Our outdoor fireplace.
Sunday, I was getting the house ready for guests. As I was cleaning out my paperwork and assorted crap I squirreled away in drawers and cupboards in the Casita, I thought about what fun things we could do with our guests without leaving home.
Our guests asked us to quarantine starting today before their arrival. Would you quarantine for upcoming guests?
You would if it was our guests — my son and his bride. Also, our daughter and Buff’s brother, to help with the drive (who are in the quarantine pod.) They will be here between chemo infusions, if they get the okay from her doctor after a blood test to determine her immunity level.
In case you missed the story of their wedding and cancer diagnosis, you can read it HERE.
I looked outside and glanced at the fireplace. Now that the weather is a bit cooler at night, I envisioned us sitting around the fireplace. Then my mind raced to marshmallows and s’mores!
Whatever happened to the telescopic marshmallow roasting sticks we bought 20 years ago? Did they make the move from California to Arizona?
The last time I remembered seeing them was in photos camping at Carpinteria State Beach when the kids were young. AND on our RV.
I had a light-blue, rectangular plastic storage box with camping kitchen necessities, including matches, that I pictured in my mind. That’s where they were. I’d bet on it. That box made it from tent days to RV days, to somewhere in our garage, unless it got thrown out when we moved.
If you want to read about our lack of RV skills, please read my story about our mishaps HERE. We were NOT happy campers.
In the garage I found a cardboard bankers box that said RV on the side. I unpacked it and found plastic plates, bowls and glasses that will be perfect poolside in our backyard. Next, I found the plastic storage box with more goodies like the matches, spices, knives, a can and wine opener and our red-and-white checked tablecloth.
No marshmallow roasters.
Before I turned to Amazon for help, I got the brilliant idea to look in my kitchen drawers. Voila! I have two out of the four. I must have given my kids the other two because they both loved camping during college and the shut down.
I found two out of four marshmallow roasters I bought 20 years ago. We will be s’more ready and can enjoy evenings in the backyard, without leaving the house.
What are your thoughts about camping? Are you a tent person or an RVer and why?
Do you think my quest for 20-year-marshmallow roasters is quest for memories past and easier times?
Never have been camping in my life. I hope the visit goes well for you all.
Thank you. I love camping, but not sure when we’ll go again.
You’re welcome! Sending lots of good vibes and healing energy for your daughter in law.
Thank you! 💕
😍🫶🏼
😊
So glad that you get a family visit EA! That should be so much fun and so meaningful to spend time with everyone together.
I used to have camping bins too! I took the kids tent camping a lot, even sometimes went on my own. I still love the idea and simplicity of tenting, I just can’t get up off the ground very well 😉 Glad you found your stuff and can enjoy s’mores by the fire 🙂
It was easy to go tent camping. Especially with bins ready to go! We used to go spur of the moment. Then in CA you had to make reservations online and they’d go within hours of being released months in advance. I totally relate to getting off the ground!
Yes, the reservation system has become such a thing here as well, unless you want to go with dispersed camping on DNR or BLM land. That’s a bit rough for me 😉
Before the reservation system, when we wanted to camp at the beach near Santa Barbara, it was first come first serve. We’d spend the night prior with our friends — and then my husband would get in line at 4 or 5 a.m. to get out spot! Yes, DNR or BLM would be too rough for me, too. I like having a bathroom with running water nearby.
We’ll do anything for our kids , right ? Enjoy your visit! And I love roasted marshmallows and s’mores!
Exactly. I will do anything for my kids. I haven’t had s’mores in at least 15 years.
So excited for you…and cheers to s’mores with family! I learned a lesson this summer from a dear friend…add peanut butter to the graham crackers and you’ve got a Reese’s like treat…with marshmallows. Yum. I think I was late to the party to discover this but wowza. Good stuff. And yes…your story about the search expedition to find the skewers? Me, too. They were buried in the basement from the days when our daughter was small and I found a ton of the telescoping variety. You’re right – all of it brought back sweet memories – literally! 😎🥰😎
Thanks for the peanut butter tip. I haven’t tried that before. Yes, those were such sweet memories once I found the skewers. So sad, but I was talking to my daughter yesterday about it and she insisted that the skewers weren’t ours but a friend’s. I was so disappointed! Isn’t it strange how members of the same family have such different memories? I’m glad you found yours and have sweet memories, like I do.
Thanks for bringing the memory forward! 🥰
You’re welcome!
I would absolutely quarantine for those guests and backyard camping activities sound perfect!! I hope you all have the best time! I can’t wait to hear all about it.
Thank you! We’re still about a week out, but that gives me plenty of time to clean and get ready. 😊
Sitting around the fire and roasting S’mores is a delight and yes, takes you back to simpler times. I am glad that my kids still enjoy doing it. Hmm.. maybe we will have to do that again this week, before the weather gets too cold! I hope you can have a wonderful time with your son and DIL and daughter. <3
Thank you. Yes, roasting marshmallows brings back memories from my camping trips as a child and as a mother of young children.
How wonderful to have all the family visiting! I hope you have a wonderful time!! 😊
Yes! I’m worried about Buff’s health and if the drive will be too much for her. But she’s the one who wants to visit and get out.
