It is the sweetest experience to be doing my regular shopping in town and having these two find me in the store with a big hug! Simple but a very special joy for me.
It is also so sweet to enjoy flowers that pop up year after year that I had no hand in planting!
We had a wild thunderstorm come through on Friday morning! We had lightning and thunder and a good soaking of our planters. I’m happy when God does the watering for me!
During our heat wave which is continuing this week it was a good exercise to finish this summertime puzzle.
On Saturday afternoon, JJ had a Taekwondo exhibition at Yep Kanum Park.
It was time for the Yep Kanum Park Celebration in Colville, the celebration will bring neighbors and visitors together from July 17-19, 2026, for a vibrant weekend of activities. Attendees can enjoy live music performances, local artisan markets, food vendors, and family-friendly events. This year’s celebration promises to be a wonderful celebration including performances by musicians, local artists, a classic car show, a youth baseball tournament, a pickleball tournament, and plenty of entertainment for all ages.
JJ gave a demonstration of his kick that split the wood in two. I have a video of that but I’m not able to share it here.
On Sunday after church we enjoyed the finale of the World Cup with Spain defeating Argentina. I’m one who has enjoyed every World Cup soccer game despite the teams I was cheering for coming up short. We were rooting for Spain in the end and were happy for their accomplishment.
I’ve been following ‘Drew Cooks‘ on Facebook and we enjoyed two of his recipes on Sunday.
Blueberry biscuits were very good. We also enjoyed chicken thighs in the crockpot with a soy sauce, brown sugar, green onion, garlic, and ginger. Delicious!
Our area is experiencing wild fires with smoke making our outdoor spaces unhealthy. We can identify with those of you on the east coast experiencing smoky skies and hard to breathe air. Praying for our firefighters!
Last and least, it is always fun to spot these frogs in our yard, as long as they stay in the yard!
How was your weekend and what does this new week hold for you?
Thank you to Joyce for supplying the questions each week.
1. What’s something you enjoy now that your younger self would never have appreciated?
Being able to climb into bed earlier in the evening, calling it a day before 9pm.
2. What was peaceful about today?
There is nothing on the calendar or to do list for today and we had already planned on eating out today so we’ll enjoy what the day brings and then being served a meal.
3. It’s National Blueberry Day (July 8). Will you celebrate? You can have one of the following right now-a slice of blueberry pie, a warm blueberry muffin, or a stack of blueberry pancakes…which do you choose?
I do have fresh blueberries in the refrigerator. Time will tell if I manage to bake some blueberry muffins on this very hot day.
This or that-blueberries or raspberries?
Raspberries
Blueberries or strawberries?
Strawberries
4. Do you need a break? From what?
I don’t need a break from anything but I could use some help in trying to get on top of our weeds.
5. What has surprised you most about getting older?
So much…
How hard it is to roll over in bed these days
How hard it is to get up off the floor
How quickly the wrinkles are forming
How hard it is to lose weight.
Now some positive surprises…
The wonderful freedom of travel.
How we can survive on one meal a day.
Good medical care w/o paying a fortune.
Cell phones and the internet and GPS!
6. Insert your own random thought here.
Our sons were able to attend the USA v Belgium game on Monday in Seattle. Even though the game was not the best that the US has played it was amazing for them to enjoy the World Cup Excitement together. One of the highlights of their day was getting Alexi Lalas’s attention so he could see a photo of the three of them from the 1994 World Cup and then for him to take a 2026 photo with them!
1994
2026
It was a wonderful treat for the two of them to spend this time together at this international event in their own backyard!
I’ll still be watching every game until the end to see who wins World Cup in 2026!
Right now, this minute, I’m enjoying hearing all the good things that World Cup Soccer visitors have to say about this great country of ours. They have said over and over that they were lied to by their home country media on how awful the United States is. They are soaking up the amazing variety of landscape and food and convenience and largeness from coast to coast. We are a melting pot of culture and we are unique in how we display our patriotism and celebrate our country, especially on the 4th of July.
On the flipside we are enjoying their songs, their chants, their dress, their celebrations, their loyalty to their teams!
My parents fled communism (Russia) and spent their teen years and young adult years in Iran. They applied and immigrated lawfully to the USA shortly after World War II. In the nineties when they had an opportunity to re-visit the village our pop was from in Russia they saw first hand what they were delivered from. When they came back to the US and got off their plane in the USA, they kissed the ground! They knew and appreciated the freedom and the country they were providentially citizens of. They embraced the USA, learned the language and were good citizens.
2. Your favorite patriotic song?
God Bless America
“While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that’s free.
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer:
God bless America, land that I love,
Stand beside her and guide her
Through the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans white with foam,
God bless America,
My home sweet home.”
3. Red, white, or blue? Stars or stripes? Something you own besides a US flag with some combination of those colors or decorations as part of its design?
Blue as in blue jeans or the color of our home.
Stars are a favorite…
Red, White and Blue stars are outside and inside our home, especially this time of year!
