Saturday Meanderings

As I write this, we are up at our mountain cabin. It is overcast, drizzling and chilly temperatures and oh, so very quiet. When you live in a busy city, you ignore all the noise (sirens, traffic, lawn mowers and blowers), but here it is silent. Wow. I haven’t been here since Thanksgiving, so naturally there is much tidying up to do (spider webs for example). I don’t believe I have seen another person here, except my husband. Well, happy Saturday and I am so happy you are here today to discuss all good things this week.

The Drive Up

The drive to the mountains is generally 3.5 hours. On the freeway in Phoenix, my car thermometer registered 104 degrees. About 1.5 hours out of Phoenix, the temperature drops to 87 degrees. But shortly thereafter, I run into a very dark and spooky weather storm and the temperature quickly drops to 53 degrees. Look at that ominous sky! Isn’t Mother Nature just amazing?

Surprisingly Good Find at Costco

Other than their salmon with pesto butter, I tend not to buy seafood at Costco. However, this week I purchase a 5 lb. bag of live farm raised Manila clams and boy, are they delicious. At $4.79 a pound, it is a pretty good deal. They must be seasonal because I do not see them featured on the Costco website. Steaming them in white wine, a little water, garlic, fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro), I serve them with a French baguette (for dipping into the sauce) and a glass of a crisp white wine~an easy and delicious dinner.

Since we had leftover clams, I take them out of the shell and freeze them in the cooking liquid. I’ve never frozen clams before but hoping to use them in a linguini and clam recipe in the future.

Peaches are Ripe!

The hardest part of being out of town is not picking peaches daily. There are still many that are hard on the tree so I’m hoping they will stay until I get home. These “bend over and eat” peaches are so juicy and flavorful. They remind me of peaches growing up. For some reason, the ones you buy in the grocery store today are lacking in flavor and fuzz. I see peach pie in my future!

Spaghetti Squash, any one?

I am afraid I am going to have an abundance of spaghetti squash. Like anything else, the first few are delicious and then you get your fill. If you live nearby and like spaghetti squash, let me know. I haven’t picked any yet, but my guess is that they will be ready very soon.

Thought you might enjoy this photo….the pollinating of my squash blossoms. I’ve never stuffed squash blossoms but that might be a solution to nipping the numerous spaghetti squashes in the bud.

Out-of-Sync Week

Do you have one of those weeks that nothing goes right? Not sure why this happens, but my week has been fraught with one problem or obstacle after another. Are the planets out of alignment? For me, this is often a sign to slow down.

What do you do to reverse an out-of-sync week? In 2020 I wrote a post, Ways to Navigate Life Now, and quite honestly, I just re-read it and it is balm for the soul. Apparently, in 2019 was also a stressful time as I wrote the post, Ways to Decompress. Anyway, if you are experiencing a sense of being overwhelmed, you may find value in reading these.

Fun Things on the Internet

Check out with this Elegant Budget Friendly Before and After house remodel. Featured on The Glam Pad, you get to look inside the beautiful home of Courtney from Tuft & Trim. Renovating on a limited budget, you will be inspired by the transformation.

Need Memorial Day decorating ideas? My very talented and industrious friend, Rachel from The Ponds Farmhouse has 25 Patriotic Decor Ideas for you. There are so many suggestions-from simple to more complicated. You can see it here.

Memorial Day is 10 days away. What? Are you gathering with family and friends to honor this holiday? Wendy from WM House Designs has a blog post filled with party ideas from food to games, as well as this delicious looking Watermelon and Cucumber cocktail. So much is packed into this post you won’t want to miss it here.

Are you growing flowers this year? If so, you will find such great information from my gardening friend, Kim from Shiplap and Shells. My garden is mostly vegetables but this year I am trying to plant more flowers. Her post on Pinching Cut Flower plants is filled with tips on how to make the most of your cut flower plants. This is timely for me as many of the flowers I am growing from seeds are the right height to pinch (yet I’ve never done it as I am a bit apprehensive). Plus Kim has the most beautiful pictures of her home and garden so you won’t want to miss it.

Speaking of beautiful flowers, you have heard me many times say how much I LOVE lilacs. However, we cannot grow them in Phoenix. But, they do grow in the mountains! I am so excited that we are here during lilac bloom and naturally, I cannot help myself from cutting bunches and bunches. Ah, simple pleasures that melt away the stress.

I had hoped to post this week but was having some computer challenges. As requested, I will soon share my sourdough bread recipe. Until then, have a marvelous weekend and keep the faith!