1. Do your goals and dreams energize or exhaust you? Elaborate.
If I had unrealistic goals or dreams, I would probably be exhausted. These days I have simple goals and dreams and they energize me. I like to plan and I love a good plan. Truthfully, I get a little melancholy if I don’t have anything to plan.
2. July 23rd is national lemon day. Are you a fan of this flavor?
I am a fan of lemon flavor.
What’s a favorite dish or beverage you enjoy that calls for lemons?
I really enjoy this salad dressing that calls for fresh lemon juice.
Lemon curd is a favorite to enjoy on scones or in pastries.
3. “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade“…is this something you’re pretty good at managing? Have you had to do this recently? If so tell us about it.
Yes, I’d say I do pretty good at managing but that is because of knowing who holds the world together and who is the author of life. I’m in His hands.
Recently when our heat pump stopped pumping out cold air we managed with other tricks of the trade by cooling our house down overnight into the morning. We also bought a tower fan that moved the air for us quietly.
4. Something you love that is lemon yellow in color?
I like the lemony border on these plates. We don’t have a lot of lemony things in our home. I love the lemon colored day lilies that pop up in early summer in our yard.
5. How would you describe your attention to detail?
When it comes to planning a trip, planning a meal for company, planning how to set the table or planning holiday decor, I’m all about the details.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
Speaking of Lemons, this memory of our Grands with a Lemonade stand at their Granny’s birthday party was so sweet to revisit.
Hope your summer days are filled with refreshing treats like lemonade.
1. “Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.” Sam Keen
Do you feel less guilty relaxing in July than you do in January? Elaborate.
No, but I would much rather sweat in January than in July. There is less for me to do in January. July is filled with mowing, weeding, watering which makes me sweat. Even if I weeded everyday there would still be more weeding to do. I generally do not feel guilty for relaxing.
Found this welcoming gate on a beach walk way back in 2009!
2. What’s a telltale sign you’re upset?
I stop smiling…
3. July 16th is National AI Day. What are your general thoughts and/or experiences with AI? Have you purposely used it? Does it excite you, scare you, or worry you? What do you see as a benefit? How about something relating to AI you see as a negative?
I haven’t given AI deep thoughts. I probably use it mostly in my google searches for information. I ignore the prompts that ask if I’d like help writing, etc. False information connected to people or misrepresenting images are worrisome.
4. You’re invited to a summer pot luck and are asked to bring an appetizer, salad/side, or dessert. Which category do you go for and what are you bringing?
5. It wouldn’t be summer without___________________.
It wouldn’t be summer without a trip to the beach…
…and Ice Cream.
We’ve had many enjoyable last minute adventures in the summertime.
Lavender Festival in Sequim, 2012. It always happens the third weekend in July. We enjoyed them very much in past summers. BTW: you pronounce Sequim -squim.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
Update from last Wednesday’s Hodgepodge; I did manage to bake some blueberry muffins. I used this recipe. I left off the topping because I stay away from cinnamon these days, our grandson is allergic to it. I enjoyed them even more without the topping because the result was delicious muffin tops with just a bit of crispy edges.
I also liked the fact that this recipe makes 8 muffins, not a dozen.
Update on our A/C: A technician came out on Tuesday afternoon and within 20 minutes our unit was repaired and ready to cool us again. So thankful! Doubly thankful, as we are supposed to hit the 100’s next week!
Thank you to Joyce for supplying the questions each week.
1. What’s something you enjoy now that your younger self would never have appreciated?
Being able to climb into bed earlier in the evening, calling it a day before 9pm.
2. What was peaceful about today?
There is nothing on the calendar or to do list for today and we had already planned on eating out today so we’ll enjoy what the day brings and then being served a meal.
3. It’s National Blueberry Day (July 8). Will you celebrate? You can have one of the following right now-a slice of blueberry pie, a warm blueberry muffin, or a stack of blueberry pancakes…which do you choose?
I do have fresh blueberries in the refrigerator. Time will tell if I manage to bake some blueberry muffins on this very hot day.
