Tag: fall

Marigolds in a Real McCoy!

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date October 31, 2024
No Comments on Marigolds in a Real McCoy!

A vase from Grandma

In one of my visits to my sister, the topic of conversation turned to our grandmother’s flower vase and pot collection. We reminisced that grandma had some pots and vases by the classic pottery maker named McCoy. I guess that’s where the old idiom came from, “It’s the real McCoy.” Long story short, my sister, MarySue, who inherited my Grandma’s last house, found the beautiful McCoy bowl shown above down cellar and gifted it to me along with a violet pot. The bowl was made for old fashioned flower arrangements using “flower frogs” which were small metal or plastic bases with spikes pointing upward. I remember Grandma having them and I think I could still see the clay marks where Grandma had used two of them in this bowl. Of course, I used foam taped down in back. What a joy to fill it with marigolds-well, mostly marigolds. I threw in some coneflower seed pods, drying hydrangea blooms, a little sedum, some zinnias, and one re-blooming rose to make this fall arrangement.

I love marigolds

My marigolds which I grow from the seeds of the previous year’s crop have been spectacular this year. I love that they bloom with such warm colors and they last right up until frost. Personally, I also love the pungent smell as I arrange them. It is a much slower task than arranging zinnias or gladiolas as there are many side branches and leaves to be removed. But the result is always so cheery. And by growing a mix of colors the marigolds themselves provide contrast in the bouquet.

I bring in lots of flowers

As to procedure, I brought in the flowers the day before, stuffing the armloads of cut marigolds in a five gallon bucket filled one third with water. Grandma called that overnight wait “hardening” them. Then the next day, I got out my small floral scissors and floral foam, picked out the vases I wanted to fill, and went to work. I spread the flowers out on newspapers on a table first. The newspapers make clean-up much simpler. I have an empty bucket at my feet to catch the snippings for the compost pile. Typically I have brought in enough flowers for at least two bouquets. The second bouquet for this batch is pictured above. One benefit of taking pictures of my bouquets these days is that an app will bring them up in succeeding years “on this day.”

Tags fall, flower arranging, garden, marigolds, McCoy

Journal Joy Notes Who Am I Wisdom

Before Frost

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date November 13, 2017

Tags fall, flower arranging, flowers, garden, good deeds, urgency

Americana Journal Joy Notes Who Am I

Gather flowers before frost

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date October 26, 2016

Gather flowers before the frost

Last night was the first frost here in West Granby. So for me it was time for my annual tradition, going out and cutting armfuls of flowers for season-end bouquets. I especially associate this tradition with picking marigolds as they are not the easiest to arrange and they look better in the garden, that is, until you know they won’t be there anymore tomorrow. So I usually don’t pick them til frost threatens. So late yesterday afternoon I gathered bunches of the marigolds that my sister-in-law, Chris, had given me to grow and sat down at the table to arrange them in multiple vases. For me it’s a lot of fun as I put into practice the family knack for flower arranging that came down to me from my mother, Dorothy Jones, and my grandmother, Jessie Isaman. Here are this year’s results. All the bouquets this year are all-sided bouquets. The first bouquet, the largest, decorates the dining room table. It happily matches my wife’s fall colors. The second sits at her computer desk to cheer her spot. The third is on my chair side table along side my Bible, devotional book and notepad. There are full size marigolds and two colors of smaller ones along with a very hardy daisy type plant that blooms very late. Greenery is form a licorice plant and some shrubbery that grows out front that I have to trim anyway.

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Tags fall, flower arranging, hobbies

Journal Joy Notes

More fall pictures

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date November 16, 2012

I emptied another camera and added more pictures to gallery of fall pictures from our camera carrying walk at Green Lakes a few weeks ago.

$Green Lakes is a photographer\'s paradise$

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Tags fall, Green Lakes, Quiet spots, walks

Journal Joy Notes

Great golf fun today

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date October 27, 2012

I haven’t played golf in a couple years. But I was invited to go out today to Casolwood in Canastota with Mark Boswell, Shaun Harrington and Peter Moon. It was great friendship and many laughs from the start. We played eighteen holes of captain and crew and came in at three under par. It was overcast but dry and warm with temperatures in the low sixties, a great fall day. The course was in good shape for late fall. I took advantage of my age and played from the Sr. tees. Pete hit some monster drives. Mark used his experience to make the calls as to which shot to play. Shaun saved his best shots for the last holes, saving us from golf disaster several times. I stayed with my three-wood most of the afternoon since I have played so little. But on the 17^th hole, Pete tempted me into finally getting out the driver. He had hit a great drive and I knew that in order to better it, I had to move up from the three-wood to the driver. So I did and successfully outdrove him, surprising none more than myself. I ended on eighteen with another picturesque driver shot – one of my best ever. Whenever I play golf, I always remember the advice of my friend Bryce Tuttle, former owner of Skyridge Golf Course. He used to say, “Golf is a believer’s game.” Pete, however, said that he has to dream it. Then he can make the shot. Well, sometimes he did and sometimes… but that’s golf. The outdoor air, the few good shots you make and the great company keep you coming back.

Tags fall, friends, golf

Journal Joy Notes

Fall colors make walking a double joy

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date October 24, 2012

We love walking

JoAnne and I love walking at Green Lakes. It’s good exercise, it’s calming to the spirit, and there is just something about nature that invigorates. I think God made it that way. If we are walking together, we can talk over things. If she has gone on ahead to conquer more territory, I often pray as I walk. I enjoy greeting the other people walking and occasionally, I’m privileged to pet a dog or two as well.

