A Soapmaking Day

I wouldn't exactly call this a hobby, because I don't make soap every week or every month. I only make it when we need some more bars. I started making my own soap in, I think, 1996. FabGrandpa's skin itched all the time, and we had tried every brand of soap available in the store. So, I learned how to make our own at home.



It is really easy, once you get the hang of it (and all the proper equipment to do it with). Yesterday, I made seven pounds of lavender mint soap. (I wish you could smell this picture) This should last us six months or more, even if I give some away as gifts. It is now in the back of the truck, where it will sit for a week or two to dry and cure, before I put it all in ziplock bags and store it in the bathroom. I'll have to make another batch next week, with clary sage and cinnamon in it, then I'll be done for another year.

Scenic Sunday

This is the view from the entrance station on Friday, July 24, 2009, where I work. A thunderstorm was approaching from the north. The rain and the breeze it created helped to cool the temps down to 70 degrees. Nice!

For more Scenic Sunday photos, click here.

Make New Friends, But Keep The Old...

(Me and my sister, circa 1964)

Anyone who has ever been a Girl Scout will know that song.....One is silver and the other gold.

This week has been busy, and full of friends, both old and new. Last Saturday, FabGrandpa and I had a little dinner party to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Our guests included Curtis and KJ, a couple we met here at the North Rim, and have been trying to get together with since the end of April. Our schedules finally clicked last weekend. I had so much fun getting to know them better, and hope we will be friends for a long while. Curtis is an electrician here, and KJ, his wife, is a law enforcement ranger.

On Tuesday, I had my appointment with my new musculo-skelteal doctor, Dr. Monika Radloff, in Flagstaff. In my opinion, she is a very good doctor. She spent lots of time, both listening to my description of my symptoms, and in explaining to me what is wrong with me and telling me how to get better. While I hope I don't have to visit her very often, I am glad that I met her and would recommend her to others with similiar problems.

On Wednesday, I got a phone call from a long time friend, who I have not seen in ages! She and her husband were in Las Vegas, and wanted to come to visit the Grand Canyon. Gloria and I go waaaay back--to 1982 when I was a Girl Scout leader, she also was a Girl Scout leader. The girls in her troop were just a couple years younger than the girls in my troop, so sometimes our troops did things together. Gloria is now the older girl program manager for the Girl Scout Council in Atlanta.

I managed to get four and a half hours of leave time, so I could take Gloria and Byron on a private tour of the North Rim. I took them up to Cape Royal, where I discovered that Byron is afraid of heights! We had a wonderful time, but no pictures because I forgot my camera!!! Oh My Gosh! It was like I had just seen them last week, except now we talked about our grandchildren instead of about our Girl Scout troops!!!

And, you know how sometimes, even with the closest of friends, the ones we call sisters, we can come close to blows? Good thing I am in Arizona and my sister is in Georgia, or that probably would have happened. We had a huge sibling fight, through about 15 emails back and forth. I have kept it very private, but I want my sister to know, I still love you. While we probably won't EVER agree on politics, religion, child-rearing, best place to live, or even choice of sodas, we WILL always be sisters and I will always love you. You are the GOLDEST of the GOLD, my seester!

Remember Whensday

The last year that we owned our house, a pair of flickers chose a dead tree near the deck to build a nest and raise their young. We got a "bird's eye view" of it all. The couple began by coming to the tree for several days in a row to check it out. Next, they pecked an almost perfectly round hole into the tree.

They flew in and out of the hole for several days, bringing nesting material with them. One day when I was home in the middle of the day, I saw a starling go in the hole while the flickers were away. The male flicker came home to find the intruder. As I watched, I heard a lot of squawking and saw black feathers flying out of the hole. The starling managed to escape, and he never tried that again!

Soon, there were baby bird noises coming out of the hole in the tree. I borrowed a 35 mm camera with an extended lens and a tripod, and sat out on the deck for hours, waiting for a good shot. I was rewarded with several photos of the flickers feeding their babies. All too soon, the babies grew and fledged, and it was over. What an awesome summer that was!

