I love the month of November. This calm and quiet month is often overlooked, as it is stuck between spooky Halloween and sparkly Christmas rarely getting the attention it deserves.  To me, November is the resting month before the frantic pace of the holidays. Cherishing shorter days, longer nights. Can’t we slow down life’s fast pace a bit? Because this year, more than most, it feels like time is spinning out of control and flying by. November marks the beginning of winter and a slower seasonal cycle.

I don’t know if it is because I was raised in New England, but fall is a favorite time of year.  November is my “pause” month.  A time to decrease stress and synch my rhythms to the earth. Now is when I notice the change in the angle of the sun and how the light is soft and golden. It seems appropriate to be mindful, present, and save up our energy for the busy days ahead.

November temperatures are now consistently cool in Phoenix causing our leaves to start changing colors.  This month we celebrate both Veterans Day and Thanksgiving, holidays without presents or fanfare. November and Thanksgiving….is truly a time when we can focus on the most important things: giving thanks to our family, friends and food. 

Did you know that November also includes such holidays like National Cinnamon Day, National Doughnut Day, National Spicy Hermit Cookie, National Gingerbread Cookie Day, National Red Mitten Day and National Homemade Bread Day? Who knew, right? But it’s no surprise because it’s appropriate feel quite cozy in November.

Typically, I avoid everything and anything Christmas until the day after Thanksgiving. But it’s hard to do that, when holiday items fill the shelves before Halloween. Even Hallmark starts its countdown to Christmas movies long before I am ready. Social media starts the Christmas buzz early too. But instead of resisting it, I am keeping an open mind.

The bloggers who have thousands of followers are already decorating for Christmas.  Many are putting up their Christmas trees and decorations the day after Halloween.

But here at Bella Terra, the Christmas holiday starts here when Santa makes his appearance in New York after the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

Our autumn decorations will stay up until November 25th. The exception this year is the beautifully decorated Christmas mantel Chloe Crabtree designed in our living room for our Fall Styling Workshop. It is so beautiful and I’m almost tempted to leave it up all year!

My hopes for this month is to slow down, welcome the changes the earth will provide us and ease gracefully into the holidays ahead.

Do you love November too? Wishing you many joyful and beautiful moments this month. Happy November, dear friends.

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This is my 100th Saturday Meanderings post. For the centennial post, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your dedication and loyalty every Saturday. I recently heard a sad statistic that over 50% of Americans feel lonely or profoundly lonely. However, so many of you feel like close friends to me and this blog. You are my blessings and our friendship, either in person or virtual, provide my life with great joy. So for the 100th time and In true fashion, let’s get started on chatting about all good things this week. Don’t forget to check out the giveaway below too.

Easter Recap

After Easter service at church, we have a sit-down brunch/lunch with our children (minus our son), their significant others and friends outside under the palm trees.

The menu consists of: lemon ricotta pancakes and fresh berries; Belgian waffles with strawberries and whipped cream, fresh fruit salad, arugula salad with lemon dressing, hot cross buns, bacon, sausage and a spinach quiche. Dessert is the traditional lamb cake, made with Ambitious Kitchen’s healthy gluten-free carrot cake recipe (a winner!).

I love this hot cross bun recipe and only make it once a year. But this year, the buns look perfect going into the oven, more so than any previous year. When the baking timer goes off, I am so excited to take them out of the oven. Unfortunately, I didn’t video the moment because no sooner did I get them out of the oven, that the handle to the ceramic baking dish broke off. The entire pan of freshly baked hot cross buns fell out of my hand, crashes to the floor, shattering the dish and ruining my beautiful buns. Ugh.

But things took a turn for the better when a few minutes after the hot cross bun clean up, my family comes into the kitchen with a birthday surprise (my birthday was Monday, April 10th). Pretty flowers, gifts and 2 of my favorite Chardonnays! All in all the day is a beautiful one~great food, gorgeous weather and lively conversation.

Whether you celebrate Easter or not, I hope your day was filled with love and joy.

Powdery Mildew

Due to all the rain and cooler spring temperatures, my rose garden looks fabulous. However, within a matter of days, I now have powdery mildew. Typically the rose mildew occurs with excessive humidity (which we do not have). Since I don’t want to use chemicals, I am going to try a mixture of one part milk to 10 parts water and spray it on the affected leaves. If you have a natural remedy for powdery mildew, please do share.

In inspecting the powdery mildew situation, I also find aphids. Sigh.

Gardens are like that. Just when you think things are going well, something else comes up. I guess that’s why gardening keeps you humble.

This Week’s Projects

Speaking of gardens, the white picket fence surrounding my vegetable garden finally has a fresh coat of paint. What a difference it makes! My husband gets credit for completing this project!

