Christmas Bush

Papa and I hiked last Sunday and I found a long dead manzanita bush that I loved.  I brought it home and we put it in a bucket.  I decorated it with homemade ornaments, birds I made from calico prints for Christmas 1979 and Christmas balls that Claire decorated with gold and white swirled paints a few years ago.  It's a special Christmas bush!

Derby Pie

I spent much of the morning making Derby Pies as gifts.  The recipe is a family favorite that is very well known in my home state of Kentucky.  It is almost always served on the first Saturday of May, Derby Day!

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 stick butter, melted
2 egggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chocolate chips
1 9-inch pie crust

1.  Mix the sugar and flour.  Add melted butter, eggs, and vanilla.  Then add nuts and chocolate chips. 
2.  Pour mixture into prepared pie crust.  Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes or until set. 
Enjoy!

Holiday Planning

Papa and I are very excited that our girls will be coming to visit the week after Christmas.  We will celebrate Christmas on the 29th, when we are all together.  It will be grandson Toby's first Christmas.  I enjoy the advance planning in anticipation of their visits.  This morning, I went through lots of recipes to put together our menus for those days we will be together.  Family favorites include peanut butter chocolate kiss cookies, chocolate fondue with fruit dippers, forgotten meringue cookies, and pecan pie.  We love our sweets!

We are going to have a family photo taken by our neighbor, Newton. The boys will play golf one day and the girls will get facials at the spa.  We hope to visit Desert Museum, do some hiking, visit the Center for Creative Photography, and play games.  I love family time!     

Tucson Marathon

Son in law, David, ran the Tucson Marathon this morning.  Papa dropped him off around 5 a.m. at a shuttle pick up.  The shuttle bus drove him toward
Mt. Lemmon and the Marathon started at 7:30 a.m.  We drove to the 19 mile mark with Claire,
and waited for David to pass.  We cheered him on then drove to the finish line. 
He ran the marathon in just under four hours.  Was fast to us!

Titan Missile Museum

 

We are happy for the arrival on Thursday, of daughter Claire and her husband David for a 5 day visit in Tucson.  Today, we visited the Titan Missile Museum, south of Tucson.  It is the only publicly accessible Titan II missile site in the nation. We toured the underground missile site with a guide that worked there for several years when the missile was active.  Was a very interesting tour!

Cave Dwelling Discovery

This afternoon Papa and I went hiking in the mountains on our ranch.  Our goal was to check out an area around Javalina Peak where there is a natural spring.  A couple of years ago, we found a single cave dwelling with a rock wall inside in this area.  As we were hiking today, we saw what looked like cave dwellings.  We hiked over rough country and through a wash with fresh bear scat, up the side of a solid rock face, and there it was... a four room cave dwelling. 

Photo Gift

Last night we had Colter, Carly, and Colter's parents over for dinner to celebrate a successful roundup this week.  We gave them a 16" x 20" framed photo from the roundup on June 26, Colter's first as our ranch manager.  They loved the gift! 

Winter Roundup

Papa worked with Colter, Colter's Dad, Grandad, brother, and cousin, over the past three days to round up all the cattle on the ranch (over 200).  They separated calves from their mothers for weaning, hauled the calves to another corral, and pregnancy checked all the mother cows.  For Papa, this was record timing as compared with his roundup experiences prior to working with Colter as our ranch manager.  He had a great time!

Season's First Snow

The first snow of this winter season occurred on the ranch earlier this week.  Love the swirling clouds over the mountains!

Stormy Sundown

Storms were all around all day yesterday and they were most dramatic as the sun was going down.

Heirlooms

I recently had a chair reupholstered that belonged to Papa's mother.  She passed away 45 years ago so the things we have that belonged to her are very special.  I chose a polka dot fabric and am using the chair in the guestroom of the Tucson house.  The quilt draped over the top of the chair was made by my grandmother about 60 years ago.  It's perfect with the polka dot chair! 

