Two Months In!

We've been in our house now for 2 whole months! After months and months of renovation since May, we are still working to make it our own... hanging wall art, arranging kitchen shelves and finding space in closets for things we'll deal with later. Move-in day was September 21 and it rained the whole day. The garage was filled with boxes and the house with furniture haphazardly placed wherever it would fit. Having downsized considerably, we thought we'd be fine with the amount of space we had to fill in the new house after 3 huge garage sales in Seward to unload items we knew we could live without. We thought the garage in the new house which has built-in cabinet storage could hold the rest of what might not fit inside the house, but that was not the case. In the process of unpacking loads of boxes, we've made dozens of trips to the Salvation Army and to the HabiStore here in Tucson donating many items we can no longer justify keeping. Many items from my vintage collection had to go and some that I've kept for now will eventually go on Ebay later for lack of storage/display storage space.

The most difficult items to part with for me were books. I loaded many boxes with books that I've been carrying around for several decades and took them to a used book store for credit at the store. Some, that they wouldn't take, I gave to Goodwill. I nearly lost it when the attendant at one store took a stack of my books from my car that I didn't have in a box and just threw them into a moving bin. A deep pang struck me to the core (book lovers will understand this affront). I didn't weep, but I was close.

On the brighter side, the kitchen turned out great and we've been cooking up a storm. Here are some photos of the remodel:

Meanwhile the little garden plot I've planted is going strong with tomatoes, herbs, some winter squash and cucumbers. The temperatures here in November are like late summer in Nebraska... warmer days with much cooler nights so not sure how much harvest we'll have out of this late summer crop. The herbs are loving this weather though as are the roses and other flowering plants. Being an El Nino year all the plants seem happier with the extra rain. New to me are the jojoba shrubs with their smooth olive leaves, the aloe vera popping up everywhere under the shrubs, and the dalea which attracts bees by the dozens! The grapefruit tree must be several decades old yet still produces a ton of fruit... looking forward to harvesting some later this winter.

As the holidays approach, I'm grateful for this peaceful place with late afternoon sun that warms away all the day's stress and tomorrow's demands. I know that we are blessed beyond measure to have such a secure and magical place to call home. Looking forward to Thanksgiving, our friend's visiting, the blessings of Christmas and a new year to embrace. Peace to all in these troubled times.

The renovation slog

Here we are now 3 months into possession of our new "old" house with not a lot of "before" and "after" photos to share... but these things take time, I'm told; this is our first experience hiring a contractor. In the past we just managed everything ourselves, but this reno is pretty big and there are lots of "issues". Decisions about tile, paint, cabinetry, and many unexpected problems: electrical, plumbing, pool equipment and other hidden issues that need attention and cost $$$$ we weren't planning to spend.

We've painted several rooms already but now the floor tile is going in which means we will be able to start moving some of our things from the garage into the house and from the rental house into our new home: soon. Until the tile is finished we are prevented from doing any other work inside the house. I spend my days tending the garden and foundation plants and researching interior design ideas while Jack handles the heavy lifting: painting exterior trim, building a door for the garden tools and handling all the pool "issues".

Meanwhile, I've turned to cooking to take my mind off the slow moving renovation process. What's for dinner tonight? I've been exploring Ottolenghi's Jerusalem cookbook and enjoying it immensely. I checked out a copy from the local library but now may have to buy my own... it's that good! The first thing I made was the butternut squash and onions with tahini and za'atar -- wonderful! Tonight I made basmati and wild rice with chickpeas, currants and herbs. So good and comforting! Hopefully I won't make it through the entire cookbook before I can turn my energy back toward moving into our new home!

Arizona Move -- Part 4, The New House

That is actually an older house built in 1962 and will be the 4th mid-century built home that we've purchased in the last 24 years. These vintage homes have a certain comfy, irresistible feel to us so even with their wonky layouts, we were sold on this one on the first visit. The house is a burnt adobe brick with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths sitting on a high slope in the northern hills of Tucson. The 2-car garage (added well after the house was built as were the guest quarters, office and workshop complete the property compound with another 3/4 acre natural desert on the north slope. There is a pool, covered patio, mature landscaping and a huge laundry room/sewing room/storage area (that would be "my" space). Mostly everything is dated with the exception of the kitchen that was updated in the 1990s. We will be gutting and remodeling the entire kitchen to open it up to the main living space and to capture some of the natural light.

