One minute these geraniums are blooming profusely and the next they are packed into paper bags and headed to the basement for a long winter's sleep. I heard a news show say this will be the COLDEST winter in decades. Time will tell. I would rather have a little less cold and some great snow cover!

You know it's Autumn when pumpkin starts showing up in recipes! Here is a simple Pumpkin Cake that made the house smell----like Fall!!

Pumpkin Walnut Snack Cake

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup pureed pumpkincup
• 1 cup chopped walnuts OR raisins

Cream eggs and sugar. Add oil. Whisk together spice, baking soda, and baking powder. Add pumpkin and mix. Add flour and mix till moist and add walnuts or raisins. Bake in greased 9x13 pan for 30-40 mins.

I didn't have pumpkin pie spice so I substituted cinnamon and went with the walnuts instead of raisins.

In 1984, I had a newborn baby and many nights I would rock that boy to sleep and listen to Ernie Harwell call the play by play for the Detroit Tigers. Those Tigers would go on to win the World Series and that baby would grow up and be an avid Tiger fan. Tonite in Tiger Stadium, that World Champion team was honored and it was a thrill to see Sparky Anderson, Kirk Gibson, Jack Morris and all the rest run out on the field one more time.

We Raced for the Cure today----or rather, we walked the Race for the Cure. What a turnout in downtown Toledo. There were teams with wings and teams with Cowgirl Hats. Men in Pink Capes and area musicians, bands and cheerleaders on the sidelines. So many signs---too many lives lost---pinned to shirts for Moms and Sisters and friends. There was an entire local high school walking in support of their principal who is battling breast cancer. But aside from that, it was good to be out walking with friends and family and seeing people we knew.

I was a little concerned that I would have nothing to post today. Busy at work, busy at home--and then I noticed this little grasshopper attached to my window. Upon close examination you could see the chewing motions of his mouth and---what could be more special than Mother Nature in motion!

The last surviving sibling of my Mom died last nite--the last of 10 siblings(2 died in infancy) of a large prosperous farm family. Uncle Louie and my Mom were the 2 youngest and he died almost to the day of her funeral a year earlier. It just felt right to stop at the family homestead and walk around---and snap a few pictures.

See Magglio. See Magglio Run.------with my homemade pizza dough in his mouth!! And now, this sad looking, worried dog is enrolled in obedience school. I made homemade pizza dough on Saturday for dinner and that evening, with the first toss of the dough--it was snatched out of my hands by Mr Innocent in the picture. Ironically, 1/2 hour later, the dog trainer returned my call, said she had an opening for an evaluation that evening and the rest is history. He was PUTTY in her hands and she even had him walking in a circle around her German Shepherd without his usual barking and lunging. I AM going to be the ALPHA owner!!

This is what Saturday Autumn afternoons in Ohio are like. Buckeye football on the radio(headset for Dan, satelite radio for Michele) while we go about our day. Banner waving in the cool breeze. Life is good---esp. when they win.

It was a year ago today that my Mom died and it has been an interesting journey. After sorting through a lifetime of memories, I have found I know her better in death than I did while she was alive. I have found love letters between my Mom and Dad while they were separated in the war, journals of the joys of her firstborn, high school dance cards, diaries of school crushes, notebooks while learning to cook with her mother in law and so much more . And to think to me, she was just Mom!

I think this will be my last"goodbye to Summer" picture, because----the weather has turned. People are wearing jackets and even if the thermometer rises again, Autumn has taken over. To add insult to injury, we received our flu shots at work today. The wind was a little gusty and here is a nice picture of a sailboat in Lake Erie.

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Even the spring blooming rhodedendruns want to hang onto summer just a little longer and bloomed for a second time!

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I love everything that this picture symbolizes. It was taken last summer in Charlevoix and we stood on a pier watching a group of teens dive into Lake Michigan. One young man kept doing headstands and I was fascinated watching him. He represents all the best of summer---oh, to be a teen with your whole life ahead of you and be carefree enough to do headstands on a pier by Lake Michigan. You won't be seeing that this winter in Ohio---come to think of it, you won't see us doing it this summer in Ohio either.

