Saturday Meanderings

It’s hard to believe two weeks has passed since we last caught up. I hope you enjoyed a lovely Valentine’s Day and relaxing President’s Day weekend. The past 7 days has been a bit of a whirlwind on my end and I cannot wait to fill you in. Welcome to Saturday Meanderings where we get to chat about all the good things this week.

Couples Cooking Class

Scott and I attended our first ever cooking class together (after 31 years of marriage)! If I am being honest, the real reason I signed us up was the dark green baking dish that came with the focaccia lesson. Seems like a sound investment and the fact that we learned something is a bonus.

The class was held at Le Potager , a charming kitchen and garden store, filled with beautiful, slightly dangerous temptations~ unique pottery, quality candles, lovely cookware, and the sort of items that make you believe your kitchen and home can look like this too.

While our dough was rising, we were sent outside to snip fresh rosemary, thyme and oregano from the patio herb garden for our focaccia toppings.

We kneaded, dimpled and topped our dough like pros (or at least enthusiastic beginners). At the end of the class we went home with a warm, baked focaccia and enough dough to make another…plus the coveted green baking dish.

If you live in Phoenix, I highly recommend a visit as this store which is located in The Fred at 12th St and Missouri.

A Beautifully Appointed Engagement Party

On Valentine’s evening, we attended an engagement party of our “second” son, Max, a dear, longtime friend of our son, Benjamin. Everything was so beautifully displayed and the food was delicious. Here are some photos to enjoy.

Isn’t this flower vial/base pretty?

Unfortunately, the Aglow website states all their products are sold out so not sure if they are in business anymore. However, I did find something similar on Etsy here.

What a wonderful celebration to honor the future bride and groom, see old friends and make some new ones too.

A Musical Week-Esteban

Quite honestly, I have not been to a concert for quite some time and the last one was a few years ago to see Crosby, Stills and Nash. However, this week, I went to three live concerts~a bit odd for us.

The first was at one of my favorite places in the Valley, the Hermosa Inn. They hosted an intimate event with guitarist, Esteban in their garden with served up a menu of tapas and wine.

The weather was perfect and the setting was magical, and at 78 years old, Esteban can still absolutely play. Not “good for his age” play, but really play. His band includes his daughter, a gifted violinist, and his son, who masters any acoustical instrument.

It was one of those evenings where you are really glad you made the reservations.

Sons of Legion

On tour for the very first time (completely sold out in 48 hours), their 4th stop was Phoenix and I couldn’t wait to see Sons of Legion in person. Held at the Celebrity Ballroom, the venue was standing room only and we were very close to the stage.

Over the last year I have been following their journey on their Instagram account, @sonsoflegion. It wasn’t too long ago that they only had 50 followers and now their exposure has exploded to 0ver 1 million. They have not signed on to any major labels, as they are trying to keep their music authentic.

I must admit I felt a bit like a groupie, wearing their merchandise t-shirt and moving to their music! This two-man team (with a very good band too), noticed my outfit and gave me a thumbs up and recognition during the concert.

They were fantastic. High energy, amazing music and completely deserving of the explosion in popularity. Again, another great decision to attend.

Englebert Humperdinck

And then ~because why stop at two~ my sweet neighbor, Mitch invited me to join his Mom and his wife, Tevia to see Englebert Humperdinck. Quite honestly, I remember him from many years ago, but thought he had passed away.

Instead, he is launching a World Tour and Phoenix is his first stop…wait for it…he is a few months shy of 90!

The concert began at 8:00 p.m. and he sang for an hour and a half~standing most of the time. He was charming, funny, self-aware and clearly loves performing. Were a few notes slightly off key? Perhaps. Did it matter? Not at all.

The audience knew every word. Mitch’s mom certainly did. Watching all the women in the audience sing along may have been my favorite part of the evening.

Three concerts in one week after years of none. It felt slightly out of character~and entirely wonderful. I left each one feeling a little giddy, a little nostalgic and decades younger.

The Garden is Planted!

I am happily basking in the light of accomplishing the planting of the spring garden. Whew. What an endeavor. This season I am growing: blackberries, rhubarb, Swiss chard (for the chickens), arugula, Romaine lettuce, cantelope, snow peas, snap peas, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, all sorts of herbs (chamomile, basil, oregano, thyme, cilantro, parsley), lot of tomatoes of different varieties, chives, plus a small cutting flower garden.

In order to prevent critters from eating the new plants, I covered the bed with a fine insect netting from Garden Tailor. This resource has such affordable products~from a garden netting kit complete with a 10’x 20′ netting and 6- 8 foot hoops for only $28.99! My 10’x 20′ netting is on sale (48% off) at $13.99. I am definitely ordering another one to keep on hand.

Finally, the Sock Drawer is Organized

This has been on my to-do list for weeks. I just couldn’t take it anymore and devoted some time to getting rid of the socks with holes, finding pairs and pulling out all the onesies that didn’t have a partner.

The Before picture is quite embarrassing. Very happy with it now. Small task but big results!

Scheduling Doctor Appointments

I truly do not like going to the doctor. Growing up, we only went when we were sick. Preventative medicine was not a thing in our house. If you could stand upright and you were not actively contagious, you were fine.

Now as an adult, I tend to drag my feet when it comes to annual physicals and tests. To make matters worse, my primary physician has become a concierge doctor (at a very steep monthly rate), which gives me the perfect excuse to procrastinate even longer.

The one appointment I never avoid however, is my visit to Jay Arora, my ophthalmologist.

His office runs like a Swiss watch. It’s spotless, welcoming, and they do not keep you waiting. When Dr. Arora walks into the exam room, you have his full and undivided attention. No rushing, no typing while half-listening. Just thoughtful, focused care.

He is consistently recognized as a Top Doc, has a 5-star rating and accepts multiple insurance plans-including Medicare~which feels like a minor miracle these days. If you are looking for a fabulous eye doctor, I cannot recommend him enough.

Doing my Civic duty

Many hours recently are spent tending to civic responsibilities. I spent Wednesday morning attending a House Government hearing at the Arizona State Legislature, tracking bills that could negatively impact our community. Our neighborhood group continues to monitor proposed legislation that impact historic preservation, housing density and local control.

If you don’t pay attention, things can change quickly~and often times, not for the better. None of this work is particularly exciting and it is time consuming. But staying engaged, asking questions and showing up, is how communities protect what they value. Do you engage in your community’s public policy?

Getting Ready for more House Guests

While I was out in the pool house, tidying up in preparation for more house guests, I realized I’ve barely shared one of my favorite pieces hanging out there.

Back in 2022, I spotted an artist selling her paintings through the Sundance catalog. Erika Carter’s creates enormous canvases (some 4′ x 7′) inspired by her travels through central Mexico over the past 20 years. The architecture, the saturated colors and lush flora and fauna make her paintings feel layered, textured and full of movement.

I do love her fun and unusual art, but not the price tag in the Sundance catalog ($16,800). It took me awhile to gather the nerve to try and paint something similar, mostly due to the scale of the canvas. Never had I painted one so large and found it a bit daunting. I finally finished my version in 2023 and it now hangs in our pool house.

It’s not as large as Erika’s, but for me, it felt monumental. I realized this week I had never signed it and I just added my John Hancock on it yesterday. Now it is officially complete.

I feel like she/the painting needs a name. What would you call her? Send me your suggestions!

Well, that’s a wrap! Looking forward to a less frenetic weekend. We have tickets to Ain’t Misbehaving today and will spend some time with our daughter on Sunday. Wishing you a joyous one and remember, stay safe out there.