And The Diagnosis Is:

(Me, not a happy camper at the doc's office today. Fabgrandpa said I looked like a prisoner. I told him I feel like a prisoner of my pain.)

Medial Epicondylitis. Dr. Radloff asked lots of questions, pushed and pulled on my arm, pushed on and felt of the swelled up part of my arm, took x-rays, and generally spent a lot of time with me during my appointment with her.

At one point, she said that to get the best treatment I would have to leave the North Rim, and I was very unhappy about that. But, she explained, that is because there are no medical facilities up here, and I really should do physical therapy.

So, other than physical therapy, she offered me two choices today:

1. Get a shot of cortisone in my elbow

2. Do exercises for "at home physical therapy", use ice for theinflamation and take Naproxen and Lortab for the inflamation and pain, and come back in a month to see if I am improving. If I don't improve, then she will go ahead with the shot of cortisone in my elbow.

I opted for number 2, only because I really don't want that shot in my elbow. I have heard other people talk about how painful that can be. I am already in pain, and have been for quite a while, so I am just going to do the exercised and see what happens. If I played golf, this would make sense to me, but I really can't think of what I am doing that would cause this to happen. Y'all think good thoughts for me, ok?

Going To Flagstaff, or Who Says It Never Rains In Arizona???

We started out from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon this morning around 8:00 a.m. The sun was shining, so bright I had to wear shades:



Going across Marble Canyon, the sun was still out, but we could see the clouds building up as we went along:



When we turned towards Flagstaff on Highway 89, the coulds started looking dark, heavy, and omnious:




The farther we went, the darker the clouds got. We could tell it was going to rain soon:



When we got to Gap, Arizona, we could see the rain falling from the sky across the desert:



And when we stopped for a potty break, the bottom fell out while we were in the store:


It rained on us almost all the rest of the way to Flagstaff, and has continued to rain all afternoon and most of the evening. Who said it never rains in Arizona???

Just A Lazy Saturday

There is nothing at all interesting going on--unless you count that it is our 17th wedding anniverary and we are having guests for dinner, a couple that we work with, Curtis and KJ. I am cooking a delicious smelling pork sirloin roast with garlic stuffed in it, some broccoli, potatoes, and a tangy side dish of cooked cherries and peaches with a bit of ginger.

I cleaned the house (yeah, small house, it took about an hour), also cleaned out the refrigerator, and took the blankets off the bed finally. It doesn't get hot for very long here, only for about a month out of the year, but when it does, those blankets got to go!

Tomorrow, while FabGrandpa does laundry, I'll be going through the pantry and making a grocery shopping list for when we are in Flagstaff on Monday and Tuesday. I have that appointment with the musculo-skeltal specialist to see if they can figure out what is wrong with my arm.

I hope we have time to go to the arboretum while we're there. The last time we went, at the end of October, all the plants were dying for the winter. I hear they are all in full bloom now, so it should be good for some wonderful photo opportunities. I am also planning to go to Piccazo's Pizza for a tasty gluten free pizza, mmmmm, can't wait for that! OH, and I am going to look for a new bowl. I am having a hard time doing without the one that got broke Every time I start to cook something, I reach for it where it is supposed to be, and am disappointed again, every time.

Remember Whensday

I met this guy on Labor Day Weekend in 1991 when I went to the hardware store to buy a bolt for my lawnmower, and he was the guy who waited on me that day.

I have told this story before, about how I didn't even know his name when I left the store, so I called and asked what his name was, and if he was married, and gave him my phone number and told him if he was interested in going out to dinner to give me a call.

Our first date was a trip to Sweetwater Creek State Park, about three miles from my house, for a walk down to the old mill. Our wedding anniversary is Saturday, July 18. We will be married 17 years. What a guy!

Working In The Campground Has Its Rewards...

I have many duties on my job. My first love, the part of my job that I love the best, is being out at the entrance station, welcoming visitors to the park, selling passes, and giving directions to scenic viewpoints.