Thanksgiving

Papa and I had a wonderful Thanksgiving week in Falls Church, VA, at daughter Claire's house.  She and David have a beautiful home and they were gracious hosts.  Amongst our activities...we ate at my favorite Lebanese restaurant, enjoyed a morning of walking along the National Mall and visiting various monuments plus the Museum of American History.  David's parents, Doug and Pat, arrived on Monday.  We had not seen them since Claire and David's wedding in September 2008.  Whitney and Toby arrived on Tuesday.  What fun to see our new grandson!  We had dinner at Fuddrucker's on Tuesday night, did some pre-cooking on Wednesday for Thanksgiving Day and made homemade pizzas and Italian Cream Cake for dinner.  Thanksgiving Day was packed with cooking.  Doug prepared the turkey and he and David made beautiful antipasto trays.  We had Aunt Rhea's squash souffle, green beans with buttered almonds, mashed potatoes, caramel sweet potatoes, tossed salad with fruit, cranberry/cherry sauce, homemade biscuits, pumpkin pie, and maple pecan pie. Was a wonderful week!  We have much to be thankful for!

Great Falls

Papa and I flew to Washington, DC on Saturday evening and are spending the week with daughter Claire and her husband David.  Yesterday we hiked at Great Falls State Park.  The volume of running water was incredible for us desert dwellers.  Claire and David got engaged at Great Falls so it has a lot of sentimental value to both of them.  We are so happy to spend time with Claire and David as they are just back from a year in Baghdad, Iraq.  Love our family!

Driveway

Our next door neighbors in Tucson had their driveway replaced a couple of weeks ago. 
They got a great price and their concrete contractor was anxious to do more work, so he
gave us a bid to replace our driveway that we couldn't refuse.  We feel like we have our own economic stimulus project in the front yard!  It looks great and is a vast improvement.

Posters

I received three posters in the mail today from http://www.shortrunposters.com/.  I will frame and use them in the Tucson house.  My favorite is a photo my sister-in-law Mary, took a few weeks ago when visiting for a few days.

Guesthouse

 

I spent some time over the past couple of days preparing the guesthouse for our next guests.  

I washed windows and generally tidied up.  There is still artwork to hang, but it's 

starting to feel like a "fun place" to stay.  Love having guests!

Sunday Morning

Every Sunday morning, Papa and I enjoy our routine of getting up in time to watch This Week with George Stephanopoulous, then we turn to Meet the Press, and finally check in at CNN with Fareed Zakaria.  While all these programs are going on, Papa makes luscious pancakes with maple syrup, we have lots of coffee, and we read other news online.  This routine is a good thing!   

Deer in the Yard

Deer are plentiful on our ranch.  We built our house in "their space."  We love having them come into our yard by the house.  We have two drinkers hooked up to the house via a rainwater collection system.  The past year has been dry, so most recently deer have been coming near the house to get water.  We enjoy having them so close!

Ticking off the List

I am in Tucson this week as we are having the driveway replaced, with lots of guys working every day.  While the whole front of the house is torn up, I'm working on various projects that have been on my "to do list" for months, like adding a ruffle to the bottom of the guestroom drapes (because my first pass yielded drapes that were too short!), touch up painting after new lighting was installed in the guesthouse, washing windows...  You get the picture.  After installing a new fountain piece in the pond over the weekend, I picked up about two dozen goldfish today.  I hope we can keep them alive!   

Makes Me Smile

I left the ranch at 5:30 this morning to get to Tucson in time to meet two men who were working in our yard.  It seemed a rather hectic morning and when I sat down for breakfast and coffee around 10 a.m., I checked my email and heard from a friend I haven't talked to in over a year.  What a treat!  Hearing from longtime friends and family makes me smile :)

Photo taken in January 2009, on a family trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Working in the Garden

Papa and I left the ranch this morning and drove to our Tucson home.  We worked all afternoon in the garden, with saws, nippers, and a rake.  A dumpster will be delivered tomorrow, so we can pile in all the dead and trimmed limbs.  We spent a month in the spring trimming and cleaning the front garden.  Now we are working in the back and will be very happy to get the whole property cleaned up.  I love working in the garden!  

Drapery Project

Over the past week, I've been sewing drapes for daughter Claire.  She chose to have striped drapes with two different fabrics sewn together and then lined.  As one pair of the drapes are 84" long finished and I don't have a surface in my house, except the floor, to accurately measure, they have been quite a challenge.  I will take more photos when they are hung at Claire's house in DC later this month. 

New from Old

Papa built a new mirror frame this morning from some pieces of old hand hewn wood that we found in the corral of the original homestead on the ranch.  That canyon was settled at the turn of the 20th century by Ernest Schilling, recording the homestead in 1906.  Mr. Schilling most likely hewed the wood by hand.  We treasure the few things we find on the ranch that someone worked on over 100 years ago.  We hung the mirror in our mud room near the entrance to our ranch house. 