Another in the series "you won't see this too much longer in Ohio" One last walk along the beach--this one taken at East Harbor in Port Clinton. I think the water is gorgeous but you have to admit, those are a great pair of legs that belong to Dan. You may see us walking along the beach in winter--but we will be wearing snowshoes.

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Get em while they're hot-so to speak.The temp is dropping next week so I am going to catch the last of summer and preserve it on my camera. You won't be seeing tomatoes on my windowsill come winter in Ohio!

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Sept 11 2009. I remember how perfect that day started. The day was crystal clear without a cloud in the sky. By the time the day ended, the lack of any airplanes in the sky was so eerie. What I learned from that day is this--hold your loved ones close to your heart and never fail to tell them you love them each and every day. So many Americans wish they had the chance to say those words one more time. Love,Michele

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My computer is down-my camera has sand in it and is acting up. But my bike still works and my phone has internet. Here is my new bike accessory-my knitting bag that attaches nicely to my pack. For those times when you need to take a break!

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Summer is fading fast and I want to post a picture of my geraniums----the plants that I saved over the winter in the basement. They were a success and early next month, I will repeat the process---pull them out of the planter, shake off the dirt and store them in a paper bag in the basement. Oh----and I ordered 10 more Allium bulbs to plant this fall and then spray paint next summer!

I don't really have any picture to post today. It has been one of those lazy, rainy days with nothing pressing to do except read, watch movies and knit! So I reached into my photo archive and found this funny picture from Charleston. We were walking down a street and came upon some people looking at a turtle---except when we got closer we realized they were taking a pet turtle for a walk. It brought a smile to our face and I hope it does to you too!

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Every few years we visit the Kruse Auburn Classic Car Auction. This is quite a display of gorgeous cars that are auctioned off to people willing to pay the price. My tastes seem to be changing.I used to be drawn to the muscle cars of the 60's but now I appreciate the classic beauty of the Packard,Dussenberg and Cord.

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Local pears are here and while they are beautiful it is also a signal that summer's bounty is drawing to a close. I made these into one of my favorite jams and I will share the easy recipe

Pear Vanilla Freezer Jam

• 4 cups coarsely chopped and peeled Bartlett Pears
• 1 tsp grated lemon peel
• 1/4 cup plus 2 TBL fresh lemon juice
• 1 vanilla bean---split lengthwise
• 1 box Sure-Jell
• 4 cups sugar

Place pears in food processor and pulse till finely chopped. Place pears, lemon juice, lemon zest and scraped vanilla bean(instructions at end) in saucepan. Stir in pectin and bring to boil. Stir in sugar and cook 2 mins(stirring constantly till sugar dissolves.) Remove from heat. Place in jars and refrigerate 1 jar and freeze the rest. IF YOU AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH VANILLA BEANS--they are kind of pricey and can be found where the vanilla extract is. But the price splurge is worth it because they are potent and add a delicious flavor. To prepare, take a sharp knife and slit lengthwise. Scrape the very dark brown minuscule, pasty looking seeds out. I use the edge of a knife. DISCLAIMER---the jam will have tiny seed particles dispersed throughout but these are what makes this jam so delicious!! Strangely enough, as I was typing this recipe, I noticed I followed the recipe differently than as written. As written, the recipe says to add the vanilla bean to the saucepan---cook and THEN scrape the seeds into the Jam. That sounds a little sticky and hot to the touch---but use your own judgement. And ENJOY!! To give proper credit--I should add that I found this recipe several years ago in Country Living magazine

Usually my workday mornings involve waking up at 5am, and trudging into work in the darkness of 5:40. But today when I arrived into the surgery area of work, my coworkers said "the international space station is flying over at 5:47---let's go see it" So there we stood in the hospital parking lot with our faces pointed northward at a 45 degree angle and watched a white light fly out of the west. Exciting?? Very much so! This isn't a picture of this morning but the moon is so pretty tonite, it will have to do.

Here is my "bounty" of treasures from Kelly's Island last Saturday---assorted sea glass, including a unique teal colored piece, pottery shards from the days of prohibition, a petrified bone(which may be too bizarre to keep) AND an arrowhead or spear point.