I can’t recall the last time we took a week and just went meandering. A perfect place for this is New England in the fall and it appears we timed leaf peeping just right. Thanks for joining me today and I hope you love these glimpses into autumn back East.

Our first spontaneous hotel selection was the Simsbury 1820 house in Simsbury, Connecticut. Even though I was born and raised in this state, there are many parts of it I have never visited.

While in Simsbury, we hiked up Talcott Mountain and toured the Heublein tower located at the top. Thankfully the State of Connecticut saved it from developers and it is now a state park for all to enjoy.

From Simsbury we drove to Kent, CT and stayed at the Starbuck Inn, which was right in town and walking distance to shops and restaurants.

The innkeeper, Peter Starbuck provided a delicious breakfast and a view of these gorgeous hydrangeas in his backyard.

From there, we drove to Kent Falls and hiked the path to the top of the falls.

Stockbridge, Massachusetts provided a photo of an exceeding large pumpkin (over 1000 lbs.) and a stay at the Red Lion Inn.

This sweet town was home to illustrator and artist, Norman Rockwell and has a museum in his honor (that is certainly worth visiting).

Our last stop was in Old Saybrook, Connecticut which was home base for 4 days. The Saybrook Point Inn & Spa is located right on the water (my favorite) and here is a morning view from our room.

From here we were able to see family and friends; attend my high school reunion and go for bike rides and long walks.

Here are a few more of my favorite photos!

Thanks for tagging along with me on my week off. Happy Tuesday, my friends!

Since it is National Dog Week or Day (who decides these things?) I thought I would share with you the ways I spoil our dogs. I’ve often said I want to be reincarnated as one of our pets. They have the life of Riley.

It’s a long story as to why I started supplementing their dry store-bought dog food with homemade food, but what a difference this had made in their interest in mealtime and overall health. The fresh homemade food is mixed in with their morning and evening kibble. Their reaction is pure excitement! Quite honestly, with a little salt and pepper I would eat this too.

It is NOT hard to make your own dog food, and it only takes a few hours to do so. I multiply this recipe x 6 and it provides enough dog food for 1 month. This recipe is from The Whole Pet Diet by Andi Brown. I highly recommend this book if your dog (or cat) is having any health issues. Look at the fresh ingredients!

The dog food is then divided into daily portions and put in the freezer.

I also make Beautiful Coat oil, an essential fatty acid blend, rich in vitamins A, D and E that is added to each meal. This oil benefits their skin, heart, eyes and immune system. I typically triple this recipe as we use it daily for both our dogs and cats.

PawDiet sends out texts regarding pet food recalls. It is astounding how the quality of pet food varies and often, the recall warnings include salmonella or listeria, which often can contaminate humans.

As a result, I make the snacks for our pets, too. It is so easy and simple, and the pets LOVE them. When a large, good quality steak goes on sale (did you know Safeway has to mark down their meat after 24 hours?)), I turn it into dog snacks. Cut the steak into strips, whatever thickness you like ~~I tend to do thin slices. Bake in your oven on a cookie sheet for 1 hour at 250 degrees. I put them in Ziplock bags and freeze.That’s it!

It has been SO hot here and I can only imagine how uncomfortable it gets for big, hairy dogs. Typically I would buy Frosty Paws (dog ice cream sold in the grocery store’s refrigerated section), but I noticed a lot of ingredients that I can’t pronounce. I experimented this morning with a frozen yogurt/berry treat.

This recipe is from Home is Where the Boat Is ~~I ordered the dog themed silicon trays from Amazon. Of course, our beagle, Sox LOVED them, but Cooper wasn’t so sure. Perhaps I will try it with peanut butter next time.

I would imagine I am re-directing all my mothering instincts to the pets, now that the children are gone. Regarding costs, I do look for fresh items on sale and stock up (like today barley was marked down). The costs and time justify the means because the end result is a good one~~happy, healthy pets with less visits to the vet.

Hello, my friends! It feels so good to be back and writing to you. My friend, Lisa, recently sent me this.

