Tuesday, October 30
Yesterday Reggie comes running down the hall to me.
“What is it, Reg? You wanna’ go out?”
Reg knows the meaning of “wanna’ go out.” Immediately he turns and heads for the sliding glass door that opens to the patio and back yard. I follow and step into the pink.
Of course, Roger comes outside with us.
Rog is very handsome “in the pink.”
Reggie is handsome, too but he hangs so close to me that I don’t get a photo of him.
Curious about the phrase, “in the pink,” I research online and find an interesting explanation at phrases.org.uk.
Here’s an excerpt:
“The earliest citations of ‘in the pink’ are from the 16th century and, at that time, the meaning was ‘the very pinnacle of something’, but not necessarily limited to health. The earliest example . . . is from 1597, Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet:
Mercurio: Why, I am the very pinke of curtesie.”
Well, the world turning pink does make one pause.
As I stand in the backyard . . .
I marvel at the glory of the Arizona sky. My thoughts go to a blogorino’s comment which appeared under the previous post:
“Arizona casts a powerful spell. Even the name is magic! No matter where I travel, I love coming home to Arizona. I’m not a native, but like Sue and crew, I have explored her deserts, mountains, canyons, forests and lakes extensively. . . .
“I was brought to AZ by the Air Force in 1989, stayed a few months and moved to CA. I found myself missing AZ right away. We moved to AZ in 1992 and my daughter was born here (a native!) and we were happy. I took a promotion in 1997 and we moved to North Carolina. I was initially worried about leaving AZ and when the final evening in AZ came, I knew I had made a very serious mistake. It took years for us to return . . . .
“We came back permanently in 2012 and I NEVER want to leave again. So, I know, Sue how you can LOVE a place. In our lives, we can find plenty to LIKE, but love is rare. I LOVE this place. It makes me happy and the coming home to AZ makes my travels even better. You’ve got AZ fever, Sue, and it ain’t such a bad thing at all.”
Thank you, Ken (in Queen Creek, Arizona)!
I agree!
Is November dreary in Arizona?
Well . . .
It’s October 30th and our big ol’ rosebush (above) is putting out the blooms. These were nipped slightly by the recent overnight lows in the 50s in southern Arizona, but they held on and continue to open. More buds promise us we’ll have roses in November.
Hmm . . . roses in November. I do love it here.
“Ya’ gimme fee-vah . . . .”
Not so promising for the pecans.
In a post a while back I reported with great glee that our two pecan trees are loaded with nuts. At that time I anticipated a bountiful harvest of my favorite nut.
Well, my pecan glee didn’t last.
Wandering around the yard I check the trees and discover to my dismay that the shucks are opening already.
Oh, no!
Premature opening is the death knell for pecan harvest. What nut meat does develop is bitter, inedible.
After initial disappointment, I’m cheered (somewhat) when a yellow-shafted flicker appears, plucks a nut, and flies off. I watch from the porch as he lands on the limb of a tree across the street and proceeds to crack open his treasure.
I hope he finds something he considers tasty . . . .
My years in Georgia taught me that “stuff happens” with pecans. Pecan growers face very uncertain outcomes from their trees. The article, “What happened to my pecans?” at plantanswers.com explains all the things that can ruin a harvest. After reading that article, I’m amazed I ever had the opportunity to eat a pecan.
On the bright side . . .
I remember my Georgia pecan tree produced healthy nuts abundantly in a year following a dismal showing.
Okay, so this year is for the critters. Next year, I get mine!
News about the house:
Thrifting is a way of life for me now. I hit the thrift stores and resale shops regularly as this is the only way to capture good quality bargains. Nice, solid furniture goes fast.
Of course, shopping at a resale or thrift shop often means bringing home something other than what you set out for. That’s okay, as long as it’s a treasure for you, right?
Like these three green vases. Sure, they’re cheap. So what? I love the classic shape and the way they bring in the green from outside the window!
I’ll write more about my thrifty treasures and post photos, too. As the situation is now, the house is full of furniture that my sister hasn’t removed yet. To that I’ve added a few pieces of furniture and decor. This means, as you can imagine, the house is not very photogenic.
In other words, it’s a crowded mess.
I’m absolutely thrilled with a loveseat I brought home the other day! Reggie and Roger like it, too.
This photo was taken during the writing of this post. It shows the boys settled into their usual after-breakfast nap. (The photo doesn’t do justice to our pretty, “new” loveseat.)
