Category Archives: Quotes

More or Less Hodgepodge

My sister Vera, Me, and sister Kathy on the couch with our mom in the kitchen above us.

Joyce has some new questions for Wednesday Hodgepodge this week even with a house full!

1. What was your after school routine like when you were a kid?

To get home from the bus stop without getting jumped. (Okay…that only happened once) I made someone mad at school and they announced they would be jumping me at the bus stop after school. They had their own gang group of friends that were all excited to gather and watch this happen. Instead of getting off at my regular bus stop, I quickly jumped off the bus at the stop before my regular stop and ran home!

Growing up there really wasn’t a routine. Mostly we were on our own to fill the time before dinner.

2. January 26 is National Green Juice Day ( I guess it’s true everything really does have it’s day). Do you juice, as in make your own in an attempt to get healthy? Do you do the green juices? What’s your favorite kind of juice (home blended or store bought, either one)? 

No, nope and nyet to green juices!

A favorite juice is fresh squeezed orange juice. I enjoy cranberry and pink grapefruit, also.

3. What’s something trivial about which you have a strong opinion? 

Green juice! LOL!

4. What do you need more of in your life? Less of? 

More of…

Less of…following my own heart.

5. Give us three adjectives to describe your January.

Jubilant ~ Joyous ~ Devoted

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

We ventured to Spokane on Saturday to return an item to Lowe’s and do some other shopping. On our way home we stopped at our usual spot in Deer Park and were met with this special of the day.

We decided to try it and it was good. I had the soup of the day, Beet Soup, as my side and it was delicious.

Thanksgiving Leftovers…

…are the best!

On Friday of our long Thanksgiving weekend we enjoyed Swedish Pancakes and little smokies while we waited for Josh and Laura to arrive from the west side of the Cascades. We enjoyed some Bible Challenge questions read by Dan and Addy before and after Josh and Laura arrived, too. They arrived before dinner and it was good for the 10 of us to be together. The guys hauled the Christmas tree in and set it up which was a special treat for me.

After dinner and a game of Uno the grands were given instructions on playing solitaire.

Saturday morning the girls went shopping along Main Street in Colville before we all gathered on Bayles Mountain for Charcuterie for lunch. The rest of the afternoon was filled with crafts, a walk, making dinner and decorating for the special birthday we would celebrate.

Our Grands love their Auntie Lolo and they made a special sign to let her know. Hers was the special early December birthday we were celebrating on this Saturday evening. We enjoyed a delicious dinner of Ribs, Smashed Potatoes and a Broccoli salad before it was time for a special lemon birthday cake that Dan made for LoLo!

Presents were opened with our special thoughts for Auntie LoLo included in the cards. I forgot to get photos of all her special gifts.

We watched the Sounders v LA Galaxy game and unfortunately it ended in LA’s favor. Boohoo. We all retired to our own and our guest beds for the night.

On Sunday Katie and Andrew left early for home spotting a herd of elk crossing the road.

The rest of us gathered at the early service at church before Josh and Laura hit the road to travel home. We enjoyed the first of many worshipful Christmas Carols for the Advent season and a sermon to set our minds on God. Everyone made it home safely and we thank the LORD for that mercy.

Josh and Laura left us a gift of Daily Advent readings for December by Alistair Begg, Let Earth Receive Her King. I’ll share this small portion for December 1st:

“Christ’s divinity has no starting point in time. He always was. He was God before time began. He is God at this very moment. And He will continue to be God forever.”

Happy December everyone! This will be a very busy week here at our country bungalow with decorating and gatherings and travel. Time will tell how blogging will go. How are things in your corner?

Black Friday

JJ took our group selfie with a little help from his mom.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving meal together with most of our family and Jamie’s family.

Andrew and Katie drove over the mountains and through the woods on Thanksgiving day and Josh and Laura are doing the same today.

I’m adding some great Thanksgiving quotes from Spurgeon’s Thanksgiving Gems.

“Our thanksgiving is measured by the depth of our awareness of what we’ve been delivered from, and of the glorious blessings which we shall soon partake of.”

