Monthly Archives: August 2017

Rolling On Hodgepodge

1. Can you believe we’re rolling in to the Labor Day weekend? What’s a project you’ll labor over this fall?

Our fall projects will include continuing sorting through and getting rid of stuff we really don’t need. We will also prune trees and clean out planters. Baking in the Fall is always a great project, too.

2. Tell us about the best perks you ever had in a job?

I really never worked at a job with perks except for when I was an elementary school teacher and enjoyed summer vacation and other holidays even though I wasn’t  paid extra. I enjoyed traveling with my husband with his job responsibilities but had to pay my way. I thought that was a great perk regardless. I traveled to places I’d never have planned on like Milan, Chicago, Washington D.C., Orlando, Atlanta and San Antonio.

Then with the Mennonite Girls for book launches and signings and play openings we traveled to Winnipeg, Steinbach, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Vancouver, Fresno, Indiana Amish Country and Ohio Amish Country. We had to pay our way for the most part but the perks were meeting lots of great people, funding our missions, and being with the “girls”.

3. August 31st is National South Carolina Day. Have you ever been to SC?

I have been to SC to go to our son-in-law’s graduation from MCRD and his successful entry into the Marine Corps. Our daughter and I stayed in Beaufort. The Marine Corps graduation was an amazing experience. We did enjoy our time there although my hair does not agree with the weather. Beaufort is a small southern town with great architecture and other southern charm to enjoy. All my photos from Beaufort are being held hostage at Photobucket. I do have the photos saved on CD’s and Memory cards that I’ll need to upload onto this computer.

Any desire to go? According to Southern Living, these are the top ten things to do in South Carolina…

Explore Charleston, bike, golf or relax on Hilton Head Island, see the beach and the boardwalk at Myrtle Beach, visit the state museum in the capital city Columbia, observe the wildlife and natural beauty of the Ace Basin, take a walk or hop on a trolley and check out Greenville’s charming main street, visit Fort Sumter where the Civil War began, stroll through Pearl Fryar’s Topiary Garden in Bishopville leaving time to check out The Button Museum, also in Bishopville, see Morgan Island (also known as Monkey Island)-home to nearly 4000 Rhesus monkeys. 

Which is most appealing to you today? If you’re a SC native, resident, or frequent visitor what would you add to the list?

Charleston is the most appealing to me but not in the summer!

4. Beef, pork, country-style, barbecued, baby back, spare or short…your favorite kind of rib? What’s a dish you enjoy that really ‘sticks to your ribs‘?

Barbecued Ribs please.

I love food and unfortunately it sticks to my mid section. But to answer your question I enjoy dishes like Stroganoff or Prime Rib with potatoes and Yorkshire Pudding. So I’m more of a beefy girl. Fish is rarely my choice unless it’s Fish and Chips or fish tacos.

5. What’s one important skill you think every person should have? Why?

I think everyone should be able to cook meals for themselves, that includes men and women. My dear old pop almost starved himself to death after my mom passed away. Dear and all of our sons and daughters can cook and I’m grateful for that. I’m sorry Home Economics is dwindling out in schools or completely eliminated. And Dear says if you drive a car you need to know how to change a tire!

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

This little one is always in our thoughts. Our Labor Day weekend will be filled with extended time with Addy and her parents. We are also going to be able to enjoy a wedding reception barbecue half way to our kids home. Our hairdresser was married last weekend in Seattle and she and her new husband will host a country barbecue reception on their 270 acres in the Okanagon area of Washington State.

Linking up with Joyce From This Side of the Pond for Wednesday Hodgepodge. She asks the questions and the answers are up to us. Do you have Labor Day plans.

We continue to follow what’s happening in Texas and we pray for all the displaced people and for relief of the suffering that everyone is enduring.

Doors

Our prayers are with all the people affected by Hurricane Harvey and the rains that continue to cause flooding in so many coastal areas in Texas. So many people are in crisis. Praying for strength for all the First Responders and all the good Samaritans that are helping out, too!

