Pictorial Parade / Getty
Ruth Graham, 87 wife of evangelist Billy Graham, died today, June 14, 2007 in Montreat, North Carolina.
Billy Graham’s wife and partner passes away after a lifetime of evangelism and celebrity
THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Officially adopted on Flag Day, June 14, 1924 (“Under God” Amendmant made by Congress in 1954)
I pledge allegiance to the flag
of the United States of America
and to the republic for which it stands;
one nation under God, indivisible,
with liberty and justice for all.
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…
BLESSÈD QUIETNESS
Manie Payne Ferguson (1850 – 1932)
Born: 1850, Carlow, Ireland.
In 1886, Manie and her husband Theodore Pollock Ferguson founded a mission in Los Angeles, California. This eventually expanded into what was known as the “Peniel” missions along the West Coast of America, and in Africa, Asia, South America, and elsewhere. The main focus of the missions, especially in later years, was ministry to single women.
BLESSÈD QUIETNESS
Joys are flowing like a river,
Since the Comforter has come;
He abides with us forever,
Makes the trusting heart His home.
Refrain
Blessèd quietness, holy quietness,
What assurance in my soul!
On the stormy sea, He speaks peace to me,
How the billows cease to roll!
Bringing life and health and gladness,
All around this heav’nly Guest,
Banished unbelief and sadness,
Changed our weariness to rest.
Refrain
Like the rain that falls from Heaven,
Like the sunlight from the sky,
So the Holy Ghost is given,
Coming on us from on high.
Refrain
See, a fruitful field is growing,
Blessèd fruit of righteousness;
And the streams of life are flowing
In the lonely wilderness.
Refrain
What a wonderful salvation,
Where we always see His face!
What a perfect habitation,
What a quiet resting place!
Refrain
I have never sung this hymn but the words are so powerful I wanted to share them. I loved the story of the hymnwriter starting missions and especially caring for single women…
Ht: Cyberhymnal
Here are 3 of my siblings, me and my pop in the glorious 50’s. Fred, Pop, Ellen (me), Kathy and Vera. The next four siblings started arriving from 1958 through 1963.
I was born in 1951. The beginning of the 50’s. Here are some amazing events that occurred in this decade.
1950 – Senator Joseph McCarthy embarks on a public crusade to uncover Communist activity in the U.S.
1950 – First kidney transplant and first successul heart massage are performed.
1950 – U.S. sends troops to Korea.
1951 – Color television is introduced. [Ellen was born, maybe this is the reason I’m visual!]
1952 – A priest, minister, and rabbi sanction the appearance of Lucille Ball’s pregnancy on her TV show.
1952 – Albert Scweitzer is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
1952 – President Dwight D. Eisenhower is elected.
1953 – Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine is certified to prevent infantile paralysis.
1954 – Congress adds the phrase “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance.
1954 – Brown v The Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas outlaws segegation in schools striking down the doctrine of “separate but equal.”
1955 – Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on a city bus and, in effect, begins the civil rights movement.
[1955 – Disneyland Opens in Anaheim, California.]
1956 – Elvis Presley releases “Heartbreak Hotel” and starts a music revolution.
1956 – Eisenhower and Nixon win again.
1957 – Federal troops are called in to protect the Little Rock Nine, the first black students to attend all-white Central High.
1957 – The baby boom peaks at 4.3 million births.
1957 – The USSR launches a satellite, Sputnik I, into orbit around the earth.
1959 – The first Barbie doll is introduced.
1959 – Texas Instruments invents the microchip.
1959 – Alaska becomes the 49th state, Hawaii the 50th.
Some memorable quotes to go with this decade…
“We conclude that in the field of education the doctrine of “separate but equal” has no place.” Earl Warren, Chief Justice, Brown v. The Board of Education, 1954
“Recognition of the Supreme Being is the first, the most basic, expression of Americanism. Without God , there could be no American form of government, nor American way of life.” Dwight D. Eisenhower – American Chronicle, 1955
“If the television craze continues with the present level of programs, we are destined to have a nation of morons.” Daniel Marsh (President of Boston College, Columbia Chronicles, 1950)
“Roll over Beethoven. And tell Tchaikovsky the news.” Chuck Berry, “Roll Over Beethoven,” 1956
This photo was taken in the late 60’s. Top Row: Oldest sister Kathy, pop, mom, Vera, Me, Tim, Leonard, Lana and Steve. Our brother Fred who is older than me is missing from this photo. All of my parents kids were born in the late 40’s, 50’s with the twins arriving in the 60’s.
