Autumn Leaves, Sweet, Sweet Autumn Leaves

The heat of Summer has passed and while the days are still nice and warm, there is one thing that is sure, the leaves will be turning their beautiful colors within the next few weeks.

It's a glorious time of year, that has many people enjoying not only the cooler weather, but also the fantastic shades of orange, red, burgundy and yellows that you can ever find. Seeing these beautiful colors in the trees is breathtaking!   Everyone's children will be busy searching for the most perfect leaf to add to their school projects or artwork.

It's only after a few weeks when the beauty of the leaves has faded and they are everywhere but on the trees, that people start to be annoyed.

With a few great tools, this annoyance will soon be dealt with.  Gathering up those leaves is a task that can be made fun and easy.  You just need the right tools.......

Don't you know  that what has fallen from the trees is pure gold?  Not the kind that you can make jewelry from, but the kind that when it's put back into the garden, will make everything next year grow that much better, stronger and keep your soil in top condition.  And it is FREE!

Let me help you turn your annoyance into happiness by showing you how to make your gardens the happiest ever and get rid of your leaves at the same time.

If you are a gardener, you will be eyeing everyone's big brown bags of leaves, with thoughts of stealing them right off of the front stoop.  If theft is not in your character, I'm sure you could ask for those bags of leaves and the owners will happily give them to you.

Now what do you do with all those leaves?

With one of these tools, you shred the leaves that you have gathered, or the ones you got from your neighbors and turn those leaves into small particles of green matter.

Because they are organic and now shredded into small bits, they will break down a lot faster than if you leave (no pun intended) them just as they fell off the trees.

Dig around all your shrubs and bushes and turn this garden gold into the soil around all those shrubs. replace the soil that you lifted.    Do this in your flower gardens too! If you have a vegetable patch, dig a trench, fill the trench with the shredded leaves and replace the soil.  Dig another trench and fill it with shredded leaves.  Keep doing this until you have used all the garden gold you have produced and see what happens next year!

You won't be disappointed and Mother Nature will applaud you for doing a really good thing for your garden.

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Limitless, The Movie - Now a TV Series

Limitless, The Movie

Have you ever seen this Movie? Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish, and Robert De Niro are the stars.

The Movie has now morphed into a TV Series carrying the same title as the movie 'Limitless.'

Perhaps you caught the TV Season opener this past week (September 2015)? It was entertaining, and I'll include this one on 'my fave new fall shows' list. 

Although the TV series stars are Jake McDorman and Jennifer Carpenter, fans of Bradley Cooper will still see him in several episodes playing the character he becomes in the Movie, 'Senator Edward Mora' ... enough of a reason to watch!

In the Movie, Bradley Cooper plays Eddie Morra, a struggling artist with a case of writers' block that essentially spirals him into a less than stellar life.  

He runs into the brother of his ex-girlfriend, who introduces him to a drug designed to take the human brain from 20% usage to essentially 100% usage. The Movie offers a lot of twists and turns and certainly keeps your interest all the way to the end. 

I've always been fascinated by the untapped power and mystery of the human mind and wondered what society would be like if our brains worked at 100% capacity. If every living soul operated at maximum potential, would that generate more good, evil, or both?

In the movie, Eddie Morra is learning at light speed, working at maximum capacity - he learns to play the piano in three hours, he learns new languages almost instantly and he becomes a financial genius. 

Here's the 2011 Movie Trailer for Limitless:

Can you imagine having that kind of brain power?

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It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown Movie Review

A Halloween Tradition

One of the best traditions on Halloween is to watch, "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown."  Everybody loves the Peanuts gang, and when you couple them with Halloween, it is bound to be a smash hit!

We usually gather around the tv as a family to support Linus as he waits for the visit from the Great Pumpkin and to cheer Snoopy as he battles the Red Baron.  Yes, by now, we can recite sections of the show ourselves, but that is part of the fun of our Halloween tradition.

It makes for a fun and very entertaining evening, especially when we break out the popcorn, hot dogs and cokes!

The Great Fall

 Fathead Wall Decal, Real Big,One very memorable moment in "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," is the "agreement" between Lucy and Charlie Brown.

Lucy agrees to hold the football for Charlie Brown to kick.  She even gives him a signed document that states that she will not pull the football away. Trusting and believing Lucy will honor her signed agreement, Charlie Brown falls for her trick which subsequently ends in him falling on his back when she pulls the football away.

