Author Archives: Ellen

Lemony Hodgepodge

Addy’s first lemonade stand in August of 2020.

It’s time again for Wednesday Hodgepodge with thanks to Jo From This Side of the Pond.

1.What was the best (or one of the best) summers of your life? Tell us why. 

The best summer of my life was in 1963. The summer of that year I responded to God’s call on my life. I repented of my sins and believed and put my faith on the Lord Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for my sins and began following my LORD and Savior. Why is this the best? Jesus is my guarantor of a future with the Triune God in heaven. I have been saved from the wrath of God, saved from Hell. Now I am a child of God and His love is over me. I was given eternal life and everything I need on this earth to grow in obedience and the knowledge of the one who saved me. Jesus is way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Him.

Repentance is agreeing with God that you are sinful, confessing your sins to Him, and making a conscious choice to turn from sin and pursue Christ and obedience to Him. It isn’t enough to believe facts about Christ. Even Satan and his demons believe in the true God, but they don’t love and obey Him. True saving faith always responds in obedience.

2. When you have a trip coming up do you make a list and check it twice to ensure you don’t forget anything? Or are you a ‘throw whatever you can think of into the suitcase at the last minute’ kind of packer?nd 

Lists, lists, and more lists. Sometimes I do throw in some last minute items!

When returning from a trip do you unpack immediately or leave the suitcase right where it lands? 

It depends. If I’m suffering from jet-lag it could take a day or two for the unpacking and laundering.

3. What’s your favorite food or beverage made with lemons? Is that a flavor you enjoy? 

Lemon curd is a favorite on a scone or in a pastry.

A Kensington Dream for a drink. It has a half a lemon squeezed in it.

I do enjoy lemon flavor.

4. When was the last time you had to make lemonade out of lemons, figuratively speaking I mean? 

This was a tough one for my memory bank. When we were in the condo for a couple years in Southern California, I wanted to make a calzone for the first time. I did not have a rolling pin as they were both back in our home in Washington State. We did have a muddler and I ended up being able to use that to roll out the dough!

5. Did you like school growing up? Why or why not? 

I did like school growing up. I remember that ‘feeling’ in September when school was just about to start. I can remember holding a book early on and loving the fact that I could read the words on the page. I had some wonderful teachers who encouraged me in their kindness to enjoy school. Mrs. Nicklaus, Mr. Demar, Mrs. Sawyer, My senior American Government teachers, Henke, Simon and Sciandra. Mr. Sciandra signed my annual with this sentiment; “I certainly have enjoyed having a swell Christian in class. Best wishes for your future. “

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I captured a few shots of the northern light show on Monday night but it wasn’t nearly as dramatic as this one I captured back in May of 2024. The cool thing I saw on Monday night was a shooting star! It’s been ages since I’ve seen one of those.

Have a good end of the week everyone!

Weekend Wrap-Up

On Friday afternoon there was an advertised Birthday Party for Smokey The Bear at the Colville Museum but Smokey never showed. It was still a fun experience to walk around the museum and the museum grounds.

On Saturday we took a early morning trip to Spokane to make purchases to re-stock the kitchen cupboards at church since our VBS week depleted all the stock. The sunflower fields were not in their glory but it was fun to whiz by the fields of yellow and green.

 

 

Sunday morning was a wonderful church service with our VBS kids starting us off with one of their VBS Songs, God made the Manatee. From beginning to end it was good to worship God together.

On Sunday evening we celebrated our Grands’ Granny’s birthday at our Colville kids and this was the sunset we enjoyed driving down their driveway for home.

It was a good full weekend. Looking forward to Mid-week when Uncle Joshie and Auntie Lolo are planning a drive over the mountains for a short visit to enjoy some summer activities with us.

Have a good week everyone.

My Hope is Built ~ Hymn

This song is titled My Hope is Built and sometimes The Solid Rock

My Hope is Built

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ name.

Refrain

On Christ the solid rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

Refrain

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

Refrain

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

Refrain

Words: Edward Mote, cir­ca 1834; first ap­peared in Mote’s Hymns of Praise, 1836.

Pork Chop Casserole

A few summers ago while we were still living in Kenmore I put out a request on facebook for good recipes using apples since our apple tree was full and ready to harvest. My bloggy friend Pat at Mille Fiori Favoriti suggested a family favorite and I tried it  and it was very good. Thank you Pat for letting me share it with our readers.

