My sister Vera is in Seattle with us right now. I’ll be sharing more about our time, soon.
We’re off on another adventure. Hope you are seizing the day!
Author Archives: Ellen
Mother Theresa on Abortion~ My Five
Friday January 27th is the Right to Life March 2017 in Washington D.C. The theme is The Power of One. I’m one blogger who wants to bring attention to the march. I’m sharing this quote from Mother Theresa and four more thoughts.
- “But I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child – a direct killing of the innocent child – murder by the mother herself. And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another? How do we persuade a woman not to have an abortion? As always, we must persuade her with love, and we remind ourselves that love means to be willing to give until it hurts. Jesus gave even his life to love us. So the mother who is thinking of abortion, should be helped to love – that is, to give until it hurts her plans, or her free time, to respect the life of her child. The father of that child, whoever he is, must also give until it hurts. By abortion, the mother does not learn to love, but kills even her own child to solve her problems. And by abortion, the father is told that he does not have to take any responsibility at all for the child he has brought into the world. That father is likely to put other women into the same trouble. So abortion just leads to more abortion. Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching the people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want. That is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion. ”
~ Mother Theresa
2. Today as a woman I cannot stay silent on this issue. I agree wholeheartedly with Mother Theresa! My choice is to speak up now and stop sticking my head in the sand on this issue.
3. I have heard from dear women who were lied to about the need to abort their babies and have suffered deeply because of it.
4. This act is not a good choice for women. For many it’s a hard choice, very hard, but it’s not a good choice. It will not bring peace to the situation. It will haunt you forever. Give your dear baby up for adoption over abortion. This choice will go well for you.
5. Dear one, If you have already aborted a baby in your past please know that God loves you and offers forgiveness and peace to you, too. This peace comes through what Jesus did for us on the cross. He died for all our failings and poor judgement and offers peace with God through forgiveness of our sins. Choose this life with God through his dear son Jesus Christ and enjoy his peace and love and joy.
So thankful that these and many more were not aborted but were allowed to be born and thrive albeit with struggles and challenges along the way.
Linking up for Five on Friday with Amy at Love Made My Home and Friday’s Fave Five with Susanne at Living to Tell the Story.
The Getty
When Dear and I arrived in Southern California and drove north to Oxnard from the Long Beach airport I took this photo of the Getty museum on the hill close to the Wilshire area of West Los Angeles. Little did I know I would enjoy the museum with our oldest kids, my sister, sister in law and grand niece.
On Tuesday night Josh and Laura asked if I wanted to go along with them to the Getty on Wednesday. My sister Vera had taken the day off so it worked out for all four of us to travel north from Orange County together.
My sister in law, Kelly, nannies her granddaughter Ellie and they joined us at the museum.
As one of my facebook friends said, Josh and Laura make the Getty look good.
Ellie really took to her cousin once removed.
I really enjoyed this painting so I took some close-ups of the bottom and top of the painting.
This painting will be familiar to many. Irises by Vincent van Gogh.
Josh and Ellie enjoying more masterpieces.
One of a few Monet’s at the museum.
Supreme carving skills in this portrait were amazing.
There is so much to enjoy at The Getty so I would encourage multiple trips. Here are links to my other trips to The Getty.
We enjoyed a meal at a cafe on the grounds with so many great choices. Entrance to the museum is free and you only have to pay to park. J. Paul Getty (1892-1976), was an art collector and businessman who used his fortune to create an institution dedicated to the diffusion of cultural knowledge.
By the Sea Hodgepodge
1. “The cure for anything is salt water-tears, sweat, or the sea.” (Isak Dinesan) Would you agree? Of the three, which has ‘cured’ you most recently?
I know I enjoy a walk along the seashore and find it refreshing and exhilarating. In the last 12 days I’ve enjoyed several days at the beach. A beach house rental, a beach side wedding, a walk on the pier at Huntington Beach, breakfast on the beach at the Beachcomber in Crystal Cove. I marveled at the waves, the ebb and flow, the tides, the power of the sea. Most of all I was in awe of our God who keeps all of this under control.
