Wednesday, April 30, 2014

This week in my garden ~ and a story of good intentions

If I had to list my 10 favorite people on the planet, my Grandma Bessie would definitely make the cut! I was her firstborn grandchild and we shared a very special bond. I loved her something fierce.


My grandma loved gardening, and her flowerbeds were always overflowing with a random mix of flowers and plants. One time, when I was about 7 years old, I was hanging out in her front yard and noticed that the flowerbed that stretched the width of her house was filled with weeds. Wanting to surprise her with a little gardening favor, I went right to work!


I remember sitting on the cool grass in front of Grandma's flowerbed, wrapping my little hands around as many stems as I could at one time. I remember how the weeds pulled effortlessly from the soft dirt as I worked my way down the flowerbed. I was about two-thirds of the way across when my grandma came out and totally spoiled the surprise!


Imagine my surprise when the look on Grandma's face was not one of happy delight. Instead she was shocked and seemed very disappointed in my efforts to help her weed her garden. Turns out that what I thought were weeds were actually four o'clock flowers, still sleeping at that time of day.


Of course, my grandma didn't stay mad for long - when she realized that my intentions were good she hugged me and told me what I had done was ok. But I had to promise that I would never surprise her in her garden again, and I would always ask first before pulling something I thought was a weed.


That was oh-so-many years ago, and to this day I'm still leery about pulling things out of the dirt unless I'm absolutely, positively, without-a-doubt sure that it's a weed!


Looking back, I'm not sure I would have been as gracious. Thank goodness my grandma had a soft spot for me, and she embraced my good intentions in spite of the loss of her four o'clocks.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Marti's Birthday ~ Team Teal Tuesday

 
I was trying to decide on a photo for today's post and I texted this one to Carrie. I had another one in mind, but she thought I should use this one because, "Grandma was so happy that morning." And that decided it. We had celebrated Mom's 70th birthday at a party the night before, but on this morning, we met for breakfast before heading back to Arizona. This was taken on Mom's birthday, two years ago today.

Things I miss the most about my mom:
I miss the way my mom underlined words on greeting cards to emphasize their meaning. She never chose a card without the words saying exactly what she wanted them to say, and then she’d underline the words that meant the most to her. And many times she’d add exclamation marks on them too. !!! And always "xoxox" at the end.
I miss the way she called me her “May-bee” in my birthday card every year.
I miss being able to call her when I have cooking questions. Which is kind of silly because at this point in my life I kind of have the cooking gig down pat - plus there's Google - but it was nice to know I could call her if I needed to.
I miss making stuff for her! My mom was the biggest fan ever when it came to things handmade by me. I really miss having her around to create for.
I miss being able to mail stuff to my mom – cards, letters, her birthday or Mother’s Day package. I miss the phone call when she received it, telling me how much she loved what I had sent.
I miss the way I’d say, “Hi MomMEE” when she answered the phone, and the way she’d respond with “Hi DebBEE” every time I called. Doug says the tone of my voice would change when I talked to my mom on the phone.
I miss her telling me every detail about the conversation she had with the person sitting next to her on the plane once we’d retrieved her from the airport. No wait, I don’t really miss that part – but I do miss picking her up at the airport! ;o)
I miss taking her to her favorite Mexican restaurant every time she came to Arizona. {We're going there for dinner tonight.}
I miss free Avon products like my favorite eye-liner and Carrie's mascara.
I miss her calling to tell me the latest gossip from our hometown. She’d always start with, “Do you remember so-and-so?” and I'd say, “No, Mom, I don’t” and she’d say, “Oh, don’t you remember? She had the brother that was Tim’s age? They lived in that house at the end of the road where the Smith’s lived…” and I’d say, “No, Mom, I don’t remember,” and she’d say, “Well…” and tell me the gossip anyway.
I miss her feeling sorry for me when I’m sick, and having her tell me to gargle with salt water when I have a sore throat. I always said, “I know, Mom, I will…” and I never rarely did.
I miss my mom’s comments on my blog posts. So many times she’d leave these sweet and sappy comments and I’d cringe a little with embarrassment. Oh, mother… And now, sometimes, I go back and read old blog posts just so I can read my mom’s sweet comment. I miss having my mom read my blog.
I miss her quick wit, her honest opinions, her animated facial expressions, and her pumpkin bread at Christmas. Oh, this list could go on and on and on...
Today I thank Heaven for the path we walked together in this lifetime.
Happy heavenly birthday, Mom!
I love you and miss you so much!!!
"Be still, close your eyes and breathe.
Listen for my footfall in your heart.
I am not gone but merely walk within you."
~ "The Two of Us," Sheila Hancock

Monday, April 28, 2014

Photos from our weekend

Zap! It's Monday morning! Just like that.
Hello, friends. I hope this Monday morning finds you well and happy. My weekend recap doesn't include a quad ride in the desert, or a road trip of any kind. It doesn't include new recipes tried or sights seen around our city. What I do have are photos taken around our house, and a quick run down of a weekend gone by too quickly...


