Saturday Meanderings

Happy last Saturday of May! Wait, what? That’s right another month just shushing by..unbelievable. Thank you for joining me on this Memorial Day Saturday Meanderings weekend to chat about all good things this week. I hope this post finds you happy, healthy and full of vim and vigor. What is vim, by the way? It mean high energy and great enthusiasm. Who knew?

A First Time for Everything

While up at our cabin in the mountains, our friends, Mitch and Tevia invite us to go ATV-ing. Honestly, I have never done this before! The day’s weather just happened to be perfect~blue skies and puffy white clouds. There are multiple trails through the forest and we travel to places I have not seen before

One stop is at the Springer Mountain Fire Lookout Tower at the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest. We climb to the top of the 40 foot tower and meet Janie Croxen Ringleberg, a US Forest Service employee who has been watching for fires for 31 years. Her 11′ x 11′ space is filled with maps, radios, binoculars and photographs.

Janie shares her history with us and explains how she is able to assess and know the attributes of fire origins. She works in this tower full time Monday-Friday all by herself. Truly amazing.

Cabin Projects

Remember last year when the brand new roof we purchased for the cabin had a massive water leak in our entry?

To make matters worse, the ceiling is wood and the leak caused severe staining. In an attempt to just replace a few of the panels, we hired someone to replace and try to stain match the non-damaged ceiling. The side walls need new plaster work and the entire project has taken forever.

This week is the first time I have seen the repair work. Unfortunately, the replacement ceiling panels are stained a completely different color from the rest of the ceiling. The question is should we just replace the entire ceiling, or try to stain the balance of the ceiling to match the new wood?

Unwilling to have this torn up yet again, I volunteer to try and see if I can try and blend the two ceiling colors to a point where it is more acceptable.

What was I thinking?!? Here is a picture where I stain a few of the existing boards to match the new, darker color of the replacement panels. It takes me a few days of grueling overhead work with a watery stain, but I am finally a bit happier with the results.

Finally, after several months, the front entry is back together and hopefully the repaired roof will not leak again. I’m not sure my arms and shoulders will ever be the same!

Bargains of the Week

Check out this pretty blue and white melamine tray I find at Big Lots. Priced at $12.99, it is also on sale (at the register) for $9.74. You can find it here on the Big Lots website. They also have really cute matching plates and bowls, very affordable and on sale too.

Sundance Catalog is having a great sale in their Outlet shop..up to 40%. Occasionally I will browse their website and find a really good buy.

This cute eyelet embroidered blouse was $128.00, marked down to $39.99 and now on sale for $23.99.

Scalloped, eyelet hem with gathered cuffs and tasseled tie give this tiered, peasant-style dress a touch of timeless romance. $148.00 down to $29.99 and then on sale again for $17.99!

I just ordered these two items so I will let you know if I like them. Not sure how long the sale will last, but you may want to check it out here. I don’t get any kind of commission if you buy something~just enjoy sharing a good sale when I find one.

Need Your Design Feedback

As we open up the cabin for summer use, we are uncovering outdoor furniture, sweeping the decks and fixing all things broken. On our back deck, we have two entertaining venues in the same space~ one for sitting and one for dining.

Here is the back deck area:

The seating side’s color scheme is mostly red, neutral rug with some navy accents. The primitive pine dining table has grey/white French bistro chairs. Since we have a leftover outdoor rug I place it under the table.

I do like how the table, rug and chairs is visually cohesive.

However, I am not sure I am fond of the entire space. It feels disjointed to me to have a red/blue/neutral palette next to this gray/gold/white one.

What do you think? It’s hard to tell by the photos but I would appreciate your design feedback. Should I live with it? Change out the red cushions to another color? Paint the metal furniture an anodized bronze? Find different pillows? Help!

Garden Harvesting

As the weather gets warmer, my garden will soon go fallow for the summer. But right now, I am picking Black Krim tomatoes (which are so delicious) and Japanese eggplant. The San Marzano tomatoes are still green and hoping for a plentiful batch for sauce.

Artichokes are flowering. We had such an abundant crop this year, I am leaving the last few on the plant to bloom. Will cut them and dry them for a future wreath?

Just yesterday, I picked 4 very large sweet figs from our tree.

The heat has caused all the lettuces to bolt, but the chickens are enjoying them as afternoon snacks. I still have tomatillos, peppers, and kale producing.

Summer Reading List

I am getting ready to compile a new summer reading list so if anyone has great book recommendations please let me know. My friend, Cindy, is reading In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson and seems to like it. The only other Erik Larsen book I read (and really enjoyed) is Devil in the White City back in 2004. My summer reading tends to be light and joyful, without any heavy or demanding topics. Please share your favorites.

I know Memorial Day is the unofficial start to summer, as most schools are finally finished with classes. But let’s not forget the true meaning of Memorial Day. Wishing you a weekend of loving moments with family and friends as we give thanks, gratitude and honor to the military members who died while serving in the U.S. Forces.