New Baby Next Door

Our ranch manager and his wife brought their new baby home today.  Home for them is the original headquarters house on the Warbonnet Ranch, about 2.5 miles from our house.  This is their third child and second son.   I made dinner for them, lasagne, Moroccan salad, and chocolate chess pie.  I took it over around 4 and saw the baby.  He is adorable!  We will enjoy watching him grow.

Catch Up

Today was a catch up day and I didn't quite "catch up."  I spent time sewing on Claire's new drapes for her house in Falls Church, VA, made reservations for a girls weekend in February, called my favorite Aunt Rhea, paid bills, and more.  It reminded me of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, only mine wasn't all those things, I just didn't have a lot to show at the end of the day.  There's tomorrow!

Gardens and Architecture in Los Angeles

Papa and I enjoyed our weekend with Audrey and Dan in Los Angeles.  We enjoyed walks
on the beach, playing Settlers of Katan, and visiting several interesting and fun restaurants. 
We spent an afternoon at The Getty, with its outstanding architecture and landscape.  We also
visited The Huntington in San Marino, with its impressive library, restored home,
and incredibly beautiful gardens.  The Cactus Garden was the best I've ever seen. 

Los Angeles

Papa and I flew to Los Angeles this afternoon to spend a few days with our oldest daughter, Audrey, and her husband Dan.  We cherish the rewards of parenting when spending time with our adult children who are happy, successful, and living interesting lives.  We are very proud of each one. 

Skirts

A couple of months ago, I bought a skirt pattern and some fabric and made myself a skirt.  It actually fit!  Since then, I have made 13 more skirts, for my girls and myself.  Loving the fabrics!  Today, I'm taking a sewing class, so I can make more skirts and more stuff, and have a better idea of what I should be doing! 

Shoeing Horses

After moving to the ranch, Papa was anxious to get horses.  Oscar and Pablo came our way and they are an important part of every day for Papa.  He rides each of them at least once a week.  He gives them sugar cubes and feeds them a flake of hay every day.  He also "shoes" them.   

Sleep Sacs

I made two sleep sacs for Toby.  I'm hoping they will fit and he will stay cozy and warm in NYC!

Mansion Tortilla Soup

I have spent time today doing mundane chores like laundry and dustmopping the floor.  All the while I was planning my menu for lunch tomorrow with Carly (our ranch manager's wife), Madilyn, and Colter Lee.  I've decided to make Tortilla Soup, Salmon with a Crust of Peppercorns on a Bed of Matchstick Vegetables, and Apple Pie.  I've had the Tortilla Soup recipe from the Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas since the girls were in elementary school and the moms in PTA were asked to choose one of four dishes to make for a casserole sale.  We've enjoyed the Tortilla Soup recipe ever since.

Mansion Tortilla Soup
3 tbls. corn oil
4 corn tortillas, coarsely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbls. chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup fresh onion puree
2 cups tomatoes, pureed
1 tbls. cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
2 bay leaves
2 quarts chicken stock
salt and cayenne pepper to taste
1 cooked chicken breast cut into strips
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can drained pinto or black beans, optional
1 avocado, peeled and cubed
3 corn tortillas, cut into thin strips, sprayed with vegetable oil spray, and baked to crisp

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat.  Saute tortillas with garlic and cilantro until tortillas are soft.  Add onion and tomatoes and bring to boil.  Add cumin, chili powder, bay leaves, and chicken stock.  Bring to a boil again, then reduce heat to simmer.  Add salt and cayenne pepper along with beans, stirring frequently for 30 minutes.  Add chicken strips and cheese and stir.  Serve with cubed avocado and crisp tortilla strips sprinkled on top.  Soup may be made 1 day ahead and gently reheated before serving.

Patagonia Fall Festival/San Rafael Valley

Papa and I drove to Patagonia, AZ yesterday for the Patagonia Fall Festival.  We went to this festival 7-8 years ago and it has really grown.  There were about 100 arts and community vendors/exhibitors at the Festival, held in the center park of Patagonia.  The park is shady and there was nice music.  We walked all around and up and down the aisles of artists wares.  I bought a raku pot from a New Mexican potter.  Artists always amaze me with their varied forms and interpretations of art.  We crossed the street for lunch at the Velvet Elvis. 

