Author Archives: Ellen

My Birthday Hodgpodge

It’s just about time for Wednesday Hodgepodge. Joyce From This Side of the Pond asks the questions and we answer them. Here are the questions for Volume 344!

1. Best place you’ve been lately?

The best place I’ve been lately is under the same roof with our little grand watching all her new skills and quirks and expressions. We just returned home after spending four days with her and her dear parents.

2. What’s something you should say yes to today? Or this week? Or even this year?

Yes to letting things go and not regretting that I let them go.

3. Do you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in any way, shape, or form? If so tell us how. In Western cultures the color green is typically associated with jealousy, nature, good luck, and growth. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word ‘green’?

Some years I do set a St. Patrick’s Day table and most years we enjoy some corned beef and cabbage.

The first thing that came to my mind on the subject of green was my kitchen. Our home has many shades of green in it and on it’s exterior, too. We happen to live in the Evergreen state and Seattle is the Emerald city we are happily surrounded by all kinds of green year round.

4. What’s a product or service you love so much you’d happily be their spokesperson? Tell us what makes you such a fan.

I can highly recommend Grace to You and their daily broadcasts and sermon archives. The faithfulness of John MacArthur in teaching the truth of the Bible verse by verse makes me a fan. Dependable, consistent, accurate handling of the Word of God is the best resource to have for life.

While we were at Dan and Jamie’s they pulled out their super duper butter mill to spread on hamburger buns before grilling the buns. We were really impressed with the ease of spreading butter using one of these mills. Here’s what they look like. If you use real butter I would highly recommend one of these gadgets.

5. March 14th is Pi Day. How are your math skills? What’s the last thing you did that required math of any kind? And most importantly do you like pie? What’s your favorite kind? With ice cream, whipped cream, or please hold the cream?

March 14th happens to be my birthday and this year I’m turning 67. How did that happen? I do have some math skills and I had to use those skills to figure out how old I was turning this year.

Berry pies are my favorite kind of pie or fresh strawberry and fresh peach.  Al a mode or as my pop would say “pie alamo” is good for the berry pies and the fresh pies require nothing on top for me.

I do NOT like Cherry pie. The texture of the cherries in cherry pie do not appeal to my palate. When I was young one of my aunts served cherry pie and I took a bite and did not like it. She made me eat the whole piece anyway even though it made me gag. Ever since then I’ve turned my nose up and refuse to eat cherry pie. For that reason and many others I did not like this aunt. Just typing this makes me realize I need to talk to God about my ill feelings toward her and forgive her in my heart since she died several years ago.

Boysenberry pie was probably the first kind of pie I had growing up from Knott’s Berry Farm in Southern California. My mother did not bake pies when I was young or even into my teen years.

This is a photo that I love of my parents from Knott’s Berry Farm taken sometime in the 1950’s.  Knott’s Berry Farm was one of the very few places we ever ate out as a family. We enjoyed their popular fried chicken dinner with their famous boysenberry pie for dessert. A very special treat for all of us.

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

Thanking God for another year in the books and for what this new year holds for our family. Lots of changes are coming and I pray that things will move along smoothly.  Asking God to provide the right home and the strength to make this big move. Also asking God to lead and guide our youngest and her hubby as he completes his degree in June and he looks for a job somewhere in these United States which will mean a move and a new place to live for them, too. Moving is the theme for the majority of our immediate family in 2018.

An update on my dear old pop. He is spending more of his day in bed these days. His eyesight has deteriorated enough that he can no longer read his Bible or do his jigsaw puzzles. He has got to be so bored! Hopefully he will have his major heavenly move this year, Lord willing.

All the Way My Savior Leads Me ~ Hymn

Sunday-Banbury 053All the Way My Savior Leads Me

All the way my Savior leads me;
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy,
Who through life has been my guide?
Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort,
Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well;
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well.

All the way my Savior leads me,
Cheers each winding path I tread;
Gives me grace for every trial,
Feeds me with the living bread.
Though my weary steps may falter,
And my soul athirst may be,
Gushing from the rock before me,
Lo! A spring of joy I see;
Gushing from the rock before me,
Lo! A spring of joy I see.

All the way my Savior leads me
O the fullness of His love!
Perfect rest to me is promised
In my Father’s house above.
When my spirit, clothed immortal,
Wings its flight to realms of day
This my song through endless ages—
Jesus led me all the way;
This my song through endless ages—
Jesus led me all the way.

Words: Fanny Crosby

Birthday Month

In less then two weeks our little grandgirlie turns 1 year old! She loves her veggies and whole grain noodles.

Growing up is tiring.

It’s time to make the trip over the mountains to see all her new skills in person.

My answers to my random questions from yesterday…

1. God has decided to send you on a Mission trip, where are you going and why?

Russia because that’s where both my parents were born which makes me 100% Russian. I understand a little Russian and can speak some…not much intelligently. Everyone including Russians need Jesus as their Savior.

