Sunday, October 30, 2011

AUTUMN BEAUTY....


Autumn time comes swiftly
With red and brown and gold,
And leaves us joyful memories
To cherish and to hold
It fills our world with colour
And magic every day,
So take the glow the autumn gives
Before it slips away
(Iris Hesselden)


Days have become cooler and daylight hours shorter, whilst the colour of autumn leaves have surged into that final finale before falling to decay. I like to think that this wonderful display of colour is God's assurance to us that after the death and decay in garden and countryside, lies His promise of the future.... the promise of spring time and re-birth..... a sweet time to look forward to.

During October we have enjoyed some spectacular dawns, it's that precious time before the sun itself appears.... when the eastern sky begins to lighten and the mountains are silhouetted against an ever changing glorious light.


Morning has broken, like that first morning......




I intended to post two more of our beautiful church kneelers earlier in September.....
I think this one depicts the end of summer so well.... a cornfield with poppies.

Another beautiful summer scene so skilfully stitched, it could so easily be a picture of a sandy bay on our Welsh coast.

Now I invite you into my little summer house, I've shown many pictures of it from the outside, but not so many inside. It is a colourful, restful little haven and well stocked with books, magazines and writing material. I'm always looking for extra space to store such things, so John installed these useful little shelves each side of the door way.


At one end there is this small dresser which holds Mother's cottage ware and her wild game plates.

The birdcage was a charity shop find.
Back to autumn colours.... the cotoneaster has been spectacular this year.... a winter feast in store for the birds.


You can always rely upon a magnificent autumnal display of colour from the Virginia Creeper... it truly is amazing how its leaves morph from summer time green to reddish orange and shades of burgundy.

Rosy apples..... another post I had in mind to write and include this picture to celebrate Apple Day on 21 October. Not wasted though, it fits perfectly here.

This pergola is a shady place on a hot day, the Virginia Creeper grows dense along with honeysuckle and white jasmine

Apples fall so dangerously close to the greenhouse.... and accidents have happened!

Cabbages and purple sprouting broccoli have been planted under the cloches to protect them from the white cabbage butterfly. The runner bean stick have now been taken away and surplus beans sliced and stored in the freezer....

A colourful tub of begonias, the flowers last until the first frosts.

Lily Picasso is a beauty and has given much joy this year.

The months of September and October have held both sad and anxious times for the family. My son Christopher had two lots of surgery on a severe back injury, recovery is slow.... there have been two deaths.... John had surgery six weeks ago, he is doing fine now and on Tuesday, I am to be admitted for surgery too.

Blessings to all my blogging friends, I'll catch up with you again soon.

Marion

6 comments:

Beth said...

Marion, My prayers are with you for a quick and full recovery. I enjoyed your post. Your photos are stunning. I love the calla lilies, the begonias, the pergola...Your lawn is gorgeous and so is the cotoneaster. You have a fabulous space in your summer home. What a lovely home and garden you and John have created from the old police station!
Blessings and hugs, Beth

Betty said...

Sweet Sister Marion,
Just to have spoken to you this morning and now to see the beautiful pictures gives me somewhat of a sastifaction that I've visited with you in Wales.

As you inscribed in my lovely birthday gift book, I, too, pray that this is a foretaste of what I'll be blessed to see literally one day.

When you and John visited with us those 12 days in May, it was indeed a gift from our Heavenly Father...a dream come true that we would meet face to face, and we did!

Our prayers are with you as you face surgery and a speedy recovery.
As I told you, even though I can't be there bodily, I will be in spirit.

God bless dear friend...Betty

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

Your seasonal catching-up posts are always so enjoyable. All the autumn color is so pretty there.

Sending prayers your way, for you and your family too.

Elzie said...

So beautiful photos! It's a wonder they sky can be that red!! And your garden flowers looked so nice.
Hope you have a good day.
Love Elzie

Barbara said...

I had to catch up several posts of yours in order to be up date. I've seen you are a creative women (I like the stones you made in summer!). Your little summer house is so nice, a perfect place for a short retraite. You seem to have had a beautiful autumn too...we also have been spoilt by nature the last few weeks. I do hope you're fine again and have had a good recovery.
Best wishes for a peaceful and lightful advent.
Barbara

Mountain Mama said...

Hello Marion. I haven't been around in quite a while. I spent autumn out of town helping a dear friend who was in the final stages of Pancreatic cancer. He is gone now and I am back home and here it is nearly Christmas!! I want to say your pictures are wonderful.I love the colors of your begonias!!
I pray your surgery is successful and you and all your family will be well now. You certainly have been through a lot with them.
Hugs