Guinness Lace

Posted on March 22, 2012 by vairarenbeth

It had been years since I attended a St. Patrick’s Day parade – the traditions were kept up with making Grandma Creegan’s Irish Soda bread and making corned beef and cabbage. But this year we skid-addled to downtown Phoenix and check out the annual parade.

All things Irish bring out the nostalgia in me, having grown up in an Irish neighborhood in New Jersey (you can imagine that Italians stuck out like a sore thumb).  We had both Catholic and Protestant on our block, so it made for quite an interesting combination.  Our block was within hearing distance of the church bells from both denominations.  Underneath it all we all knew that being American was our common thread, and no one argued with that.

For me, it was all the more exciting because that meant sharing celebrations and holidays – including different kinds of foods and the shock of learning that other families did things differently than ours.  It wouldn’t be until my first trip to Dublin that I would be introduced to the pub crawl, real draft Guinness, Black and Tan, Lager and Lime, and Shanties.  But the camaraderie of being American and at the grassroots of an immigrant community is something that I will always cherish.

In Phoenix, the weather cooperated perfectly, and we were not disappointed.  The crowd was small to NYC standards, but it was obvious that there are a lot of Irish in town.  We’ll have to check out the Irish Cultural Center when it is expected to be completed in April. The crowd had just about everybody in it.  There was also a good representation of the town in the parade – who knew there were so many bagpipers in the area?  Irish Wolfhounds, Bassets, Setters and horses were all well represented, too.  Irish dancers, family floats, the Ladies of High Tea and the Roller Derby Ladies all made for some good entertainment.  I have a few pictures posted below.

After an hour and a half of waving and greeting, we turned our sights to the one thing that was missing – beer!  So it was off to the George and Dragon and the satisfying pull of Guinness lace on our glasses.  A salute to a fun day!

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Waiting for the Train

Posted on March 8, 2012 by vairarenbeth

Ever since I can remember, trains have been a source of fascination, comfort and excitement for me.  Growing up New Jersey, my childhood home was two miles from the trains that routed through Newark.  Open windows on summer evenings fused honeysuckle scents with the pull of distance train whistles.  I rode on trains (and the tubes) to NYC and Philadelphia (do all the subway rides count as well?).  And then there was the motherlode in Italy.  My mother, sisters and I travelled by train to Rome.  In 1982 my sister and I hit the train to Venice from Vicenza. But it was in 1995 when I took a solo trip that I crossed the country by train from Milan to Perugia and Venice and points in-between.  Fun.  2004 was a hike between the 5 cities and their associated train stations in Cinque Terre, Italy.

California has a fun train experience as well.  There’s the Amtrak to Del Mar Racing Track (and a double-decker shuttle bus to the track from the station).  Fullerton at Angel Stadium will get you to Santa Barbara.  Up north the San Jose to San Luis Obispo run gets you in to Hearst Castle territory.  And of course CalTrain was the source of my Palo Alto to Belmont work commute, as well as countless rides to downtown San Francisco and parts in-between. BART and the MUNI extend the spider web to service some interesting spots to visit. The Trolly Museum exposes the cables and pulleys that make it all happen for the historic trolleys.

There is something historical and romantic about riding a train.  Whether electric or diesel powered, it has a rhythm and pace of its own that is undeterred by anyone who wishes for faster or slower progress.  Sometimes the scenery is a blur – other times it’s a frame by frame pictorial of the backside of a city or showcasing the countryside.  My work commutes were dominated by the aroma of quickly-cooling coffee in hand, moist and misty morning air both separated and pushed aside by the arrival of the diesel morning giant.  Oil and hot steel assaults on my senses; creaking springs and swaying cars marking the passing time as the wheels slid on the imperfect rails to defined destinations.  Walls of wisteria contrasted with garbage dumps, light industrial plants and school playing fields.

