This Perfectly Imperfect Life

Well, except for the header (which I haven't decided what to do with yet), my creative thing for today has been switching my blog over to Halloween. It's been a fun month! Hopefully I'll get a chance soon to post the first days of my 30 Days of Creativity in September. Keep scrolling down & take a look for some Halloween fun!

Quiet. It's quiet! That's the first thing I notice about Fall's arrival, usually before the calendar's announcement. Mother Nature chooses when seasons come & go. Crickets chirping in the daylight. Birds coming back to the feeder. Deer on the move. Less street traffic during. Less coming & going. Children at school, no playing noises. Breezes blowing dried leaves along the side walks. And that's what catches my attention. Then I realize... It's quiet. Quiet! Autumn mornings... Calming. Soothing. Inspiring. Quiet.

Soon the Fall "Spring cleaning" can begin, now that the majority of the decorating is done.

Started on the windows yesterday. Didn't get very far but it's a start.

Let the Fall & Halloween decorating begin! (Click on pic for a better view)

(Losing Focus, pictured above) (Bird Watching, pictured above) Ladies & Gentlemen, Post # 1000!!!

I took a creative break yesterday. My morning writing wasn't going well and while I did take some photo's in the garden afterwards, I just wasn't feeling the least bit creative and that's okay!

Sunflower Funk Lakeside Moon rise

Day 19 While up at our weekend place, I worked on this scarf some more and continued writing my "Vines" story which I started over this Summer. Day 20 Continued working on "Vines."

Frustrated by my recent knitting woes, I started making scarves with other yarn late this afternoon and decided I would keep at it until one went smoothly. This was my 3rd attempt and the only one I liked of the 3 so I kept going. This won't take long to finish and I'll post another photo when it's done. (I had to take a break because my fingers were starting to cramp). Now if only I could read & knit at the same time... Sorry for the crappy photo. I had to take this with my cell since I've exhausted yet another 4 AA batteries in my camera.

This scarf is giving me fits! I started it just fine on Labor Day then I tried to knit & purl the first black rows. Apparently, I've forgotten how to purl. Again. (sigh) So I pulled that mess out and tried to just knit the first black rows and messed that up. Pulled them out & tried again. Did alright and put it down. Tonight I discovered I'd dropped a stitch and had to add one back in, so I pulled some rows out to do that. I haven't knit anything since March or April but I've gone for stretches of the same before and haven't had this much trouble starting again! But I'll keep at it off & on until it's done.

While tooling around the internet yesterday, I stumbled upon "Garden Blogger's Bloom Day." While I'm unsure if it was started by Carol at MayDreamsGardens (http://www.maydreamsgardens.com/), the following is from her blog: "...I hope you’ll join us for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day this month and tell us about what's blooming now in your garden. All are welcome! It's easy to participate. Just post on your blog about what's blooming in your garden on the 15th of the month and then leave a link in the "Mr. Linky" widget below along with a comment so we can find you and visit your garden to see what you have blooming." Fun! Pictured above is some of what was blooming in my garden as of yesterday, September 15th.

I have yet to post most of my items for my 30 Days of Creativity in September, but I'm working on it! (Click on the "30 Days of Creativity September 2009" label at the end of this post for Day 11). Here is yesterday's above, my new blog header. (Don't be fooled, this actually took a while to make and after 5 different versions, this is the one I decided I liked best). The Countdown Begins? you may be asking yourself (or not). No, I'm not already counting down to Halloween. Well, actually I am, with the widget in the right column, but that's not it! This post you are reading right now is # 990 . That's right, post # nine hundred and ninety ! I'm only 10 posts away from post # 1,000 ! I think that's incredible and calls for celebration! (Once I get there of course).

If you have a moment, please scroll down until you see the green music widget let it load and listen to the song I've chosen for today, "Where Were You...?" by Alan Jackson. (This will only be on the widget from 9/10 thru 9/14). No matter when I hear this song, my tears flow. So true. A wonderful gift for us to remember we aren't alone in what we experienced and felt 8 years ago today. This morning I put the above together on the mantle, to honor those lost 8 years ago today. For me, this is part of the 30 Days of Creativity in September.