Category Archives: Fave Five on Friday

FFF ~ Late in Summer…

Time to take a deep breath and consider some wonderful things that happened in the past week. Visit Susanne at Living to Tell the Story to join in this great exercise. Here are 5 of my favorites…

1. The evening shadows and sunshine that are so soft in late summer. We opened the door to the deck and enjoyed the lovely breeze.

2. Starting up in a new Bible Study on Tuesdays. I signed up for a Kay Arthur Precepts study and I’m looking forward to digging in again and meeting with a group of women each week who are digging, too.

3. Watching my daughter deep clean and get rid of clutter in her room. She’s purging a lot of stuff that just doesn’t fit in her life anymore.

4. Entering a new dimension with our middle son who called to wish his dad a happy birthday and to chat at 5:30 a.m. last Saturday. When we got off the phone I couldn’t help but chuckle thinking  this never would of happened in his previous 28 years!

5. Getting some projects completed and having success in some shopping goals this week!

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.

Short Week Favorites…

When the ole girl parties downtown on Thursday night her Friday post comes late to the table! Never-the-less the party must go on…

Thank you to Susanne for reminding us to take a look back and see the favorites that came our way since last Friday.

1. My number one favorite was spending Dear’s birthday with our son Josh in downtown Seattle. We met Josh at a Park n Ride and then drove together to Seattle. We had dinner at the Wild Ginger Restaurant and then headed to Qwest field for the Seattle Sounders F.C. game against Real Salt Lake. It was fun spending the evening with our first-born. On Saturday we are going to have a family birthday celebration with Josh, Laura, and Katie.

 

It’s truly a blessing from God for me to be married to this man!

2. I got 2 new books in the mail this week. So for my #2 favorite I wanted to share my friend Sandy Coughlin’s new book with you. Sandy is a blogger at the Reluctant Entertainer and she’s had a book published about simple and gracious hospitality. It is well written with great ideas on entertaining that won’t break your budget. There are lots of recipes in the book, too. This would make a creative Bridal Shower gift! I ordered my copy from Amazon but you can click over to her blog and order it there, too. She’ll also sign a copy if you order it from her. You won’t be disappointed with the reluctant entertainer – every woman’s guide to simple and gracious hospitality

3. Speaking of books, I also ordered the new book in the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter series by Susan Wittig Albert, The Tale of Oat Cake Crag. I really enjoy these mysteries surrounding Hill Top Farm. I’m looking forward to reading this new book.

4. I bought some granola that was good for you but didn’t taste good to me so I came up with a cookie recipe using it. It’s fabulous in the cookies. I’ll share the recipe later this month on the Mennonite Girls Can Cook blog. I’m calling them Granola Chews.

5. And last but not least I’m still savoring and remembering with contentment and joy my 3 days in Canada with these Mennonite Girls that cook!

 

So what have you been up to and what are some of your favorites?

Have a great weekend and NEVER FORGET!

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.

FFF ~ Anticipation & Anniversary

Time to ponder the past week and choose 5 favorites that you’d like to share and then link up with the lovely Susanne at Living to Tell the Story so the rest of us can click over and see your favorites.

This has been an interesting week of anticipating things that are happening this weekend and next week. Dear and I are flying to San Jose on Saturday morning for a wedding in Mt. Hermon and flying right back on Sunday. Then next week I’m making a solo trip to Canada for a few days. I’ll tell you more about both of these events next Friday…

The favorite thing we did this week was to celebrate Josh and Laura’s 9th anniversary.

 

Dear barbecued a Pork Butt for a very long time at a low temperature and we served it with coleslaw, barbecued beans and potato buns. It was very tasty.

Here are 5 favorite things about Josh and Laura in no particular order…

1. They give up a week of summer vacation to direct a Junior High Camp at Lakeside Bible Camp and they do an awesome job!

 

2. They love to go to Sounder’s games together and they take me along…

 

3. They cherish their friends and cousins and spend time with them.

 

4. They love their brothers and sisters.

 

5. They honor their parents and grandparents.

 

I told Josh and Laura this week that it makes me smile just to say their names together. We are so thankful to God that he brought them together and has blessed their relationship.

What were your favorites this past week?

FFF ~ From the East…

Susanne has flown the coop but she didn’t leave the nest without getting Friday’s Fave Five ready for all of us. Dear is on vacation this week so we headed to Eastern Washington for an overnight on Monday. Our goal was to check out the area our middle son will be moving to later this year. We had a traffic free journey driving through many small towns. Here are five favorite shots from our trip.

 

Coming East on Highway 20 from Republic to Colville. I love seeing the layers of mountains.

