What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?

What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?
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Monday, August 31, 2026

Tuesday 4~ Traditions (& More!)

 (Posted on August 31!)  Oh yes! It's September 1st, and even though fall is not officially here for a few more weeks, September always makes us think fall from day one, even though we still haven't had Labor Day, which is usually the last summer event and then I begin my fall decorations after that. However, since Labor Day seems a little bit "late" this year, some rules may be broken. So here's the Tuesday 4 post for this week, but I've added a few extras that I usually do on the first of the month...i.e....the Calendar Roll Call.

So grab a cup of hot pumpkin spice tea or coffee and sit back and enjoy the "show". 

Tradition


 Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.
Tradition is an important part of any family or community and so important that people will fight to be sure they are not neglected or done away with.
From the first day of Autumn, to Halloween, All Saints Day, and Thanksgiving autumn brings many different traditions from all around the world.
School kids cut out paper leaves, pumpkins,etc. Homemakers change decor to reflect the new season.
Sweaters come out of storage... the weather is changing.


1. Why is tradition important to you?
I think traditions help us to mark special occasions and holidays and make them more memorable for our families. Many traditions have been handed down from generation to generation, and some traditions may be new and exclusive to our own current generation. Either way, I love traditions and doing things with my family that we all look forward to.  As I said above, I may be adding some other current events into this post, and here's one of our family traditions...the Birthday Cake/candle blowout. 
Yesterday we celebrated our son's birthday (which was actually Friday) here at home with our immediate family. No matter how old we are, we all enjoy having a birthday cake and candles and hearing people sing Happy Birthday to us. Here's the video of us singing to our son yesterday and him blowing out his "55" candles. LOL.


Now, here is the first try "blooper" video...we started to sing, and my hubby was doing something silly and we got to laughing so hard we had to stop singing and start over. It was worth sharing, I think.




2. Have family traditions helped to shape who you are?
Yes, I definitely think so. My parents were really big into traditions for Christmas and Easter and birthdays. We have carried on many of those traditions with our own children throughout the years, and we still do things like setting up a train set under the Christmas tree and hunting for Easter Baskets even now when our kids are all grown. It's the fun side of the holidays that our family always looks forward to, and it helps connect our family together.

3. Do you believe that tradition helps a community or shapes the unity of family and community?
Most definitely.  I love it when towns have annual traditions of things like a Christmas Parade or a Fall Festival or  4th of July fireworks or other special events that are special to that community. It helps identify their community and builds communal strength when people  come together and enjoy the fun times as well as the other times, when people need to be there for each other.

4. Are there any traditions you would like to bring back and why?
Not sure of any at the moment that we don't already do.  And every community/church/school is different in the kinds of things they like to do traditionally. That's why I love living in a smaller town and attending a small church where people do like to get together and do special events.

Now here is one of MY traditions for the first of every month...the Calendar Roll Call! Are you ready? Let's go!

I love this Thomas Kinkade painting for September...It's entitled "Morning Pledge", and if you notice the kids are gathered around the flagpole in front of the school house.  I love the old classic cars in this picture too.  I know some schools do still have the "See You At The Pole" day, where they say the pledge and also pray for their school. It's voluntary, but such a great way to start the school year. This year's SYATP event is scheduled for September 23, 2026. You can learn more about that in the link above.

And this verse is a great way to put things in order in our lives:

I love the little cabin on my Cabin Calendar for September...What a peaceful setting. The only thing this cabin needs is a big front porch!

This recipe for a Cranberry Apple Crisp is on the Susan Branch calendar for September. It sounds really good. I may have to try it!!!

Apples always seem to go well with September!!



Interesting thought to ponder:

This is the Billy Graham quotes calendar for September...

and a very good thought also to ponder...


And this verse goes along with that thought...

Here's the Teapot Calendar for September...a very unusual looking tea set, I must say...

Here's some information about it... I don't think it's exactly my idea of what a teapot should look like,  but it is interesting for sure.

I don't know if I am THIS fond of tea, but I do love it... LOL:


And last but not least, the John Sloane Country Seasons calendar for September shows this farmwife peeling apples for an apple pie...which goes along with my idea of September just fine. 

My birthday is later this month, and talk about tradtions, my mother used to bake an apple for me for my birthday instead of a cake (at my request). I do miss her wonderful pies so much, but now my sister usually does that for me, or she picks up one from Costco, which is pretty good. Here'a picture of a couple of my sister's pies on my birthday several years ago... (I think she baked two because we had a large group there, and I notice there was also a cake, brought by my sister in law! What a blessing!)