Trains certainly are honored for their role in helping make the West accessible to dreamers and doers in search of a different life.  Wickenburg, Arizona has a model train display in its museum.  And today I discovered that Scottsdale, Arizona has a treasure trove of its own.  The Scottsdale Railroad and Mechanical Society has been working on the preservation of the McCormick-Stillman Railroad exhibit.  There is a formidable display of train stations from all over Arizona both completed and as works in progress.  Members are there, happy to answer questions about their passion.  (I have found the same kind of passion with the railroad enthusiast group located at the Santa Clara, California CalTrain station where they maintain a working display as well).  It was an incredible surprise to see the Raold Amundsen Pullman Car of presidential fame perfectly preserved.  The railcar is displayed as it was in its heyday – kitchen and porter quarters, dining room and sleeping compartments (I was quickly reminded of Hercule Poirot in Murder on the Orient Express).  The lounge and private areas are restored as well, and you walk the corridor that was paced and promenaded by Presidents Hoover, Roosevelt, Truman, and Eisenhower and their staff and guests.  What a warp in time when standing on the rear platform where so many speeches and appearances were shared with the public – you can feel that history and the tension of the presentation, its expectation and the uncertainty of its effect.

Trains are a part of our history, and I hope that they will exist for a long time.  Eventually I’ll take that cross-country trip by rail!

Note: the picture was taken in Cinque Terre, Italy.  It points to the station and places that serve food and drink.

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Surprise, Peoria, Urban Art and a New Moka Pot!

Posted on March 6, 2012 by vairarenbeth

Unseasonably warm weather in Arizona today, with winds kicking up the dust and seeding brown clouds on the horizon.  Not to worry, it was still a great day to head on out to visit Surprise (I absolutely love that name for a town), check out Dillon’s BBQ in Peoria and whatever else popped up along the way.

Surprise was a short jaunt as we checked out the local stadium.  We ran into the Spring Training traffic while checking up on the exhibition games at Surprise Stadium which offers two for one tickets with an AARP card on Tuesdays.  Nice layout, and the parking is free.

Dillons is a local concern that has a few locations – one is in Surprise as well, but since we had time on our hands we decided to check out the original location in nearby Peoria.  This is the closest to any BBQ joint we’ve found so far that reminds us of the Johnny Reb’s    atmosphere in Long Beach, CA and Armadillo Willy’s in Sunnyvale, CA.  We both had the pulled pork.  Nice portion, great soft roll and 3 types of sauces to choose from.  If you get to go in the main dining area by the windows, there is a little garden with bird houses and rock faces that is a hang-out for mourning doves.  And there were quite a few of them hanging out there.  They were joined by a blackbird and also two cottontail rabbits that stopped by.  You can tell it doesn’t take too much to entertain me.

Not too far from Dillons is the Peoria Sports Complex.  Now this is a real community center – Scottsdale should take a lesson from it.  There is a skate park, playing fields, lakes for “urban fishing” (rainbow trout, catfish, and more), a playground, picnic and BBQ areas (with cover and venting for the BBQs) and a series of multiple-use trails called “New River Trail” – urban hiking made simple.

We struck up a conversation with one of the locals who had just caught an 8 inch rainbow trout – dinner, for sure, which a bird was eyeing with intent to purloin from our fishing friend.  Unsuccessful, the bird flew off, but not before I caught him in a picture (see below).

We scouted on the trail for about 4 miles – a nice walk to burn off some calories from that pulled pork sandwich.  Granted, it was a midweek afternoon but we ran into a lot of bicyclists and dog walkers, which made for a friendly walk.  There was an interesting rock arrangement in the underpass.  I have seen errant stones in various washes and sidewalks throughout the area, and I can’t figure out if people are arranging the stones or if the stones are arranged by flash floods.  You can look at it and decide for yourself, while I live with the mystery.

Back home, there was no mystery when the doorbell rang and, lo and behold, our new moka pot arrived!  I had been looking for a decent 3 cup version for some time now, which is perfect for 2 people to have a cup each followed by a top-off (ok, we won’t get into the grappa resintine ritual), and found one that was not in stock but could be delivered.  Perfect timing!  I ran a few cycles to break it in and we had a nice post-dinner moka.  Life is definitely about enjoying the small stuff.

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Spur Cross Ranch, Cave Creek and all sorts of fun…..

Posted on March 4, 2012 by vairarenbeth

Snowbirds, Spring Training (really – let’s face it, they are really exhibition games) and wonderful weather all collide as the year-round residents of central Arizona turn to nature to get away from the visiting crowds.

The town I live in is called Cave Creek.  And there is actually a creek by that very name in the area.  Thursday was a perfect day to check out the local trails, and visit our town’s namesake. Clear skies, low humidity and a cool breeze made for a great walk.  Spur Cross is accessed through the main drag in town, Cave Creek Road (of course).  The last mile and a half is dirt and rock.  Just when you despair of ever finding the park, there’s gravel public parking just before the entrance.  It’s a strange feeling of trespassing while driving up, since there are many private ranches (and a few horseback riding concerns) along the entire road.  In fact, the prominent buildings in the backdrop to the park are all private.