I’m not an accomplished decorator, but I know what I like. Quiet colors, a mix of traditional and modern, pleasing to the eye while warm and comfortable.
Right, Rog?
To paraphrase the blogorino I quoted earlier in this post . . .
I want to be able to say that coming home to AZ makes my travels even better!
Gee, is that even possible?
rvsue
NOTE: Is there a place that you love? A place that calls to you when you’re gone from it? A place that embraces you when you return?
I have “Arizona fever.” What about you? Tell us!
As always, feel welcome here and feel free to introduce other topics. As for me, I’m off to the thrift store! — Sue
FLASHBACK!
Interstate 15 from the overpass, Virgin River Gorge, near Cedar Pocket Campground between St. George, UT, and Mesquite, NV. — October 2017
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Love ya Suite & crew!
Now I’ll go & read.
Oop’s…Sue
Arizona Skies! I too, I’m glad to be home, here in Arizona.
Love ya Sue & crew!
Now I’ll go & read.
I’m a Texas gal and I guess I’ll always want to come home to Texas even with HOT summers and unpredictable winters. Now that we’ve moved to the country, ok 5 miles outside of a smallish town I can look out my window and see trees and fields so I LOVE, LOVE our new home. That’s a good thing since we don’t plan to move ever again.
I love Lake Michigan and the UP of Michigan…always feel like I”m home there. Glad you’re finding nice things….love what I could see of your loveseat! And if the boys like it, then it’s perfect!
Also, one of my favorites.
Love the U.P.
4th, my lucky number!
Ooops. Well, I was fourth while I was typing lol, Blogerinos are quick!
I haven’t been on the blog lately, due to life taking some tough turns. It was such a respite for me to read and enjoy your post today. Whether you write about travels or your day to day doings, you always make things interesting. I love your thrift store trio, especially the color. The dogs look so content on your beautiful love seat. Thanks again for lifting up my spirits today.
So sorry you’ve had a rough time lately Beverly. Nice to see you’re back.
The”in the pink” picture is inspired, and all the pictures are nice. “Cheap” adds to the value of almost anything for me. Enjoy your thrift shopping and the rest of the day.
I wrote the above on my tablet, which is not my best tool for writing. I didn’t talk about places in that piece.
For me, what calls is the Southwest. I spent a couple of months in Tucson about ten years ago, and I never got over it. Absolutely and easily the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen was the Mogollon Rim. I drove from Heber to Payson, and I had to keep stopping to stare at the view. Then there’s New Mexico. I’m still working through several issues, but if I leave this area, somewhere in those areas is “the place,” if I ever feel settled in just one place.
The spot that was the best in my life is not feasible now…and we want to stay close to at least some of our kids and grandkids…and are needed here, so likely here we stay. I LOVE living among evergreen trees and there are plenty here…so I am happy. I would have no idea where to go or what to do, if it was simply just my choice. Glad you love your spot…that is a good thing, Sue! The boys are so cute, as always…thanks for sharing photos of them.
One blog I read, the lady has done amazing things to her little rented patio apt. Both inside and out…something I had not thought a great lot about in our rented places. Of course, my hobbies are more in the line of sewing, crochet, embroidery, cross-stitch, reading and research…depends on one’s hobbies I suppose.
After two winters in Arizona, we are spending this winter in Oregon and I already miss Arizona. When we first decided to be snowbirds, I wasn’t sure we would like it but we did, and I especially miss those gorgeous sunrises.
I don’t know how close you are to Green Valley but we also miss our trips to the best and most well-run thrift store we’ve ever encountered, the White Elephant. It’s only open from 9-12 and the line of shoppers extends at least a block before it opens. There is always something new and some treasure to be purchased, even if it’s only 10 cents.
I have a book recommendation for fans of historical fiction and pioneer-type history. I’m not sure if anyone knows about Carrie Strahorn, but she could be considered one of the first women nomads to tour the west–no, not in a Casita but by stagecoach. 🙂 During the late 1800s, she and her husband (and sometimes by herself) explored the west looking for places to build railway lines. In 1911 she wrote the memoir, FIFTEEN THOUSAND MILES BY STAGE, a fascinating look at her travels along with photos and drawings by C. M. Russell. I have been fascinated with this book ever since I started working at the library in 1973, so I was thrilled to see a patron favorite author, Jane Kirkpatrick, had written a novel based on Carrie Strahorn, EVERYTHING SHE DIDN’T SAY. I wrote a blog post so for more details check out my blog which you can reach by clicking on my name. Of if it’s OK with Sue, the blog is here: https://robinsbooks.blog/2018/10/25/reality-to-fiction-carrie-strahorn-jane-kirkpatrick/
And if you want to purchase either book, be sure to use Sue’s Amazon link.