“We are debtors to God’s saving grace, and the very least we can do is to give Him endless thanks.”

“He who has been forgiven much–loves much and thanks much. True gratitude springs from a deep sense of what God has done for us in Christ.”

So grateful for God’s love, mercy and saving grace.  Thankful for all of our loved ones!

Are any of you shopping today? I’m waiting till tomorrow to shop small local businesses. Have a great weekend!

In Their Steps Hodgepodge

The new questions for Wednesday Hodgepodge are coming from  Jo From This Side of the Pond while she is across the Pond!
Thanks Jo and I hope your jet lag will be mild!
~
1. Hey, it’s October…what’s one fun thing on your October calendar? 
This Saturday is the Marcus Ciderfest and we’ll enjoy some time there buying some freshly squeezed apple cider from local apples.
~
I’m also following along on an October 31 day journey with the Heroes of the Reformation called Here We Stand. I get an email each day with the history of one of the heroes.
If you want to follow along you can sign up here.

2. Thursday is National Poetry Day (first Thursday in October)…do you like to read poetry? If so, what’s a favorite poem, or whose poetry do you especially enjoy? 

My favorites are songs and hymns and spiritual songs. That kind of poetry I can understand. I also enjoy children’s rhymes.

So many favorites in the Psalms;

The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

3. Tell us about something you’ve seen recently that could be described as ‘poetry in motion’. 

Other than watching Eagles and Hawks in the sky I would hearken back to the Olympics and watching the diving and other pool events including synchronized swimming that they now call artistic swimming.

4. What’s one song on your autumn playlist? Do you have an autumn playlist? If not, pretend you do. If yes, then feel free to share more than one. 

This is a song that has been playing on the cd in my car that gets me every time.

And this one that I was listening to yesterday…

5. Share a quote that inspires you this time of year especially. 

I’m inspired by our very recent trip to Scotland and specifically walking along the steps of John Knox and his influence on Scotland and the Scottish Reformation. Not him alone but many other Covenantors who lost their lives for the Gospel and the Kingship of Christ and the Church. So at this time of year I’m inspired by Knox and other Martyrs. John Knox preached across Scotland and in England and Europe. George Wishart was burned at the stake in front of St. Andrews Castle another location where John Knox spent time. We visited St. Andrews and the ruins of the castle. St. Andrews is filled with history and not just golf. 🙂

“Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God.”
― John Knox

“The man who stands with God is always in the majority.”
― John Knox

And from George Wishart a friend of Knox and Scottish Martyr–

When he came to the place of his death he knelt and prayed to Christ, then he addressed the watching crowd: ‘If I had taught men’s doctrine, I had gotten greater thanks by men. But for the true Evangel [gospel], which was given to me by the Grace of God, I suffer this day by men, not sorrowfully, but with a glad heart and mind… This grim fire I fear not: and so I pray you to do, if any persecution come unto you for the Word’s sake; and not to fear them that slay the body, and afterwards have no power to slay the soul… I know surely that my soul shall sup with my Saviour this night, ere it be six hours, for whom I suffer this.’ Next he prayed for those who had viciously persecuted and slandered him, saying, ‘I forgive them with all my heart.’

These images and placards were inside the visitors center for St. Andrews Castle Ruins.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

We are still recovering from our Jet Lag and thankfully each day gets better.

The devastation from Hurricane Helene has been on my mind and I pray that help will reach the stranded. Thankful for the groups like Samaritan’s Purse who respond quickly and compassionately to those in need. The family members we have living in North Carolina were spared and they are pitching in to help where they can.

A Hodgepodge Full of Cliches!

We made it to our little Country Fair Parade on Saturday morning. We were only sprinkled on and didn’t get wet…just sprinkled. ‘Every cloud has a silver lining.’ Our Grands were able to gather a bunch of candy as the different participants in the parade threw the treats to the sides of Main street. Our Fire department starts the parade off with their sirens and such and that is why Addy and JJ have their ear protection on! ‘Better Safe than Sorry’

Onward to our questions of the week…

Yikes! It’s the last Wednesday Hodgepodge for August! Thank you to Jo, From This Side of the Pond, for the questions that ‘give us a run for our money‘.