This or that-blueberries or raspberries?
Raspberries
Blueberries or strawberries?
Strawberries
4. Do you need a break? From what?
I don’t need a break from anything but I could use some help in trying to get on top of our weeds.
5. What has surprised you most about getting older?
So much…
How hard it is to roll over in bed these days
How hard it is to get up off the floor
How quickly the wrinkles are forming
How hard it is to lose weight.
Now some positive surprises…
The wonderful freedom of travel.
How we can survive on one meal a day.
Good medical care w/o paying a fortune.
Cell phones and the internet and GPS!
6. Insert your own random thought here.
Our sons were able to attend the USA v Belgium game on Monday in Seattle. Even though the game was not the best that the US has played it was amazing for them to enjoy the World Cup Excitement together. One of the highlights of their day was getting Alexi Lalas’s attention so he could see a photo of the three of them from the 1994 World Cup and then for him to take a 2026 photo with them!
1994
2026
It was a wonderful treat for the two of them to spend this time together at this international event in their own backyard!
I’ll still be watching every game until the end to see who wins World Cup in 2026!
Right now, this minute, I’m enjoying hearing all the good things that World Cup Soccer visitors have to say about this great country of ours. They have said over and over that they were lied to by their home country media on how awful the United States is. They are soaking up the amazing variety of landscape and food and convenience and largeness from coast to coast. We are a melting pot of culture and we are unique in how we display our patriotism and celebrate our country, especially on the 4th of July.
On the flipside we are enjoying their songs, their chants, their dress, their celebrations, their loyalty to their teams!
My parents fled communism (Russia) and spent their teen years and young adult years in Iran. They applied and immigrated lawfully to the USA shortly after World War II. In the nineties when they had an opportunity to re-visit the village our pop was from in Russia they saw first hand what they were delivered from. When they came back to the US and got off their plane in the USA, they kissed the ground! They knew and appreciated the freedom and the country they were providentially citizens of. They embraced the USA, learned the language and were good citizens.
2. Your favorite patriotic song?
God Bless America
“While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that’s free.
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer:
God bless America, land that I love,
Stand beside her and guide her
Through the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans white with foam,
God bless America,
My home sweet home.”
3. Red, white, or blue? Stars or stripes? Something you own besides a US flag with some combination of those colors or decorations as part of its design?
Blue as in blue jeans or the color of our home.
Stars are a favorite…
Red, White and Blue stars are outside and inside our home, especially this time of year!
4. What’s one thing you want more of this summer: fun, rest, adventure, connection, quiet, or confidence? Elaborate.
I’ve already had more fun than I deserve this year and there is more fun planned for October of this year. I’m going with connection. I’d like more connection in the everyday moments with my God and Savior. I’d like more connection in that regard with other believers, too. Good conversations and prompts that cast my eyes on how gracious God is and all that He is doing to make me more like his Son and my Savior.
Without God’s grace I’d have no hope. Here are parts of Spurgeon’s June 29th evening devotional;
“If the grace of God were to leave the best Christian, there is enough sin in his heart to make him the worst of transgressors. If left to yourselves, you who are warmest for Christ would cool down like Laodicea into sickening lukewarmness:
…Therefore let us cry to God to never leave us. Do not withdraw from us your indwelling grace!
Lord, keep us everywhere. Keep us when we’re in the valley so that we do not grumble against Your humbling hand; keep us when we’re on the mountain, so we do not lose our balance by being lifted up; keep us in our youth, when our passions are strong; keep us in old age, when becoming conceited in our wisdom, we may therefore prove greater fools than those who are young and silly; keep us when we come to die, in case at the very end we should deny You! Keep us living, keep us dying, keep us working, keep us suffering, keep us fighting, keep us resting, keep us everywhere, for everywhere we need You, O our God!”
5. What was your ultimate, go-to summer activity when you were a kid? Do you still do any version of that today? If you answered yes, does participating in this activity as an adult make you feel like a kid?