My weekend began Friday night with dinner and a concert with Carrie and our friend, Kristin. We saw Eric Hutchinson and danced and sang the night away - super fun!

The weather man promised us rain on Saturday but, as usual, didn't follow through on his promise. Instead it was super windy all day, and our temps cooled down a bit. It was nice to feel a cool breeze one more time before our weather heats up and stays hot for the duration of the summer.

Carrie bought a new car Saturday afternoon and asked me to come along for moral support. That girl has some mad negotiation skills, let me tell you. She got a great deal on a car, and Doug and I are both happy to know she's in a vehicle that will be more reliable than the one she's been driving these past few years.

 Remember that beautiful sea of poppies in our front yard?


Well, poppy season is officially over and Doug started working on pulling spent poppies from our front yard last week. I offered a helping hand yesterday, and pulled a small section compared to his efforts. Good news is that our front yard is back to a sea of rocks {"desert landscaping"} and looks nice and tidy now. {Thanks, Douglas!!!}

My mom always hated Sunday afternoons/evenings. She hated the thought that the weekend was over and she didn't like switching gears and getting back into work-mode. I felt that way yesterday afternoon, and I knew I needed some time in my crafting space to feed my soul...

I played with some watercolors and fabric and made more of a mess than anything, but it was awesome just the same.

{fabric Arizona map shapes for card fronts}
 
And now we stand at the threshold of a brand new week. I have a Team Teal post ready for tomorrow in honor of my mom's birthday, and I've yet to come up with a blogging idea for Thursday which is the birth date of yours truly. :o]

So here I go - off to take on the week ahead - happy for the self-inflicted shot in the arm reminding me that this is my birth week! The song in my heart is the birthday tune...

Enjoy your week, my friends!
See you tomorrow...

Friday, April 25, 2014

Just a Quote for Friday

"Cherish the friend who tells you a harsh truth,
wanting ten times more to tell you a loving lie."
~ Robert Brault

Thursday, April 24, 2014

This week in my garden ~ thoughts on setting a daily intention

Typically, at the beginning of a yoga class, a teacher will guide us to choose an intention to hold for the duration of our time together. The intention might be to honor our body's current level of movement, focus on breathing and forgetting the outside world for an hour, or even just allowing ourself to be happy right there on our mat.
 
In all the years that I've been practicing yoga, I've never brought the practice of setting an intention to my morning routine - I'm not sure why. Recently, as my feet hit the mat one morning and I took that first deep breath, my mind automatically went toward setting an intention. And it wasn't about setting an intention for my morning yoga practice, it was about setting an intention for the entire day.


Every Saturday for the past few months, I've been setting an intention of cultivating kind thoughts for myself - I basically take the day off from beating myself up. What that means for me is this: every time my mind drifts to a negative thought about myself I recognize it and consciously think a thought to counter it. Like, negative thoughts about my body, bad hair day, smile lines - yes, I constantly pick myself apart - I do my best to push those thoughts aside by purposely honoring myself right then and there. I give thanks for those "smile lines" and the fact that I have hair. My body doesn't look like it did when I was 21 but hey! I haven't been 21 for a really long time.

This morning my thoughts are on a presentation I'm doing at work this afternoon. Thoughts of inadequacy and potential failure creep in, so my intention for today is to just go with the flow. If I stumble over words in front of my coworkers, well, I'll stumble over words. Chances are that everything will go smoothly, but I am human and this is planet earth and things are just bound to happen. That doesn't mean I'm inadequate or a failure by any means! My intention for today is to just go with the flow.




Even on a cloudy day there is still beauty in a flower.
What intentions do you hold for yourself today?

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

A recipe saved and made in the same week...

For the most part, the recipes I've pinned on Pinterest are a collection of things that sound really yummy when I first see them, and then they are filed away as dishes that look really yummy but never get made - kind of like the old days when I'd print a copy of a recipe and add it to the stack of paper recipes I'd like to make one day.
 
