Thursday, December 9, 2010

A Crazy Quilt Antique Store?

DH and I have been visiting his family in tiny Tubac, Arizona for years.  His brother Dennis, who owns the Tubac Trailer Tether (mobile home park, camp ground, laundromat and propane dealer) has lived there over 25 years.  It is about an hour south of Tucson and a half an hour north of the Mexican border.  We love it, and I have posted about it and its annual arts festival several times before (see the Tubac link on my sidebar).

But never before did I ever notice the CRAZY QUILT ANTIQUES sign on the little road from Tubac to Tumacacori.   Tumacacori (Too-mah-KOK-ah-ree) is a little town (not really even that... more a gathering of buildings) about 5 minutes from Tubac.   There is a restored 1752 Mission there, a world-famous (no joke) spice shop named Santa Cruz Chili and Spice Co.   I even saw it listed in the Supply Source section of two of my Mexican cookbooks, and they have a cookbook available on Amazon.


The pix above and below were from February 2009 when we visited...


But I digress.......  The Crazy Quilt Antique Store.  I didn’t see it, but cousin Kim was in the car and she, knowing my CQ addiction, blurted it out excitedly.  I did an immediate U-turn (no traffic there, LOL) and we pulled in.  It was deserted.  Beyond deserted.....  let me show you...




Needless to say, after Kim took the pictures, we proceeded on our way to the spice store.  And after spending a bundle there for the last several years, all I bought this year was Chinese Five Spice, some taco seasoning blend, mulling spice (for cider), and nutmeg.  But the smell of the shop alone is worth the trip!

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While we were visiting Bruce’s family, we were given some old family pictures that included Bruce as a young boy and young man.  I fell in love again!

 These were taken in a photo booth when he was a young teenager.  Doesn’t he look mischievous?

And here is his (handsome, IMHO) official Army photograph

...and about ten years later kissing Sarah, who is cousin Kim’s daughter Sarah (and is now a mother of two herself!)

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And finally, this is how we celebrated our Thanksgiving.  An open invitation is extended to all the residents of the trailer tether (hey, they aren’t too uppity to call them trailers, even though some of them are really nice double-wide mobile homes) and even lots of the town merchants and residents.


About forty people attended.  We had three turkeys and all the trimmings.  And sunshine!


Below is the back of our family trailer/mobile home (the brown one) where we stay whenever we visit.  Bruce’s brother Dennis, who owns the park, is the one in the left foreground with his back to the camera.  Next to him in the hat is Lyman Blackwell, the man who invented the battery-powered smoke detector.  Really.  Google Lyman Blackwell or read this.  


And finally, coincidentally as I was preparing this post..... see the little girl in the picture above that Bruce is kissing?  As I said, it was cousin Kim’s daughter Sarah.  Her full name is Sarah Hadley, a nice old-fashined name, right?  Right.  Check out what I saw today on the home page of the Yahoo group Antique Pattern Library:


That’s it for now.  I’m off to cook dinner and then stitch some CQ Christmas ornaments  It should be a fun project while we sit drinking our coffee in the living room after dinner with a fire in the fireplace and the TV going. Or not going. Maybe I can get DH to give in to some Christmas music instead.....  Hey!  Where are my chestnuts??

Hugs,
Cathy maroon

7 comments:

  1. How fun Cathy, very interesting! The spice store sounds great, I love five spice. I make a dish called Ponset BeHonne, the main flavor ingredient is the five spice, and it's to die for!

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  2. What a coincidence! my sister and my late brother live(d) in Arivaca! And I love Tubac! Have you been tot he gold course there? The restaurant (I don't golf) is wonderful!
    Glad you had a good time and the Thanksgiving looks just like Thanksgiving should be- friends and fun and lots of fresh air :-)

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  3. Oh Chinese 5 spice is my very favorite spice and I use it in gingersnaps (any ginger cookie), apple pies, butternut squash soup, and soooooooooooo many other things...

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  4. What a bummer that the store was deserted! Maybe you should have absconded with the sign and posted it outside your sewing room? lol
    Hugs,
    Kerry

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  5. This is such an interesting post, Cathy - I so love to read and see how other people live. I love using spices in my cooking too, that shop would be heaven to browse in.
    I would have been very tempted to do what Kerrykatie suggested, and bring the CQ antique store sign home with me! Is there anyone in the town who can tell you the history of the store? It would be a fascinating story, I bet.
    Have a lovely Christmas!
    (PS Your DH is VERY cute ;-)

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  6. What a nice Thanksgiving you had! I love seeing the scenery around that area. Certainly so different from what I see here in NE everyday. The cactus are beautiful, so many different kinds. Sorry to hear the sad news about the CQ Antique Store....Have a very happy and healthy Christmas and New Year!

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  7. Hi Cathy,
    I'm thinking of doing a wool crazy quilt this coming year -- when I searched for info, I came across your blog.
    Some questions about working with wool: do you use a foundation (backing fabric) under each block? Do you turn under the edges of the wool patches, or just butt them together?
    Thanks ~ Jeanne

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