Hi, Robin, I love history and books so I will check out your bog and also these books. I think they sound interesting.
Blog!
Thank you, I put a hold on both books at my local library since I no longer have enough space to purchase books.
I checked out your blog already. I am going to get some of the books you talked about. My library is not the best, but they should have at least a few of the books I want. Thank you for sharing. Do you read all these books?
I do read quite a few and will say if I have. If not, at least I have skimmed or know readers who liked them. For the library books stacks, I tend to just peruse and make notes for future reading. Thanks for checking out the blog.
Lovely post, much enjoyed Roger “in the pink”. The low angle winter light of the southwest is one of my favorite things. Thrifting oh thrifting, one of my very favorite things to do! Ive also had very good luck with yard sales and Craigslist. I honestly cannot remember the last time I bought anything, other than some clothes, shoes, and small kitchen appliances, “new”. With all the lightly used treasure out there, it just seems silly not to hunt for it. Thank you Sue for continuing on with the work of your blog and for taking us with you. I never ever head to the Amazon site without going through your site first.
Oh I love the vases & love seat!! Do you have a storage shed? Maybe some of Nancy ‘s things can go in the shed to make room. I was born & raised in Az, a native, so this is home. However when I travel I always think ‘think this place would be a nice place to live…’ so glad the boys look happy & content. Enjoy your home…I’m sure you’ll get out of dodge in summer to enjoy cooler weather eventually.
Love the comfy loveseat and look forward to more house pics when all is straightened out. Isn’t thrifting neat? I just love it.
Roger seems to be changing some. He was always cute, but has developed into a really pretty Chihuahua. All filled out and at his best. I bet he was young when you got him a while back. Just perfect now. Course Reggie has always been from that day in Nevada. They thrive in your care as will that lovely house. You have the best of both worlds there with the BLT in the back yard just waiting. Good luck and have fun with your shopping.
Southern Utah is my place.Try to go there every couple of years and camp in the BLM land.We snowbird several months a year and stay a month in AZ near my son and then spend another month or two rambling around.When he hit Utah we usually do so as we leave AZ then we can ultimately take I 70 home back East.My wife’s favorite is the Adirondacks.I developed some ;akefront property up there as a mini RV park (hookups for 2 units) and last year build her a cabin.She no longer regrets marrying me.It is a good summer spot.
Barely missed being in the Top Ten, but that’s life. I don’t mind where I land as long as I land. Hmmm, what do I long to return to? My home with my DH and pets. Though as we both work full time still, any trip we take we sigh when the end is near, but as DH says, “we now are planning the next”.
For me, “My Place” is the Genesee Valley of western New York…it is home and always will be…I’m in NC for a number of years now, but memories of home will pop into my minds eye with no evident prompting…I’m hoping that my retirement years will return me home, but for now I enjoy your ramblings Sue, In the Pink is certainly a lovely place to be 🙂 Enjoy your “thrifting” I love finding treasures…looks like Rog and Reg do too!!
I love the thought that coming home makes the travels better. Home isn’t perfect, maybe just okay so leaving it behind by contrast is enticing. Im an airline brat, flying around the world for 70 years. I fit well into this category. I’m never happier than when sitting in an airplane waiting to take off-and it doesn’t matter where the plane is going.
My plan now is to see the USA in ny daddy’s 1941 Lincoln Street Rod – cutting my wings I guess.
All the pinks in the photos (the sky, the clouds, the roses, even the inside of Roger’s ears in the sofa photos) were so beautiful. During my working years, I always eschewed pink because I didn’t think it looked professional and because I wore an expensive fuschia suite to federal court one day and the judge and male attorneys all looked at me as if I had committed a major felony. But now that I’m retired and older, I find that pink is flattering and sort of restful on the eyes. One of the police departments where my husband worked once painted their holding cells pale pink because a psychologist told the chief of police it would make the prisoners more calm; I’m not sure how that worked out for them.
