Author Archives: Ellen

Project Blue ~ Take One

 

This was taken on a walk in California in late May. This weekend I’m at my home in the Seattle area and am overwhelmed at the amount of weeds in the lawn and planters. I need this sign here with lots of takers!! And for the record, adult children living in and taking care of your home for you well let’s just say, it’s interesting, and leave it at that. Looking forward to getting around to some “Blue” projects after I pull some weeds!!

Visit Anna Carson Photography to see more of Project Blue.

Photobucket is holding all my photos from 2007-2015 hostage and they have blacked them all out. I’m slowly working at restoring my posts without their help. Such a tiresome bother!

Photo Hunters ~ Me or Part of Me

 

Here I am on the beach.

 

And here I am with Dear who is a big part of me, too! So after being around to a couple photo hunter sites I decided to add this last photo of the real me in a shorter leg version than my shadow…

Have fun Photo Hunters. I’ll be traveling today so I hope to get around to more sites tomorrow.

Click on over to tnchick’s to see more.

Photobucket is holding all my photos from 2007-2015 hostage and they have blacked them all out. I’m slowly working at restoring my posts without their help. Such a tiresome bother!

Sky Watch ~ Memorial Day Skies

We have finally had some interesting skies here in Southern California this last week.

 

 

I managed to catch these clouds in the reflection in this beach pond.

 

The first three photos are from our beach walk and this last photo is taken through our car windshield on the way home from the beach on May 26th. I took the photo and I was not driving :0)

 

This last photo was taken on May 25th on the way to the airport to pick up Dear.

 

For more Sky Watch Photos click over to Wiggers World.

Photobucket is holding all my photos from 2007-2015 hostage and they have blacked them all out. I’m slowly working at restoring my posts without their help. Such a tiresome bother!

G.K. Chesterton ~ Quote

May 29th was G.K. Chesterton’s birthday. He would be 134 today. John Piper with Desiring God Ministries recommends in celebration of G.K.’s birthday that you read his book Orthodoxy.

I decided it would be good to share a G.K. Chesterton quote today and here’s the one that I enjoyed the most from the list Piper shared…

  • “Man is more himself, man is more manlike, when joy is the fundamental thing in him, and grief the superficial. Melancholy should be an innocent interlude, a tender and fugitive frame of mind; praise should be the permanent pulsation of the soul. Pessimism is at best an emotional half-holiday; joy is the uproarious labor by which all things live.” (159)

Enjoy and choose Joy and Praise God and praise someone in the flesh around you today!!

 

Love this photo of G.K.

Oh and here’s a confession ~I can only understand G.K. one sentence at a time or maybe one paragraph. I do appreciate minds like his and C.S. Lewis’ even if I need Cliff notes to understand them….

WFW ~ I Corinthians 13:12

I Corinthians 13:12 ~ “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”

For more WFW visit Amydeane at the 160 acrewoods.

I try to choose a verse for Word Filled Wednesday that is from the Book of the Bible that I am currently reading. I just finished 2 Corinthians and I am now reading 1 Corinthians. A little out of order but I’m on a journey of reading each book of the Bible 20 times before moving on to the next and not in order. It’s been a good method for me because it helps me retain a lot more than just reading a passage and then moving on…

Photobucket is holding all my photos from 2007-2015 hostage and they have blacked them all out. I’m slowly working at restoring my posts without their help. Such a tiresome bother!

ABC Wednesday ~ S is for…

S is for Santa Barbara, California.

Some people call Santa Barbara “The American Riviera”. This beautiful city on the Pacific Ocean has so much style and charm.  Along State St. you have many eating and shopping options. You get a very international feel when you catch several different languages being spoken. Santa Barbara is about 300 miles South of San Francisco and 90 miles North of Los Angeles. Just 40 miles North from my home.

State Street and the whole downtown area is very pedestrian friendly. There are many wonderful open air arcades for shopping and people watching.

 

Here are just a few of the Arcades.

 

Some of the Arcades have Sculptures to enjoy.

 

The Santa Barbara Art Museum is also located on State Street and of course you can view some great old relics and Statues or a Monet.

 

 

You’ll also find the Mission Santa Barbara up against the mountains. Some call this mission the “Queen” of the California historic Missions.

If you ever travel to California make sure and put Santa Barbara on your “must see” list but be aware that it can be very pricey to stay here.

S is also for

 

Seagulls at the Seashore

 

Sand at the Seashore

Shells from this same Seashore.

