Goodbye to Fall #ShadowshotSunday

Winter is closing in, and with it, the last of good sunny weather.  So let's enjoy these pictures taken November 24. 

Some fall color hangs on.

I'll miss this weather.

Joining Lisa at This And That-A Blog, for her #ShadowshotSunday.
 

Winter Closes In #SkywatchFriday

Today, we are having snow squalls although (thankfully) not too bad -yet.  Fortunately, I don't need to go out.

So, instead of today's skies, let's look at Wednesday's skies.  It's a variety pack of winter closing in.  All of these pictures were taken within two hours of each other.

At first there was some blue sky.

Clouds moving in for good.

Winter skies taking over.

One last peek at the sky.

 

I hope my readers in the United States had a good Thanksgiving. 

 

Joining Yogi and other skywatchers for #SkywatchFriday. 

 

 

Thanksgiving Past and Present #WordlessWednesday

Some pictures taken over the years to set the holiday mood, as tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the United States.  I wish all my American readers a Happy Thanksgiving.

Decorations from 2020. 

Thanksgiving turkey (right side) from MacKenzie-Childs in Aurora, New York, 2024.  

Finally, a pumpkin pie I baked yesterday.  Yes, the crust is a little overdone but I'm sure we'll enjoy it. Strange how I never liked pumpkin pie until less than 10 years ago.

Joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for her #WordlessWednesday. 

A Bittersweet Thanksgiving

 Last month, a "For Sale" sign appeared in the front yard of one of our next door neighbors.

 When we moved into our house, this couplehad already lived in their house for many years.  At the time we moved in, their youngest son (I think) was finishing up high school.  The man was a retired telephone lineman and his wife was a retired librarian.  

They were the best neighbors you could have had.

Both died, several years ago, from dementia and other old age ailments.   More recently,  I blogged about the current owner, their youngest son, "C",

The family had wanted to keep the house but "C" was moving out of state to take a new job, and had put it on the market this past fall.

On November 11, I saw several members of the family going in and out of the house.  I walked over and spoke to one of the original couple's in laws, and a little later, "C".  I had known about C's difficulties in trying to rent the house.  Let's just say the last tenant, especially,  caused them major problems,  One thing led to another.  For part of last year and this year, some relatives were able to move in temporarily.  But finally, C made the decision to sell

"C" told me the house had been sold and the closing would be in the near future.

I have so many memories connected to the original couple.  And, my son had bonded with "C".  C taught my son so much, including skills coming in handy as my son has become a homeowner.

This Thanksgiving will be bittersweet.  I've probably seen C and others of his family for the last time.  His family has been in my life, in some way, for almost 40 years.

But nothing is as constant as change.

I just hope the people who buy the house are good people, too.

Gratitude and Thanks #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday and it's time for music.

Today I am joining up with other Music Moves Me bloggers (and you can join us at the linky above). We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video, please! Otherwise, your post link may be labeled "No Music" or even removed.)   We have occasional theme weeks, but you are welcome to ignore the theme and use music of your choice.  Why not join us?  You don't have to sing, or play an instrument.  All music lovers are welcome. 

Today's theme is "The 11th month of the year is considered bleary. Let's share cheery songs of happiness and gratitude." 

Electric Light Orchestra's "Mr. Blue Sky" was a happy song of 1977.

The Carpenters and 1973's "Top of the World".  

Andrew Gold - "Thank You For Being a Friend".  I am so grateful to those I call friend. 

When I think of gratitude, I also think of the Louis Armstrong song "What A Wonderful World".  What a wonderful song.  Thank you, Mr. Armstrong.

 

Finally, although it doesn't quite fit today's theme, here is a song I found the other day.  It is just a beautifully sung song and one might call it a non religious hymn, if there is such a thing.  Here is 1966's Violeta Parra and "Gracias a la Vida" [Thanks to Life].  This song has been covered by many artists, including Joan Baez and Kacey Musgraves, but what makes it so poignant is that Violeta Parra died by suicide the following year (1967) due to deep depression and a breakup with her partner.

