Author Archives: Ellen

Keep it Corny Hodgepodge

For the Wednesday Hodgepodge I’m going to try to keep it corny and light today just for the fun of it. Thank you to Jo From This Side of the Pond for her faithfulness in coming up with the questions. I’m thankful for you dear Jo!

1. It’s Thanksgiving week in the US of A so let’s talk turkey. And by turkey I mean the elephant in the room because it’s still 2020 and our blogs are a record of sorts of the times in which we live.

Do you live in a state (or if you’re outside the US, a country) that’s instituted restrictions on the size of gatherings in your own home? What do we think about this? (keep it classy folks)
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Yes, we live in a very blue state and the guv likes to spread his wings on his hope to reach the White House some day.
Just 11 days before the Thanksgiving holiday, indoor social gatherings outside of someone’s household are prohibited.
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We are having a small gathering with just our family members (not just our household) and maybe three other young healthy folks who have no family in this area.
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The fun notice we received yesterday via social media is that our Steven’s Country Sheriffs office made an announcement that they will no way no how answer calls from anyone wanting to report neighbors who are having a gathering.

2. Let’s move in a cheerier direction. Will there be corn on your holiday dinner menu? How so? Cornbread-corn pudding-corn chips and dip-cornbread dressing/stuffing-corn chowder-or regular canned, frozen or fresh corn in a bowl…which of the ‘corns’ listed is your favorite?

As cute as all these corny postcards are we do not traditionally add any corn dishes to our Thanksgiving meals. I do remember a corn casserole that our friend Jan brought a time or two to our Thanksgiving gatherings on the West side of the mountains which was delicious!

3. What is there a cornucopia of in your home, job, or life currently? “An abundant supply of good things of a specified kind.”

Because of the age of our dear grandchildren we have an abundant supply of love and hugs and fun with them. And we have had a abundant supply of loved ones who have visited and stayed overnight or a week or two at our country bungalow in the midst of…you know what, with no ill effects! Thank you, Lord!

4. Have you ever quit something (such as a habit, a food, a time-sucker, a relationship) cold turkey? Is there something you need to quit cold turkey?

Yes and Yes. That’s all your getting…LOL!

5. Share a favorite verse, quote, saying, or song lyric relating to gratitude. 

Psalm 103: 1-5

 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
    and all that is within me,
    bless his holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
    who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit,
    who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Keeping with the corny theme. 🙂

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who live in the USA!

No Place Like Home

We moved into our current home September of 2018 and we were so thankful for all the help we had from our children. We moved from the big city to the country.

I’m joining Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage for a weekly blog carnival called No Place Like Home. Here’s an explanation of what it involves…

So, I will get the party rolling on Monday, November 23. Like other years, everything pertaining to Home is welcome… Cooking and baking, recipes, antiquing, arts and crafts, crocheting/knitting, quilting/sewing, collections, floral arranging, home decor, homemaking tips, hospitality, refinishing furniture, tea time, tablescapes, thrift shopping, etc….Maybe there’s a new baby in the family or you have a new fur baby you would like to introduce us to. They are welcome too! Anything and everything which makes your HOME more enjoyable to come HOME to, for your family, your friends, and yourself. 

So on this first Monday of the party I’m going to share  a few Thanksgiving tables from the past. Our Canadian neighbors celebrated Thanksgiving several weeks ago. This is Thanksgiving week in the United States. Thanksgiving day is Thursday November 26th. I won’t be hosting Thanksgiving at our Country Bungalow this year but we will be celebrating with family. The following tables are from our previous home.

Thanksgiving 2012

Thanksgiving 2013

Thanksgiving 2015

Not exactly sure what year the table collage above is from but I know it’s in our Kenmore home and not our current home.

Thanksgiving 2019 and our Grandson’s first Thanksgiving.

And our granddaughter is a pro already with putting the marshmallows on top of the candied yams!

The turkey at our Country bungalow 2019.

The First Thanksgiving 1621~Historical America, Homer Laughlin China Co., Made in U.S.A. I found this platter at a thrift store.

Thank you to Sandi for hosting No Place Like Home.

For those of you who live in the U.S.A. what are your plans for Thanksgiving? It will look a lot different for many of us but it can still be filled with gratitude, love and joy.

I Worship Thee, Most Gracious God ~ Hymn

I Worship Thee, Most Gracious God

I worship Thee, most gracious God,
And all Thy ways adore;
And every day I live, I seem
To love Thee more and more.