Lots of animals and birds to see

We have observed all kinds of creatures while walking; deer are regulars—four at once on this walk. As a bird-watcher I’ve observed many birds there too—owls, pileated woodpeckers, a pheasant, wild turkey, crows, ravens, vultures, geese, to name the bigger birds. Probably the rarest ones for this area that I’ve seen were an orchard oriole and a fox sparrow. This past summer I was overjoyed to spot a scarlet tanager in full color.

Fall pictures on the path by Round Lake

Speaking of full color, fall is such a gorgeous time to walk in the falling leaves. Here are some pictures I snapped with my old Kodak digital. It has such blue blues.

$Green Lakes is a photographer\'s paradise$

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Tags bird watching, fall, Quiet spots, walks

Journal Joy Notes Who Am I

Thanksgiving Sunday an important accent in the rhythm of the year

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date November 21, 2011
1 Comment on Thanksgiving Sunday an important accent in the rhythm of the year

Big events

Thanksgiving Sunday is a significant milestone in the landscape of the year for me. In my first church it was often designated as friend Sunday and it was a time of great celebration. At Community Wesleyan Church is has always been the time for our Thanksgiving dinner, a time when the family of God gathers for one of the biggest social events of our year.

$lot\'s to eat$

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Significant ministry

It is usually also a time of significant ministry for our church. It marks the end of the Thanksgiving message series; it is the day for handing out Thanksgiving dinners to those in need; and on it we enjoy the first contribution of the season from one of our special performing groups. In addition, in the evening, for many years, I and others have been a part of the ecumenical Chittenango area Thanksgiving service. This event is a unique sacrifice of praise that adds a glow to the season. The glow comes from the smooth cooperation of almost all the Christian churches in the Chittenango area joining together in praise to God as well as from the privilege of being a participant both as clergy and as a singer in the mass choir.

Seasonal changes

In our culture this is a week of seasonal change too. Hunting season starts. Often the first significant snows fall. In the stores, Black Friday is this week; by next Sunday everyone will be thinking about Christmas shopping.

Liturgical year end

Liturgically, too, Thanksgiving Sunday is usually the last Sunday of the church year—not the fiscal year but the liturgical year. In most years, the following Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent, which is the beginning of the new liturgical year. While our church does not formally follow a liturgical year, I have always observed Advent, so this change is always noted with a change of décor, the use of the advent wreath, and the beginning of a new message series.

Wood gathering

Outside, my attention turns from gardening to wood for the fireplace stove insert. My father always said, “Wood should warm you twice; once when you gather it and once when you burn it.” So I try never to work on wood for the fireplace insert until it’s cold outside so that it has a chance to warm me when I do the work, even it if it’s only gathering and cutting kindling from what has fallen from the maple trees in the yard.

I love Thanksgiving Sunday

As I was reflecting on all this, I decided that the events of Thanksgiving Sunday have become important to me as a marker in my own calendar of the year. They help me mark the changeover of the seasons. Thanksgiving Sunday for me has become a very important transition point from fall into Christmas. Celebrating on this day is important to me.

Tags fall, seasons, Thanksgiving

Journal

Fall Beauty; First Frost at our House

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date October 28, 2011
1 Comment on Fall Beauty; First Frost at our House

It was a frosty beginning to beautiful bright clear fall morning today. The leaves on the red maples are just past peak and falling fast in response to the cold. This is the first frost and is one of the latest first frosts I ever remember. Seems like I remember when we first moved here 20 years ago covering tomatoes in late August because of danger of frost. Anyway, now the fall work of cleaning up the garden can begin in earnest.

Tags fall, frost, gardening

Journal

Fall birds today

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date September 2, 2011

I was reminded that it is September by the scene in my backyard this morning. A migrating flock of robins was busy feeding on the lawn. Many were young robins. An occasional starling was mixed in the flock. Farther in back of the house is the sweet-corn field, recently disked in. It holds numerous flocks of geese this morning picking up a good breakfast.

Tags bird watching, fall

Journal Joy Notes

Corn Maze Fun

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date October 23, 2010

Fall is a great time for family fun. On our recent two day trip to Keely’s and Mark’s house, we took time for a couple typical fall activities. The most fun one was a big surprise to me. I thought I was just going along but ended up really enjoying it. Life often works that way doesn’t it. It’s one of the reasons God gives us friends and family to push us a little out of our ruts.

Back to the story—we went through a huge corn maze. And we had the pick of days for it too – a sunny fall beauty in the Connecticut countryside with autumn colored roadside hedges, pumpkin fields and grazing cattle. Looking at the map of the field, however, I just knew they used modern technology to cut it. Inquiring, I found out I was correct; a GPS was used to mark the cuts. I never did find out exactly what the paths were originally cut with, though I confirmed my observations that they were cut some time before so that they could be made smoother. In this maze were hidden posts that we needed to find. Doing a crayon rubbing of the emblem on the top of the post proved that you found it. This made it more of a puzzle as you found yourself guessing where they would have hidden the thematic posts; traversing unlikely parts of the maze; and generally getting about twice as much exercise as you had planned–which is probably a good thing.

We also went apple picking. The trees were the new size – only about twice as tall as I am so most of the branches I could reach. I knew I would love that and the rest of the crew had to drag me away before I filled the car and spent too much money. Orchard-ripe Mac’s are just too good. Keely, Mark and JoAnne were happy to pick a half a bag apiece. But I filled three and…well, I might still be there if JoAnne hadn’t warned me that I didn’t have that much money.

I’m always encouraging couples and families to find activities to do together besides watching movies or TV; activities that prompt conversations and laughter, that create memories to cherish and talk about later. Such times help to bond us together in loving families. Apple picking and solving corn mazes together are two are great examples I can personally recommend.

Tags apple picking, corn maze, fall, memories, walks

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