I promised to show our new closet doors and the improved inner part of my closet, too. We used to have sliding mirrored doors on these closets but are enjoying being able to throw both doors open and see the whole closet all at once. Too bad I failed to take a before photo.

I’m brave enough to share the interior of the closet since it’s nice and tidy and just got refilled this weekend.

Dear installed a new shelf and new clothes bar. We had wire shelves and bars before with a smaller shelf with little depth. It’s interesting how few dresses I own but that gives me more storage options below my blouses, tops, and sweaters.

This last week I found this swiveling organizer at Goodwill and I put my necklaces on it. I was surprised at the necklaces I had totally forgotten about while they were tucked away in drawers. I don’t wear jewelry every day but when I want to it’s nice to see all there is to choose from in one spot.

Very soon we’ll be spending a few days with this little sweetie in her neck of the woods. Her mommy and daddy sent us the cutest video of Addy trying to get a hold of a cheerio and put it in her mouth. So much growth and fun in the first year of life!

We are entering the last week of August and Labor Day Weekend is coming up already. Do you have any plans?

O Church of God, Arise ~ Hymn

O Church of God, Arise!

O Church of God, arise!
Reach out thy helping hand,
And like a trumpet let thy voice
Go forth to ev’ry land;
Lay not thine armor down,
Nor cease by day or night,
To lift the sword of Gospel truth,
And wield it for the right.

Refrain

Then arise in thy glory, O Church of God, arise!
’Tis the dawn of the morrow that greets thy waiting eyes
But cloud and mist and shadow must all be rolled away.
But cloud and mist and shadow must all be rolled away.
Before the world will usher in the long expected day.

O Church of God, arise!
Thy borders wide extend,
And o’er the earth’s remotest bounds
Thy heralds quickly send;
Thine armies now are great,
But greater they must be,
For ev’ry nation, ev’ry clime
Shall yet rejoice in thee.

Refrain

O Church of God, arise!
The grand old choral strain
Of peace on earth, good will to man,
That rang on Judah’s plain,
O’er all the world shall ring,
And echo far and wide,
And then the King, thy Lord, shall come,
And claim His faithful bride.

Refrain

Words: Fanny Crosby (1820-1915).

Barns Along Hwy 9

Driving home on highway 9 on our August 15th day out to the Mt. Baker Scenic highway I spotted several barns. The problem with barns along a highway is that when you are driving at over 50 miles an hour and you aren’t the only car on the road you can’t just stop on the highway to take a photo. As the passenger I had to snap away and hope the photos came out okay.

This particular barn had it’s own parking lot because it happened to be the North Trailhead of the Centennial Trail.

Tracy Tallman contributed this People’s History account of the family of Kamezo (1883-1975) and Miye Nakashima and their Snohomish County farm. Kamezo and Miye Nakashima were among the earliest Japanese families to farm within Snohomish County. They purchased their farm, located near Arlington, on July 31, 1937, from Sophie Frye Bass (1866-1947). They operated it as a dairy farm until 1942, when, during World War II, Executive Order 9066 forced the Nakashimas into internment camps along with nearly 120,000 first-generation Japanese immigrants and their American-born citizen children. On April 15, 1942, the Nakashimas were forced to sell the farm, and members of the large family were sent to different internment camps. Upon their release, Kamezo and Miye relocated to Seattle, where they managed the Marion Hotel.

The rest of the essay with some historical photos on the Nakashima Family and their farm can be found here.

I’ll be linking up to The Barn Collective hosted by Tom The Backroads Traveller.

We are having a mostly quiet weekend here. We’ve got a cut of pork on the Traeger that will cook low and slow for dinner. Dear finished upgrading our closets in our master bedroom suite with new doors and new shelves and hanger bars. I forgot to take a before photo, oops. I’ll share a couple after shots soon while things are still nice and tidy.

The End of the Highway

Artist Point is located at the very end of Mount Baker Highway, State Route 542 and boasts 360-degree views of Mount Shuksan and Mount Baker, as well as access to a variety of trails. The road to Artist Point, 2.7 miles long (milepost 54.55 to 57.26) and more than 5,000 feet above sea level, is typically buried under snow and closed October through June. Artist Point typically opens in July and remains open until the first substantial snowfall of the year, which usually comes in late September or early October.

