Lifelines in heavy times

As our democracy is in free fall, when it all feels too heavy to process and I wake up in the middle of the night with anxiety, I have three lifelines that tether me to some semblance of normalcy: my art, my hiking, and my granddaughter. 

How are the rest of you coping? Chime in with a comment or email me at sherriequilt@yahoo.com. Let's help each other get through this.

COLOR, COLOR, JOYFUL COLOR!

I've been making more quote collages, with the intention of joining them vertically and hanging them around the house. I've packed some in my travel sewing kit to work on during an upcoming trip to Spokane. Sometimes, when I'm watching the news and feel like I've been sucker punched, I get up and look at the piles of colorful fabric on my work table and it staves off a panic attack. (Although panic attacks are perfectly justified in these times.)

Blogging also pulls me back from the edge, with its color and creativity.

My plan to go on 70 hikes for being 70 years old this year also helps. Getting fresh air in nature feels so good, especially when you go with a friend and get your muscles pumping.

Barb and I went on our 10th hike yesterday, about four miles in pretty steep, rocky terrain under a fabulous blue sky only half a mile from my house. I tried to circle my little neighborhood in orange so you can see how close I live to the Pusch Ridge Wilderness, but something went wrong lol. Maybe you can make it out on the lower right.

Instead of taking a shortcut down the middle of the Linda Vista Loop like we usually do, we did the full loop with an added extra leg. We're getting stronger with each hike!

The brittlebush is blooming after our recent rains, and I've read that we're in for a big wildflower season this spring in Tucson!

And then there's my Juniper lifeline. I look at photos of her throughout the day and that grounds me. My daughter gave her paints for her second birthday and she created this masterpiece! (And her face was also covered with purple.)

Finally, RIP Bobby Weir, youngest member of the Grateful Dead who passed away last week at age 78. It was a shock because he's known for his healthy lifestyle. He died from an underlying lung issue after a brief battle with cancer. This joyful picture was on social media, but I don't know who the artist is to give credit. It was a black and white sketch, but my brother added color with an app and my son shortened Bobby's shorts, because he was known for his short shorts in his younger days.

I've been a Deadhead for more than 50 years, and we always look for the JOY.

Have a colorful day

Cozy food for book club

From left: Meegan, Beth, Sandy, Judy and Barb, with me behind the camera.

It's been rainy, grey and cold the last couple of days, perfect weather for the hearty soup that two people made for book club last night. Beth made a velvety broccoli cheese soup and Barb made a lightened up version of Marry Me White Bean Soup.

Hearty winter soups call for carbs for soaking up the broth, so Sandy made blue corn muffins, Beth made a cottage cheese dill loaf, and Barb brought a crusty sourdough loaf that I forget to get a picture of.

Adding to the coziness was Judy's cheesy stuffed chicken.

Meegan added a touch of cool crispness with her cucumber chickpea salad before I brought out my decadent Texas Sheet Cake! The buttermilk and cocoa powder make this a luxurious cake that I only allow myself to bake once or twice a year. This time it was to celebrate the December birthdays in book club (including mine) because we didn't meet last month. Those are toasted chopped pecans in the icing, which is poured over the cake while the cake and icing are still hot.

Oh, the book was "Secret of Secrets" by Dan Brown.

Have a delicious day

Eight hikes down!

Today was Hike # 8 in my 70th birthday challenge to complete at least 70 hikes in the next year. Barb and I did the Linda Vista Loop, which is only about half a mile from my house but seems like worlds away once you're deep into the saguaros on the flank of Pusch Ridge.

Facing west, you can see the town of Oro Valley spread out between Pusch Ridge (in the Catalina Mountains) and the Tucson Mountains on the horizon.

But as soon as you turn east and start hiking up the mountain, civilization disappears.

In the foreground, above, is the remnant of a dead saguaro cactus. Above it on the horizon is a healthy saguaro, and to the left is an ocotillo with red blooms on its tips.

That's prickly pear in this foreground (above), with the ridge rising up into a beautiful blue sky. It was sunny and 58 with a slight breeze, perfect for hiking in shorts and a t-shirt.

The higher elevations are closed to hikers from Jan. 1-April 30 because the bighorn sheep have their babies then. You can see in the photo below how high the ridge goes.

This many-armed saguaro is from a hike a few days ago on the Canyon del Oro to 50-Year Trail loop. Can you see Barb poking out from behind it? It's plump and bright green from our recent rain.

We had some heavy rain around New Year's Eve, so the saguaros are looking happy. Their accordion-like structure allows them to swell with water that carries them through the dry season. Their spines actually provide shade for the plants as well as protection from some animals. And they sure keep humans at a distance!

This saguaro riddled with holes on the Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve is a cactus hotel! The holes were drilled by woodpeckers, who lay their eggs in the cavities. After the woodpeckers abandon their nests, other cavity nesting birds move in, like elf owls, cactus wrens, starlings, purple martins and kestrels. They also become homes to spiders, snakes, mice and other desert creatures. 

Last week was the first time I hiked at Vistoso. So many trails to explore here! I'm glad Barb is on this 70-hike journey with me because we encourage each other to hike farther, higher and more often and to explore different trails.

Have a colorful day

Ending the year with hiking and stitching

I have five desert hikes and 17 miles under my belt since my birthday this month. Sixty-five more treks to go! This is how I feel, victory stance:

I also just finished three new spirit dolls to take up to the gallery:

Tomorrow I'll be making turkey and cheese sliders with sweet Hawaiian rolls to take to a New Year's Eve party, but I'll be home and in bed hours before midnight.

Happy New Year!

Documenting my hikes

I'm documenting my 70 hikes for turning 70 years old in a little journal, keeping track of the dates, trails, mileage and who I hiked with. Barb has been on all three of my hikes. (She also just turned 70.)

So far each hike has been longer than the previous one. We want to work up to much longer and harder hikes over the coming year.

On today's hike in Catalina Park, we tried something new. We started on the Sutherland Trail, an old standby for us, but veered off onto an unmarked trail called Dripping Springs. A lot of hikers had told us about this trail, and we decided that now is the time to start branching out and find it.

It was a beautiful hike, sunny and peaceful with a combination of wide open views, saguaros towering against the blue sky, and leafy cooler spots by the water.

We got in a good workout, and now my muscles are pleasantly fatigued.

Juniper update: Here she is with her curly bed head hair peering into the stocking I made for her last Christmas. She'll be two next month!

Have a colorful day

Hikes and cookies

I got in the second of my 70 hikes yesterday. Only 68 to go before next December! How do you like Barb's new pink sunglasses?

This time we hiked the Alamo Canyon Loop in Catalina State Park, which we've only done once before. It has quite a variety of scenery, from this lush grassy area down by the wash ...

... to saguaros and a dry rocky canyon.

It's a good thing I'm hiking, because I'm also baking and eating a LOT of Christmas cookies!

This is a new to me recipe from the New York Times for peppermint shard cookies that looks nice but I wasn't crazy about the taste.

The classic peanut butter blossoms. Can't go wrong here!

Mocha chocolate chip cookies with espresso powder that I've been making for about 20 years. They'll keep you awake if you eat too many at bedtime. I know this for a fact.

My favorite this year is a coconut macaroon dipped in melted chocolate and then in crushed peppermint. I also made some with nuts for a friend who doesn't like peppermint.

Cherry almond fudge, another staple for me.

Little Juniper also got her first taste of making Christmas cookies with her mom. I wish I could have been there!

Have a colorful day