Author Archives: Ellen

Vintage Thingies Thursdays

I was going to skip Vintage Thingies this week but when someone who was affected by Hurricane Ike and has damage all over her property is willing to keep playing who am I to take the week off? Hats off to Apron Queen for persevering and trying to keep things normal around her castle.

 

So here is a collage of some of my vintage thingies that live in my home in Washington State. I’ve probably said it before but I’m living in Southern California right now and I don’t have too many of my vintage items with me here.

To see more Vintage Goodies head over to The Apron Queen!

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I posted on my blog from 2007-2015 hostage and replaced them with big black and grey boxes with threats. So discouraging…as I’m slowly trying to clean up thousands of posts!

WFW ~ Psalm 95: 6,7

Psalm 95: 6,7 (ESV) ~ “Oh Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.”

For more Word Filled Wednesday visit Amydeanne.

The photo of the door was taken in downtown Ventura where there are lots of great older homes and churches built in the early 1900’s. This is actually a building or house converted into a church. It is not where we worship…

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I posted on my blog from 2007-2015 hostage and replaced them with big black and grey boxes with threats. So discouraging…as I’m slowly trying to clean up thousands of posts!

Early Morning Walk at Emma Wood State Beach

Dear and I arrived for our Saturday walk early again this week and because the tide was too high to walk on our regular route we walked along the dunes in the opposite direction headed toward Surfer’s Point.

 

After we walked along the dunes we cut across them to the water. This rocky driftwood carpeting is not real easy on the ankles.

 

This had us scratching our heads wondering “what the heck is it or was it”?

 

We saw a lot of Godwits and Sanderlings.

 

This is a section of the beach where the Ventura river empties into the ocean. It was a favorite spot for these herons, seagulls, and godwits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we headed back to the dunes to get to our car we were thrilled to see this lone Heron posing for us.

 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again and again, we cannot exhaust beautiful views of God’s creation.

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I posted on my blog from 2007-2015 hostage and replaced them with big black and grey boxes with threats. So discouraging…as I’m slowly trying to clean up thousands of posts!

This World Is Not My Home ~ Hymn

The illustration, above, is from Virginia Lee Burton’s The Little House, the story of a little house that found a home.

Rebecca from Rebecca Writes has a September theme of Home going on at her blog. For the rest of the month on Tuesdays and Fridays she’s featuring posts about the Home on her blog. This is my contribution for today. We sang this song in the 60’s and 70’s. It brings back lots of memories. If you post something about “Home” let her know.

This World Is Not My Home

This world is not my home, I’m just passing through.
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.
The angels beckon me from Heaven’s open door
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.

Chorus
O Lord you know I have no friend like you
If Heaven’s not my home, then Lord what will I do?
The angels beckon me from Heaven’s open door
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.

They’re all expecting me and that’s one thing I know.
My Savior pardoned me and now I onward go.
I know He’ll take me through, though I am weak and poor.

Chorus
O Lord you know I have no friend like you
If Heaven’s not my home, then Lord what will I do?
The angels beckon me from Heaven’s open door
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.

Just up in Glory Land we’ll live eternally.
The Saints on every hand are shouting victory.
Their song of sweetest praise drifts back from Heaven’s shore
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.

Chorus
O Lord you know I have no friend like you
If Heaven’s not my home, then Lord what will I do?
The angels beckon me from Heaven’s open door
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.

Words and Music by Albert E. Brumley
© 1965 – Albert E. Brumley & Sons
All Rights Reserved

Ruby Tuesday ~ Neighborhood Walks

My Ruby Tuesday Photos are again from one of our neighborhood walks.

 

The plants in the top row are Coleus. I’m not sure what the rest of the plants are called. Happy Ruby Tuesday everyone (even though right now it’s Monday). Next week Maryt is challenging us to find a photo with just a little bit of red in it. Fun!

For more Ruby Tuesday click over to Maryt’s at Work of the Poet.