Maricopa Trail is the main route through the park, and at its northern section it parallels and crosses Cave Creek.  We were lucky in that the creek was actually running, so we could see it in action, such as it was. Yes, the water was cold! Back a hundred years ago, water flowed all year through the creek and at a pretty brisk pace, too.  It was the main attraction for Native Americans, American settlers – prospectors, cattlemen and sheep ranchers –  and the US Cavalry, making it a perfect place to settle down.  There is supposed to be an actual cave that is the source of the creek somewhere, but it may be in the riparian area that is permit-only.  There are actually lots of old mines in the entire area, and some of them are still registered and active.  It’s not hard to imagine these people making their way through the area – their spirit is in the land, and in the shadows of the old saguaro, Ironwood trees and haphazard rocks that have been watching all the passersby through the years.  Black Mountain dominates the area, and is another point that attracted people to settle in the area.  It’s “black” on one side, and the other side is green – an unusual mix that makes it easy to pick out of the horizon.

At one point we were overtaken by a group of horse riders, all in cowboy gear, on a five hour guided tour.  They were sure to have a lot of fun, judging from the animals on ground and in air that we could observe as we hiked through.  For the poor hiker, that means keeping an eye out for the dung.  But it’s snake season as well, so eyes work quick as the feet are in motion, avoiding trampling signs of havalina and other locals.

If you are a serious hiker you can easily make a good day of it and picnic along the way (as long as you don’t mind sitting on a rock or on the ground).  Taking it a little slower allows a better view of the tiny details that make the desert such a great attraction – lava rock with lichen growing, decomposed saguaro and other cactus, and the tiny flowers that take advantage of the winter rain to bloom and add a blush of color to the desert floor.  We’ll be back!

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There is Superstition….in Arizona, That Is!

Posted on February 22, 2012 by vairarenbeth

The weather this week has been so temperate that we just had to go out on the road for an exploratory drive.  Tuesday was the day, and the Superstition Mountains was the destination.

We took the 60 to the 88, and it was clear sailing and a wonderful vantage point for view.  The first stop was at the Superstition Mountain Museum.  It’s one of the better local museums we’ve been to so far.  There are a lot of historical paraphernalia, not the least a plethora of Lost Dutchman Goldmine maps.  My favorite chuckle came from the Canadian Club Hidden Cases display.  It seems that there was an “unidentified” local hero who found the case in record time – well before all the marketing information was sent out.  The quote (and I paraphrase) on why he searched for the case was basically “it was election day, the bars were closed, and I was hard-pressed to dig up a drink.”  Gotta love the attitude!  My other favorite exhibit item was the Navajo (I believe the correct nomenclature is Dine) weaving loom.  At the side was a mapping of the colors of the rug to the local dyes used to produce the colors.  Fabulous! There was also a gorgeous handmade quilt from the late 1800’s.  Love that fiber!

The museum grounds are big enough to take a walk up a short hill for some pretty views, space for a Boot Hill facsimile, and a recreation of the Elvis Chapel (I swear you can’t get away from the guy no matter what you do), as well as cowboy movie star memorabilia, and a recreation of Apacheland Ranch – including the doctor’s horse buggy from Gunsmoke and Cisco Kid’s saddle.

Another fun thing was the fact that there was a real live Blacksmith smithying away right on the premises!  Eric Grip of Iron Grip Blacksmithing has wares for sale and will answer any questions you have.

You can imagine that it was time for eats at that point.  Right on Hwy 88 (Apache Trail) we had passed Filly’s, which had a good crowd, so we stopped there to tank up the tummy.  The dining room was packed and people were out on the patio as well.  I had the turkey burger, my husband had the chicken tenders, and it was all good.  Of course, on the way out of town we passed about a million more places all along Main Street (which runs through to Mesa).  As you may have discovered through past posts of mine I am a sitting target for farmer’s market stands.  Superstition Ranch has two places where you can buy fresh fruits and vegetables – one right in Apache Junction, the other in Mesa.  We stopped at the Mesa location and got really great deals on asparagus and grapefruit.  Plus, more local honey to sample (I am constantly in search of the best orange blossom honey), AND homemade salsa.  What to say?  We’ll be taking our out-of-town visitors to Superstition Mountain.  And one of these days we’ll hit the mountain trails, too.  As far as the lost mine – well, I’ll let someone else worry about that one.

