We honor and thank all those who served and died in combat in the defense of our country from all the branches of the military. Our flags are waving proudly and respectfully.
Some gave all…
Author Archives: Ellen
Make Me A Captive, Lord ~ Hymn
Make Me A Captive, Lord
Make me a captive, Lord,
And then I shall be free.
Force me to render up my sword,
And I shall conqueror be.
I sink in life’s alarms
When by myself I stand;
Imprison me within Thine arms,
And strong shall be my hand.
My heart is weak and poor
Until it master find;
It has no spring of action sure,
It varies with the wind.
It cannot freely move
Till Thou has wrought its chain;
Enslave it with Thy matchless love,
And deathless it shall reign.
My power is faint and low
Till I have learned to serve;
It lacks the needed fire to glow,
It lacks the breeze to nerve.
It cannot drive the world
Until itself be driven;
Its flag can only be unfurled
When Thou shalt breathe from Heaven.
My will is not my own
Till Thou hast made it Thine;
If it would reach a monarch’s
Throne, it must its crown resign.
It only stands unbent
Amid the clashing strife,
When on Thy bosom it has leant,
And found in Thee its life.
Words: George Matheson, 1890.
Fancy Egg Scramble
We enjoyed this make-ahead breakfast dish years ago and I finally revived it for brunch more recently. Everyone enjoyed it.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup diced ham
- 1/4 cup chopped green onion (scallions)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 12 eggs beaten
- 1 6oz. can diced Green Chiles
Cheese Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Method:
- Melt butter in heavy large skillet. Saute ham and green onions in butter.
- Add beaten eggs and diced green chiles.
- Mix ingredients and cook until eggs are just set. Remove from heat and prepare cheese sauce.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy bottom pan.
- Add flour, salt and pepper to butter and cook on medium heat for 2 minutes.
- Add the 2 cups of milk gradually and blend well. Cook to a gentle boil.
- Add the grated cheese and mix well until cheese is melted. Add the cheese sauce to the egg mixture and fold in till combined.
- Pour mixture into lightly greased 9×12 casserole dish.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight until 30-40 minutes before you want to serve the dish
- Cook uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.
Serve with fruit and muffins or toast. Serves 6
Looking Back…
I was reminded of this brunch from 2013 that would be easy to recreate at our Country Bungalow soon.
A Memorial Day Weekend Brunch in 2013 at our home in Kenmore.
The recipe will be posted tomorrow here.
I’m behind again on the internet. After weedwacking (overdid it) and mowing and cleaning the mower my arms and lower back were toast. Dear finished up a fence section while I was doing my chores. We went to a local joint for our meal and came home with no ambition to exercise our bodies further. We sat in front of British Murder mysteries until bed time. Now it’s Friday and we are making a trip to the dump. That’s our exciting couple of days in the country.
What’s up in your corner?
Truth for Today #57
Thursday May 25th
On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during the 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!
Psalm 103:8-13
The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.
From Vera:
1 Kings 8:56-61 ESV
“Blessed be the LORD who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant. The LORD our God be with us, as he was with our fathers. May he not leave us or forsake us, that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his rules, which he commanded our fathers. Let these words of mine, with which I have pleaded before the LORD, be near to the LORD our God day and night, and may he maintain the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel, as each day requires, that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no other. Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the LORD our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day.”
From Karen:
Psalm 113:3
From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’s name is to be praised.
He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother…
Me and my baby brother in 2020. Since today is National Brother’s Day, Joyce has included some questions about brothers for this weeks Wednesday Hodgepodge.
1. May 24th is National Brother’s Day.
Do you have a brother?
yes
Older or younger?
I have one older brother and three younger brothers. The photo above is of all my siblings in order of birth. I’m in the middle with the orange dress. This was taken twenty years ago. Our youngest siblings are twins and we were celebrating their 40th birthday with a Luau. Soon we’ll be celebrating their 60th birthday in Texas at a ranch.
I have a good relationship with all my siblings but one. Our older brother and his family do not associate with any of us anymore. I haven’t seen him or talked to him since July of 2009. Totally his choice and not ours. 
My brothers with our Pop at our Mom’s funeral in 2013.
Did you raise brothers?
Yes, our first born and second born are boys so we did raise brothers.
Tell us something about your brother or tell us something about your own children who are brothers.
Our sons are exactly two years apart in age. They love each other and are great friends despite some rough patches growing up. I’m thankful to God for their love for each other and how they watch out for each other. They are faithful brothers and friends.