2. You have a free afternoon to read uninterrupted. Where would you choose to read?

I would choose to read in a comfy corner by a fireplace with a window view close by.

3. If you were stuck in an elevator for over an hour what music would you want playing while you were stuck?

I think I’d want the comfort of some good Worship music playing.

4. You have to travel from the west coast to the east coast of your country, what 5 cities would you want to spend time in?

I’ll take the northern tier of our states and choose:

Missoula, Montana
Grand Marais, Minnesota
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Newport, Rhode Island
Rockport, Maine

Pancakes Today…

…no Hodgepodge tomorrow. I know some of you really enjoy the Wednesday Hodgepodge but Joyce is taking this week off and we’ll have to wait till next week for some new questions. In the meantime you can click over to Mennonite Girls Can Cook for a Yogurt Pancake Recipe I posted today.

Since we don’t have our regular Hodgepodge Questions why don’t you answer these next 4 random questions in comments.

Now here are my 4 random questions:

1. God has decided to send you on a Mission trip, where are you going and why?

2. You have a free afternoon to read uninterrupted. Where would you choose to read?

3. If you were stuck in an elevator for over an hour what music would you want playing while you were stuck?

4. You have to travel from the west coast to the east coast of your country, what 5 cities would you want to spend time in?

I’ll post my answers tomorrow.

We have sunshine today. I’m hoping to get out into it.

A Royal Tea

On Saturday I met up with our DIL Laura’s family to celebrate her Grandma Wilma’s 95th birthday. Laura made reservations for the seven of us at a new to us tearoom in downtown Bothell, Graham’s Royal Tea. Laura and her sister-in-law, Lisa, are flanking Grandma Wilma who had the royal chair and crown for the day.

Grandma Wilma has four daughters and a son. Three of the daughters including our Laura’s mom were at the tea. One of Laura’s aunts lives in Colorado and was not in town for this regal event. Wilma’s son lives in Australia. There was a room where you could choose hats and boas to wear. My mink Fascinator kept falling off my head.

I was very happy to be invited to come and celebrate, too. Doesn’t Wilma look fabulous at 95?

We all had a very nice time and enjoyed the savories and sweets on our three tiered servers. We are planning to return to this tearoom in the future. Thank you Wilma for inviting me along to enjoy your Royal Celebration. God bless you dearly.

And Can It Be That I Should Gain ~ Hymn

And Can It Be That I Should Gain

And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

’Tis mystery all: th’Immortal dies:
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine.
’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.
’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;
Let angel minds inquire no more.

He left His Father’s throne above
So free, so infinite His grace—
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race:
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

Still the small inward voice I hear,
That whispers all my sins forgiven;
Still the atoning blood is near,
That quenched the wrath of hostile Heaven.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Words: Charles Wesley, 1738.

Weekend Roundup “I”

Weekend Roundup “I”~  Starts with “I.”  A Favorite.  Inside.

1. Starts with “I”.

Iwo Jima starts with I. The anniversary of the Flag raising at Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima is on February 23rd. I visited the monument in D.C. in 1970 for the first time. I was nineteen in this photo.

img316-0012. A favorite: Our day in St. Ives, England in September of 2013 with our oldest and his wife.

2013-09-18 St6As I was going to Saint Ives,
I crossed the path of seven wives.
Every wife had seven sacks,
Every sack had seven cats,
Every cat had seven kittens,
Kittens, cats, sacks, wives,
How many were going to Saint Ives?

2013-09-18 St4

St. Ives sunny 0263. Inside:

Inside the heart of our home, the kitchen. Lots of activity happens around the kitchen Island.

Next weeks prompts: Starts with “J.”  A Favorite.  Joy.

Linking up with Tom The Backroads Traveller for Weekend Roundup.

Even though we had rain through our sleep hours the day dawned with no more sprinkles. Happy to run several errands without the need of a rain coat and all accomplished by the early afternoon. This weekend there are two events that are out of the ordinary and that I’m looking forward to. What are you looking forward to?

March Welcomes Daffodils

2014-03-01 daffodils1The Christian should be like those lovely spring flowers that, when the sun is shining, open their golden cups, as if saying, “Fill us with your beams!” ~ C.H. Spurgeon

daffodils 001

daffodils 008It’s time for this happy flower again.  These photos are from March of 2014.

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

William Wordsworth

Sisters wknd 076

My sisters in the “Host of Golden Daffodils” of Roozengaarde in Mount Vernon March of 2016.

March will also welcome the cherry blossoms at the University of Washington the week of March 19th or thereabouts. I changed my header with that hope.

We had a glorious day yesterday before the rains came in again last night. The sky was blue, the “Sound” was bluer and the sunshine warmed me through and through. Hope you all have a good Friday and 1st weekend of March!