Going to the beach or going to the ‘plunge’, the pool at Montebello high school, was a favorite childhood activity. Did you ever call a pool, a plunge?
As kids, we would walk from our neighborhood in Montebello Gardens (called the Jardines in Spanish) to the high school pool in Montebello where for 10 cents we could enjoy the pools. We would spend a good amount of time in the pools and then have to walk back home. I remember being very thirsty and very tired on that walk back home.
Google maps shows that it was a 2.3 mile walk there and 2.3 mile walk back home!
Our mom never got a license so she never drove a car and our pop worked hard and long hours and always had the family car for his work so as kids we were on our own if we wanted to go to the pool or to the library.
As an adult I enjoy a nice walk on the beach in the cool morning hours and that is something we were able to do just last week!
Cannon Beach, Oregon with Haystack Rock in the distance.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
Speaking of stars, here’s a flashback to 2021 and these two stars are my favorites!
If you are from the USA, I hope you are able to celebrate the 4th of July as the 250th year deserves!
If you aren’t from the USA, happy July to you and don’t be afraid to visit the USA!
1. Summer’s here! In the northern hemisphere anyway. If you’re in the southern hemisphere substitute winter for the word summer. What do you love most about summer? What’s your biggest summer pet peeve?
I love summer fruits like nectarines and peaches and plums and watermelon!
In our neck of the woods mosquitoes and mean bugs like wasps are a nuisance!
2. What song always reminds you of summer?
The Beach Boys ‘California Girls’. I was born and raised in Southern California and my early days were filled with music by this classic group.
3. What’s something you remember about your childhood summers? Do you think kids today get to enjoy summer the way you did as a child? Elaborate.
Honestly, I don’t remember specifics about summer versus other times of year. We were outside a lot. We would go to the beach with other relatives. I do remember getting the worst sunburn of all time and our mom soaking rags in vinegar to put on our burns.
Our summers as kids were very much unplanned by our parents. It seems like parents nowadays are more hands on and do more planning for summer activities. Summer camps and summer sports, etc.
4. We celebrate Fathers Day on June 21st. Do you favor your dad in looks or temperament? Tell us something about your dad. Or your husband as a dad. Or a son/son-in-law as a dad. Or your grandpa.
Our Pop worked hard to support his family. He was a man who loved His Lord and Savior and was faithful to our mom and us. He was punctual to the point of being early especially for church. He loved jigsaw puzzles and in his old age worked on them to pass the long hours of the day.
My Pop and me camping in Southern California. He is working on a jigsaw puzzle.
Our dear Pop was called home to heaven June 24th, 2018. Eight years ago today.
I’m a combo of our Pop and our Mom. I do enjoy jigsaw puzzles and I’m punctual to a fault.
5. Let’s wrap up with a summer this or that-
flip flops or sandals
beach or pool
watermelon or peaches
shorts or sundress
iced coffee or ice cold lemonade
amusement park or water park
Sandals, beach, watermelon, sundress, iced coffee. Neither an amusement park or water park are on my list ever for the summer. 🙂 I’d rather go to a place like Disneyland in the cooler months.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
We are getting ready for the 250th celebration of the USA at our house. Here are some initial decorations to mark this epic event.
A lot more will be coming out of my red, white and blue bins.
Our schedule is not our own this week and it will be hit or miss as to whether I can visit as usual. If not, I will catch up next week.
Ole Ole Ole, it’s time for World Cup and for Wednesday Hodgepodge! Thank you, Joyce.
1. June 17th, 1994 was the day of the infamous O.J. Simpson car chase. What were you doing in 1994? I’m guessing somebody is going to tell me they weren’t born yet but that’s part of the fun of the Hodgepodge. Lots of generations are represented here.
In June of 1994 we traveled to Southern California to stay with family and take in all we could of the World Cup. I’m sure we were on the same freeways O.J. was on during our time in L.A., the Santa Ana freeway and the 405! I know we watched it on TV.
