Cassie and Dan

In Oct. our home school "niece" Cassie married Dan. They are good friends of our L and her fiancee' Bret. L was in the wedding, we had a shower here (see next picture!) and M and I did the flowers. It was all such fun!

 St. M Aunties and cousins shower

We were able to decorate the hall a week ahead which took a lot of pressure off of the wedding weekend. The groom (Dan) and fiancee' (Bret) worked well together to accomplish the bride Cassie)  and bridesmaid (L) goals.

 We used grasses and berries gleaned from the roadside to decorate tables.

 Workers must keep up their strength!

 Husband was Lee's (F-O-Bride) "personal attendant."

 Classic, beautiful Cassie shot.

 bride and bridesmaids

 Rain stopped just in time for pre-wedding photos.

 L and JP

 Austin, Nicole, M

 Husband and wife!

 We decorated cake and tables.

 Katie, Nicole, Austin, Thomas, M

 A. and Sarah

 Caitilin, Nicole, M, Katie, Sandy, Nancy

 Caitilin, Amanda, Barbara, Nicole, Taryn, M, Ann

 Our group loves to dance together!

 These two will be married next May.

Off to the honeymoon!

Love you, Cassie and Dan!

End of Summer

Milkweed and Poetry

The seasons are changing with their usual regularity. I have been collecting milkweed pods from the ditches for winter crafting. One day there was a bit of snow that looked especially beautiful on them.

I am teaching poetry to W and her friend A. this year. Here are a few of their poems. First A's Haikus about nature.

Pumpkins

Crouched in crisp dead leaves

Round and lumpy, hard orange shell.

Frost's cold fingers grasp.

The Moon

Cold, white light

Paints skeletal trees.

Moon stares down.

Rainbows

Miles of color.

Bridge across the sky.

Reflection.

And W's about night.

Running from the monsters coming,

Hoping I can get away.

I can hear their voices thrumming,

Start leading them astray

Teeth shimmering in the moon

Dark eyes follow every move,

Hoping to escape my doom,

Things that stalk the heavy gloom.

Running, still, to get away,

Speeding through dark streets,

To see the light of day, I pray,

I wake all tangled in my sheets.

Harvest

Bean harvest is done, with only a few delays and problems. We had some white mold this year because of weather conditions. One harvest day we were able to help fulfill a bucket-list wish for a friend's 80-year-old mother who wanted to help with a real farm harvest.

Another day, I picked up Mom and Dad to drive out and see their land being harvested by their third and fourth generation farmers.

 Me, Mom, J, Dad, Sam

The folks and I drove home past the farm my dad grew up at, located about 1 1/2 miles from where I grew up.

More Beautiful Fall

Harvest in full swing.