Pork Chop Casserole

4-6 bone in loin Pork Chops
2 Tablespoons Olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter
Salt and Pepper

2 Cups thinly sliced onion
2 cups rice
1 teaspoon salt

4 cups chicken broth
4-5 peeled, cored and chopped apples
1 tablespoon cinnamon

2 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large pan heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter.

Salt and pepper the pork chops and sauté on both sides until nicely browned.
Set the sautéed chops aside.
In the same saucepan sauté the rice and onions with the 1 teaspoon of salt until the rice is golden and onions are soft.
Add the chicken broth and the apples and 1 tablespoon cinnamon and heat till almost boiling.
Transfer this mixture to prepared large casserole dish.
Place the pork chops on top of the rice mixture.
Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Melt the 2 tablespoons butter and add the brown sugar and cinnamon to the melted butter.
Uncover the casserole and brush the pork chops with the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon mixture.
Cook for 20 minutes longer or until rice is cooked to tender.

This will serve at least 5 people and more if you split some of the pork chops.
If you are only serving 4 people use 4 chops and cut down the rice to 1 cup rice and 2 cups broth and 2 cups apples. Or you could add 1-1/2 cups rice and 3 cups broth with 3 cups apples.

We had our Colville kids over to try this casserole last Saturday. I omitted the cinnamon because our grandson seems to have a cinnamon allergy. I added salt and pepper to the recipe for the chops and additional salt for the rice because it was under seasoned in the end. The original recipe did not call for the salt or pepper so I added those ingredients to the recipe, above.

An August Week

The Great Jungle Journey is our Vacation Bible School theme for 2024!

The theme verse for the week: To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. 1 Timothy 1;17

The Jungle Theme has been a hit! It’s such a treat to get a sweet hug at my station each evening from these two!

Craft and Science time outdoors under a shade cloth with misters!

I had to zoom in across the parking lot for these photos that are not sharp. A fun science experiment and a craft to take home.

There is a memory verse for each night of VBS.

Day 1: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.- Genesis 1:1

Day 2: They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt, there is none who does good, not even one. -Psalm 14:3

Day 3: Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth. -Genesis 11:9

Day 4: But to all who did receiver him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. ———John 1:12

Day 5: He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. – Revelation 21:4

We have had up to 185 children each night and 140 volunteers working with the kids and behind the scenes. Our amazing kitchen crew feeds the volunteers and their children dinner each night.

Besides VBS this week, Greg and I have been continuing our early morning walks on the Rotary Trail.

What’s new for you this August?

Truth for Today #112

Thursday August 8th

On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during week. One, two, three or maybe more. If you have a verse/verses that you read during the week and would like to share, leave it/them in the comments and I will add it/them to the post. Let’s dig deep in God’s Truth again this year!

The verses that you share are appreciated and so encouraging, I’m thankful for them and for each of you! 

Jeremiah 31:31-34:

Behold the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

From Dianna:

So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what pleases Me,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:11

From Vera:

“Blessed be the Lord! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed. Oh, save your people and bless your heritage! Be their shepherd and carry them forever.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭28‬:‭6‬-‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

From Nikkipolani:

Hosea 6:1-3

1Come, and let us return to the Lord;
For He has torn, but He will heal us;
He has stricken, but He will bind us up.
2 After two days He will revive us;
On the third day He will raise us up,
That we may live in His sight.
3 Let us know,
Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord.
His going forth is established as the morning;
He will come to us like the rain,
Like the latter and former rain to the earth.

From Leonard:

Psalm 70:4

“But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, God is great!”

From Maria:

Psalm 86:11-13- Teach me you way, O Lord, And I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave.

From Karen:

I John 4:14

And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

Light the Way Hodgepodge

North Head Lighthouse Pacific Ocean Illwaco, Washington.

Another Wednesday means another Hodgepodge! Thank you, Joyce for the questions!

1. What’s a task you do on a regular (or semi-regular basis) that feels like it should be an Olympic event? 

Weeding this time of year. The rest of the year downsizing, the sorting and deciding how to get rid of accumulated stuff!

2. What’s in the trunk of your car right now? 

My vehicle does not have a trunk. I do have a large reusable bag with smaller bags in it for groceries, etc. since in our state you have to pay to get a bag at any store.

