Saturday Meanderings
Happy Saturday and welcome to Saturday Meanderings. I love chatting with you on this weekend morning about all the good (mostly) things that are occurring this week. Tonight we are hosting a wine tasting here at our home, which we offered as a charitable item for the Scottsdale Artist School. I will try and take lots of pictures as we hope to have great wine, good food and charming company.
Tiger Eye Flowering Maple
Do you ever go to the nursery and buy something you know nothing about? I have never seen a Tiger Eye flowering maple. Apparently they grow very well here and we did buy two of these plants. I just love the flowers and I wonder if they will dry, like Chinese lanterns. Wouldn’t they be fun for autumn decorating?
The plumber arrived on Thursday and we, unfortunately, did need to take up part of the floor in my daughter’s bathroom. After moving the clawfoot tub, the plumber indicates that the original installation was “jury-rigged”. Groan. So a new drain pipe is installed and I am determining the extent of the damage to the floor and floor tiles. It may be time to replace the whole thing. Not sure a patch job will look good, even if it is under the tub. More to come on this. Cha-ching. If you missed the post about the leak, click here.
Battery Operated Candles
Just a reminder to take your battery operated candles inside during warm weather. We use these candles ALOT during the cooler months as they provide such a pretty ambiance in lanterns and on the table. However, one warm day and look what happens. The candle still works and maybe I can use it as a Halloween decoration?
Kimonos
I love the look of a pretty kimono. Not only is it fashionable, but they do a great job of hiding the backside. There is one at Chico’s that seems quite pretty, but I have a hard time spending over $100 on this.
Last year, I did buy this yellow one from Amazon for $23.99 and each time I wear it, I get many compliments. Simply draped over white jeans and a white t-shirt or tank, it’s a nice look. So I went back on Amazon and purchased two more designs. I will let you know if I like the new colors.
Going for a Garden Win
Gardening this year has been a bit of a challenge due to the pests who have invaded the garden. However, I am determined to get ahead of their destruction. This week I did cover the garden with tulle. A new blog post will be coming out about this endeavor but hopefully, this fabric will do a better job of keeping out the critters.
The Plight of the Strawberries
As you know, one of my garden goal’s this year is to have LOTS of strawberries. Well, the plants I ordered online all died and I’ve been trying to replenish them with local plants. Slowly, I am getting strawberries ripening one at a time. This gal may end up buying strawberries to make anything yummy! Why do homegrown strawberries taste differently than store bought?
Everything is Blooming
It is a beautiful time of year to take brisk walks around the neighborhood. All the flowering trees are blooming. Since I don’t have any allergies, I find it all so beautiful. And I love how the ground turns yellow with all the blossoms!
I don’t mean to complain
Typically I try and keep a positive attitude on most things, but I have to say who the heck designed the sign-up system for Medicare? What a painful process. I consider myself relatively bright and navigating through this bureaucratic system is indeed frustrating. Not to mention none of my doctors (not that I have many) take Medicare and I am paying more than my old private insurance plan. Ah, the fun of turning 65!
I just started reading Rhys Bowen’s The Venice Sketchbook. Since I love Venice and art, this is becoming such an enjoyable read. Two women, generations apart, escape to Venice to find answers to secrets. As one reader states, Rhy’s writing is “glorious and atmospheric”.
As you know I am very partial to Rhys Bowen’s books, as I am a character in one of them. To read that post, click here.
Well, this wraps up Saturday Meanderings. Thank you for all your positive comments about the new blog series, Room by Room! I am excited to share more of my home with you. If you missed that post, you can see it here.
Have a terrific weekend! Our son and his friends will be arriving back to Phoenix today after exploring Arizona and Utah. Can’t wait to hear about their adventures.
