Spring has definitely sprung here at Bella Terra. All the flowers are blooming, my garden is growing and what better way to share it than a spring themed dinner at home.

Recently we hosted friends of ours who are out of state that is still experiencing snow. It is their first time to our house, however, we spent a great deal of time together when we all went to Mongolia last June. With their differing food likes and dislikes, it makes sense to make a meal that can accommodate everyone’s culinary wishes.

The Tablecloth

I love this linen tablecloth embroidered with an assortment of spring flowers. This seems like the perfect base for the spring themed dinner. My recollection is that I bought it during a trip to Italy….or I found it in a thrift store. I think the Italy story is better!

The Centerpiece

On the way home from a doctor’s appointment, I stop at Trader Joe’s and check out their flowers. These purple decorative cabbages catch my eye and are the basis for the centerpiece.

Using floral wet foam and a plastic rectangular container, more flowers are added. Fragrant purple stock and freshly cut irises from the garden surround the cabbages. Mums, daisies and roses from the yard fill in the rest. Not only is the centerpiece a tribute to spring, it smells heavenly too. Here is another centerpiece I created using 4 of these plastic containers.

The Dishes

With such a light and bright tablecloth, I select these Fondeville Ambassador ware dishes because of the spring green and flowers in the pattern. Since I only have the dinner plates, I add a Leslie Roy neutral, clear glass salad plate with a gold rim on top.

I play around with different chargers and settle on this clear one with a golden beaded edge. Though they look like glass, the chargers are actually plastic. $2.99 each from Hobby Lobby. Don’t they look elegant?

Stemware

Lenox water and wine glasses with a narrow gold rim are simple and elegant, focusing attention to the pretty vintage dinner plate. Wallace Napoleon Bee stainless with gold accents is a favorite flatware.

Yellow linen napkins from Sferra (see similar here) add a bit of spring color to the table. Detailed bird candles are placed around the centerpiece for another spring element.

The lighted candles in the Waterford crystal candlesticks provide a romantic glow.

The Menu

In order to provide meat for some, my husband prepares the steaks on the grill. A large salad and baked sweet potatoes with lemon (my favorite recipe is below), provides sustenance for the non-meat eaters.

Dessert is homemade rangpur tartlets (shared with you on a recent Saturday Meanderings) and is served on vintage Fondeville plates (which can be found on eBay).

The food is delicious and the company is delightful! What a lovely evening with friends and setting a special table always makes your guests feel welcomed.

Are you enjoying Spring weather? Any spring entertaining on the horizon?

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Hello and welcome to Saturday Meanderings! It’s hard to believe this is Saturday Meanderings #141. What started out as way to appreciate and note all good things happening weekly, Saturday Meanderings has become one of my favorite posts to write and thank you for your dedicated following. One sweet subscriber stated it feels like friends sitting across the table having a cup of coffee and catching up. Let’s get started to see what life has given us this week.

My Birthday this Week

Another birthday under my belt…it is a bit humbling to know that most of your life is in the rearview mirror. But the hope is that each and every day going forward is lived with intention and purpose. Mentally, I certainly don’t feel 68 (more like 25) and physically, well some days are better than others. Here’s to another year!

Bread Baking Experiment

My friend, Chloe (Celebrate and Decorate) sends me links to Instagram posts that feature unique bread baking techniques. I am a novice sourdough bread baker and love seeing the creativity of other bakers. Here are the inspiration pictures:

This week I try my hand at making my very first sourdough focaccia (recipe from The Perfect Loaf by Maurizio Leo). However, being my first try, I kept it more simple as I didn’t know how it would taste. Using cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, fresh rosemary and sea salt, here is what my focaccia looks like before going in the oven.

Here is the focaccia after baking.

For years, literally, I have had a big bag of lace scraps in my garage. My mother bought it at a yard sale and gave it to me 40 years ago, at least. So, I try my hand at making the lace bread, but of course I don’t have the right ingredients (who has 100% black cacao powder on hand?).

The flavor of my sourdough bread is honey lavender (really good), but a black lace pattern on the top just doesn’t fit. I search my cupboards and find rose powder and 100% coca rouge powder~which actually sounds like the flavors would go with the honey lavender.

After sprinkling the powder combination on the dough, here is what it looks like.

At this point, I am rather excited because the pattern looks very pretty and I hope the flavors will enhance the taste of the bread.