 

Looking back at Colville sitting next to the Colville National Forest.

 

Roosevelt Lake area near Rice, Wa. fed by the Columbia River.

 

One of the many one store towns we drove through.

 

We crossed rivers, drove by lakes and saw at least 4 dams on this trip. It was really hot so just seeing the water was a nice relief to the heat. I’d like to do the trip again when it’s cooler and when getting out of the car to walk around and take photos would be more pleasant. Here’s a post with some of the churches we saw.

We’ve had a nice cool down here in Western Washington with some rain expected on Sunday. How are things in your neck of the woods?

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.

FFF ~ Food Glorious Food…

Friday-end of a traditional work week, the beginning of the weekend, a time to look back and count your blessings. Please click on over to Living to Tell the Story and join Susanne and other Bloggers in telling us your favorites from this past week.

 

This collage isn’t just about food but it’s all about the people and celebrations surrounding this food! I’ve missed a couple Fave Fives because family were visiting us here in the Northwest. We had lots of fun filled days and nights and of course so many of our adventures centered around food. So here are 5 food events…

1. A wonderful lamb burger at Olive You where we celebrated my sister Lana’s birthday.

2. A sandwich and soup at Three Cups of Tea with my sisters, DIL, and nieces after a trip to the Lavender Farm.

3. A frozen raspberry dessert that I made for an early birthday celebration for my niece Melissa.

4. A potato side dish to use up the potatoes my brother bought for the wonderful breakfasts he made while he was with us.

5. Apple crisp that I made from the ripe apples off our apple tree for just the three of us after our company departed!

I’ve missed all of my Fave Five Friends. Hope all is well with you.

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.

FFF ~ Psalms

It’s time to think back over the week and consider your favorites for Friday’s Fave Five.

Please visit Susanne at Living to Tell the Story to join in.

I’ve been motivated to get out and walk more this week and here are 5 passages from Psalms I have on 3 x 5 cards to enjoy while I walk.

 

Psalm 36: 5-6

Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.

Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
O LORD, you preserve both man and beast.

 

Psalm 66: 1-4

Shout with joy to God, all the earth!

Sing the glory of his name;
make his praise glorious!

Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power
that your enemies cringe before you.

All the earth bows down to you;
they sing praise to you,
they sing praise to your name.”
Selah

 

Psalm 103: 1-5

Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-

who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Psalm 105: 1-4

Praise the LORD, O my soul.
O LORD my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

He wraps himself in light as with a garment;
he stretches out the heavens like a tent

and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
and rides on the wings of the wind.

He makes winds his messengers,
flames of fire his servants.

 

Psalm 89: 1-2

I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever;
with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.

I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself.

Hope you are all having time to relax and enjoy your summer. I’m contemplating taking a break for a couple of weeks from blogging while I enjoy some summer company and anticipate a short trip to Sacramento for a funeral. Thanks for stopping by!

***I’m headed out on a little adventure so I won’t be around to visit till later this evening or tomorrow!

FFF ~ Fast Forward Summer

Susanne at Living to Tell the Story is our hostess for Friday’s Fave Five. Think back over this last week and come up with 5 favorites. For us in the Pacific Northwest Summer arrived with a vengeance this week. We had cool rainy weather since the 1st day of summer and then after our outdoor barbecues to celebrate the 4th of July we finally got sunshine and record breaking heat. I for one am hoping we return to our mild nice sunshiny summer temps of 75-80 degrees soon. But I’m getting way too wordy so here’s my five…

1. Walking the trail with my sister Lana and seeing great flowers growing wild and spotting the first Blue Heron I’ve ever seen on the trail. I’ve been walking the trail for over 6 years! Saturday was Lana’s first time on the trail.

2. Putting out the Patio furniture. We put the furniture out on July 4th a few hours before our guests arrived.

3. Having our traditional 4th of July barbecue with friends and family.

4. My hydrangea blooming it’s color for me to enjoy from my kitchen window.

5. Soccer, soccer, soccer! I love my morning CUP of  World Cup Soccer. I’m going to miss it since the final is this Sunday. Sunday will be a full soccer day with watching World Cup and then heading to Qwest field for a Seattle Sounders game against FC Dallas at 7:30.

What were some of your favorite events or things from this last week?

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.

FFF ~ Summer Arrives…

It’s time to think about the past week and come up with some favorites to share with Susanne at Living to Tell the Story.

We weren’t sure on Monday if summer was going to arrive but by Tuesday we had a nice sunshiny dry day and all was well with the world.

I should have mentioned this is not my garden. This is a summer garden in Cambria, California.

