A Puttery Day and a Special Visit

It's Saturday, I haven't gone anywhere, and it's perfectly lovely. The past three weekends have been full with guests, and/or going away. It was time to stay home and get some things done. 

One thing on my list still isn't done - picking the grapes. With the purple ones I'll make and can juice, and we'll eat the green ones. Both varieties are sweet and delicious. 

I went on a very special outing this week to meet up with two blogging friends. Honora of Pondside and I have visited several times; she lives in town, but Mary of A Breath of Fresh Air lives in North Carolina. She let us know that she would be in town and Honora made reservations for dinner at the Oak Bay Marina Restaurant.

How lovely it was to sit at a table overlooking the water and watch the lights on the boats begin to sparkle. Conversation was non-stop and we were some of the last people in the restaurant. Our husbands came along and their end of the table was lively, too. 

It's the first day of autumn - an auspicious day to clean the house that badly needed attention after the previous weeks. I changed out a few things in the china hutch and re-potted a number of plants.

A total of 2 rudbeckia blooms graced my garden this year. I ruthlessly plucked them today and combined them with marigolds and sage leaves for a long, low arrangement on the dining room table. 

A tidy house is a wonderful thing. Aaah, says my mind and soul. After I took this photo I tweaked a couple of things - do you do that after seeing a photo? 

After dusting and vacuuming I changed the round blue wicker basket for this more autumnal natural one. I find trays on the coffee table are good for harnessing a number of things - among them the television remote and coasters. There's often a pen or pencil in the basket, too.

And so it's autumn. Last night was wet and rainy, today the sun shone, but now, in late afternoon, the wind is picking up and tossing the trees with wild abandon. 

I'll be linking with Mosaic Monday, hosted by Maggie of Normandy Life.