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Farmer’s Market – A New Definition?

Posted on February 19, 2012 by vairarenbeth

When we lived in California, our home was one mile away from a weekly Farmer’s Market, which made it incredibly easy to stroll through whether we needed anything or not.  The fresh vegetables, fruits and flowers weren’t always the best cost bargain, but you could always rely on a lot of people watching and running into someone you knew.  Not to  mention that my all-time favorite bread in the world, Acme Bread Company, was sold there fresh and if you weren’t there early enough it always sold out.

Now having been in Arizona for a grand six months, I thought it was high time to explore the Farmer’s Market scene.  Granted, I am not yet attuned to the bounties of the season.  But I hope to be a knowledgeable customer soon enough.  My first approach was to check online and see what was listed, and I found a great list on the Farmer’s Market Online Open Air Directory, as well as on the Arizona Farm Bureau’s site.  The trouble was that the CityNorth market that is advertized on banners posted across from Desert Ridge was not on either list.  But it was close, and there is supposed to be a knife sharpening service there.  It meets only once a month, and this was the day, so off we went.

Surprise, surprise.  There were kiddie activities (“european bungee, wall climbing, sand painting, etc.), lots of prepared food vendors, the requisite jewelry, art, lotion and potion offerings, but only TWO vegetable stands! Hmmm..could CityNorth not understand the basic concept of a Farmer’s Market?  One of the “farmers” was offering onions at $2 a pound, the other had no prices posted.  Not too different from California, that. And the knife sharpener didn’t show that day.

There is plenty of parking, and the set-up is comfortable for a nice walk around the block, with restaurants at the ready as well. Overall, it was more of a street fair event, which may be the reason why they are not getting that much of a draw.

Lesson learned?  Stick to the official Arizona Farm listings.  I’ll be visiting other Farmer’s Markets soon!

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Glendale, Arizona

Posted on February 11, 2012 by vairarenbeth

As my husband and I continue our exploration of our new home state, we are running into some interesting places and clearing up some misconceptions.  Turns out the Glendale train of Jesse James fame was NOT in Arizona – guess that would be good news for the locals of that time.  But we managed to find Glendale’s Old Towne section (which includes Catlin Court) and walk around.  While the town looks like it could use an infusion of activity (there are a ton of parking lots, many of which were empty – and this on a Friday afternoon) it has a lot of antique shops, clothing, art, food, coffee/tea shops and plenty of window shopping.  The Catlin Court area shops are mostly in converted homes that reminded me of some of the Northern California town centers in the Bay area.

It’s a good thing to go to the Visitor’s Center first.  We have been discovering that they usually have some great suggestions for places to eat.  And there is a wide selection in Glendale – who would have thought?  And some have been interviewed on TV, such as Haus Murphy on Check, Please!  and La Piazza al Forno on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.  We opted for the pizza because it had been a while since we had one, and the promise of an authentic Italian pizza was irresistible.  We were not disappointed. I had the Marinara DOC and Denny had the Italian Stallion (a popular choice by the other  men in the restaurant as well).  What a delight!  It brought me back to the pizza margherita I had when I was in Italy with my mother in 1971, just outside of Rome.  Needless to say, this is definitely on the list, and we’ll probably stop by there again.

Other fun surprises for me were discovering that there are TWO tea houses in town – The Spicery in Our 1985 Home (the oldest home in Glendale), and Kimberly Ann’s Victorian Tearoom and Cafe.  They are within a block of each other on 59th Avenue, and both look compelling from the outside.  Since Sally’s Knits was closed for vacation, I can see a return trip with a fiber arts friend or two to hit both the yarn shop and an afternoon tea.

Till then!

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And Now My Teapot Whistles!

Posted on February 5, 2012 by vairarenbeth

It’s been seven months since I had a gas oven.  It’s not that I didn’t give electric a chance.  Something about sliding pots on a ceramic surface is not my cup of tea – the one in the rental was the standard coil-top.  But on Monday my gas range was installed, and I am in heaven.  The teapot boils up in no time at all, and now it whistles again!  I know, it must sound pretty pathetic that I get a kick out of something like that.  But life is about the small stuff, after all – the big stuff is out of my control.