Now that the guest cottage remodel is complete (see it here if you missed it), I am now back to tackling one room at a time. Most of this week is cleaning up the office and art room. Back in 2020, I shared a peek into our home office. Hard to believe it’s gotten so messy since then.

Here’s a look at a clean office, which is my inspiration. Again, I am wondering if it’s time to get rid of the dark ebony finish on the bookcases and do something else~like blue? Your thoughts?

A little Saturday Meanderings History

When I started writing Saturday Meanderings in 2020, the very first post was after a mother/daughter trip to Vancouver, Canada. Elisabeth and I crossed back into the United States and the very next day, the borders were shut down due to the pandemic.

When I look back over those difficult years, collectively, through this blog, we endured the fear, sadness, loneliness and pain from COVID. The goal of this blog is to continue to spread kindness, a bit of sunshine and civility while sharing tips, tricks and information.

In order to celebrate the 100th edition, I would like to giveaway a beautiful book, An American in Provence: Art, Life and Photography. Written by Jamie Beck, she transports you to the South of France. Her book is part art, part travelogue, part memoir, and part cookbook. It is perfect for art lovers, Francophiles, and armchair travelers alike. 

I am slowly making my way through this book, devouring each and every page.

Just write a comment below about what you like about Saturday Meanderings (or don’t like, I suppose!). Names will be put into a bowl and a winner will be selected. The winner will be announced next Saturday.

Around the Internet

I know I have mentioned this before, but I just love reading my friend, Kim’s blog on Sunday. Called Shiplap and Shells, Kim is a self-taught gardener, a fabulous photographer and she lives in the sweetest home on the water in the Pacific Northwest. Just reading her blog makes you happy. I highly recommend reading Saturday Meanderings on Saturday and Kim’s Saltwater Sounds on Sunday.

Do you love deviled eggs? We certainly do and even though my husband prefers his version the best, I like trying other recipes. Michele from Vintage Home Designs shares 3 recipes and the way to make perfect hard boiled eggs. You can see it here.

As I wrap up this 100th Saturday Meandering post, I can only hope that the next 100 posts will be as fun and rewarding. Again, my deepest thanks for your support. I am always very grateful when you share Life at Bella Terra with others, too. Wishing you a fantastic weekend!

Here it is, Saturday again and time for a Saturday Meanderings! So happy you are here today as we chat about all good things that happened this week. December is cruising along at a fast pace, but this week, at least for me, it was a productive one.I accomplished many things each day so the time feels more purposeful.

Christmas Decorating

While listening to holiday music, most of the week is dedicated to gradually working on the Christmas decorating. I know some people have theirs done right after Halloween, but we wait until after Thanksgiving. I hope to do a holiday home tour, but if not, here’s a sneak peek into what has been done to date.

The front entry/porch is mostly my husband’s responsibility and this year he adds several artificial trees to create a forest feel. It is magical at night with all the twinkly lights on. This is the only time of year I wish my front door was red vs. blue.

The front door wreath is sporting a new ribbon which is a wired faux Dupioni tartan silk one from BellaWreathsToo on Etsy. I LOVE this ribbon and it ties all the colors of the artichokes, red ornaments, greens and cinnamon sticks together. Wish I bought more than 2 rolls.

The large wreath on the well tower is up and it is so festive to see it out the kitchen window at night.

When Something isn’t in Stock

Have you ever received a catalog in the mail and the featured item is non-existent or out of stock? Several weeks ago I received a Hobby Lobby catalog showing all their garlands. There is one in particular I really like and went online to purchase it (as instructed by the catalog).

It is no where to be found. Not out of stock or discontinued…just no information about it at all. Being a bit bugged by this, I order red and white beads online and make my own. Here’s how mine looks on the breakfast room mantel.

This is a quick and very easy project as I could do it while elevating my foot and icing my toe. Tassel-making is simple too. If anyone is interested in this, I can do a quick post on how to make it.

It’s a cheerful addition to the breakfast room and makes me happy each time I pass it.

Blooming Time for Amaryllis

Home Depot is (was?)selling amaryllis bulbs in cute red metal containers a few weeks ago. This week the blooms are opening and I am now wishing we purchased more of these~would make great hostess gifts.

Annual Tradition

My husband’s birthday is on December 13th and each year, we typically get a fresh Christmas tree on or around that time. Since we are traveling next week, we picked up the tree this week from our favorite nursery, Whitfill Nursery. Donning our Santa hats, we hunt for the perfect tree! Both daughters are available to go and when we get home, the tree goes into the pool for a few days to hydrate.

Kerouac, my daughter’s Cavalier King Charles puppy is also part of the festivities, complete with his flannel outfit (it was chilly out) and Christmas bandana.

