Finally … The Lake House Revealed

Do you remember the Lake House? You might have to dig deep into your memory for this one. It’s been a while since we’ve visited it! In fact, the homeowner moved in before Christmas! Somewhere, in the busyness of life I forgot to share the final product with you.

So, finally, here it is…

Just in case you don’t remember, because it’s been forever, these are the changes we made.


You can see the original kitchen off to the left. Most of that wall was closed in and that became the laundry room and a pantry.

This is the new kitchen! The original sliding glass doors remain. (You can see them just to the left of the sink.) The door adjacent to that is the new laundry room, formerly the kitchen.

I’m not sure what this open area was in it’s previous life, perhaps a dining room and/or another living room. We converted it into the new kitchen and dining room. You can see just a little bit of the fireplace in the next room.

Removing the wall that used to divide the two spaces shown above really opened things up. The garden window above the sink was a new addition.

The homeowner opted for birch butcher block countertops. These were ordered from Home Depot and you can get them in a variety of sizes. When Ikea discontinued their solid birch tops, it wasn’t easy finding a suitable replacement. I just wasn’t happy with the quality offered by some of the other companies. To be honest that made me just a little nervous when I ordered these. Because Home Depot has a great return policy, I decided to give them a try and boy was I glad! They turned out beautifully!

We sealed them with pure Tung Oil mixed with odorless mineral spirits. I like the Real Milk Paint company’s tung oil, but to be fair, it’s the only pure tung oil I’ve ever used so I really don’t have anything to compare it with. I order it through Amazon because I have a Prime account and the shipping is free. After the oil has cured, the tops are completely food safe.

I prefer tung oil to polyurethane because it can be touched up so easily. If one little area is scratched, burned or otherwise damaged, it’s easy to just reapply oil to that section. A polyurethane finish would require the entire top to be stripped and sanded before applying the new product. Hardwax oil would have been a good alternative to tung oil as well. You can read about hardwax oil here.

For this project, I simply applied the oil with steel wool, let it sit, then applied more to any dry spots. Eventually, the wood couldn’t absorb any more oil and the oil just sat on the surface. When that happened, I’d wait half and hour and then wipe it dry. After 24 hours, I’d do it again. Somewhere along the line I lost count, but I think I applied 5-6 coats of oil. The homeowner will need to re-oil it when it starts to look dry or when water fails to bead. I love the way the countertops turned out!

The homeowner, Amy, chose these stones for the master bath tub surround. Each little piece is an actual natural rock! For ease of installation, the stones are attached to a mesh background 12″ x 12″.

Though she’d never done anything like this before, Amy rolled up her sleeves, donned latex gloves and went to work hanging stone. Impressive!

In order to enlarge the master bedroom, we removed a bathroom and closet. An adjacent bedroom was used to create the new master bathroom and walk-in closet.

I wish we had pictures of this new master bedroom with furniture in place so you could get a sense of just how big this space is. Eventually that opening to the bathroom will get a custom barn door. We just have to finish building it!

This is one of the two new bedrooms that used to be the garage. Again, without furniture, it’s difficult to get a sense of just how big these rooms are.

When it came to the flooring, Amy chose the Life Proof Walton Oak luxury vinyl plank from the Home Depot. This is a great choice. At only $2.99 a sq ft it provided the look she wanted with the following features:

  • 100% waterproof planks have rigid PVC core and durable wear layer
  • Pre-attached underlayment; No Acclimation Required
  • Can be installed over Concrete, Tile, Vinyl, or Wood
  • Click-lock, installation
  • Lifetime residential warranty.

I think it was the perfect choice for this house!

When I started this project, I’d known Amy for a while. We’d visit at soccer games and chat briefly if our paths happened to cross. For me, one of the best things about this project was developing a new friend. Amy is an amazing, strong, resilient woman. I’m blessed by her friendship and thankful that it won’t end with the end of this project!


How to Build a Faux Fireplace and Transform a Room, Part 2

In Part 1 of How to Build a Faux Fireplace and Transform a Room, I shared with you how we built the basic frame for my son and daughter-in-law’s new faux fireplace. With the frame built, it was time to hang the brick-looking tile. 