I’ve lived in California for 61 of my 65 years so I guess it is my happy place. The state has a lot of natural beauty and unbeatable weather, although it is terribly crowded and expensive. I love our home and yard in San Clemente because they are cozy and filled with unique and personal finds – no Pottery Barn formula decorating for me. But I also love being in our motorhome – it’s like a miniaturized version of home, cozy and personal. When I’m settled in either one with a dog close by, a hummingbird at the fountain and a good book, I realize how very blessed I am. Oh yeah, and my husband – gotta remember the husband 🙂
Love the “In the pink” photos. I agree with the comment above regarding Roger, he just looks beautiful in the pink photo. Reggie is just really really cute. He and Angel look a lot alike.
The kitchen re-do is almost finished. Probably by Friday. I can’t wait. I have folk running in and out for 3 straight days all day. Then off on Sunday and started again yesterday. They are not coming until later today, and may or may not get done in a couple of hours.
2 of the install guys have other jobs, so that delays things a bit. The worst thing is not having a kitchen sink. The best thing it is looking beautiful and I am very excited.
Your love seat looks inviting and comfy. I love those cute little vases. Will you still be traveling some?
What beautiful pictures! I love Roger “in the pink”! My happy place that I love to return to is the beach. I get to go for six days a year. Without the help of my family, I wouldn’t even get those six days. So, I try to relish them. Right now my mini happy place is when I go into the room with my foster kittens, and they climb my legs from excitement before I ever get the chance to pick them up. It’s painful, but so cute!
I love your thrift finds. The color of the three vases is perfect. My mother used to tell me she was going to the goody store. It took a while to find out she was talking about the Value Village in Redmond WA. She was a minimalist and just loved finding the treasure and then putting it back on the shelf. I find “home” in the Colorado Rockies. I lived there for 37 years. Used to ski in the winter, hike in the summer, view the colors in the fall. The drive from SOCAL to Denver is the best.
Ruthie: What route do you take from SOCAL to Denver? We are thinking of taking the motorhome there next year – maybe in the late spring and are wondering what the best way is?
Virginia. That’s home for me. Raised in Mo and N Ill (country, not Chicago!), but, I loved Virginia so much from the first time I visited and now I live here. We have lived here for 27 years and my husband is a native. Virginia has everything, seashores, mountains, and rolling hills and valleys. Very green and lots of trees. I also love the history and the moderate climate.
I love your new green vases and the “pink” dog!
We lived in Tucson for 5 years(1970-1975) for college. I came to love the desert. Of course, Tucson was much different then from what it is now. Then we moved to Northern California and have been here since. We’ve traveled the country back and forth a few times and I always love coming home to these Sierra Mountains. It is where my heart is.
I haven’t posted for such a long time. I still read every entry though! I just turned 64 and I sure wish I knew where I wanted to live! I know I do NOT want to be where I am. The Mister is trying to find a job somewhere else. It has been difficult though, as he is considered over the hill at age 58. I was living vicariously through you on your travels and now I am doing the same with your homey home that isn’t on wheels. 😀
Maybe the bloggerenos will have advice on where to go? lol Sue, I may have envy but I couldn’t wish better for you and the boys! I truly am happy for you.
Great post, Dear Sister! Loved the photos, as always. The place that I long to go back to is Scotland. Before my first visit in 2000, my Scottish friend told me that if I had 1 oz of Scottish blood in me, the sight of the land would make me feel at home. As the plane descended, the clouds separated and I saw Scotland….I burst into tears!!! I was so embarrassed because a flight attendant was passing my seat. She stopped and softly said…First visit to Scotland? I nodded yes. She said “Do you feel like you are coming home?” I was shocked! I said Oh yes and she replied…It happens a lot on this plane with people who have even the smallest amount of Scottish blood.
I stayed 2 weeks and went back in 2004…same feelings came back!!
I love that place!!
Love you Susan….Sending big hugs to you, Reggie and Roger
That is so interesting Pauline…I too have a small bit of Scottish blood…but have not made it to that country yet. I love to read on Susan Branch of her travels and what she learns in the British Isles…not sure she has made it to Scotland yet either…but I think she hopes to get to all of them at some point.
Elizabeth, if you ever get the chance..GO!!! It is a beautiful country. It is the only other country besides the USA that I would live in. I love Scotland.
After looking here and there and back out again, I am content to live where I call home. When growing up in Billings, Montana, the Stillwater River valley was considered sacred. I suppose because of the crystal clear streams and trout fishing galore and, of course, the splendid mountains. So, I made it my mission to take up permanent residence here.