(Me at the entrance station)

I also work at the campground, checking people in when they arrive, and IF there happens to be a vacancy or cancellation, selling sites to campers. The campground here at the North Rim is very nice, with spacious sites. There are no hook-ups, but we do provide every site with a fire ring and picnic table.

(The group area of the campground in early spring)

Today, one of my duties was to walk through the campground inspecting all the fire rings, and noting if any of them need to be replaced or repaired. Every time I walk through this campground, people camping here invite me to eat with them--breakfast, or lunch, or dinner depending on the time of day. I usually decline the invitation, saying that I can't eat wheat so I have to be careful what I eat.

(the North Rim Campground in early spring before any campers arrived)

Today, though, as I was walking through, there was a family camping in a pop-up, cooking a delicious smelling chocolate cake in their covered grill. As usual, they invited me to have a piece, indicating it would be ready in a few minutes. I gave my usual reply, "It smells very good, but I can't eat wheat." And THEY said, "Well, lady, this cake is for you!"

(the North Rim Campground in fall)

The mother said they have been eating a strict gluten free, egg free, and dairy free diet since October of last year, and the cake they were making was made with chick pea flour, tapioca flour, brown rice flour, and potato starch. So, of course, I stopped for a piece of it. It was out of this world delicious! Tanya, the mother, said she makes her own homemade mixes, even grinds her own chick pea flour. I was very impressed.

I didn't have my camera with me, so no photos, but trust me when I say this was a very good cake. She also asked me not to publish her recipe on my blog because she is trying to write a cookbook. Well, let me tell ya, I will be her first customer when that book is published! Tanya also gave me three of her mixes to bring home--a chocolate cake mix, buckwheat pancake mix (that her teenage son raved about), and a corn bread mix. I can not wait to try that cornbread!

I should get out there and walk that campground more often!

Scenic Sunday

Since I couldn't decide which of these I liked the best, you get a double view from Point Imperial at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona this week. It was a nice clear day, it had been raining so the ground was wet and the colors were vibrant. Did you know that the full name for this place is The Grand Canyon of The Colorado River? I learned that this week--I never knew that before.

For more photos of Scenic Sunday, click here.

Hiking The Cape Final Trail

I am don't normally have Wednesdays off, but this week I traded days off so one of my co-workers could spend time with visiting family members. Since my friend, Gaelyn from Geogypsy was also off, we decided to go for a hike.

(The beginning of the Cape Final Trail)

When she asked me where I wanted to hike, I had originally suggested the Arizona Trail. The part of the Arizona Trail that goes from the entrance station of the North Rim to the developed area is 12 miles. She thought was too ambitious for me, and she was very right. I don't know what I was thinking! So, we hiked the 4 mile round trip of the Cape Final Trail instead.

(A Horned Toad hiding in the pinestraw)

We got started bright and early at the crack of 10:00 a.m., and got to the trail head about 11:00 a.m. To get there, you drive up the Cape Royal Road until you see the sign. There is a small dirt parking area there. We got out of the truck, and tried to take pictures of ourselves, but my camera didn't do so great. Finally, we were on our way.

(Fire burned a hole between the trunks of these two Ponderosa pines, but they are both still living)

The trail starts off on a gentle incline, through Ponderosa forest. It is rocky, which makes walking a bit hazardous until you get used to it. Although I took enough water with me this time, I think I wore the wrong shoes. Next time, I'll wear my work boots for the support they give.

(the view from the edge where we ate our lunch)

And speaking of water, it was a hot, dry, windy day out there. I was surprised by the number of visitors who were out there hiking with NO WATER AT ALL! People were out there hiking with children, carrying NO water, no food, no nothing.

(amazing!)

The views up here are some of the best in the canyon, but I say that about every trail I go on. I keep telling people, "I can't see it enough!" Every eyefull of this place is gorgeous.