New faux fireplace waiting for brick tile

Locating the brick-tile wasn’t easy, but with brick in hand, we were ready for the next step. 

First, we needed to determine the layout. We needed to plan ahead so that in the end, everything would be spaced correctly. Generally, when laying tile, I start by locating the center and working out from there.

This insures that if tiles need to be cut, they are cut to the same lengths on both sides. We didn’t want a 4” cut on the right side and a 1” cut on the left. That would just be tacky. We needed to consider the vertical layout for the same reasons. 

After we had a pretty good idea where the tile should go, we simply started hanging it. In addition to the tile we also needed thin set mastic, an appropriately sized notched trowel, and tile spacers. 

The trowel size is determined by reading the packaging of the mastic and is dependent on the size of the tiles. 

We used 1/2” spacers. 1/2” for a tile grout line is somewhat unusual. Normally, a grout line would be much skinnier, especially when installing smaller tiles like ours, but, if our brick tiles were going to look like brick, we needed our grout to be fat and chunky. 

After the mastic was applied with the trowel, the brick tiles were firmly pressed into the mastic. That process was completed over and over again until we’d covered both sides of the fireplace.

With the sides completed, we started thinking about how we wanted the front of the fireplace to look. We didn’t think we’d like the finished look if we just ran the tile in rows across the front, so we tested it. We pulled out a pencil and drew tiles on the backer board. It’s a whole lot easier to erase or scribble out lines than it is to move tile. Believe me on this!

Sure enough, the look wasn’t quite right. It would have worked well with a sleek, modern fireplace, but that’s not what we wanted and in this application it just looked boring. After lots of talking, brainstorming, and drawing, we opted to offset some of the bricks around the firebox and to hang them vertically across the top. It just made the finished product look so much better!

Sometimes a little planning can save a whole lot of headaches later!

We did not tile the area where the mantel would attach. Additionally, we left a blank spot, the size of one brick, for tv cords to pass into the interior of the fireplace so they can remain hidden. If they ever decide to locate the tv somewhere else, or sell the house that hole is easy to cover by applying a single brick. 

In order to support the weight of the tile, we attached 2×4’s at the top of the firebox and where the mantel would go.

In addition to the brick tile, we needed to finish out the firebox. Brick panelling from Home Depot was perfect. We painted it a matte black and cut it to fit the firebox. The left side and the bottom are removable giving access to the wall outlet, the cable tv cord and the cords running from the tv. The cable box just sits in the corner of the box and blends right into the black “bricks”. 

Once the tile was hung and the mastic was allowed to dry, it was time to grout. We chose a grey color that resembled traditional brick mortar. Grout is applied by pushing the grout into the crevices between the tile, then removing the excess. This is done with a tool called a float. It’s basically a rubbery trowel. Then the grout residue and haze is washed from the surface. 

2x4s removed. You can see the space we left for cords … exactly the size of a single brick. Jamie and I had grouted the bottom half of the fireplace as well as the bench.

This is, hands down, my least favorite part of hanging tile. In fact, I hate washing grout. It’s messy, time consuming and takes elbow grease. Though we started the grouting before I had to return home, Joseph and Jamie ended up finishing the bulk of it after I’d left. Based on our follow-up FaceTimes I suspect they now despise cleaning grout haze as much as I do! 

With the fireplace built and the tile all hung and grouted, Joseph turned his attention to the mantel. He built it out of pine, then distressed and stained it. Not bad for a kid who wasn’t going to do projects! He made his mama proud!

I love all the distressed detail!
That wall BEFORE!
The same wall AFTER!!

Finally, to add a touch of authenticity and contribute to the overall look, they added a fire grate and some logs. 

I love how it transformed their room! But more than that, I loved the time I shared with them. I wouldn’t trade that for the world!  

How to build a faux fireplace and transform a room – Part 1

When he left home to make his own way in the world, he swore he’d never do home improvement projects. He’d had enough of paint and drywall, sawdust and chaos. 