1. What is one cliche you think is nonsense?

‘Easy as pie’, for me, is nonsense. Getting the pie crust just right and making a great pie without a ‘soggy bottom’ is not easy for me. I wasn’t raised with a pie baking mom so making a pie has always been intimidating. That said, I do appreciate my pie making friends and their great pies with the crust being just right!

What’s one you think holds truth?  

‘Ugly as sin’ Sin is ugly and has caused all the trouble we’ve ever seen in our world or will ever see. So thankful that God made a way for us to be out from under it’s condemnation! That way came through Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross for our sin. Colossians 1:13-14: For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

2. What’s the last thing you broke and how did it happen? 

Recently, I knocked a stemless wine glass off my little side table and it shattered and traveled to many places unknown. The glass did not have wine in it, it was empty which was a good thing! It was a cheap variety of glass, too, not a Riedel, (if you know, you know). ‘Don’t cry over spilled milk’

3. Are you a fan of s’mores? Have you had a s’more this summer?

Not a fan and no I haven’t had a s’more this summer.

Last thing you ate that you wanted to ask for ‘s’more of’? 

A Scone with lemon curd. ‘One Man’s Meat is Another Man’s poison’

4. A mode of transportation you’ve never tried? Will you someday? 

I’ve never tried a Hover board and I will never try them. I’m at the ‘it’s too easy to break a hip’ stage of life! ‘Don’t Play With Fire’

5. Believe it or not, next week’s Hodgepodge lands in a brand new month. What’s your happiest memory from the month we’re bidding adieu? 

My favorite part of August was when Josh and Laura came for a 4 day visit in the middle of the month. All the gathering moments together were sweet and it’s always good to spend time together ‘face to face’.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Speaking of Josh and Laura, they celebrated their 23rd wedding anniversary this past Sunday.

This is what I posted on Facebook about them…
Thanking God today for your twenty third wedding anniversary Josh and Laura!
We are so thankful to God for creating each of you and bringing you together, the very best of teams. Your generosity and caring hearts have helped so many. Your niece and nephews’ lives have been enriched with your love and care and generosity! May God continue to strengthen you in Him and with each other and in the ‘Body of Christ’! We love you, we love you, we love you!
Pops and I will take you out for dinner in Scotland to celebrate…soon!!
Happy Cliche Hodgepodge y’all. I hope to get around to most of you this week. Wow! Labor Day weekend is just ahead of us. Put on those white shoes and celebrate those remaining days of summer!

Summer Hodgepodge

Beautiful early summer morning getting our stair workout.

Wednesday Hodgepodge is here again. Thank you to Jo From This Side of the Pond for the questions we answer!

1. What’s the last thing you completely overreacted to? 

I’m trying to drop some pounds…again. I tend to overreact when the scale does not show a loss equal to my sacrifice. The struggle is real.

2. Your top five snacks? 

This time of year I love a sweet nectarine for a snack. Snack sized Payday, mini dark chocolate, mixed nuts, Sunflower or Pumpkin seeds are some of my go-to snacks.

3. What smell always brings back some type of memory? Elaborate. 

When I make a big pot of borsch that can bring back many childhood memories. The overall aroma especially when I add the fresh dill can stir up memories of our mom in the kitchen or the big church meals. Cucumbers also are a memory trigger. Cucumbers, tomatoes and fresh slices of bread, that combination reminds my senses of times past.

4. What’s something you learned from the last book you read? 

I learned so much from the Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges that it still sits on my desk for a re-read. What I learned is that I still have a lot to learn before I die. I’ll add this quote from a Scottish Commentator John Brown that Bridges quoted in the book and a few from Bridges;

“The mind is renewed when, under the influence of the Spirit, the truth is understood and believed, so as to displace the ignorance and error that previously prevailed.”

and one from Bridges;

“We do not transform ourselves although we have a part in the process.” and…

“…we should pray for knowledge of truth that will change our lives rather than simply inform our minds.”