(More ponderosa forest)

After eating lunch, we started hiking again. The trail turned to the right, and went up and down through ponderosa forest again. We didn't meet many people on this trail, unless one of had to use the bathroom. But, every time I started to go visit Mrs. Murphy, I'd see someone coming down the trail.

(Gaelyn on the edge.)

At last, we made to the end of the trail. The views up there, again, were amazing, gorgeous, fabulous, every way you looked was a new and different wonder!

(precariously perched pile of rocks)

There were quite a few people up at the top. We had to step around people to get to the view points. We rested some more, and took lots of pictures, before turning around to hike back.

(Notice the layer in the rock--Gaelyn says it an ancient algae layer. I say gorgeous!)

We walked out on top of this overhang, which is where Gaelyn is standing near the edge in a previous photo. I still can't get my head around how all these layers were formed.

(Me on the way down, at the Cape Final sign)

I have heard lots of people say they are afraid of heights, but I am not. I love going close to the edge and looking over. Last year, I was talking to a visitor, who said it was not that she was afraid she might FALL, it was that she was afraid that she might JUMP! I had never heard that before. So, if it were you, would you be more afraid you would fall, or that you would jump?

Remember Whensday

In July of 1985, my kids and I went to Stone Mountain for the day. We picnicked on the lawn in front of the carving, went swimming and stayed for the laser show. It was the second time we went there. The first time was when my son, Seth, was about three years old. He was so scared that the giant rock was going to roll over on us that he couldn't eat his lunch!

For more Remember Whensday photos, click here.

MMMMM, Look At That Sandwich!

Isn't it beautiful? For most people, having a sandwich for lunch, dinner, a picnic, or even for breakfast is just another humdrum, ordinary day. They can walk into any burger joint, restaurant, or sandwich shop and order a ham and swiss on rye, or a Ruben, or a tuna salad sandwich, or a hamburger, and know they can eat it with no problem at all.

But, for those of us who are gluten intolerant or who have Celiac disease, that is not the case. We order a baked potato, or a salad "hold the croutons", or a "hamburger no bun", and sit there and watch as our friends and family enjoy that delicious bun or bread in the form of a sandwich.

Most of you won't ever know what that is like, or even think that it is a problem. And you probably don't even think about it. You see us sitting there eating our salad or potato and think that is what we really WANTED to eat. But being able to eat a nice, delicious sandwich would be soooooooo nice!

And the reason I bring this up is because I know there are companies out there who make gluten free hamburger buns and gluten free bread. How hard could it be for a restaurant or hamburger place to get some, and keep them in the freezer. The buns or bread can be thawed in a gluten free microwave, and then toasted in a gluten free toaster, as needed. Heck, I do it all the time at home. I would GLADLY pay the extra cost of the gluten free bun or bread, even if it was $2.00 per serving, just so I could have a sandwich when I am out with FabGrandpa.

So, next time you are in a sandwich or burger place, ask them if they have a comment card or form. Get one, fill it out, and tell them you want your gluten free friends to be able to eat there with you. Suggest to them that they should get some gluten free buns and bread, and make a little effort to feed the rest of us! Let them know we expect to pay more, and that we will come to their place of business instead of the other places, just because we'll be able to get a sandwich there. Ah, a delicious gluten free sandwich. MMMMMMMMM.......

Oh, and YES, that is a homemade gluten free sandwich in the picture.

That Darn Palpable Mass!

Back during the winter when we were in Phoenix, working at the Christmas tree lot, I had that worrisome palpable mass on my arm. I went to the doctor a couple of times, and had an ultrasound done, and nothing happened. The doctor I saw said they didn't see anything wrong.

Well, my arm swells up and hurts if I use it. Try not using one of your arms for a day and see how frustrating THAT can be.

The day a couple weeks ago that I cut all the strips for the quilts I am making, I had to use my left arm to push down on the ruler and fabric to make sure it didn't move. That night, my arm hurt again, and swelled a little bit.

