The End of Roses

My mother volunteered to arrange flowers for church on Sunday. She has the flower arranging gift. She also has an eye to spot flowers around town going begging, so we stopped at a local retirement home (where she'd already asked permission), and she snipped a bunch of late red roses. It's a massive bush of "Knock-out" roses.

It was windy, so please excuse her wild hair. She's grinning at an elderly lady, sitting in the walkway. Mother is very friendly, particularly with old ladies. For some reason, she's not one yet. I'm not exactly sure why. Well, she is occasionally an Old Lady when she's at the grocery store, and she needs someone to get something for her that's way over by the milk aisle. But that's deliberate.

One of the blossoms:

I still have the orange rose that Peter gave me at the football game over a week ago. I took its picture, after one week, and see how well it lasted!

Today it was finally flagging and drooping, so I removed it from the water and hung it upside down to dry.

I love shadows made by late autumn light.

Mother brought her flowers home from church. We're having the ladies' circle meeting here at the house tomorrow, so she's "fluffed" them up, and there they are, pretty as ever, on her dining table. We're at the end of the roses for this year, but we're making the most of it!

And if any of you church ladies are reading this, please come to circle tomorrow! Adam is making his blueberry scones, and they'll be fresh and warm from the oven -- yummy!