Seasons Archives - Page 2 of 4 - Seams Like a Story

October 16, 2022October 16, 2022

Madera Canyon, Arizona

A Walk in the Woods

” Keep close to Nature’s heart…and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.” -John Muir

Walk with me…

It’s that time of year again. I miss the crisp air and fall colors in my Indiana hometown. But I’ve discovered a hidden gem just a short drive from Tucson, Arizona. Madera Canyon “washes my spirit clean.” Breathe the cool, fresh air. Look around. Listen. Few words are needed. Come, walk with me…

See a blush of fall color…

Listen to the water dancing over the rocks. Feel the cool mountain stream…

Get in touch with a tree…

Wonder at ancient stones…

The circular depression in this boulder is a mortar used by prehistoric people to process wild plant food.

Delight in the unexpected …

Renew…

Thanks Madera Canyon. We’ll come back soon.

Threads of Thought

What do you like best about fall?

Where is your favorite “walk in the woods?”

Read more from Debra at http://www.amazon.com/author/debravandeventer

June 15, 2022April 17, 2025

DIY Herb Drying Rack

Under cupboard, no tools required

One of the joys of retirement is that I have time to explore hobbies. I’ll admit, I’m not much of a gardener, and the desert Southwest makes it even more challenging, but I have a small herb garden in the corner of my yard. Here is where Oregano, Thyme, Mint, and Sage live in large clay pots. Rosemary is a wild thing. She is planted in the ground where she is free to grow where she will.

My garden also includes an agave, a succulent, a jasmine vine, and two lizzards, none of which are edible.

My husband Ed is the chef of the family and the fresh herbs we grow are an important part of his meal creations. This time of year we grow more than we can use, so I’ve divised a simple way to dry and store them. This is my kind of DIY project. No tools, quick and easy.

You will need:

An expansion rod that fits under your kitchen cabinet, and thread or fine string

Gather and rinse your herbs

String them

Cut a piece of thread about 10-12 inches long. Wrap one end tightly around the top of several sprigs. (no need to tie if you wrap it securly)

Wrap a second bunch using the other end of the same thread.

Now drape the thread over the expansion rod.

Hang them to dry

Once your bundles of herbs are on the rod, carfully attach the expansion rod under your cupboard and …

Voila! Your **DIY Herb Drying Rack** is complete! The beautiful hanging herbs will make your kitchen look (and smell) like a gourmet chef’s paradise. (Bonus tip…Stage it with a fancy cookbook to impress your friends. 🙂

Processing and storing your dried herbs

You will know when your herbs are dry when they are crunchy. Here in the southwest, just a few days is all we need. Grind the leaves in a coffee bean grinder that is used only for herbs,(unless you are partial to coffee-flavored herbs) then store them in airtight containers. (We like these from Bed Bath and Beyond)

So my work here is done. Now it’s Ed’s turn…I wonder what he’ll be making for dinner with oregano and thyme…Italian, I hope….

Threads of thought:

Tell me about your garden or your favorite Italian dish!

Book Cover for Until Italy: A Traveler's Memoir. A bright turquois cover with a wild yellow suitcase erupting with travel accessories

When I’m not gardening, I’m writing! Find your copies of UNTIL ITALY: A Traveler’s Memoir, and OUT OF THE CRAYON BOX: Thoughts on Teaching, Retirement, and Life HERE

February 12, 2022January 21, 2023

The Desert Snowman

Against all Odds

The weather reports from family and freinds in the midwest came in last week with tales of ice and snow. It was in the 60s here in the desert, but I was reminded of a surprising snow we had a few years ago. I know, the 2 inches we got that year was pretty pittiful in comparison, but it inspired this story:

The Desert Snowman

by Debra VanDeventer

The sound of the rain hitting the adobe tiled roof had stopped during the night. I open the blinds to reveal the morning sun blocked by gray clouds and crystal white silent snowflakes. One, maybe two inches are piled up like foolish frosting on the brightly colored cushions of the poolside chaise lounges. We had moved to the Southwest to escape the winter snows …and yet… I pull on yoga pants, boots, and a sweatshirt and scurry out to our desert garden.

The unexpected rush of cool air delights me. I scoop up a handful of the wet, sticky snow and fashion a small ball, then another, and another to form a tiny snowman. I know I must work quickly. Returning to the house, I gather a baby carrot, two raisins, a scrap of ribbon, and race back outside to add the final touches that bring my creation to life. Although short in stature, as snowmen go, he stands courageous and defiant among the cacti.

Continue reading “The Desert Snowman” …

December 18, 2021January 21, 2023

Oh, Christmas Tree

Holiday Traditions Grow and Change

This baby Norfolk pine tree is an unlikely canditate for a Christms tree. Or is it?

Christmas Past (1974)

It was our first Christmas together as a married couple. Our apartment was tiny, but cozy and close enough for us to walk to the campus of Ball State University where we were finishing up our degrees. The balance in our bank account was as small as our apartment and we’d be returning to our hometown to celebrate the holiday with our families that year. It made little sense to decorate for Christmas. I thought I’d be OK with that, but as we approached the holiday, it just didn’t seem right. I felt like Charlie Brown in the Christmas special when he said “what this place needs is a tree.”

Continue reading “Oh, Christmas Tree” …

November 12, 2021December 28, 2021

Homecoming

Back Home Again in Indiana

I’m a Hoosier transplanted to Arizona. Though I love my southwest home, after “Autumn in Arizona” http://seamslikeastory.com/autumn-in-arizona/ I needed to experience fall for real. A three hour plane ride and I was back home again in Indiana. http://seamslikeastory.com/fly-away-thoughts/ Several things made this trip important to me:

A Wedding

John (not his real name) was a student in my first grade class and, nine years later, was also a student in my husband Ed’s high school biology class. I remember him as a lively red-haired little guy. By the time he was in high school, “lively” would be a mild term. Ed saw through the antics and challenged this bright young man to live up to his potential. After he graduated from high school, John joined the Marines. Ed and I kept in touch, often taking him out for lunch when he was home on leave. We’d lost touch for a while, and were excited to receive an invitation to his wedding this fall. Of course, we had to go.

Continue reading “Homecoming” …