Then on the very same day that we had our hope for summer renewed our hopes in the U.S.A. soccer team were kept alive in the 91st minute of the game when Donovan was able to put in the winning goal against Algeria leaving us the winners of the group and advancing to the round of 16 playing Guana on Saturday. Here’s a link to some great videos capturing the moment that the goal was scored.

 

 

I’ve really been enjoying my fine feathered friends this week. They have been singing, chirping, and squawking away all week.

 

I have a hard time keeping up with them while they empty out the bird feeder!

My computer is back in the guest room now that our guest has departed and I can enjoy my little hummingbird friends again. A Ruby throated one has evaded my camera with it’s quickness. I hope to capture a photo of it soon.

 

 

Hope your first week of summer is going well and that you are enjoying the sunshine, summer fruit, and longer days while they last.

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.

FFF ~ Enjoying the World…

This was a week filled with so many fun experiences that made me thankful. Please visit Susanne at Living to Tell the Story to join in the fun of Friday’s Fave Five.

 

What a week filled with so many wonderful experiences.

1. We met at the Brown Lantern Pub in Anacortes, Washington to eat and watch the U.S.A. vs. England World Cup Soccer game last Saturday. We were happy to come away with a draw. We met here because our afternoon Kayak tour started at 2:00 out of Bowman Bay near Anacortes. I called around to all the Pubs/Restaurants in the area to see who would be televising the game and who knew what I was talking about immediately instead of having to explain that World Cup Soccer was happening! It was fun to experience the game with our family and the crowd of soccer fans in the Pub. Oh…and the food was really good, too.

2. Our Kayak trip was the next favorite. A brand new experience for me and it was great. My fears of rolling the kayak were soothed when I got the feel of the boat in the water.

3. Katie’s graduation on Sunday was a milestone to be thankful for. I cannot tell a lie, though, the ceremony was boring and long and we were glad when it was over. The best part was seeing Katie walk across the stage and going out to celebrate afterwards.

4. Dear put up a hummingbird feeder and I’ve really enjoyed seeing these little birds out my computer window.

5. Enjoying the World through soccer is my last favorite. I’ve watched most of the World Cup games. The games that start at 7am and 11:30 am have been easier to catch but I have managed to see a little of the 4:30 am games, too. Dear gets up really early and he was walking out to the shop at 4:30 a.m. on Saturday and he saw lights on at our Korean neighbors house then he heard loud cheers and realized they were watching the South Korea game and that a goal was scored. We really caught the World Cup Soccer Bug in 1994 when the U.S.A. hosted and we were able to attend some games and meet the U.S.A. players.

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.

FFF ~ What’s Normal?

It’s Friday and time to consider the week gone by and highlight my favorite things. Please visit our gracious hostess Susanne at Living to Tell the Story to join in.

I’m beginning to wonder if life will ever be normal around here. What is normal? Maybe the word I’m looking for is routine. Other then Dear going to work Monday through Friday nothing is routine here yet. Seems like each week there is some major event that is different then the last weeks major event. Hmmm…maybe this is my new routine.

 

But onward and upward to my favorites.

1. Being done done done with our garage sale is definitely one of my favorites. Sighs with relief. I’ve enjoyed having cash in my wallet from the sale and paying for stuff with it instead of pulling out a card.

2. Enjoying time and food with loved ones on Memorial Day was good. The sun even broke through the clouds and Dear was able to barbecue on the deck!

3. In my yard…. Seeing my first ever Peony almost opening up. I really should plant more and if I don’t kill this one off I will. See that nutty duck on our barn/shop roof. He really keeps us entertained around here, too. And no Mr. and Mrs. Duck did not listen to me and they are still leaving squishy deposits on my deck!!

4. Yesterday was another dry day here in Western Washington so I stopped at the Bellevue Botanical Gardens and saw some pretty plants blooming. I really enjoy Dogwoods. That very round purple bloom caught my eye but I was too focused on photographing that I didn’t think to ask what the name of it is. Duh!

 

5. My last favorite this week is my new view from my computer desk. When we re-decorated our spare room the desk had to go up against this window so I now have this view instead of a view of the wall. I really like it. One of the nicest things about it is that birds come to visit this plant throughout the day and I’ve even had a hummingbird come late each afternoon for a visit. So far it’s been too quick for me to catch a photo. Yesterday I took the screen off the window and washed it inside and out so my view would be nicer. I only fell off the ladder once while washing the outside of the window. Tip: Do not put one of the ladder legs on top of a sink hole!!

So what has your week been like? Are things routine where you live or is life crazy?

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.