Autumn, Winter Planning, and Power Failure, Oh My...

The last weekend of Summer felt more like the first weekend of Fall.  The light was somehow changed, the wind blew longer and with a crisp bite.  In the high desert of Southern California, where I grew up, you will know Fall has arrived when you get the first scent of cold wetness in the wind.  Like there is snow someplace far away and you are only getting a whiff of it hundreds or thousands of miles away.  You know it as soon as it comes because you haven't felt a drop of moisture in the air since April.

Taken near Bakersfield on my trip to So. California.

My mom's Labrador Bailey enjoying the last days of Summer. Also taken on my trip.

This is my first San Jose Autumn and I am very very excited about it.  The last two weeks I have noticed a drop in tomato production and my pumpkin seems to be slowing down too, which is not cool since it is still only the size of a watermelon (I am going for Gigantor here!).  I planted a flat of lettuce only to have it knocked over by the dog, yet again.  I threw the dirt back in the flat and they are still growing so who knows...

I spent this weekend relaxing from a frightening week.  I wont get into a long story, but last Wednesday involved running for my life, calling the fire department, losing power for almost a day, waiting for the power company to remove the downed power lines from around my car and all over my street, then discovering that my cable box was fried, but thank god my computer was fine and my house did not catch on fire, and by some miracle no one was hurt.  By the way, never ever release Mylar balloons into the air (I did not do this, I was happily enjoying my backyard).  When they hit power poles things tend to go ka-boom.

Do you see the missing & broken lines?  They were surrounding my car.

To relax and enjoy the new Fall weather I made these Cocoa Bottom Banana Bars from one of my favorite food blogs How To: Simplify.  When temps start dropping I start baking.  They are were soooo yummy, we gave a few away and the rest... well they are gone.  Don't look at me!  Tom ate at least half.

Sunday I fell in love with Ana over at ana-white.com.  This beautiful woman designs and builds her own furniture and shows you how to do it too.  I have been wanting to learn to build furniture since I was a little girl, right along with designing my own clothes.  Every time I mention this to someone, particularly men, I get, "Uhhh, sure that's cool, good luck with that...".  I get the same line when it comes to learning about cars.  I would love to find someone willing to teach me to fix my own car or just change the oil.  If you think Tom would be the one to do this you would be wrong.  Tom can build a beautiful custom home, but he isn't going anywhere near my car.  Anyway, Ana's blog is a dream come true.  You can be sure you will see me build something from her site this coming Fall.

The holidays are around the corner!  I am super excited!  This is the first year that Tom and I are celebrating the holidays at our house.  Tom has to work the day before and after Christmas so we cannot go to visit relatives.  As much as I will miss spending the holidays with family, I cannot wait to celebrate here with just us.

Felted or knitted pumpkins might be a fun project.  Who doesn't love a knitted bowlful of acorns?  Or this awesome Halloween knitting.

Ghosts, bats, voodoo dolls, skulls, and eyeballs all await my needles.

What is planned for my week?

- Refinish the small table by the door.

- Find out what I need to make one of Ana's projects.

- Finish my swap goodies.

- Start on the sewing project for this month.

What are your crafty plans this week?

Comments

[Tanya]

First of all, I am SO HAPPY all of you are OK after the power line incident. Yikes. I think you were completely right, by the way, to make those chocolate banana bars. Definitely the perfect antidote to scary stress.

I also thought it was very funny how you went from describing the warm and fuzzy anticipation of your December holidays at home, STRAIGHT into the voodoo dolls and eyeballs on your knitting needles. :-) ha ha ha! That made me laugh.

[randi]

Sheesh! It sounds like you had quite a scare. I am glad all is well! Downed power lines are super dangerous!

[Melissa]

@ Tanya & Randi - I am happy I am ok too! I was freaked out for a few hours afterward. I love the eyeball pattern! They would look great skewered on my needles! Mwwwahahahaha!

[Selena]

I cannot believe the damage a balloon can have on power lines. I remember the balloon guy mentioning that an entire city block can lose the power if a balloon hits the lines but I didn't realize the lines could snap. How scary.

[Melissa]

@ Selena - I know! We had power out on two streets for most of the day. Some buildings and houses, like mine, were out all night.

[Glenda]

Yowza, I didn't know that about Mylar balloons!!

Thanks for introducing me to 2 new-to-me blogs (seriously-thanks, not sarcastically-thanks). I'm looking forward to cooler weather here so my itch to bake will kick in. I'd like to learn carpentry, but it seems to take a good head at geometry and I'm more of an algebra girl -- doesn't mean I won't try one of these days tho! I'd enjoy knowing how to work on cars, but older cars, not these new-fangled complicated-engine cars ;-).

[Cathleen]

the change of seansons always brings me a kinda strange mood..it makes me think about the time that has gone by, and the new things to come..especially in the autumn, when the landscapes change, the leafs having different shades of green and yellow which eventually turn into brown, spreading on the ground, and making a thin 'carpet' you walk on by melancholic..yeah..