Category Archives: Fun

Show and Tell Fridays ~ Pigeons

 Time for show and Tell Friday ~

 

It’s hard to see but that’s me with the pigeon on my head. My sister Kathy is behind me and then my dad and my sister Vera are to the right. Love the dresses, shoes and socks! Also before I get to the point of this post (the pigeon) I’d like you to notice the clothesline behind us with all the clothespins on it. Yep…we used to hang our laundry on those lines and I had to get my first stitches from falling off a chair and hitting a porch while hanging laundry. But about the Pigeon…if you are an animal activist or are very sensitive don’t read the rest of this post. Consider yourself warned!!!

We were on the poor side growing up. Until my dad landed a good Carpenters job and was a member of the Carpenter’s Union he worked piece jobs, etc. He went to work everyday but sometimes the money got real scarce. My mother did not work outside the home. For some crazy reason my dad also decided to raise pigeons. We had a pigeon coupe in our backyard. Lovely, “rats with wings” is what we call them now. Back then we loved those pigeons and we all picked one to be our pet. There were 4 of us kids during this time, the next 4 hadn’t arrived yet. Anyway…my pet pigeon was named Green Neck. Not hard to guess why I came up with that name. One day when my mom didn’t know what she’d be able to cook for dinner my parents decided to kill some pigeons and make pigeon soup. THEY PICKED GREEN NECK to be one of the victims! I can’t begin to tell you how upsetting this was. (It did not traumatize me for life, I can chuckle about it now) The 4 of us kids had a “we will not eat that soup strike.” There was solidarity on this strike. I know there was no way I was gonna eat Green Neck even if it meant going to bed hungry…

Avocado and Jicama Salsa ~ Tyler Florence

 

This salsa is really good. I’ve made it as an appetizer for a few dinner parties and everyone enjoyed it. Thanks to Tyler Florence for his recipe.

You’ll need to make the Chimichurri sauce a couple hours before you start getting your salsa ingredients diced and cubed…

Avocado and Jicama Salsa

4 ripe tomatillos, husked, rinsed and diced
1 medium jicama, peeled and cubed
2 avocados, peeled and cubed
1/2 red onion, sliced
6 red grape tomatoes, halved

To prepare the salsa: Toss together the tomatillo, jicama, avocado, red onion and grape tomatoes. Pour half the chimichurri sauce into the salsa and toss to gently to coat. Serve with chips.(You can use the other half of the chimichurri sauce to marinate steaks before you BBQ them).

Chimichurri:
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 jalapeno, minced
1/2 lime, juiced
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley leaves
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt

To prepare the chimichurri: combine garlic, jalapeno and lime in small bowl. Whisk in vinegar and olive oil. Stir in parsley and cilantro. Add salt, cover and let stand 2 hours to allow flavors to marry.

To see some other salsa or guacamole recipes go to the Hutch and What Matters Most.

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Ht: Television Food Network

Tuesdays with Moisi ~

At least once a month my sisters, nieces and grand-nephew Jack go over to my mom and dad’s for a Tuesday evening meal. My mom has always been a cook for the masses. She enjoys cooking and enjoys finding new things to impress us with. She did not disappoint this past Tuesday. Usually I’m in Seattle when these meals take place but now that I am in Southern California on a more full-time basis I got in on this one. I’m sharing my Tuesday photo log with you that begins in Whittier at my sister’s house then continues in Brea at my parent’s apartment (an hour and a half drive from my condo). It’s fun to squeeze all of us into that one bedroom apartment. Oh by the way that clever title is because my dad’s name is Moisi and many of his “American” friends called him Morrie over the years…

Jack showing me his expertise on his scooter.