December Garden

Next week we are due for some below freezing weather so this weekend I will be covering the garden. Since I have blooms on my tomatoes and the greens (lettuce, Swiss chard, arugula) are doing so well, I need to protect them. While out there yesterday, I pulled up some dying vines, only to find sweet potatoes! Since I’ve never grown potatoes before, I’m not really sure when to harvest them.

I literally stuck a sprouted potato from the grocery store into the garden bed months ago, not really expecting much. It will be fun to dig the plant up and see if there are more spuds!

New Resource

Do you follow The Glam Pad? This week, they feature Tessa Foley from Nine and Sixteen (never heard of her) and I am so in love with everything she does. Her signature style combines coastal New England with classic English details and is timeless, feminine, and warm.

Each photo on the post sparked ideas. You can see more photos on The Glam Pad post here. I think you will like her style.

How to Make Any Outfit Holiday Ready

I am definitely NOT the person to advise on fashion, however, Cindy Hattersley is a great resource, especially for fashion over 50. Her recent blog post, How to Make Any Outfit Holiday Ready is filled with tips on making everyday clothing more holiday friendly. I love her tip on adding vintage rhinestone pins (as I have quite a few of those). And she is the only person I know that can pull of combat boots.

Isn’t she darling? I now need a tartan blouse.

Wrapping it Up

It’s a good week when you get your haircut and then go to Trader Joe’s! Plus I am out of my boot and am managing to get my recovering toe into a real shoe. Before signing off, I thought you might like to see our home at night.

With the candles in the windows and the trees illuminated around the front door, the house looks so festive and ready for the holidays.

Have a wonderful weekend!

As much as I would like to downsize, I do admit to collecting a few things.  Why do we collect things? Is it for hobby? Financial gain? Here are some things I collect and the reasons I do so.

Collection: the act or process of getting things from different places and bringing them together 

Snow Globes and Ornaments

I have always been drawn to snow globes. My earliest memory of a snow globe is one my mother put out every Christmas. Shaking it, I would be mesmerized as the snow fell slowly to a magical scenic village.

For each of my children, during the holidays, I will purchase them a new Christmas tree ornament and snow globe until age 21. Once they have their own apartments or home, then those collections will be sent to them. Hoping of course, that they still want them!

In the ornament box I tuck a note with a few words about their lifestage, what they are interested in and how we celebrate that holiday.  I hope they will enjoy those messages and their holiday collections as they grow older.

Beach Sand and Seashells

One of my personal collections is beach sand. Yes, sand. As you know, I love the ocean. Not having an ocean close by is a downside to living here in Phoenix. Each time I visit a different beach, I collect a small amount of sand. The sand is from: Mexico, Hawaii, Jamaica, Maine, California, Texas, Rhode Island, France, Russia, Greece, St. Kitts and St. Thomas.

Any shells or seagrass I find during my beach walks, is added to the sand collection.

I am amazed how different sand is ~~ from the color to texture to size of particles.  The whitest and finest sand is from Mexico. On her trip to Greece, my daughter brought me red sand from Red Sand Beach, Santorini, Greece and black sand from Perissa Black Beach in Santorini, Greece.  The sand most similar to each other is from opposite sides of the country~Newport Beach, California and Watch Hill, Rhode Island.

I have mixed feelings about the sand I gathered from Omaha and Utah Beach during a tour of Normandy in France.  I consider this to be sacred ground and keep it with the upmost respect.

The Maine and Jamaica sand have similar shades of what I would consider “sand” color. I display the sand jars in the family room on shelves.  They do deserve better labels vs. ones from my label machine, but I’ll get to that project someday!

Rosary Beads

My next collection is rosary beads.  When the World’s Fair came to New York City in 1964, I remember being in awe of seeing Michelangelo’s Pieta, which was on loan from St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Italy.  It was sculpted in 1499 when Michelangelo was 24. My mother purchased The Pieta rosary and I was so fortunate to get it after her death.

Another favorite rosary of mine is from the Vatican during our family Italy trip in 2014. What I love about rosary beads is that each and every rosary is different~~the crucifix, centerpiece and beads. To me, they are individual works of art.

I have my Aunt Gail and Aunt Jerry’s (my father’s sisters, now deceased) rosary beads and others I have collected from various parts of the world.  The one with the large crystal crucifix is from Waterford Crystal in Waterford, Ireland and the red and blue rosaries were purchased from a street market in Puebla, Mexico.

New, handcrafted heirloom rosaries

I recently received a payment for some work I was subpoenaed to do for a law firm who is suing our City. It is a long story, with lots of nastiness. Since the check feels like dirty money to me, I spend it on a new set of rosary beads.

