holidays

We always look forward to going to our cabin for the July 4th holiday. It is much cooler in the mountains of Arizona and this area has a nice small town feel. The highlight is the July 4th parade, which started many years ago by a wonderful neighbor who believed this holiday needed proper celebrating.

Parade Cancelled

Yesterday, we received word that the parade is cancelled this year. My heart sank as it is just one more thing to adjust to during this pandemic. Intellectually I understand, but emotionally, I was really looking forward to it. And our governor has imposed a 30-day lockdown….again. But we will prevail and keep our spirits up. What choice do we have.

Not only is this parade quite fun but every year thousands of dollars is raised through t-shirt sales and donations supporting the local fire department. Being in the mountains, our firefighters are true heroes as the threat of devastating fires is common during our hot summer months. I am hoping there is still a way to donate?

Nonetheless, we will celebrate our independence and freedom in the true spirit of red, white and blue. Today’s post is a compilation of patriotic celebrations over the past few years. Since I barely know what day it is, I haven’t thought ahead on how I will set the table nor what foods I will prepare. But for some reason, like Christmas, it all comes together, right?

Patriotic Brunch

Our July 4th morning starts with a patriotic brunch and I do serve the same dishes every year. Perhaps I should try something new but these recipes continue to be crowd pleasers.

The egg casserole can be served hot or cold~it’s delicious either way. Hard to believe I shared this with you in 2016! Click here for the recipe.

A tried and true coffee cake recipe can be adjusted each year depending on what fruit you have. My 2017 recipe includes raspberries, but it can be made with peaches, pears, apples, or blueberries. Click here for the recipe.

Since we need our fruits and vegetables there is always a green salad and a fruit salad. Our guests tend to linger after the parade so I make a charcuterie board for nibbling. Ha! I just realized I made a 6 pointed star vs. a 5 pointed star with the cheese! I get an A for effort….Here’s the link to the charcuterie board.

Can’t have brunch without a dessert! I was rather ambitious in 2018 when I baked this impressive red, white and blue 8 layer American Flag cake. First of all, I am never going to do this again, as baking in high altitudes is not one of my strengths. But surprisingly, it did taste very good! Here is the link to that post.

What is July 4th without cherry pie? I have yet to master the perfect cherry pie, but I hope to try my friend Gwen’s recipe this year. It is my husband’s favorite.

Typically I set up brunch around the kitchen island so guests can go in and out of the house, eat, watch the parade, eat some more, watch the parade. But with no parade, we will more than likely sit down at the table on the outdoor covered porch. Here are a few pictures from previous events.

The Table

July 4th is a very important holiday. We often take for granted our independence and freedom. On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the United States as an independent nation began.

We live in an amazing country and I will proudly display many flags. Let’s all remember what the flag symbolizes: white signifies purity and innocence; red, hardiness and valor; and blue signifies vigilance, perseverance, and justice. Long may she wave.

What are you doing to celebrate the 4th of July? My next post will be from the mountains! Happy Wednesday, my friends!

Today’s post shared with Charming Cottages and Gardens

and Centerpiece Wednesday Linky Party at Karins Kottage

I hope you had an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend.

The appliance crisis cloud seems to have followed me to our vacation home with three things failing on us. The clothes dryer, the ice maker on the refrigerator and all the electrical plugs in our bedroom. What the heck is going on? I think it is time to take out my sage stick and scare away the home ownership ghouls. I won’t even mention the desk light that kept going on and off by itself.

But, if you own a home, inevitably things will go wrong. I just wish they would spread themselves out and not break the bank.

Some good news. I was able to find time to do a bit of painting (yes, on a canvas!). We have good light at the cabin and so painting amid the peace and quiet is very therapeutic.

Unfortunately, due to COVID, my art classes in Phoenix have been cancelled until September. In a previous blog post, I mentioned following Kelli Folsom’s video still life lessons, Vital Arts with Kelli, with the intention to have the flexibility of online instruction. The ultimate goal is to paint every day. Right now I hope to paint at least every Friday.

The lesson I selected is an antique sugar bowl with oranges.

Here is the photo of the live setup. I believe this arrangement works because orange is the complement of blue ~~they really look lovely together against the rustic wood table.

Kelli’s video instruction is approximately 35 minutes. I like to listen to a good portion of it first, before I start painting. Again, I did this in acrylic paints while Kelli uses oil. Vastly different mediums.

