Author Archives: Ellen

U-Pick Corn

On Tuesday afternoon we hopped in the car and drove a few miles north of us and stopped at this farm to pick corn. U-pick 4 for a $1. Part of the sign looks like it washed off but we got the gist of what they wanted us to know.

We found 4 ears we thought looked good and put our $1.00 in the metal box and headed back home.

There’s a story behind me having to take a photo of the photo of me at the corn field. Dear mistakenly took a video of me instead of a photo and my computer wouldn’t let me make it into a photo and I couldn’t upload the video, either. Hmmm.

We cooked 2 ears of corn as soon as we got home and boy was it good and sweet. I called it dessert, delicious. We’ll remember this farm next year and enjoy fresh corn again.

Quote of the day from Sprugeon:

“The way to do a great deal, is to keep on doing a little. The way to do nothing at all is to be continually resolving that you will do everything.”

Encouragement of the day:

If you are finding it hard to get started on a task, try setting a timer for 15 minutes and tell yourself to get after that task for at least 15 minutes. You’ll be surprised all you can get done in that short amount of time and maybe it will be enough motivation to continue.

Have a great 9-19-19!

Sunday Drive

On Sunday after church we decided on lunch in Chewelah at our favorite Mexican restaurant in these parts. After lunch we headed north back to Colville and decided to take a turn-off and enjoy some back roads. We turned on Addy-Gifford Rd. west with intentions of following the road to it’s end at highway 25. Some of the roads in our parts are named for their beginning and their end. Addy-Gifford starts in the little town of Addy and ends in the little town of Gifford. I suppose if you start in Gifford and head east to Addy you could call it the Gifford-Addy road. 🙂

Right along the road we came upon the Ten Commandments. When I saw the signs in the distance I was wondering if they would be Burma Shave Signs. If you’ve never heard of Burma Shave Signs google it and you’ll get lots of info and photos.  They used series of signs along the roadways to advertise.

Dear slowed down through this section so I could capture each sign. There was no traffic on this road so that worked out well.

God’s Word along the road is unexpected but enjoyed.

I wasn’t expecting to see this vista, either.

When we got to the end of the road at highway 25 we took a little detour south to see the Gifford-Inchelium ferry launch. You guessed it, the ferry will pick you up in Gifford and cross the Columbia River to Inchelium. Inchelium is located on the Colville Indian Reservation. Some time in the future we’ll take the ride across the Columbia to Inchelium.

After a pause at the ferry launch we headed north on highway 25 that runs along the Columbia river. We turned off the highway in the small town of Rice to head back east to highway 395 on Orin-Rice Road.

Instead of following Orin-Rice all the way to hwy 395 we continued onto Valley-Westside to Mantz Rickey Radio Road. And yes, there is a radio station on Mantz Rickey.

It was a very nice drive and next time we’ll continue north on highway 25 all the way to Kettle Falls. It’s good to learn the lay of the land in our neck of the woods.

Onto highway 395 we headed north stopping at the Builders Supply for some steel wool that I’m going to use on my shower doors to see if I can cut through all the calcium deposits from our well water. It’s super fine grade #0000. I’ll let you know if it works.

Quote of the day from Timothy Keller today:

God’s sense of timing will always confound ours. His grace rarely operates according to our schedule.

Girls Day Out…

We had a girls outing to Junk Drunk at the Ag Center in Colville on Saturday morning and JJ was our bodyguard.

He was a little trooper in his daddy’s sweat suit from 1981!

Addy had her mommy, granny, granny great, auntie and baba to watch over her.

She was wondering where the animals were since she was at this location (the fair grounds) just a couple weeks ago to see all the fair animals.

We took the obligatory selfie to document everyone at our outing and then stopped to take a few more photos at the sunflower patch.

 

We ended our time together with lunch out. Addy was a great little conversationalist, asking each of us the question, “where is your mommy?” When we told her where our mommy was she asked, “what is she doing?” I told her my mommy was in heaven with Jesus and she was probably singing. Jaymison slept through lunch.

Our weather has been wet and promises to continue in a wet pattern. I won’t have to water this week and might not need to water again until next Spring.

Another quote from Spurgeon…

Christ is Thy Light ~ Hymn

Christ is Thy Light

Christ is thy light, O wand’rer, tempest tossed!
The beacon light is pointing to thy rest;
Dark is the night,
And rocky is the coast,
But sure it shines above the billow’s crest;
Christ is thy light!