While I know some people would view this as being rather mean, I always laugh.  It actually reminds me of growing up with 5 siblings.  Granted, Lucy is not related to Charlie Brown, but they still act like brother and sister.  To be completely honest here, I could easily see myself holding the football while one of my own brothers advanced for the kick.  Of course, you all know I would only pull away for fear of being accidentally kicked myself, right? 

A Great Charlie Brown T-Shirt

Isn't it funny how Charlie Brown has a simple t-shirt that that we ALL recognize as belonging to Charlie Brown?

 Peanuts Charlie Brown Costume T-Shirt-X-LargeCheck Price

I think that is one of the things that makes us all love the Peanuts Gang.  The are just regular kids, living regular lives, with everyday activities.  In some base way, we identify with them and it is awesome to realize that things will be okay and most of the time, they will turn out alright.  We just pick ourselves up from our "great falls" to try again another day.  Children need that reassurance.  Actually, we all need that reassurance.

Of course, it is pretty cool to be able to read a dog's mind like we are allowed to do with Snoopy.

The Great Wait for the Great Pumpkin

Every year as I watch Linus' anticipation of seeing the Great Pumpkin, I wish the show would change and the Great Pumpkin would appear for Linus.  He is so believing and devoted.  Year after year when he is disappointed, I am disappointed.

Not only is Linus ridiculed by his "friends" for believing in the Great Pumpkin, but he is maligned by Sally when she realizes that she missed trick or treating to wait with him for the Great Pumpkin who never materializes.  Again, my heart goes out to Linus as he patiently endures her tirade.

But you know what is pretty cool!  Linus goes right on caring about Sally and being her friend. 

The Great Sister

 Peanuts by Jim Shore Lucy in Witch Costume Collectible Figurine
The biggest surprise on that Halloween evening, is Lucy's uncharacteristic kindness toward Linus.  Even though she grumbles and complains about it, she does ask for extra candy for her little brother while she is trick or treating.

Another kindhearted scene that is actually part of the video clip above, is when Lucy wakes in the middle of the night and discovers that Linus is not in his bed, she ventures out to the pumpkin patch to find him.

Lucy walks him home, takes his shoes off, covers him with his blanket and allows Linus to promptly falls back to sleep.

No unkind words or criticism.  Simply an act of love and care.  Something we could all learn from for sure.

The Great Battle

After over 40 years of seeing Snoopy dressed as a World War I Flying Ace and fighting the Red Baron while "flying" his Sopwith Camel dog house, most of us don't even remember that this is the episode where that little "sorte" took place.

Yes, it was Halloween that inspired Snoopy to don his now legendary red scarf and take to the air in search of the infamous Red Baron.

It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown DVD 

Every family should have a copy, or two, of this brilliant classic.  Not only is it entertaining, but it reinforces the importance of love, caring for one another, sticking together, getting mad and getting over it and not forgetting what is most important in this life.  The value of a friend and family.

Buy it today because you will want to have it on hand for Halloween viewing!

 It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (Remastered Deluxe Edition)

 

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Autumn Art

Colorful Autumn Art

Autumn is my favorite time of the year.  I love the cool crisp days, the wonderful foods that are popular in autumn (especially dishes with apples and pumpkins), the displays at farmers markets and especially all of the beautiful colors of fall everywhere.

My husband and I love to travel in the fall of the year and I have been fortunate to be able to photograph autumn throughout the United States and in Canada.  I love to use these photos to decorate my home.

In the photos below you will see the many different subjects that make great focal points for fall photography.  I also include some tips for photographers.

Fall and Lighthouses

I love lighthouses so it is no surprise that photographing lighthouses in the fall would be a favorite pass-time of mine.  In the photo above I was able to capture Split Rock lighthouse in Minnesota framed in fall foliage.  I captured this photo by climbing on a rock in a nearby campground and taking the photo between the branches of the tree.

• Photographer Tip---Framing your photograph can add interest to a subject.  Fall leaves are great to use in framing.

Fall in the Country

Fall is especially stunning in the countryside. In the photo above an otherwise simple fall path becomes especially pretty framed in fall foliage. The photo below shows the colorful leaves along a fence line at a friend's farm in Hermann Missouri.

Fall colors on Fenceline by mbgphoto
Browse Autumn colors Tiles

• Photographer Tip--Leading lines add interest to a photograph.  Try finding paths and fence lines to lead the eye into the photo.

Fall and Pumpkins

The photo above shows my young granddaughters picking out their favorite pumpkin at the pumpkin patch.  Pumpkins make great subjects of fall photography.   They are found everywhere and add to the color of the season.

