Author Archives: Ellen

Giving and Receiving…

We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;

he chastens and hastens His will to make known;

We started with some appetizers. Really? Do you need appetizers at a Thanksgiving meal? Probably not so it’s good not to fuss over them.

The table is something I do like to spend time on. If this is not your thing don’t fuss over it either. The most important thing is having people around your table not what’s on the table.

We generally serve buffet style especially at Thanksgiving because we have way too many dishes to fit on the table and serve family style. When it’s just a family dinner it works fine to put all the dishes right on the table.

Did you notice, too, that there is nothing green on the plate? I gave up making salads for Thanksgiving years ago. There’s just not enough room on the plate for it. I just tell people to have a green smoothie for breakfast on Thanksgiving morning before they head over.

It’s wonderful when you can count on your guests to chip in with part of the meal. Thank you Beth for the desserts and Lana for the potatoes and turkey shaped butter!

We had a wonderful time from Thursday on. I will admit that I was dead Thursday evening. On Friday Lana, Laura and I made one short trip to Country Village in Bothell for a quick run through our 3 favorite stores. Just long enough to get a little shopping out of our systems. We dropped Lana off at home for her to continue her Christmas decorating with her new purchases. Laura and I headed to my house and suggested a meal out at our local Mexican hang out with the guys. They thought that was a great idea and it was nice not to have to cook or warm up another meal.

Because of our cookbook deadlines I made one more meal for my family to test on Saturday night. I’m happy to report it worked out great. All I have left to do is document the recipe for the book. My family might be sad when the recipes are all done and headed off to be edited.

After church today we helped Dan pack up and head back over the mountains. He made it home by 5:00 with clear roads and good weather. After we waved goodbye to Dan we jumped in the car and headed to friends for lunch. That was a nice unexpected treat after all the cooking in my kitchen this Thanksgiving weekend.

A few more days are left in the November Grace Challenge and I’m so grateful to God for family, friends, and food. I’m thankful we can share at our table. And when the dishes are cleared I’m thankful for a dishwasher that scrubs away and a friend that will scrub the items that can’t go in the dishwasher.

I Have a Song That Jesus Gave Me ~ Hymn

I Have a Song That Jesus Gave Me

I have a song that Jesus gave me,
It was sent from Heav’n above;
There never was a sweeter melody,
’Tis the melody of love.

Refrain

In my heart there rings a melody,
There rings a melody with Heaven’s harmony;
In my heart there rings a melody,
There rings a melody of love.

I love the Christ who died on Calv’ry,
For He washed my sins away;
He put within my heart a melody,
And I know it’s there to stay.

Refrain

’Twill be my endless theme in glory,
With the angels I will sing;
’Twill be a song with glorious harmony,
When the courts of Heaven ring.

Refrain

Words: Elton M. Roth, 1924.

HT: Jeremy Leffel Photography

Here and There…

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration with Dave, Beth, Jamie, Sarly, Raelynd, BIL Steve, my sister Lana, and our son Dan yesterday in the Pacific Northwest.  Our son Josh and Laura were celebrating with Laura’s family just a few miles away from us. Our daughter Katie called from their celebration with Son-in-law Andrew’s folks in the middle of Florida.

I nabbed this photo off facebook of part of my family enjoying their feast in Dallas, Texas. My sister Kathy’s family drove from Southern California to Texas to spend time with my brother Leonard’s family.

Then I nabbed this photo of my mom and dad enjoying their Thanksgiving feast with my sister Vera’s family in Huntington Beach, California. I really love that my dad has his napkin tucked into his waist. I can almost hear his voice and I know he is praising God and being thankful to Him for his family gathered around that table and scattered all over the U.S.

My brother Tim and SIL Letty joined them. My brother Steve’s family drove from Southern California to Arizona to celebrate with my SIL Kelly’s family. Dear’s brother Terry’s family celebrated in Fullerton, California.

Here there and everywhere we all joined in being thankful to God for all “he did to us” over the years!

Happy Thanksgiving to All in the U.S.A.

Psalm 28:7 ~

The LORD is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy
and I will give thanks to him in song.

Господь–крепость моя и щит мой; на Него уповало сердце мое, и Он помог мне, и возрадовалось сердце мое; и я прославлю Его песнью моею.

