Eddie started with a lawn mower that he didn't use anymore and finished with a homemade utility vehicle! He lengthened the frame, added some big back tires, customized the seat so two can ride, and added a bed so it can be a useful scrounging vehicle. Now he has something to play on in the snow too! We had a snow day and he played in the snow!
Eddie has always loved John Deere Tractors. He would love to get an old one to restore. He has a Ford Tractor right now, but still hopes to someday own a Deere. When the John Deere Christmas Village came out I decided it was a perfect collection to start. It is an adorable village setting. The pictures are a little dark, but it is supposed to be night after all.
I can't believe it's been almost a month since I posted anything here. Today was our first snow of the season. We are only supposed to get maybe an inch or two and it's not expected to stick. It's funny that two days ago we had a record warm temperature of 63 degrees. The previous record was in 1998 and it was 53 degrees. So, I think we are due for the snow. I was shopping this morning and it started snowing while I was in a mall. It sort of puts you more in the holiday spirit. 
Today was a beautiful fall day in upstate New York. It was in the 60's and sunny. Around 3:00 this afternoon we were outside doing some yard work and winterizing. My husband noticed the first balloon over our pasture and we soon saw two more. We stopped our work and just relaxed as we watched them slowly float through the sky. We live in an area that is familiar with balloons. Check out the Adirondack Hot Air Balloon Festival. It is an annual event that is usually held the third week of September. 
My husband and I love old bottles. We have collected them since we first got married. This summer he made a small shelf that fits nicely on our bedroom wall to display just a small number from our collection. We have hundreds boxed up in the garage that we would love to display. A project for next year is to get them all out and cleaned up and displayed. I love seeing this every day! Collecting something and storing it away is senseless. We want to see what we have and enjoy it all the time!
We have friends that own a large old farm. There are several old dump areas way in the back over their long stone wall. They were nice enough to let me and Eddie look for bottles and other interesting things. We went for a little while this weekend, and this is what we hauled out. These items were very close to the surface so we know there is much more to be found. We love old bottles and already have hundreds of them at home. We have an open invitation to come back and look for more. They asked that we do let them know if we find a big treasure like a can of gold coins! We had so much fun and a relaxing time together. 
A couple of weeks ago my mother-in-law sent me a recipe for Zucchini Cookies. I finally got around to trying it. I had to modify it a bit since my husband can't have raisins or pecans. I used an extra cup of chocolate chips in place of them. I will put the orignal recipe below. Feel free to modify it as you wish. I think they taste great and so does my husband. My son did not like it at all! I think it was actually the cinnamon that he didn't like in the flavor. When he first looked at it though, he asked if I was trying to hide vegetables again. I told him that I was!
We know that my husband's ancestors arrived and settled in the Albany, NY area. They were among the Dutch settlers in the 1600's. On our way to AJ's away football game in Hudson, NY we spotted this store and, of course, I had to take a picture. I'm sure the owner of this store is a relative somehow. Here is a link to their website if you want to check them out! 
I opened our back door this morning to get a feel for the outside temperature. I actually said "Wow!" outloud when I saw this gorgeous sunrise. The pictures are pretty but they do not begin to compare to the beauty of the sky this morning. I was glad I caught it!
My husband made me this beautiful magnetic board. It is a recycled piece of metal from the top of a vintage refridgerator. The refridgerator was salvaged from my husband's Aunt and Uncle's home when they were cleaning out last year. It was already shaped perfectly with rounded edges. It is 13 inches tall by about 23 inches wide. He cut it off, drilled holes in it to hang and painted it with leftover sage spray paint. It is hanging in my basement studio. I love it!
It was a beautiful fall weekend. Yesterday, Eddie and I went for a drive to Hicks Orchard in Granville, NY. They have a U-Pick orchard which we didn't do this time. We stood in line for about 10 minutes to get their delicious apple cider donuts and hot apple cider. Their barn-shop is full of apple products, maple products, local honey and many fall decorations. It smelled wonderful in there. You could watch them through one window as they made cider. You could watch the donuts being made at the other end of the barn. The orchard had activities of all kinds for the kids. There were goats, a bouncy house, make your own scarecrow booth and much more. They were selling maple flavored cotton candy...which I didn't sample, but I imagine it's yummy. Hicks has grown over the years. They now have a wine tasting barn which is a great addition to their business. I'm not a wine drinker, but I know NY has many vineyards and good wine products. It was a fun day. AJ was at work, so he couldn't go with us...but he has been enjoying the donuts we brought home!
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