5. What’s the next thing on your to-buy list? Will you make that purchase before the end of the year? 

We do not have anything major on our to-buy list. We do wonder about our TV and whether it might need an upgrade, soon. Not a thing, but our septic is on the verge of needing to be pumped out. That will cost a few pennies!!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

How about this shot for a quintessential fun summer evening going up the driveway home with Auntie and Uncle.

A Side of Sour Cream Hodgepodge

It is the last Wednesday Hodgepodge for July so we are more than half way through the year! Thank you to Joyce From This Side of the Pond!

1. What is a childhood habit or preference you will never outgrow?

Sour cream on pancakes. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. Growing up our butter was sour cream. I honestly don’t remember ever having butter on the table in my early years.

2. Did you know July is beans month? What’s your favorite bean? Your favorite recipe that calls for beans? When it comes to chili are you team beans or team no beans?

No, I did not know July was beans month. I would say pinto beans are my favorite bean and have refried beans regularly since Mexican food is way up there on my comfort food list. Something I make with beans that is a favorite is open up all the cans chili. Yes, I am team beans when it comes to chili.

For a quick meal I’ll start with ground turkey, chicken or beef and cook it up with onion and seasonings. Then I start opening up cans from the pantry. Black beans, pinto chili beans, diced tomatoes or Rotel, diced green chilies, sometimes a can of corn, cumin and chili powder. Heat it up and top with grated cheese, fresh tomato, avocado slices, scallions, diced jalapeno, cilantro. Most of the time just enjoy a bowl with saltine crackers and sometimes we’ll enjoy some cornbread along the side. You could turn it into soup by adding some chicken or beef broth.

3. Some historical figures have a tag line after their name, something like ‘the brave’ or ‘the wise’ or ‘the mad’…what would your tag line be? Explain why?

Ellen the Happy Wonderer. That’s the name we came up with for my blog because for the most part I have a happy disposition and I wonder about a lot of things. Blogging has made me wonder even more. I think I could have been a decent detective, too.

4. The way to my heart is______________________________.

If I go deep, it would have to be truth. More and more my heart resonates with the truth. My heart needs to be filtered by the truth because on it’s own it is selfish and wicked. My heart needs refining with the truth that God gives. My heart is now connected to Jesus. He is the way the truth and the life. His truth, the Bible, is the only truth that makes sense and corrects my feelings, thoughts and actions.

If I go ‘lite’ it would be sitting around a table with good food and good friends.

5.  The calendar rolls into August this week, but before we go give us four adjectives that describe your July.

Full. Hot. Celebratory. Smoky.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Quotes of the week:

from Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands ~ Paul David Tripp

“If God isn’t ruling my heart, someone or somethings else will.”

“Lasting change takes place through the pathway of the heart.”

“Change has to penetrate the heart”

from The Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges

“The Bible was not given just to increase your knowledge but to guide your conduct”

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

See you soon, Hodgepodgers!

God’s Amazing Handiwork

On May 10th I stayed up late to see if I could see the Northern Lights which were predicted to be visible in our area and many other areas around the world. I looked up and could tell there was something different happening but no color was visible to the naked eye. When I saw other people posting on Facebook the pinks and greens in color I was confused as to why I couldn’t see the same thing. When I looked at the image of the sky I just had snapped on my phone I could see the colors in the sky. How odd that was. I just kept snapping away and here is what my phone captured.

 

At the end of my time on our deck taking photos, these lights below which were more on the horizon and not looking straight up, were visible to my naked eye.

It was amazing to witness and a bucket list item that I could check off my list.

In the stars His handiwork I see…

“The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to Day pours forth speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.”

Psalm 19:1,2

We are running out of May days. Over the weekend some of our kids and nieces and nephews were together in Arizona for their annual ‘Cousins Memorial Day Weekend’. On Monday our flag pole was taken out of it’s Winter storage and back in it’s worthy spot in our front acres. Long may the Red, White and Blue wave!

We have lots of pretty color popping up along with so many weeds that we have not kept at bay. I’ll share some of those colors, soon. What’s popping up at your place?