When obstacles and trials seem
Like prison walls to be,
I do the little I can do,
And leave the rest to Thee.

I have no cares, O blessèd Will,
For all my cares are Thine;
I live in triumph, Lord, for Thou
Hast made Thy triumphs mine.

He always wins who sides with God;
To him no chance is lost;
God’s will is sweetest to him when
It triumphs at his cost.

Ill that He blesses is our good,
And unblest good is ill;
And all is right that seems most wrong,
If it be His sweet will.

Words: Frederick W. Faber, 1849.

Ever Lovin Saturday…

Looking back to some photos dating back to 2009. Our daughter at Forest Lawn in Glendale. Hoping we all can travel to the end of the maze we are on and come out better than we were before. If you find yourself in Southern California sometime in the future a trip to Glendale Forest Lawn will afford you lots of great art.

The statue of David with a little perspective on just how huge it is.

Indeed!

These 5 photos are just a taste of what you can see.

Hope you all have a great Saturday.

Organizing

We have a room off of our Master Bedroom that we have used for storage. On Thursday Dear assembled two storage shelves that we added to this space and then we re-organized the space. It is going to work so much better for us. This room stores all our holiday bins, suitcases, tablecloths, cloth napkins, etc.

At this time the only place we have good reception to talk on our cell phones is our laundry room. Our cell phones are our primary and only phone service we have at this time.

We did a little re-organization and added this comfy chair into our laundry room and it makes me happy even if it overcrowds the room. Now I can sit comfortably and talk away. Enjoy the luxury you might have of talking in any room of your home!

Truth from A to Z ~ K is for…

This Thursday we have reached the letter K in the alphabet. Remember that we will be skipping next Thursday since it is Thanksgiving. We will resume on Thursday the 3rd of December.

Share your verse/verses for the letter K in the comments or on your blog and I will add your choices to the post. Thank you so much.

K is for Kindness: Titus 3:3-7 (ESV)

 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

From Cheryl: King of Kings: Revelation 19:11-16

Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He [e]had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in [f]fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a [g]sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

From Vera: Keeps Known

“No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭3:6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

From Maristella: Knowledge

“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness,* knowledge*; and to *knowledge*, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.”
2 Peter 1:5-7

From Bethany: Check out here post on her blog, Raindrops and Rainbows.

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

From Patsystitch: Kindness

Isaiah 54:10 (Eternal Covenant of Peace)
For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from you, nor my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the Lord, who has mercy on you.

From Happy One: Keeper

 Psalm 121:5 The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.

So many great verses for the letter K. Thank you everyone. May God’s Word build you up and carry you through the week.

