fall is here in earnest i think now * i know i have said this before *

we've even gotten some frosts!

feather/fan-zepher lilac-3needle

*** ty to jamlady*** i am hoping next rhinebeck is a less stressful on me- i was worried about the van

we got the potatoes in for the winter, i finished painting the front door
bernie is going to repair the studio roof for the moment
(we'll order more wood in about a month)
i am planning on getting the cess pool pumped too before winter
all in all except for not having room for the chicken breasts ....we're ready i think
this fall is definitely better then last fall

i am still in the process of stocking the freezer with reheatable meals.
i did more breaded pork chops as they were fast and very easy for me
i am planning on more enchiladas, meatloaf, and i am really trying hard to get things like sliced chicken and mashed potatoes with gravy in there... i'll just have to bite the bullet so to speak and roast some chicken along with making mashed and package the ENTIRE MEAL up for the freezer....
i even told bernie that i was considering making two turkeys for thanksgiving..one for us and one for the freezer as cooked/sliced

i am not doing as large a batch at a time lately, but i am still keeping up with batch cooking
i want to do meat loaf again
sauce
 and stuffed peppers too
and chicken casseroles.... with veggies- right now the freezer is loaded with veggies and cheeses!
i would like about 20 recooked meals in there.... that along with the raw but frozen food should get me through painting til the end of the year (IF i can get the 20 precooked done)

in painting, i am trying to decide if i am to continue with the arctic series or go on to the teacup/teapot still life series...
i have six of the arctic
i would need 7 more for a calender.....
i will say it was not only a challenge but a departure and something not seen every day
but i follow the muse and the muse right now is silent
i am however getting 'colored pencil' tweeks.... and i am trying to figure a way around 250.00 for the lightfast ones... sadly i don't think there IS a way around that .....except a 35% off sale
they are for botanical work....
the other ones are not light fast and i refuse to put that much work into something that will fade

ok the van....is screaming it's fool head off... there have been some problems....but bernie plans on fixing them tomorrow ...they would have been done yesterday but the tire place cross threaded the lugs so we had to rush the van there this morning to get that taken care of
we are hoping this is it for trouble with the van...
we are still kicking around the VW turbo diesel ....do we get a certified preowned...or a new one.
and which one? i HATE cars, i love vans.... suv's are ok....but really a car to me is worthless, i can't get hay into it easily... or plywood... so i want something i can haul with... even as a second car

ok.... now (which is several hours after i originally started this blog post), i have laid out and started washing in a teacup
i think i should be doing it in either colored pencil or pen/ink with colored inks washed over but i am working with watercolor ATM.....
i did the bottom defining shadow and thought to myself 'oops, i'm in trouble already'

oye

ok off i go now (sorry i forgot to actually post this post before)