4. What’s one thing you want more of this summer: fun, rest, adventure, connection, quiet, or confidence? Elaborate.
I’ve already had more fun than I deserve this year and there is more fun planned for October of this year. I’m going with connection. I’d like more connection in the everyday moments with my God and Savior. I’d like more connection in that regard with other believers, too. Good conversations and prompts that cast my eyes on how gracious God is and all that He is doing to make me more like his Son and my Savior.
Without God’s grace I’d have no hope. Here are parts of Spurgeon’s June 29th evening devotional;
“If the grace of God were to leave the best Christian, there is enough sin in his heart to make him the worst of transgressors. If left to yourselves, you who are warmest for Christ would cool down like Laodicea into sickening lukewarmness:
…Therefore let us cry to God to never leave us. Do not withdraw from us your indwelling grace!
Lord, keep us everywhere. Keep us when we’re in the valley so that we do not grumble against Your humbling hand; keep us when we’re on the mountain, so we do not lose our balance by being lifted up; keep us in our youth, when our passions are strong; keep us in old age, when becoming conceited in our wisdom, we may therefore prove greater fools than those who are young and silly; keep us when we come to die, in case at the very end we should deny You! Keep us living, keep us dying, keep us working, keep us suffering, keep us fighting, keep us resting, keep us everywhere, for everywhere we need You, O our God!”
5. What was your ultimate, go-to summer activity when you were a kid? Do you still do any version of that today? If you answered yes, does participating in this activity as an adult make you feel like a kid?
Going to the beach or going to the ‘plunge’, the pool at Montebello high school, was a favorite childhood activity. Did you ever call a pool, a plunge?
As kids, we would walk from our neighborhood in Montebello Gardens (called the Jardines in Spanish) to the high school pool in Montebello where for 10 cents we could enjoy the pools. We would spend a good amount of time in the pools and then have to walk back home. I remember being very thirsty and very tired on that walk back home.
Google maps shows that it was a 2.3 mile walk there and 2.3 mile walk back home!
Our mom never got a license so she never drove a car and our pop worked hard and long hours and always had the family car for his work so as kids we were on our own if we wanted to go to the pool or to the library.
As an adult I enjoy a nice walk on the beach in the cool morning hours and that is something we were able to do just last week!
Cannon Beach, Oregon with Haystack Rock in the distance.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
Speaking of stars, here’s a flashback to 2021 and these two stars are my favorites!
If you are from the USA, I hope you are able to celebrate the 4th of July as the 250th year deserves!
If you aren’t from the USA, happy July to you and don’t be afraid to visit the USA!
Our trip to the Oregon Coast was a spontaneous last minute decision. I knew about CBCC and it’s location. At the beginning of June I decided to check out their summer conference schedule (better late than never). There were two 5 night conferences with speakers that stood out to us but they were both full when we enquired and we got put on waiting lists. One of those conferences was from June 22nd until June 27th. A week before the conference was to start we got a call that there was an opening. We decided to go for it. Yikes. This part of the Oregon Coast is about a 9 hour drive from our home. We made another last minute call and asked our kids on the ‘Coast’ if we could spend a couple nights with them to cut our trip in half. They said yes!
It was nice to spend a couple days with our ‘Coast’ kids.
On Monday morning the 22nd of June we left Bothell for our 4 hour drive to Cannon Beach. We stopped on the way in Astoria for lunch and that post is here.
CBCC was founded in 1945. Some of the history can be found here.
More Than 75 Years in Ministry
Founded in 1945, Cannon Beach Conference Center has grown from humble beginnings to its place as one of the premier Christian retreat and conference centers on the West Coast.
The building above is the large dining room.
Across from the dining room was another lodge with the main conference check in lobby, a book nook, a store and a nice fireside area.
The above view is on campus lodging along with other buildings. I didn’t get photos of the gym and the chapel where all of our worship sessions were held.
This was our approach to the main campus from our lodgings each day for breakfast, our morning session, dinner, and our evening session. Our lodgings were about a half a block to the main campus.
The Pacific view lodge on the right is one of several lodges that house conference attendees.
We chose the older, more humble Beach Front Lodge that is located right on the beach.
Humble room and shower room with million dollar views and sounds.
The rooms do not have TV’s (on purpose), no coffee maker (coffee is provided at the conference center from 6:30am) no toiletries like shampoo and conditioner. They do have bar soap, towels, linens, tp, tissue, hair dryer, paper towels, microwave, refrigerator and internet. We brought our travel coffee pot, beans, grinder, and coffee cups which was a great decision for us since we like to have our cuppa when we wake up.
Looking back at the lodge from the sand.
Pelicans gathered during the day entertaining us.
What we learned as first timers is that these conferences are popular with large and small family groups who come year after year and have a kind of family reunion enjoying food and activities provided for all age groups.
We met some dear folk who we had many good conversations with. One couple who were missionaries in Japan for 27 years were especially good to get to know.