Monday at the Bungalow

Looking back on our busy weekend before we are full swing into a new busy week. I still can’t upload any new photos but I have many photos that show the state of the yard from years past and things look quite similar for this time of year.

Friday May 10th: On Friday evening we had our Princess Pajama Party at church and it was a hit! I joined Jamie, Addy and Granny at church and we were all in our comfy jammies. I had my Ugg slippers on, too. There was a hair braiding station, coloring stations, nail polish stations, animal face masks that were facials, wonderful snacks and then an hour long movie where the littles plopped down on their blankies and pillows with popcorn and licorice! Those adults who were still young enough to plop down easily and get up again got comfy with the littles, too. I stayed in a chair.

Friday night into the wee hours of Saturday we had a wonderful treat of the aurora borealis. I wish I could show you my photos. Amazing pinks and greens and blues looking straight up and for a time more on the horizon view we got the typical green frosty views. Those were clearer to the naked eye but the views right above were visible from camera photos which was very strange. You could see swaths of something looking up but no color until you looked at the images you snapped! A bucket list item to check off without flying to Iceland!

Saturday May 11th: On Saturday morning I met up with these two along with their mommy and granny and we walked the Rotary trail with an added loop to make it a 5k Strong Mom Walk that the City parks put on.

Saturday afternoon our now not as new Pastor and his creative wife had an open house for our church body to show us how things have shaped up at their new to them home. Many of our church body helped them move their stuff into the garage and get flooring pulled out and new flooring in etc, etc. and they wanted to have a little thank you for helping gathering. Our Pastor’s wife painted most of the walls in the home, used their stuff and gathered new stuff and decorated the whole home in such a lovely way. It was fun to have seen the before so we could really enjoy the ‘after’!

Sunday May 12th, Mother’s Day:

Sunday service was full with moms and their kids and our service was God honoring as usual with some very nice tributes to moms as well.

Sunday evening our Colville family came over for a Mother’s day meal and we had a good time catching up with them. JJ was eager to fill us in on all the things his dad and he did while the girls were at the mother daughter event at church.

As I type I hear the washing machine going. I’m putting fresh linens in both of our guest rooms.  Our guest rooms will be used this weekend by our former Pastor’s parents and brother who are traveling here for the wedding of our former pastor’s son on Saturday. We will miss the wedding since we are leaving for a long weekend on the other side of the mountains with this lovely crew below.

Planning: Laundry, a little dusting, mowing and packing is on my agenda for the week.

Organizing:

Things for our guests who will arrive while we are gone and leave before we return.

Continuing: 

With the missions prayer challenge.

I didn’t mention it last week but I’ve been doing a workout with a video daily except for Sundays. Today will be my 31st day!

Weeding out photos from past blog posts. Tedious and a little frustrating.

Reading:

Our church handed out a 31 day devotional for Women on Mother’s Day. All ladies 18 and up received one if they wanted one. Gospel Meditations for Women.

My daily Bible readings this week are in 2 Samuel, 1 Chronicles, Psalms and Acts.

I’m still reading through the Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges.

Quotable:

John Owen: “If you have any regard to the constancy of your faith, to the comfort of your life, the honor of God, for the salvation of your own soul, labor immediately to get your belief of the Word better founded.

Read the scripture constantly, study it seriously, search it diligently, hear it explained and applied by others, meditate on it yourself, and beg of God an understanding of it and a right faith in it.”

Thankful:

So thankful for all the love showered on me by our children and grandchildren. God is good to me.

Have a great week ahead everyone!

They Are Returning

We put out 3 hummingbird feeders this year. We are happy to see the little hummers return. They are not back in full force yet but we are happy to watch the ones that are enjoying the feeders.

Thursday morning between six an seven a.m. we were treated to a show by a group of deer running around and hopping in our backyard. I took a video that I wish I could share.

I’m adding a quote for the day here.

I am very sure that any man of common understanding may, by culture, care, attention, and labor, make himself what- ever he pleases, except a great poet.~ Lord Chesterfield

Hope the first weekend in May is filled with lots of joy for all who visit here.