Fall 'n apple

Ok, so it's time for me and my fellow "fallen apple" bloggers to get current before the ice and snow hit. Fall has come and gone in Connecticut. October was a blur, a blur of color that is, and now, Thanksgiving is only a week away. We began our fall foliage shoots this year in the north and through the month, moved south as the leaves changed. It was a great year for gold, but then the rains hit and everything fell and turned brown.

We found a new state park, Haystack Mountain, in the north and Weir Farm, a nature preserve for artists in the southwestern part of the state. Haystack Mountain is not a big park but it is beautiful. We could drive most of the way up the mountain and then the peak was only a short hike through the woods. The woods were so striking, we never made it to the top. (Imagine that!!)

During the warm months, the meadows and gardens at Weir Farm are full of artists with easels and oils who painstakingly take an eternity to capture a scene. Personally, I prefer the photography route. It only takes a fraction of a second to capture the same image, and Lois can turn it into a digital painting in the comfort of the studio.

The potter's hands

Sometimes our lives are like a pot on the potter's wheel -- kids, school, work, relationships, family, friends, commitments all spinning and turning as we try to hold ourselves together. But as long as we are in the hands of the master potter, he will work and keep everything under control. As we turn, spin and grow, he shapes us from the inside out. He watches our back, and puts his hand beside us to not only keep us from flying apart, but to give us beauty, form and function.

Fall on the farm

Connecticut is a small state, but a beautiful state, too. It has everything from the highest concentration of expensive homes per acre to working farms, all within an hour of each other. Working farms have become a rarity as the cost of farming goes up and price of produce goes down.

We captured this rural image as we drove through the Connecticut countryside one autumn afternoon. While we enjoy and appreciate the mansions, there is something special about riding through the country, especially in the fall as the trees change from green to gold. It just gives us a feeling of nostalgic Americana.

Gloomy days are the best days . . . for color, that is.

So often we get discouraged on a cloudy, overcast day. But when it come to capturing the softness of a flower blossom, gloomy days are the best. Some of our best work with blossoms has been on days when most people would stay in the studio and wait for the rain to stop and the skies to clear. In fact, on sunny days, we often use a light diffuser to eliminate the shadows and give us the same effect. This day we opted for God's diffuser - clouds.

The potter's house

Go down to the potter's house and I will give you a message. Jer. 18:2

So last week, like Jeremiah, we went to the potter's house, to see what he had made. We wanted to see how he transformed clay from the ground into something beautiful and functional. His pots were like people - different shapes, colors and sizes. Some had handles, some had spouts and some had nothing, but he created each one. Each had its own story and its own personality, and he knew them all.

To catch a glimpse of the potter's personality, it seemed only natural to surround him with the work of his hands. You can tell by the expression on his face, that they brought him joy.

Summer's end?

So here we are at mid-September in New England. It's 60 degrees today, but it could warm up over the weekend. Do we leave the life jackets on the dock ready to grab, or do we hang them up in the boathouse for the year? Maybe, just maybe, there will be a few more days during the month to take out the boats. But, maybe it's time to face reality, pull in the docks, and store all those water toys.

For some, it's time to pack everything up and head south, unless of course you already live in the south where it's warm all year. But then what do you do when you want to ski? You guessed it, head north for the winter.

Simplicity, the essence of elegance

Simplicity is the essence of elegance when it comes to really fine dining. Even a conventional salt and pepper shaker set looks elegant in the right setting, especially when you add a black and white tuxedo to it in the form of a Sardi's menu.

Remember, while perception is everything, it's always good to have a five-star chef on hand for that added touch.