We all struggle with sadness from time to time, which is why gratitude is so important in our lives. 

And that's a wrap!

Join me again next week for another episode of Music Moves Me.   

Half and Half #ShadowshotSunday

Thursday I visited the koi pond next to a local nursing home.

It was partially frozen over, half in shadow, and half reflecting a rare November sunny day.

Our spell of mild (for us) weather is done.  Winter will be settling in this coming week.

Joining Lisa at This and That: A Blog, for her #ShadowshotSunday. 

A November Shock

I usually haven't posted on Saturdays since I quit blogging daily in 2024, but I had to today.

For my generation, the moment in history where we remember exactly where we were and what we were doing was November 22, 1963, the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas.

So many memories for members of my generation, including the memories of his two young children, John and Caroline, at his funeral. 

Today, November 22, 2025, is the day....

...we learned that his 35 year old granddaughter Tatiana Schlossberg, daughter of Caroline Kennedy, is terminally ill with leukemia.  The condition was discovered after the birth of her second child last year when post partum blood tests were discovered to be abnormal.  Various treatments have not been successful.

The Kennedy family has had more than its share of sorrow and tragedy over the years.  Now, another sorrow has been revealed to the public.  

May the Kennedy family find peace....one day.

Feathery November Skies #SkywatchFriday

 After our first snow on November 11 and some days of normal November gloom, the sun has made another appearance.  

What is special about this appearance is that it is accompanied by mild (mid 40'sF/7 C) temperatures.

These were taken the afternoon of November 18.

I love these feathery skies.

Wishing my readers in the United States a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday next Thursday.  I have an incredible number of things to give thanks for in my life.  What about you? 

Joining Yogi and other skywatchers for #SkywatchFriday. 

The First Friendsgiving? #WordlessWednesday

Far from wordless, but I wanted to get this in before the American Thanksgiving (November 27 this year).

A while back, in 2015, and again in 2017 and 2018, I shared the below young adult memory, when my spouse was in the Air Force. We were spending our first military Thanksgiving, together with other people serving, away from home.  

At that time, I couldn't find the recipe for my Memory Pie, which is a soybean pie (no, really, please keep reading) that tastes like a pumpkin pie.

But, thanks to a decluttering project several years ago, I found the recipe.  

So what happened when I found the recipe?

I offered to make it, but my spouse took one look at the recipe, and said "no". When we went to our local supermarket, I couldn't even find dried soybeans.  So I am not going to bake a pie for you.

I will leave you, instead, with a link to the recipe, which is available online.

But I will not leave you with the pie.  I will leave you a memory of what we called "having friends over since we were thousands of miles from home."  In modern times, it may have been called a Friendsgiving.  I doubt this was the first Friendsgiving, but the title sounds good.

It was the mid 1970's and we were over a thousand miles from home.  It was my spouse's first Thanksgiving in the military.  He was undergoing technical training in Texas.  And he had friends in his class, all of whom were far away from home, too.

For the most part we were in our late teens or early 20's, but among us was a slightly older man.  Sgt W. was from Iowa and he was a soybean farmer.  As I recall, he had joined the National Guard and was training with my spouse's Air Force class.

Sgt W. had never eaten a soybean.  He had never sampled the crop he grew.

In the mid 1970's, soybeans weren't common the way they are today.  But I had become an on and off vegetarian in college, and I had fallen in love with a couple of books - Diet for a Small Planet and Recipes for a Small Planet.  As I wasn't working at the time, and my spouse was making the tiny salary of an airman, money was tight and we used the methods explained in this book to stay healthy.  We ate whole grain homemade breads, bean and rice casseroles, and even dishes made with the healthy soybean.

In one of these books was a recipe for a mock pumpkin pie made with pureed soybeans, pumpkin pie spice and other ingredients I can't remember (nor could I find the recipe in a long Internet search last night). 