Not a camping fan but congrats on finding your S’mores roasters! Have a great time with your kids! We just went to a family friend’s wedding and were all together in dress up clothes! Such a rarity for us.
That sounds like so much fun to be all together at a dress up event. It will be a week before they are here. In the meantime, we’re laying low.
So happy for you Elizabeth! Sounds like fun. A great reason to quarantine. Hope the newly weds are doing well.
I’m so excited to see them, but nervous for her to make the drive. They are taking their time getting here.
Absolutely I would quarrantine for them. Totally into camping. Used to backpack, that is hardcore, them moved to tent camping. We bought a used camper this summer.
I have only done day backpack hiking. I’d go with a girlfriend’s family. She ended up becoming a back country ranger. I love tent camping. I could see us getting a camper some day. The RV was not for us. Neither one of us wanted to drive it. We ended up hiring a driver to drive into the mountains and would leave it at a campground for a month and use it for weekend getaways.
I found backpacking to be the greatest builder of self reliance and estem. An hour into the hike and the people you started with are gone…. reality hits hard. An “oh shit” moment. I’ve been on the AT in prime hiking season and not seen another person for days.
Wow. I’m impressed. My girlfriend would leave her husband and child for months at a time as a back country ranger. She said the same thing that she wouldn’t see people for days.
We went camping a lot as a family when I was young, but I haven’t been in years. I’m afraid that I prefer more creature comforts in my “old” age. 🙂 Have a wonderful time with your family – totally worth extra quarantine time!
Thank you! Yes, I’m eagerly quarantining. I haven’t been camping for several years. My husband is like you and wants his creature comforts. When we moved to Arizona and fortunately were able to sell the RV — because they were in demand during COVID — I suggested buying a pick up truck with a camper and he looked at me like I was nuts!
Absolutely not a camper.
I wonder if having memories as a child of camping made me love it? We only went camping a few times, but they were some of my best memories.
True, I think it could come from childhood. I was in Girl Scouts. We had a camping trip. First, we set up tents. I shared with someone. The tent kept caving in, so I felt claustrophobic. Then we were cooking over the fire, I didn’t think to have a rag when I pulled the pan off the fire, so burned my fingers. LOL — Obviously, we didn’t have good camp instructors. So, after that, I was DONE!
Those are not happy camping memories. I’d never want to go again!
LOL – these mothers were not campers. I think they manual said they needed to take us for a camping outing, so we were in someone’s back yard. The goal, get our pin or badge, whatever that was.
That’s so funny!
How exciting to see your family. I would have no problem quarantining for that!
That’s right. I have none at all. 😊
No to camping unless it’s bug free and has proper plumbing. Yes, looking for the sticks is a coping mechanism to get you through what’s happening now…but more importantly, enjoy your time!!
We have stayed in campgrounds that had hot showers and nice bathrooms. You just needed a stack of quarters 😂 As for a coping mechanism, that’s good analysis. I wanted to get back to earlier, carefree days.
👍👍
I prefer camping out with room service.
That sounds good! I bet that works in today’s world. You could call Uber Eats for delivery. I liked camping and having to cook meals on my camp stove. But I disliked washing dishes, having to heat water, no sink, etc.
What are your thoughts about camping? Are you a tent person or an RVer and why? I don’t camp.
Do you think my quest for 20-year-marshmallow roasters is quest for memories past and easier times? We just gave our marshmallow roasters to Goodwill, apparently admitting that easier times are behind us. 🤷♀️
Just wait. One of these days you’ll be craving marshmallows and want those roasters back.
Sometimes we want to relive our good memories even in small ways. Especially when times are tougher. It’s so nice of you all to support your daughter in law. I hope that despite the circumstances you enjoy spending some time together and are able to make some more good memories.
Yes, it would be nice to relive the memories of camping trips, sitting around a campfire as a family. We will have a few nice days together.
I love that your son and DIL are coming to visit — and your daughter too! Totally worth quarantining for!! As for s’mores, I think you are right that they are nostalgic – as is the easy pace of sitting around a fire telling stories. I hope you have wonderful times doing that!
Thank you, Wynne. I’m looking forward to it. My daughter threw a little rain on my parade, telling me that they may find my “cool” evening weather a bit hot for a fire! I forget they are in a different climate than us 😅 We’ll have fun together regardless.
It’s weird how some words survive the trip across the Atlantic intact, while other don’t. In Africa – or at least in my corner of it – “RV” means retrovirus. We typically call a recreational vehicle a caravan, which is also odd, since no camels are involved.
That is fascinating. Thank you for explaining caravans. I recently read a novel from a UK author and caravan had me stumped. I was picturing camels and tents 😂
How wonderful you are willing to quarantine for family. Your house seems so lovely and inviting. I didn’t grow up camping but took my kids all the time when they were younger. I loved it for them, but it’s so much work. If money was no obstacle, I’d be an RV person for sure!
If you click on the link to my RV story, it was a disaster for us. I thought it would be a dream come true. Until we tried it! I’m so thankful for COVID causing RVs to be in demand so we could sell the beast!