I couldn’t finish this post without an additional photo of the last two siblings in our family. Twins born in 1963, Lana and Leonard. Oh the tales we can tell you about the marvelous 60’s and these two, but this is a post about the 50’s so those tales will have to wait….
ht: 100 Voices ~ Words That Shaped Our Souls, Wisdom To Guide Our Future ~ compiled by Anne Christian Buchanan and Debra K. Klingsporn Copyright 1999 by Front Porch Books
Many Borsch recipes include beets in them. The familiar Borsch that we grew up with and that we had at Molokan Church Meals did not have beets in it. Here is my mother’s recipe.
Nadia’s Borsch
For the Stock:
1 Chuck Roast (with bone would be good)
1 onion
1-3 celery stalks with leaves
2-3 carrots
2 bay leaves
5-10 peppercorns
Salt to taste
In a big stock pot, cover chuck roast with good water. Add all the stock ingredients and bring to boil. Lower heat to simmer. Simmer until roast is fork tender. Strain the stock. Reserve the roast.
1 head of cabbage shredded (green is what we use)
1-3 carrots grated
1-2 onions diced
1 bell pepper diced
2-3 stalks of celery diced
(saute the bell pepper, onion, celery and jalapeno then blend before adding to stock)
2-3 potatoes diced
2 cans stewed tomatoes blended in blender (we have those that don’t like chunky tomatoes)
1 can tomato sauce
1/2-small bunch of dill (to taste)
1 handful of chopped italian parsley
salt and pepper to taste
optional – 1 can of Garbonzo beans
option #2 – add a small jalapeno diced to the saute group above.
Put the strained broth back into a stock pot. Add all the above ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer until cabbage and carrots are tender. Taste and see if the soup needs more salt or pepper at this time.
The Borsch is ready now.
My mother doesn’t include this in her recipe but when she made borsch at my house once I saw her add a half a cube of unsalted butter at the end. 🙂 My mother mashes most of the potatoes to thicken up the soup a bit.
You can bake the chuck roast with a little of the stock, salt, pepper, and sauteeed onions to serve alongside the borsch with a good loaf of bread and of course…sour cream. This was my welcome home meal for my kids last night.
All my photos for this post but one are being held hostage at Photobucket.
Spoken: Friends, you know, they’re there in the good times and in the bad times.
When you’re down and troubled
And you need some loving care
And nothing, no, nothing is going right
Close your eyes and think of me
And soon I will be there
To brighten up even your darkest night
Chorus:
You just call out my name
And you know wherever I am
I’ll come running to see you again
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall
All you have to do is call
And I’ll be there, yes I will
You’ve got a friend
If the sky, sky above you
If it grows dark and full of clouds
And that old North Wind begins to blow
Just keep your head, keep it together
And call my name out loud
Soon you’ll hear me knocking at your door
Chorus:
Now ain’t it good to know
That you’ve got a friend
When people can be so cold
They will hurt you, and they’ll desert you
They’ll take your soul if you let them
Oh, if you let them, but don’t you let them
Chorus:
You can call me when you want me
You can call me when you need me
Just call me
‘Cause you’ve got a friend
You’ve got a friend.
Words and Music by Carole King
1971 colgems-EMI Music Inc., ASCAP.
I love to listen to many songs written by Carole King. I have some of her original stuff and I also enjoy some re-do’s. One in particular is Tapestry Revisited ~ A Tribute to Carole King.I was thinking about her song after Allistair Begg mentioned it this last week on a series he was doing on Barnabas and what an encourager Barnabas was. A true friend you can count on. Well here are some photos of people I’d call on when I needed a friend… Who would you call? Who do you encourage? Who encourages you? Who would call you?
“Dear”, Ellen, Jody (my walking buddy in Seattle), Dave (our Family practice doctor and friend, he delivered our daughter Katie 21 years ago in Ventura, California when he was just a Resident)
Jan (my other walking buddy) and Bob ( our pastor for 18 years in Seattle)
Ellen with sisters, Kathy and Lana (my youngest sister, we talk at least once a day…and we’re blogging soul-mates) Vera’s missing in this photo.
