Bitter Sweet Days of Fall

Dear little island cottage by the sea...

The time is drawing near for me to leave you.

Your pink shutters will be closed...

The swimsuits and sundresses will be packed in tissue paper,

and placed in pretty boxes with seascapes on them...

All filled with scented packets that smell of seabreeze and rosemary.

The summer days are long gone,

and crisp autumn nights have arrived on our island.

Oh how I love the golden, russet days of autumn,

and the harvest moon...

The smell of firewood burning in a fireplace,

hot mulled wine,

and old cashmere sweaters...

Long walks on an empty beach,

watching an autumn sunset.

I will miss you,

my little cottage by the sea.

I will miss sipping a cold chardonnay

from my handpainted palmtree wine glasses...



And I will miss all of my much beloved tropical whimsy...
The bright colors that speake of summer.


And fresh homemade lemon cake,
made with our very own Meyer lemons that grow in our back yard...

And making seahorse and lighthouse cookies

with our grandangels...

And open windows and dancing windchimes....

Island breeze and billowing white curtains...

Oh so fresh is the smell of salty air...

Ponytails and seahorse mirrows...

I love living seaside,

but I also love the countryside,

and when the last October sun dances across the Southern sky,

and the first November moon rises,

it's time to close the island cottage

and drive north to the country house.

The holiday season is upon us.

As much as I love my island time,

I equally love time spent in the countryside.

I'm ready to fill the old country house

with the scents of apples and spice.

A few more days of island time and packing,

then we must take the drive along the narrow island road,

under the goat trees with their weeping Spanish moss...

Saying our goodbyes to yet another season of wonderful memories,

but oh so excited to move into a new season,

with holidays in the countryside awaiting.

Blessings

*****Yaya*****

A Spooktacular Halloween

Do you feel like you are being watched?


The neighbors are so nice
and very interesting...


Is that Spiderman and Batman?

Look!

Is she real?

That MUST be Wonder Dog!

Is that a SPIDER?

The candy is over here by me...

Come and get it, little one....

Welcome.....

Hungry?

Have some fingers...

Or eyeballs and Vampire wine...

It's delicious...

Try it...

Oh go ahead...

Sit down and enjoy dinner...

Stay awhile and visit...

BOOHAHAHA

Ohh, I get it...

We are filming "Growing Up Creepy"....

No...

No?

It's HALLOWEEN!!!

BOOHAHAHA

Two super heros came to save the day!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

and

AUTUMN BLESSINGS

*****Yaya*****

Life's Simple Pleasures

We can find a world of miracles

in the simplest of things

Like the wonder and the pleasure

that a sunrise often brings...

The ocean's sound in seashells,

rainbows bending in the sky,

The fluttering of bird's wings

when they first begin to fly,

The twinkle of a starry night

as the moon winks off to sleep,

And the cycle of the seasons

leaving memories that we keep...

Poem By Emily Matthews

May you have many blessings and simple pleasures...

*****Yaya*****

Summer Days Have Come And Gone...

Our island beaches are empty...

As far as the eye can see, not another soul...

Just the splashing of the waves,

and the song of the seabirds.

Time does its dance again,

and summer turns to fall...

Saying goodbye to our golden days of summer...

Sunkissed and saltsprayed.

It is time to get out the old cotton sweaters,

sip wine by the fireplace,

and enjoy the the crisp air of a new season.

Blessings

*****Yaya*****