A television, turkey stew, butternut squash, christmas rosemary, and oregon wine

Thanksgiving weekend! A four day weekend may very well be my favorite length of holiday. Long enough to have time to do something AND to relax. I spent my holiday in Oregon with my family. It was lovely. I had delicious food and wine, time with my parents and sister, took a walk in the rain, and got to play with my sister's kitten, IO.

I returned to Phoenix Saturday, early evening, and got to spend the rest of Saturday with a dear friend. We made a trip to Lowe's and I bought a new pedestal sink for my bathroom AND, more importantly, a tree-shaped rosemary bush. I also got a few poinsettia plants.

Today I decorated my christmas rosemary bush with ornaments, and set out other christmas decorations. I bought a wreath from Trader Joe's. While at TJs I also got the makings for Turkey Stew! Mmmm what a cozy afternoon. I baked a butternut squash while the stew was simmering. My house smelled delicious.

The television. Well, I blame my sister. She has one. I visited her. It was really nice to be able to watch stuff on a real TV instead of on my laptop...and she has a blueray player, so she doesn't pay for cable. She can connect directly to Netflix, blockbuster, youtube and pandora for radio. She can also connect her computer to her TV. Now, I knew all of this was possible, but seeing it right there in my sister's cozy little living room made me want one! So, I figure, this time of year is a good time for sales, I should do some shopping. Of course! I come home with a TV. It was a good deal, they say. Dad says it was well rated by consumer reports. The funny part is, I couldn't bring myself to spend the money today for the bluray player. I also don't have the cord yet to hook up my computer to the tv. So. That leaves me with a very nice television in my living room...that plays the music and a couple random videos from my ipod. Smart. I'll get it figured out pretty, but at this moment, I have a $400 paperweight in my living room. It cracks me up quite a bit.

This weekend my mother gifted me a copy of Barbara Kingsolver's newest novel. I started it on the plane on my way home. So far it is really good...I especially enjoy all the references to Mexican history, culture and geography.

An Orange!

This morning I walked out to the orange tree in my backyard and found that many of the oranges are looking...well....orange! I picked on and just ate it right now. It was delicious, juicy, and sweet! In other news, "winter" has arrived in Phoenix. I know this because I walked outside this morning without my shoes on and ended up with numb toes. I still haven't turned on my heat and it is still comfortable inside. It is a very nice time of year--we get that bite in the air in the early morning, but still a nice, warm, sunny afternoon in the 70s.

I got busy this week and didn't water my seeds for a couple days. In the pots where the seeds have germinated the seedlings look ok. I hope to see others germinating soon! My basil plant looked a little wilty. I am not sure if that is from the cool night or lack of water. I watered it a little and am confident it will bounce back.

This weekend I hope to make some progress on my bathroom project. I bought an antique vanity with the idea to convert it into my bathroom counter. The vanity has a marble top so I could get a hole cut into it for a sink and it could work very well. I also plan to replace the mirror and light fixture, as well as swapping out my toilet for a low-flow commode. I got an estimate from my handyman on the whole conversion/install process and it seemed fair for the work involved. Of course, I hadn't realized all the work that would be involved, so already I am reassessing what a realistic budget for this project will be. I am also thinking about doing a little more of the work myself to save some dough. I am wondering if maybe this nice piece of furniture I bought might be better off placed in my living room and if I should check out Lowes to see if I can get something that includes a sink and wouldn't require modification. Some things to think about in the world of home improvement!

Thank You, Veterans

Today, we pause to honor those that have served our country in the military. When I think of how to honor veterans, I come to the conclusion that the best way to honor them is to live fully, joyfully and with appreciation for my life and privileges. I take Veterans' Day as a sort of day of thanksgiving. Today, I appreciated life and I appreciated my freedom and privileges. I woke up, greeted the day by making breakfast and sitting on my front to porch enjoy it. I took a walk with a friend, went to the farmer's market, painted my bathroom, made further plans for my homestead here...maybe most importantly, took a long nap in the afternoon. While I did sleep through the yoga class I had planned on attending, today I fully appreciated my independence and freedom and how wide open the world is to me. I get to choose how I spend this moment, my day, and my life. I get to make up my mind what I value, what is important to me, and what person I want to be. Grasping hold of that choice, fully acknowledging and owning that choice, empowers me. We honor our Veterans when we recognize how their work allows us to have choices, and when we use that opportunity to consciously make choices that make our lives better.

Thank you, Veterans, for your work, your sacrifice, and how your willingness to serve allows me to have so much choice in my life. I am doing my best to use that opportunity fully!

A more balanced life(!) and a blog to go with it

As I have settled into my 3rd year of teaching I am finding that I have a little bit of free time (gasp!). I am finding time here and there to work on projects around my house and in my yard. As I look to start new projects I spend a lot of time reading other people's blogs. Blogs about remodeling mid-century homes, raising backyard chickens,gardening, sewing and more. Well, I decided it is time for me to blog a little myself, about something other than my classroom.

The title? Well, that is simple. I am an Oregonian at heart, but I live in Phoenix. Somehow when I decided to buy a house, I ended up on Oregon Avenue...and believe it or not, my home here in the desert has tall trees growing all around it.

To start off with a glimpse into my life, my weekend activities have included:

Walking down to the neighborhood pizza joint for dinner with friends on Friday night. Living in Phoenix, they didn't really believe me at first when I said we walked. Yes, on occasion it is possible!

Planting a container "salad" garden in leftover plastic pots from my landscaping projects

Finally unpacking and organizing all the stuff in my bathroom. Contemplated remodeling my bathroom, but will probably invest the money in my yard rather than my bathroom for the time being. How much time do I spend in there, anyway?

Attending a sustainable garden tour at a house in a downtown historic district

Attending a hot yoga"flow" class at the yoga studio down the street. One word: sweat.

Going a little crazy researching and scheming about raising a couple chickens in my backyard.

Picking up a compost bin from the dump. The City of Phoenix makes them out of old trash cans and sells them for $5. Of course, I made it over there and it didn't fit in my Camry. Oops. Luckily the helpful man who worked there found a piece of rope and latched it on to the back of my car. I drove slowly and carefully home. I am excited to start composting.

Doing my laundry, which includes hanging it dry in my backyard.

Sitting on my front porch and drinking coffee Sunday morning.

Sitting in my backyard in the sun and wondering at the fact that it is November and 86 degrees out.

Now, Sunday afternoon I am contemplating actually doing my dishes, finishing a sewing project, or taking a nap. It is only 4...maybe I'll do all of those.