It is so rare for many of us to experience solitude.  Even when I am not on the go, my brain seems to be racing . With all the hats we wear, having calm and quiet time is a luxury.

I went on a long walk this morning as I am by myself at our cabin in the mountains.  It is a typical fall day-chilly, crisp, clear blue skies, white puffy clouds and sunny.  I tried to quiet my mind and let my eyes capture and appreciate nature and it’s every changing story.  I only encountered a few other forms of life~~squirrels gathering food for the winter as well as a variety of birds-woodpeckers, nut hatches, and crows.

In the White Mountains of Arizona, we experience a different set of colors for autumn.  There is a predominance of Ponderosa pines and oaks. The oaks go from green to a golden yellow to a warm brown.

The aspens are gorgeous this time of year with their shimmering round coin-shaped leaves against their white trunks and blue sky.

There is a scattering of maples, which add their splashes of red and orange.

I was surprised to see some pansies in a flower bed, looking just as good as they would in the springtime.

The colorful blooms of rose bushes have not lost their beauty yet.

And of course, this is the time of year for marigolds and chrysanthemums….and lots of pine needles.

It was so peaceful to walk near the lake and see the sky’s reflection on the glistening water.

Soon all the leaves will fall as nature prepares for winter.

Wishing you a weekend with more moments of quiet and calm.

“Learning how to be still, to really be still and let life happen~~that stillness becomes a radiance.”  Morgan Freeman

A year ago today, I sent my first blog post of Life at Bella Terra.  It was an intimidating moment, because I thought “who would ever want to read this?”  I don’t consider myself a very good writer and I’m really trying to improve upon that.  But your words of encouragement have brought me back to the computer to post again and again.  If it wasn’t for your kindness and support, it would have been easy to just quit.  Thank you for your loyalty and feedback and comments. Truly. From the bottom of my heart.

Each time I send out an email letting you know I’ve created a new post, I am praying you find it interesting, enlightening or even motivating.  I try to share a small piece of loveliness in hopes that I can brighten your day. As I look out into the world, I believe we each need to find sources of joy and create our own beauty.  Whether it be feeling the warmth from a freshly picked tomato, or the scent of a homegrown flower, these moments of perfection can only help feed the soul.

Blogging for me, is a chance to stop and capture a sliver of time, an exquisite photo or a recipe that bursts with flavor. Plus it is forcing me to attack those cluttered corners of the house or undone projects while showing you my progress. But I can honestly say, I am still a long way from feeling confident about creatively illustrating that to you. But I will keep trying.

So here is a look back at the year and some of my favorite photos and posts.

My very first blog post was about the New York Times Bestselling author, Rhys Bowen and the fundraising English tea we had here at Bella Terra.

And other events we happily hosted here…..

Recipes shared…..

My Renovations and Restorations….

Travel and leisure…..

Decorating and Design…

The holidays….

Cleaning, Organizing, and Updating…

Sharing our home and yard….

My attempt at art….

Flower arranging..

Our pets…

And a few DIYs….

My online store….

There is still so much to learn, especially better photography, writing and getting my watermarks the same size on every photo.  So thank you again for following me and sharing my blog with others.

PLEASE send in your comments~~What area of interest would you like for me to expand? What are your favorite topics? How often should I post (trying to do a maximum of twice per week)? What can I do to be better for you?  My goals for the next year are to do a contest or giveaway and conduct a real survey into your likes and interests.

Here’s to one year and onto the next!! I couldn’t have done it without you.

 

 

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We had a WONDERFUL day celebrating the 241st anniversary of the independence of America!  The Annual Bull Frog Loop parade (Bull Frog Loop is the name of our street) goes by our cabin.  It’s the perfect time to host a brunch for our neighbors and friends before the parade.

Here in the mountains, everyone decorates their cabins for the holiday so there is an abundance of flags and patriotic symbols.  This year we added more red/white/blue flag bunting to the deck railings.  I purchased this homemade wooden flag from a sweet dad and his two sons who were selling them on the side of the road.

For brunch, I made my egg casserole and fresh cherry coffee cake, (both recipes I have shared on previous posts).  We also made my new favorite go-to salad, Orange, Strawberry, Avocado with Citrus Poppyseed dressing (by one of my favorite bloggers, Monique at Ambitious Kitchen).  We rounded off the menu with fresh berries, Mimosas and a special cake for dessert.

I found these red/white/blue roses at Safeway~~I thought they would make a nice centerpiece on the table.   The girls laughed at me but I bought them anyway! The older I get, the more they laugh at me….go figure.

Our cabin is at approximately 8,000 feet altitude so it’s a bit of a challenge to bake here.  The girls and I decided at the last minute to make an American Flag Cake. I saw a post about the Top 30 July 4th desserts published by Country Living and this one looked interesting.  Baking at this altitude requires a bit of science and a lot of chemistry.

