Category Archives: Engagement

Our Week in California

Before we parked at the Spokane airport for our flight to Orange County we enjoyed our Linner at the Rusty Moose in Airway Heights which is just a hop skip and a jump to the airport.

We arrived at the Santa Ana Airport in Orange County on Thursday evening May 7th. Our brother-in-law picked us up at the curb and brought us back to my sister Vera’s home in Huntington Beach, where we would be staying for a week. Our sister Vera had been in Arizona and she arrived this night, too, and brother-in-law headed back to the airport to pick her up. BIL lives in Texas and he arrived the afternoon of this day. This Orange county airport had a total of 7 of our family members arriving at different times on this day. We all initially traveled to attend our friends memorial service on Friday morning but after that we filled the rest of our time meeting up all over the L.A. area traversing the freeway system for graduation ceremonies, Mother’s Day meals, birthday meals and farewell meals with different family groups and different venues. Whew!

Our Washington kids were able to attend our Great Nephew’s graduation from The Masters College in Santa Clarita. They drove across Los Angeles from the Memorial Service to attend.

That evening we were treated to dinner at Seasons 52 in Costa Mesa with two of my sisters and brother-in-law. I didn’t take any photos.

Saturday this crew drove from different areas of L.A. and Orange County to meet for brunch at Twoheys. Those of us who weren’t at Jack’s graduation were able to congratulate him in person at this gathering. Some of us were also meeting his bride to be for the first time.

This restaurant moved from it’s original location in Alhambra to this South Pasadena location.

Retro, family-friendly American diner known for burgers & hot fudge sundaes since 1943.

Our church youth group would end up at this restaurant frequently in the 60’s and 70’s. That was when they were still in the Alhambra location. We could down a burger and then have one of their famous sundaes. My choice for a burger was always the Stinko Burger. A plain burger with a thick slice of raw onion. I ordered the same on this day for ‘old times sake’.

Josh and Laura left the 2EE’s gathering and headed straight to the airport to fly home.

Saturday evening this crew met up in Huntington Beach at Mario’s Mexican Restaurant for dinner. My brother Steve and SIL Kelly were able to make it to this gathering, driving out from Moorpark. Our niece Debbee was turning 50 this same week so we celebrated her. The Brother in law who picked us all up at the airport is sitting next to Greg. Me and my two sisters are seated at that end of the table. My brother is next to me and SIL across from him sitting next to our niece Melissa. Our niece Debbee is to the right and her hubby is taking the selfie. There was a two hour wait time for a table at this restaurant (remember this was Mother’s Day weekend) but…our Lenny, Debbie and Melissa are good customers here and the manager of the bar came up with seating for us in 20 minutes! Muy Bueno!

On Sunday, Greg and I attended Beach Bible Church (formerly Evangelical Free of Huntington Beach) with my sister Vera. This was Mother’s Day. This was the same church Greg and I attended when we lived in Huntington Beach in the mid 70’s and mid 80’s. Both of our sons were dedicated in this church. It hasn’t changed much and it is still a Bible believing and Bible preaching church. The service with the worship songs and preaching was balm to the soul.

At some point during the weekend gatherings there was a last minute decision to gather at Vera’s home for a Mother’s Day meal. Our niece Melissa offered to bring the pies and our nephew Ryan made a special gluten free cake for the gathering. Vera and I made the decision to order a couple dishes from a Chinese restaurant close by to make the day easy peasy. The Beef Broccoli and Orange Peel Chicken with steamed rice was just right for everyone.

I wasn’t with any of our children on Mother’s Day but it was nice to be with all my sisters, a few nieces, nephews, BIL’s, one brother and SIL.

Monday was beach day and I’ll save that post for another day.

Our flight home would be on Wednesday morning so our last gathering was on Tuesday night with a skeleton crew. My sisters Lana, Vera, Greg and I had a wonderful meal at an Italian Restaurant in Newport Beach called Sapori.

It was a very nice finale to our time in Southern California.

Vera drove us to the airport on Wednesday morning. Thank you, Vera, for your hospitality and to all our family who drove miles for our gatherings. Thank you, Lana, for giving up your bed for a few nights and for the use of that amazing hair dryer! 🙂

Hello October Hodgepodge

Speaking of Southern Charm and September…

The Rhett House Inn, Beaufort S.C.

Hello October Hodgepodge. Thank you, Joyce!

1. What’s your favorite fall scent?

Vanilla with just a hint of cinnamon.

Would we find this in or around your home right now? 

No

2. October is Country Music Month…are you a fan of country music? Do you have a favorite country artist? Ever been to Nashville?

I enjoy country music but I do not have a favorite artist and I’ve never been to Nashville.

In terms of lifestyle are you more country mouse or city mouse? 

I was raised and lived the city mouse lifestyle for 67 out of my 74 years but I’m adjusting to the country mouse lifestyle. We moved to the country in 2018 and we are enjoying the country life. I have bonded with Wal-Mart. 🙂

3. How about ‘country cooking’? (loosely defined as rich flavors, familiar foods, large portions, often fried, and often associated with the southern region of the US of A)? 