Here is what I love about painting. Everyone has their own interpretation and style. No two are the same. When I see Kelli’s loose brushstrokes, I wish I could paint that way. Her painting of the still life is very different than mine.

Here is my version. It is not quite done yet, as I am in the stage of just staring at it for a few days to see what I can improve upon.

But isn’t this fun to see the differences in style?

What I find most challenging is getting the shadows/darks in the right places, the different values and the scale of the pieces. And orange is one of those colors that is hard to create!

If you recall, I started painting when my middle child went off to college~~nearly 5 years ago. I have never painted before and it is intimidating to start something new at an older age. To see more about my painting journey, click here.

But each time I put the paintbrush on the canvas I learn something. Especially in this time of uncertainty, I find comfort in starting and finishing a project. I’ve decided I am not good with ambiguity as I like beginnings and endings. Doesn’t life seem to be a big blur right now?

Painting is a way for me to spend hours focusing on something else. Tuning out the world and its problems is a good thing.

Do you have a hobby or interest that is therapeutic? If so, please share. Many of us may be at a stage in life where we are looking for new challenges or skills.

Wishing you all a wonderful Wednesday.

Greetings from the White Mountains of Arizona. We are up at our cabin and the weather is 60 degrees this morning with sunny, clear blue skies.

The community in Pinetop-Lakeside is small, with limited shopping and resources. Other than a few local grocery stores, you need to drive to the next largest town, which is Show Low for a Walmart or a Home Depot.

True confessions first. I am not a shopper. It is one of my least favorite things to do. Given the choice between spending the day shopping or cleaning toilets, I would choose the toilets. However, there are bloggers I follow who seem to discover hidden gems at WalMart so yesterday I decided to muster up the courage and go.

Trip to Walmart

With the Memorial holiday upon us, Walmart has an aisle display with their seasonal items. Here is where I found Ree Drummond’s The Pioneer Woman line of products.

Ree Drummond is a blogger, author, food writer and television personality who lives on a working ranch in Oklahoma. Her style is mix and match, flea market and everything handed down from your grandmother.

Quite honestly, I don’t know much about her but I like her charming brand. She apparently has a line of dishes and other products there which I didn’t seek.

Please note that I am not fond of paper anything as I would much rather use dishes. But these dinner plates are 11” wide and 1.25” deep and do not feel flimsy.

The ruffled edge has such a vintage feel and look. The coating on the plates gives some substance to the paper, vs. styrofoam or plain paper plates.

The Buffalo check tablecloth is 60” x 84”, slightly smaller than our outside primitive pine dining table, but I like some of the wood showing on the ends. It is a light weight fabric but it does the trick!

The napkins have a cute pale blue dot and a gingham decorative edge. I like how they feel patriotic without being obvious.

Inside the napkin there is a recipe printed for Ree’s Spicy Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork, which serves 18! Cute idea.

The Centerpiece

With no fresh flowers and outdoor plants limited to pine trees, I found artificial geraniums and ivy in the garage. Using an old wooden dough bowl as the base, I spread the geraniums out and stuck flags and pinwheels in for color and theme.

All in all, I am pleased with The Pioneer Woman products! They certainly provide a festive, patriotic theme for this Memorial Day weekend and at an affordable cost.

What are your plans for this weekend? I plan on spending some time today painting on a canvas and just enjoying the peace and quiet of the pines. We went out to dinner to a real restaurant last night~~the first time in months! It is so joyful to be able to carefully socialize again.

Let us pause to reflect upon the selfless men and women who have honorably served our nation and made the ultimate sacrifice to allow us our freedom. We pay tribute to their memory and remain forever indebted to them for their service. Happy Memorial Day!

Tablecloth $14.99

Napkins- 20 count $2.98

Dinner Plates 8 count $2.98

Salad Plates 12 count $2.98

Pinwheels $0.98 each

I am always curious as to why there are times in life where “things” happen in multiples. And not good things. Well, I seem to be in one of those downpours lately. As I mentioned in Saturday’s blog post, the 75 gallon water tank in the basement split and flooded two rooms. A plumber, two helpers and $1200 later, the problem is fixed. But my nice, neat organized basement spaces are in a state of disarray as everything needs to be put back in its place.