This summer I have made a concerted effort to reduce my use of technology and screen time. I can honestly say that it is so joyful not to be tethered to a device, plus I have so much more time to get things done. Unfortunately a side effect is that I haven’t been blogging as much.

It’s hard to believe that August is upon us.

Unlike most parts of the country in the summer, Phoenix is the last place you want to be in July and August. Not only is it hot, but it is often the beginning of monsoon season so we get to enjoy high heat AND humidity. The upside is that there is no traffic, no lines, no congestion, but escaping to cooler locations is what most people do.

We just returned from our annual 2 week summer vacation in Newport Beach, California.

Staring at the Pacific Ocean allowed me time to contemplate the possible next steps in life. We’ve been vacationing in Newport and going to the same places for YEARS but now the children are heading off in their own directions. It is bittersweet but re-inventing travel destinations will provide new opportunities and flexibility that we really haven’t had being previously tied to school holidays or vacations.

While in Newport, I was able to paint and got a good start on two new projects. One Sunday morning I had the luxury of painting outside, in my pajamas overlooking the Pacific. The only thing missing was a mimosa!

This painting was inspired by a photo my husband loved of Texas blue bonnets.

I follow Cecilia Rosslee, a painter on Etsy and love her use of color. Her style is fun and loose, which is a very difficult technique for me. Her painting is SO much better but here is my interpretation. Neither paintings are done yet, but I feel like I’m getting closer.

I still haven’t found my over the top fabulous book of the summer yet, but I have had some good reads. I would rate these 4 out of 5 mostly because they were a bit predictable, but pleasant nonetheless.

The Unbreakables by Lisa Barr is “a delicious, sharp novel about a woman who jets off to France after her perfect marriage collapses, putting the broken pieces of herself back together while rediscovering her own joie de vivre”.

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware is a suspenseful novel set at sea on a luxury cruise ship.

Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner is set in a postcard perfect suburban Connecticut town and then there’s a murder. I do enjoy the way Jennifer Weiner writes~~she does have a way with words!

I connected with Riley Costello as she was teaching outdoor exercises classes at our hotel in Newport. She, in addition to being fit, is also an author. This is her first book, Waiting at Hayden’s. When I finished it, I pictured it being made into a Hallmark movie. Riley has trademarked an interesting concept called ShopFiction. In the book, when she describes a character’s outfit, for example, you can click on the link, see the dress and then purchase it. Obviously you need a Kindle or other electronic format, but it’s rather clever to see the characters come to life.

Do you have any good books to share? Hoping you are having a fabulous summer! Stay cool! I become an official empty nester in a few weeks and I’m trying to embrace the new life stage with grace……yikes.

We are up in the cooler mountains for the July 4th holiday week. The temperatures have soared in Phoenix so we are truly enjoying the higher altitude.

Since the homespun Bull Frog Loop parade goes right by our cabin, we typically host a patriotic brunch set up in the kitchen ~~an easy spread so our guests can grab and go while watching the parade.

For several years we had an unused side deck that we recently converted to seating and dining rooms. Here is where we will have our sit-down dinner.

I’ve never used a paper table runner, but I ordered this red and white striped one from Hester & Cook (a great tip from friend and fellow blogger, Lory from To Have To Host)

The white enamel metal plates (from Formation purchased from Target)I borrowed from my dear friend, Janie.

The antique blue Staffordship Rowland & Marsellus Co. plates were purchased on Etsy. I love how each plate is different~~from Cincinnati City Hall to Theodore Roosevelt images!

The napkins are from my collection. I made a simple napkin ring from red. white and blue ribbon I had from years ago. I just stapled the ends together!

The flowers were purchased from the local Safeway. Since I don’t have many vases here at the cabin, I used dessert dishes instead.

Whatever your plans are for the 4th of July, I wish you a safe and patriotic one. We live in such a wonderful country and have enjoyed our freedoms for nearly 250 years. Happy July 4th, my friends!!

I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.” – Abraham Lincoln

I cannot believe it has been nearly a month since I last posted. But as you know from my previous post, I’m in a bit of a transition and taking a step back for re-evaluation. Thank you so much for your kind words of support and encouragement!!