Christ is thy strength, O faint and weary soul!
Thy strife is vain; embrace without delay
The grace that pleads
With thee To make thee whole;
Who by His blood has washed thy sins away;
Christ is thy strength!

Christ is thy guide, O pilgrim seeking rest!
He gently bids thee open wide the door
For Him to enter
In and be thy guest;
O trust and follow Him forevermore;
Christ is thy guide!

Christ is thy hope! O cling to self no more,
No more to hopes which flatter and decay,
But to the Rock
That stands the tempest’s roar,
On which thy trembling ark will find a stay;
Christ is thy hope!

Christ is thy king! He wore the crown for thee,
A crown of thorns, a diadem so meet;
But bow before
His love that made thee free,
And humbly cast thy crown before His feet;
Christ is thy king!

Words: Richard B. Cadbury

ht: Cyberhymnal

Changes

Time for the summer scenes to be replaced with autumn. I’ll be on the search through my plates to see if I have fall flavored plates for this section of our corner cabinet.

When we were in Spokane last week I picked up a couple new fall accents at Hobby Lobby for our bungalow and instead of packing them away until September 23rd I found good spots for them right now. This fox called to me and I thought the grands would enjoy him, too. He’s soft so when the door opens and shuts it’s not a problem.

This banner that says BLESSED was plain and I bought the package of leaves to add to it.

We bought some suspenders for Dear so he could do all his bending over and kneeling down work on his new shop in comfort instead of having to adjust his trousers constantly. He found the suspender fasteners that he could apply to his work trousers and add the suspenders when he wants. Some of the lumber deliveries have been made and our garage is full of the lumber so my car will be living outside until the building begins. Right now the corner posts marks are square and ready for the auger work to excavate and then set the posts in concrete. The type of building we are adding is called a Post Frame Building.

I’ll leave you with a Spurgeon quote. He is becoming one of my favorite preachers to quote. I’m always on the lookout for any Spurgeon books I can find in thrift stores. These next quotes are from Exploring the Mind & Heart of the Prince of Preachers Compiled by Kerry James Allen

“Every time the sheep bleats, it loses a mouthful, and every time we complain we lose a blessing.”

“We need not sow thistles and brambles; they come up naturally enough, because they are indigenous to earth: and so, we need not teach men to complain; they complain fast enough without any education.”

Celebration

It was fun to set this table for a celebration honoring a “years on the job” anniversary. We had the dinner last night.

Since it was a guy we were honoring I chose more muted tones.

I actually took a couple photos of the people at our table this time but my skills were lacking in capturing the best of people so I made a collage instead of full size photos. You’re welcome. 🙂 Flank steak, coleslaw, tabouli, stuffed poblano peppers, rice pilaf and Applesauce Spice Cake for dessert.

A few more photos from our Eastern Washington kids time on the “Coast”.

Daddy and son.

Uncle Andrew and Jaymison.

Quote of the day:

Opinions alter, but truth certified by God can no more change than the God who uttered it. ~ Spurgeon

9-11-19

A day we’ll never forget.

This flag that I unfurled out the window of our daughter’s room in 2001 is the flag that was presented to my mother-in-law, Verna, at Dear’s father Rex’s funeral in 1985. He served in the U.S. Army during WWII. This window is on the street side of our home. Things have changed on this side of the house but the memories are the same. This flag is folded and in a special flag case in our living room.

This photo was taken 9-11-11. Whoever was alive that day in 2001 will never forget that day and all the evil that unfolded. We’ll also never forget the people aboard flight 93 that defended us and after reciting this Psalm stopped that plane’s flight and lost their lives rallying around the cry, “Let’s Roll”.

A Psalm of David. Psalm 23 (ESV)

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
 He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
   for hisname’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
   I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
   your rod and your staff,
   they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
   in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
   my cup overflows.
 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
   all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
   forever.

And now 18 years have passed since that day in 2001.

September 11th of 2018 was the day we closed on our country bungalow. It’s been a full year that we’ve owned this home.

We recorded on September 11, 2018 and received our keys at 6pm. It was getting dark when we headed over to take a quick walk-thru to drop off a small load of stuff. We (myself, son, DIL and grandgirlie). Dear remained on the west side of the mountains with responsibilities to wrap up.

This is our new driveway and I went to the street to take photos of the drive for our container delivery people. Addy spotted me and made a run for it to join me. I had to catch her at full speed before she toppled over!

So much has happened in the year we’ve lived here including a new grandson. We are thankful that God has been with us in this move and in settling down in our new environment. Looking forward to getting more settled in the years to come.