind us and the owner's flower and organic vegetable gardens around us.

(My girls enjoying a fabulous meal that my oldest daughter cooked for us on our last night at the AirBnB.  

All ingredients for the meal were purchased at the Bowdoinham Farmer's Market.)

(I had some photo editing fun with the photos below.)

still following,

songography at "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out"

image-in-ing:Variations

http://www.lifenreflection.com

buckaroo mama

peabea

To BE joyful, give thanks....

It's a beautiful autumn day today.  Tomorrow evening it's supposed to start raining and then continue to be rainy most of this week.  We've already had snow in the Cascade Mountains this year-quite a bit earlier than we usually do.  It makes me wonder what our upcoming winter weather will be like. We can't predict what the future holds can we?  One thing I know from experience, rain or shine, mild or snowy, God will be with us, He will be faithful, and there will always be plenty to be thankful for.

****************

Since 2009 I've been counting my blessings thanks to the prompting of Ann Voskamp.

 I continue to count my thanks

piling up gratitude day by day

in my journal.

(and capturing some of my blessings via my camera or iPhone)

#10,331-#10,352

10-9-17-

-a really good time working on my inductive Bible study

-some unexpected time with my husband

-running errands and grabbing lunch together

10-10-16-

-baking a favorite cookie recipe for tonight's small group

-autumn beauty

-sibling texts- between me and my siblings, our girls with us and each other

10-11-17-

-God's provision to buy a new washer and dryer after our old set finally died

-my hub's help with a task needing done

-our family group texts

10-12-17-

-a good walk and prayer time while I walked before...

-an autumn thunderstorm

-our nephew's help to pick up and install our washer and dryer

10-13-17-

-morning sky

-my favorite tomato basil soup for lunch

-a new copper soup pot

-a mostly stay at home, relaxing Friday day off since my hub's has a cold

10-14-17-

-a good visit with my friend who just got back from vacation

-going to our oldest grandson's football game

-having dinner with our kids and grandkids

10-15-17-

-a fabulous message at church today 

-an encouraging word

-God's protection

still following,

God's Extended Arm...

In Michelangelo's famous painting found on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Creation of Adam, God is depicted with an outstretched arm reaching toward the hand of Adam.  The truth is that God has never stopped reaching out towards mankind with His great love and grace.  So great was the desire of His heart to reach out to us, to pull us out of the pit of sin, despair and bondage from which we could not escape on our own, that He sent His Beloved Only Son to rescue us.  The salvation He gives us is not earned or deserved, it is not a reward for any thing we have done, it is a pure unmerited gift.  It's grace. It's favor.  It's God's great heart ever reaching out, ever inclined, toward His creation, toward you and I.  All we have to do is believe, reach up, and receive His ever extended arm-receive the gracious gift of His great grace and salvation.

You may be thinking, why I did that years ago! ( (Join me for the rest of this post on Sunday, October 15th, at Woman to Woman Ministries where each Sunday I share a bit of Sunday Soul Food!)

still following,

Also happily linking up with the lovely

Susan B. Mead
and

Sunday Scripture Blessings

Friday Faves...Simple Fall Decor part two

Last week I wrote a post about how my seasonal decorating style has changed over the years. I still love to reflect the season in my decorating, but I now prefer a simpler, cleaner, more uncluttered and less "over the top" approach. I prefer real items from nature, like a foraged branch of autumn leaves, over faux foliage. 

You can see what I mean in these two previous posts.

You can click over to my post about my autumn mantel and the wreath I made from cornhusks here.

You can click over to my post on Simple Fall Decor part one here.

The photo below gives you some perspective of the layout of our home.  When you come in the front door of our house the double arches into the living area are on your right.  The antique library table and wooden cubby featured in the photos above are on the diagonal wall between the archway and the entrance into the dining room, nook and kitchen.  To the left are the doors into my home office and the hallway to the bedrooms and bathrooms.

With that said, you'll notice in these photos that my autumn decor features simple things such as cozy candlelight, stalks of wheat, white pumpkins and dried acorns, pods and nuts.

 I do like to bring out this little squirrel and pumpkin that I've had for many years.

 The warmth of copper is another favorite of mine.

I also enjoy using the texture of wooden bowls, beads and candlesticks in my decor.

Peaceful, warm, and cozy, that's what I want my home to feel like during this autumn season.

 It's almost Friday, friends!

Have a HAPPY, HAPPY Friday

and a safe and BLESSED weekend!