When he called to ask if I might want to help him build a faux fireplace, I was excited. I always cherish time with my son and daughter-in-law and I loved the thought of helping them with a project. 

The before! The new fireplace would go on this wall.

Still, even while I was buying my plane ticket, I just couldn’t help myself.  “I thought you were never going to do home improvement projects?” 

“I wasn’t. But I have a wife who likes them!”. 

I smiled. Enough said! 

Initially, the fireplace was going to have a  shiplap finish with some brick accents around the firebox. However, as we looked at ideas, it became apparent that Jamie really liked the floor to ceiling, brick fireplaces. It would be more work, take more time and cost more money, but that’s the design we settled on. 

After creating a design and determining our measurements, we created a frame out of 2 x 4’s. Essentially we built walls and attached them to the existing wall. Because the entire thing would be covered with brick, it needed to be sturdy and well anchored to the existing wall.

We cut the baseboard and started laying out the base.

I wish I could say I graphed out all of the framing and created a cutting list , but that’s not quite the way it happened. With a general idea of what needed to happen, and the pressure of a tight schedule, we just started and made it up as we went along. This is definitely not the way I usually work!

We built the base much like I’d build a floor joist system. When that was completed we framed the walls, attached them to the base, then to studs in the existing wall and finally to each other. At that point, we added additional framing members where I thought we could use extra support, or where I knew they would want to hang a tv. In the end, we could climb on that thing and it wouldn’t so much as budge!

The first “wall”

After the structure was completed, we covered the framing with DensShield. This is my go-to backer board because it’s lighter and easier to cut and install than either Hardie Backer or Durarock cement board and it’s code compliant for use in tub and shower areas, without requiring an additional water barrier.

While we weren’t concerned with water infiltration, we did want a good, stable surface on which to attach the brick. This would be a lot of brick!

We created a wall for the back of the box too. This gave us a way to make sure the entire thing was firmly attached to studs in wall. We also attached 2 x 4 pieces to connect the front “wall” to the back “wall”. This made the entire structure very sturdy.
Ready for brick!

At this point, it would have been good to build and and install the mantel. Building it would require tools my son doesn’t yet own and thus a trip to Jamie’s brother’s house. For this reason, and the fact that they really wanted to at least start the brick before I returned to Colorado, we decided to focus on the brick work.

Locating thin brick, in stock, on a Saturday proved to the most challenging part of the entire process.

I thought we’d head down to Floor and Decor, grab what we needed and keep right on working. In reality, we had a hard time finding any place that stocked the thin brick. Stores that did, were closed on Saturday and we simply didn’t have time to wait.


Frustrated in our efforts, we did the only thing that made sense. We took a break, consumed chips, salsa and Margaritas, and evaluated our options.

We could drive to Tucson, a couple of hours away and buy thin brick. We could order the brick and wait for it to arrive in a couple of days. Jospeh and Jamie would have to finish the project because I would be back in Colorado. Or … we could use a tile from Home Depot that looked like brick. We opted for the tile.

With our hope and enthusiasm renewed, we piled into the car and drove the mile or so to the nearest Home Depot. Even Cooper, the new puppy was included in the expedition.

Our enthusiasm was short lived. The brick would continue to plague us. That Home Depot didn’t have enough. By the time it was said and done, we’d visited six Home Depot stores across the Phoenix east valley, spent hours and hours shopping, and I’d been reprimanded by a Home Depot employee for climbing a ladder. Yes, I was too impatient to wait for help. Yes, it was October in Arizona and hot. Yes, I was wearing flip flops. Yes, I am well aware that flip flops are not appropriate footwear for ladder climbing. And YES! I know he was just trying to keep me safe and do his job, but the puppy was tired, hungry and cranky and so were we!

Somehow we persevered and when we finally headed for home, the back of the car was loaded down with tile, mastic and grout.

Another Margarita and a tasty dinner and we were back at it. After all, we had a deadline.

Next week I’ll show you the brick and the finished project!