Being said, I love to travel and explore. The fixed income doesn’t allow anything elaborate, but what the heck, I can go most directions and find a lovely diverse landscape.
Sue. You have found your sticks and bricks home. That’s wonderful because it will hold you in good stead for the rest of your life, whether you choose to roam or stay put for those glorious, God-given sunrises.
When the mountains turn pink it is time for a drink:) Roger looks great in pink! The green vases are so pretty and the loveseat looks very comfy. It is always fun to go thrift shopping and feather the nest.
My happy place is the southwest. I love Tucson, but I would be equally happy in many other places in AZ and NM. I fell in love with the desert when I was driving very late at night through New Mexico. That full moon and fantastic night sky won my heart. Sunshine, low humidity, dramatic landscape, sunsets, sunrises, monsoon, high desert, low desert….I love it all from the saguaros and palo verde to the sage and juniper. I will make it back someday.
My husband and I live in Cape Canaveral, Florida in a tiny condo right on the beach. I grew up in this area over half a century ago and everyday my heart is so happy to be back home. Feeling the ocean breezes, walking on the beach, watching the sunrise over the sea and set over the river… it just promotes happiness.
I miss our rv but my husband doesn’t miss the driving or the setting up/tearing down. This place feels like we are on vacation year round.
We are both content.
We stay the month of January in Jetty Park. Love it there.
So happy to see someone else here who enjoys our little city. We walk the two miles from us on the beach to Jetty Park almost everyday. Perhaps we’ll see you there! January is a PERFECT weather month to be here. But to us all the months here have their own charm… we even enjoy the hot summer days. It is the ocean with its ever changing moods that makes this place so special. With a missile shot now and then just to liven things up! Plus we have great restaurants.
I like thrift stores too. In the last 2 months, I have brought home about 20 nice pieces. I like colorful tins, and crystal bowls. I also like to buy cheap and then sharpen them up with various methods or re-purpose items. Some become planters, display pieces, or containers for XMAS gifts. . I like your vases. That is something I would have also bought.
My homeplace is eastern Tennessee, in particular Union and Grainger counties. My family has lived here since the early 1800s, and I revel in the feeling of connection to the people and to the landscape.
I also meant to add our happy place is Lake Tahoe. We’ve been going to the Reno/Tahoe area since the late 70s and it’s rare that we miss a year of spending a week or two in a motel or camping. Already starting to plan our July camping reservations for when the campground reservations window opens in December/January.
I love what I can see of your new loveseat. The boys like it and that is all that counts anyway. I love the rosebush. It is beautiful. I do not have a lot of luck with roses. But I love to look at them. From your pictures, it looks like you have several really pretty rose bushes on your property. I love African Violets and my grandmother taught me how to take care of them when I was young. I was in Lowes the other day and they had a lot of their plants on sale for $1.00. I found a tray of seven African Violets that were in pretty bad shape. I bought all of them for $7.00. I have them in my kitchen now and all of them are really perking up and beginning to come back out and grow. They are all different so I am going to really have a variety to look at all winter. I am glad you are happy and doing well. It is a lot of fun to go “junking” as my grandkids call it. Keep us posted on all your new finds.
I live on a hilltop near the ocean in S. California, where I can see it daily from my home. It took me 25 years to get here, and I’m never leaving. During a recent trip overseas I was showing a photo of our local harbor to a fellow traveler, and experienced a pang of longing to be back there instead of where I was, something that has never occurred before in any other home/place. So yes, I guess I have the ‘fever’ as well!
My happy place is Dauphin Island, Alabama. Just coming across the causeway and bridge to the island, and being greeted by the kingfishers, brings peace to my soul and walking down to the ocean is all I need to reconnect to the natural world. Unfortunately it is a small island and expensive to live on so for now I enjoy it only in the winters but hopefully the next best experience will be a move to the Mississippi coast. It’s only a handful of miles away.
There are other options for furnishing a home besides thrift stores.
Quite a few people want to see their unwanted items get into the hands of people who want them. Those items do not always go into the thrift store donation system. Now don’t get me wrong thrift store donations are important but it is just one of many ways of helping make sure things do not go to waste in a landfill and that they go to someone in need.
