A very colorful Saturday!

 It's a beautiful Autumn day here!

There are leaves everywhere!

Each one prettier than the other!

It's a carpet of colorful leaves...

If you're not careful, it will lead you right down into the creek!

Into the pond too!

I love this time of year...

I know, I say that about all the seasons...

And, it's true!

I love Springtime...

I love Summer when I'm in the pool...

I love Fall...

And I love Winter when it snows...

I don't mind the leaves, they're like sprinkles on a huge green cupcake. But

my gardener doesn't agree... He says they're like water spots on clean glass!

Speaking of clean glass... I washed the Jeep early this morning and

installed the new bike carrier I picked up at the dealership. I love it!

I love it so much I also picked up a lock at my local bike shop

to help discourage anyone from liberating my new bike carrier!

I especially like the feature that allows me to open the

back door without having to remove the whole carrier!

Look! All the sprinkles are gone!

For now...

They'll be back by tomorrow morning!

Which is fine with me!

As long as I never have to touch a rake!

Okay... Quick spin around the yard and then

it's time to bake my leaf-sweeper some cupcakes!

Maybe I'll put sprinkles on them...

Just to make a point!

Although I doubt he'll make the connection...

Because all he wants is cupcakes!

By the way, if you have a Williams-Sonoma nearby you'll want to scoot over there

to check out the sale they're having on all the Halloween stuff. I went in to stock

up on my favorite holiday hand soap and kitchen candles and stumbled on this!

Perfect condition and, priced even lower than you'd find at the outlet!

I also picked this butter dish at Pottery Barn. It's no

longer available on-line and stores are selling out fast!

Of course, nothing touches my carrara marble

island without first putting on their felty-feet!

Oh, look!

Someone just filled the bird feeders!

Which means I'm staring out the kitchen window...

So the cupcakes will have to wait!

I have critters to watch... 

 Or maybe they're watching me...

I never can tell!

I just hope they...

Enjoy it...

As much as I do!

Bye-bye birdies...

Because my cupcakes aren't going to bake themselves!

As much as I liked that Halloween tree mom and I picked up at Salem Creek

a few weeks ago, I decided it was too big for the console behind the sectional...

So while the cupcakes baked, I undressed it and went back to the little tree!

That's more like it...

Have a Cupcake!

Have two cupcakes!

And...

Welcome Trader Joe's (... it's about time!)

They may as well just put a sign up on this space... Parking for Janet only!

Because I plan to be here a lot!

After years and years of begging letter writing and phone calls, my

day arrived and, Winston-Salem finally got its Trader Joe's! Local

news reported this morning that the first person in line was a lady from

California. A friend called to ask if that was me. I told her there were lots

of us California transplants but I was the one NOT in line since 5AM!

Move over Joe Camel because there's a new and, even better Joe in town!

This is where you'll find me every week, gathering up fresh flowers for the house!

They did a really nice job on the murals depicting local scenes... Above is our

Reynold House and below you see Pilot Mountain. If that sounds familiar to

you, it might be because in the Andy Griffith show they refer to it at Mount Pilot!

My favorite local treasure is the vintage Shell Station. I'm

so glad to see it made it onto the wall of our new Trader Joe's!

A mural of Old Salem is sorely missing
but I'll take Wait Chapel at Wake Forest!

Having a Trader Joe's of our own finally puts an end to our monthly

pilgrimages to Charlotte and Raleigh for my Trader Joe's fix!

Speaking of fixes... Ranger and his battle buddies will soon

be seeing lots of this coming their way in my care-packages!

Looks like the rest of the community came out to show Trader Joe's some love too!

Taking quick visual inventory... It looks like all my favs are
here. Oh, I see a tiny shot of Old Salem on the wall over there!

It won't be nearly as fun as the fun we had in Monterey but at least I got my

Trader Joe's! I was the first person through the doors when our Costco and my

beloved Pottery Barn opened and, I was very glad to be part of the party here!

High on my list of next must-have's here is the always fabulous,

Dean and Deluca! Okay, off to work I go... But I'll be back later!

Your Turn!