Tell Us About Blogging!

Today I am joining a group of spirited bloggers in a writing challenge called, Tell Us About Blogging. Why? Because I promised myself that once settled here in Texas and organized enough to get a healthy meal on the table, with all the weeds pulled (or close to it!) in the garden, I would take the time needed to be a part of different blogging events offered. So here goes...and as you will see, blogging often takes a very curvy road, in the journey. 

I have been blogging for over 20 years. And while I did stop for a brief time, I honestly missed it and all who I had also come to know as friends, dearly! I started out all those years ago with a concept blog called Mom's Sunday Café. Each month I would plan a café style menu of multiple main dishes, side dishes, salads and desserts. And when I had the time, fresh bread! All the kids and their spouses, and in time my first grandchild came to dinner. It was a wonderful way to get together, keep in touch and share a meal together. Plus I had great new recipes to share on the blog! I enjoyed the creativity, and the cooking kept me accountable to my ideals of home and family. 

My favorite, mismatched table setting and dining table from Mom's Sunday Café! I still use this photo in my current blogging adventure. 

But as can happen in families, your kids change jobs or move to a new home not as close or as convenient for a visit or even change spouses. And along the way things tend to be put off and soon it is not as convenient for everyone, and after about 10 years Sunday dinner on the last Sunday of the month, simply did not happen anymore. I won't lie, that was a difficult time for me. With the loss of staying close with all my family along with the loss of my hobby. But why Sunday Dinner? Because Sunday Dinner was always a big deal in my childhood home, We would eat about 2pm, go for a drive, and then dessert later when home again. In my mind, the perfect Sunday. The routine of Sunday Dinner with family will always shine bright in my memories and in my heart. I tried to milk the blog along for a couple of years, but it was never the same, and eventually I deleted it. But not before harvesting my favorite recipes!

Now what? 

My husband and I had decided to move to the coast. And we landed in a tiny community in upper Washington state, Ocean Park WA. It was lovely living by the ocean for this Coastal California transplant! I breathe better in the salty air, and sleep better too. My husband was nearing retirement and while I had a few years left to reach a few financial goals, along with being old enough to retire, we liked the idea of small town coast living. I found a job and we moved! There was only one problem, while I was accustomed to coastal weather (read that rain, a bit more rain, and then lots of rain!) my husband was not! Within two years the gray skies and winter rain was more than he could take, and we put our home up for sale. And returned to Vancouver WA, where we had started out from. 

When life throws you some curveballs, you must keep celebrating! 

During our time in Ocean Park, I finally closed down Mom's Sunday Café, and started what I thought was going to be a blog less life! But it did not last very long! I really missed so much about blogging, the creativity, the accountability of my time and the requirement of cooking to have something to blog about! But something else happened in Ocean Park, my health took a serious downward spiral. I went from a busy office manager to far too ill to work. I took a look at my options and quit my job. This was a serious decision, because I/we had no back-up long term insurance or anything. That decision meant no income from me, none! We literally ran through our savings and just by the skin of our teeth, we made it until I began receiving regular retirement income payments. Looking back now, it was the best investment I have ever made for myself, choosing health over anything else. But at the time...

We put our home up for sale, and when it sold, we decided to travel. And we made the decision to be National Park Service Volunteers. It is a great way to be of service to the parks, and all the visitors. Plus for folks who want to see as much of the USA as possible, it is very affordable. You work the required number of hours as required by Federal Law in exchange for the RV spot with all the hook-ups. We were fortunate to have more assignment requests coming our way than time to do them! 

Our uniforms, the old apple tree over 100 years old and still growing apples (now gone) and my husband as Smokey the Bear to celebrate Smokey's birthday!

We spent about 5 months at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site in Vancouver WA. This was our first assignment, I was assigned to the antique kitchen, which was right up my ally! My husband in the museum. Each time we thought we should take off, we were asked to stay. We were there so long, we helped establish some policies for the next round of volunteers, in our exit interview with the Park Ranger. 

From there we went to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument a UNESCO site in Arizona that goes to the border of Mexico. I had never been to a desert before, and I have to say, I fell in love immediately! Because we were there for the winter, the weather was wonderful. it had been a wet fall with more than the average rainfall and everything was in bloom. I would have stayed forever, for the quiet, but alas our duty time was up and as soon as the passes cleared of snow, we headed back to Washington state. But one thing held true, from the first day of volunteering, I continued to cook from scratch in my tiny kitchen, and shared it all on social media in place of a blog. And along the way, I actually became more creative, with only out of the way food markets, often with limited stock available to purchase. 

It does look stark, but Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument was a wonderful experience. 

From those traveling days, the blogging bug was too big to ignore any longer. And Scratch Made Food! & DIY Homemade Household was born in 2020. By now I was grinding my own flour, baking our bread, but more importantly my health had improved so much! 

We had traveled all over the western part of the states and it was time to make a few more family changes including travel, housing and more time with family. The first change was moving from Washington to Montana where our grandson was born. In Montana we volunteered at Three Frogs Campground in Darby Montana opening the camping season and working through to close of season. It was fun and relaxing. We met folks along the way at all the parks, we are still friends with. And then another move from Montana to Wyoming to slow life down a bit. 

Three Frogs Campground was quiet and yet very busy! With many visitors and during our time there, and a forest fire to work around! 

Once in Wyoming, the whole family decided to volunteer during that first winter. We packed up the RV's and headed out to Arizona for duty at Lost Dutchman State Park. To accommodate caring for our grandson, my daughter and I worked opposite shifts so one of us was always with the baby. 

And then finally from Wyoming to Texas. Why Wyoming to Texas? You can chalk that one up to the minus 35 degree winter and the damage it took on our home with frozen pipes and flooding. We then spent so much time on the road, waiting for the repairs that seemed to take forever with winter still in charge, supply chain shortages and workforce issues, we realized that Wyoming had never felt like home, not in our hearts. When we finally got back to Wyoming to clean up the construction leftovers and threw out all of our personal belongings damaged in the flooding, we knew it was time to sell and go. We had actually spent twice as much time away as we had ever lived there, before hitting the road to volunteer. But even that decision was meant to be, our purchasers were a multi generation family looking to return to our little town, and our home was exactly what they were looking for!

Lost Dutchman State Park. Photo courtesy of Arizona state Parks. 

I spent almost 4 years cooking in a tiny RV kitchen. Cooking from scratch, with organic ingredients, from a limited pantry. And I have to confess, it was the best 4 years of schooling I ever received. It is amazing when you throw rigid rules out and simply cook with what you have, food is wonderful. And we have not looked back. And just like my Grandmother Carter I have from time to time through the years working as a dinner cook (for a family), or in support of a cooking endeavor (research and development at ABC Acres), as well as a bit of catering with my sister and daughter (our name was "By the Seat of our Pants! Catering) and each opportunity has made me a better cook, and for that I am also grateful! 

And what is new for our lives in Texas? We are learning to garden in zone 9a, so we can cook what we have also grown, because the only thing better than blogging about good food loved by all who join you around the table, is cooking the food you grow together! 

Thank you for reading these notes about my own personal journey to be able to Tell You About My Blogging...

Shared with Tell Us About Blogging @isthismutton

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