Here are some photos of the house in its "before" state. The last photo is where my garden bench and outdoor creative space will be... my "she shed" if you will. :)

Arizona Move: Part 3 -- Being Here

It's been wonderful being back in Tucson though we are like kids waiting for Christmas until the house closes on May 15. There is so much to do at the new house and we are so geared up to do it, that it's difficult to stay in the moment. To make time fly, we're pretending we're on vacation and going about seeing and doing the things we won't have time for once we get into the house. 

There are many great shopping opportunities to check out not to mention the restaurants that beckon us from every corner of town from authentic Mexican to creative eclectic cuisine, the options are endless. Fortunately, one of the best Mexican restaurants we've come across is a stone's throw from our new house. Rigo's Mexican Restaurant on Oracle is spot-on authentic with an extensive menu as well as breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets. Plus a Friday night marirchi band... what's not to love? 

When we're not in the mood for Mexican food, we often eat at Whole Foods Market which has become one of our favorite places to shop and eat as the food is always good and you don’t need a reservation. Many of the wildly popular, chic restaurants are nearly impossible to get into especially on the weekends; we don’t have the patience to wait for a table so we haven’t gotten to some of the places that are still high on our list.

Another welcome diversion is just across the street from our rental house here on the east side of Tucson: Sabino Canyon National Park. There are great hiking trails here leading into lush desert canyons and peaks with views that take the breath away. The prickly pear cacti are blooming now as are the cholla and palo verde trees. The wildlife in this area include javelina, coyote, adorable ground squirrels, rattlesnakes, mountain lions and many kinds of lizards. Although we haven’t seen either rattlesnakes or mountain lions, there are warning signs posted the deeper and higher you hike into the park. So far we’ve only witnessed a few ground squirrels and lizards which also happens to be the extent of our curiosity on the topic of wildlife. Although one evening on the way to a local restaurant, we had the good fortune to see a herd of javelina crossing the road in front of us with their babies scampering along to keep up... wonderful to see the wildlife from the safety of our car.

Here are some photos I took on a recent hike in the canyon... this crested saguaro is just spectacular!

The Arizona Move: Part 2 -- Getting There

We left Seward on March 27th with 4 cats and 2 vehicles. Jack drove the truck with Feather and Yuri while I drove the car with Peaches and Rocky. The vet had given us sedatives for the cats so they wouldn't be too upset in the car which helped a bit. Only Feather had the reverse reaction to the sedative; it made her even more hyper. After 2 nights and a 3rd full day of driving we arrived in beautiful, sunny Tucson. Here are some pics from along the way.

 It's Spring in Arizona and the wildflowers are blooming.

Arriving in Tucson to welcoming skies. A good omen.

The movers arrived the day after we checked into the rental house. We didn't realize that a lot of our stuff wouldn't fit into the 3rd bedroom so much of it was deposited on the patio. The next day we rented a storage unit. That is now full as well.

Now that we're settled into the house, we're becoming reacquainted with the city we left 8-1/2 years ago when we moved to Seward. It's grown, of course, but our favorite restaurants and stores are still here plus many more we'll be exploring in the future. The real estate market is just now beginning to recover from the housing bubble and resulting crash of 2008. So many bad loans were made based on inflated property values that sellers who bought back then are now taking tremendous losses; bankruptcies and short sales are common. It's definitely a buyers market here in Tucson!

The Arizona Move: Part 1

Last summer we decided to move back to Tucson, partly because of the weather here in Nebraska: most convincing was the Mother’s Day tornado that devastated several towns and rural homes having missed our house by just a quarter of a mile. Along with the weather came the realization that our property is just too much for us to manage anymore. A 5,000 sq. ft. house on 3 acres with lawn to mow and gardens to maintain is time-consuming hard work reminding us that with abundance comes responsibility. We both think we can do with much less (yard work, that is); so "downsizing" has become our new mantra. After 3 huge garage sales last Fall, we put the house on the market. Now it’s sold and we move in 2 weeks! Yikes!

Making a household move is a daunting task, but we've made good progress, so much so that now I feel I can take a break from packing and update my blog. A few days ago I cleared the bookshelves in the library. It’s a strange feeling emptying the shelves of books and then trying to decide the handful I should keep out to get me through 6 months at our rental home in Tucson. 

 An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler – A meditation on cooking and eating that changed the way I’ll cook forever.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver – About a family that abandoned the industrial-food pipeline to live and grow their own food in a rural setting… by the famous Arizona author.

China Moon Cookbook by Barbara Tropp – Doable Chinese recipes using ingredients I can easily find in Tucson. Even though my favorite Asian grocery store, 17^th St. Market, is now closed there is a new international market, Lee Lee’s, smack dab in the middle of the zip code where we want to live! That’s reason enough to keep this one on the top of the stack.