Christmas Hope

It’s Christmas Eve. I have cookies baking in the oven and Toffee cooling on top of the refrigerator, tasks that normally would have been completed weeks ago. Somehow this year was different. Work, busyness, and some issues with my back have consumed the days and weeks usually given to Christmas preparations. Some traditions were sadly neglected this year. 

The exterior lights remain in their boxes in the basement. Instead of platters of Christmas goodies, we will have a couple of selections. Plans for handmade gifts were shelved and replaced with store boughten. I have a list of Christmas blog posts that remain unwritten and unpublished. 

It’s the tension we all experience. We work to make the Christmas celebration special and in doing so, almost lose the real meaning, the real magic. 

Tonight, four of my five children and my son-in-law will sleep under my roof. Tomorrow, my house will be filled with family. Like you, we will open gifts, share meals, laugh, play and probably even take a nap. 

This had been a difficult year for our family. We’ve walked a road we never expected to walk. It’s left us battered and bruised. We’ve experienced fear, hurt, anger, and disappointment. Failure has shouted it’s accusations. 

But as our family gathers, the Christmas preparations I didn’t manage to get done this year will be forgotten. All of the busyness and chaos, the disappointments and failures, the things that threatened to overwhelm us this year, those things that challenged our faith, stole our hope, brought tears to our eyes and forced us to our knees will fade.

We will allow peace, joy, and love to take their place, to bring healing where we’ve hurt and hope where we’ve felt hopeless. And overwhelming gratitude will fill my heart … for precious loved ones and for the one who humbled himself to be born in a manger, the Christ child, Emmanuel, God with Us. The one who knows our brokenness and loves us still. 

May your hearts be filled with hope this Christmas.

Room for One More: Traditions and Hospitality

“Mom, do we have room for one more?”

In a few days, family and friends will gather at my house and around my table. My mom and I will cook our traditional Thanksgiving favorites, almost exactly the same way we do every year. We rarely deviate from the tried and true recipes that have graced our family’s Thanksgiving table for generations. 

The cranberry relish is the same recipe my great, great grandmother made and I will serve it in the same crystal bowl I’ve served it in for 26 years. The potatoes, eggnog, sweet potatoes and pies will be prepared the same way I’ve done them for all of my adult life, the way my mom did them when I was a child. Every now and then the menu will change slightly, but not often and the changes are rarely drastic. 

Sure, I’ve tried experimenting, but my kids do not want any part of that! The protests were loud and unwavering. They like our traditions. Some have been passed down for generations while other, newer traditions we’ve created together.

Whether new or old, traditions are important. 

Traditions bring us together and give us a sense of belonging, an identity.  There are things we do that are unique to our family. They are a part of who we are and they help to define us. 

Traditions provide a sense of stability and continuity. They unite the generations within a family. Every time I prepare Cranberry Relish I think of my great, great-grandmother who first prepared it. I never knew her, but I feel connected to her all the same. 

Then my mind takes me back to my own childhood. Standing next to my grandmother in her kitchen as she taught me to prepare the relish. She’s been gone for over twenty years now, but every year, as I put cranberries into my food processor she’s right here with me. 

Often, this task is now delegated to one of my daughters. They measure ingredients, add sugar and oranges and all of the things needed to make this a family favorite. They talk and chat. We laugh and tease. In their minds they are making relish but I know it’s so much more. 

In those moments we are connected to something bigger than ourselves, to more than just the here and now. It unites us with the generations who came before and those that will follow. And I think, “Gram, you should see these kids. You’d be proud!” Then I quickly swipe at my eyes, hoping no one noticed. 

Traditions are important. 

They serve as a vehicle for passing down our beliefs and values. 

One such tradition in our family is that of hospitality. It’s never much mattered if it were a holiday or the most ordinary of days. Friends, family and strangers have sat at our tables and shared our food.

More often than not, Sunday afternoon dinners at my Grandparent’s house included a few faces that were not part of our family, and often unfamiliar to me.  I’ve watched my mother and my aunt carry on that tradition. Each of them have prepared numerous meals for countless people. Family. Friends. Acquaintances who find themselves far from family and without a place to spend a holiday. Sometimes, even strangers. 