Though some of the pattern is pronounced after baking, it is certainly far from the results of the inspiration photo. I am slightly disappointed, however, it just means I need to conduct further experiments!

My Online Store

If you haven’t noticed, there’s a tab at the top of the page that links you to my online store. I am considering eliminating the store as I set it up a long time ago and I do not replenish the inventory. However, this week someone purchased one of my favorite items~ a Meissen blue and white compote. A bit sad to see it go, but the buyer has been looking for a long time to find one. Sounds like it is going to a good home.

Check out my store as I am getting ready to update my website and will more than likely remove the inventory. If you see something you like, let me know.

Has This Happened to You?

In our library we have two arm chairs that are upholstered with a Waverly fabric (Olana). This is a medium-weight cotton fabric that has furniture upholstery as a suggested use. I notice the seat seems a bit dull and perhaps dirty so I use my trusty Little Green Bissell and clean the upholstery this week.

As evidenced by the very dirty water in the machine, I thought the seat cushion (especially the bird in the pattern) would return to the same color and intensity as the one on the back of the chair.

The library doesn’t get much, if any, direct light so I know the fabric isn’t faded, but the seat is clearly much more worn than the rest of the chair. This is a room that isn’t used often and really, the only time we sit in these chairs is during the winter, with the fireplace going. Our cat will sometimes nest on the chairs, but we have a towel down for his use. Not sure why the colors in the fabric could be worn down with little use.

I have more of the Waverly fabric and considering putting a piece over the original seat. Just checking to see if anyone else has had fabric color and patterns “wear down” with such little use and no exposure to the sun. Going to the expense of re-upholstering just the seat doesn’t seem worth it if the details of this fabric will fade or wear so easily?

So Many Poppies

This week the poppies are popping! Every day more of these sage green plants are putting out the most beautiful flowers.

There are so many poppies all over the property. Their beautiful blooms only last a few days and then they go to seed. Maybe it is time to make lemon poppyseed bread?

Finn Update

The puppy is growing so fast and his rascal personality is emerging. He is quick to steal a shoe or a blanket and run out of the house. He is getting more comfortable navigating the yard and is still cute as the dickens.

Here he is helping me pick oranges in the orchard, and “assisting” in putting down a clean Ruggable in the pool house.

Mary’s Must Haves

Our handheld frother that we use every day to mix things into our coffee (like Vital Proteins) finally died. My husband bought this one on Amazon and wow, what a difference! This frother is far more powerful and has two speeds. It’s astounding how much better it is that our last one (which was probably dying a slow death).

This frother has really great reviews and I can attest, it is the bomb. Priced at $18.49, here it is. After some muscling by my husband, the new frother fits in the old frother’s stand. But note that this brand, the stand is not included.

Do You Make Your Own Salad Dressing?

After discovering how easy it is to do so, I always have my lemon vinaigrette on hand and ready to go. If you aren’t convinced, here is an article from The Kitchn about her tasty homemade salad dressing. Though I haven’t tried her Homemade Italian Dressing, it’s on my list of things to make.

I will be ordering this salad dressing container, as I currently use a Mason jar which gets a little messy on the top. With excellent ratings (4.7) from over 10,000 reviews, this salad shaker is affordable at $11.95.

Merit Street Media

Though I never watch daytime television, I am sure you are familiar with Dr. Phil McGraw, an acclaimed host. What I recently discovered is that, after 26 years, Dr. Phil has left CBS and has created his own new media network called Merit Street Media.

Merit Street Media is a fully distributed cable, satellite, and free-over-the-air broadcast brand that reaches over 65 million television homes.

What I find amazing is that Dr. Phil and his wife, Robin are in their 70s, worth over $460 million dollars and could certainly spend the rest of their years playing golf and taking it easy. However, Dr. Phil is concerned about some of the issues occurring in America today and wants to have open conversations about it.

We watched our first episode this week and I am a fan. Merit Street Media is attempting to bring a balanced national news outlet that will lead to honest discussions and dialogue. In addition, other shows include Steve Harvey which focuses on a mentoring program to inspire young men. Nancy Grace will be hosting a crime series segment.

Since I stopped watching mainstream news 4 years ago, I am hoping this new network will provide viewers with a fresh approach and a high degree of integrity. Merit Street Media just launched April 1st and check out your local listings for access…and it is free. How novel.

Have a fabulous weekend. We are busy with a few events but hope to relax a bit with our buddy, Finn and enjoy our glorious spring weather.