We had our road trip here on Tuesday August 15th.

This is a zoom in shot of Mt. Baker.

My other posts from this day and the Mt. Baker Highway are here and here.

On the way home from our day in the Mt. Baker/Snoqualmie National Forest we stopped for dinner in Snohomish where we had enjoyed breakfast at the beginning of this day. For dinner we decided on Andy’s Fish House since we had a hankering for Fish and Chips and we were not disappointed. We will return.

Today I had a followup with my hand surgeon and I’m on to the next leg of my journey with a nerve conduction test ordered. I’m glad he isn’t quick to decide to cut my wrist open but wants to be sure about what is going on. So I continue with my brace and taking it easy with my left hand. Tonight we are going to a cookie social to meet our new senior pastor candidate. We’re excited. Hope you are having a nice Thursday!

Heavenly Hodgepodge

1. Did you watch the solar eclipse? Your thoughts? Sun Chips, Moon Pies, Starburst candies, a Blue Moon beer, a Sunkist orange, or a Milky Way candy bar…what’s your favorite eclipse related snack on this list?

Yes we did watch the solar eclipse. We did not have the full deal but it was cool. I had a post up yesterday on the great eclipse shadows we enjoyed. A Sunkist orange is the favorite from that list.

2. What are you ‘over the moon‘ about these days? What’s something you enjoy doing every ‘once in a blue moon‘?

This little one is what I’m over the moon about these days, sweet little Addy May!

Once in a blue moon I will try a craft project. I find crafts and sewing frustrating and generally I don’t get a great result.

See these cute little Matryoshka dolls my sister Lana, daughters Katie, Laura and I created in 2011. Mine is the angry one on the right side. Just wanted to show y’all proof that crafting isn’t my gift.

3. Tell us about something in the realm of science that interests you. How do you feed that interest?

Tides and the ebb and flow of water. Whenever I’m close to the ocean I’ll make sure to have a walk along the water or to the end of the pier.

4. What are a few things you remember about going back to school as a child?

I was always very excited to go back to school. My mom made sure I had a new dress which I was proud to wear. I’m olden and girls were required to wear dresses or skirts and blouses to school all my schooling years from K-12 except for physical education in junior high and high school where we had gym uniforms issued to us.

The photo above is of my niece Hope walking to school a few years ago with the Matryoshka back pack I bought her in Poulsbo where I was visiting and shopping with my friend Beth. (Hi Beth!)

I’m on the top row on the left. Looks like I’m the happiest kid in kindergarten!

5. I’ve seen several versions of this around the net so let’s make one of our own…share with us five words that touch your soul and briefly tell us why.

Grace: Greater than all my sin.

Forgiveness: Undeserved but so grateful for it.

Peace: With God through Jesus.

Joy: Down in my heart.

Family: Accepted, loved and appreciated.

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

Addy’s mommy and daddy surprised us with a special overnight stop at our house last Friday even though it took them well out of their way on their way home from vacation on the Oregon Coast. We were so surprised and overjoyed to enjoy them and our other kids who live close by. They made sure to hang out for as many hours as they could. We ate meals together, took a walk and had turns holding and entertaining Addy. It was Christmas in August for all of us!

Linking up with Joyce From This Side of the Pond for Hodgepodge Wednesday. Joyce provides the questions and we answer them.

We Interrupt Our Normal Programming…

…for a major event!

The 2017 Solar Eclipse! We didn’t get the full show here but it was a good show. We really enjoyed seeing the interesting shadows cast by the Eclipse! We also enjoyed watching the NASA coverage on T.V.

And here for historical perspective for our dear little Addy is her 5 month photo collage that her mommy took yesterday on August 20th.

We love you Addy May! Look at you grow!

Surprise!

