winter wonderland, Arizona style...

It isn't unheard of to get snow here but usually it is flurries and nothings sticks. This was different. Big, wet glorious flakes that actually stuck to the ground. I didn't need to drive to a higher elevation. The snow was here. At my home. It started around noon and we got a couple of inches.
It started melting and then began to snow again. I was making soup. It took me twice as long because with each ingredient added, I allowed myself to go back outside with the camera. It was 71° degrees yesterday when I photographed my apple blossoms. Sure looked different today.
Night fell and we hunkered down with homemade soup and bread with a cozy fire. For the first time ever, we had to remove snow from our satellite dish to be able to watch our beloved Wildcats. The next morning, it hadn't melted. It wasn't snowing any more so I headed out to explore the Sonoran desert in the snow.
There is something about seeing the desert in the snow that takes my breath away. Definitely a Frederick kind of day.

snow day...

If the rare snow finds its way anywhere near here, we enjoy it.

This old truck is so photogenic.









Auditioning for next year's Christmas card?

Click on this one and you will see the blue sky and sun reflecting in this drop of snow.

texture tuesday...

Leaves from the mountains. Gourd from the store. Weathered table from years of use and abuse. A little bit of late afternoon autumn light. I think I found some autumn in the desert.

I am continuing to try to learn more about Photoshop. Participating in Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday seems like a good way to do that. Thank you, Kim, for your generosity.

a spooky table for Halloween...

Welcome. I think I have finally figured a few things out about decorating for the holidays. I like it best when I incorporate what I have and just add a few things. I used to be so happy when I could put the Halloween things away. There was just too much stuff going on, especially the vulture, hung on the pull of the ceiling fan. He went round and around all month.

My sweet WB got these dessert plates from Pottery Barn. I am still pining over the skeletons plates that I didn't buy two years ago but I sure do like these.



This tea set and tray is a bit unusual. It is silverplate over copper. Because of the wear, the copper seems to glow through. Arizona is a big copper producer and I wonder if it was made here.








Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your point of view, Home Goods opened near us. He was irresistible to me. Unlike the vulture, I will be sorry to put him away.







Thank you for joining us.


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an anniversary picnic...

We met when I was thirteen. We started dating when I was fifteen. We were engaged when I was eighteen. We were married when I was nineteen. He is my anchor, my love. We went to the mountains to celebrate.





A too quick hummingbird greeted us. The air was a perfect cool respite from the desert.







It still makes me so happy to see that ring on his finger.


For more tablescapes, join Susan and all the others here.

trying to get back to normal...

It's been a long time. I am trying to get back to normal life again. I did a simple outside table with a bit of "I deserve it, don't I?" shopping. Fruit plates are from West Elm.


I like simple even when the heat isn't my excuse.

The plates are a little stylized and maybe hard to see in my photos. This is an orange.


watermelon








pear


lemons



Hope you are having a wonderful summer, finding a cool place to enjoy it all. For other tablescapes, join Susan here.