I am guilty of having too many dishes. Quite honestly, I do not know how or why this dish thing got started. When I was in my 20s, I didn’t have two cents to rub together, however, I recall saving up to buy service for 12 of Royal Doulton Romance Collection in Juliet. How I love (and still love) these dishes. Since I store 90% of these dishes in a built-in cabinet in the basement, I want to make sure they are safe and do not get damaged from chips, cracks, breakage and dust.

Do Display Your Dishes

If you have a glass front cabinet or hutch where you can display your pretty dishes, please do so. Unfortunately I do not have anything like that, except our butler’s pantry. However, it is not big enough for dishes so primarily it holds my finer glassware.

Some Don’ts When Storing China

Newspaper~Newspaper is often a cheap and convenient packaging material, which is why it’s one of the first china storage ideas to come to mind for many people. Here’s the hitch — the ink used to print newspapers can bleed onto your dishes, meaning you’ll have to spend even more time washing them. The ink could even lead to damaged patterns if you have to scrub to remove it. Worse yet, newsprint could result in permanent staining. Brown packing paper, felt inserts or paper/styrofoam disposable plates work too.

Don’t Stack the Dishes too High~Bigger isn’t better when it comes to stacks of formal dishware. While it’s admirable to try to maximize space, higher stacks can result in plates getting scratched or broken if they slide. Additionally, all of those top dishes place a lot of pressure on the poor plate at the bottom. Therefore, it’s a good rule of thumb to stack no more than about eight plates. It’s also important to know that cups should never be stacked under any circumstances, unless you’re going for a look that involves chipped rims and handles.

Where to Put Your Extra Fine dinnerware

If you are like me and don’t have a beautiful hutch or extra shelves available, my fine dinnerware is stored in our basement. Make sure to place your packed-away dishes in an area that doesn’t see a lot of traffic. This will greatly reduce the odds of china being damaged while it’s stowed in the off seasons.

The wall cabinets in the basement are actually from Ikea and were installed years ago. Narrower upper cabinets rest on the butcher block counter top of the deeper bottom cabinets. Due to the lower height of the ceiling and overhead plumbing in the basement, it makes sense to organize the cabinets this way. There are 4 double door cabinets on each the top and the bottom. As a result, the countertop is not deep, but it provides enough surface to load and unload the dishes.

Smart China Storage Ideas

The sky’s the limit when it comes to containers that can help you figure out how to store china safely. You can purchase both hard- and soft-sided cases for your plates, bowls and tea settings. For my dishes, I like to get the soft, padded cases that zipper close to protect my dishes.

Hagerty has a nice collection of plate savers and my most recent purchase is this set of 4 in blue. The set fits 4 different sizes (7″, 8″, 9″, and 11 1/2″), which works well for most dinner and salad plates. I use the smaller sizes for small soup bowls or odd items. In addition, this set comes with inserts to put between your plates.

In between each plate I put the dividers which can be made from felt or packing material. This helps prevent chipping and the plates from sliding.

Labeling and Identifying

Since I have over 50 containers of dishes/glasses, it would be a small nightmare to unzip and look in every container to find the dishes I want to use. On each container, I create a tag with a color copy print of the item inside.

Once I cut out the photo, I glue it to a small card stock tag using Elmer’s Glue stick. You can buy the tags or I just use index cards cut to size (actually I have used both). With a hole punch and a piece of string, I can attach the tag to the case.

On the back of the tag, I will indicate the number of dishes in the case~for example, 8 salad plates.

This decorative twine holder with scissors has a permanent place in my kitchen as it is so handy and attractive. The scissors are conveniently attached, too. Each tag gets a piece of twine.

With strings on all the tags, I can now label each container. I tie the string onto the hole in the zipper slider. This system makes identification of the type of dish and quantity available very simple and easy.

When planning to entertain, I first determine how many people, then go and see what dishes I want to use. Dishes and glassware are already clean so no dusting or re-washing is involved.

What About Cups, Glasses and Stemware?

There are many different style containers and I have a few that I use for my vintage stemware and finer coffee mugs.

There are padded cases for stemware storage where you can safely put 12 glasses in the same container. Investing in good storage containers is well worth protecting my cherished pieces.

Overall, I am happy with this system. All the seasonal and special dinnerware is in one place. Sometimes I moan that I need to go up and down the basement stairs, but it is another form of exercise, I suppose. If you don’t use it, you lose it, right?

