Beautiful Countdown to Fall Features!

Hi friends! Welcome back to this week's Thursday Favorite Things Party! My regular followers know that I live in Northern California. So, yes, I am in the middle of all those historic wildfires going on right now, that's the bad news. The good news, is that they are gaining ground on them, finally, and that though I've been living inside from smoke and ash, I am NOT in one of the actual fire zones. Don't get me wrong, twenty minutes or less from some in more than one direction and we have had our GO bag ready, but, thankfully, have not had to use it. Enough of that! 

Wacky Summer Weather!

I don't know about you guys but this Summer has had some pretty wacky weather here, in northern California! Since Sunday we have had record highs (and I mean 106-108F in my town, to world record breaking highs elsewhere in the state) to thousands of lightning strikes, marble-sized hail...
This is not normal in my area and has, unfortunately, started a great many huge fires. Thankfully, although we have woken to ash on everything and can barely escape the smoke, the fires you have probably been hearing about are not in my actual town. Thanking God for that and knocking on wood. However, a great many people, nearby, have lost everything. Many, many prayers to them and their families. May we all find safe haven and some true peace soon

(Co-hostess, Amber, from Follow the Yellow Brick Road's) Enjoying Peaches In Recipes and Decor “National Peach Month” (above)

The features are just a few from all of the wonderful blogs shared every week. If you missed last week’s party please click Here.

Grateful and Getting On with a Very Different August

Good morning friends! Before I get to this week's party, I would like to personally thank each and every one of you so much for your kind and comforting words of support and prayers for my family's loss. Your comments were soothing to my soul in a very difficult time. Thank you seems inadedequate. 

Thursdays Favorite Things and a Very Sad Announcement

This is not the usual Thursday Favorite Things.

My friends, I don't exactly know how to write the next line... I'm sure I'm a bit off and probably will mess this up... 

My family has suffered a great loss. My beautiful, fun-loving, 58-year-old, Sister has died, suddenly and unexpectedly from a heart attack. My family is still attempting to grasp this truth. I'm, afraid we are doing the best we can and it will take some time to wrap our heads around this. I wouldn't normally write about this here but my sister was so proud of my blog and a regular follower and was so pleased with the way I wrote about my Dad's passing that I believe she would want me to share the news here too.