Dan, Jamie and Addy surprised us royally with an unexpected stop at our house on their way home from a vacation on the Oregon Coast. All our kids knew about this surprise that was on it’s way. They kept Dear and me in the dark until they pulled up in our driveway. We were shocked in a happy happy joy joy way! We enjoyed them under our roof for 20 hours before they made the final leg of their journey home.

We gave Addy time with mommy so she could get used to her new surroundings after spending 8 hours in the car traveling up from the Oregon coast.

I got lots of snuggles and kissed those cheeks and when I wasn’t holding her I was snapping some photos. She spent some time getting reacquainted with Gramps.

Aunt Katie blocked Addy’s escape route off the blanket while Addy stretched and scooted getting some good exercise before it was time to go to sleep.

Time for jammies with a little prayer that she’d be able to sleep through the night after a few rough nights in Oregon. Thankfully Addy was able to sleep through the night and was ready for lots of visiting and attention on Saturday.

Aunties and Uncles arrived for our Swedish Pancakes breakfast and we took turns being entertained by Addy. Addy was very interested in her aunties and uncles. Auntie Laura got some extra noises and raspberries from Addy.

She can really move and scoot and push herself up on all fours.

Uncle Josh got some good snuggles in and Addy was very interested in his beard.

She is active and curious and strong.

It was like Christmas in August. We traditionally take a walk after Swedish Pancakes on Christmas morning. We took this selfie after our morning walk to burn some of the calories we added up at breakfast. Addy is under the white hat in her baby carrier having fallen asleep during our walk. I borrowed some of these photos from Laura.

She looked a bit dazed when we pulled her out of the front pack waking her up. Addy loves to stick her tongue out, blow raspberries and work those eyebrows of hers.

Expressing herself with Auntie Katie.

She’s also on to all of us and knows when we are taking photos with our phones or cameras!

A friend of Jamie’s handed down this Johnny Jump-Up which has proven be be enjoyable for Addy. We had one years ago for Josh and Dan. We never tried it for Katie. They really have improved the design with extra padding and comfort.

It was a quick overnight visit and the kids were in some horrendous traffic heading home over the pass. Thank you Dan, Jamie and Addy for going the extra miles to visit us and enduring the horrible traffic you encountered going home! See you in two weeks! This time we’ll do the driving.

Hoping for God’s Peace to all who visit my blog!

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27 (ESV)

Are you going to try to see the eclipse tomorrow with the proper eye protection? We will get a partial eclipse in the Seattle area from just after 9am until 11ish. It kind of makes me nervous. We are going to don two of Dear’s welding helmets and sit on some lawn chairs  in our back yard and see what we can see. Time will tell how long we last…

Safely Through Another Week ~ Hymn

Safely Through Another Week

Safely through another week God has brought us on our way;
Let us now a blessing seek, on th’approaching Sabbath day;
Day of all the week the best, emblem of eternal rest,
Day of all the week the best, emblem of eternal rest.

Mercies multiplied each hour through the week our praise demand;
Guarded by almighty power, fed and guided by His hand;
Though ungrateful we have been, only made returns of sin,
Though ungrateful we have been, only made returns of sin.

While we pray for pardoning grace, through the dear Redeemer’s Name,
Show Thy reconciled face, shine away our sin and shame;
From our worldly cares set free, may we rest this night with Thee,
From our worldly cares set free, may we rest this night with Thee.

Here we come Thy Name to praise, let us feel Thy presence near,
May Thy glory meet our eyes, while we in Thy house appear:
Here afford us, Lord, a taste of our everlasting feast,
Here afford us, Lord, a taste of our everlasting feast.

When the morn shall bid us rise, may we feel Thy presence near:
May Thy glory meet our eyes, when we in Thy house appear:
There afford us, Lord, a taste of our everlasting feast,
There afford us, Lord, a taste of our everlasting feast.

May Thy Gospel’s joyful sound conquer sinners, comfort saints;
May the fruits of grace abound, bring relief for all complaints;
Thus may all our Sabbaths prove till we join the church above,
Thus may all our Sabbaths prove till we join the church above!

Words: ~ John Newton