Fried Green Tomatoes were delicious at a restaurant called Wren in South Carolina. Katie and I were in South Carolina in 2010 staying in Beaufort to attend Andrew’s graduation from Marine Boot Camp at Parris Island.

chicken and dumplings-fried chicken-shrimp and grits-biscuits and gravy-mac and cheese-fried green tomatoes-cornbread-collard or turnip greens-deviled eggs-‘barbecue’-gumbo-banana pudding 

Which of the foods listed is your favorite? 

I would say that barbecue, deviled eggs, cornbread, biscuits and gravy are favorites.

Any on the list you haven’t tried or would say a firm no thank you to if offered? 

I would be fine with eating any of the items on the list once in a while.

4. What’s something that always has a positive impact on your mood? 

Good Christian Worship Music and Hymns. Music speaks to my heart.

“May I be singing when the evening comes.”

5. As we say so long to September share a noun, a verb, and an adjective that tells us something about how that month looked for you.

September had some fun travel and joyful events but the horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk hit me hard. His Memorial service reaffirmed my great hope in God and our Savior, Jesus Christ.

noun: assassination ~~verb: travel ~~adjective: horrific

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

September of 2010 was a memorable one in our family.

The photo above is from the Parish Church of St. Helena in Beaufort, S.C.

This wonderful old church and graveyard were around the corner from our lodgings in Beaufort. (Photo at the top of this post) I took several photos here of the grounds and of the fresh in love couple!

Beaufort is a city on Port Royal Island, one of South Carolina’s coastal Sea Islands. It’s known for its antebellum mansions, especially in the downtown historic district.

Being at Parris Island and experiencing all the ceremonies involved with Andrew officially becoming a Marine were amazing and unforgettable.

Katie and I stayed in Beaufort while we attended Andrew’s graduation from Parris Island Marine Bootcamp in September of 2010. Later that month on September 29, 2010, Katie said yes to Andrew’s proposal of marriage. The photo below was taken on that evening.

We are looking forward to some special times in October starting this Saturday with Marcus Cider Fest! It was fun to turn the calendar page this morning.

Farewell to April Hodgepodge

Alton to Cotswolds 323

Speaking of time, this ancient clock is from Wells Cathedral in Wells, England.

Wow! The 600th edition of Wednesday Hodgepodge with thanks to Joyce From This Side of the Pond!

My random thought today will be the finale of the A to Z  April challenge. We are on the last day of April and the last letter of the alphabet, but first, the Hodgepodge…

1. My very first edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge was published on November 10, 2010 (linked here if you’re curious). Tell us something about your life from that era. 

I think my first Hodgepodge with consistency afterwards was in 2017.

This was from my post on November 6th, 2010.

This is our daughter in front of the Bridal shop in Bellevue, Washington where we just purchased her wedding dress. Very sentimental and personal with plenty of emotion attached!

A wedding is afoot at our house but because our daughter is marrying a Marine who will soon be in Active duty we do not know what date we can choose for the event yet. It will be sometime in the next year in the meantime we are preparing what we can because we might have very little notice for the actual event.

Andrew and Katie ended up getting married at the Justice of the Peace in Jacksonville, North Carolina on March 11, 2011. We had their formal wedding ceremony one year later on March 11, 2012 in Seattle.

2. What’s a song you love that relates to time in some way? 

The DC talk version of this song is the one we prefer over the original because of the changes from “Never been a sinner, never sinned, but I have a friend in Jesus” to the more accurate “You know that I’m a sinner, we’ve all sinned, but I have a friend in Jesus.”

3. May is nearly upon us. When did you last need to yell ‘MAY DAY-MAY DAY!!’? 

My MAY DAY-MAY-DAY was on November 5th, 2022 when I realized my husband was having a stroke and I sent off the mayday ‘help me’ call to God, 9-1-1, and our local son here in Colville. The Fire Chief of our district was the first to appear at our door, then the ambulance and then our son (who was a distance away working close to the Canadian border). God knew my May-Day needs well before and helped us all through this experience.

4. How do you feel about food trucks? Is this a dining experience you enjoy?  Do you have a favorite What’s something you’ve ordered from a food truck? 

In years past before a Seattle Sounders Soccer game we would make our way to the taco truck for street tacos. So good.

Nowadays we have a fish truck that shows up in Colville every so often and they have the best Clam Chowder. Delicious.

I am a fan of good food trucks.

5. We’re bidding farewell to April…what are three adjectives you might use to describe the month you’re leaving behind. 

Joyous birthday celebrations for our grandson and son-in-law.

Glorious rejoicing because of our Risen Savior.

Tedious weeds are popping up like wildfire.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Z is for Zebras at the Zoo in Dallas a Zillion years ago.

