Author Archives: Ellen

Foodie Friday ~ Inside Picnic…

This hasn’t been a typical week for us and we’ve eaten off our usual track. Last night we decided on a picnic in front of the T.V. Being empty nesters who moved away from their nest to get to an empty one, no relationship was harmed by eating in front of the T.V. Dear and I have plenty face to face meals with lots of meaningful conversations!

We had hard cheese, soft cheese, smoked cheese. My favorite was the Stilton with apricots. A fresh small loaf of bread and crackers. Genoa Salami, avocado, grapes and peaches. To drink I made a White Sangria. Here’s the recipe.

3-1/2 cups dry white wine (your typical bottle is just enough)
1/2 cup Cointreau or Triple Sec
1/4 cup sugar
ice cubes
1 10-oz. club soda
1 orange
1 lemon
2 limes

Combine first 3 ingredients and stir till sugar is dissolved. If you are going to serve it right away add the club soda now and the sliced citrus. Fill glass you choose to use with ice and pour the sangria over and enjoy. You could use some of the fruit for garnish if you’d like.  If you plan to make it ahead refrigerate the first 3 ingredients and then add the rest of the ingredients just before your company arrives. (I go ahead and add the citrus ahead of time because I like the added flavor)

Be sure to visit our hostess Gollum at Designs by Gollum on Friday to see more Foodie Posts!

Tablescape Thursday ~ Royal Stafford

Welcome to Tablescape Thursday! Please visit our hostess Susan at Between Naps on the Porch to visit more tables .

This week I’m setting the table with my Royal Stafford Dishes with Country Scenes on them. I bought 8 dinner plates and 8 salad plates from Marshalls. The dinner plates were $3.95 each and the salad plates were $2.95 each.

 

I bought the goblets at Goodwill and they cost me $3.00 for all 4.

I layered the black and white polka dot napkins and used the pearl napkin rings I bought at Target clearance a couple years ago.

Thank you for visiting me here and taking the time to comment. I do appreciate all my visitors and new bloggy friends.

Blessings…

WFW ~ I Samuel 7:12 ~ Ebenezer

From ESV Study notes: “…this ebenezer recalls the earlier episode, when the Israelites tried to manipulate their God by carrying the ark into battle only to suffer a resounding defeat. Now God has given them a great victory over the same enemies. Samuel sets up a memorial stone with the name Ebenezer, “Stone of Help,” not only to commemorate the victory but also as a reminder of the different results brought about by presumption on the one hand and by repentance on the other.”

Till now the Lord has helped us. The saying means that the Lord had been with them all the way “to this place” or “to this hour.”

For more Word Filled Wednesday this week visit Lisa at Extravagant Grace.

Outdoor Wednesday ~ El Matador Beach 2

It’s time to visit Susan at A Southern DayDreamer to see the great outdoors around blogland or to join in the fun.

Last Friday my bloggy walking buddy Willow, her husband The Professor and I went to El Matador Beach and to Malibu Gardens Nursery. This was my second time exploring here and this time the weather was a bit gloomy.

 

There were fewer birds in residence this morning, too. They were probably out getting breakfast.

I can just imagine this Cormorant was saying “He went that-a-way!”

As we huffed and puffed back up the steep stairs and trail Willow stopped long enough for me to snap her photo.

Now to chase away the gray here’s something bright from the Malibu Gardens Nursery…

Happy Outdoors to you all! See you outside in your neck of the woods…

Three or More Tuesday ~

It’s time for Three or More at The Gypsy’s Corner. Visit Tam to join in on the fun posting anything you want that’s three or more.

I found these goodies today at my local Goodwill. Monday is Senior day and they give a 25% discount to anyone 55 or older. I bought all this stuff for $7.00. Four goblets that I think are really great, 5 napkins, and 3 Teacups and saucers. Thanks for visiting me and continuing to enable me in my Thrift store shopping addiction.

Have a wonderful Tuesday everyone!

 

Today’s Thrifty Treasures

Have you noticed how many fun memes fall on Monday?! I’m going to have to evaluate which ones I enjoy most. This week I’m trying this one at Southern Hospitality called Today’s Thrifty Treasures. Thrift store shopping is something I might have to have an intervention for but until that happens I’m having a good time.

My Thrifty Treasures this week are these tea cups and saucers. They cost me 99 cents for each piece. They are Wedgewood, Volendam, Made in England. I love the design and the colors and of course the price!!

I’m looking forward to seeing more treasures by clicking over to Southern Hospitality!

Mosaic Monday & Blue Monday~ Happy Flag Day!

Flag Day is Sunday and since our Mosaics go up on Sunday night I’m posting this one early to honor Flag Day here in the U.S.A. There’s a lot of blue in all my mosaics so I’m double posting for Blue Monday.  Thank you Mary for starting Mosaic Monday which is wonderful for a visual person like me! Click here to see more Mosaics. Thank you Sally for starting Blue Monday. Blue is one of my favorite colors. Click here to see more blue!

On Thursday I walked around the historic section of Oxnard and found some flags. The vignette of flags and Parfait were taken at our home in Washington over Memorial Weekend.

Now here’s some Blue from Maliblue, I mean Malibu! I was here with my bloggy friend Willow on Friday.

And on Friday night Dear and I headed over to the Greek Festival in town to get some good Greek food. We had Gyros and Saganaki (a great hard greek cheese, fresh cut from a large wheel sauteed with lemon and flamed with brandy and fresh lemon juice). OPA!  Oh I forgot about the Greek pastries we brought home, too. Can anyone tell me why I’m not losing weight??

Happy Flag Day and have a great Monday everyone…

Holy Father, In Thy Mercy ~ Hymn

Holy Father, In Thy Mercy

Holy Father, in Thy mercy,
Hear our anxious prayer.
Keep our loved ones, now far distant,
’Neath Thy care.

Jesus, Savior, let Thy presence
Be their light and guide;
Keep, oh, keep them, in their weakness,
At Thy side.

When in sorrow, when in danger,
When in loneliness,
In Thy love look down and comfort
Their distress.

May the joy of Thy salvation
Be their strength and stay;
May they love and may they praise Thee
Day by day.

Holy Spirit, let Thy teaching
Sanctify their life;
Send Thy grace, that they may conquer
In the strife.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
God the One in Three,
Bless them, guide them, save them, keep them
Near to Thee.

Words: Isa­bel­la S. Ste­phen­son, 1869. She wrote this hymn after his brother was sent to South Africa for health reasons. It was sung on the HMS Bac­chante, and pub­lished in the Man­u­al of Com­mon Pray­er at Sea, 1886.

ht: cyberhymnal