Author Archives: Ellen

Blue Monday ~ Aunt Anna’s Stuff…

Last Thursday I popped in to see my mother and father. They live in a Senior Apartment complex and my Aunt Anna decided to move in a few doors down from them. Aunt Anna is my father’s only living sibling. When I was there Aunt Anna wanted me to come over and see some things she wanted to give away. Her granddaughters had no interest in these goodies. I gladly took a few things off her hands and let her know they would be used and appreciated.

This is a Blue Danube tablecloth with 12 napkins to match. I recognized the pattern right away since I have a few Blue Danube pieces including the teapot pictured.

She had a few things that my paternal grandmother had made and I was happy to nab this. I was also happy she had this photo of my grandparents to give me.

These were all from my Aunt, too. She made the apron. I really enjoy the old fashioned cut glass pitcher and glasses to match.

It’s always fun for a Thrift Store Junkie to shop for free!

Thank you to Smiling Sally for hosting Blue Monday. Please click over to join in the Blue Monday Fun!

Thanks to God ~ Hymn

Thanks to God

Thanks to God for my Redeemer,
Thanks for all Thou dost provide!
Thanks for times now but a memory,
Thanks for Jesus by my side!
Thanks for pleasant, balmy springtime,
Thanks for dark and stormy fall!
Thanks for tears by now forgotten,
Thanks for peace within my soul!

Thanks for prayers that Thou hast answered,
Thanks for what Thou dost deny!
Thanks for storms that I have weathered,
Thanks for all Thou dost supply!
Thanks for pain, and thanks for pleasure,
Thanks for comfort in despair!
Thanks for grace that none can measure,
Thanks for love beyond compare!

Thanks for roses by the wayside,
Thanks for thorns their stems contain!
Thanks for home and thanks for fireside,
Thanks for hope, that sweet refrain!
Thanks for joy and thanks for sorrow,
Thanks for heav’nly peace with Thee!
Thanks for hope in the tomorrow,
Thanks through all eternity!

Words:  Au­gust L. Storm, in the Swed­ish Sal­va­tion Ar­my pa­per Strids-Ro­pet, 1891; trans­lat­ed from Swed­ish to Eng­lish by Carl E. Back­strom, 1931.

Happy 66th Anniversary Mom and Pop!

Tomorrow is my parent’s 66th Wedding Anniversary. We are gathering today for a dinner celebration. Our family is so fortunate and blessed to have both our parents still living and still enjoying married life together. We thank God for them and for the heritage God has given us because of their love for God and their love for each other.

Friday’s Fave Five ~

It’s time to visit Susanne at Living to Tell the Story to share your favorite moments from this past week. Thank you Susanne for being the hostess with the mostest!

This was an amazing week filled with lots of experiences that were out of the ordinary. Dear was born on September 9th a few years ago but his birthday this year was the fun 09-09-09! We also had a long weekend here in the U.S. with Labor day giving many of us an extra day off. Dear and I took advantage of the extra time and had some extra fun celebrating his birthday early. So…here’s my five or so favorites.

1. Driving up the coast to Morro Bay and Cambria on Saturday, two Central California Beach communities. It was cool. It was beautiful. It was good to get away from the ordinary.

2. Having a wonderful creamy birthday brunch at Five Crowns Restaurant in Corona Del Mar. Corona Del Mar is another beach community but it is in Southern California. Yes, we do not shy away from driving…

3. Having my dear DIL send me this photo of our boys. She took it on Sunday. I love seeing our boys together, enjoying each other and taking care of each other.

4. Having Monday off and enjoying a totally layed back day recovering from all our travel and creamy food!!

5. This is my BFF from high school. She was rudely taken out of my life and away from all her friends half way into our junior year of high school. We spent so many hours together in high school. We memorized Leslie Gore songs together, had slumber parties, went to the L.A. Garment district together, were part of  a Y.M.C.A. service club together, went out to dinner together…and then she was gone! I was thinking about her and wondering how I could track her down but it was hard because of her very common last name here in Southern California. We finally connected on Facebook through some mutual friends! Yesterday we met for lunch after 41 years. It was so good to re-connect and catch up on our lives after all these years!!

Fall Cloche Party ~

It’s time to visit Marty at a A Stroll Thru Life for the Fall Cloche Party.

One thing I found out real fast is that fall decorations just aren’t in existence here at the little condo in California. We always have Thanksgiving at our home in Washington so Fall lives up there. What to do? What to do? I hate to miss a party. Here’s a little something I could put together in honor of 9-11. A day I will never forget. So in remembrance of that day that changed our lives in big and small ways, here is my cloche.

In honor of everyone who lost their loved ones on September 11, 2001. We will never forget!

May God continue to bless America and may our flag wave proudly over the land of the free!

Now to see lots of great Fall Cloches visit Marty here.

Reunion…

I’m headed across town today to meet up with a high school friend of mine that I haven’t seen in probably 36 or so years. We lost touch and then got connected again on Facebook this year. I’m looking forward to filling in the gaps and hearing about her life. It would be really cool if I could fly across town and avoid the freeways but that’s not to be…

Have a great Thursday! I’ll catch up with y’all tomorrow.

I’m adding the reunion photos after the fact so they are here on this post.

It was so good to meet up and to find out what has been going on all these years since we last saw each other.

09-09-09!

A once in a lifetime day for Dear’s birthday. It’s also the 252nd day of the year 2 + 5 +2 = 9

And it’s the day that the Beatles Rock Band goes on sale!

Happy Birthday Dear!

So glad God brought us together and has kept us together all these years. It’s been good to be married to you!

WFW ~ Philippians 4:4-7

Final Exhortations

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

To see more Bible verses visit our hostess Lori for Word Filled Wednesday this week.