2. What’s something you can’t eat without salt? Do you normally salt your food a lot, a little, or not at all?
I do not like oatmeal when it’s not salted in the cooking process. I enjoy salt to enhance the taste of most anything. I really enjoy salted sunflower seeds. When I was in the first or second grade I was hospitalized because of a kidney infection. My salt intake was totally restricted and I had to drink several glasses of water a day. A Sunday tradition in my family was to stop by a street vendor who sold sunflower seeds across the street from our church. They sold the seeds in small brown paper sacks. Plain, salted, and pumpkin seeds, too. We made a mess as a family enjoying those seeds on a Sunday afternoon. It was torture for me when I couldn’t enjoy those seeds on the Sundays during my infection.
3. Sands of time, bury your head in the sand, built on sand, or draw a line in the sand…which sandy phrase could best be applied to something in your life right now?
I can typically be a bury your head in the sand person but lately I’m ready to draw a line in the sand especially when it comes to being politically correct. The major thing that I will not stay silent on is the killing of unborn babies. This is not a good thing for women and I think too many are haunted by this act that they have been deceived about.
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.”
4. A favorite book, movie, or song with an island setting or theme?
I asked Dear for his answer to this question and he came up with Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’dell. Since we were just on the California Coast with views of the Channel Islands where the setting of this book might have been. I’ll give this question and answer to Dear.
A story of survival, based upon the true story of a girl who was left upon an island near the coast of Southern California. She lived there for 18 years, alone. While she waited for rescue, she kept herself alive by building shelter, finding food, and fighting her enemies–the wild dogs.
5. Yesterday-did you run your day or did it run you? How so?
Another timely question. I’m answering these questions on Tuesday so yesterday was Monday the 23rd of January. I was totally in the hands of others for the run of my day. It was my last full day in Southern California and I was staying with my sister in Huntington Beach. I attended a memorial service for a good friend’s mother and then spent the rest of the day and evening with this friend and her family and two of my sisters. We had a meal together and spent time reminiscing about our families and the times we had with each other.
This is me with the children of Mrs. Kaluzny. Heidi has been a dear friend since 1969 and her younger brother George was dear to me, too.
6. You’re on an island holiday. Will I most likely find you parked in a beach chair, shopping in town, on the back of a jet ski, or snorkeling off the back of a catamaran?
My island holiday would be in Washington State instead of the tropics so I might be kayaking or rowing and also finding good restaurants and shops to enjoy.
7. What do you think we humans most take for granted?
I think we take tomorrow for granted. We don’t know if we’ll be here tomorrow or what tomorrow holds. We also don’t know if our loved ones will be here tomorrow. We need to seize the day and be present in the day and know who holds our future in His hands and trust Him.
8. Insert your own random thought here.
It’s so good to spend time with friends and family but it’s always good to come home again to get my bearings. Eleven days in beds that are not my own make me really appreciate my own home and bed and space. I hope to be making long overdue visits to your blogs now that my feedly is working again.
Thank you to Joyce for asking the questions. Click over to From This Side of the Pond to see more answers or join in.
Back Again…
Dear and I arrived in Los Angeles and hit the L.A. freeways to our old stomping grounds in Camarillo. The rain that California has been enjoying has greened up the hills. Traffic is same old same old. The freeway trip up the 405 and on to the 101 (Ventura Freeway) went well and we got through Thousand Oaks and started the descent into Camarillo.
A couple of our favorite restaurants were closed since we lived in Camarillo from 2006-2010. One of our favorites was still open so we stopped in for lunch. We recognized a few wait staff that were still working there. We stopped at Establos Market (another favorite from years past) and bought some fresh made salsa and guacamole to enjoy at our beach house rental. After enjoying the weekend festivities that we flew to California for and after we checked out of the beach house on Monday and before we headed south into Los Angeles again we met up with Willow from Willow’s Cottage.
These are Willows photos of our time together. She gifted us some of her hand knit items for our little Addy. It was so good to catch up with my walking buddy from our Camarillo days. Thank you Willow for the beautiful gifts and the time we had to catch up on life.
I am finally home again after being away since January 13th. It feels so good to be in my own home with Dear. I still have so much to share from my time in California.
Beach Days Oxnard
Our family rented a beach house in Oxnard, California to be in closer proximity to a wedding and baby shower we would be attending in Goleta, and Santa Clarita, California. All four couples had their own room and we had 3 bathrooms to make it easy to get ready for our events. We also had a full kitchen.
The house was a short block to the beach. Dear and I arrived before our kids so we took a walk to the beach to get our first look at Pacific waves in a long time.
On this evening a couple of the Channel Islands were visible on the horizon.
