There are warm colors on the horizon, and there’s a nip in the air.  That must mean it’s officially autumn at Charm & Grace.  The autumn articles are published and ready for your leisurely perusal.  Take a virtual drive through some beautiful fall landscapes.  And don’t miss the feature on Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania.  Also, many of you may remember a wonderful long-eared rabbit gentelman from your childhood.  Uncle Wiggily pays us a visit for our literary feature this season.  See why the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park.  There are many beautiful photos, poetry, plus recipes and much, much more to enjoy! 

Best autumn blessings to you from Charm & Grace!

Yes, there is much excitement in the air as our trip to Disney draws nearer.  I have been planning the trip since April, and I must admit that I might be the most excited one.  With all this planning I’ve been doing, the heat has not really let up.  There’s no getting around the fact that early September in Florida will be very hot.   So, I am letting my mind wander to cooler temperatures and planning for those fall articles.  Just to give you a glimpse of where the articles are headed… fall is definitely apple season, so get ready for some great apple recipes.  I am also looking forward to bringing all the great fall colors indoors.  Fall brings with it a return to school, fall sports, and lots of great outdoor activities.  Be sure to check back in a few weeks to see just what Charm & Grace has to say about this great time of year!

Here we are in week 3 of 100+ degree temperatures, and I am ready to see the thermometer go south.  My plants are struggling at this point to survive, with only a sparse rain here and there.  Even the summer tea punch has lost its ability to cool me down.  This is pretty drastic.

What, you may ask, is the photo on the right all about?  The photo is of some lovely artwork done with towels and washcloths by our wonderful Mousekeeper, Rosa, at our Disney hotel on our last trip to the World.  These “towel animals” began to appear the second day of our trip last year, and each day she added a little more and a little more… until by the end of the trip we had a whole group of them complete with a pool and slide!  For a little taste of pixie dust, click the photo for a slideshow.

You might also be asking why I would have a photo of this on my Charm & Grace blog.  Well, any self-respecting blogger has to take a vacation every once in a while.  So we are off the find some pixie dust in the next few weeks and, frankly, I can not wait!  I thought I’d share a bit of our pixie dust with you from last time, and hopefully I will have more to share with you after we return.

Here’s a little more pixie dust… a beautiful sunset photographed while strolling along the World Showcase in EPCOT.  

What a wonderful Mother’s Day this one turned out to be. After a very full weekend, my children and husband made sure Sunday was a day just for me. After church I returned home to be treated to a brunch with all the trimmings cooked by my children. And as “icing on the brunch” after cooking, they also cleaned up quite thoroughly. In addition to this wonderful treat, I was given a beautiful book on garden design, a book on tea, scone mix with Devonshire clotted cream, and a large Ghirardelli chocolate bar. My children know me very well, and I suppose because I wasn’t really expecting anything, this was one of my best Mother’s Day surprises ever!

I was able to celebrate with my mother and mother-in-law on Saturday in between piano and ballet recitals. We had a nice lunch at a lovely restaurant here in town which, not too many weeks earlier, had celebrated its centennial birthday. Now that we have successfully navigated the rough waters of end-of-year recitals, we are trying to complete schoolwork. My daughter has also completed a first round of ice skating lessons which went very well. And lest we think we might get a break, ballet and ice skating lessons continue through the summer. Such is the life of a mother. I have become Mom’s Taxi Service, but what a pleasure it is to be able to take them places that bring them such joy. I am fortunate to be able to take my computer with me, so that I can do a little work while taxiing.

It’s time for summer articles, and I have some intriguing ideas percolating. Be sure to check back in a couple of weeks to see what you may find. Until then, I wish you a few of those late spring days with cool breezes and sunshine …and a yard full of beautiful blooms to enjoy!