However, I’ve missed you! I thought I would send you a note today to let you know what I’ve been up to.

The general rule of thumb is when the temperature reaches 100 degrees, it is officially summer here. Due to the long, cool and rainy Spring we had, the garden is so abundant!

My tomatoes are FABULOUS! Every day, I go and collect a basketful of various ones-from cherry to pear, to Early Girl and am still waiting for the beefsteaks to ripen.

The peaches this year were so good, we had to fight the birds for them.

A few years back we planted two apricot trees and finally have the best apricots ever! They are small but so flavorful.

The garden has been providing daily gifts of zucchini, spaghetti squash, grapes and fresh herbs.

If you are looking for the easiest salad EVER, please try this one. Simple ingredients consist of fresh tomatoes, apricots, mint, feta cheese, olive oil and salt and pepper. I did drizzle some thick aged balsamic on the top. I have been making and eating this salad every day. Click here for the recipe from Serious Eats.

On a personal note, my youngest daughter graduated from high school at the end of May. As a celebration gift, we took the whole family (plus friends) to St. Kitts for a vacation. St. Kitts is located in the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean. One side of St. Kitts is on the Atlantic; the other on the Caribbean. It was after high season and before hurricane season so we had timed it perfectly!

One of the highlights of the trip was TURNING OFF MY PHONE FOR A WEEK. It was glorious. My whole family was together and I was able to be focused on them and not be distracted with technology. Truly fabulous.

When I returned, I spent one week painting everyday. I was able to finish “my girl” and started on 2 new paintings. I will continue to doodle until they feel “done”.

I am trying to master an easy cherry pie recipe this summer (as it is my husband’s favorite). I attempted one but failed miserably (don’t use Trader Joe’s frozen cherries). The crust was good though! Once I achieve it, I will definitely share!

Coming soon: My summer reading and movie list are taking shape and will share with you next time!

Happy Summer my friends!

For the most part, I would consider myself to be an optimist. I choose to look on the sunny side of life. But feeling immense happiness and weeping at the same time seems so incongruous. It’s an odd fit.

This past month has been a series of beginnings and endings. My middle child, Julianna, graduated college. It was a big milestone for her and of course, for us. A mixed bag of emotions~~tremendous pride because she is such a beautiful individual with so much to offer our world; a deep joy in watching her success; a sense of accomplishment that we have gotten yet another child through college; and sadness that life seems to be going so fast. Wasn’t it just yesterday that she was sitting on my lap as I was reading her a bedtime story?

Our youngest daughter, Elisabeth had her senior prom. Geez, I remember my senior prom like it was yesterday. She has grown up to be a lovely young woman, full of excitement about her future. College decisions are made, finals are around the corner, and she will be off to start her new life in August. Our son flew home for the festivities and the nest was full. So was my heart.

We were able to spend even more time with our son, Benjamin during a recent business trip to Washington, DC. He took me to his new office. Boy, have things changed! His workplace was more like a fine hotel, 5 star restaurant, state of the art gym facilities and desks that move when you do. So exciting for him….and I am so happy and proud.

Our Nation’s capital never disappoints as we walked the Mall during one warm evening.

My heart is bursting with pride that we have 3 marvelous individuals that we are giving to the world. But with that comes a sense sadness that is a new experience for me. Where did all the years go?

Motherhood has been the best job of my life. I’ve been a corporate executive, a small business owner and have volunteered countless hours. I know that my role as mother will continue, albeit in a different way, but I feel like I am being fired from the best job I’ve ever had.

I am also realizing that I am now on the back side of the bell curve where graduating college, getting my first job, looking forward to love are all behind me. My youth and many “firsts” are in the rear view mirror.

What new things will I be able to look forward to and get excited about? What will my journey look like? It feels like I am straddling two boats and know soon I will need to lift my foot from one only to plant it firmly on the other. This in between time is certainly an interesting one. Being so happy and sad at the same time is a bit unsettling.

For those of you who have experienced this, I would gladly welcome your perspective. Things are changing rapidly. I DO know that I will come out on the other side~~I’m just not sure what the other side will be.