The sunset was beautiful with nice views from the upper decks of the house. This was Friday evening. On Saturday we were busy getting ready for and helping at the wedding venue so there was no time for a beach visit.
On Sunday morning we pulled together a breakfast for all of us and for my brother’s family who were staying close by. After breakfast and before we got ready for the Baby shower for Addy we all walked to the beach and enjoyed some fun in the sun. Some braver souls took a plunge in the cold winter Pacific waters.
My brother and his family left the beach house to head to the airport flying back to Dallas and the rest of us got ready and headed east for Addy’s baby shower that the women enjoyed and the guys headed to a shotgun range. Fun times for all.
We all checked out of our beach house on Monday the 16th and headed in different directions. Four of our kids flew home on Monday Dear flew home on Tuesday and I stayed on at my sister’s in Huntington Beach. Josh and Laura stayed most of the week and flew home on Friday braving the rain soaked freeway to Los Angeles International Airport.
I’ve been able to enjoy two more glorious days at two different beaches and a day at the Getty Museum while I’ve been in southern California. When I get back to the Seattle area on Tuesday I’ll finish posting about my days here. The rain has been persistent here especially on Friday and today. Streets have turned into rivers. There have been several flash flood warnings in the Los Angeles Basin especially in areas that suffered fires recently.
This collage shows some mild images compared to what we’ve seen since. Looking forward to catching up with your blog posts when I get back to my own space up north! Blessings.
Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.
Sorrowing I shall be in spirit,
Till released from flesh and sin,
Yet from what I do inherit,
Here Thy praises I’ll begin;
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood;
How His kindness yet pursues me
Mortal tongue can never tell,
Clothed in flesh, till death shall loose me
I cannot proclaim it well.
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.
O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.
Words by Robert Robinson, 1758
Sweet Baby Addy
My nieces gave a baby shower for Dan and Jamie’s Sweet Baby Addy while we all were in California on Sunday January 15th. This day happened to also be Jamie’s birthday. We celebrated our newest Daughter in law and our sweet baby Addy on the way.
Our niece Michelle hosted the shower at her home and had help from our nieces Debbee, Melissa, and Kristin. Michelle has a candle business called All Good Things Candles and she made candles for us all to take home as baby shower favors.
Before the shower started it was good to get a photo of the Bayles with cousin Annie. Dear has one brother who has three daughters. Annie was able to be at the shower her mom Christina. Christina is catching up a bit with Dear in the next photo and with our daughter Katie.
Our newest grandniece Ellie came to the shower with her daddy, our nephew Timothy.
Before the shower began we got a photo of the guys heading off for a Shotgun adventure at a local gun range.
Michelle’s yard and tables were set up with all the perfect touches for the shower. Jamie has decided on an elephant theme for Addy’s nursery.
My nieces and sisters made piroshky earlier in the week. Three different fillings meat, potato, and cabbage that we all enjoyed. My mother would be so proud! We had great salads on the side, too.
The day of the shower was Jamie’s birthday. My nieces honored her day with a candle lit dessert that they tried to get to her before the wind blew out the candle. Just watching the effort to keep that candle lit was hilarious and fun!
We enjoyed watching little Eleanor/Ellie blowing bubbles in her drink.
We took a photo of each person and their gift with Jamie. The sun was shining but it was a very cold breezy day. It was nice to have the blankets to drape over our shoulders.
This was one of my many gifts for this first granddaughter of ours.
My sister Kathy made this elephant banner for our son Daniel when he was born and Jamie chose an elephant theme for our expected granddaughter so Dan’s elephants will be used for a pattern to make some new elephants for baby Addy and then they will use Dan’s elephants that my sister made in 1980/1981 on a mobile for Addy to enjoy.
Our daughters and nieces.
The Bayles’ side of the family. It’s a treat to get together with our family for celebrations. Our nieces did a wonderful job of honoring Dan and Jamie and our first grandchild. Thank you Michelle, Debbee, Melissa and Kristin. And…thank you to my sisters Vera and Kathy for the baking day to make the Piroshky! Thankful for each one who made the drive out to Michelle and Ryan’s. Thank you to our nephew Ryan for the great adventure he planned for the guys while us gals showered Jamie and Addy.
