Author Archives: Ellen

The Barn Collective

On our way home from a short road trip up to La Conner for lunch we took some back roads to the interstate. This is one of the barns we saw in Skagit County. And then we saw some fall friends just hanging out.

The fall colors are showing nicely here and there.

Ugh…my lower back has decided to go on strike and keep me from too much activity. Didn’t get to church this morning. Hoping to get some good relief soon. Hope y’all are doing well.

Linking up to the Barn Collective with Tom The Backroads Traveller. Thanks Tom!

He Giveth More Grace ~ Hymn

He Giveth More Grace

He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials he multiplies peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

words: Annie J. Flint (1866-1932)

Saturday’s Critters

On Friday we picked up our friend Beth and headed north to La Conner for lunch.

We had a window seat at Nell Thorn Restaurant and while we were eating Beth saw this beauty out the window and knew I’d want to take a picture of it.

I headed out on the patio area of the restaurant to take some photos. The heron headed down to this dock to get away from me.

We enjoyed conversation and some good food. On our way home we chose some roads less traveled. I’ll share some photos from our drive later.

Hope you all have a good Saturday and Happy Thanksgiving Weekend to our Canadian neighbors!

Linking up with Eileen for Saturday’s Critters.

Keep the Doors Open…

…they will come. You don’t need a fancy house or a paved driveway.

Just keep your door and mind open and available to who God will send your way.

Welcome them in and start the process of knowing and being known.

Cramped quarters can work.

We had our first evening of a new small group season last night. We knew we’d have 7 of us from our previous year returning again but we didn’t know who else might show up for our first meeting. We had 6 new people show up and they found our home without having to call for directions. We were happy to welcome them in.

We are singles, couples, older, younger and in between. A good mix of ages from very different life experiences. The common ground is we want to follow Jesus. It will be good to get to know each other, grow together, and pray for one another. It’s good to be heading in the same direction with others.

Today I’m thankful for small groups also called life groups, cell groups or when we first started with this idea of smaller groups of people meeting outside of the church building we called them fellowship groups or Bible studies. We are thankful to have a home and chairs for people to fill.

The Last Couple of Days:

Dear and I have worked very hard the last two days in our basement. We moved out things we aren’t using to the garage so we had to also work on the garage organizing storage. We moved around furniture and now the room looks like a comfortable bedroom instead of a catch-all room. We pulled out a very heavy office desk system since we don’t use the computer in the basement anymore. We took an extra office chair out to the street with a free sign on it and it was gone by the end of the day. From the garage we offered up a smoker and barbecue to anyone at our son’s business and we have takers for both. Today we’re taking an antique chair frame that we’ve moved around for 30 years (why?) to an antique restorer hoping he’ll just take it off our hands. We are serious about getting rid of stuff. Thankful our bodies are still working today.

Anybody else out there hosting a small group, attending a small group or downsizing?

I’m linking up to Michelle’s Thankful Thursday and tomorrow to Susanne’s Friday’s Fave Five.

Berry Pickin Hodgepodge

 
1.  Have you ever spent time on a farm?
Yes.
Tell us a little bit about it.
When I was young my family stayed with Russian farming friends in Central California. I did not enjoy the fresh milk from their cow. My family would also drive to different farms in southern California to pick fruit for my mom’s canning endeavors. The black and white above is of the whole family picking something, maybe berries of some kind. I can also remember picking sour cherries, about 40 pounds total when we were done. She would cook and can the cherries for a sweetener for tea. A favorite with my Russian relatives. As an adult when we were in England we enjoyed an afternoon on a farm picking raspberries, picture below.
This was in 1973 or 1974. In 2006 we stayed on a sheep farm in England (bed and breakfast) for a couple nights. We enjoyed the farm noises and the walks along the Derwent River that the farm was adjacent to.
Since being part of the Mennonite Girls Can Cook I’ve enjoyed times on a couple farms and at Farm markets in Abbotsford, B.C.
Have you ever grown your own pumpkin? Been on a hayride? Driven a tractor? Milked a cow?
no, yes, no, no…
I’m pretty sure I’ve been on a hayride somewhere but I can’t pull up the time and place.
2. What’s something younger you would like about you now?
 That I’m still smiling even though I don’t look like I did in that Berry picking photo with those cool shades.

