Saturday Meanderings

Happy February! There’s a hint of Spring in the air here as our temperatures warm up over the next few days. It seems a little early in the season, but hasn’t this winter been anything but predictable? I am so happy you are here, joining me for Saturday Meanderings, where we pause, reflect and chat about all good things from this week.

Charcuterie Class is Sold Out!

What a fabulous response to the Spring Charcuterie Making class scheduled for March 21st. Within a few hours, all the spots were reserved. I know many of you live too far away to attend, however, I will take lots of pictures and share the day with you. If there are any cancellations or future openings, I will let you know.

Four Days of Friendship and Blogging

One of the greatest gifts of starting~and continuing~ this blog has been the meaningful friendships it has nurtured along the way. From wonderful readers to fellow blogging friends, I am continually grateful for the relationships that have grown from this little corner of the internet.

Recently, four dear friends~Chloe (Celebrate and Decorate), Andrea (Design Morsels), Chas (Chas’s Crazy Creations) and Kim (Shiplap and Shells)~ traveled to Phoenix to spend 4 delightful days together. Our time was filled with sourdough bread making, lunch at the English Rose Tea Room, long walks and even a stretching class~simple pleasures made special by good company.

Kim from Shiplap and Shells captured so many wonderful moments and wrote a beautiful post about our time together. Her weekly Sunday posts are always filled with fabulous photos and inspiring ideas, and this one is no exception. You can read it here.

Spring Touches

What is it about Spring that brings such a sense of hope and joy? The subtle shift in the air~the change in scent and temperatures~seems to lift our spirits almost instantly. Everywhere we look, there are signs of new life and growth, reassuring us that despite of all the problems in the world, Mother Nature continues on…and does so in the most beautiful and affirming way.

Around our property, it’s the first bloom of the peach tree, the fragrant white blossoms on the orange trees and the noticeable increase in egg laying of the chickens that signals Spring is once again, on its way.

Indoors and out, little rituals mark the season’s arrival~changing the front door wreath from winter greens to colorful florals, adding delicate cherry blossoms to the silver tea service in the dining room, and bringing home bouquets of sweetly scented hyacinths and tulips from Trader Joe’s. I can’t recall where I purchased these faux cherry blossoms, but here is a similar product, currently 11% off on Amazon.

Going to the Movies

It makes me a little sad how much the pandemic affected the success of movie theaters. While I do enjoy watching films at home, there are so many everyday interruptions that pull you out of the story that you simply don’t experience in a theatre

This week Scott and I went to see Solo Mio, newly released this week. I don’t want to spoil the plot, but as one viewer states “The story leads the viewer through tears, struggle, laughter and joy. The cast is charming. The music is wonderful. The scenery is like eye candy”. If you are looking for an enjoyable movie without violence and offensive language, we highly recommend it!

Let the Gardening Begin!

Finally, my garden beds are prepped for planting. A joyous and abundant visit to my favorite Whitfill nursery resulted in many new plants purchases.

This weekend I am filling my raised bed planters with vegetables and flowers. I am so happy the beds are finally free of the incursive weeds and Bermuda grass!

Such a surprising find!

As you may recall, my son is getting married at the end of March in Chicago. Who knows what the weather will bring, but I’m fairly certain a coat will be required. With the dress I’ve chosen, I am on the hunt for a classic light blue coat to layer over a long, formal gown.

By sheer luck, I find this one by Lascana at Target (who knew!?!) and it was on sale for $88.86~unbelievable!

I read the reviews and figured if it looked inexpensive didn’t fit well, I could easily return it. What a pleasant surprise to find that not only is the color absolutely perfect, but the coat is beautifully made.

It is fully lined, has wide lapels, piped and functional side pockets, and it feels like a wool blend even though it states the fabric is 100% polyester. The coat comes in 5 different colors and is currently on sale here. The pockets and rear vent arrive stitched closed, and it does require a good steaming, but overall, it will be perfect for my mother-of- the- groom outfit. For reference, I ordered a size 6. If you plan to wear anything bulky underneath, I’d recommend sizing up.

Why Ageism and Bias in Fashion is Getting Old for Women over 50

I really enjoy Cindy Hattersley’s blog as her topics cover a variety of topics including interior design, fashion, gardening, self-care, recipes and more. Fashion and over 50 seem to be disparate topics and Cindy writes a thoughtful post on what we can do to look stylish and sharp despite the fact that fashion designers ignore the women over 50 demographic. You can see Cindy’s post here.

My pet peeve is that the same thing is happening in health care. Over a certain age? No more pelvic exams or Pap smears. Just because you age doesn’t mean your parts disappear, right?

Do You Have Valentine’s Day plans?

For many years, we host a formal sit-down Valentine’s dinner. However, this year we are skipping the tradition because we are attending an engagement party that same evening. Our son and his fiancée will be flying in for the weekend to attend as well, since the celebration is for one of his very dear and oldest friends.

Over the years, I’ve written 18 posts inspired by this holiday, and recently gathered them all into one summary~ everything from centerpieces to menus can be found here. Whether you are planning a dinner for 2 or 12, elegant to casual, you will find no shortage of Valentine ideas to inspire your celebration.

Scott and I are attending a baking class the night before Valentine’s Day (a first for us!) so I am excited to share the details of that next Saturday.

Obedience Training for our 130 lb. Puppy

As you know, Finn just turned 2 and still has plenty of puppy behavior~ which was perfectly manageable when he weighed 35 pounds. At 130 pounds-not so much. We met with a wonderful trainer this week and now we have weekly homework to keep us all on track. For the most part, Finn knows his commands, but when he is off leash, the word come suddenly turns into a game of “run away and try and catch me”.

He even surprised the trainer with his “food doesn’t motivate me” attitude, but thankfully this trainer has plenty of solutions up her sleeve.

Well, that’s a wrap! Enjoy this beautiful Saturday. Do you have any fun plans? My only goal this weekend is to get the garden planted, roses fertilized and enjoy our fabulous weather. Happy weekend and remember, stay safe out there!