Not only was Jamie’s birthday on Sunday but our son Dan’s and nephew Lenny’s birthday was on Monday. Then on Thursday our son Josh celebrated his birthday at Disneyland with his cousins. Birthdays galore! My adventures continue down here in Southern California. Today my sister Vera and I are taking our dear old pop to one of his favorite restaurants for lunch. Later this evening those sibs who can will gather at my sister Vera’s for a birthday celebration for our brother Tim. His birthday is the 22nd. My feedly is not cooperating with me since I’m in a different domain so I’ll be catching up with you all when I get back to the Seattle area. For the record sunny southern California is having a bit of a identity crisis and acting more like Seattle with lots of rain and clouds. I’m listening to a constant heavy rainfall right now as I send this off to publish! I believe their drought might be officially over. Glad I got a good beach walk in yesterday…
The Greenhouse Reception
The party reception for Joseph and Hannah was held in a greenhouse on the Orchid Farm property. The greenhouse was transformed with many Turkish touches. Joseph and Hannah became interested in each other during Joe’s second semester in Istanbul as a leader and Hannah’s first semester in Istanbul as a student. I’m adding the long description of the course from Westmont College just to give you context into why Joe and Hannah embraced these Turkish touches on their marriage. (warning…photo overload in this post!)
During this semester you will live in Istanbul, aka Constantinople, a city that is of the past and of the future, of grace and grit, of culture and politics, of faith and skepticism. It is Eastern and Western, a modern megalopolis of 20 million people and one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It is both cultural capital of a developing Asian country and was chosen as Europe’s “city of culture” in 2010. Istanbul’s skyline is punctuated by medieval mosques and minarets while swish modern cafes and bars dominate its street life.
You will be encouraged to experience another culture from the inside, studying Turkish, navigating your way around the city and interacting with Turks on a daily basis. You will develop relationships with your neighbors and Turkish university students while also engaging with the city’s various minority and refugee communities.You will for a season become an urban person, and learn to be comfortable negotiating a foreign metropolitan landscape.
You will also experience what it means to live in community in a new way. Removed from familiar social, relational and religious support systems, all the while being confronted with some of the most challenging issues facing the world today, you will need to rely on each other.
There was assigned seating with place cards tied to a stalk of rosemary and sections of the long tables were assigned names of cities from around the United States and the World. You found your name under a city on the large board outside the greenhouse and then traveled about the tables to find your city and then find your name on the place card. We sat in the Seattle area next to Nuevo and Jerusalem. The head table and Joseph and Hannah’s spot was draped with a Turkish cloth below.
The most traditional, and most often consumed beverage in Turkey, Çay (black tea) is a staple upon which the Turkish societal system functions.
These traditional Turkish tea cups and saucers were chosen by Joe and Hannah for the wedding guests to enjoy tea in and then to take home as a wedding favor. The card in the glass explained, “In Turkey, Çay (tea) is offered when entering a home, after a meal, and over conversations. We wanted to extend this symbol of hospitality to you as you share in our celebration!”
Joseph and Hannah’s reception and wedding came about with many helping hands working together and now it was time to enjoy the rest of the afternoon and evening with good food, very good encouragement and glorious acknowledgement on what God has done for them and all of us.
My brother Steve, nephew Levi, and brother Leonard.
Kelly (mother of the groom) and our son Dan.
My dear old pop managed to walk the quarter mile from the wedding ceremony to the reception area with his cane and we sat him down at his spot at the head of the table with a large mason jar of lemonade. What a trooper he was this day.
Dear and my pop having good conversation.
Our niece Michelle with Jamie and Dan. (Dan is our second born son and Jamie is our DIL)
Our niece Debbee with Laura and Josh (Laura is our DIL and Josh is our first born son)
My brother (the father of the groom) and our niece Kristin.
Kelly, my brother Leonard and my sister Lana.
Obligatory selfie of the cousins! (not my photo I nabbed it) Several of the photos following were taken by others.
Niece Melissa, Michelle and our DIL Laura.
My sisters Kathy and Vera with my dear old Pop.
Family, upper right wacky sister with nieces shot, lower left is our Katie and Andrew, lower right niece Hope and grand niece Avery.
This Magnolia tree was such a beautiful backdrop for the celebration.
Cousins…
My dear old Pop and his descendants. The sisters are holding our tea glasses and saucers.
My siblings with our Pop.
Dzeda, my pop, with his grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Pop saying his goodbyes to the bride, his newest granddaughter.