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I posted on my blog from 2007-2015 hostage and replaced them with big black and grey boxes with threats. So discouraging…as I’m slowly trying to clean up thousands of posts!

Tuesday Tablescape

I’m re-linking to Susan’s Tablescape Thursday with this oldie. Disregard the link above.

Since Susan is reminiscing with the first ever Tablescape party that was called Tablescape Tuesday way back at the beginning today 7-5-2012. I looked back to find my first table that I participated with on September 16, 2008. Fun times and boy things have changed a lot in my dining space since this table setting.

Each Tuesday’s, participants will be posting a tablescape of their choice on their blog. It can be a single place setting, a bistro table set for two or a full blown dinner table, for a party of six or more…what ever tickles your fancy. Have fun with it!

I’m going to post one of my Fall Tables

 

For more Tablescapes visit Susan here.

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I posted on my blog from 2007-2015 hostage and replaced them with big black and grey boxes with threats. So discouraging…as I’m slowly trying to clean up thousands of posts!

Potato and Ham Chowder

 

This is a simple recipe from a blogger I tried and it was very tasty for boxed pototoes! It’s a slow cooker recipe…

Potato and Ham Chowder

1 pkg. of boxed scalloped potatoes (any variety you prefer)
1 cup diced ham
2 stalk of diced celery
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups half & half
1/3 cup flour
5 cups chicken broth
1 diced onion (any size you like)

Mix potatoes, sauce mix, ham, broth, celery, onion & pepper in crock pot. Cover and cook on low heat for 7 hours.

 

Mix half & half with the flour, gradually stir flour mixture into chowder until blended. Cover and cook on low for one more hour stirring occasionally until thick. For a less thick soup, use regular milk instead of half & half. Garnish with chopped green onion, shredded cheese, or sour cream if desired.

 

Very thick and yummy soup. Since I served it up on blue dishes I thought this would be a perfect choice for Blue Monday. I bought these blue dishes from Target on a super clearance. They were from their Christmas collection a couple years ago.

 

Enjoy!

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I posted on my blog from 2007-2015 hostage and replaced them with big black and grey boxes with threats. So discouraging…as I’m slowly trying to clean up thousands of posts!

When I was Little My Mother Gave Me Castor Oil

Were you ever given Castor Oil? Saturday on our walk at Emma Wood State Beach in Ventura we found a Castor Bush with clusters of seed pods. When we opened up the pods we found these Castor Seeds. These are what they make Castor Oil from.

 

We also saw and smelled the Fennel plants. Sweet Fennel is so much more appealing  than Castor oil. I’m not sure what the second yellow plant is and the sweet lavender colored plant is either. It was another great early morning walk on the beach with wonderful views of God’s creation all around us. This next shot was a special treat for us as we walked back to our starting point.

I’ll be posting more photos from this walk. We saw other herons, godwits, and gulls, all together but this heron seemed to be standing alone for us to appreciate.

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I posted on my blog from 2007-2015 hostage and replaced them with big black and grey boxes with threats. So discouraging…as I’m slowly trying to clean up thousands of posts!

The Year is Swiftly Waning ~ Hymn

The Year is Swiftly Waning

The year is swiftly waning,
The summer days are past;
And life, brief life, is speeding;
The end is nearing fast.

The ever changing seasons
In silence come and go;
But Thou, eternal Father,
No time or change canst know.

O, pour Thy grace upon us,
That we may worthier be,
Each year that passes o’er us,
To dwell in heaven with Thee.

Behold the bending orchards
With bounteous fruit are crowned;
Lord, in our hearts more richly
Let heavenly fruits abound.

O, by each mercy sent us,
And by each grief and pain,
By blessings like the sunshine,
And sorrows like the rain.

Our barren hearts make fruitful
With every goodly grace,
That we Thy Name may hallow,
And see at last Thy face.

words by William W. How – 1871