Yesterday, I stepped into another flood of water coming from our dishwasher. Yep! All over the hardwood floor in the kitchen. This appliance didn’t drain and I removed a few gallons of standing water with a turkey baster. Sigh.

Last night, my daughter came home from a week at our mountain cabin and let us know the clothes dryer stopped working. The burnt rubber smell part of the story is concerning. Sigh again.

For me, I guess I am a believer of things happening in threes. So hopefully this will be the end of all things breaking down for awhile. But this is the nature of owning an old home, or living in a home for a long time. My guess is that our dishwasher finally needs replacing as does the belt to the clothes dryer at the cabin. Just wish it all didn’t happen at the same time. Cha-ching.

Does this happen to you, too? Do you believe in things happening in threes?

Onto Other Things

On a brighter note, as I am the eternal optimist, it is 62 degrees outside this morning! Whaaat?? A few days ago it was over 100 degrees, however, the forecast for the next few days is perfect Spring weather with highs in the 70s. Crystal clear blue skies, sunny and very cool evenings. Lovely.

We are supposed to head up to the mountains for Memorial Day but I almost don’t want to leave this gorgeous weather. Do you have plans for Memorial Day weekend? I’ve been so distracted with this pandemic it’s hard to believe it is the holiday weekend already.

Update on the Back Staircase Project

We are slowly removing the gross glue and old paint from the stairs. There are some disappointing surprises. One of the treads is broken and one of the risers has been poorly patched. A few setbacks but there are four more steps to uncover so who knows what we will find. Lately, nothing seems to be going as planned.

All Things Peaches

We are still picking peaches off the trees. The peach pie I made is truly one of the first ones that wasn’t swimming in juice with a soggy bottom crust. I blended two recipes~~the all butter crust is from Stella Parks New York Times Bestseller, Bravetart. The filling is from the Country Peach Pie recipe from the Food Network Kitchen. By far, one of the best peach pies yet!

Elisabeth is on a homemade ice cream kick. Last week it was fresh strawberry ice cream.

This week, fresh peach ice cream. With the leftover peach puree from the peach ice cream recipe (yes, we are getting fat over here!), we are enjoying peach margaritas!

Front Porch is Finished!

The new welcome mat from Wayfair arrived yesterday. The mat is 24″ x 36″, substantially larger than the previous one. It is non-slip, made from coconut fibers and is an elegant addition to the spruced up front entry. All for $43.99. This project is finally DONE.

Vegetable Consumption

We are eating so many good things from the garden. This is the first year I planted shishito peppers. Flash frying in hot olive oil, served with salt and a squeeze of lemon, these peppers are just delicious. If you haven’t had these peppers before, check to see if your grocery store carries them. I know Safeway does and this is a very quick, yummy appetizer. Occasionally you may get a hot one, but the all the ones from our garden have a mild flavor.

Artichokes are ready to harvest too. We typically par-boil them, cut them in half and basted them on the grill with olive oil and garlic. The Houston’s Restaurant recipe with remoulade sauce is a family favorite.

Hoping your Wednesday is filled with joy and beautiful weather! Pray that no more appliances break this week!

After a very stressful week meeting unpleasant deadlines, I jumped at the chance to join my husband in his annual “take the geraniums to the mountain” trip. The high temperatures in Phoenix are distressing the many potted geraniums we have. Each spring we pile them in the back of the pickup and drive them to moderate temperatures for the summer.

We arrived late last night to a cool and windy 65 degrees. This morning, the skies are clear and blue and sunny.

Since we haven’t been here since November today will be cobweb cleaning and opening up all the windows. One of the first things I check is the basket of geraniums hanging outside the front door. A few years back, a momma bird built a nest and has been returning each spring.

Here is a picture of the nest this morning. No eggs, but the photo with eggs was taken at the end of May 2019.

Though it will be a day of chores, there is something cathartic about letting in the fresh air and getting rid of the dust and winter staleness. We will unveil Gandalf, our carved pine tree. The tree died a few years ago and a talented wood carver created our one of a kind yard art piece.

The pear and apple trees have blooms on them~a good sign that we will have fruit again this year. I still find it so strange that we didn’t even know we had a pear tree until last year, as it did not bear fruit for the last 7 years.

As I wrap up the last of my coffee, I hope my stress less vibes reach all of you today! Have a glorious weekend and happy May! If you would like to see more pictures of our cabin, please click here.

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