SUNDAY STROLL - LET IT SNOW!

This is a very short stroll out the back door for pictures and then a quick step out the front door for the final snapshot. We hurried home Friday evening from Uncle Clarence's funeral in Alabama. The casual conversations had centered around football and the weather forecast of lots of snow for Alabama as well as Tennessee. We had an easy ride home and on Saturday we awoke to our first snow of the season and it was a doozy. Experience told us the highways would be dangerous and we were content to snuggle down and get comfortable with plans to watch the big championship football game between Alabama and Florida. When I say we won you must read Alabama as interchangeable with we.

cozy in the house we could happily sing------

Oh, the weather outside is frightful

But, the fire is so delightful

And, since we have no place to go

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

I never felt inspired to head out to my Quilt Studio, but liked the idea that no shoveling would be required. The patio stones, like cement and asphalt roads hold heat well into winter and melted the snow quite nicely for a quick run to the hobby shop should I have been so inspired.

The snow was heavy on the evergreens and heaped up on the deck. Not the best time for a cook out for awhile.

I took a short cut through the house and stepped out the front door to be greeting by my little mascots on the front porch. I really think it's time to move the boy and his dog inside to a more pleasant room.

The snow doesn't last forever and a day later as we went to church this morning the roads were clear and the snow slowly fading into the good earth. I love to watch it snow and when the sun shines it sparkles so outrageously, when the wind blows it swirls and dances so grandly. When the sun gives of her warmth the snow quietly dissipates into it's natural element of water nourishing the earth once more.

Wonder what the weather and strolls are like elsewhere. Go to Aisling's Quiet Country House and see who else made a stroll today.

FROSTY MORNING

Hoar Frost

What dream of beauty ever equalled this!

What bands from Faeryland have sallied forth,

With snowy foliage from the 'abundant North,

With imagery from the realms of bliss!

What visions of my boyhood do I miss

That here are not restored! All splendours pure,

All loveliness, all graces that allure,

Shapes that amaze; a paradise that is,-----

Yet was not, --will not in few moments be:

Glory from nakedness, that playfully

Mimics with passing life each summer boon,

Clothing the ground - replenishing the tree,

Weaving arch, bower, and delicate festoon;

Still as a dream, - and like a dream to flee!

William Howitt

THANKSGIVING

May your day be blessed with loving kindness

enough to eat

plenty of laughter

friends and family

and

Thanksgiving.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

If the only prayer you ever say

in your whole life is

"Thank You"

that would suffice.

Meister Eckhart

SUNDAY STROLL - BITS AND PIECES

I present for your consideration, Oreo Cows.

We delight in passing this field inside the city limits of Cookeville where quite often these colorful cows can be seen grazing. Flutemaker put 'Orea Cows' in Google and learned they are called Dutch Belt or Belted Galloway. Don't know if these are Dutch or Scotish.

Now--- on to the stroll for the day.

We have a Japanese Maple by the front porch and although the summer leaves are just plain green the fall display is this delightful pink orange.

The fallen leaves are so dainty.

Here is a bush that has let the leaves scatter to the wind, but there seems to be a bit of random flower bloom.
I suspect a little rebellion here. I think these flowers spaced around the shrub didn't want to wait until spring and be just faces in the crowd of a bush full of flowers.

We have a wildflower patch out by the hobby shop and it has truly gone wild here at the end of the season, but there are still small groupings of flowers here and there among the grasses and fallen leaves.

We had lots of brush and fallen and pruned branches that added a little fragrance and a time of smoke draped woods. The pail is filled with water, didn't need it, the wind was tame.

With the lose of leaves the Sweet Shrub revealed three pods hanging on. This is the first year I have seen these. I'll let two of them winter over and see if we get some little Sweet Shrubs. I couldn't resist and opened one of the little sacks.

Magic seeds?
Thank you for walking along with me.

Check The Quiet Country House to see what other strollers are sharing with us.

SUNDAY STROLL - ART PROWL

Welcome, I'm so glad you are along to check out this years ART PROWL in Cookeville, Tn. There is a wonderful artist community here in middle Tennessee. For nine years now they have shared their love of their individual crafts. The artists open their studios, homes and gather in public spaces to demonstrate and exhibit their wares.

The area know as the West End is noted for the 1940's dairy Cream City sign still shining over the building which now houses a Bakery rather than the Creamery. From here you can walk to a number of places which are filled with art and hospitality.

This year the welcome center is here and Art Prowl galleries are designated by a decorated bike in front. We picked up our walking tour map with notes of destinations to be found after a short car ride. (bike, if you choose) All venues have a hospitality table and we were careful not to offend by not partaking of their refreshments. The welcome center not only has art and unique jewelry, there is the Cocoa Ladies and their wonderful store full of chocolate candies. We found a good friend Sarah Arp greeting and sharing her paintings in the gallery area.

Heading out the back door, we made our way to SWEET SALLY'S BAKERY and the two artists who found space to display their work.