Then last Friday, when I was working at the entrance station, I had to "walk the line". That is where one of us goes out and walks down the line of cars, answering visitors' questions, checking ID's and passes, and handing out guides. I was holding a stack of guides in my left arm while doing this. That night, my arm was swollen and hurt like a toothache! I'm talking about a pain that a beer and two shots of tequila didn't touch! This is getting to be very bothersome.

So, I was referred to a doctor in Flagstaff and made an appointment for July 21. I will be taking my ultrasound pictures with me, and hope that this new doctor will be able to figure out what is causing this to happen.

I really am not worried about it being cancer, because if it was a cancerous tumor, it would be there all the time. I think it is a cyst, that flares up when I do something to irritate it, like USING MY ARM! So, stay tuned, for the continuing saga of The Palpable Mass.

Scenic Sunday

Friday afternoon at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. There was a thunderstorm rolling in, with heavy dark clouds and lots of noise. We sat outside waiting for the rain, but only got a few drops!

For more Scenic Sunday photos, click here.

Remember Whensday

This photo is not the best ever made, but it is of me and my daughter, Becca in April 1989. She was the only girl in Girl Scout Troop 147 who wanted to go backpacking. I found a council sponsored two day trip hiking the Appalachian Trail near Cleveland, Georgia. We went to two evening training sessions, where they taught the basic things we needed to know about hiking, and gave us a list of what to bring.

I was a little apprehensive about it because I was not the most athletic person even way back then. But, I hiked for two days, carried my own pack and part of tent, and even climbed down a root ladder about 80 feet! Our guide got us lost, and we wandered around for a couple of hours in mountain laurel that was taller than me. We finally got to the place we were supposed to be to meet our ride back home. I was really proud of myself, but alas, this is the only picture that survived.

To see more Remember Whensday photos, click here.

Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

A while back, I wrote about my Mother's stuffed cabbage recipe. She won Recipe Of The Year from the Greystone Power folks, for her version of it. Stuffed Cabbage, or Galumpkis, has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Mama's heritage is from Russia and Austria. She grew up in a Polish neighborhood in Detroit. It was only when she married my farm boy dad that she came to Georgia and learned how to cook butter beans and corn bread and fried okra. Those Galumpkis were a family tradition in her family, and soon became one in our branch of the family, too.

I read about a stuffed cabbage casserole on a Yahoo forum a couple of months ago, and filed that little tidbit away for future reference. So, yesterday, I was sewing away on my quilt project, and for some reason I started thinking about Galumpkis. And I thought to myself, "There is no way I have time to make them Mama's way today." But, oh, the taste of them called to me.

I got up and went to look in the refrigerator, and sure enough, there was that cabbage sitting in there. So, here is what I did with it:

1/2 lb ground meat (your choice, I use a mix of 1/3 beef, 1/3 turkey, and 1/3 pork)
1/2 lb sage breakfast sausage
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup uncooked rice
1 small can tomato paste
1 16 oz can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
1 small head of cabbage, shredded

In a large dutch oven, cook the ground meat, sausage, bell pepper, onion, and garlic until meat is browned. Stir in all the rest of the ingredients. Pour into a 13 X 9 casserole dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes at 400 degrees.

This tasted a LOT like the stuffed cabbages my Mother makes, but not EXACTLY like it. And it probably won't win a recipe contest, but hey, if you want the taste but don't have time, it is a pretty good second. (Don't tell Mama I cheated, ok?)

Scenic Sunday

A gorgeous view of the Vermillion Cliffs in northern Arizona, taken in September, 2008 on a trip from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon to Page, Arizona.

For more Scenic Sunday shots, click here.

Goodbye To A Dear Friend

There has been so much in the news these last few days about the deaths of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. While the loss of those two celebrities may be big news, the demise of my long time friend, The Big White Bowl, will have a huge impact on my daily life.


Mine is a loss only a cook will understand. The Big White Bowl has been a part of my life for a very long time. I can't remember exactly when it came into my life, but I think it was Christmas, 1972. My first husband had a charming way of giving me small electric appliances as gifts. And while I really liked that Kenmore Stand Mixer, it was The Big White Bowl that came with it that stole my heart.