How do you store your fine dinnerware and china? I’m always looking for new ideas that will improve my current system so please share what you are doing for this type of storage.

Hard to believe it was rainy and cold for the Easter weekend, but today, it is sunny and warm, the perfect Spring day. Trees are budding, birds are singing and love is in the air. A sure sign of the season is seeing ducks around in our swimming pool as the female chooses her mate. Here in Phoenix we pray for more days like this because we know that blistering temperature will be heading our way in a few months. Welcome to the first Saturday Meanderings of April, where we chat about all good things this past week. I really appreciate you joining me today with a cup of your favorite beverages while reading this.

Easter Recap

As I mentioned earlier, the wet weather prevented us from having a meal in the palm orchard, but the covered back terrace is the perfect place to gather out of the elements. With a fire going in the fireplace and the outdoor and space heaters on, twelve of us sit down to brunch.

Before our meal, however, is the annual Easter egg hunt. The Easter bunny places 521 plastic eggs (yes, he counted them this year), with 200 of the eggs filled with money. Though a bit wet and muddy, the children (now well into adulthood) fiercely compete to see who is get the most eggs and hopefully the most cash.

It is a very competitive, almost a contact sport but we’ve yet to see any physical injuries as they fill the wicker baskets provided. After the hunt, we start our Easter brunch on the covered back terrace, Spinach and goat cheese quiches, honey baked ham, green salad, fresh fruit, waffle bar and mimosas are on tap. Dessert is the annual lamb cake and limoncello bundt cake. Of course, I did not take pictures. Sigh.

My son, in Chicago, makes his official lamb cake and it is much better than mine! If you don’t follow him on Instagram, you may want to @crozier_cooks. Obviously I didn’t grease my lamb cake mold well enough because the cake did not come out cleanly.

But after some reconstructive surgery and a lot of frosting, here is my lamb cake. Sorry for the awful picture with the messy kitchen in the background. It was a busy day…

This is a perfect example where the student clearly outperforms the teacher! So proud of his creation.

It is a big day for Finn and he equally loves his stuffed bunny and chicken, snoozing through most of the festivities.

Speaking of Finn, he also had his first wellness check at the vet. As you can see, he is not too bothered by the experience!

Spring Flowers

As cold as it was last weekend, on Thursday, it was 85 degrees. The temperature is supposed to drop again this weekend, but the warmer intervals are encouraging the flowers to blossom.

Hollyhocks are just showing their pretty blooms too.

Nasturtium grows in the same spot every year without any care.

Finn is exploring each and every aspect of the yard; making time to sniff the flowers.

Using Rangpurs

My dear friend, Dr. Ryan Krch delivered a bag of rangpurs from his dad’s tree. Rangpurs, sometimes called the rangpur lime, mandarin lime or lemandarin, is a hybrid between the mandarin orange and the citron. It is a citrus fruit with a very acidic taste and an orange peel and flesh. The peel is a bit baggy, like a mandarin.

Back in 2020, I made a lemon meringue pie using Ryan’s rangpurs (see that post here). This time, I adapt a recipe from The Kitchen McCabe substituting lemon juice with rangpur juice, making individual rangpur tarts.

Using a defrosted store-bought pie crust and these sweet individual tart pans, this recipe is rather easy and tasty. Toasting the meringue topping with this small culinary blow torch gives the dessert a professional touch. Note: there are many different types of culinary torches and depending on your budget and use, read the ratings to select the one that best serves your purpose.

My tartlet pans are 4″ wide by 1.25″, however, I purchased them a long time ago and cannot remember the source. The ones on Amazon are not as tall, but I think they will work equally as well. Webstaurant has one the same size as mine and you can find it here.

The rangpur curd is so unexpectedly different and the dessert is a success.

New Curtains

Our master bathroom is deserving of a total make-over but as I save up for this big project, the curtains in the bathtub nook need replacing. I go to my list of respected resources, but when did the price of curtain panels go up?

Since I am looking for a temporary fix until I fully determine the future new look of the bathroom, I don’t want to spend a lot of money. I find these linen curtains on Amazon for less than $40 for 2 panels, which come in 11 colors and multiple lengths!

Not expecting the best quality, I am very surprised when the curtains arrive. Yes, they are linen and even though the background is more natural vs. white, they are quite pretty. They let the light through but provide some privacy to the outside.

Since I ordered the wrong length, I will need to hem them, but other than that, I am quite pleased with the quality at such a low price. They do have grommets (not my favorite attachment method), but for an interim curtain, it will do. Or I can hem them from the top and add with a pocket for the rod or a way to attach hooks.

