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Nostalgia and Winter

December 14, 2014 — 2 Comments

festive headgear

festive headgear

Christmas is such an anticipated holiday in America that it leaves lasting impressions on children. If I dig deeply into my memories of Christmas past there are certain phases that marked my history of celebrating.

  • My earliest years, 1-4, all holidays were at my grandparents’ farm

The house was small and the farm very big.  My grandmother made bread and cookies all the time.  At Christmas she cranked up the volume and included cinnamon rolls.  We played Chinese checkers, regular checkers, and Parcheesi.  Between baking with my grandma and playing games with my grandpa all my wishes came true.  I don’t know what my parents did, but I was always thrilled to be in Lincoln, Arkansas at the farm.

  • School in Pennsylvania had many holiday traditions, as well as snow.

Pittsburgh had excellent quality building snow, so my friends and I constructed forts and had snowball wars. We had sleds, toboggans, and ice skates.  At holiday break we were free to slip and slide all over town in our preferred method.  We did have caroling in the 50’s with people showing up at your house singing and very cold.  You were to invite them inside and give them hot chocolate.  My mother made fruitcake (of which I was never a fan) and pralines (which were the best).

  • Venezuela is a very festive place, and Christmas is a time to party with aguinaldos

Special songs of the season, often with no religious connotations, are sung by bands of traveling musicians.  The parranda grows as the host at each home visited joins the group and travels to the next home.  Sometimes extemporaneous lyrics are created to flatter the host or the neighborhood.  My parents were huge appreciators of the art form, and my dad was the boss of all the people in the petroleum camp.  For this reason our house was the last stop of the night.  The bar would open and the musicians would stay for hours, playing harps, rhythm instruments, cuatros, and guitars.

  • In my own home as an adult I invited friends for potluck parties for many years.

I had neither funds nor interest in entertaining like my parents had done.  I did still like the large crowd festivities, but preferred to make the occasion pot luck.  I still love this form of celebrating because each cook showcases something special that they want to prepare.  I also like the progressive dinner, which goes from house to house for each course.  Those seem to have fallen out of favor today, but they were fun while they lasted.

  • Holidays at resorts all over the world

There is something excellent about paying others to do all the preparations and clean up for holidays.  I spent wonderful holidays all over the world, in Chamonix, Swiss ski resorts, and one superb Christmas in Maui.  If you have the extra cash and don’t mind traveling at peak times (when I did it the peak was not so hard to take)  being in another land with room service can be a really good way to make the holiday season.  Instead of making effort at home, the energy and money is spent on the travel itself.

  • December at home

We like to stay close to home and make very little fuss about our December now.  I am working hard to clear space and give away old items rather than acquire any new ones.  I use seasonal plants for decorations these days because I just don’t bother with electric lights and other time consuming ways to change the decor.  We have no tree, and each year I give away more ornaments and outdoor decorative items.  Not only are we happier during the season, we have nothing much to strike in January.  This year we may zip up to Scottsdale for a meal at Posh and the farmers’ market.  This is our family trip with our dog, who adores the FireSky Resort.  The low key way to celebrate suits our lifestyle and our budget.

tropical

tropical

Spooky

November 5, 2014 — 1 Comment

What is spooky to you? I find that old cities are full of ghostly remnants. I am not sure if the spirits of people, or just the weight of history is what makes a place feel haunted.  There are those places that capitalize on their haunted nature.  Jerome, Arizona is such a place.  With a haunted hotel and tours of the old ghost town for visitors, spooks are a real value to the business people.  The history of the mining town is fascinating and easily lends itself to ghost stories.  Today artists and services catering to tourists keep the economy thriving.