Back to the more important reason we were in the greater LA area. Our boys and I found the USA World cup training center and met some of the players. Then we found the hotel the team was staying in and our sons worked hard to get signatures on the team poster our oldest son bought. They managed to get every signature of the people in the poster except for one trainer/coach who wasn’t in Southern California.
If I remember correctly Josh got a 3 or 4 game package deal and Dan got 1. The prices were very reasonable compared to today.
2. What’s your favorite summer salad that isn’t the traditional tossed green lettuce kind of salad?
Do you like fresh fruit in a salad (other than in a fruit salad of course)?
I enjoy strawberries or pears in a green salad with the right dressing and cheese to compliment and roasted walnuts or shaved almonds…
3. Is chivalry dead? Should it be?
~
No and no. It is always a pleasure to enjoy chivalry or witness it.
~ 4. Would you rather spend a week of your summer vacation in Hawaii or Alaska?
I’ll say Hawaii because there are fewer bugs.
Have you ever been to either?
We have been to Hawaii but not Alaska.
Are they two places you really would like to see?
No
How do you feel about ‘Hawaiian pizza’ aka pineapple on a pizza?
Nyet, No, Nine
Have you ever eaten Baked Alaska?
I think I have but I couldn’t tell you where or when.
~
5. World Cup play is happening now…are you interested?
Very interested. And for the record I’m interested in soccer all the time not just for World Cup.
Watching any matches?
I’ve watched them all to one degree or another. Some I’ve watched every minute others I watched parts of .
Did you or your children play soccer/futbol?
All three of our children played. Our sons played for their school varsity teams and on traveling teams, too. Our sons also worked as referees for our community leagues and for indoor games, too.
And now, our Grands are playing soccer.
There are eleven US cities hosting matches-
–Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York with the stadium in NJ, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle
along with three cities in Mexico (Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey)
and two in Canada (Toronto and Vancouver)-
You get free tickets to one of these matches. Which city do you choose? Tell us why.
Seattle, because it would be the easiest stadium for us to reach.
Our son and daughter-in-love are attending the USA v. Australia game this Friday in Seattle!
6. Insert your own random thought here.
Dan’s ticket that he purchased from his soccer coach was for a game in Stanford. Dan and I traveled from the LA area up to Stanford for the game. The game was on June 24, 1994. And yes, we traveled those same freeways O.J. did. 🙂
I’m behind and the way things are going it will be a while for me to get my mojo back.
“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:4-7
2. What’s the most used app on your phone (and are you proud of that)?
(WhatsApp) It is the app we use with the Mennonite Girls and also with our immediate family. It is easier to send videos and photos with this app than with text messages.
I’m proud of myself when I figure out how to use any app!!
3. ‘Every rose has it’s thorn’, ‘everything’s coming up roses’, ‘looking through rose-colored glasses’, ‘it’s no bed of roses’ or ‘stop and smell the roses’…which rose idiom best relates to something in your life currently. Explain.
‘everything’s coming up roses’ (or peonies)
It’s a busy and good time of year with so much happening all at the same time including flowers blooming on our property. We’ve had performances, visitors, events, meals in, meals out, preparations for a community garage sale this coming weekend. Life is blooming!!
4. How do you feel about floral flavorings in food or drink (rose, hibiscus, elderflower, lavender)?
No, thank you. Elderflower has been acceptable in the past.
5. Over the course of your life what have you probably spent more time pondering than anything else?
This is a tough one. It is not my habit to be introspective. I know I’ve laid awake at night pondering things but it has been a variety of things over the course of my life.
When I was young I remember pondering whether my parents would die and being sad about that prospect. They did die but not until they were in their 90’s so that was a waste of emotions.
In my teen years I probably pondered too much about myself and whether people or certain boys liked me. That was a waste of time and emotions, too.
I’ve spent a lot of time pondering what to make for dinner.
I’ve also spent a lot of time pondering what to do and see on any given trip we’ve enjoyed over the years.