Time and time again, I’ve watched these selfless women prepare food, change beds, and set out fresh towels for the guests they would receive. I’ve watched my dad and my uncle set up extra tables and chairs then swing the door wide open in welcome. 

And I’ve tried to do the same, simply because I didn’t know any differently. Our family traditions taught me that this is what we do. This is who we are.  We welcome people into our homes. We share in their stories and offer food and friendship, compassion and companionship, and sometimes strangers become friends and friends become family.

Often, I’ve heard my children say that one of the best parts of their childhoods were the guests who regularly sat at our table. People from different cultures, different economic backgrounds, and different traditions. 

This is the practice of hospitality. As one of the truest, purest forms of religion, it’s more than rhetoric and religious dogma. It’s love in action. It’s putting other’s before ourselves. It’s allowing our abundant blessings to bless others.  It’s life and service and connection. And in serving others, we find ourselves deeply changed. 

 

So when my children ask, “Mom, do we have room for one more?” The answer is always and unhesitatingly “YES!”. 

The Lake House Update – Almost done!

Remember a couple of months ago, I introduced you to the Lake House? I’m excited to say that its coming right along!

Today, as I write, the electrician is hanging light fixtures and installing new outlets and light switches and the floor is going in.

We are in the final stretch!

 We’ve done the work of creating a layout that will work well for this family by removing and moving walls, creating new bedrooms, moving the kitchen, creating a new bathroom, replacing the roof, and updating the plumbing and electrical systems.

Since the last update we’ve done the following:

  • Framed in the new master bathroom and closet
  • Framed two new bedrooms in the area that used to be the garage
  • Installed drywall
  • Insulated the new bedrooms and added insulation to the attic for greater energy efficiency
  • Removed the wall between the living room and the new kitchen
  • Both the interior and exterior of the house have been painted. In a later post we’ll talk about choosing white paint. If you’ve ever painted with white, you know there are about a gazillion different whites!
  • The roof is brand spanking new, with hail resistant shingles. This was an upgrade, but we are prone to hail in this area and these shingles qualify the homeowner for a discount on her homeowner’s insurance
  • The electrical service has been updated and the electrician is doing the electrical trim work
  • The plumbers completed all of their rough-in work
  • I added shelves and hanging bars to the closets and made sills for the new windows
  • The bathroom window glass was replaced with safety glass

Now, we get to start adding all of the fun finishing touches, the things that will give this home it’s style and personality.

The homeowner chose a farmhouse look for the interior. We’ll achieve this by using white paint, gray trim, white shaker cabinets, bronze faucets and light fixtures and a mini-galvanized steel backsplash. To complete the look, we chose a rustic, wood, vinyl plank flooring.

This flooring is amazing. It easily clicks together, can be scored and snapped with a utility knife, installs over wood, concrete, tile and vinyl and is suitable for use in basements, has a built in underlayment, boasts a lifetime residential warranty, is waterproof and resists scratching. Wow! Amazing!

On top of all of that it’s available in a variety of colors and it looks great!

This particular floor is the Lifeproof, Walton Oak and you can find it at your local Home Depot.

It you want a low maintenance floor, this is a great choice!

We are all chomping at the bit to get this finished, but there’s still a few things left to complete before we can get the Certificate of Occupancy.

These include: 

  • Set kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities, 
  • Hang tile in the master bathroom and repair tile in the other bath. 
  • Have the final plumbing work completed
  • Lay the flooring
  • Install the trim
  • Hang siding
  • Finish the final electrical

It’s been fun watching the transformation of this house. I love seeing the house morph and change into something that will meet the needs of this family, that will become their home, full of laughter and life, a place where kids and grandkids will gather and where memories are made.

Stay tuned … I’m hoping to have this completed in three weeks so the family can get moved in and settled before Christmas! 

When Snow is More Than Just Snow

Early this morning, even before the night-time darkness had finally relented, the call came. No school today. Snow day! 