 

My own feeling there was not so haunted by the dead but by the living.  I like the architecture and only stayed a short time, walking around and eating at a Mexican restaurant where I disliked the food and service.  Something felt great about leaving the town and driving off the hill.  Later I reflected on that whole experience.  I do plenty of planning when I travel, and then allow instinct to guide me when I arrive as much as possible.  I went up to Jerome on  a whim,  just to see it.  I bought a beautiful glass from an artist, walked around town and bought a 15 minute psychic reading in the basement of the Jerome Historical Society building.  I have not often done readings.   This was the 5th time in my life.  I was allowing my gut feeling to operate since I had no agenda and was not expecting a reader to be sitting in the history museum with a little tent for privacy.  I thought, “Why not?  This is as good a way as any to get in touch with the spooks of the area.”  Her price was reasonable and she did not try to put me on in any way.  A good psychic insight sinks in over time, and that is how her reading is working for me.  Leaving and pondering the message I wavered about making a decision to eat in a restaurant.  I was not sure I wanted to stay.   I entered a Mexican place that really suited my taste in decor.  I was instantly put off by very unfriendly service and a feeling this was not the place for me to eat. The server ignored me for a full 5 minutes while talking and joking with locals at the bar.  I sat through that clear message and ordered food anyhow.  I liked nothing about the food and felt the service deserved an F.  That was one reason I felt good leaving the town.  I ended Jerome on a bad note, and had only myself to blame.  I blatantly ignored my own intuition.

Spooks always have the exact same message for me, in a few different forms.  I have the ability to size up situations accurately and much more quickly than most people.  I don’t say this to boast, but it is a gift I have.  I instantly know if someone is lying, even before they say the words.  I believe we all come with assorted psychic gifts or talents that we may ignore or develop as we go through life.  Our own trust is all we need to check the accuracy of our gut feelings. Upgrade yourself to a belief in your own instincts.  If ghosts are around, that is where you can find them.  If you are looking for a great view and some possible paranormal activity I highly recommend you go to Jerome, AZ.

 

Food for Ascension, Tucson

October 21, 2014 — 4 Comments

On 7th Street near 4th Avenue in Tucson stands a Moorish style building complex that has housed a dance/movement/or yoga studio as long as I can remember. Today the space is serving as a gallery, coffee shop, and farm to table restaurant as well as providing space for movement classes and other events. Today I tried Food for Ascension for the first time and I am very happy I did. This place has several qualities that set it apart from other restaurants in the area. The fact that all the food comes from no more than 150 miles away is notable. The pure plant based recipes sometimes include eggs, but substitutions can be made for vegans and the gluten free people. The menu is short but several daily specials as well as a good selection of small plates provide more than enough variety. I could not choose, so I ordered two entrees knowing I would bring some home with me. Servings were generous. My server suggested the half order of biscuits and gravy because she could tell I was going to have plenty of food.  She was right about that.

biscuits and gravy

biscuits and gravy

She brought a bottle of water, which I always appreciate, and I enjoyed the wonderful view while a waited for my root and seed burger.  At this intersection it is possible to see a least a little of three different mountain ranges that surround out city.  Being upstairs to dine is truly a pleasure, especially when the weather is perfect like it was for lunch today.  The domes and the downtown skyline view, along with 4th Avenue bustle make ascension to the upper deck a super treat.  Perched above the noise of the street with plants and servers who make you feel very well attended is like finding a secret hide away in downtown.  I plan to go often to try everything on the menu.

root and seed burger

root and seed burger

I can report that the innovation and care is obvious in the food preparation.  Both burger and biscuits arrived hot and beautifully presented.  I made my way through about half of each of them, and was super satisfied as well as stuffed.  The root and seed burger had great texture, unlike the mushy veggie burger that can sometimes happen. This flavorful version had a nice char and crust on the outside which is a big plus.  The fresh greens on the plate had a lemon vinaigrette dressing that made it work as a salad, but also was tasty when applied to the sandwich as extra stuffing.  The oyster mushroom gravy on the sage biscuits was delightful. The sage flavor is strong in the biscuit, but it is complimented perfectly by the rich gravy.  It is highly evocative of Thanksgiving, with no turkey involved.  I loved both the dishes, and may have trouble choosing between them the next time I order.   I packed the rest..well, the gravy was kind of gone…to take home for Bob to taste.  I am excited to return with him next time because I know he will like it, and they do have some very rich desserts on the menu that will make him happy.  I was way too full to try any of that today.  I have found a new favorite spot, and am a little surprised it took me so long.  Food for Ascension has been open for about a year.  If you have a chance to try the food, as well as the fabulous ascension, I recommend it.  Take the upgrade, Tucson!