My brother Steve and his wife Kelly. Kelly has Homeschooled their 4 boys. Two of the four boys are attending Westmont College in Montecito, California. Their oldest son at Westmont is graduating May 5th. Steve is a pastor in Nuevo, California.
Mandy and my brother Leonard (Dallas, Texas) Just married August 2006. He’s my baby brother and holds a special place in my heart.
My cousin Jim and his wife Jeanie. ( I introduced them to each other in college at Cal-State L.A.) They live in Clovis, California. We all graduated together. We have had many meaningful times together.
Ellen (matron of honor) when she was pregnant with firstborn Josh and Heidi her best friend in College. Ellen and Heidi had some great travels together before they were married. Friends at Bethany Russian Baptist Church in Los Angeles. Still friends after all these years and the distance between us.
My siblings and in-laws: Nick, Vera, Kathy, Tim, Letty, Kelly, Steve, Mandy & Leonard
“Dear”, Ellen, Christina and Terry (Dear’s brother) The half Swedish side of the family. Come to find out Christina has Russian heritage. No wonder we connected.
Dave and Beth our dear friends from our son’s friendship with their son.
Thank you, Jesus, for the Barnabases in our lives!
All my photos for this post are being held hostage at Photobucket.
This is Blenheim Palace in England. It is home to 11th Duke of Marlborough, and was the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. Set in 2100 acres of beautiful parkland landscaped by ‘Capability’ Brown, the exquisite Baroque Palace is surrounded by sweeping lawns, formal gardens and the magnificent Lake.
On the grounds of this beautiful palace are the most magnificent Cedars of Lebanon. Our daughter Katie is standing at one so you can get a better perspective on just how huge these trees are. In the verses below the righteous are compared to this amazing tree. Because of Christ’s righteousness in us we flourish and we are planted in the house of the Lord! How amazing is that!!!
Psalm 92: 1-8, 12-15: (ESV)
“It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre. For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy. How great are your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep! The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this: that though the wicked sprout like grass and evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever; but you, O Lord are on high forever.
…The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.”
In May of 2006 “Dear” and I traveled to Great Britain with 4 of our best friends. Our travel itinerary arranger was Jody and she did a fantastic job finding lovely non-smoking B & B’s with parking and good food. She also made the arrangements for a 7 passenger van that we used for the trip. It was a tight fit with 6 of us and luggage, but we managed. We all just packed one bag that we carried on the plane. (This was before liquids were not allowed anymore in carry-ons). So here’s a short explanation with pictures of our tour.
I’ll be your tour guide. The picture below is of “Dear” and I taken in Edinburgh at a Turkish restaurant.
We flew into Manchester Airport, picked up our van, and headed West to Wales. Our first B & B was in Conwy. The grounds of our B & B shared the castle walls. This was the view from our bedroom window.
The day after we arrived we tried to climb Mt. Snowden, the highest Peak in England and Wales. The day was very blustery and we were literally blown around on the upper part of the mountain and never made it to the top.
This is a Stile (steps for scaling a wall or fence). We felt like we were in a Jane Austen novel. The trail was very rocky, there was loose and fixed shale. It was uneven and very steep which made it hard on the ankles and knees.
Jan and I were happy to turn back half-way up but “Dear”, Bob and Jody made it further up till the wind got to be too much. Dave had an injury shortly before we left on this trip so he could not join us on the more strenuous hikes.
See the shale on the trail?
After that grueling hike this was our first pain killer of choice.
Then we were rewarded for such a heroic attempt by eating out at Bistro Conwy one of the highlights of our trip.
Dave the primo photographer and Jody at Bistro Conwy.
“Dear” and I shared the Welsh Lamb Shoulder. Oh my gosh, good to the last drop in a tasty reduced sauce.
On our 3rd day we headed north to the Lake District. We stayed at Hollows Farm, a 17th century National Trust owned farm outside of Keswick in the Borrowdale Valley along Derwent River. We were literally on the path of many wonderful walking trails. It is here that I heard my first Cuckoo Bird. They actually sing “coo coo, coo coo!”