3. What are three things you’d like to do more often? Three things you’d like to do less often?

Walk, read, and pray more often. Eat, b***h, jump to conclusions less often.

4. What’s on your nachos?

When I have them which isn’t very often, cheese, jalapenos, and diced Anaheim peppers.

5. What’s the most random thing in your purse or wallet? Does it need to stay there?

A tape measure might be the most random thing and it doesn’t need to stay there but it comes in handy when shopping for certain items that need to fit in defined or tight spaces.

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

Too cute not to share! She’s 6-1/2 months and this is her trusty furry friend Rayna.

Linking up to Hodgepodge Wednesday with Joyce From This Side of the Pond. She comes up with the questions and we answer them.

We are resuming our small group at our home on Wednesday night. It will be fun to see who shows up. Hope you all are having a good week.

Hello October

Update: So so sad and sorry to wake up to the horrible news about the shooting in Las Vegas last night. May God comfort those who lost loved ones and may He heal those who are injured. May he also heal those who have been traumatized even though they survived the carnage.

The trees and plants at this old house are beginning to show their autumn colors.

The blueberry bush…

The Forsythia

I saved the best for last. Our little Addy is enjoying new things this fall. She’s enjoying some solids like rice cereal, applesauce and just this past week she tried zucchini and gave it a thumbs up. She did not like banana. It made her gag. She is 6-1/2 months old and getting some good use out of her many bibs. She soon will be too big for her current car seat.

We had a quiet weekend. Our new senior pastor preached his first sermon this morning. We are looking forward to this new chapter in the life of our church. Our church will be celebrating it’s 50th anniversary in 2018 and in almost 50 years this is only our fourth pastor. That’s an impressive pastor history.

Speaking of 50 years, my graduating class from high school will be celebrating 50 years next October. A committee is planning the event and trying to locate as many Montebello High School class of 1968 graduates as possible. If you are reading this post and are a MHS class of 68 graduate there is a special email address for our reunion and you can give them your contact information there. mhs50.1968@gmail.com

 I’ll be linking up to Mosaic Monday with Maggie from Normandy Life.

O Precious Word ~ Hymn

O Precious Word

O precious word that Jesus said!
The soul that comes to Me,
I will in no wise cast him out,
Whoever he may be.
Whoever he may be,
Whoever he may be,
I will in no wise cast him out,
Whoever he may be.

O precious word that Jesus said!
Behold, I am the door;
And all who enter in by Me
Have life forevermore.
Have life forevermore,
Have life forevermore,
And all who enter in by Me
Have life forevermore.

O precious word that Jesus said!
Come, weary souls oppressed,
Come take My yoke and learn of Me,
And I will give you rest.
And I will give you rest,
And I will give you rest,
Come take my yoke and learn of Me,
And I will give you rest.

O precious word that Jesus said!
The world I overcame;
And they who follow where I lead
Shall conquer in My name.
Shall conquer in My name,
Shall conquer in My name,
And they who follow where I lead
Shall conquer in My name.

Words: Fanny Crosby, 1886.

The Art of Flora Forager

Our friend Bridget, well known as Flora Forager is an artist who uses petals and other natural elements to create her works of art.

Last Thursday evening I drove to Seward Park Audubon Center in Seattle for a book release celebration for Bridget’s second book, The Art of Flora Forager.

Our family and her family have been dear friends since 1984 when Bridget was a toddler. These are Bridget’s sisters.

The Audubon Center was the perfect venue for the book launch party. They have had her artwork on display for a while and were thrilled to host this event. Both her editor from Sasquatch Books and the directors of the Audubon Center expressed their delight that Bridget is a local Seattle artist which gave them access to her and her work.