Inventing Retirement, Less is More

October 14, 2014 — 7 Comments

the long and winding road

the long and winding road

antique alley

antique alley

facade

facade

Many people plan for retirement, but I did not.  I just fell into it without intending to do so.  I spent a lot of time taking care of my parents in their last years which taught me that planning and execution of retirement are two different things entirely.  Saving and structuring investments is one way to plan, but there is another, perhaps more important issue, that retirement brings, which is identity of self.  All of our professional and family lives we identify ourselves with the role we play at work, at home, or in our social groups.  As we grow out of our careers or positions a crisis of knowing one’s self can be the biggest obstacle to happiness.  Investments in markets pay dividends.  Investing our energy into a persona that is a passing phase of our character can block the path to our understanding and fulfillment.  When we are free of the pressure of maintaining the personas, or the facades, that people expect from us we are free to express ourselves artfully and generously.

I recently decided that designing new business cards gave me an opportunity to decide what I want to do next in my life.  I pondered the idea of offering a service to spa owners to help them spy (private espionage) on their own operations.  With so many different establishments calling themselves spas these days it seemed like a good way to start a new idea and make good use of my background.  I took the idea with me on a short trip to consider the ups and downs of the plan.  My weekend trip was busy, so I did not spend much time thinking about my new card or concept.  I enjoyed the freedom of doing just as I pleased for a few days since I left the dog and my partner at home.  On the drive home I listened to the audio book Falling Upward, by Richard Rohr.  There was an obvious synchronicity between the material in the book and my idea to become a professional spa spy which became more clear as I considered what Mr. Rohr was teaching. He discusses the difference between getting old and becoming an elder.  He uses the term elder in the sense of leadership, tribal or otherwise.  An elder is in possession of wisdom which is shared with the tribe.  An old person who has not released his life’s earlier personas and roles does not enter a state of wisdom of peace.  Old people with anger and personal greed issues never pass into the realm of the elder, but remain in the building and striving part of life.   I saw that making an attempt at retuning to spa businesses for any reason was really a trip in a backward direction.  There are many good reasons I no longer work at spas, and it was smart to remember some of them before I decided to return to the same culture with expectations that I could improve the situation with my very important opinions.  I was pulled back from the brink of a big mistake.  There is no need to travel that road again.

I like to have business cards when I want to give people a way to contact me.  I decided to print cards that have none of my former logos, as a way to break free from any past issues that might entangle me.  I am not including my physical address on the new cards because I don’t need the world to know where I live.  I included my twitter handle, @spafloating, my home phone number (my cell number is a secret from everyone), and the address of this blog, http://pamelamorse.com.  I thought for a while about the title, since I printed a large batch and want it to last for a very long time.  I used simply inventor as my title. The most exciting thing about being an inventor is not the fact that you have invented something.  The coolest thing about being an inventor is that you can do it again if you so desire.  I plan to invent the most artful and soulful retirement a person could ever imagine.  I have been doing it already for years, so now that it is official I should flourish.  What is your retirement plan, Gentle Reader?  Have you thought of your retirement in terms other than financial investments?