But this recipe for artichoke chicken? I knew this was something that Doug and I would love, so I pinned it and made it within the same week.
 
Maybe not the most appetizing photo, but you'll have to take my word for it - this was delicious! If you like a good artichoke dip you'll love this dish, and it was super easy to make as well.
 
So, what about you? Are you pinning and making recipes?
Or are you pinning and collecting them for someday?
Linking up with Fiona ~ Staring at the Sea for her monthly

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Turtles and Earth Day

This week our baby box turtle, Casper, was reunited with Planet Earth. After living in a {dry} aquarium for all her life {about 1 1/2 years} she has graduated to the atrium where she is free to roam {within reason} and feel the earth beneath her little turtle feet.
 
And this week our box turtle, Rexy was reunited with a turtle friend. When he came to live with us two years ago this month, he left the company of many turtle friends. Now that Casper is old enough to be outside, Rex has some company again.

Now, whether or not turtles really want company is something I don't know, but Rex was certainly not shy about his plans for Cas. He wants to be good friends. Real good friends.

Baby Cas seemed to take everything in stride.

Our turtle source {hi Dana!} brings their baby turtles in when they are hatched and keeps them safe inside through the first winter or two until she's comfortable that they'll survive hibernation. We knew that Cas would become an outdoor turtle this spring, and hopefully she'll be fine once winter rolls around.

 So far she seems pretty happy with her new living arrangements.

Though not officially an Earth Day post, I do want to remind
us to be kind to our dear planet. Read about ways you can help
by clicking here.

Monday, April 21, 2014

Our weekend - plan B

Good Monday morning, blog friends.
I hope you all had a great weekend and a lovely Easter! Mother Nature threatened to rain on our previously scheduled camping trip so that was cancelled at short notice. Doug and I really wanted to go somewhere, so we packed up a few things and headed north on Saturday morning. We took the quad and some picnic food and made our way to Young, Arizona.

When we checked into our motel in Young, the owner told us about a property for sale, so we dropped our things off in our room and headed out to take a look. I wanted the property simply for the awesome chicken coop, but other factors  played in the mix so we won't be purchasing this land anytime soon. Or ever. Pity.

We had lunch at the Antler's which, by the way, is some fantastic food! The original place burned to the ground a couple of years ago and the new owners have really stepped up the food fare a whole bunch of notches. We shared a giant cheeseburger, and had a piece of the most amazing butter cake with peaches. And Doug beat me at a game of pool.

It was a bit stormy to be out on the quad on Saturday, but we went anyway. One of the {many} times that I asked Doug to stop so I could take a photo proved fruitful in that there were a bunch of deer up ahead that might have been scared away had we not stopped. Doug counted seven there - for a total count of eleven deer spotted during our weekend. We also counted one jackrabbit, a squirrel, two lizards, and a roadrunner. Lots of critter counting this weekend!



I watched all weekend for a rainbow and finally spotted this one, just peeking up from the tip of a mountain...

Note the heart shaped cloud in the sky just above Douglas...

This next photo is something that I need to look up - or ask my brother-in-law Michael about. These were growing in a remote area and neither Doug or I had ever seen anything like them. Some kind of mushroom maybe? Does anyone know?  Edit: The plant is called squawroot - conopholis Americana.

The airstrip in Young, Arizona:


All in all it was a fantastic weekend! I had Friday off work so that made it a nice three-day run, and you can never go wrong with a road trip in Arizona during the month of April. What a great reminder of this beautiful state we live in.

This week is going to be a busy one, and I know the new weekend will be here before we know it. No sense wishing away the week ahead though - there's no telling what kinds of things are in store for us.

Here's wishing all of us a week full of really great surprises.

Friday, April 18, 2014

Just a Quote for Friday

"Sometimes I think that the one thing I love most about being an adult is the right to buy candy whenever and wherever I want."
~ Ryan Gosling

Thursday, April 17, 2014

This week in my garden ~ and thoughts on apologizing for our art

"The expert in anything was once a beginner."
{author unknown}

Lately I have been doing a lot of thinking about how we apologize and/or make excuses for our skills and compare them to others. Today I'd like to share an experience I had recently that made me stop and take notice.
I was thinking about my mom and how she could never put together a scrapbook (or any other handmade item) for me without a whole lot of fretting and apologizing because her pages (or whatever) were nothing like mine. Ugh - that used to drive me nuts! No amount of reassurance or gushing could help her get past that.