From the Internet

I don’t know about you, but for me, Spring is the time to open the windows, and switch things up a bit to welcome the new season. Simple tasks such as reorganizing a hutch or shelves can give a room a fresh, new look. CoCo from The Crowned Goat has Eight Easy Tips for Styling a Dining Room Hutch. Don’t have a hutch? Her tips can be used anywhere you have a set of shelves. Plus her photos are just dreamy.

When the weather gets warmer, I dream about finding the perfect, easy casual dress to wear. However, being on the shorter side (5’4″), some dresses with voluminous fabric make me look like a sack of potatoes. So, I spend time looking but making never making a decision. Elizabeth from Pinecones and Acorns shares a collection of spring dresses in various patterns and silhouettes.

If anyone has had success in finding a pretty, affordable, spring dress please let me know. Seriously, I look every year and don’t buy anything.

Many of you met my sweet friend, Chloe Crabtree, at our Fall Styling Workshop last year. You have often heard me rave about her beautiful home in Celebration, Florida. Now you can see it too. Chloe graciously welcomes you into her home with her recently posted video Spring Home tour.

Mary’s Must Haves

As the weather gets warmer, I am ready for long sleeve blouses vs. jackets. An affordable favorite (truly, I get compliments every time I wear it), is this boho, loose blouse that is currently 24% off on Amazon, at $27.99. It comes in 20 different colors/patterns and I currently own two of them. Launders easily and still looks good a few years later.

I am in the market for a new belt and good quality t-shirts. Each summer I try and buy a new white one, but lately, it seems the fabric is so sheer (what’s that about?). If anyone has a resource for the perfect t-shirt (crew neck) and a good quality belt, please let me know.

Well, that’s a wrap! Trying to get all of Easter put away, doing some spring cleaning projects and gardening this weekend. Wishing you a relaxing and happy weekend!

For many years, we have been a family with 4 dogs. Our beloved Cooper passed away in 2022 and last year, our sweet 16 year old Beagle, Sox crossed the rainbow bridge. They were our last two dogs. For me, the house and property seems so empty without our canine pets. My husband is at the stage where he would rather travel and be untethered to pet responsibilities, but this is the same man who just came home with 15 baby chickens. Hmm. Today’s post is about our journey to finding another dog to add to our family.

Akbash Dog Breed

With so many dogs to adopt, you are probably asking why we would fly across country to Knoxville, Tennessee and drive 2 more hours to get to a dog from a breeder?

The Akbash dog breed, originating from Turkey, is a magnificent and imposing shepherd known for its exceptional guardian instincts and unwavering loyalty. Sometimes confused with the Great Pyrenees, the Akbash also commands attention with their striking white coats and confident demeanor.

Akbash dogs actively excel as livestock guardians, fearlessly protecting their charges from any predator. Their vigilant nature makes them an integral part of farm life, ensuring the safety of flocks and herds. With an acute awareness of their surroundings, Akbash dogs constantly monitor the perimeter, deterring potential threats with their authoritative presence.

Akbash dogs are gentle and protective towards their family, but they can also be suspicious and protective of strangers. They are independent thinkers and need to be trained with a firm but gentle hand. Akbash dogs are brave and courageous, and they will not hesitate to defend their family or flock from danger. They are also very loyal and enjoy spending time with their loved ones.

To date, we have had 2 Akbash dogs~Lightning (2001-2009) and Cooper (2012-2022). Both dogs did an excellent job of protecting our other animals as well as our family and property. This is not a common breed and with our situation, the Akbash dog is the best choice for us.

Our Property

We live in a very metropolitan area, being the 5th largest and fastest growing city in the U.S. In spite of the growing density around us, we have two sublime acres with national historical status 10 minutes from downtown Phoenix. With all the amenities of a big city, we also have a unique blend of city problems (crime, drugs, homelessness) and rural issues (like coyotes, foxes, raccoons and birds of prey).

The Akbash dog is a very large and imposing breed, but a lovable family dog. I always felt safe having Cooper patrol the property and we will never know how many potential threats he dispelled during his nearly 10 years with us.

Three Creek Ranch

In December, my husband, Scott did the research to find this special dog. Three Creek Ranch in Blackwater, VA has high marks for breeding Akbash dogs. The timing is perfect as they are having a new litter born in mid-January. Ten puppies make their way into the world on January 15th~8 males and 2 females.