3. Summer foods vs. fall foods…which do you prefer? 

Would you rather-watermelon or caramel apple? caramel apple

Iced coffee or pumpkin spiced latte? Iced coffee

Potato salad or sweet potato casserole? Sweet potato casserole

Barbecued ribs or roast turkey? Barbecue Ribs

Ice cream sandwich or apple pie? Ice cream sandwich

Corn on the cob or candy corn? Corn on the Cob

4. August 7th is National Lighthouse Day. Have you visited any lighthouses? Do you have a favorite? Is a lighthouse something you seek out if you’re visiting an area known for theirs? 

Cape Disappointment Lighthouse Washington State

I have visited a couple light houses but not the kind you can enter and check out. If I was in an area known for lighthouses, I would plan to visit.

discovery-park-040

West Point Lighthouse in Discovery Park, Seattle.

5. Light at the end of the tunnel, out like a light, give the green light, a lightbulb moment, in a new light, in the limelight…of the ‘light’ idioms listed which applies in some way to your life lately? Explain. 

A lightbulb moment is the phrase I’ll pick. We are taking a class at church on Biblical Counseling and there are so many things I’m reading and podcasts I’m listening to that are giving me those ‘aha’ moments. So many things we’ve bought into that aren’t really true. Issues that stem from wrong thinking and wrong living. I’ll share one paragraph from Paul Tripp’s book, Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands (People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change):

“The bottom line is this: The problem is not that God is not here or that he is inactive; the problem is that we don’t see him. Our perspective on life is often tragically godless. We miss the one thing worth seeing, the glory of the ever-present God. When this happens, our lives are not built on the foundation of God’s glory, which was intended to give our lives a starting point and a destination, a reason to get up and the strength to go on. Every aspect of my existence was meant to be filled with the glory of God. Everything I think, every decision I make, every word I speak was meant to be shaped by a humble acknowledgement of his claim on my life. I was created to live for His glory.”

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

See y’all soon, Hodgepodgers!

Lavender is Buzzing

The bees enjoy lavender and our bushes are waning but they were full and fragrant through the end of July and into August.

Hummingbirds have a buzz of their own and they really love this new feeder we picked up at an estate sale. I have not been able to keep up with them with this feeder. We have had 5 at a time trying to push off others to get their turn.

The old feeder is okay when the new one is full of visitors.

A rare moment to enjoy this one all by itself.

This week we are having Vacations Bible School at our church and my job is to sell the t-shirts and hats each evening. At only $7 dollars they go fast. We don’t make a profit and probably even take a hit because of what we sell them for but it makes it more affordable to all.

Hope you are all having a good week.

July Wrap-Up #3

At the end of the week with Southern California cousins visiting in Washington State, the party shifted down to Southern California with more cousins and aunts and uncles for what we have dubbed these gatherings, Bag-o-rama! Josh and Laura flew down to catch our visiting Bagdanov-Dallas family along with more of our family in So Cal! I’m living these events vicariously with photos shared.

First stop, my sister Vera’s home, where my brother Leonard’s family were staying. They are the Dallas fam.

Our youngest niece, Hope, enjoying Jamie’s sourdough bread that Josh and Laura transported to So Cal.

Saturday was beach day!

Party shifted from the beach to their cousin Debbee and Lenny’s home in Huntington Beach.

On Sunday Bag-o-rama continued at Debbee and Lenny’s home.

Half of the Bagdanov siblings were there. My brother Tim, sister Kathy, sister Vera and brother Leonard.

The Sunday crew of my brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, grand nieces, grand nephews, son and daughter-in-law.

Josh and Laura flew home on Sunday and some of the crew continued with Bag-o-rama at Disneyland on Monday. Earlier in the week my brother Steve and brother Leonard made a visit to our parents’ gravesides.

My parents would be pleased with all these gatherings. We carry on our pop’s now famous phone call or end of visits benediction, I love you, I love you, I love you.

This will wrap up my July posts. Onward to August for more fun in the sun!

May the Mind of Christ, My Savior ~ Hymn

 

May the Mind of Christ, My Savior

May the mind of Christ, my Savior,
Live in me from day to day,
By His love and power controlling
All I do and say.

May the Word of God dwell richly
In my heart from hour to hour,
So that all may see I triumph
Only through His power.

May the peace of God my Father
Rule my life in everything,
That I may be calm to comfort
Sick and sorrowing.

May the love of Jesus fill me
As the waters fill the sea;
Him exalting, self abasing,
This is victory.

May I run the race before me,
Strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus
As I onward go.

May His beauty rest upon me,
As I seek the lost to win,
And may they forget the channel,
Seeing only Him.

Words: Kate B. Wilkinson

Ht: Cyberhymnal 1996

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:5-8 (ESV)