On facebook there are local groups who offer free items and also provide a way to ask for what is needed. T Of course craigslist is also a good place to look for free items, I have seen very many beautiful, in excellent condition items of furniture as well as a wide variety of household goods such as appliances, tools, building materials and even RVs in decent condition being given away on craigslist in the free section. Of course the responses asking for the good stuff will be considerable but sometimes you are the lucky one who gets it.
If you need to downsize, if you are in need of household items, if you know someone in need of household items or someone who wants to let go of items do let them know about Freecycle. The Freecycle Network is a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It’s all about reuse … go to freecycle.org to see if there is a local chapter you can join. In the local chapter I belong to there are a hundred or more exchanges each month including all kinds of household furniture, yard equpment, appliances, toys, clothes, medical equipment such as crutches, wheel chairs, walkers and lots of food and cleaning supplies, paint, plants for the yard, etc. You can ask for what you need as well ask give things away.
Hi😃
I can almost see the smile on your face and the spring in your step. Have you ever thought about why someone would bother to smile when there is no one around to see? Yep, THAT’s the smile! And the spring in your step reminds you of a game of hop-scotch when you were a kid? Yep, THAT’s the step! It what happens when you are in that special place that feels SO right, and you never want that feeling to end. I’m happy that you’ve found that place Sue and Crew.
I feel that way a lot in Arizona. I’ve felt it when the first ray of light found a hole in the tent I had spent the night in up on the Mogollon Rim. I’ve felt that way when my kayak cut across the glassy lake at Fool Hollow in complete silence at sunset. I’ve felt it on the north rim of the Grand Canyon where it seemed the world was all mine and mine alone. I’ve felt it staring at the night sky in the Superstition Mountains in January. I have even felt it driving down the freeway in Phoenix (not often, but it HAS happened). I get it in my back yard too, my little oasis that is all mine, never crowded and always welcoming. It’s all our Arizona, our home! It’s magic, I tell you.
It’s great to see you embracing the opportunity to thrift shop! A big favorite of mine too.
You asked what place calls your name. . . . For me, it is the Oregon Coast! Actually, most anywhere on the Pacific Ocean. I grew up on Lake Washington in Seattle and
I guess I have always been attracted to water. Why am I living in Arizona???
I fell in love with AZ after living there for over 15 years. Such a beautiful state. The early mornings and evening skies were breathtaking. Believe it or not, I even loved the monsoon season and seeing the storms roll over the valley. Unfortunately, my spouse got a promotion last January and we moved to Delaware. Although DE is small and quaint, we are slowing adapting to the change. I will forever be blessed to have said I lived in AZ. Hugs to you Sue and crew.
Luv the pics of those cute little boys on your new loveseat. The loveseat really does look beautiful, and I think you’ve got a great bargain there…. For the past 27 years, my favorite place to come home to, after a traveling episode, is the east coast of central Florida; but in the summertime, I sometimes wish I could afford to be a snowbird and fly up to Vermont!
Your pink sunrise and roses are beautiful! This morning at sunrise a friend called to tell me to get outside, because our sunrise had pink clouds, too. The trees’ colors are our gift these days, we are past the season with flowers blooming here. Gosh, the loveseat was a great find 🙂 , thrifting can be so much fun and is such a rewarding way to spend one’s time. The most recent addition to my place was two old wooden counter height chairs I’ll use to read and write while sitting at the countertop and looking through my kitchen window. Bit by bit this place is becoming filled with things that make it feel more like homes I’ve had in the past.
Southern California and the Pacific Ocean called to me for years when I first was gone from it and had come back to central NY state. It often still does. I’m blessed with the option to move back there or remain here. I honestly don’t know which I will choose when my granddaughter graduates from the university.
Today’s thrift story: I decided to go to a different shop than usual, partly because I thought it might be 50% all clothes today. It is. I got two men’s shirts, exactly what I wanted, for $1.50 each! One of them looks new, and both are good for several years of cool/cold weather.
That’s great, Calvin! Nice, warm clothes make winter much easier to enjoy. 🙂
Sue and Crew, the Sea is what calls to me, I was stationed on 5 different US Navy ships during my 20 year navy career. I have been on 6 of the 7 seas and have seen more of the world then most. The crashing of the waves on the bow of the ship as she slices through the blue waters, the sound of the wind top side, the smell of the salt air, the gentle rocking as I lay down in my bunk to go to sleep, the sight of the stars on the blackest of nights in the middle of all the seas, the sight of whales, dolphins and other sea life as we patrolled the oceans. I haven’t seen the sea in 12 years and I can still hear her calling and smell her perfume.