My spouse invited several of his classmate friends, including Sgt W., to Thanksgiving dinner.  And, an idea hatched in my mind.  Why not make something with soybeans for him?

We had a turkey, and other items no longer remembered.  It was one of the happiest Thanksgivings I remember, because we were all away from home but not lonely, and I remember our companionship much more than I remember the food.

Except for one food.  

When I served my "pumpkin pie", Sgt W. dug in, and said he liked it.  So did everyone else.  I even liked it, and I don't like pumpkin pie.

So I admitted to him that his "pumpkin pie" was really soybean pie.  And he didn't seem to mind.

I wonder what he said when he returned home to Iowa when his class was over.  We never saw him again after that.

I don't know where Sgt W. lives today, or if he is even alive.  Sadly, I  know at least one of the young men at that dinner passed several years ago.  So I don't know if W. remembers the young woman he had Thanksgiving with, in an apartment near an Air Force base in Texas in the mid 1970's, and the soybean pie she served him.

If you are out there, Sgt. W, Happy Thanksgiving next Thursday to you and your family.

Joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for her #WordlessWednesday. 

 

Nostalgia and Rain #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday, and it's time for music!

Today I am joining up with other Music Moves Me bloggers (and you can join us at the linky above). We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video, please! Otherwise, your post link may be labeled "No Music" or even removed.)   We have occasional theme weeks, but you are welcome to ignore the theme and use music of your choice.  Why not join us?  You don't have to sing, or play an instrument.  All music lovers are welcome. 

Today's theme is"You Pick". It seems like I've spent some of the last few months living in the past.  Oh yes, those were the days!

Mary Hopkin and "Those Were the Days" from 1968. 

"Those Were the Days" was the theme song from the 1970's theme song All in the Family.  Jean Stapleton's voice is so screechy I can barely stand it but the lyrics are gold.   This is the first time I heard the entire song. This version, apparently, was never played on the long running TV show.

 

"Summer of 69" from Bryan Adams.   I decided on this live version with Taylor Swift and Bryan Adams.  Oh, how I wish the sound quality was just a little better. 

As for rain, I was inspired by the weather reports several days ago for Southern California. This first song, from 1971, is a nostalgic song for me. 

Here are The Doors and "Riders On the Storm". 

Let's end with Albert Hammond and his 1972 hit "It Never Rains in Southern California".

And that's a wrap!

Join me again next week for another episode of Music Moves Me. 

Stone Pillar Mystery Solved #ShadowshotSunday

A mystery solved. 

A shout out to Tom, another participant in Shadowshot Sunday, for a suggestion that solved a mystery I blogged about on Wednesday.

I found this originally while walking in a residential neighborhood in a village located in the Southern Tier of New York State - a piece of history. 

I decided to go back and take a better picture on Thursday and I got one that even had a shadow.  So we need to go back in time, to when horses were an integral part of transportation.

I'm certain this is a horse hitching post.   I've seen stone steps associated with these before (an aid in climbing off the horse)- one is in the village of Owego, New York.  But until now I didn't see the remains of a hitching post.

This website shows some of the styles these came in.  The company that owns that website, apparently, does restorations of these and other pieces of our history.

We forget our history all too quickly.  How soon will what we take for granted be forgotten by future generations?

Joining Lisa at This and That: A Blog, for her #ShadowshotSunday. 

 

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day November 2025

 How could it be November already?  Or, to be exact, November 15?  It's time for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens.  Each 15th of the month,  flower gardeners from all over the world gather virtually to show what is blooming in their homes and yards. 

In my zone 6a Southern Tier of New York garden, we've had our first frost. So I will start with indoor flowers.

African violet.

This is a new plant to me.  I purchased it last Friday, and apologize for the blurryness.  The two tiny flowers, which are supposed to open at night, are blurred, too. This is called a concrete leaf plant (Titanopsis calcarea).  I seem to have good luck with succulents, so we'll see.  This is in a tiny pot.