My daughter, Elisabeth, added the raspberries and blueberries on top of the delicious buttercream frosting. There were lots of oohs and ahhs when we cut into the cake.  Isn’t it amazing?  Surprisingly, with the high altitude adjustments, the cake was moist and all 8 layers worked out to really look like a flag!

We set up a self-serve buffet and then went outside and waited for the parade. This sweet homespun parade was started by Susan Palmer-Hunter. Years ago, Susan was so surprised that there was no July 4th parade here.  So, with determination she started one.  Susan and her husband host this parade every year. The much-anticipated parade has now grown and several hundred residents get to enjoy (and participate, if they like), in this very fun, patriotic event.   From decorated golf carts to bikes and floats, this parade represents the best of America. Here’s a glimpse:

Not only did this family participate in the parade, but they made cupcakes for all!

What a fun play on Red Cups!

And here is my good friend, Tracy, as Miss Bingo!

This parade, and all the red, white and blue, is such a reminder how lucky we are to live in this country!  Thank you, Susan for making this parade possible and gathering our community to celebrate Independence Day.

Also, we want to send our thoughts and prayers to those fire fighters who are working this holiday to manage the forest fires in Arizona.  We are so grateful for their service.  The fire danger is very high here and we pray for the monsoon season rains.

I hope you had a memorable holiday with your family and friends.  Happy July 4th!

 

 

 

Last week, I spent 3 days deep cleaning our little vacation rental cabin in the mountains. In January, my property manager/cleaning couple quit.  For years, I had so heavily relied on them to manage the cabin’s maintenance issues as the geographical distance (a 3 1/2 hour drive) precluded me from doing it myself. And now they were gone.  Sigh.

Our cabin was purchased by my husband long before he and I met. He co-owned it with a life-long friend and several years ago, we bought out his interest (as he invested in a bigger cabin for his family).  We have had it as a vacation rental from Memorial Day to November for the last few years.

When the children were little, we used the cabin more frequently.  At that time there was no television, no internet, just board games and forest explorations.  It was quintessential family time which lasted until the children got older. Enter sports, other interests, friends, etc. and we seemed to use this cabin less and less.

We have kicked around the idea of selling it, but since the recession second homes sales have stagnated over the last few years.  So instead of it just sitting there, it is now a sweet vacation rental.

So back to my current dilemma~~getting the cabin ready for our summer visitors without the help of my dynamic duo.

So with slumped shoulders and a downtrodden spirit, I made the long, albeit beautiful drive up to the White Mountains of Arizona. Who among us looks forward to deep cleaning?  Not I! But, I am not one to wallow in self pity for long so I carved out 3 days to tackle the opening and cleaning of the cabin.

It was FREEZING in the mountains….well, freezing for me.  A low of 39 degrees and a high of 60 with strong winds the entire time.  The cabin doesn’t have central heat, but it does have a few wall heaters and numerous space heaters.  But after being closed up for 5 months, it would take some doing to get the inside warm.  On the plus side, I did get to wear scarves and jackets again~~such a treat with the hot Phoenix summer just around the corner.

The deep cleaning included taking down all the curtains~~washing, drying and ironing….Scrubbing the oven (doesn’t self clean) and the outdoor gas grill~~gross and greasy; pulling out the refrigerator and washing the floor~~disinfecting all bathrooms, wiping out all cabinets, drawers and reorganizing the kitchen.  Cleaning out all closets, ironing duvet covers, window washing, carpet and upholstery cleaning (by a professional thank goodness) and general polishing.  And finally we replaced the old water heater.

By the end of the 3 days, I was physically exhausted but spiritually elated.  Losing my management couple almost felt like a blessing in disguise.  Touching every square inch of this cabin reminded me why we have kept this property in our family for all these years.  The cabin and I reconnected.

The cabin is on .8 of an acre of Ponderosa pine forest.  The view from the kitchen overlooks the large back deck and into the woods.  It has 3 bedrooms and 2 baths and sleeps 8 and is charming and cozy.

The master bedroom is the largest with a queen bed and a set of bunk beds and two seating areas.

The upstairs bedroom, which we refer to as the “loft”, has two twin beds and a “secret” room filled with stuffed animals, toys and Legos.

Two years ago we broke down and put in cable and internet, as our vacation guests wanted to remain technologically connected. But the best part of this cabin is its location. Being part of the White Mountain Summer Homes, it is gated and safe, yet private.  There is great biking, hiking, fishing and golfing….and of course, forest exploration.  It is not uncommon to see wild horses, elk, deer and bear in this area.

So in spite of my original internal whining, the cleaning trip to the mountains was a personal success.  Now our cabin is sparkling clean and ready to create vacation memories for our guests. And I’ve fallen in love with it all over again.

Maybe it’s time to sell it if the right offer or family came by.  But in the meantime, we will continue to cherish it and all its memories. If you would like more information on this cabin, please visit this link at vrbo

Have a wonderful Saturday!

 

 

 

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