I think I was listening to them sing Happy Birthday to me! LOL.

Another September tradition is decorating the house for the autumn days and weeks...I normally wait until after Labor Day to begin my fall decorating, but the "kids" helped me get a head start yesterday with this little gift that they created:


Aren't they cute?  Especially the black cat!!  Now that I have my own black cat, I find myself drawn to all kinds of fun decor with black cats!

Oh, here's Blackie now,slieeping with one of his "toys".  Actually that toy belongs to our grandpups, but Blackie decided it was now his.  


Well, friends, that's all for this post. I am posting it early tonight because we have to go back up the road an hour + tomorrow morning to see the Eye Surgeon again. Hubby's eye is still not really doing as well as it should be since his cataract surgery, and so we are going to get it checked out.  This will be a busy rest of the week...I have a dental appointment on Wednesday, then on Thursday there's the Memorial Service for the man in our church who passed away last week..  On Friday hubby has a Dr. appointment over in Gainesville, which is another hour's drive in a different direction.  Somewhere during this week we need to fit in some hair cuts because we are looking like shaggy dogs.  So I may not be around much here in Blogland, but I will try to pop in as I am able.

Have a blessed and wonderful week everyone.




29 comments:

  1. I love the laughing video - made me laugh too!
    Traditions are good for the most part I think. This made me think of when our son was young and I used to make certain treats at Christmas. I had made something one time and the next year he told me I had to make it again - "it's a tradition!" Hmmm, I think he was just using that to get something he liked.

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    1. Glad we could make you laugh! It 's a good way to start the month. And I love how kids can create the new traditions for us by reminding us what we "always" did. Children do love traditions, and that's why I think they are so important to do...old ones as well as new ones! Your son was pretty smart!

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  2. I love traditions. I took for granted how much effort my parents put into our wonderful childhood traditions. Well worth the effort.

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    1. Yes, we don't realize just how special those extra traditions and special days were until they are no more. That's why it's important to keep some traditions going for the next generations to come. It's a way of connecting our history with our future. Thank you for visiting!

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  3. I enjoyed your answers to this week's meme questions. I also enjoyed the September Kincade calendar prints. The theme you have of apple pie suited me well since my cousin baked an apple pie and sent me a few pieces along with dinner on Monday night. She is visiting her sister about 1.5 hours away and my brother was there for dinner. I was invited as well but I was feeling tired. I'm glad I stayed home as it turned into a full day's trip for my brother who returned very late to the city. I love the phone of you in front of your birthday pies. You really look like you were enjoying the birthday song so much. September always gets off to a bang. I too have lots of appointments to get to this month like you and your husband. I also have other things I need to do so I may be scarce in visiting your blog. All the best until then dear Pamela.

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    1. September always seems to be the start of all the fall activities and beyond, after a long "lazy" summer. We get back into more of a routine it seems, although now that I'm retired and we don't have kids in school, our routine stays pretty much the same year round, but for some reason the fall and winter really do pick up steam and move along much faster. Oh, how nice you had some fresh apple pie already!! I probably won't have any until my birthday, but that's okay. It makes it more special that way, although apple pie (especially home made) is ALWAYS special!! LOL. Have a blessed rest of your week.

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  4. I am praying that all of the coming appointments go well. Sure hope the eye surgeon has some answers for John's problem! I enjoyed your Tuesday 4, and agree with all you said. Your calendars are always amazing. I have ONE hanging on the fridge. LOL Sending love and hugs!!

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    1. Thank you, Terri. The eye dr. prescribed some strong steroid drops and will see him again in a month. Hopefully that will do the trick. Prayers are always appreciated! Blackie sends his love to you and your kitties.

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  5. The new decos are cute and simple is often the best tradition. Hope all goes well with the follow-up eye appointment for John.

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    1. Thank you Beatrice! Yes, simple is best! The eye appt. went well and some strong steroid drops were prescribed. Hopefully they will do the trick, and we will go back in a month to be checked again.

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  6. I got such a kick out of your videos, Pamela. Thanks for the laugh! And seeing your calendars is something I look forward to at the start of each month. Hope all goes well for John today! Blessings to you both!

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    1. Thank you, Martha. I'm glad you enjoyed the "laugh" and all the rest. Thank you for your prayers. The eye Dr. prescribed some strong steroid drops to take for several weeks, and then he'll see him again. Hopefully that will take care of it. Prayers are always appreciated.