Hiding in the bushes…

Couldn’t resist getting a shot of the beautiful blooms on these trees in Whittier on my way to Moisi & Nadia’s

Here’s dear old Moisi (Morrie)

The feast begins with yummy scones and …

chicken salad heart shaped bites

Green salad with nectarines and pine nuts, sister Vera is holding the bowl

The three lovely nieces, Michelle, Melissa, and Debbee

My Mom the happy, exhausted cook…

I didn’t get photos of the asparagus with orange slices, the piroshki with a mushroom white sauce, and the fruit salad and banana bread dessert. I also omitted the photo of my sister Kathy and Lana because Lana would not have been pleased with her facial expression…

Here’s a shot of the 3 missing in the photo log just in a different time and different place…

Photobucket is holding all the photos from this post hostage as of July 2017

 

BBC ~ Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell, George Eliot

   O.K. this is kind-of cheating on the Works For Me Wednesday theme but here’s my tip for summer boredom. This tip is for the Moms…Send your kids off to grandma’s (that will help their boredom) then get your flannels on, brew a pot of tea and settle in the comfy chair and choose one of these BBC productions to escape to a quieter, gentler time… (if you have a 16 year or older daughter have her escape with you)

My daughter and I love BBC videos. I found some at a good price and couldn’t resist adding them to our viewing library. These are more typically DVD’s that we will watch over and over again so our money was well invested (in our minds anyway). I’m including a little review of the ones we’ve seen to give you an idea as to whether you might enjoy them. We like the detailed slow plot development that these longer series afford.

 Pride and Prejudice ~ Jane Austen

 Hands down our favorite. Well worth the 5 hour viewing time. This A & E version is a must have. We love this Elizabeth Bennet character Jennifer Ehle over the well acted Kiera Knightley in the new shorter version.

Wives and Daughters ~ Elizabeth Gaskell

Our charming Scottish Cinderella is just as likable as her stepmother is unlikeable in this gossip riddled tale set in the 1800’s. We’d watch this one again, not because of the gossip but the way that the heroine gracefully copes with it and her impossible stepmother.

North & South ~ Elizabeth Gaskill

Takes on the same sorts of class divide issues as Jane Austen but in the English industrial era. It may take a long time to develop but it’s worth the wait.

Persuasion ~ Jane Austen

One of Jane Austen’s later novels with a heroine that combines some of the lovable qualities of Elinor Dashwood and Jane and Elizabeth Bennett.

Mansfield Park ~ Jane Austen

Jane Austen’s most unlikeable heroine, Fanny Price, proves that the meek will inherit the earth by triumphing over the superficiality and virtue-lessness of her relatives and their friends.

Middlemarch ~ George Eliot

In this 19th century George Eliot story the plot is slow to develop and full of unlikeable characters. When the decent characters finally get their reward you don’t care anymore. Tedious but informative about some period customs and practices.

Berkeley Square

There are ten 52 minute episodes in this series that we haven’t had a chance to watch yet. It is described as a warm-hearted family drama set in turn-of-the-century-London, where three young girls come together as nannies and grow to be friends.

Dorothy Sayers Mysteries ~ Gaudy Night ~ Have His Carcase ~ Strong Poison

Dear and I are reading some of the Sayers mysteries and are looking forward to watching these three soon. These are described as three elegant murder mysteries adapted from the crime novels of Dorothy L. Sayers. Set in the 1930’s the relationship of amateur sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane unfolds in a realm of romance and intrigue. Dear and I just watched Strong Poison the first in this series. It’s presented as a serial not a movie. It was prepared for T.V. so it’s 3 one hour long episodes on one dvd.  We really enjoyed it. We like the development of the characters as much if not more than the mystery…

 Now if you’d like more tips about how to beat the summer boredom for your kids go over to Rocks in My Dryer.

First Name, First Letter, Meme

Saw this meme over at Karen’s  Simply A musing blog. She double-dared anyone to try it, so what’s a dare-devil to do…   Now that you’ve read this, consider yourself double-dared, too! The game is SCATTERGORIES…it’s harder than it looks! Here are the rules: Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following. They MUST be real places, names, things…NOTHING made up! If you can’t think of anything, skip it. Try to use different answers if the person before you had the same 1st initial. You CAN’T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