So, I have grilled polenta and fish, boiled and baked bagels, made fresh chicken soup stock and a great pot of chicken/chile/bok choy chicken soup, and baked cornbread.  Life is good, indeed, and I may never eat out again.  Well, I will, on occasion, but I sure love using that stove.  It would make my mother proud.

There are vegetables to be grilled, a pork tenderloin waiting to be roasted, and the portion control police in the background to make sure I don’t send my already high cholesterol and sugar levels through the ceiling.  But at least I am up and around, chopping away, cleaning up, moving around, getting outside for a walk to get fresh air.  My knitting is still handy, only my weaving has (temporarily) taken a second place to the stove.  There are 4 books due at the library next week.  But it will all get done, and I will enjoy the tasks at hand.

After so many years chasing the 10 hour a day corporate world, this simple existence seems like a dream come true.  I get to write on my blog.  I get to talk to people about things other than the next financial statement and whether the results will earn the directors their bonuses.  Now that my fiber arts article is published, I get to contemplate on the “next best thing”.  I have been looking around for volunteer opportunities, but nothing has caught my eye.  And I think that this is mainly because now is my time to heal, and gather strength, and build a road for the rest of the journey ahead.

Time to plate!

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Wickenburg, Caballeros, and Quilts

Posted on January 14, 2012 by vairarenbeth

Today was a fun day at Wickenburg.  The main reason for the drive was to visit the Desert Caballeros Western Museum. It’s a pleasant surprise, with many neat exhibits.  The special exhibit in progress was Kenneth Freeman – some incredible art going on in there.  Also, the holiday trains were still set up and that is something that always takes me back to winter days in NJ, watching the train set that my brothers received for Christmas, impatiently waiting for my turn to be the engineer.

Walking through the town is pleasant as well, since it is very clean and well maintained.  No lack of food, that’s for sure.  Both volunteers at the museum and the visitor’s center recommended Nana’s, which did not disappoint.  There are statue markers along the streets which are linked to audio descriptions of why that point has historical significance.  Although I loved the museum and its displays, I was disappointed that the one picture of a native American Indian “spinning” was not accurate.  It was obvious that she was unwinding the completed yarn (at least to the trained or experienced eye).  The depiction indicated that she was in the act of drop-spindle spinning.  Not!  Passing Storm, by George Molnar Thomas Moran (1920) was my favorite overall painting on display in the museum.

An extra surprise for me was the fact that the annual Wickenburg Quilt Show was in progress – presented by the Vulture Peak Patchers and the North Ranch Quilters.  What a display of talent!  2011 results from the Hoffman Competition (use of a chosen pattern as a theme) were fabulous and quite creative.  The backs of some of the quilts were more ornate than the fronts!  I did have four favorites overall from the general exhibit – Laura’s Garden by Caryl Spenny – if you love red poppies this is a gorgeous re-creation. Fractured Leaves by Joan Tarpin was a column tiled piece that had my sage green color way favorite.  Testament to Time by Hartley Bennett was an ingenious suitable for framing rendition of what could be an alligator or a cypress tree – you decide!  And Sleep Warm, Cowboy by Joan Dodson made me want to take the quilt down and curl up right then and there.  Good work, ladies!  I know several people who dabble with quilting, and I actually quilted a potholder (believe me, that was a big thing).  But I leave the big details to the women (and men, if you are out there) that really excel at the art.

Great day!

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Downton Abbey, Finally!

Posted on January 10, 2012 by vairarenbeth

Welcome season 2!  Finally!  And am I too superficial in stating that the clothes are incredible?  Two hours was too short. But then I am grateful for the arrival, nonetheless.

How on earth did Lord Grantham NOT know that he was helping to get Thomas back?  Why is Mary still acting like a character out of a Thomas Hardy novel?  And isn’t Edith just a little too hypocritical by making a play for a married man?  I am sure if she had realized that her letter to the Turkish Embassy is what kept Mary around she would take it back in a heartbeat.  Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, the saying goes, before you cast judgement.

And I am so mad at Bates.  Anna deserves better, and I am surprised that Bates did not know of Vera’s stint as a housemaid.

Anyway, the scenery is magnificent, the plot riveting, and I am glad we have more episodes to see.  Season 2 is supposed to span 8 years.  Season 3 is under production.  Thank God there is something to watch that makes you think, puts historical events in a human context, and shows how life could be a lot better if we were all a bit more civil (or courteous) to each other.

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