In 2011 another brother was added to our family when our daughter married Andrew!
He’s been a wonderful addition to our lives.
2. A great book you’ve read or movie you enjoy that features brothers?
The Chronicles of Narnia, Peter and Edmund. Sisters play a role, too.
3. Something you think is overrated?
Self-esteem
Something you think is underrated?
Fidelity in marriage.
4. How much does your past shape you? What parts have shaped you the most?
God has shaped my past with the family he put me in and the experiences and relationships He allowed in my life. His calling on my life and my response of believing on the Lord Jesus Christ transformed my life. Following Christ as the Word of God instructs is still shaping me.
“But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”
Ephesians 4:20-24 NASB
5. What’s your favorite simple pleasure?
Watching British murder mysteries like Morse, Inspector Lewis, Endeavour, Midsomer Murders and Vera.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
The yard is greening and growing and the Peonies are blooming here at our country bungalow. Happy to say things survived the epic thunder, lightning, hail storms we had over the weekend into Monday.
We are expecting some overnight company next week and we are looking forward to that. Memorial Day dinner is planned and company invited. Hope you all have a good Memorial Day weekend. We remember those who died to make our freedom possible.
May Growth
We are in the greening time of the year which also means it is mowing season.
Our red peonies are bursting forth and we’ll have many bouquets to enjoy.
I was sad to see one of our 90 foot trees is dying. You can see the one that looks brown. That tree will be coming down soon.
The buds on our White Peony. I really need to divide this plant up.
Our deep red peonies. We have 5 bushes of these.
Irises grow well here and grow wild and multiply!
We are ready for Memorial Day, Flag Day, The Fourth of July and more!
On Sunday we had some severe thunderstorms with gusts of wind, downpours of rain and hail, too. The noise of thunder and the flashes of lightning kept me awake from 2am on. We had some minor damage but nothing serious. We have never had storms this intense. Exciting to watch. They predict more excitement into Monday. The bonus is that I do not have to water for a few days. I had to mow twice last week things are growing so quickly. All of these photos were taken last Thursday and Saturday.
Happy Victoria Day to our neighbors North of us, O Canada!
Redeemed, How I Love to Proclaim It ~ Hymn
Redeemed, How I Love to Proclaim It!
Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed through His infinite mercy,
His child and forever I am.
Refrain
Redeemed, redeemed,
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed, redeemed,
His child and forever I am.
Redeemed, and so happy in Jesus,
No language my rapture can tell;
I know that the light of His presence
With me doth continually dwell.
Refrain
I think of my blessèd Redeemer,
I think of Him all the day long:
I sing, for I cannot be silent;
His love is the theme of my song.
Refrain
I know there’s a crown that is waiting,
In yonder bright mansion for me,
And soon, with the spirits made perfect,
At home with the Lord I shall be.
Refrain
Words: Fanny Crosby, 1882.
Rustic Potato Salad
This Potato Salad is an easy and comforting side for any protein you choose to barbecue or bake. We’ve enjoyed it with hamburgers and smoked pork. Great for a picnic, potluck or barbecue.
Ingredients:
- 1-1/2 pounds of small red potatoes
- 4 eggs hard boiled
- 2 stalks of celery, diced
- 1/2 small white onion diced
- 1/4-1/2 cup cooked bacon bits
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 or 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
- 1 handful chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Method:
- Boil unpeeled potatoes in salted water until fork tender, drain and chop into bite sized pieces and add into large bowl.
- Shell and dice the eggs and add to the potatoes.
- Add the diced celery and onion to the bowl.
- While the potatoes and eggs are still hot add the mayonnaise and mustard and mix well.
- Mix in the parsley.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Cover and store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Because you cook the potatoes in salted water you might not need too much extra salt for the finished product. I added a 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper to start and then tasted to see if it needed more.
Hawk Flying and Turkey Strutting
The hawk was too high in the sky for me to get better photos. I zoomed as close as I could.
The male turkeys have been strutting about these Spring days.
Besides hawks and turkeys we have visits from quail and robins and swallows. Hummingbirds are returning, too. Everything has grown quickly and I’ll need to get out to take some photos of the greening of the yard and the peonies about to open. With the heat we’ve been having I’ll need to water instead of counting on the Spring rains to do that for me. We are getting some of the haze from the fires in Alberta. Fires this early does not bode well for our fire season. A peculiar thing that we’ve noticed this year, too, is an abundance of moths flitting about.
Hope all is well in your corner of the world.
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 