In our home, snow days have always been special, even when we home-schooled. When the snow fell deep enough that neighboring schools were shuttered for the day, we too would take a day off. 

I’d bundle the kids up and help them out the door. 10 minutes later they’d be back, wet and cold. Boots, gloves and wet clothes were shed and left in a pile by the door. Cold, little fingers wrapped around cups of hot chocolate and icy toes were stretched toward the fire burning in the fireplace. 

I’d put their wet clothes in the dryer, knowing it wouldn’t be long before we’d do it all again.  

Later in the afternoon, we’d gather around the fire and play a game or two. We’d play and laugh and I’d try to keep the peace as competitive little souls tried to learn how to lose … and how to win … graciously. 

Last winter we only had one snow day, late in spring. We didn’t know it then, but last winter, dry and warm, was a precursor to the drier summer that would result in massive wildfires across Colorado. Just south of us, the Spring Creek Fire would consume 108,000 acres, (or 170 square miles) and 130 homes making it the 3rd largest fire in Colorado’s history. 

 

Livestock died or were sold as ranchers struggled to find enough grass to fill theirbellies. A line formed at the water station as people were forced to haul water to meet their needs. 

I watched as the water in our creek slowed and eventually dried. A kind neighbor hauled water for our horses and calf while I dealt with a well that was struggling to produce water in these drought conditions. 

Late summer brought rain, and we dared to hope that the drought would lose it’s grip. Even then, we knew that winter would tell the real story. Rain was welcome and needed but only snow, and lots of it, could free us from the drought and it’s destruction.

Today is Halloween. Our little town will close Main Street and kids and adults alike will fill the streets. We call it Halloween Town and it’s a festive, annual tradition. Businesses and homes will offer candy, hot chocolate, cookies and cider. This year the fall decorations will be obscured by snow and winter coats will hide carefully chosen costumes. But, the cold can’t dampen the warmth of a community. People will brave the snow and cold and laugher will echo off of the mountain.

I don’t know if we will get the full 12” of snow predicted by the weather report. And I can’t predict with any certainty whether or not winter will continue to bring the snow we so desperately need. But there’s snow on the mountain and snow in my yard and sometimes, snow is more than just snow. Sometimes snow is hope. 

Finally Done! When a Tenant Damages Your Rental Property Part 3

Drumroll please! It’s taken a while, but it’s done! The damaged rental house is finally ready to sell. Well, mostly. I still have to put the remainder cabinet pulls on the kitchen cabinets.

When the tenant vacated the property, I was shocked and appalled at it’s condition. You can see what  the house looked like here.

Slowly, with a lot of elbow grease and more than just a little bit of money, it started to improve. For a list of repair items as well as some progress update photos, just click here.

But now, I’ll let the finished photos speak for themselves. 

In Part 2 of When A Tenant Damages Your Rental Property, I was trying to make a decision about the kitchen countertops. I finally made the decision to go with quartz, but when I tried to order them, I could not find anyplace that could have them done in less than 5 weeks. I did not want to wait that long!

I was lamenting to a friend and his reply was, “Well, figure it out kid.” So, because I’m impatient and because I rarely back down from a challenge, I did!

Floor and Decor sells un-fabricated quartz pieces. I purchased two pieces of quartz and did the fabrication myself. Actually, I had some help. That stuff is heavy! I purchased a handheld, wet tile saw and a diamond blade. I used that to slowly cut the material to length. For the smaller countertop, I also had to cut along the back length because the counter is not a standard depth. I used a 4″ grinder with a diamond blade to make the corners. This part was harder than I anticipated and I cut almost cut too far into the corner.

I used an over mount sink so I could not have to cut a hole for the faucet or polish and finish the edge of the sink hole. In the end,  these countertops were more money and a lot more trouble, but well worth it!

Letting this house go is bitter sweet. I see the landing on the stairs where I found Abigail asleep with our dog and a blanket one morning. I see the kitchen where Katie made loaf after loaf of homemade bread when she had her own little bread business. I see the garage door. Joseph shot hundreds of hockey pucks into a board leaned up against it. I see the bedroom that was once Alia’s and the radiator where Anna sat and did school work.