Happiest Place on Earth Hodgepodge

Three of our nieces, our son Josh and daughter in love, Laura at Disneyland in January of 2020 before the lockdowns. Happy Birthday Mickey!
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1. It’s Mickey Mouse’s birthday (November 18)…happy birthday Mickey! He reads here, right? Have you ever been to Disney, any of the parks at all?
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Yes, I’ve been to Disneyland in Anaheim. I was there shortly after it opened in 1955. I was there with my whole 9th grade class for a graduation from Junior High excursion. Went there on school busses. That would have been in 1965. I still have part of a ticket book from when rides were classified as A,B,C,D,E.  The E ticket was for the best rides and where the saying “e ticket”, the ultimate of thrills, came from.
Dear and I were there before we were married.
We took our kids there in the 80’s and 90’s and they’ve gone on their own now that they are adults.
I’ve also gone a couple times on my own with my extended family as an adult.
1986 with our two sons and Katie was a wee babe and slept a lot on this Disneyland adventure.
1995 Me with my sisters, our mom, my nieces and daughter, Katie.
2009 with our niece and grandnephew.
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Are you a Disney superfan or something less than that?
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I’m a fan of all the great memories but not a superfan.
Some of these loved ones are superfans!
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They’re open right now so tell us, would you go if you had the time/money/a free trip?
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I wouldn’t go until the mask mandates were lifted. Once that happens (please Lord) we’d love to experience Disneyland with our grandchildren. We were actually planning a trip to Disneyland for March of 2021 but we have cancelled those plans.
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2. Your favorite place to go when you want to be quiet as a church mouse?
Anywhere that there is no artificial noise.
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Would those who know you well describe you as more church mouse or perhaps more like mighty mouse?
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“Here I come to save the day, that means that Mighty Mouse is on the way…”
I’m neither a church mouse or a mighty mouse. Somewhere in between. I have had my “mighty mouse” moments in protecting my loved ones through the years.
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3. The day before Mickey’s birthday happens to be National Homemade Bread Day. Did/will you celebrate? Do you bake your own bread? Last time you had hot out-of-the-oven homemade bread? What’s your favorite kind of bread?
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I love good fresh bread of any variety. Last night we were at our Colville kids’ home and we enjoyed fresh rolls and the Instant Pot potato soup our daughter in law made. Both the rolls and the soup were delicious.
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4. What’s something you might say is ‘the greatest thing since sliced bread‘?
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I know I’m going to be saying “why didn’t I think of that?” when I read your answers. For now I’m going with remote controls. I do remember when we had to get up and go to the TV to change channels. Mind you there were only a very few channels back then.
And Dear just said, “how about luggage with wheels”?
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5. Let’s keep the gratitude theme we started last week rolling on through November. Share with us five little things you’re grateful for today. Small blessings. One catch-they all must start with the letter T. Gotta keep us thinking, right?
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Time with my family and friends.
Tall people at the grocery store when I need something at the back of the top shelf.
Trees, tall trees, tiny trees, trees that I can see from my windows.
Towels, large fluffy (but not too fluffy) and absorbent.
Texts. I didn’t used to text but now I really am a fan for keeping in touch with loved ones, especially when they are on the road.
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6. Insert your own random thought here.
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We made a last minute trip to Spokane yesterday for some electrical supplies Dear needs and we made stops at Costco, Home Depot, Hobby Lobby and At Home. We were relieved to see that people weren’t panic shopping because of the current mandates. We were even able to buy some Bleach wipes that were in stock but going fast.
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Thank you to Jo From This Side of the Pond for asking the questions!

It’ll Heal Before Your Wedding

Dear found this site, lingua junkie, that explains some Russian sayings/proverbs that we have found humorous.

They happened to have one of my favorites that I’ve quoted over the years.

До сва́дьбы заживёт.
English pronunciation: Do svadbi zazhivyot.
Literal meaning: It’ll heal before your wedding.
This idiom is used for cuts, bruises and other petty things that kids will cry about. Parents say this, because, you know, for kids – a wedding is still very much far off. Unless you’re arranged to be married at the age of 10, then that just sucks.
Vocab:
свадьба – svad’ba – wedding
зажить – zazhit – to heal
Do you have any favorite sayings or proverbs?

More Lockdowns…

We learned while we were at church this morning of the new lockdowns that our governor is instigating. We are concerned for the restaurants in our area and how they will survive this latest mandate. After church we headed to El Ranchito in Chewelah to support them with this next looming mandate. The above photo is on our drive home from Chewelah to Colville.

We will keep trying to buy local and keep our businesses afloat during this difficult time.

I would really enjoy a hot tub right about now as I’m sure many small business owners would enjoy, too.

In the meantime we will be thankful for all the luxuries afforded to us living in the country.

Here I sit pain free with all the comforts of home which makes me cry out to God for those we know right now who are suffering in hospitals, after surgeries, one with COVID and others enduring chemotherapy treatments and their side effects that are so painful. And another who will have a procedure on Monday. God almighty and the God of all comfort and to the God who heals I pray for Ruth, Tom, Barbara, Kristin and Melissa. Heal and hold and encourage each one.

Our Father who art in heaven…what a privilege to bring our requests to you…

No Man, nor Angel, Can Compare ~ Hymn

 

No Man, nor Angel, Can Compare

No man, nor angel, can compare
With our almighty Lord:
To speak like Him what seraph dare,
Or imitate His word?

Who can command the dead to rise,
With a prevailing power?
Who can pour light on sightless eyes?
The sick to health restore?

Whose word can fiends infernal tame;
Or furious winds control?
Unstop deaf ears; or cure the lame;
Or make the wounded whole?

One word from Jesus this performs,
And proves His power divine;
His breath can still the roughest storms,
Leviathan confine!

None else could expiate my guilt,
Nor save one soul from hell;
Not all the blood of mortals spilt
Since our first parents fell.

Jesus for me fulfilled the law,
And justice satisfied;
My guilt and misery He saw,
And for my ransom died.

Love such as His can ne’er be found,
His grace is rich indeed;
Such words as His there’s none can sound,
Nor do as Jesus did.

Words: Susanna Harrison, 1780