Saturday Meanderings

A bit of a late start with writing and posting today. The past few days have been consumed by research and presentations for three zoning hearings—more facts and formalities than the lovely, fun, and creative pursuits I usually enjoy. But the zoning cases went in our favor and I am now back up at our mountain retreat. Waking up this quiet morning to 58 degrees, the scent of pine trees and a beautiful view, puts my hectic week in the rear view mirror. Happy to be back with you. Grab your morning cup of coffee or tea and let’s get started chatting about all the good things this week.

Lots of Yard Work

Last Saturday, I shared the unexpected explosive foliage growth of our property. It was an extremely hot week in Phoenix and it’s hard to be working in 109 degree temperatures. But I was able to clean out the hen house and trim by the grapevines that had taken over the yard.

The summer is the perfect time for mites and other bugs to bother the chickens. I have been successful using diatomaceous earth sprinkled in the coop and nesting boxes under fresh hay. Then I spread my homemade chicken coop potpourri on top (dried roses, calendula, lavender, mint, chamomile and other available herbs.

Lastly, I add cedar chips on those surfaces where the chickens do their business to absorb any odors. This gets cleaned out weekly and new chips are added.

The result is a sweet smelling hen house. Happy Hens = healthy eggs!

And here is the entrance to the garden last week. The vine was so overgrown it was difficult to even get into the garden.

Here is the after. I cannot tell you how many trash bags of clippings it took to remove this jungle.

Working in the extreme heat is rather challenging. However with frequent breaks, lots of water and ice packs around my neck, I put a dent in the trimming. Meanwhile, my husband was tackling other yard projects so we hope this keeps the excessive growth at bay until we get home at the end of the month. We are grateful our daughter and her boyfriend are housesitting and mowing the lawn on a regular basis. Every bit helps!

Trying to Manage my Sweet Tooth

I’ve never been one for super-sweet things—just the thought of them makes my teeth hurt. But lately, I’ve developed this curious little habit: craving a small treat after a meal or alongside my afternoon coffee or tea. It’s a habit I half-heartedly want to break. Anyone else have this same weakness?

To make matters worse (or better, depending on how you look at it), I love to bake. This week, while rummaging through the freezer for something sweet, I struck gold—a forgotten bag of homemade chocolate chip cookie dough balls from who-knows-when. I roll them into balls before freezing so they’re ready at a moment’s notice. Jackpot!

I pulled out just a few, baked them, and while they were cooling, sprinkled the tops with flaky sea salt—Maldon, of course. The first bite? Pure joy. You’d think I’d won the lottery. They were that good.

And it doesn’t stop there. In my freezer rummaging I find a bag full of peaches from last year’s harvest from our orchard. I made peach crisp with an almond oat crumble, using the recent recipe I shared with you from Ambitious Kitchen (only swapping peaches for the cherries). Forgot to take pictures, but oh my, it is so good too!

So now I’m torn. I feel like I should break this habit… but honestly—should I?

Searching for New Sofas

When we bought the cabin 15 years ago, life was a blur of busy schedules and competing priorities. Some furniture came with the purchase, but most of it was a mishmash of pieces and leftovers from our Phoenix home. At the time, that eclectic mix felt charming—part of the casual, anything-goes vibe of cabin living.

Fast forward to today. We’re spending more time here, the kids only visit occasionally, and the “eclectic” look now feels less cozy and more… cluttered.

With the help of my talented friend Andrea from Design Morsels, I’m rethinking the floor plan and hunting for two new sofas—comfortable, but with enough support that I don’t regret sitting in them for hours. And while online shopping may be convenient, I’m just not willing to commit to a sofa without a proper sit test.

This week, I carved out a few hours for a dedicated sofa-shopping trip. I drove all the way to Scottsdale, only to discover my first stop—Interior Define—had closed its doors for good. They may have a big online presence, but I want to experience a sofa before I buy it. Luckily, my next stop, Crate & Barrel, proved more promising.

It’s been years since I bought a sofa and it’s astounding there are so many choices on seat depth, filler, seat height, style, lengths and of course, fabrics. Of course, the one I liked the best is the most expensive.

Still searching but if you have any sofa shopping tips, please do share.

Simple Pleasures

I have shared this milk frother before, but it gives me joy each time I use it. Rated the best milk frother of 2025 by Food & Wine, the Instant Pot Magic Froth 9-in-1 is everything you could want in a milk frother.

With multiple settings for temperature and foam structure, you’ll get the highly customized drink you want every time. It works for hot, warm, or cold foams, has a sturdy construction, and is quick to clean.

With my morning coffee, having this cloud-like, whipped milk feels like a luxury. It takes such a small quantity of milk and foams it into perfection. Priced at $29.99, you can find this at Walmart here or Amazon.

Thank you so much for all the great comments on my Alaska cruise post. It truly is the last frontier. I will be answering those shortly. If you missed it, you can find it here.

Next week I will the Before and After of the small bathroom I wallpapered. It’s coming together and such a visual change for the positive.

Have a wonderful weekend and stay safe out there. We are going to the Annual White Mountain Sheriff’s Posse barbecue and auction today. Love seeing all those lawmen in big white hats!