This was our home. We celebrated birthdays, opened Christmas presents and lived the holy amidst the mundane. Yes, letting go is bittersweet. But I’m glad we did the work to fix her up again. My friend Kathi reminded me recently reminded me to choose joy! So I rejoice in the life we had here.

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October Fun in Small Town USA

It doesn’t look much like fall today. The mountain is obscured by gray skies and falling snow. The first snow brings it’s own simple magic. 

But two days ago, the landscape looked much different. Fall was still putting on a show with golden leaves and a deep blue Colorado sky. It was perfect, and a perfect backdrop for one of the most festive days of the year in our small town. It was the culmination of Homecoming week, and it is quintessentially small town America. 

For a entire week, all local students, from the tiniest little kindergartener to the seniors in high school participate in spirit week. High school students create a carnival for elementary students. All three schools, elementary, middle and high school, have daily, fun activities and contests for the kids. The high school hosts a dummy hunt and bonfire for it’s students.

It’s an entire week of fun but the highlight is Friday. A sloppy joe luncheon sponsored by the FFA kicks off the day, followed by a good, old fashioned, small town parade complete with floats, horses, classic cars, tiny cheerleaders and bantam league football players, a band, the local sheriff and fire departments, and even a goat cart! Yep! A GOAT cart.

Members of the community take a break from work and busy lives to line Main Street, visit with friends and cheer for their favorite float while children chase the candy raining down from parade participants.

Following the parade, it’s all football. First, the high school girls play a powder puff game, then of course, Friday night finds the boys taking the field. During halftime the Homecoming Court is always accompanied by little escorts.

In a couple of weeks, Main Street will once again be closed to traffic. Straw bales, pumpkins, ghosts and goblins will hang from homes and street lights.  In the crisp, night air festive homeowners, business, churches and community members will pass out candy, hot chocolate and apple cider. One homeowner traditionally builds a bonfire where people gather to visit and warm themselves. Children, adults and even an occasional dog will don costumes and fill the street expressing small town community yet again. 

This is October. This is our community. Celebrations and festivities traditionally reserved for high schoolers or small children spanning multiple generations. The magic isn’t in the activities. There’s nothing unique about Homecoming or Halloween. The magic is the tradition. It’s the sense of coming together, young and old. It’s the community and it’s everything we love about small towns. 

Pumpkin Pancakes

The changing Aspen trees are visible on the mountain this week. A week ago, the golden hues were sparse and tentative but now, on a clear day the vibrate colors can been seen from 30 miles away. 

It’s fall and that means it’s time to break out my favorite pumpkin recipes. This weekend I’m in Arizona helping my son and daughter-in-law build a faux fireplace. It so happens that my son loves pumpkin! So, before we headed to Home Depot for lumber and materials, we enjoyed a stack of Pumpkin Pancakes. It’s been a favorite in our family for years. 

Pumpkin Pancakes

1 1/4 c all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger *

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon *

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg *

a pinch of ground cloves *

(2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice can substituted for the spices with an asterisk)

1 1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large egg

In a large bowl whisk** together the flour, sugar, baking powder and spices. 

** Remember when we used to sift? Sometimes sifting is still called for but often simply whisking the items together will yield the same result with less time and effort. Both add air to the mixture. 

In a separate bowl, blend the milk, pumpkin, oil and egg until smooth. 

Add to the flour mixture. Slowly incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry. 

When thoroughly combined, cook on a lightly buttered griddle heated to 350 degrees. If using a  stovetop griddle cook over medium to medium high. You can tell the pan is ready when a drop of water dances when dropped onto the hot surface. 

Serve with lots of butter (remember, butter is a side dish, not a condiment) and maple syrup. 

Tip: This recipe is amazing, (and healthier) made with whole wheat flour. If substituting whole wheat flour, be sure to use soft, white wheat. It has a lower gluten content than the hard wheat used for baking bread. 

Nothing says fall like pumpkin!

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