At our house all the usual suspects will arrive and we will eat traditionally with one or two surprises thrown in.

My 2009 sentiments remain the same for 2012, too. Hope you are all enjoying the many blessings that God has showered our nation with.

There and Back Again…

Last Friday afternoon Dear and I traveled to Chilliwack, B.C. and home again the same evening. Bev and Harv treated 12 of the Mennonite Girls and their husbands to a wonderful evening of delicious food and fellowship filled with lots of laughter.

Most of these photos were taken by Anneliese and Judy. Thank you girls for letting me use them in this collage. Dear and I had several offers to spend the night in Chilliwack but we had to return the same night because of Dear’s work obligations.

The main dish will be featured in our new cookbook. Our meal started with a lovely soup course, followed by a salad course, main course, and dessert of Chocolate Mousse pictured in the collage.

A huge thank you to Bev and Harv for hosting us and providing us with delicious food and opening the door to a night of laughter filled fellowship! We appreciated every minute of our time together!

I’m in preparation mode around here. Got all my meal shopping done yesterday. We might include a special breakfast in our day tomorrow since Thanksgiving dinner will not be until 4:00 P.M. tomorrow. We’re praying our son’s trip across the pass will be uneventful and that he’ll get here without delay on Wednesday night. Don’t be surprised if there is no new activity here for a while…

The Marine Birthday Ball ~ Oorah!

Our daughter and son-in-law attended their first Marine Birthday Ball last Friday in Wilmington, North Carolina. Last year during the ball Andrew was in Afghanistan. We are happy he is home this year to experience the fun celebration with Katie.

Day 19 of the grace challenge I am thankful for our son-in-law and his service to our country and for our daughter who supports him in his service. I am ultimately thankful to God for his protection of them.

My daughter was apologetic for not taking photos of the table scapes at the Ball. She said, “Sorry I missed the tablescapes and the food…tables were alternating red on gold(more mustard) and gold on red, with bows on chairs and napkins in alternating colors table by table. Ha! She knows her mother.

We are on the home stretch for our Thanksgiving Celebrations starting on Thursday. Today I’m making my lists! I know our Canadian neighbors celebrated Thanksgiving over a month ago. Are you preparing for Thanksgiving or are you preparing for Christmas?

Now the Year is Crowned with Blessing ~ Hymn

Now the Year is Crowned with Blessing

Now the year is crowned with blessing
As we gather in the grain;
And, our grateful thanks expressing,
Loud we raise a joyous strain.
Bygone days of toil and sadness
Cannot now our peace destroy,
For the hills are clothed with gladness
And the valleys shout for joy.

Refrain

To the Lord their first-fruits bringing,
All His thankful people come,
To the Father praises singing
For the joy of Harvest-Home.

In the spring the smiling meadows
Donned their robes of living green,
As the sunshine chased the shadows
Swiftly o’er the changing scene;
In the summer time the story
Of a riper hope was told;
Then the rich autumnal glory
Decked the fields in cloth of gold.

Refrain

Shall not we, whose hearts are swelling
With the thought of former days,
Sing a joyous song foretelling
Future gladness, fuller praise?
For the cloud the bow retaineth
With its covenant of peace,
That, as long as earth remaineth,
Harvest time shall never cease.

Refrain

Though the fig tree may not flourish,
Though the vine no fruit may yield,
Though the earth no flocks may nourish
In the fold or in the field,
Still our hearts will trust His power
Who the ravens stoops to feed,
And the hand that clothes each flower
Shall supply our utmost need.

Refrain

Words: Ellen T. Fowler

Downtown Seattle

On Wednesday afternoon we met Terry and Lovella at Boka in downtown Seattle for Happy Hour.

The food was all delicious but the company was better.

If you find yourself in downtown Seattle to shop let us know and we’ll meet you for Happy Hour.

Today Dear and I are headed north across the line to meet up with 6 of the MGCC girls and their husbands for dinner at Bev and Harv’s. Looking forward to this get-together. We’ll head north after Dear gets home from work. We will spend Saturday to recoup! What are your plans this weekend before U.S. Thanksgiving?

People Of Grace

Yesterday my brother shared a post about People of Grace in his life and it inspired me to do the same. He also noted these were “People God has deliberately put in your life”. The first people I thought of were my birth family and extended family.