We were visiting our youngest niece and her parents in 2010

A favorite Z song…

Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah

Zip a dee doo-dah, zip a dee ay
My, oh my, what a wonderful day.
Plenty of sunshine headed my way.
Zip a dee doo-dah, zip a dee ay

Mister bluebird on my shoulder
It’s the truth, it’s actual.
Everything is satisfactual.

Zip a dee doo-dah, zip a dee ay
Wonderful feelin’.
Wonderful day.

Lyrics by Ray Gilbert and Allie Wrubel.

From the Postal Museum in Washington D.C. in 2011.

Whew! Thank you to all who came along with me on the A to Z challenge and thank you fellow Hodgepodgers for your visit today.

In May I will be posting a past tea room tea experience or current one each day except on  Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. It is very possible these posts will have to continue into June.

Good News from North Carolina

We got some good news from North Carolina on Thursday. Dear’s niece got engaged. We are hoping to be able to travel to the wedding when we get the invite with time and place. We know the wedding will be in North Carolina. The collage above is from Katie and my trip across the U.S. to get her to North Carolina in time for her Marine husband to return from Afghanistan in 2014. We stopped in Asheville for a night and enjoyed a delicious meal on the Sunset Terrace at this hotel.

This is Dear’s older and only brother. I took this photo at our mom’s funeral in 2013. It’s his daughter Kacie who is now engaged to Chris. Terry is married to Christina and they have 3 daughters. Kacie is the youngest of the three.

Our kids just met up with Kacie and her sister Annie in California in January. These four happened to all be in California at the same time and carved out some time to meet up and get caught up. Kacie is standing between Josh and Laura. Our nieces are real beauties.

This is our daughter Katie, Christina (Dear’s SIL) and our oldest niece, Jenna. Jenna, Annie and Kacie are sisters. Christina is married to Dear’s brother, Terry.

Another post to keep me on track of what happened when.

Engagement and Marriage

We started dating in the fall of 1972. The summer of 1973 we traveled to England with a Christian Rock Group on a concert tour at schools in England for their religious education classes. At night we’d have community concerts in churches or community halls. Dear’s niece Jenna was born while we were in England and we were able to meet here when we returned. We were officially engaged in September of 1973. Jenna is our oldest niece.

We had another tour in England in the summer of 1974. After being hosted by a few great English families we got to return the favor to some and show them around the Los Angeles area when they came for a visit. I have a post about our tours in England here.

Our wedding was in December of 1974.

Dear’s family upper left. Dear and me with my little maternal babushka. Lower left me and my sisters. Middle, my brothers. Lower right my parents.

Our honeymoon was a drive up the coast of California as far as San Francisco and home again.

Today is Saturday the 18th of March. Looks like our granddaughter is arriving sometime on the 20th of March, the first day of Spring. Sweet! We will keep you posted on the actual arrival time and we hope induced labor won’t go too long.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
 they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV)

Here and There…

Here on Friday night we had our nephew Caleb with his wife Marie with us for dinner and dessert and a little catch-up on what’s going on in our lives. Caleb and Marie live in Santa Barbara so we don’t get to see them often. It was fun to have these cousins together in Washington. This might have been the first time that Andrew met them in person.

On Sunday we went “there” to Tacoma to spend a few hours celebrating with our beautiful friends that include our family in many special occasions.

Wonderful food, drink and conversations with these treasured friends celebrating our Savior.

Lucy * Katie * Jamie * Bridget

It was great to see these four beauties together. It’s been a long time. Jamie has just gotten back from a two year trip around the world on her own. Lucy, Jamie and Bridget are sisters and Katie has pretty much grown up with them as her friends. Jamie was Katie’s maid of honor.

Just in case you missed our great news that I posted on Saturday, I’ll repeat it here. Our son Dan asked his girlfriend Jamie to marry him and she said yes. We are looking forward to a wedding in 2015 over there in Dan and Jamie’s neck of the woods.

Palisade 003I’m happy to report I’m headed to the post office on Monday to finally mail off our Christmas cards. We have a few free days until Christmas. We’ll have a quiet Christmas Eve attending a service at church. On Christmas day we’ll have a full day of celebrating. Josh, Laura, Katie and Andrew will spend the night here on Christmas Eve and wake up for stockings and breakfast. Dan and Jamie will arrive from Eastern Washington in time for dinner so we’ll wait to open gifts till after dinner. We are looking forward to seeing the ring in person and hearing about details and plans.

I’ll probably be scarce for a while. How are things coming along at your house?

Will You…?

…YES!

Tonight at Log Haven Restaurant above Salt Lake City Andrew asked our Katie to marry him and she said yes.

 

They are both thrilled and we are happy for them. Andrew was in his dress blues and I wish someone had my camera there to take a photo! They did take lots of photos at the house and as soon as I get my hands on one I’ll post it along with a photo of the ring.

Here they are the evening of their engagement!

Photobucket replaced all my photos with ugly black and grey boxes and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.