In my older years, I’ve pondered how and why friends that I used to worship Christ with and who I’ve served Christ with have walked away in disobedience to His Word and how they have embraced the world and the ways and philosophy of this world.
Right now I’m pondering what else I should try to get rid of at the garage sale this Thursday/Friday/Saturday.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
The 2026 World Cup begins tomorrow. I’m excited and have set our DVR to record many of the games. We were at the last World Cup in the USA in 1994. This Cup I’ll be watching from home. Josh and Laura will be attending the USA v. Australia game in Seattle a week from this Friday!
Dan and I were able to attend the Brazil v. Cameroon game at Stanford in 1994.
We have great memories from the ’94 World Cup and I’ll share more on another day. In between games, I’ll be working on the new 2026 World Cup puzzle our Josh and Laura gifted me.
If it’s Wednesday, it must be time for the Hodgepodge. Thank you, Joyce.
1.What’s something you find extremely difficult that most people would say is simple?
Exercise for the sake of exercise. I can have good intentions but I find it difficult to be faithful in the endeavor.
I do enjoy getting out in the yard and mowing, etc. I do deep cleaning. I’m great at errands and shopping. We walk a lot on trips we take. I’m not a total couch potato. 🙂
2. “And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow fast in movies I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”
~F. Scott Fitzgerald
Does the season of summer make you feel this way? Elaborate.
No. Summer is not my stimulating time of year. I look for shade and try not to sweat too much. Life begins again in the Fall for me. 🙂
~
3. Pickles. Love ’em or no thank you?
Love them!
What’s your favorite type of pickle?
Kosher Dill, the kind you find in the refrigerator section.
What’s something you eat that definitely needs a pickle added?
A hamburger tastes better to me with pickles. I also like chopped up pickles in tuna mix and potato salad and call me crazy but I love the combination of a boiled potato with a pickle as a treat.
4. Tis the season…do you know any June brides?
Our Colville kids got married in June so our Jamie is a June Bride.
Are there any weddings on your summer calendar?
No summer weddings on our calendar. We do have a Grand Nephew who is engaged but it sounds like their plans are for a Fall wedding.
What’s your favorite movie wedding?
Pride and Prejudice and other British series weddings (Downton Abby) where the whole town lights up for the special day and the bride arrives after all the guests are in the church and gets dropped off in a special carriage or car and then the couple leave together in style right from the church to wherever the reception is to be held.
5. June 1st is/was National Say Something Nice Day…say something nice here.
Thank you, Joyce and Hodgepodgers, for this weekly get together and for all the nice things you say in your comments each week. You are a fun community and I appreciate each of you.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
Speaking of exercise, we started June off with a return to the Rotary Trail here in Colville for a walk. Woohoo! It’s been well over a year that we walked the trail. That was due mostly to my Plantar Fasciitis. I’m happy to report my feet felt fine after our walk, thank you, LORD!
We enjoyed lots of birdsong and seeing our National Bird, too.
I have grown into it. I do not have a middle name on my birth certificate.
Are you named after someone (grandparent, etc)?
No. After my older sisters got the more traditional Russian names, my mother decided I’d get a name none of her friends would choose for their children. Ellen is not a typical Russian name.
In Russian, the name Ellen translates to Эллен (pronounced EL-len) when used for an English name.
However, because Ellen is a variant of the name Helen, the traditional Russian equivalent is Елена (pronounced yeh-LYEH-nah), which is often shortened to the nickname Лена (pronounced LYEH-nah)
Лена is what I was called by our Russian family and friends.
Ellen, Ellen, Watermelon. That is something I remember some classmates in elementary school repeating to try to irritate me. 🙂
I also had to correct people over and over again when they tried to call me Helen. I’d say, NO, Ellen with an E.
If you have children how did you choose their names?
For our sons we chose strong Biblical names, Joshua and Daniel. For our daughter we chose a name from Greg’s heritage and also a strong name, Katherine.
2. A piece of red velvet cake, a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a slice of blueberry pie? You can only have one…which will you choose?