Finally, one of my Plectranthus, which I informally call a Charlie plant.  Years ago, a woman in Ithaca, New York gave me a cutting.  What I have now are cuttings from that original plant.  When I asked her what it was, she said it was a "Charlie plant". Whatever their name is, they are blooming their little plant hearts out on my northern window. 

As for the outdoor flowers, I thought I would have my potted up cuphea that are located near a vent for our heating system.  They escaped frost, or so I thought.  Apparently, last night did them in.   But I took a picture anyway.

And that's it. 

If you are hungry for more flowers, why not head over to Carol at May Dreams Gardens and check out what other gardeners are posting? 

Thank you for stopping by! 

November Sun #SkywatchFriday

(Before I begin, I believe the mystery object in my Wednesday post has been identified.  Thank you, Tom from Tom the Backroads Traveler, one of our many Skywatch participants.  More on that Sunday.) 

Yesterday, the skies had that grim winter look the skies take on here in the Southern Tier of New York. 

We even had a rain shower not long before I took this picture.

But wait! The sun is coming out!

Actual blue skies.

Things changed so quickly.

Many trees are bare now but some remnants of color remain. 

Not only that, but I got a good reflection picture in this koi pond before the clouds blocked the sun once more. 

We've not had many clear periods in the sky this week.  So much so that we missed all the aurora activity of earlier this week.  Alas.  I can hope other skywatchers captured it.

At least the first snow of Tuesday, which caused many traffic accidents, has melted. 

Joining Yogi and other skywatchers for #SkywatchFriday.
 

Mystery Pillar #WordlessWednesday

Taking a walk in a Southern Tier of New York neighborhood, I saw this. 

Anyone know what this is or was?  it has a tiny hole towards the top which is barely visible.  I could have taken a better picture but there were other people around and I didn't want to seem odd to them.

Joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for her #WordlessWednesday. 

The 11th Hour, The 11th Day, The 11th Month

Tuesdays, with my current schedule, are normally an off day for me.  However, today is Veterans Day in the United States and Remembrance Day in various other parts of the world.

It was to be the war that ended all wars, the war that we know as World War I.

It didn't.  

Reading various posts yesterday, I was reminded of something that happened long ago and far away.......

Many years ago, when we were a lot younger and my spouse was serving in the military, we befriended a younger single man.  At the time we were stationed in Kansas.  This young man had grown up in neighboring Missouri.  One day he invited us to his parents' home in rural Missouri.

I got the feeling this invitation was quite a leap of faith for him.  That he didn't do this kind of thing very often.    We accepted the invitation and spent a weekend with his family.

His father was a Korean War veteran.  It was a Saturday night and,we were warned, the father was going to overindulge in alcohol.  And so he did.  He, and some friends, took us to a bar.  Then we went back to his house.

It was obvious that this inebriated older man was reliving his experience in war.  He was in the middle of a battle.  He shouted out commands.  He fought demons only he could see.  Finally, he was carried to bed.

Our friend's mother explained this happened every weekend.  Long ago, the father was young and in battle.  His commanding officer was killed.  The Dad received a battlefield promotion and he was suddenly in charge.   It did something to him, hurt him in a way he was never able to recover from.  Every Saturday night he would seek solace in the bottle. Although he relived the battle and was obviously suffering, in the morning he would remember nothing.

I have never been in war.  I know people who have.  I know people who were civilian casualties of war, too.  But this Korean War veteran has stuck in my mind over many years.  

We never received another invitation.  We drifted apart when our friend, sadly, became more interested in drugs than in our friendship.  In his own way he fought demons too.

So have so many others.  This You Tube video is of a TV show segment that aired this past Sunday.  It is called The Wounded Generation.

I will end this post with a poem that makes me cry every time I read it.