I recently had an opportunity to look through a scrapbook Mom made for us and I hope she was watching from up above and saw that I cried when I looked at it; that I held it close when I was done and felt so grateful that she’d taken the time to make that for us. {See, Mom? It was/is perfect!} Her scrapbook doesn’t look like something Ali Edwards put together but why would I want it to? I want it to look like my mom’s style – I want it to look exactly the way she made it.


I’m currently enrolled in an online sketchbook class and have really been put to the test when it comes to enjoying the process without comparing myself to others. I am a beginner when it comes to sketching still life, and oh-my-gosh you guys should see some of the amazing art that my classmates are posting! At the beginning of the class I cringed at the thought of posting any of my drawings in that forum. And when I did post a photo of my sketch, I felt the need to remind everyone that I was “just a beginner” and I made excuses for my art.


I have realized that this sketchbook class has bigger lessons for me than putting pen to paper. Perhaps the bigger lesson for me is the reminder that everyone starts somewhere – we are all at different skill levels based on our own personal experience, practice, talents, desire, and commitment. My drawings don’t look like anyone else’s because {hello!} they aren’t supposed to! If they looked like someone else’s they wouldn’t be mine.
 

So today’s post is just a little reminder to never apologize for what you’ve created. Create from your heart and soul and honor it because it’s part of you. Don’t dishonor it by pointing out your own perceived flaws or shortcomings. If you are giving that creation as a gift, the thing the recipient will appreciate the most is that it has your unique touch!







The best thing about your creations is the gift that
is you - flaws and shortcomings and love and all.
I say there's no need to ever apologize for that!

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

How I make a spicy meatball.

To my vegetarian friends, look away.
Nothin' to see here...nothin' to see...
Fellow carnivores? Come on in!
I've shared my meatloaf story on this blog before in a tale of how, as a teenager, I was forced to make meatloaf once a month. The flip side of that is that I make a really good meatloaf - it's one of Doug and Carrie's favorite things I make. And when I make meatballs I mix them up like I do my meatloaf, just form them into balls instead of mashing the mixture into a loaf pan.



Two pounds of lean ground beef, two eggs, some bread crumbs (3/4 cup...ish?), salt, pepper, oregano, fresh basil, an onion that's been caramelized in some olive oil, and some fresh garlic too.
 
My grumpy faced little garlic holder is actually an egg separator that I got in Bisbee, Arizona from this really fun pottery shop down there. You crack an egg into it and then pour the egg white out his funky little mouth. I used it for that once, just to see how it worked (well), and now I just use it to hold my garlic.


Yes, I make some really big meatballs. And instead of searing them in a frying pan and taking a risk that they'll fall apart, I spray some non-stick spray in a muffin tin and bake them at 350° for 30 minutes. Then I put them in a pot of spaghetti sauce (I use store bought, two jars) and continue cooking them for a couple of hours on low heat on the stove.
 
One and a half meatballs makes a great sandwich (cut in half they lay better on the bun) and I served them with some zucchini fries. And for the record, my eyes are usually too big for Doug's stomach. ;o)

This was a really yummy dinner on Sunday night! Carrie swung by the house for "take out," and we even had enough leftover to freeze for another meal in the future.

Do you make meatballs at your place?

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Little Glow Bugs for Easter

Glow little glow worm, glimmer, glimmer...






The first time I saw these I knew I wanted to make a few of them for Easter! The original source had some really cute photos but no in-depth tutorial. And although these aren't rocket science, it did take a little trial and error to get them to hold together. I thought I'd share some tips in case you'd like to give them a try yourself.





The original source used duct tape for the wings, but I wanted something transparent. So I used clear packaging tape and sprinkled a little glitter on it before adding another piece of tape on top to enclose the glitter. Then I cut the little wings shape and used another small piece of packaging tape to adhere them.





I cut pipe cleaners in half, and then I used a sharp pushpin to make small holes for the pipe cleaners to feed through. My first try was done with a heavy duty hole puncher which worked great, but the pipe cleaners didn't hold well so I switched to the pushpin. Then, the holes were really small so I had to feed the tip of the pipe cleaner into the hole and use a pair of pliers to pull them through. It was a little tricky, but the result is a nice strong hold on the pipe cleaner keeping the antenna and legs firmly in place.

The googly eyes are held on with tacky glue, and I used a Sharpie marker to draw the mouth.

Add a battery operated "candle" for the glow and
you're ready for some night time Easter camping fun!
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