Thanks for all you do for us.
With Deep Respect,
S. Kaeseman
Certain places create yearning in our hearts, whether it’s your home town, or someplace you discovered along life’s way.
For me, whenever I get up into the Adirondacks, I feel like I’m home. I’m so happy to live a short distance from them, so we’re up there quite a bit. Hoping to retire up there (but we won’t winter there – LOL!)
One of my dreams is to go to England, Scotland and Italy. I read Pauline’s post above and even though I haven’t been to Italy yet, when I travel in my mind, it brings tears to my eyes – yup, I have Italian blood running through my veins. I’m sure it will feel like home.
I wonder if that is what it will be like when we go “home” after this time on Earth. We’ll know immediately that we’ve arrived where we’ve always belonged, and it will be that place that is perfect for each of us. I have always pictured my place in Heaven, on the side of a rolling hill, surrounded by grape vineyards with the blue sea below. I would be surrounded by loved ones and, of course, He will be ever present. Now that’s coming home!
An off the beaten track place I love is Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Munising Is a beautiful base to see waterfalls and the Pictured Rocks and in the west the Porcupine Mountains and Lake of the Clouds are breathtaking. My wife grew up in the east and her idea of a lake changed when she saw Lake Superior. Farther west, if you are up to it, a multi day canoe trip in the Boundry Water is unforgettable. I guess I am a woods over desert person, although Big Bend NP was a favorite on our travels.
I have a lifetime of Oregon Coast fever, good thing I am only 6.5 hours away And have northern Spain fever a lot.
I love Santa Fe NM. Ive been there several times and feel so comfortable there. I dont know that i could ever afford to live there (currently living in Los Angeles) but i love the climate and the architecture. Maybe its because i grew up in Maryland and its just so different. The weather seems perfect to me and i always just feel better physically when I’m there. Altitude maybe?
I really miss the west! But I love it here in the Gulf too, beautiful beaches vs the beautiful southwestern corner of America! I just wish they were closer together! I know this is where we will stay, I am okay with that. We have established relationships with our doctors and our neighbors. There will always be that “BUT”….. 😂💗🌠 The main thing is, I am happy sharing my life with Chuck so the where isn’t all that important. The proper saying is, “Grow where you are planted!”
You are planted in AZ, we are planted in the FL panhandle.
Today Chuck helped our friend Dena move from her demolished business in Mexico Beach to her new place, here in Eastpoint. She bought an old 2 story building and Frost Pottery Garden will be downstairs and her living quarters upstairs. I am excited for her to be here!
Hug your boys from us! Know we love you and we are very happy for you! 💗
Howdy Everybody!
In mid July I left on a two week minimalist tenting adventure in eastern AZ to escape the triple digit desert temperatures. More than two months later I finally and reluctantly made it back home to the Tucson area. What a great time I had! Living out of my backpack but having the luxury of my truck I was able to have a cooler, camp chair, my iron skillet, and a few other items that just don’t fit into a backpack. I was totally in my element finding the isolation and remoteness that I craved. I experienced temperatures from the triple digits to freezing near Flagstaff. I had the thrill and excitement of seeing a mama black bear and her cub forage for their dinner as I laid motionless in my hammock. I delighted in keeping my water bottles filled with some of the clear, cold, and crisp water bubbling out of a rock wall. I hunkered down in my little tent as lightening lit up the night sky like a Broadway marquee and the deafening thunder ricocheted off of rocky cliffs during a significant monsoon storm. There were gentle rosey pink sunrises and firey orange sunsets. I shared a remote camp in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest with deer who visited each morning and eve. The meadow blanketed with blue lupine provided a royal carpet for the stately elk I saw grazing at the edge of the forest. I giggled with glee as I watched the antics of two magpies steal the buried acorns carefully hidden by a grey squirrel and then “throw” them on an exposed rock to break open the hard shell and expose the goodness inside. Likely, the lack of another human presence allowed me to silently observe the wildlife and not interrupt their normal habits.
I was solo 90% of the time and was less than enthused when supply runs dictated that I re-enter civilization. I used no modern technology to detract from my wilderness experience. Just paper maps, compass and a sense to explore were all I needed to uncover new treasures. All of this to experience and enjoy within a few hours of my home. The diverse geography of this state provides endless adventures. Is it any wonder that I love AZ and take great pleasure in living here?