Dear’s side of our family. (Photo by Jeremy Leffel)

My side or our family. (Photo by Jeremy Leffel)

Over the years different siblings have played a more significant role in extending me grace. For my “Washington” years my youngest siblings have been the most consistent grace givers in my life with lots of phone calls and touches in my life.

The next obvious grace giver in my life is my Dear.

I’m very thankful to God that my children have extended me grace over the years for my failures in parenting. They are a huge encouragement to me. (Photo by Jeremy Leffel)

Now I start looking outside my family circle and consider others along the way that God has used in my life and blessed my life with. Maybe they also were those who God used to sharpen me. Those who challenged me to become more Christ like by words and example. Of course these friendships only remain if that grace is extended both ways.

Some of my earliest good friendships started in junior high with Nanc and Judy. Just before Dear and I moved back to Washington I was able to reconnect with Nanc through Facebook and we got together a few times. I’m happy that God brought Nanc back into my life and we were able to fill in the gaps of what had happened to us over the last 40 years.

Heidi my best buddy from Bethany Baptist Church and Jeanie my best buddy from Cal-State L.A. Jeanie ended up marrying my cousin Jim. I love how God brought the 3 of us and our hubbies to a close friendship with each other.

When we moved to Washington away from both Dear and my families my dear friends and walking buddies Jan and Jody were the grace givers in my life. They became family to me.  We all attended the same church and we went on a few great vacations together. We supported each other through thick and thin and through a lot of suffering.

Our son Dan became best friends with this young man, Jamie, in grade school and through Dan and Jamie’s friendship a grace giving friendship was formed between Jamie’s parents and us.  Beth and Dave along with Jamie’s family will be joining us for our Thanksgiving celebration next week. Grace friendships are enduring friendships.

Most of my early and mid life friendships and encounters with Grace givers in my life came from junior high, high school, college, church friends, and neighbors. Now God has used another means to deliberately put people in my life. I’m still amazed at the friendships and grace givers God has given me through the internet.

My dear friend and walking buddy from Camarillo, Willow. We met through our mutual blogs and then were brave enough to meet over coffee in person. God had this friendship in mind for us and after that coffee meeting we walked regularly every week for the years Dear and I lived in Camarillo.  I miss my walking buddy and grace giver, Willow.

Another internet miracle of grace God has given me are the Mennonite Girls. God deliberately plopped me in the middle of this group of ladies. I’m thankful to God for these girls that have filled in the gaps of friendship for me. They are true grace givers and sharpeners in my life.

I have so many other bloggy friends that are gracious to me and encourage me. I’m thankful to God for using their words on their blogs to sharpen me and inspire me to be more Christlike. Pam, Cori, Karin, Rosemary, Pondside, Kathie, Sandy, Kathleen, Miss Debbie, Rosella, LaDonna, Karen, Elle, Lisa, Vee, Sara, Ann, Wendy, Jill, Pat, Gumbo Lily and more…thank you so much for sharing God’s grace in your lives and extending that grace to me.

A Bright Fall Table…

I used 2 different cameras for these table scape shots and you’ll be able to see the difference.

I bought the tablecloth at Target and set the table around it.

Josh and Laura were going to come over to help eat my latest test recipe for our new Mennonite Girls Can Cook book coming out next May.

A lot goes in to creating a cookbook. I’m glad I have 9 “sisters” to go through this process with.

It would be daunting to do a project like this on your own.

It was fun to put together things I’ve collected here and there to finish off the table setting.

Stemware, dishes, flatware and linens from antique malls, thrift stores, discount stores and on huge markdowns from major department stores rounded out the table.

We enjoyed a wonderful meal at this table with Josh and Laura. Everyone gave my recipe a thumbs up and I’ll be sharing the recipe in our new cookbook.

The day was cold, clear and sunny and it was fun to see how the sun added it’s brightness to the setting.

I’m looking forward to enjoying many more meals with family and friends in November and December. I find enjoying fellowship around food to be so satisfying. It feeds me physically and spiritually.

Yesterday I went shopping for a new pair of jeans and some boots. I forgot about Monday being a holiday and didn’t anticipate the crowds at the stores. Thankfully I had success. I find it difficult to find jeans that fit right and was happy to find some that will work and at a good discount. What did you do on our Monday Remembrance Day /Veteran’s Day holiday?