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  7. Blackie has fit in perfectly as a family member. Blackie Steiner home at last. I like Joseph Kinkaids paintings so very much. They just draw me inside them to life in a small town. I've always lived in small towns and love that kind of life so much. This was a lovely post and I enjoyed it a lot. Thanks for joining in.

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    1. LOL. Yes, Blackie is quite the little family member. He knows how to rule the roost around here. He does make life more interesting. And yes, this September's Thomas Kinkade painting is full of life in an American town back in the 50's, the way it was when we were kids. Sweet memories. Thank YOU for making this meme happen each week.

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    2. LOL. Yes, Blackie is quite the little family member. He knows how to rule the roost around here. He does make life more interesting. And yes, this September's Thomas Kinkade painting is full of life in an American town back in the 50's, the way it was when we were kids. Sweet memories. Thank YOU for making this meme happen each week.

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  8. Love your answers to September 1st.
    Both Dave and I are into traditions and how they make us feel connected . Our sons seem to carry on some of them too, which I am so glad they do.
    Praying for John and the continued issues with his eye. Praying he gets some answers and healing comes asap.
    Love the wooden Blackie.
    I agree about the cabin by the river needing a porch. All that gorgeous view and 2 tiny windows just doesn't cut it with me. Gotta see all of that Fall !!!
    (((hugs)))
    Sue

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    1. You are a girl after my own heart, re: the front porch on the cabin and the view! My sentiments exactly! LOL. Thank you for the prayers for John's eye. They prescribed some strong steroid drops to take for a few weeks and then he'll go back. The cornea was very swollen. Glad we went!

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  9. Happy Tuesday Traditions, busy girl! Growing up, my little family of 3 had few traditions, but oh, how I miss them. Your parade of calendars never fails to captivate -- altho' I'm scratching my head at the "teapot", lol. I'm holding John in my prayers for his eye "issues."
    As for the rest of the month? Keep telling yourself, "The best is yet to come!"

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    1. Thank you, Myra. We appreciate the prayers...and the kind wishes. And yes, even just a few traditions were special I know. It's what our memories tend to be made of...those things that we knew we could count on happening year after year. They are precious memories.ioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioioio OH MYRA...that last ioio message was from Blackie especially for you! He jumped up on my desk and on my keyboard, and that's what he had to say! LOL. You are very special to get your very own message from Blackie this morning! LOL.

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  10. Dear Pamela, I love this post and illustrations from your calendar. You look gorgeous and you have a beautiful smile.
    The video made me laugh.

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    1. Thank you, Linda. You are very kind! Then again, that picture is about 13 years old! LOL. And yes, I'm glad the video made you laugh. Laughter IS the best medicine!

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  11. My Grandpa used to call everyone on their birthday and sing happy birthday. Your videos made me think of that. It is such a happy memory for me. It stopped though when he passed away. I love traditions. Loved your answers! Have a nice week!

    https://lorisbusylife.blogspot.com/

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    1. My parents also used to call us and also their grandchildren on their birthdays to sing Happy Birthday. Now my hubby and I try to call members of our extended family and do the same thing...we sing a duet. Everyone appreciates it, but it's still not quite the same as hearing "Grandma and Grandpa" singing. I wish I could've saved it and still listen to it.

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  12. Hi Pamela, your calendar pictures are so nice! Do you use a regular camera? That is a cute picture of Blackie with the toy. Laughter is good medicine!

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    1. Good Morning, Susan. Yes, I use a regular camera for outdoor long distance photos, but I mostly use my cell phone camera for everything else these days. It does a pretty good job and is so much faster than my regular camera, which is old and is getting slower with age (like me! LOL).

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  13. The tradition of getting together for birthdays is a good one I work hard at keeping but with my family more spread out, it is getting harder. Love the wooden black cat!

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  14. We rarely celebrate birthdays with our kids anymore because hey aren’t near us. Except Piper. We always sing Happy Birthday to her. I loved both videos but especially the blooper reel. Ha!
    The calendars are great as alway and sweet Blackie with his toy is darling. Praying for the doctor visits to go well. too.
    Blessings and hugs,
    Betsy

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  15. Awww I loved your answers, photos and the videos were great. So much fun.

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  16. You make life to much fun and everyone that gets to be part of your life is blessed! Enjoy your afternoon sweet lady! Hugs, Diane

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