The whole experience was laced with wonderful memories of spending time in Patagonia over the 10 years that we had a vacation house just out of town.  We bought the house in 1995 when the girls were 12 and 13.  We spent a few weeks a year there, hiking, playing games, going to the Patagonia library for books, shopping in Nogales, Sonora, and generally hanging out.  We were in Patagonia one New Year's Eve and started a conversation with some hot air ballooners.  They invited us to go up with them the next morning in the San Rafael Valley.  We got up way before dawn and drove down in the dark.  There were 15-20 balloons all laid out in the grasslands when we arrived.  We pitched in to help get them up, and then we all got to go on our first hot air balloon rides.  It was a beautiful morning and I remember a rainbow over the Patagonia Mountains.  The San Rafael Valley took our breath away with it's beauty. 

Yesterday, we drove from Patagonia down the Harshaw Road to the San Rafael Valley.  It still takes my breath away.  The rolling grasslands as far as the eye can see, down into Mexico is a beautiful sight!

Cactus

Two weeks ago, as I was leaving the Tucson house to go back to the ranch, I noticed a Cactus Sale at a neighbor's house.  I stopped to look, and enjoyed walking through their garden, full of exotic cacti.  I bought several things but had to leave them until the next Tucson visit.  Papa and I picked up my cactus purchases today and I planted in our garden.  I love working in the garden!

Roundup

Papa left at 5:30 this morning to saddle up Oscar.  He rode Oscar to Warbonnet Ranch, the nearest neighbor ranch, two and a half miles to the east.  Papa helped them round up their cows.  They separated the cows and calves, so the calves can be weaned.  It was a long day.  Papa came home around 7:00 p.m.  He enjoys helping neighbor ranchers.  They will return the favor.    

National Parks in Utah

Over the past week, Papa and I have watched the PBS National Parks series.  We were enticed to plan trips to visit several National Parks that we have never visited.  We were also reminded of a trip we took last October, north through Sedona and on to Lake Powell, and then a loop through southern Utah.  We visited Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands National Parks.  We were WOWed!    

"Finds"

Almost every time we hike on the ranch, we come home with something in our pockets.  Those "finds" range from arrowheads to rusty horseshoes and spurs to unusual rocks to petrified trees and grind stones.  Yesterday, Papa and I came home with pockets full of rocks, including a beautiful half geode full of crystals and a sparkling white lava flow rock.  Some of our finds make it inside the house to bottles and bowls.  Others land in the "finds" pile by the front door.

Fro-Yo

Tart 'n' Tangy Fro-Yo
32 oz. plain nonfat yogurt
3/4 cup sugar

1.  In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt and sugar until sugar dissolves.
2.  Spoon mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions.  Transfer yogurt to a container and freeze until firm, about 2 hours. 
Can be made up to 1 week ahead.  Let soften at room temperature about 45 minutes before scooping. 

Makes 4 3/4 cups.  121 calories per 1/2 cup serving.

Variations:
Luscious Lemon Fro-Yo
Substitute 2/3 cup lemon curd for the sugar in step 1 or Tart Fro-Yo.

Toppings:
Strawberries
Raspberries
Toasted coconut
Shaved chocolate

We made this Fro-Yo last night for dessert.  Love it that there are only 2 ingredients and it is yummy!
Recipe from Sunset Magazine, June 2009.

Elf Work

Papa enjoys leatherwork and has a list of items he's making for Christmas.  Yesterday, he finished
a new laptop bag for me.  It's beautiful!  I am making several things for Christmas too. 
I finished two pillows yesterday for Grammar.   Our Elf Work of the day is pictured here.

Walking

I have walked daily since the summer I turned 16.  There have been a handful of days that have passed without a good walk in the past 36 years, but they all have good reasons, like birthing twins.  Besides all the health benefits, our views at the ranch are spectacular and worthy of daily time outside.  I took this photo late yesterday afternoon on my walk with Papa. 

Ranch House

 

Our house at the ranch was designed by Guy Peterson, FAIA of Sarasota, Florida.  It has a mix of elements that Papa and I wanted, such as a two lofts connected by a bridge, a "boat" ladder,  6' x 8' steel front door on a pivot, polished concrete floors downstairs, white kitchen cabinetry with grey marble backsplash and counters, stainless steel bathroom vanities, a three story rock tower with observation deck on the third story, garage with steel interior, a big workshop for Papa, and lots of stone work.  The ranch house project was completed within a year of it's start.  I served as general contractor and used local labor.  It is a great place to entertain and to live on a daily basis.  We have incredible views of 9 mountain ranges over 100 miles, and we can't see another house.