The Big White Bowl was made of glass. It was the perfect size and shape for mixing just about anything. The Big White Bowl and I made a good team, and prepared countless meals for my family together over the years. There have been hundreds of meatloaves, pancakes, corn breads, biscuits, cakes, salads, and others too numerous to mention mixed in that bowl. Sadly, I could only find one picture of it in my vast photo collection.

The Big White Bowl moved many times, and has traveled all over the country with me . During the period of my life when I was divorced and moved 15 times in 5 years, The Big White Bowl helped comfort me and my children with many batches of Chocolate Chip Cookies. It was always lovingly wrapped and cushioned during each move, to protect it from harm. The Big White Bowl lived most of its life in Georgia, but has also lived in Florida, Texas, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and spent its last days at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

When I came home from work last night, FabGrandpa announced the death of The Big White Bowl. He stood there hanging his head in shame, while he told me that he broke The Big White Bowl while he was washing the dishes. While I cried over the tragic loss, FabGrandpa went on to say it was an accident, and that we would try to find another one to replace The Big White Bowl.

I'm sorry, FabGrandpa, we may find another bowl, but none could ever take the place of The Big White Bowl.

Gluten Free In Kanab, Utah

I have written about Kanab, Utah before. It is only seven miles north of the Arizona-Utah border, out in the middle of nowhere. The town was settled in the 1860's, first as a fort for defense against the Paiute Indians, then as a Mormon settlement. It is now a tiny town of about 5,400 population.


It serves as a hub for agriculture, recreation, and tourism in this area, being located in the center of the triangle formed when you draw lines between Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park.


You can see why the town thrived, even though it was in a remote area. The Kanab Creek provides water, and makes the town look like an oasis in the middle of desert country.

We like doing business in Kanab, because the people here are so friendly. We can get just about anything we need here, from a good lunch at the Mexican restaurant, to new shoes, to tires and repairs to our diesel truck.

I love it that I can get lots of my favorite gluten free products at Honey's Jubilee, a local independently owned grocery store. Last year, when I shopped there and found Bob's Red Mill, Mi-Del, and Glutino products on the shelves, I was so happy I cried. When I checked out that first time in the store, I thanked the cashier for having such a good selection of gluten free products. She told me that the owner was celiac.

(Terrell, the owner of Honey's Jubilee)

Not that I'm glad that Terrell is a celiac, but if he has to be, then I am glad he owns a grocery store. Because he has to eat a gluten free diet, he stocks things in his store that he can eat. It makes life easier on all of us in town (and out of town as well) who must eat the same gluten free way.

(look at the gluten free section in Honey's!)

When we went to Page, a much bigger town, that even has a super Wal-Mart, AND two chain grocery stores, there was NOT ONE gluten free item to be found. No pasta, no bread mix, no buckwheat cereal, NOT even the gluten free Rice Chex. I was so disappointed with that. At one of the grocery stores, I even asked at the service desk and the girl said, "No we don't have anything gluten free here. One of my co-workers found out last week that she is gluten intolerant and she can't find anything here." Isn't that sad that a whole town has nothing to offer a person who is gluten free?


I was delighted to see that they had the new Betty Crocker Gluten Free mixes on the shelf at Honey's. I didn't need any of them this time, or believe me, I would have gotten one of each! I did get Bob's Red Mill Bread Mix and some Creamy Buckwheat Cereal; Mi-Del Ginger Snaps; Glutino Frozen Bagels; Van's Apple Cinnamon Waffles; and some Shar Table Crackers. I was in gluten free heaven!


So there you go! If you are a gluten free girl or guy, and you are planning to go on a trip to see Zion, Bryce, and North Rim Grand Canyon National Parks, go knowing you will find a gluten friendly place in Kanab. Honey's Jubliee Grocery Store at 260 East 300 South - Kanab, Utah. And if you do go there, go to the service desk and ask for Terrell, and tell him FabGrandma sent you!