 I am not a "poetry person" (although there are a couple of poets I do enjoy) but this poem always touches my heart. Written by a Canadian soldier in 1915 upon the battle death of his friend in Flanders, Belgium, during World War I, the author, himself, did not survive the war.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
      Between the crosses, row on row,
   That mark our place; and in the sky
   The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
   Loved and were loved, and now we lie
         In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
   The torch; be yours to hold it high.
   If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
         In Flanders fields.

John McCrae

The Ultimate Price #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday and it's time for music!

Today I am joining up with other Music Moves Me bloggers (and you can join us at the linky above). We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video, please! Otherwise, your post link may be labeled "No Music" or even removed.)   We have occasional theme weeks, but you are welcome to ignore the theme and use music of your choice.  Why not join us?  You don't have to sing, or play an instrument.  All music lovers are welcome. 

Today's theme is "Remembering our veterans with songs of inspiration, thanksgiving and praise".

This is a hard theme for me, because I am the daughter of a man who served in the Army Air Corp in World War II and struggled the rest of his life with the aftermath of a traumatic brain injury. Additionally, I have known or met several combat veterans over the years who struggled with alcohol abuse and/or PTSD.  

Our veterans of all wars paid a high price for helping to safeguard the freedoms we've enjoyed, including those hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of soldiers who never returned from war.  We must all treasure and safeguard these freedoms else we are in grave danger of losing them.

So I am going to go in a different direction today.   This may be a hard post to read, but I hope you'll listen to at least one of the songs.  TRIGGER ALERT: war violence.

First, a song from my childhood.  I even bought the album this song was on.  From 1966, Barry Sadler, and his hit Ballard of the Green Beret.  This pays tribute to American soldiers but let me extend this to all those who fight for freedom. 

Dire Straits and their 1985 song Brothers in Arms.

Big and Rich pay tribute to a battle fought on November 8th, 1965 with 8th of November.   The song, in part,  discusses some of the price our combat veterans pay.   

Because this is the anniversary of Kristallnacht (November 9-10, 1938) I will include this song from Rush.  This is 1984's Red Sector A, written by the son of Holocaust survivors.  

Evil can start small, and if it is not stopped, it can end in unimaginable horror. The Holocaust was one such part of history.   I grew up among some Holocaust survivors (including my best friend's parents, who were German Jews) and, while my spouse was in military service, we met a man who helped liberate one of the camps. This video is hard to watch, but I hope you will stick it out.

 And that's a wrap. 

Join me again next week for another episode of Music Moves Me - hopefully, a happier episode. 

Countryside Shadows #ShadowshotSunday

The friend I call my Guest Photographer lives out in the countryside and sent me some beautiful fall pictures she took at the end of October.  Here are a couple with shadows.

Alas, the winds of November have come and these leaves are probably all gone now.

Joining up with Lisa at This and That - A Blog, for her #ShadowshotSunday. 

 

Early November Sky Moods #SkywatchFriday

November has arrived and, with it, coming attractions of the gloom of the winter months where I live in the Southern Tier of New York.

Let me assure you this photo, taken November 1, was taken in color and no filters were applied. 

Another view, taken near the first photo.

Let's jump now to November 4.  The sun has made an appearance.  Enjoy said sun while we can.

Some fall color is still visible. 

November 4, after raking some leaves in late afternoon, I saw the almost full moon.

The last colors of sunset.

Oh, those moods of early November. 

Joining Yogi and other skywatching bloggers at Skywatch Friday.

The Temperature Afghan #WordlessWednesday

I've called it quits on a two year old crochet project. 

I promised you periodic updates on my temperature afghan for 2023 (yes, 2023) to keep me working on it.  

First, a refresher on what a temperature afghan is.  You don't have to crochet it, and you don't even have to make a blanket.

A temperature blanket uses colors to record highs and low temperatures (more on that later) over a certain period of time.  They can be used to record temperatures for a year, perhaps a calendar year, or the first year of a baby's life (to be presented as a birthday gift).   Some knit these, some quilt these.  Some make scarfs or sweaters.  The variations are endless.

So, in other words, Nature determines the colors and patterns of your work.

Here are the colors I used to represent the high for each day.