We, couldn't resist the lure of Sausage and cheese muffins and Cappuccino for Flutemaker and an Iced Hazelnut coffee for me.

While we were waiting for our drinks, stoneware maker Laura Clemons took our pictures at just the right angle to show off the felt items behind us. You can find Laura's pottery work at Simply Functional Stoneware and the Feltgood fibers you see are made by Breanna Rockstad-Kincaid
I watched Breanna demonstrate felting and it is quite a process. Her work is delightful, hope you check it out.

Now we are at Marilee Hall Ceramics where she is sharing her studio with Arlene Dubo who paints and you see one painting here, as well as another mud artist Debi Wichman and her Claywork.

Here is a mural from Marilee that lives at our house and tells our story of quilting, aviation, labyrinth building with a creek flowing though our little piece of the world. Oh, the stairway to the star is her tribute to our spiritual aspirations. For a close up just double click on the picture.

I have also started a collection of Debi's Claywork with this little cat lidded pot.

Leaving the studio we pause to admire another landmark in this part of town. The old Train Depot is a loving example of 'function that can please the eye', it is now a Railroad Museum with several train cars and an old engine off to the right of picture.

Follow me down street to an empty store front filled now with artists anxious to show us their treatment of their favorite art medium.

Here is Joel Holmes guarding the hospitality table and standing in front of some of his photography. He favors landscapes and architecture and trains. The man loves trains.

He was also willing to trade his craft for a flute from Flutemaker and so barter is still alive and I've noted doing very well among artist. Our Mural from Marilee was a trade on my part of quilting.

We left the West End and the Art Prowl filled with visions of beauty and skillfully creative people. What a joy and a pleasure to meet them and listen to their stories.

I wonder who else is strolling let's check in at Aisling's home.

BUTTERMILK SKY

Here is a song from my childhood that caught my attention and my heart. Buttermilk Sky maybe one of the first songs that I still sing and it makes me feel so contented. Every time I see clabbered milk clouds up above I return to those days of yesteryear and remember the joy of learning that clouds have different configurations and they can be named. Fanciful names not those boring scientific Latin things.

Buttermilk Sky was written by Hoagy Carmichael around 1946 and I was five years old. I wanted to display a video of him singing but I am so raw at this that the best I could do was one of Willie Nelson which is also wonderful. The Carmichael video for some reason rejected my request, or more than likely I just hit the wrong icon. This technical stuff is not coming easy for me. I will continue to explore downloading a video here and it's bound to happen one of these days.

Music has filled my life and continues to underscore my sense of myself. Hope this works and you can enjoy this fun old song.
Click on 'share' and see what happens.

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STROLLING AND EATING

The bowl I bought this year is front and center. Let me tell you more of what that bowl represents.

This is the 15th year for Cookeville, Tennessee to support Habitat for Humanity in our community with a fun event called 'Cooking on the Square'. Two streets adjacent to the Courthouse are blocked off and the fun begins. I got there early enough on Friday to watch them set up. Recently I blogged about making soup bowls at a friends pottery studio and here

you see boxes full of bowls ready to be set up for display and selling of the bowls. The whole cooking experience is based on Cajun cooking with 50 vendors serving Gumbos and Jambalaya over rice. There was even some Chili which became Cajun I think with a few changes of spices.
The occasion has taken on the flavor of Mardi Gras with costumes and lots of bead necklaces.


Here is one table of bowls. Mine was not displayed in the first set-up so I bought one of these. Tables of bowls were at two different locations so the stream of buyers were able to move along quickly.

We lined up outside the barricades and chitchatted until they turned us loose and away we went from vendor to vendor. We each paid $15 for one of the donated bowls and were able to then go to as many vendors as our appetite would allow. The only money collected was for the bowls, Mardi Gras beads and money donated at the Habitat booth.

There were 50 tents and tables set up to serve the festive crowd. These folks were ladling out Chili and were representing their place of business. All the food was donated by the folks who served it.

Crawfish pie and filet gumbo anyone. Perhaps a little Ragin Cajun Jambalaya or Red beans and Rice. With 50 vendors, the variety of Gumbos was varied and delicious.

Here our friend Lee is serving some Chicken and Sausage gumbo over rice to someone who is already wearing his Mardi Gras beads. I was next in line.

Desserts were also on hand with Charlotte Burke's ( our state senator) perennial favorite offering of Banana Pudding. There were pies and cookies as well.

Find a place to sit between visits to the different tents. Or -------

carry your bowl and eat as you go, finishing the last bit as you get to your next bowlful at someone else's tent. Over the years I think various club, organizations, churches and businesses go to great lengths to serve the very best. Cooking on the Square is certainly a highlight of the fall season community festivals and fund raising events.

Standing, sitting, visiting with friends is a wonderful fun way to support a stellar community activity and a little festive music just puts the finishing touch on the noontime meal. May I present Les Kerr and the Bayou Band brought back this year by the Imaging folks at the medical center. It suited my Michigan heart to record their Mackinaw Island Blues

Wonder who is also strolling today? Lets go on over to
The Quiet Country House and find out.