Your Name: ~ Ellen
1. Famous Singer/Band: ~ Enya
2. 4 letter word: ~ Easy
3. Street: ~ Elm
4. Color: ~ Ecru
5. Gifts/Presents: ~ Earrings
6. Vehicle: ~  Explorer
7. Things in a Souvenir Shop: ~ Ewer, Extinguisher, Exotic items, Exit sign, Emblems (Okay I went overboard with this one)
8. Boy Name: ~ Earl
9. Girl Name: ~ Elizabeth
10. Movie Title: ~ Escape from Alcatraz
11. Drink: ~ Elderberry Wine
12. Occupation: ~ Engineer
13. Celebrity: ~ Dale Evans
14. Magazine: ~ Easy Home Cooking
15. U.S. City: ~ Englewood
16. Pro Sports Teams: ~ Evesham United
17. Reason for Being Late for Work: ~ Emotional meltdown
18. Something You Throw Away: ~ Egg shells
19. Things You Shout: ~ Enuf!
20. Cartoon Character: ~ Elmer Fudd

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Number One Song on the Charts Meme

I saw this fun meme over at will blog for shoes. I decided to join in the fun and share…

The Number One Song on…

1.The Day I was born…

If ~ by Perry Como

2. The Day I graduated from Highschool…

Mrs. Robinson ~ by Simon & Garfunkel   (I liked this Russian advertisement)

3. The Day Dear was born…

Vaya Con Dios by les Paul and Mary Ford

4. The Day we were married…

Kung Fu Fighting ~  by Carl Douglas

5. The Day 1st child was born…

Le Freak ~ by Chic

6. The Day 2nd child was born…

(Just Like) Starting Over ~  by John Lennon

7. The Day 3rd and final child was born…

Say You Say Me  ~ by Lionel Ritchie

8.  Approximate Day I was conceived…

Too Young ~ by Nate King Cole

To fill in your dates go here.

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Our 70’s Rock Band Tour!

 In 1972 I met Dear at a concert he was singing in. My best friend just started singing with this group and I accompanied her to the concert. Dear and I  became attracted to each other later that year after I auditioned for the group and joined.  In the summer of 1973 and 1974 Dear and I toured England with this American Christian Rock Group. We were called the “Contemporaries”.  Never to be confused with the Continentals! These articles and photos are a combination of our tours in ’73 and ’74. Dear and I were engaged during the ’74 tour and got married December of that year.

I’m one of the singers on the far right and Dear is right next to me.

“The American evangelical folk-rock group The Contemporaries received a superstar welcome when they played last week in St John’s Church, Waterloo. More than 600 children between the ages of 12 and 18, together with a small number of adults, packed the building for the hour-long concert which featured the latest in religious music. Outside local residents opened doors and windows to hear the music from the church and later a spokesman for the group said ‘The audiences on Merseyside are far warmer than any we ever had in ten years of playing in the states.”

“A band of young people spreading the word of God in their own unique way are the Contemporaries. The young American group have been touring England for the last two weeks at their own expense. The group visited Liverpool before making a tour of local schools.”

I’m in the front row standing on the right with Dear next to me of this picture with Dear.

“Hymns gave way to Jesus rock in morning assembly at St. George’s Church of England School, in Meadow Road, Gravesend yesterday. The concert was given by the Contemporaries, 14 musicians from the United States, who are in the middle of a world tour. They have already completed a number of successful “gigs” in Liverpool. They are all professional musicians, but they are giving their services free. They have also appeared at Gordon Secondary School for Girls and today they will be at Northfleet Count Secondary School for Girls. On Friday they will be at Gordon Secondary School for Boys and on Monday Southfields High School.”  [this article was pretty sensationalized…the band were professionals, not the vocalists. Our World tour consisted of 4 weeks in England]

We have great memories of our tours in England. Dear went on 2 previous tours before I joined the group. We were able to sing in schools for their religious hour. It was exciting for us to be able to give testimonies and talk about Jesus at schools. (couldn’t do that in the U.S.)

It was hilarious that the kids would chase after us and want to get our autographs. After our school concerts during the day we would sing at a town hall or church at night and many of the students from the schools would come again to hear us.

I’m in the middle of all those young girls!

Dear and I left the group in the mid 70’s after we were married.

The Long Weekend ~ Dears Home ~ Washington

As of July 2017 Photobucket has blacked out all my photos and is holding them hostage on their site.