We explain to the owners our current property situation and the type of disposition we are seeking in a new dog. Typically this breeder does not release the dogs until 12 weeks old, but socialization skills take place between 8 and 10 weeks. They are agreeable to let us come and see the dogs after 8 weeks. Since this dog will not be on large acreage, it’s important to us that he can adapt to life here.

How to Transport?

The thought of putting this puppy into a crate and using Federal Express for shipping just doesn’t set well with me. Initially we had hoped to find an RV that we could drive one way, allowing us (and the dog) some room in a future cross country drive. But, one way RV rentals are difficult to find and when we did, it was cost prohibitive.

We decide to fly to Knoxville and then rent an SUV from Avis, which is a brand new Toyota 4-Runner with only 170 miles on it.

Our First Night in Knoxville

Have you ever heard of the Graduate hotels? Launched in 2014 by a Nashville-based real estate company, these hotels are located in college towns and reflect the culture and charm of the nearby university. Our first night in Knoxville we stay at the Graduate hotel near the University of Tennessee.

Our room is absolutely ADORABLE! I am so impressed that their designer can blend multiple colors and fabric and wallpaper patterns and make it all work together.

The University of Tennessee’s colors are orange and white, which is reflected in many of the room’s elements. A sweet, cross-stitched pillow is a homey touch as is the dog faces on the lamp bases.

An old-style telephone, coffee station and repurposed vintage furniture make the room charming and playful.

The lobby is a cheerful gathering place and the staff couldn’t be nicer. Being impressed with this hotel, I do a little research. The Graduate brand has 31 hotels. Hilton Worldwide recently purchased them. Let’s hope they do not ruin the ambiance and uniqueness of this fabulous hotel chain. We truly enjoyed our stay there and highly recommend checking out The Graduate Hotel.

Three Creek Ranch

The next day, we make the 2 hour drive to southwestern Virginia to Three Creek Ranch. This rural, quiet ranch is on 130 acres and we meet the owners and of course, Mom, Dad and all the puppies. I’m trying not to feel badly about removing this puppy from his family and bucolic setting.

One puppy separates from his siblings finds his way to my shoes, plops down and starts eating my laces. For the rest of the time, he follows us around, appearing rather independent. You could say he picked us as his pet parents.

With a new car crate, dog toys, food, pet pads and numerous blankets and towels, we start our drive across the country.

After much discussion, we pick the name Finnian, Finn for short as it means “white” in Irish. Finn will be pure white after his loses his puppy coat which has a bit of grey in it.

The Drive Across Country

The most challenging time for Finn is getting into a car (for the first time), getting into a crate (for the first time) and being away from his siblings. But once we get onto straight roads, he calms down and snuggles with the very large stuffed bunny we bought as his companion.

Kudos to my husband for being a person who can happily drive for hours. I, unfortunately, am not great at sitting for long periods of time. But we stop frequently to let Finn do his business and British mysteries on Audible make the drive interesting.

At the end of the long days we stop at the Residence Inn by Marriott as they are dog friendly. However, Finn has not received all his shots yet so we are very careful not to let him on the ground in places where many dogs have been. We make the trip home through Tennessee, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico and finally Arizona in 60 hours.

The dog does so well, sleeping for long periods of time and trying to get used to us and all the new sights and sounds he is experiencing. Soon he will grow and be as big as Cooper, weighing in at 125 pounds.

What We Learned

Finn’s temperament is sweet, loving and he is adaptable to new experiences. Sometimes the thought of taking on the care and keeping of a pet can be overwhelming, but in this case, the benefits are well worth it. Our heart are expanding with new love for a puppy. It has only been 11 days since we’ve been home, and I cannot imagine life without this sweet boy.

If you haven’t driven across country, it is extraordinary to see the USA’s beauty and diversity. Open spaces, big sky and everyone, literally everyone, was so kind and warm to us. We saw hardworking people taking such pride in their jobs, as well as their cities and states.

America is not what is shown on the nightly news. The conflicts and issues in some of our big cities are not representative of our country. Having four days away from some of the nonsense and to be with solid, genuine, and caring people is a good reminder that we are one country, made up of many different kinds of folks. A diversity of viewpoints and ideas is a good thing and should be celebrated, not criticized.

With a renewed sense of patriotism and an adorable puppy, life is pretty good. Thank you for all your well wishes and I know Finn will be a big part of all our lives.

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