The farm is in the background.
This was lambing season and it was so much fun to see all the little lambs frolicking about. The walks along River Derwent were wonderful. We went through kissing gates and over stone bridges.
Beatrix Potter’s Derwentwater and trails around this area are the inspiration for some of her books.
Jody, Jan and Bob made it to the top of the Catsbells overlooking Derwentwater.
We checked out of Hollows Farm on a Sunday and found a little church to go to in Keswick and had some food for our Souls before we continued North to Oban, Scotland.
In Oban we stayed at a waterfront B & B for two nights.
Our B & B is the fourth one from the left
From Oban we took a ferry to the Isle of Mull. We crossed Mull via tour bus to get to a smaller ferry that took us to the Isle of Iona. We were all so happy we followed through on plans to come to this Isle. Mull and Iona are part of the Inner Hebrides Islands. The Isle was full of history about the Book of Kells, Columba, Viking raids and the advancement of Christianity into Scotland and beyond. So much amazing history on such a small isle!
On our final morning in Oban we toured the Oban Distillery and tasted Scotch. Even though it was quality stuff only one of us truly appreciated the taste of it. We all appreciated the history and being shown the process.
We now drove Southeast across Scotland to our next stop Edinburgh.
With the help of knowledgeable staff at the Starbucks in Edinburgh we managed to find the Elephant house. This is where J.K. Rowling is said to have mulled over a cup of coffee while writing her first Harry Potter novel.
This is our B & B in Edinburgh . It is here that we experienced our first taste of Haggis, it really was quite nice. We relied heavily on the bus system here and that worked well for us.
From Edinburgh we drove to York which would be the end of the trail for “Dear and I”. Dave, Jody, Bob, and Jan would continue on from York to Bath and London.
York has wonderful cobblestone streets and narrow passageways to explore. Our B & B was just a few blocks outside the city walls and we enjoyed seeing most of York. The free guided tour was worth it, rich with history and information.
One of the highlights of our trip was our ongoing quest to find the best Sticky Toffee Pudding in Great Britain. If you have never tried this wonderful dessert you have truly missed a gastronomical delight!
From York “Dear”and I walked to the train station and boarded a train that took us straight to Manchester Airport. We exited the train took the escalator and were in the airport, fantastic! Here are the three couples who walked, prayed, ate, conversed, drank, hiked, and discovered so many wonderful sights together.
Bob and Jan in Keswick
Dave and Jody (the master planner) in Oban
Ellen and “Dear” in Conwy
The Three Amigas
The three of us have been walking together on Saturdays in Seattle for a few years now. We walk 6 miles and we talk and keep each other accountable. We try to be real and speak the truth into each other. We confess to each other and love each other, deeply. What a blessing God has given us in this friendship. When I’m in California I miss my girls!
Pastor Steve at E.V. Free Conejo Valley is doing a series in Deuteronomy and we are at Deuteronomy 5.
1 And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing today, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them.
6 “‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
7 “‘You shall have no other gods before me.
8 “‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 9 You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 10 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
11 “‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
12 “‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.
16 “‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
17 “‘You shall not murder.
18 “‘And you shall not commit adultery.
19 “‘And you shall not steal.
20 “‘And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
21 “‘And you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.’
22 “These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly at the mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and he added no more. And he wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.
Questions from Pastor Steve to ponder in response to these commandments and to this question: Am I following God wholeheartedly? 2 Chronicles 25:2, “He did what was right in the eyes of God but not wholeheartedly.”
What is your source of strength and guidance? ~ What gives you a sense of security? ~ In what do you trust? ~ What has become the source of your joy this week? ~ What sparks your heart to adoration? ~ Who or what do you worship? (John 4:23) ~ What lifts your heart to wonder and praise? ~ What are you looking forward to? ~ What do you think will truly fulfill your life and make it worth living? ~ In whom do you place your hope?
God has given me these commandments for my good. I need to learn them and to remember them and teach them to my children and grandchildren and I am to be careful to do them and follow God wholeheartedly. Yep, I’m feeling convicted.
Disclaimer: I’m assuming the artwork at the top of this post is the Ten Commandments in Hebrew, but since I don’t read Hebrew I can’t be sure. Forgive me if it isn’t.
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 