0 F (-17.8 C) and lower:  Pale Plum.  It would be most unusual where I live to have a high less than zero F, and, in fact, 2023 did not offer such a high.  But we did have a low of -5F (-20.5 C) one night so I decided to include a strip of low temperature color and high temperature color for that day.

In addition:

1-21F   Dark orchid

21-32F  Royal blue

33-43F  Turquoise

44-53F  Spring Green

54-66F  Kelly Green (think of St. Patrick's Day)

67-77F  Bright Yellow

78-88F Carrot orange

89-99F  Pretty in Pink

100F (38C) and above - Fruity Stripe (shades of pink - a variegated yarn) I didn't have to use it.  Thankfully.

I was working on it last year, when the fickle finger of fate landed on my spouse and me, and I had to abandon the project for a number of months.

This month, I started to work on it again, and realized it was so big that I really needed to end it.  So, I am ending it on the row I had abandoned in 2024, and here is the finished product. 

The temperatures at the bottom started at January 1 and it worked up to the top, using the color scheme.

I don't know what I will do about July 19-December 31, 2024 but it won't be part of this afghan. 

It's so big I couldn't get a really good picture of it with my iPhone, but I hope it gives you a good idea. I'm happy I did the project but I did miscalculate the size.  I have already found a use for the leftover yarn. I bought enough (at the late, great JoAnn Fabrics) to finish the project.

And now, I'm on to something else.  I've already started it and I'll make it a post one of these days.  Maybe.

Joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for her #WordlessWednesday.

A Pancreatic Cancer Musical Tribute #MusicMovesMe

 It's Monday and it's time for music.  It's also time for a topic that is not happy, but is necessary.

Today I am joining up with other Music Moves Me bloggers (and you can join us at the linky above). We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video, please! Otherwise, your post link may be labeled "No Music" or even removed.)   We have occasional theme weeks, but you are welcome to ignore the theme and use music of your choice.  Why not join us?  You don't have to sing, or play an instrument.  All music lovers are welcome. 

Today's theme is "You Pick".

November is pancreatic cancer month.  At least two of my relatives on my father's side, and one on my mother's, died from this cancer, one of the most deadly known.  There are a number of celebrities who have died from pancreatic cancer, including Alex Trebek (beloved game show host), actors Joan Crawford, Patrick Swayze and Michael Landon, and astronaut Sally Ride.

Today, I want to pay tribute to people in the music world who died from this dreadful disease.   In so doing, I included various musical genres so there is something for almost everyone.

Composer Henry Mancini died at the age of 70 from pancreatic cancer in June of 1994, less than four months after his diagnosis.  For his tribute, I chose the Theme from the Pink Panther, a song popular right now because of the jewel heist at the Louvre. 

Aretha Franklin died from pancreatic cancer in 2018.  Her most famous hit may be 'Respect" but I am choosing another song, Think, here featuring the Blues Brothers.

I had blogged recently about D'Angelo, who died in October at the age of 51 after a prolonged, private battle.  The cause of death has been revealed as pancreatic cancer.  Here is one of his songs, Lady.

Luciano Pavarotti, operatic tenor, sings "Nessum dorma".

Next to last:  I had to include actor Patrick Swayze and The Time of My Life final dance from the movie Dirty Dancing.  

Finally, soul singer Billy Paul, age 81, who died in 2016.  Here is his 1972 hit "Me and Mrs. Jones".

And that's a wrap.

If you are interested, here are some facts about pancreatic cancer.  

Join me again next week for another episode of Music Moves Me. 

End of Foliage Season Shadows #ShadowshotSunday

We managed to have sunny day on October 26 and 28, and I took these shadow pictures.

Later in the week, we had rain and then some gusty winds.  The leaves are hanging on for now, but yesterday was gloomy. Halloween night was unpleasant and, maybe for that reason, we had no trick or treaters.

Joining Lisa at This and That - A Blog, for her #ShadowshotSunday.