Sonora, Bald Eagle of Scottsdale

October 8, 2014 — 6 Comments

I drove to Clarkdale, AZ  last weekend to ride the Verde Valley Railroad with Sonora the bald eagle. She was brought to wildlife rescue as a very young bird with her wing badly broken. Today she can fly in her enclosure, but her wing never healed well enough for her to return to the wild. I have to say for a captive eagle, this girl gets around and continues to enjoy nature while she rides the train through the canyons. Her enclosure in Scottsdale is at Liberty Wildlife Refuge, at the home of a former vet of the Phoenix zoo, and her two handlers that accompany her on field trips obviously love her dearly. She is a pampered (not that it was her choice) suburban eagle with a soccer mom schedule of school events, train appearances, and other symbolic and educational obligations.    She seems happy, and everyone who gets to see her up close and personal is ecstatic while in her presence.  I was completely out of my mind. She flapped me on the head with her wing while I was standing next to her, which I consider to have been a super magical gift.  She didn’t hurt me at all, but I did get a sense of her power.  I want to say I am her greatest fan, but I suspect we all adore her at the same very high level.  She is just awesome.  If you have a chance to meet Sonora, don’t miss it.  She rides the train once a month for now.  She began her programs on the train in 2010 when she was 3.  Now she is a seasoned model and train enthusiast.  I can’t tell you how fun it is to meet her.

 

Copper Art Museum in Clarkdale, AZ

October 7, 2014 — 1 Comment

One highlight of my recent trip to the historic and supposedly spooky Historic 89A from Cottonwood to Jerome was the new museum housed in the old Clarkdale high school. This old building with giant windows lets in an abundance of natural light. This is really the perfect place to display copper. Jerome, the mining town up the hill, is a famous ghost destination and artist colony. There was a very large copper mine that brought wealth to the town. The family that has started the museum owns a copper shop in Jerome. They rent the ground floor of the high school building, and rent the upstairs to residential tenants who serve as security at night. I think it is a great gig to live upstairs because the view, the location, and the fact that the copper art is always downstairs make it uniquely attractive.

The very extensive military and kitchen collections are on permanent loan from private collectors. There is a temporary collection of antique tin cookie forms, mostly Santas, but bunnys and other holiday shapes as well. I learned a lot from the extensive charts and informative posters. The museum covers the history, the myth and meaning, the mining, and the art that resulted. I love the look of copper, but appreciate the other qualities it has, such as antibacterial. Everything is covered well and the staff (owner) checks in frequently to see if the patrons have questions about the exhibits. I saw him take great care and a lot of time when kids were visiting with parents. There is no formal tour, but the space is small and the guest is invited to ask for more guidance. I normally spend an extra long time in museums, and this was no exception. I was fascinated and needed to look at all the detail. I noticed other patrons were also sitting down and spending time looking deeply at the displays. One of my favorite rooms contains spent artillery shells from WWI that were turned into “trench art” by soldiers. I believe anyone would enjoy seeing this museum. It has artistic and historic value displayed in a place that makes it shine. If you are in the Clarkdale area to ride the train, don’t miss this awesome museum just around the corner from the train station.

Cottonwood Arizona Revealed

October 6, 2014 — 2 Comments

The Verde Valley north of Phoenix has a very interesting history.  I had not visited the area for years and had read about the popular wine trail as a destination.  I decided to spend a night in the restored historic section of  Cottonwood.  It is charming and very laid back.  Folks are friendly, and most of the merchandise I saw on offer was of high quality.  There are several antique dealers with very large inventories of interesting items.  There are excellent restaurants and plenty of wine bars for tasting or evening entertainment.  The wineries are doing good business here selling mostly limited small batch varieties. I did a tasting at the Burning Tree Cellars that I enjoyed.  I liked all of the reds I tried, to my surprise.  The Arizona wine industry has vastly improved the quality of their products in recent years.  Some of the Burning Tree wines are made from California grapes, but made  and bottled in Camp Verde, AZ.  Arizona can be proud of our wine now.  It has come a long way, baby. The walkable downtown makes tasting here a breeze. There are four upscale wineries located in a two block area, all very popular.