Seraphym Designs, based out of Santa Fe, New Mexico makes the most gorgeous original heirloom rosary beads. Each design is carefully handcrafted in the United States and contains replicated devotional metals that date between the 14th and 19th centuries. In 2015, Seraphym Designs was commissioned to make an original St. Serra rosary for Pope Francis during his visit to the US.

Not only does the founder, Arasely Rios create rosaries but she also makes beautiful jewelry. If you are looking for a unique one of a kind gift (they have a wedding rosary), I suggest you visit their website. And now I feel like I took bad money and spent it on something good. 

I am a bit surprised but even Amazon sells a wide variety of styles and price points for rosary beads.

Today is a glimpse into a few of my collections. Do you collect anything? If so, please share.  I hope you had a blessed Memorial Day and enjoy the last day of May.

Tomorrow, November 11th is Veterans Day, originally known as Armistice Day. The purpose of Armistice Day was to honor the fallen soldiers of the Great War for their sacrifice and bravery. In 1926, Congress adopted a resolution making November 11, Armistice Day a legal holiday. In honor of this holiday, do you know about the Arlington Ladies? I recently learned about the Arlington Ladies from my friend, Joanne, who volunteers for this wonderful organization. The Arlington Ladies are a group of volunteers who attend funeral services at Arlington National Cemetery to ensure that no Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Coast Guardsman is buried alone.

History

The history of this group dates back to 1948 when Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Hoyt Vandenberg, and his wife, Gladys, routinely attended funerals and noticed that some services had only a military chaplain present. Vandenberg asked her friends to start attending services. And their efforts grew into a group that would come to be known as the Arlington Ladies. 

The role of the Arlington Lady is to represent the service branch to offer condolences, support the family, and honor the veteran or service member.

How Do You Become an Arlington Lady?

The group initially included military wives, but it now includes military daughters and even a gentleman. The Army Arlington Lady must be wives or widows of Army men and be referred by a current wife. The Navy and Air Force follow similar requirements for their ladies. Instead of Arlington Ladies, the Marines send their own representative to the funeral.

Every Arlington Lady completes a training period. During the training period, the prospective member will shadow an Arlington Lady at a minimum of six funerals. This includes two dependent, two standard honors, two full honors services. At least one of these should be a chapel service.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Arlington Ladies are an official part of the funeral service, representing the military service’s chief of staff or equivalent. Joanne is a Coast Guard Arlington Lady. Before the funeral, Joanne researches the life and military history of the deceased. She shares that information with the honor guard that accompanies her. Prior to the service, she meets with the family. Joanne’s role is to represent the United States Coast Guard, while providing comfort and guidance to the family.

With a 21 gun salute, 3 shell casings are gathered, placed in a black velvet bag and given to the family. At the end of the service, Joanne gives a card of condolences from the Commandant of the Coast Guard.

At every funeral, even if there is no family present, there are at least 3 people~the chaplain, an honor guard and an Arlington Lady.

The Coast Guard is the only branch of service that allows the service member, spouse and family to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

How Many Funerals are at Arlington?

Prior to COVID, there were 25-36 funerals a day. While burials were suspended during the pandemic, there are currently 10 funerals per month at Arlington. As you can imagine, these funeral services are conducted with the utmost precision, protocol and respect. Depending on rank, the ceremony can be with full honors, standard honors or dependent status.

Dress Code

Taken from the Arlington Lady Handbook:

The Arlington Ladies are expected to wear modest knee-length or longer dress or dress pants in dark, muted tones (e.g. black, grey, navy, brown). Closed-toe shoes suitable for uneven surfaces are appropriate. Shoulders should be covered as for a religious ceremony.

Hats and boots appropriate to the weather are acceptable. Sunglasses and gloves may be worn but must be removed when addressing the family.

Coast Guard jewelry, including American flag pins, may be worn. A name tag and official Arlington Ladies pin (which are received upon completion of the training process) are worn below the right shoulder. The AL pin should be worn above the name tag.

In Conclusion

For the last 73 years, countless women have volunteered to provide comfort and guidance to every service person and their family members at Arlington National Cemetery. I, for one, did not even know that the Arlington Ladies existed. What a wonderful organization! And I am so proud of my sweet friend, Joanne, who volunteers her time to this valuable cause.

Also, I don’t know if you have ever had the privilege of attending a funeral service at Arlington. My dear friend, Bob Garrett passed away unexpectedly a few years ago. He had a full military honors ceremony (hence the pictures) and I was so honored to attend.

I know many of us are thinking about Thanksgiving and/or Christmas, but please take some time tomorrow to Veterans Day. Let’s thank and honor ALL who have served, living or deceased, but in particular, the living veterans among us. And share the story about the Arlington Ladies, who quietly volunteer their time honoring those veterans and their families.