It was the freezing temperatures that sent me back to the desert warmth. I had wanted to boondock near the north rim of the Grand Canyon but I was not really prepared for the cold temperatures and forecasted snow. When I left on my trip I was in capris and a tank top but when I decided to head home I was really wishing for my puffy jacket and Bear Paw boots. I enjoy winter camping but you definitely need to be prepared for the cold and I was not. I also never expected to be away for so long and had obligations at the house to tend to. It was with great reluctance that I turned south towards Tucson. Even two+ months camping with a tent was not too much, although having the Scamp’s heater would have been welcome at the end.
I’ve been home long enough to get caught up with Sue and the Crew. Sue, I’m so happy that you have landed in AZ and have planted some roots here. It’s a wonderful place to call home. I came here nearly thirty years ago from southeast PA, towing my Scamp with a few precious possessions, not knowing a soul, having a residence or a job, or even a plan. It was a venture looking for new discoveries. I expected to stay in Tucson for a year, maximum. Without a doubt, there was some divine intervention involved, and I ended up wanting to call this foreign environment home. The Great Spirit above had a plan for me and I took a leap of faith and traded in the lush, green, rolling hills of PA for a totally different beauty on the Sonoran desert. I trust some folks will understand that such an event can occur without a logical explanation.
Yes, AZ truly is a magical place and if one can avoid the pressures of today’s philosophy, “he who has the most toys, wins”, this place will make you rich in a more meaningful way. You have already mastered this with your simplistic lifestyle, Sue, and you’re well on your way to becoming a millionaire!—Audrey
Hi, Audrey,
Thank you for sharing your trip experience with us. It sounds like you had a wonderful time! You have experienced what many of us dream or hope for ourselves. Others of us are not able to travel and are living vicariously through you, Sue, and other blogorinos. Thank you! 🙂
Hi, Sue and fellow blogorinos,
Happy Halloween! 🎃
I was thrilled to get a dozen little trick or treaters. So many cute costumes! Did you have many ghosts and goblins tonight? Gracie was not thrilled about being cordoned off in the kitchen, but all is forgiven.
It is hard to believe tomorrow is November 1st! The holidays are nipping at our heels.
We love you, Sue! 🙂 Reggie and Roger have been doing a good job breaking in your loveseat. It looks like it is new! Great find! Sending you and the Crew lots of love and hugs from me and Gracie pup! 🙂
Very nice score on the loveseat! Good job at the thrift stores.
Sue, love the green vases; double love you composition of the photo. Soft gleam and shadows show off the art in the vases. You and the vase artist did well together. I am waiting out a little rain storm, and checked on your blog. I do have my “go to” home; Ballyhack Road in New York. Those woods, creeks, were my life and those hills at dusk…the silence spoke to me as a child and I still hear it at 65 years old. I will always have home with me in my memories. And when I visit it!
Mary B
I can see the appeal of thrift stores but for me used book stores are heaven. Over thirty years ago I bought the entire great books set for $100. I still think of that as the best bargain of my life. Now with ebooks you can carry around a 1000 books on a USB stick but the physical paper book is hard to beat.
Been a long time since I checked up on RVSue. We had the new RV in the driveway and I always said my husband was so slow he would be the last of all of us to leave. It only took him five weeks and he was gone. Two checkups and lab work a year, great insurance, he just fell through the cracks. I did something he would never have done. (Oh we were getting ready to put the house on the market and move the RV back “home.” I moved back to our “home state.” I rented an apartment so I could hear people. I sold the house, they could not get me out fast enough and that quiet was the loudest noise I had ever heard. I could not handle the RV by myself and could not have traveled “our” dream anyhow. I came home in time to lose my mom, who we had lost to Alzheimer’s years ago. Now three years later my home state is where I will stay with the ghosts of all ancestors within a 50 mile radius. Family moved back and they have apartments. They were born here too. You are a brave woman, Arizona is a wonderful state and we visited it many times. I have spent my whole day getting caught up on where you are now. I wish you the best of luck. You have picked a beautiful place.
Dear, dear Margaret… What a sad and lonely twist to your path. I’m sorry for the huge losses you’ve suffered. It’s hard for me (or anyone) to fully comprehend the stream of events in your life and all that you’ve gone through — only you can know what it was like then and now. You call me “brave,” but you are far more worthy of that description!
I’m glad my blog entertained you for a day. That means a lot to me. Best wishes to you, Margaret, in this new phase, and thank you for sharing here.