Category Archives: Blogs

WFW ~ John 13:1, 14-15

 

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!

John 13:1 ~ “It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.”

“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.” I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”

For more Word FIlled Wednesday click here.

I took this photograph yesterday in Thousand Oaks, California at the Gardens of the World.

The Gardens of the World is privately owned and operated by the Hogan Family Foundation.

ABC Wednesday ~ M is for…

 M is for Mariachis, Mexican Food, and Margaritas.

Mariachi is a type of musical group, originally from Cocula, Jalisco, Mexico. Usually a mariachi consists of at least three violins, two trumpets, one Mexican guitar, one vihuela (a high-pitched, five-string guitar) and one guitarrón (a small-scaled acoustic bass). They dress in silver studded charro outfits with wide-brimmed hats. The original Mariachi were Mexican street musicians or buskers. Many mariachis are professional entertainers doing paid gigs in the mainstream entertainment industry. Professionals are normally skilled at more than one instrument, and they also sing.

 

Some of our Mexican Restaurants in Southern California have Mariachis strolling around the restaurant taking requests for songs to play and sing.

This Mariachi group played at my nephews wedding

I was born and raised in the East Los Angeles area of Southern California. The Mexican culture (these days if you are politically correct called “Hispanic” not “Mexican”) was all around me. We celebrated Mexican holidays at my elementary school, took field trips to Olvera Street in Los Angeles where the culture was further introduced to us. I have always enjoyed Mexican Food. There isn’t a Mexican restaurant in the Southern California area that calls itself Hispanic that I know of. They still all refer to themselves as Mexican restaurants.

 

Our favorite Mexican Restaurant in the Camarillo Area is El Tecolate. In Mexico El Tecolote means the Owl. Mexican Restaurants always serve chips and salsa at your table when you arrive. Sometimes we order guacamole to go with the chips too. Guacamole is a dip made with mashed avocados and other ingredients.

They have decorated the restaurant with many different types of owl “art”. This is just a fraction of the Owls you’ll see inside.

 

They serve your typical Mexican food here and other interesting dishes that are unique to this restaurant.

This is an open tamale

Carnitas (slow cooked pork) is another Mexican favorite. So yummy…

There are some Mexican restaurants that still hand make their tortillas. The restaurant where this Mexican lady is making tortillas is in Venice Beach, California (a district of Los Angeles).

 And last but not least I leave you with a Margarita which is a classic Mexican Tequila and lime drink! You can have the double, I’m fine with the single.

We prefer ours on the rocks. A lot of people like the blended variety that gives you a brain freeze on your first sip. Muchas Gracias for visiting my M post mi amigos y amigas.

For more ABC Wednesday visit Mrs. Nesbitt.

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!

The Art of Chado ~ Japanese Tea Ceremony

This is a guest post from my daughter Katie about a class she’s taking this quarter. I’m including it in this weeks Tea Blog-a-thon, Dressed-to-A-Tea, as promised.

Chado – The “tea way”‏

This quarter I have been fortunate enough to get to take a class on the art of Chado, the Japanese tea ceremony. We meet once a week for lecture, and then once a week we go to the Japanese Garden at the Seattle Arboretum and practice in the tea room. This last week we got to bring home our “fukusa basami”, (pictured) little clutches containing our “fukusa” (ceremonial cloths), some papers for putting sweets on, and our fans. (pictured)

I also decided to buy a yukata and obi to wear for the class, though this is not a requirement. A yukata is an inexpensive, light, informal version of the kimono. Real kimono are pricey and require alot of care. An obi is the broad sash worn with kimono or yukata. My yukata has not yet arrived, but I received my obi early last week. My friend Mika tried several times to tie it for me, but complained that since I was smaller than her she couldn’t get the proportions right. When my instructor arrived she had me come in to the tea house and quickly and expertly tied my obi. I drove home wearing it so that my brother could take a picture. (pictured)

 

So far we have learned several bows, how to walk in the tea room, how to fold and unfold our fukusa properly, how to whisk tea, and how to take and serve sweets and tea. It’s alot of information to take in, but I’m loving it.

Thanks Katie! When you get your yukata I want another photo!

For more Tea Posts click over to Gracious Hospitality.

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 ~ 5 & 5

Nekked Lizard is hosting Fun Monday and here’s the challenge.