Now back to my hometown. Horses and ranches have great histiorical significance in Camarillo. Camarillo is named after Adolfo Camarillo. He was a rancher and is known for his famous White Horse which now is called the Camarillo White Horse. You’ll see these famous horses ridden in the Rose Parade. These are some of the Silver saddles from the Camarillo Ranch House Estate…

S is for a Silver Saddles

 

And S is for Spinning Wheel.

The Silver Saddles and the Spinning wheel are in the Historic Camarillo Ranch House.

For more ABC Wednesday posts please visit Mrs. Nesbitt’s.

Photobucket is holding all my photos from 2007-2015 hostage and they have blacked them all out. I’m slowly working at restoring my posts without their help. Such a tiresome bother!

Fun Monday ~ Vacations

Alison is hosting Fun Monday today. Here is her assignment…

Vacations…this is the time of year when most of us go on vacations. Show us and/or tell us about your favorite vacation – where you went, what you did, etc. Pictures would be great. Let’s all take a trip around the world via our FM friends!!

My favorite vacations have been to Great Britain.

 

In 2004 we took our daughter on a literary tour of Great Britain for her graduation gift. We visited places of inspiration for C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, Austen, and Monty Python???! Too see more of this tour click here.

 

In 2006 we took a walking tour with our dear friends with stops in Wales, The Lake District, Oban, Edinburgh, and York. To see the highlights of this tour click here.

For more Fun Monday favorite vacations visit Alison.

Photobucket is holding all my photos from 2007-2015 hostage and they have blacked them all out. I’m slowly working at restoring my posts without their help. Such a tiresome bother!

God, The Hope of Those Who Pray ~ Hymn

God, the Hope of Those Who Pray

God, the Hope of those who pray,
God, our Help where here we stay,
Life of those who pass away:
We beseech Thee, hear us.

Hear us for the men who fight
For our honor and the right,
Shield them with Thy glorious might:
We beseech Thee, hear us.

Father, Thou Who lovest all,
Help them when on Thee they call,
Ever keep them lest they fall:
We beseech Thee, hear us.

Christ, who died to right the wrong,
Make our brothers brave and strong,
Though the war be fierce and long:
Hear us, holy Jesus.

By Thy cross, O Christ, draw near
Those who die, that they may hear
Thine own voice, and have no fear:
Hear us, holy Jesus.

Holy Spirit, come, we pray,
Guide our country day by day
In the high and holy way:
Hear us, Holy Spirit.

Make us all a worthier race,
Formed and strengthened by Thy grace,
Make this world a holier place:
Hear us, Holy Spirit.

words by Harold Trask, 1915

Santa Barbara

So on Saturday I decided to head North 40 miles to Santa Barbara to take care of some business at Nordstrom and then have a leisurely walk around town.

 

I headed up State Street to find the Nordstrom. Santa Barbara has some great Mission Architecture.

 

Even the Nordstrom here is designed to fit into the neighborhood. I love the architecture of the store. The wallpaper in the dressing room was really fun and I had to take some shots while waiting to be “fitted”. When the evil deed was done and my pocketbook was highly debited and my 2 small purchases were put in this huge sale bag (too bad what I bought was not on sale), I headed out to explore the historic town.

 

This Lewis & Clark store was one of my favorites with a great variety of stuff shown in the next collage.

 

Lots of china, silver, vintage aprons, vintage ware, and whimsy. Time to find some lunch…

 

I chose Barcliff & Bair. It was a nice spot right on State Street with outdoor tables. I chose the inside because it was overcast and sprinkly at this point in the day. I had Harney and Sons Earl Grey Supreme, a grilled chicken and brie sandwich with peppers and onions, and a cup of 3 bean soup. Very nice. I then went to do a little more shopping.

 

I found a consignment shop on State that I’d come back to in the future. I thought this china cup and saucer would be a good mate to my Royal Albert one I found at the Rose Bowl Flea Market. This one is Cambridge, Pink Mist, made in England. I think those are Dogwood blooms which I love. This beauty was $10.00. That is not my usual thrift store bargain price but I was happy to spend it anyway for this sweet cup and saucer.

I also made a side trip to the Santa Barbara Art Museum and the Santa Barbara Mission but I’ll leave that for another post…

I got home and found out that Dear had made it to our home in the Seattle area safe and sound. He flies home tomorrow morning and I’ll pick him up at the airport. He and our daughter were on their way to our favorite Mexican restaurnant in Kirkland because there was no food in the house :0)

Photobucket is holding all my photos from 2007-2015 hostage and they have blacked them all out. I’m slowly working at restoring my posts without their help. Such a tiresome bother!