Author Archives: Ellen

That Pumpkin Time of Year…

 

The truth about me and pumpkin patches…

It’s all about the photos. I’m not fond of crowds and to arrive at a Pumpkin Patch with 10,000 10 school buses in the parking lot makes me wince. Have you seen the prices of pumpkins at Safeway? $1.99 and $4.99 for smallish and medium size pumpkins and there are a gazillion to choose from. I have to admit, though, the photo ops at Safeway were non-existent. Maybe, just maybe, since the weather has been dry here all week long and the mud will be in dry cake form I might try to make it to the pumpkin patch tomorrow. How about you…do you buy your pumpkins at your local market or do you trek out to the pumpkin patch? Do you make the trek even though you don’t have little ones to take along? Maybe you avoid pumpkins altogether…go ahead I’m listening.

Photobucket replaced all my photos with ugly black and grey boxes and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

Yard Art Spooks!

 

It’s that time of year when Yard Art becomes Ghoulish. We’ve been blessed with some beautiful weather this week in the Northwest so I finally took a long overdue walk and came across some Halloween yard art.

Click over to Work of the Poet to join in the fun. I decided to have my own fun with this collage, too…

Photobucket replaced all my photos with ugly black and grey boxes and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

My Reuben we’re calling Rebekah…

The traditional Reuben Sandwich is made with Corned Beef, sauerkraut, Swiss Cheese, Thousand Island dressing or Russian Dressing. This past weekend Dear wanted a Reuben sandwich. We had pastrami on hand so we decided to make our Reuben a Rebekah Sandwich. We hear a Rachel Sandwich substitutes Pastrami for Corned Beef and coleslaw for the sauerkraut. Here’s our tasty yummy good to the last bite Rebekah with Pastrami, Sauerkraut, Swiss Cheese, mustard, and Thousand Island Dressing. Another thing we decided to try was to heat the pastrami in the skillet with the Swiss on top and the sauerkraut on the side. When they heated through we loaded the bread and grilled it.

To see a different version of the Reuben Sandwich click over to Kathy’s on the Mennonite Girls Can Cook Blog.

 

A Stroll Down 1st Street ~ Ruby Tuesday

The city of Snohomish in Washington state is a great place to visit. I first became acquainted with Snohomish going to soccer games at Stocker Fields. We would drive down 1st street on our way to the fields and be tempted to stop. Last week I was headed to a pumpkin farm but never spotted the turn to get to it so I decided to pull into Snohomish instead. Here’s a few of the things I saw.

 

 

Off of 1st street there are stairs to take you down to a trail along the Snohomish River.

 

I wasn’t totally disappointed about not getting to the Pumpkin Patch after I saw these and then walked into the Snohomish Pie Company.

 

I took home an Apple-Berry Crumb pie and it was really good and the berries were ruby.

To see more Ruby Tuesday Posts visit Mary at Work of the Poet.

Photobucket replaced all my photos with ugly black and grey boxes and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

Stand Fast for Christ Thy Savior ~ Hymn

Stand Fast for Christ Thy Savior

Stand fast for Christ thy Savior!
Stand fast whate’er betide!
Keep thou the Faith, unstained, unshamed,
By keeping at His side;
Be faithful, ever faithful,
Where’er thy lot be cast,

Refrain

Stand fast for Christ thy Savior!
Stand faithful to the last!

Strong founded like a lighthouse,
That stands the storm and shock,
So be thy soul as if it shared
The granite of the rock.
Then far beyond the breakers
Let thy calm light be cast,

Refrain

Stout-hearted like a soldier,
Who never leaves the fight,
But meets the foeman face to face
And meets him with his might,
So bear thee in thy battles
Until the war be past,

Refrain

Stand fast for Christ thy Savior!
He once stood fast for thee,
And standeth still, and still shall stand
For all eternity;
Be faithful, O be faithful,
To love so true, so vast,

Refrain

Words: Walter J. Mathams, 1913

ht: cyberhymnal

Round Robin Photo Challenge ~ For A Song…

Pick a song you like, and give us your photographic interpretation of all or part of that song’s lyrics. You can either include the relevant section of the lyrics or, for a really well-known song, ask people to guess what you’re illustrating. To see more participants in this challenge click on the Robin above.

Turn, Turn, Turn

Words-adapted from The Bible, book of Ecclesiastes
Music-Pete Seeger

To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven

A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep

To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven

A time to build up,a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together

To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven

A time of love, a time of hate
A time of war, a time of peace
A time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing

To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven

A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time for love, a time for hate
A time for peace, I swear it’s not too late

Photobucket replaced all my photos with ugly black and grey boxes and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

FFF ~ Filled, Full, & Flowing

A time to remember some good things that have happened in the last week. What are your favorites. Visit Susanne at Living to Tell the Story to join in this worthwhile activity.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17 (ESV).

On Thursday morning I had one of those times of overwhelming thankfulness to God for what He has done and continues to do in my life and the lives of those around me.

 

1. I was given the gift of appreciation of old friends who have been in our lives for years. Several of these friends came to our house on Sunday to celebrate our daughter Katie’s engagement to Andrew. Then on Tuesday night some young long time friends and I sat together at the U.S. Open Cup Final and enjoyed the excitement of winning the game with high fives all around and hilarious stories during our ride to the game and back home.

2. Our son Dan is really close to completing his time of training and will return to Washington State to his own space and regular work environment next month. God has been gracious to him and given him a gift of a job that he is really cut out for. During his time away he has been protected and safe and I am so thankful to God for that.

 

3. On Sunday morning as I was preparing for the open house we were having for Katie and Andrew’s engagement I listened to my daughter singing praises to God in the shower. I walked into the guest room and said to Andrew “Thank you Andrew for rescuing my daughter from her old boyfriend” My daughter had lost her joy in that past relationship and her personality was altered from her usual bright and positive self. I am so thankful to God for sending Andrew into Katie’s life and for the fact that they bring out the best in each other.

 

4. Our son Josh started a new job this week. He was pursued by a company that recognized his skills and work ethic. I thank God for the gift of this new job for Josh. I also thank God for Josh and Laura’s relationship and how they support each other. This was a bonus week for me because I got to enjoy two winning Sounders games with Josh and Laura! Whoohoo!

5. I’m thankful for my “Dear” who gives me the freedom to pursue and enjoy adventures in life. Many of the adventures we enjoy together but he’s man enough to let me go off on adventures without him, too. I’m more of a sports fan then he is and our relationship can manage that reality. He is a great provider and works hard so that I can spend his money. He is faithful to me and our family and I do not take that for granted. God has been good to us in giving us a trusting relationship. Greg is a man of integrity and our children recognize that and have been positively effected by that.

Yes my cup is full to overflowing this week.

And on a “lighter” note I sure wish I weighed what I weighed in that last photo taken with Dear in Edinburgh almost 5 years ago. :0)

Photobucket replaced all my photos with ugly black and grey boxes and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

Time and Time Again…

…God has shown His goodness to me and my family.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 (English Standard Version)

A Time for Everything

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.