In the photo below we were on a cruise stop in Quebec City Canada during late October.  Old Quebec City was full of colorful fall decorations.  The windows and doors throughout the area were decorated in the colors of the season.  I captured this pumpkin display in a small area between buildings.

Pumpkins in Quebec by mbgphoto

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• Photographer  Tip--Polarizing Filters are a great way to bring out fall colors.  It is like putting sun glasses on your camera. 

Fall Flowers

In this photo fall mums are hanging down over a rock border.

Autumn Mums by mbgphoto

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• Photographers Tip-- Flowers  make beautiful subjects, but make sure the flowers you pick are in good shape.  There is nothing like a dead flower to ruin an otherwise good photo.

Fall in Watercolors

I would think that fall would be a wonderful time for all types of artists.  My friend, Karen, was an excellent water color artist. She loved to make fall scenes come alive on canvass.  Below is a scene she painted of a pumpkin by the fence. Her work can be found on the Zazzle link below.  Karen passed away in June of 2015.  She will be missed. 

Pumpkin watercolor post card by kjmwatercolorsplus
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Fall Leaves

popular autumn scene

Fall leaves are a popular subject for autumn photography. 

Autumn Leaves

The photo below was taken at Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit Missouri.  I was on a hike there during a photography class early one  morning.  The sun had just risen and I was able to capture these fall leaves in the early  morning light.

Fall Leaves by mbgphoto
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• Photographer Tip--Try moving in close for photos of fall leaves.

Fall Reflections

Autumn scenes with water always seem to catch my eye.  I love the way the colors reflect against the quiet water. 

In the photo below, I captured a deserted boat at the edge of a pond in Busch Wildlife Area near my home.

Autumn Morning at the Lake by mbgphoto
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Here is another of my favorite relection photos.  These brightly colored leaves are reflected in the pond at my friend's pond.

Autumn Reflections by mbgphoto

See other Autumn beauty Posters

• Photographers Tip--Although I use a polarizing filter for most autumn photograhy, reflections come out better without the filter.

My Zazzle Store Collection

I have many of my fall photographs on products in my Zazzle store.  The collection below shows you several of the items that are featured in the store.

Autumn Beauty
by mbgphoto

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Reviewing Zinsser An Excellent Primer For DIY Paint Jobs

Before Painting You Should Use A Primer

Around our house we do a lot of  DIY projects which includes paint jobs around the house among other things. We have painted walls, furniture and in our latest project the sub-flooring before we laid adhesive tiles on the bathroom floor. I highly recommend Zinsser when you need to use a primer.

Rust-Oleum 2004 Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 White Water-Based Interior/Exterior Primer Sealer

When it comes to painting either inside or outside it is always a good practice to use a primer first. I know, there are a lot of paints on the market that boast that a primer is already in the paint but honestly, I don't trust that fully. It just isn't as effective as using a product like Zinsser.

One of the reasons that I prefer to go a little old school and use that primer first is that Zinsser has some added protection. It seals the area that I will be painting, it covers up any stains that might be visible and it adds a coat of film that resists mold and mildew. That is particularly handy in bathrooms and on furniture that may be outdoors. It will even inhibit rust from beginning on anything metal.

You might be thinking that if you prepare your surface with a primer like Zinsser that it will add hours to your painting project, but let me assure you that you don't need to worry about that. This product dries fast. I've been able to go to the next step, whether that be adding a coat of paint or applying tiles, in about 1 hour. Yes, it dries that quickly!

I just love this stuff! In the past, I have used other primers but none of them had the added bonuses of the rust and mildew/mold protection. That is important to me and once I found this product I have never considered using anything else.

Clean-up is a breeze, too. Since it is water based all you have to do is wash out your brushes or rollers in warm water. No smelling petroleum based solvents are needed.

I have used it on bare wood, painted wood and metal and the application works well on all of those surfaces. I am, currently,  in the process of painting the exterior trim of our home and am applying Zinsser before I paint. Most of our trim was treated with a stain instead of paint and I did not want to go with stain again. No problem! I can apply the Zinsser primer on top of that stain and then safely cover it with my new fresh paint.

You can find this primer on line by following the link above or you can go to your local home improvement store like Lowe's, Home Depot or Menards. It is pretty easy to find besides being easy to use. So, the next time you have a paint job to tackle, consider using a good primer before you paint. I promise, you will not be disappointed.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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