I don’t drink much wine these days, but am always immersed in history.  I like to learn everything I can about places I visit.  Knowing what happened in the past brings the place to life for me.  I was unaware that Cottonwood had such a famous and checkered past.  This tiny town was the bootlegging capitol of the state in the 1920s.  There were tunnel systems below the streets leading from one storage place to others.  The typical establishment had a pool hall, a barber shop, or another small business in the front and liquor sales in the back of the building.  The tunnels were connected to homes and shops, as well as to automotive garages.  Cottonwood bootleggers were supercharging cars and filling them with liquor to transport out of the area.  It is said the garages had two tanks on the street out front, one with gasoline and another with hootch.  Al Capone was once held in the local jail and there is a carving of his name that still remains.  A still blew up and caused a very large fire that destroyed many wooden buildings in 1925. I learned all this and more when I took a short walking tour with Karen Leff, Cottonwood businesswoman and enthusiast.

I entered the lobby of the Cottonwood Hotel and found Karen, who is the owner, at the reception desk.  She has made a study of the town’s history by questioning old timers who remember, and looking up documents and newspapers from the past. Her knowledge is extensive.  She shares it by leading tours for interested groups by organizing Custom Cultural Heritage Tours. It was my lucky day because she had a short window of time to give me a quick version of her walking tour.  I had a wonderful time touring some of the rooms in her hotel before we walked around to see the places the bootleggers made famous.  Mae West did stay at the hotel, and a charming suite dedicated to her memory is one of the choices for accommodation.  The small former rooms have been updated and expanded for modern taste.  The balcony is a treat because it gives a full view of Main Street below.  The view came in handy for a group of bank robbers who checked in. I fully enjoyed my time learning about history and some present day ghost stories as well.  If you are in the area I fully recommend one of the tours Karen offers. She is in love with her town and it shows. You will get in touch with the spirit of the past by looking around historic Cottonwood.  Karen added greatly to my appreciation of the town.

Fall Food Fiesta, Pecans

September 30, 2014 — 2 Comments

Pecans grow abundantly in Arizona, with large commercial groves to be found both north and south of the city of Tucson.  Green Valley Pecan Company is the largest pecan farm in the world.  I love the organic pecans from our neighbors just 20 minutes south of Tucson.  They sponsor the Sahuarita Pecan Festival to celebrate the harvest and get festive with the local population.  This year the festival will take place Nov. 8, 2014 from 9 am to 5 pm at the farm.  Parking is free until 8:30 am, and $5 per car after that time.  I adore food festivals.  I am a bigger fan of nuts than I am of wine, so this local festival is particularly appealing to me.  I am not waiting to start eating my organic Green Valley pecans.  I have already polished off half of the first bag I purchased eating them straight up. That is honestly my favorite way to have them.  I do cook with them, and when I was in Austin this summer I heard about a pecan syrup being used in bourbon cocktails that intrigued me.  My friend made a wonderful concoction of bitters by using a whole pecan in the shell as one of the local ingredients she was testing.  The flavor of the nut came out nicely in the final product, the shell lending some bitter notes.  My mother used to shell loads of pecans each year and give them to me as a holiday gift.  It was the best thing she gave me, and she kept doing it until she was very old.  She would spend a month or so shelling pecans in the fall for her holiday gifting.  She was from Texas, so I imagine this came from her childhood.  She made a decent pecan pie, but my mother, Ruby, specialized in pralines.  She made no other kind of candy, and it only happened once a year (for the holiday gifts).  She put pecans in her fruitcakes too, but then she ruined them with fruitcake (I was never a fan of this extremely labor intensive preparation).

Here are some savory examples of pecans for fall festivities:

Most of the classic pecan recipes are for sweets:

If you have made the ice cream you can them have a:

What is your favorite way to enjoy pecans, Gentle Reader?

Penca, Downtown Tucson

September 8, 2014 — 1 Comment

Our Sunday brunch today was exciting new and different. We went downtown to Penca, a restaurant we have been wanting to try.  We both loved our experience and want to return very soon and often.  The cuisine is labeled Mexico City style, but it is also a very fine example of fresh combinations and very artful mixology.  Our favorite Mexican restaurant in Tucson burned to the ground a few months ago, so we have been hunting for a new one.  Penca wins for many different reasons.  The decor is post industrial modern with as much of the old building in tact as possible for style.  The design successfully tells you that the place has a unique flavor and point of view.  It is refreshing after so many meals in the corny Mexican restaurant decor with pictures of parrots and Javier Solis. (not that I want to get rid of that forever).  The open kitchen also sends the smells of the kitchen wafting through the space in just the right way to make you hungry.