The bride, groom with Josh and Laura.
The cake was gluten free and so delicious. After cake we took our leave and the party continued into the night. There were other desserts made by friends for the party, too. This next photo was taken by Joseph’s cousin Kyle Nessen who is an amazing photographer. It was a sparkling send off for the newlyweds!
May this marriage have a fair face and a good name,
an omen as welcomes the moon in a clear blue sky.
I am out of words to describe
how spirit mingles in this marriage.
And I am our of words to describe what a glorious day this was from the weather to the location, the food, the dancing and all the beautiful thought out details. May God bless you both with many good years on this earth Joseph and Hannah!
The Wedding of Joseph and Hannah
By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea. Dos Pueblos Orchid Farm is located in Goleta just north of Santa Barbara. It is a venue that can be rented for many different types of gatherings and it turned out perfect for a wedding.
Our nephew Joseph married Hannah last Saturday the 14th of January. Joseph is the youngest of four brothers. My brother Steve and SIL Kelly are his parents.
The majority of the guests rode a shuttle bus to the venue from a nearby elementary school. The walk to the wedding ceremony site was about a quarter mile from the reception area. After several days of rain and clouds in southern California Saturday’s weather was clear and warm with beautiful blue skies.
Our Washington Family really enjoyed soaking up the sunshine since we left Seattle in 20 degree weather. Dan and Jamie’s home in eastern Washington varied from 8 below to 15 degrees before they flew south.
Our dear old pop was so happy he could manage the trip and the time spent at the wedding. He got a special ride to the ceremony stage.
Before the Processional there was a reading of “The Marriage” by Rumi.
May these vows and this marriage be blessed.
May it be sweet milk,
this marriage, like wine and halvah.
May this marriage offer fruit and shade
like the date palm.
May this marriage be full of laughter,
our every day a day in paradise.
May this marriage be a sign of compassion,
a seal of happiness here and hereafter.
May this marriage have a fair face and a good name,
an omen as welcomes the moon in a clear blue sky.
I am out of words to describe
how spirit mingles in this marriage.
The procession began with Joseph walking to his parents and on to the platform.
Now the attendants (all 28 of them) two by two made their way to the platform.
Joe’s three brothers and their wives were part of the wedding party. Levi and Timothy with their wives in the upper photos and Caleb in the lower right photo. Caleb’s wife is in the lower left photo. Caleb was one of the best men so he is walking with one of the maid’s of honor. Two of Hannah’s sisters shared the maid of honor roll. Caleb and Joe’s best friend growing up shared the Best Man role.
It was now time for the cutest flower girl there ever was! Eleanor is Joe’s first niece and belongs to Tim and Jessica. She is our grandniece.
Here Comes the Bride! Hannah was escorted by her mother and father. When Hannah and Joe were hand in hand the families declared their support and the Officient asked everyone to refrain from taking photos. The Officient, Jim Wright led a semester in Istanbul from Westmont college that Joe was a part of as a student first and later as a leader. I’ll write more about that in my post about the reception. A Prayer began the ceremony, O Come, Oh Come Emmanuel and For the Beauty of the Earth were the unique songs that were sung and scripture readings from Numbers 13. That’s not a typo for those of you who are familiar with the book of Numbers in the Old Testament. The personal Homily, vows, and exchanging of rings and declaration of marriage wrapped things up!
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Bagdanov were introduced and the recessional signaled the time I could turn my camera on again.
My brother’s family.
Dzeda Bagdanov with Joe and Hannah.
I didn’t take this photo and I’m not sure who to give credit to but it is a gorgeous shot!
I’ll be sharing the reception photos soon and all the unique details that Joseph and Hannah chose and why.
Congratulations Joseph and Hannah! Your wedding was a joy to attend and one that will not be forgotten!
Dear is home now and I’m still in California for another week. I’m staying with my sister Vera. She’s getting a new internet company on Friday with speedier connections so it should be easier for me to post. This post has taken me a very long time. Besides the beautiful wedding that will take another post or two my nieces had a baby shower for Jamie on Sunday which was so much fun. Our Addy was showered with love and gifts and delicious food. I have the beach house and beach time to share and now I’m getting in sister time and more time with my dear old pop. On Monday I’ll be attending a memorial service for a friend’s mother from the Russian Baptist church we were part of in the 60’s and 70’s. Dear says it’s raining in the Seattle area.
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 