This has been a weekend filled with hard work, heart to heart talks, revelations, and family togetherness since Dear has been in Washington for the long weekend. My husband whom we call Dear has been working full-time in Southern California since March of 2006. He comes home to Washington on holidays and vacations. We love our home and life in Washington so we’ve been living in a sort of denial that Dear is living full-time in California. I’ve been dividing my time between Washington and California (still the denial issue). This split time brought pain and comfort to myself and Dear. He’s been able to feel through our oneness that he still has input and physical touch through me with his children. The pain comes from our separation from one another and then the pain of separation from my children. Well on May 3, 2007 the Lord told me clearly that this dance between Washington and California needed to come to an end. Starting mid July, I will be living full-time with Dear in Southern California. The Lord clearly impressed on me that He is fully capable of caring for my children when I am absent in body. He has arms long enough to reach and care for them. This weekend we informed our youngest, the daughter (she’s 21 years old) that I would be taking my car, more stuff, and myself to California on July 14th-ish. Our boys and daughter in law were informed earlier. Dear wanted to tell our daughter so she was informed this weekend while her dad was here spending quality time with her. So pray for us in our transition that God would continue to grow us up in Him. Here are some photos of our labor and  love as the weekend begins…

Dear and I started off with the breakfast of champions donuts and eggs before any of the adult children were up. (The bearclaw donut was my whole WW point allowance for sure) Really though, I’m thinking we worked it all off with the big yard to clean up. 🙂 Hoping, hoping…

To the yard that needed some major work… Dear does the weed wacking

and I do the mowing. This is my new mower that goes on with the turn of a key!

We make a fine team.

Next Dear moved on to pressure washing the walkways…

and the deck. Nice to have all the dirt and mold and moss washed away.

After all the hard work was done, Dear, Katie and I went out to eat to the Blu Water Grill in Kirkland. (If you read my sister Lana’s blog, Above the Clouds, you’ll remember the beautiful photos she posted from this restaurant last week).

I tried to duplicate her photos to no avail….

but you can imagine the ambiance.

Katie and Ellen on our way home for a quiet evening, another shot of Lake Washington in Kirkland. Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Dear and I leave today to California. I’ll be posting from there through June 23rd. Blessings!

Before and After ~ Daughter’s Room

I decided to bless my daughter by cleaning her room. She is 21, working, going to school and was just in her best friends wedding. Things have gotten away from her (now that’s an understatement). So I put my praise music on and got busy!  Enjoy the before and after photos.

Katie was so thrilled when she came home from school and saw her room. We went out to dinner because mom was too pooped to cook after this transformation. Katie picked up the tab. Katie’s babushka (grandmother) wanted me to let Katie know that she was proud of her for taking me out to dinner. And yes, I got permission to post the pictures from “the daughter”.

As of July 2017 Photobucket has blacked out all my photos and is holding them hostage on their site.

Beatrix Potter ~ Miss Potter

Katie and I just returned from seeing Miss Potter with our dear friends tonight.

Jan, Katie, Jody, Lucy, and Bridget at the Crest Theater in Seattle. We were all pleased with the film and delighted to have experienced it together. I’m easily enchanted with all things Beatrix Potter and this movie took me back to the land of enchantment for me, Great Britain. This was a fun event to share on Lucy’s birthday. Happy Birthday, Lu

 I started my love of  Beatrix Potter books and figurines when I toured England in a Christian Rock Band (rock band story in future post) in 1973. I bought little figurines as my souvenirs from Britain. I bought the full set of her Peter Rabbit and Friends books. Our first baby room was all about Peter Rabbit and friends.

Some of these figurines were purchased in England. Others were gifts over the years. There are some that might have your name given to them because they remind me of you. Something to ponder. Remember I did say I love these figurines…

I’ve picked up some framed pieces of Beatrix Potter illustrations from Goodwill.

We visited the area around Derwentwater where Beatrix Potter spent time and was inspired for some of her illustrations and stories.

When our kids were young we read to them every night. It did not take Josh long to figure out that The Tale of Pig Robinson was the longest book in this set of 24 books by Beatrix Potter. This was the book he requested many nights in a row for us to read. It’s pretty worn.

The DVD will soon be released (June 19th). It’s already released in Great Britain.  I will be buying it and am looking forward to watching it again with “Dear” in California.

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