I’ll go with red velvet cake.
If you could pick any red, white, or blue dessert other than those listed here, what would you choose?
I love a good patriotic berry trifle.
3. What’s a job you’d like to try for just one day?
I’d like to try being a detective and solving a murder.
4. Any patriotic decor in your home currently or coming up this summer?
Yes! And I’m on the lookout for more since this is the 250th year of freedom!
5. It’s the end of May, so let’s exercise our brains. Sum up your month with an acrostic using the word MAY. We can do it!!
M emorials beginning and ending the merry month of May with
A wakening buds and weeds displaying a springtime
Y ard that needs attending to!
6. Insert your own random thought here.
Memorial weekend scattered many of our family to Texas and Montana, far south and far north! The travelers originated from California or Washington State.
Kathy is our oldest sister and turning 80 over Memorial weekend she deserved a celebration all her own. She was in Texas on her day so our sister, Lana, threw a birthday party for her. Our youngest sister, Lana, lives in Texas. Both my older sisters (Kathy and Vera) were in Texas to attend our youngest niece’s graduation from high school. The graduation ceremony was on Friday. Our youngest niece is the daughter of our youngest brother who also lives in Texas. Are you following? Anyhoo, hats off to Lana for giving Kathy a very special celebration.
In Texas our friend, Heidi, sat in for me for this ‘sister’ photo above since I couldn’t be in Texas for the events this past weekend. Lana, Heidi, Vera and Kathy on Kathy’s 80th birthday.
Kathy’s kids and grands were all in Montana for a wedding. Our kids and Vera’s kids were in Montana, too, for the annual ‘cousins memorial day weekend’. This group of cousins sent their mom, nana, auntie a special photo greeting for her 80th. There was some face timing, too.
Meanwhile back in Texas…
Our niece, Hope’s graduation ceremony.
Graduations, weddings, cousin’s annual gathering, it was a full weekend! Why were we absent? We enjoyed taking care of our Grands while their parents had fun with the cousins in Montana!
Each of these loved ones got a t-shirt with a photo of a special moment in their history with their cousin Debbee. She turned 50 in May and our DIL Laura was inspired to celebrate her at cousins weekend in this special way.
The original ‘band of cousins’.
Whew! That was a very busy weekend. Our Colville kids made it back Monday evening and our ‘sitting’ duty was over. We shared our time watching over our Grands with our DIL Jamie’s dear mom. She got the evening/overnight duty while and we got the daytime duty. I’m sure our Grands had stories to tell about their caretakers and didn’t hesitate to throw us ‘under the bus’. 🙂
I think this cake could qualify for my plate of beige food!
A new set of Wednesday Hodgepodge questions have come our way From This Side of the Pond. Thank you, Joyce.
1. What do you make more complicated than it needs to be?
Answering some of the Hodgepodge questions! 🙂
2. What impresses you?
Hard working young people.
3. On a scale of 1-10 how picky of an eater are you? (1=extremely and 10=not at all)
I’ll go with an 8. No liver for me, thank you. Not a fan of raw fish, either.
If you had to eat a meal made entirely of one color what color would you choose?
Beige or light brown as in a Thanksgiving plate of turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes covered in beige gravy and a beige soft roll on the side. Also…see photo up top!
4. What does balance in life mean to you? Does your life currently feel ‘balanced’?
A good combination of home life responsibilities, keeping relationships at peace, and adding in some good adventures is a good balance in life. Giving freely and receiving graciously are important, too. Knowing the God who created me and having peace with Him through Jesus Christ gives me spiritual balance and security.
Currently things are seemingly balanced.
5. If you could travel the world for a year what would be your first destination?
The United Kingdom would be my first and my last destination. It would be amazing to travel all about that Kingdom with that much time. A whole year could be doable if our kids and grands and friends would meet up with us through the year.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
While we were away these three came by our house to water since we were having dry and warm days which isn’t typical for Spring.
This little guy was pleased as punch to find the snacks I left for him and his sister!
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 