The walls were covered with her creative foraged work.

Bridget put together her head wreath in the same way she creates her artwork.

Some of the Audubon’s taxidermy birds were part of the event.

This redbreasted sapsucker died and was found by Bridget’s sister Lucy on her property and the Audubon Center asked her to bring it in so they could preserve the body and mount it for educational purposes.

This collage is a small example of some of Bridget’s work. When Bridget is out and about in nature by herself or with her three young sons, she’ll “grab anything and everything I fancy, put it into my foraging sack, and bring it home to play around with.”

Bridget photographs her own work, too.

She and her husband call their urban cottage The Burrow because it feels like a hobbit hole. Much of my days are spent foraging for wildflowers in green areas of Seattle and playing with flowers on my kitchen table.

“Many of my Flora Forager pieces have come from my own garden, those of my dear friends, and my mother’s luscious old-world roses that she still cares for, though they now tower over her head.”

Our family is happy that Bridget has found a beautiful way to express her creativity and the world is noticing and enjoying it, too. Congratulations Flora Forager!

To see more of Bridget’s work, visit FloraForager.com or connect with her on Instagram @flora.forager.

I’ll link up with Eileen for Saturday’s Critters.

Thankful Thursday

I have two new recipes up on the Mennonite Girls Can Cook blog this week. The Rustic Potato Salad has been enjoyed already on three separate occasions at this old house and the Chicken Tetrazzini Soup is also a new favorite. It has just the right amount of creaminess and the lemon zest adds a wonderful finish.

Last night my son, daughter in love and I enjoyed a beautiful shirt sleeve night at Century Link field in Seattle at the Seattle Sounders Soccer game. It was especially fun for us since our Sounders finally won a game with a 3-0 shutout. We’ve been on a tying streak and then we lost our last game in Salt Lake City. Winning is a treat and spending time with these two brings joy to me.

In 2007 and 2008 I participated in a weekly meme called Thankful Thursday. Here’s one of my posts from October 17, 2007.

I Will Always Love Your Name

Here I am and I have come

To thank You, Lord, for all You’ve done

Thank You, Lord

You paid the price at Calvary

You shed Your blood, You set me free

Thank You, Lord

No greater love was ever shown

No better life ever was laid down

And I will always love Your name

And I will always sing Your praise

You took my sin, You took my shame

You drank my cup, You bore my pain

Thank You, Lord

You broke the curse, You broke the chains

In victory from death You rose again

Thank You Lord

and not by works, but by Your grace

You clothe me now in Your righteousness

You bid me come, You make me whole

You give me peace, You restore my soul

Thank you, Lord

You’re making me to be like You

To do the works of the Father, too.

written by Paul Oakley (copyright 1997 Kingsway Thankyou Music/PRs/EMI Christian Music Publishing

I’m still thankful and always will be thankful for Jesus and what he’s done for me.

I’m thankful for Dear and the family God has given us to love and enjoy and grow alongside.

I’m thankful for good food and the Mennonite Girls Can Cook who have become some of my nearest and dearest friends.

I’m thankful for good bloggy friends. Some of you I have met and some I haven’t met in person but I cherish you nonetheless. You have encouraged me, prayed for me and my family, entertained me, taught me, inspired me and made me laugh out loud. I’ve traveled to places I’ll never be able to go through your posts and I’ve enjoyed your adventures. I’ve grieved with some of you as you’ve said goodbye to your spouses ad other loved ones. I’ve also grieved the loss and miss posts from bloggers who have died. Blogging has been a good thing in my life, thank you Lord!

And on the lighter side of thankfulness. Thank you Lord for my enjoyment of soccer! 🙂

Linking up with Michelle at It’s a Small Town Life for Thankful Thursday and tomorrow I’ll link up with Susanne at Living to Tell the Story for Friday’s Fave Five.