We had unseasonably cold weather earlier this week and all of my outside plants are done which just makes me extra grateful that this begonia, which lived under the pergola all summer, is currently thriving in my office at the library. Honestly, it’s a little overrun with plants there right now but I love seeing living things around me. Most are green so the red leaves on this one are especially appreciated.

I appreciate the weekend, too, but I’ll see you back in this space tomorrow!

Fall is truly spectacular in Maine, as evidenced by these colorful leaves on the green grass outside our hotel. They were beautiful and crunchy and had that distinctive smell that only comes from leaves on the ground in autumn.

Happy Weekend, friends! I’ll see you here tomorrow for the next Self Care Saturday Installment.

Yes, it’s November first and this monarch is most likely well on his way to Mexico. But. I’m sharing this today because (a) I forgot to share it back in early October when I took it and because (b) it’s pretty much the opposite of what November looks like around here. For now the zinnias are still blooming (although they are small and die quickly after I pick them) yet I know that very shortly they will be gone like the monarchs, the leaves will be off the trees, and everything will be . . . brown. So I’m posting this to remember the beautiful colors of summer as we head into the dreary brown of November.

There’s nothing dreary about the weekend, though! Let’s enjoy it like a monarch on a zinnia full of pollen!

Hey friends! Here’s Jackie with a big ole grin and a look that says he’s ready for the weekend!

Guess what? I am, too! Let’s make it a good one!

My gardens are truly winding down now although we haven’t yet had a hard frost. That means I do still have zinnias and morning glories blooming, but most of the perennials and flowering shrubs have given up the ghost. This means I’m extra grateful for the containers of mums and ornamental kale . . . they provide beautiful fall color and make me smile.

The weekend makes me smile, too. Make it a good one!