FIVE PICTURES – FIVE WORDS PER PICTURE.
Any 5 (FIVE) pictures, any subject, and any 5 (FIVE) words to describe and/or explain each picture.  CAN YOU DO IT???

And here I go with my Five and Five….

“Great Minds Think A Pint”

My Walking Buddies in Washington

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!

Time for My Trifle Friends!

 

My Favorite View of Seattle

Me and my wonderful Children!

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!

For more Fun Monday visit the Nekked Lizard!

Dressed-To-A-Tea!

Generally when I go to a tea I dress up just a bit from my normal everyday style (jeans and a top) I’ll put on my black pants and try to wear something more interesting on top. I am not a hat person because a hat does not compliment me at all. My daughter Katie can wear any hat out there and look cute but not me!

 

We had tea at The Gilded Rose Manor Tea House for my mother’s 85th birthday on Saturday. I took a few photos of some pretty accessories they had around the tea room to share for “Dressed-To-A-Tea! This hat rack with the hats and boa’s was in the front entry.

 

This was something for a little girl to wear.

 

And some other pretty vintage children’s dresses.

More typically our Tea apparel is “to each his own” as you can see from the tea guests above. There are more pictures from my Mother’s birthday tea here.

This is my daughter Katie dressed for a Winter Tea with her vintage hat, gloves and pearls.

I’m hoping to be able to share a tea post with my daughter dressed for her Japanese Tea Ceremony class soon. She’s taking this class from the University of Washington and travels to a Japanese Tea-house in Seattle at the Arboretum each week for her instruction.

Visit LaTeaDah at Gracious Hospitality for more Dressed-To-A-Tea Posts.

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 ~ Twisted

 

These twisted Ivy trunks are in front of our favorite Mexican Restaurant in Camarillo, California. (El Tecolote)

 

We spotted this twisted trunk on our hike in Sycamore Canyon this last weekend.

For more twisted photos head over to tnchick.

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!

Before Green Gables ~ Review

Before Green Gables

The Prequel to Anne of Green Gables

by Budge Wilson

I finished this wonderful book this week. If you are an Anne fan and have been skeptical of this book put your skepticism aside. You can enjoy Budge Wilson’s talent to bring Anne’s days before Green Gables alive, heartwarming, tear jerking, endearing Anne to us again. I love the other characters she weaves into the story during this time period in Anne’s life, too.

To see more Spring Reading Book Reviews click over to Callapidder Days.

Have You Ever Meme ~

I saw this over at Susanne’s and decided to play along…

Susanne’s was a meme for a busy day. Mine is a meme for a laid up day. I’m still in bed with back pain and so between memorizing, blogging and reading, I’m calling on God so I don’t lose heart.  2 Corinthians 4:16-17 “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal”

A view from my jail room while I’m recovering…

Lousy photo yes, but it was fun taking a picture. I’m suffering a bit from picture taking withdrawal.

So now to the temporary things of this earth that I’ve seen and done…

Have you ever:

-Gone on a blind date no
-Skipped school yes
-Watched someone die yes
-Been to Canada yes to British Columbia, and to Ontario from Detroit.
-Been to Mexico Yes, but not to a resort. Tijuana and Tecate to buy tile…

-Been to Florida No
-Been on a plane Yes
– Been lost  yes but not for long
-Been on the opposite side of the country yes
-Been to the capital of your country yes

-Swam in the ocean or waded Yes, in the Pacific and the Atlantic
-Cried yourself to sleep yes
– Played cops and robber Yes, and cowboys and Indians.
-Recently colored with crayons Not recently
– Sang Karaoke Yes

– Paid for a meal with coins only? probably
– Done something you told yourself you wouldn’t? Yes
– Made prank phone calls Yes, so very embarrassing…
– Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose unfortunately yes
– Caught a snowflake on your tongue Yes after we moved to Washington state.

– Danced in the rain Yes, in Washington probably after a goal or a touchdown. 🙂
– Written a letter to Santa Claus no, not that I can recall.
– Been kissed under the mistletoe yes
-Watched the sunrise with someone you care about Yes
– Blown bubbles Absolutely

– Gone ice-skating Yes, but not successfully
– Been skinny dipping outdoors Yes in the dark in a hot tub with nobody looking (I hope)
-Been out of North America Yes, Great Britain.
-Been in detention Yes, room 208 at Montebello Junior High.
-Regreted something you blogged  probably…

I won’t tag anyone but if you do it let me know so that I can come and read!

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!