The restaurant is housed in a building that was once owned by the Graham Truck Company.  The brick openings  still visible on the walls are large enough for vehicles to pass.  The  designer did a great job of keeping the industrial feel with plenty of metal features.  I particularly love the swiveling doors that can create privacy in an area in the back for parties or events.  The mural on the wall is the street view of the building in the past.  They warm up the room and the acoustics by using wood for tables, walls and the bar.  It feels spacious because the ceilings are high.  The exposed duct work becomes a design element and sets a modern tone.

We arrived before the crowd arrived and therefore had very personal service.  The chef dropped by our table to chat, which was fun and informative.  He let me know that the dish I had ordered, the corn cakes with chalula butter and jalapeño syrup with a side of 2 eggs and some black beans, was his favorite on the menu.  He also told me to get a side of Chalula to add to the flavor.  This was the perfect suggestion for me because although the butter had some heat, and the syrup also, the complete sweet and heat balance was brought out by using that extra hot sauce.  I loved the whole thing. Bob had to help me finish after he enjoyed his own pork hash breakfast.

One reason we favor this as our new Mexican restaurant is the creativity at the bar.  When I was first told about the place my friend mentioned the tepache, a pineapple drink with a slight fermentation that is made in house and used in some of the cocktails. I ordered a bourbon and tepache, the preparation of which you can see here below.  The flavors were really intricate, including the bitters sprayed on the top, making it both pretty and giving a distinct bitter note to the first few sips.  They also make their own shrubs, and a pineapple shrub (they refer to it as pineapple vinegar) was used in my drink as well.  Bob reported that the Bloody Mary he had with his has was spicy and went perfectly with his food.  This is a pleasant departure from the usual margaritas and mojitos.  We are planning to go back again soon early on Sunday to repeat this super dining delight.  I want to try the tacos, and Bob wants to have the corncake special.  Compared with places we dine with similar gourmet offerings, the pricing at Penca is generous.  We were pleasantly surprised at the bill and I had to take my beans home because we both were so full.  If you enjoy delicious food and inventive bar service, try Penca.

 

Wild Garlic Grill in Tucson

August 25, 2014 — 5 Comments

We dined at the Wild Garlic Grill for the second time yesterday and vowed to go more frequently because it suits us perfectly.  The first time we ate there was on Easter when we were looking for something new and different.  Both times we have ordered from the daily special menu and have been mighty impressed with the cuisine.  The chef is skilled in creating contrasts with flavor, temperature, and surprise ingredients.  We remembered the cocktails because they are inventive and made with fresh ingredients.  Bob likes beer so he enjoyed a nut brown ale from a local brewery while I tried the fuzzy tini, a peach martini cocktail.

There is a vegetarian special all the time which revolves around sessional ingredients, so mine were very different from each other since the seasons had changed.  I think mine was the best bargain because it was so plentiful it came home and became a beautiful pasta salad to eat today.  Bob enjoyed his fish dish very much, reporting that  it was fresh and perfectly prepared.  We both had really cute yucca strips as garnish on top of our entrees.  Our portobello mushroom appetizer course filled us significantly because it was accompanied by warm french bread and a sauce that made us want to lick the plate.  It was made with mostly red peppers, I think.  When we asked for more bread the very accommodating server brought extra sauce as well.  Service was very well executed, which we remembered from our fist time.  You feel that your server is paying close attention to timing and making sure your needs are met without being intrusive.  In fact the whole operation suits us because attention is placed on high quality and good service instead of high overhead for the facility.  The bar is cozy and the kitchen open for viewing.  We like the local art work that includes portraits of stars of the horror genre.  The Wild Garlic Grill is a comfortable and delicious place to spend a happy hour, a brunch, or a dinner.  We will return often since it is close to home, and recommend it to anyone looking for a special individual dining experience.