A Writer’s Book of Days by Judy Reeves – writing exercises, topics, legends and lore to inspire the writer within.

The Complete Book of Cacti & Succulents by Terry Hewitt – great photos of many cacti varieties, care and feeding of these amazing plants.

Is There a Nutmeg in the House? By Elizabeth David – British cookbook writer and all round amazing woman wrote these essays on practical cooking interspersed with stories of a life well lived.

Cooked by Michael Pollan – explores the middle link in the food chain: cooking. Learning a few things I didn’t know… salting meat before cooking, the umami taste, and the importance of cooking as a protest against specialization.

The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz – Amusing observations of an American chef living in Paris today with recipes that compel the cook to don the apron and get busy. I’ve still to make his chicken tagine with apricots and almonds, but vow to do so this week!

Mexican Tiles by Masako Takahashi – Inspiration for working with Mexican tiles. I designed this kitchen backsplash in our former Tucson home with tiles I found at a tiny shop which is probably not there anymore. Somewhere in our new home, similar tiles will be featured.

Baja Cooking on the Edge by Deborah Schneider –Baja inspired dishes from acclaimed San Diego chef; I attended many of her cooking classes when we lived in San Diego so it’s wonderful to see her success with this book. From one who never met a taco she didn’t love, this book is a marvel of taste and deliciousness.

A Year in My Kitchen by Skye Gyngell – Thanking her for introducing me to the principle of agrodolce… creating the ideal harmonious flavors within one dish using sweet, salty, sour elements in balance.

And that’s all so far. See!! packing can be fun!

Cordoba, a tribute to God

I fell in love with this beautiful city -- its narrow streets, secluded patios and bubbling fountains; quiet spaces filled with the scent of jasmine and gardenia. The impressive structures of La Mezquita, Roman ruins and Christian monuments are scattered throughout this city -- the stamps of conquering forces of the past and a stark reminder of their conflicting religious beliefs.

Cordoba's La Mezquita was the major draw for us... second only to the grandeur of Granada's Alhambra, the differences are easy to discern. The Alhambra is a palace and La Mezquita is a mosque/cathedral. As a palace, the Alhambra has many gardens, water features, and artistically designed spaces just for relaxation and reflection. La Mezquita on the other hand is a space designed for large-scale worship; it can hold as many as 25,000 people at one time. It is so massive, its walls are taller than the modern surrounding buildings while its footprint encompasses several city blocks. Along its walls are large doors that open into the Naranjos Courtyard (the Orange Tree Courtyard). This area is free to the public to stroll about and enjoy the orange trees; over 100 grow here. Entrance to the interior of the mosque/cathedral is 8 Euro and well worth the experience.

The interior of La Mezquita is darker than these photos suggest but there are side galleries that have additional light from windows and electrical lighting. The columns that hold the red and white striped arches are dark gray up to about a man's height... the grime of human hands touching them over the ages? I don't know.

As we strolled around the interior, I wondered if 7th c. women were allowed to worship in this holy place or was it just for men? I did a little research and learned that Umar, the ruler of Islam at the time, tried to restrict women's access to the mosque but failed. He settled for segregated worship services for men and women which is the standard today. Prior to his rule, women held the same status as men participating in politics, art, philosophy and religion, even battle.

In one area of the mosque, there is a glass floor that lights an area below ground; it displays part of a mosaic floor of the original Christian church upon which this mosque was built. A gentle reminder that this sacred space was Christian in origin built by Visigoths in the 5th c. in honor of St. Vincent. Afterward, Muslims ruled here for 500+ years and built this amazing mosque. Then in the 13th c., Christians again retook the city and built their cathedral right smack dab in the middle of La Mezquita.

The cathedral is almost gaudy compared to the mosque... lots of gold and towering carved ceilings typical of the Gothic style of the time. The ceiling designs are remarkable; we are still trying to figure out how the craftsmen managed their installation.

Close to La Mezquita are several small hotels catering to the masses of tourist that visit here every day. Large tour groups from all over the world, young people with backpacks, and lone tourists enjoying the peace and beauty of this glorious city. We stayed at one of these small hotels that had a classic courtyard garden off the lobby where we spent some quiet time contemplating the history of this place and thanking our lucky stars we were able to have this experience.

Antonio Munoz Molina (an Andalusian by birth) said it best:

"Cordoba is not a decadent town... one of those haughty cities languishing in its own past, in which life becomes stifled (...) it maintains its own elegant poise, made of the web of dreams and the substance of time itself...; there are places here which seem to contain the entire essence of the universe hidden and untouched." 

Sort of heavy, I know, but aptly describes the feeling of this place... in a word, magical.