The worship/teaching time in the morning and evening was encouraging. Here are some notes I wrote down during the talks, The Invisible Hand of God was the overall theme from the book of Esther.
“Our unseen God is providentially working in our lives even when it feels like He is conspicuously absent or silent.”
“The unmistakable hand of God orders events to accomplish His will.”
“Don’t discount the possibilities of your ordinary days.”
A quote shared from the speaker’s father-in-law;
“Sin will…
take you further than you ever intended to stray
keep you longer than you ever intended to stay
cost you more than you ever intended to pay.”
We had free time everyday from about 11am until dinner at 5:30. We had lunch at different restaurants in town. We stopped and shopped along S. Hemlock street, the main drag which was always hopping with tourists. I didn’t get any photos of the street filled with tourists. We walked the shore and I’ll share those photos in another post.
We kept in touch with World Cup Soccer in the different eateries we chose in town.
It was delightful to fall asleep serenaded by the wind and the waves.
For those of you who might visit Cannon Beach someday these are places we ate and enjoyed the food and service, Driftwood, Bill’s Tavern and Brewhouse, Pelican Brewing, Screw and Brew (a hardware store and brewery), Public Coast Brewery.
We ate a lot of fish!
A shout out to Public Coast manager who kept the TV/bar area open after closing for us soccer fans to watch the USA v Turkey game on Thursday night! Thank you!
We also purchased candy and Salt Water Taffy from Bruce’s Candy Kitchen, making sweet memories since 1963.
Josh and Laura gifted me this puzzle on their last visit and it was a fun one to put together during World Cup Fever here in the USA/Canada/Mexico and the world!
The World Cup posters for each city hosting games are so clever.
Seattle
Boston
Atlanta
Miami
Vancouver
Houston
Dallas
Los Angeles and more…Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterey, Toronto, Philadelphia, Kansas City, San Francisco, and New Jersey.
The USA played Australia yesterday in Seattle and Josh and Laura were able to be there and enjoy all the glory of World Cup Fever with a 2-0 win for the USA. From the fan excitement in the stadium, the patriotic clothes and costumes worn (Uncle Sam, Eagles, Lincoln etc.), 60,000 people singing the National Anthem the cheering was deafening. And then when the game was over the whole stadium sang ‘Country Roads, Take Me Home’. It was a blast of energy that was so refreshing to see and hear!
What a joy to vicariously enjoy being at the game with these two!
Hope all is well in your corner of World Cup Soccer and that your team is performing well!
Ole Ole Ole, it’s time for World Cup and for Wednesday Hodgepodge! Thank you, Joyce.
1. June 17th, 1994 was the day of the infamous O.J. Simpson car chase. What were you doing in 1994? I’m guessing somebody is going to tell me they weren’t born yet but that’s part of the fun of the Hodgepodge. Lots of generations are represented here.
In June of 1994 we traveled to Southern California to stay with family and take in all we could of the World Cup. I’m sure we were on the same freeways O.J. was on during our time in L.A., the Santa Ana freeway and the 405! I know we watched it on TV.
Back to the more important reason we were in the greater LA area. Our boys and I found the USA World cup training center and met some of the players. Then we found the hotel the team was staying in and our sons worked hard to get signatures on the team poster our oldest son bought. They managed to get every signature of the people in the poster except for one trainer/coach who wasn’t in Southern California.
If I remember correctly Josh got a 3 or 4 game package deal and Dan got 1. The prices were very reasonable compared to today.
2. What’s your favorite summer salad that isn’t the traditional tossed green lettuce kind of salad?
Do you like fresh fruit in a salad (other than in a fruit salad of course)?
I enjoy strawberries or pears in a green salad with the right dressing and cheese to compliment and roasted walnuts or shaved almonds…
3. Is chivalry dead? Should it be?
~
No and no. It is always a pleasure to enjoy chivalry or witness it.
~ 4. Would you rather spend a week of your summer vacation in Hawaii or Alaska?
I’ll say Hawaii because there are fewer bugs.
Have you ever been to either?
We have been to Hawaii but not Alaska.
Are they two places you really would like to see?
No
How do you feel about ‘Hawaiian pizza’ aka pineapple on a pizza?
Nyet, No, Nine
Have you ever eaten Baked Alaska?
I think I have but I couldn’t tell you where or when.
~
5. World Cup play is happening now…are you interested?
Very interested. And for the record I’m interested in soccer all the time not just for World Cup.
Watching any matches?
I’ve watched them all to one degree or another. Some I’ve watched every minute others I watched parts of .
Did you or your children play soccer/futbol?
All three of our children played. Our sons played for their school varsity teams and on traveling teams, too. Our sons also worked as referees for our community leagues and for indoor games, too.
And now, our Grands are playing soccer.
There are eleven US cities hosting matches-
–Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York with the stadium in NJ, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle
along with three cities in Mexico (Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey)
and two in Canada (Toronto and Vancouver)-
You get free tickets to one of these matches. Which city do you choose? Tell us why.
Seattle, because it would be the easiest stadium for us to reach.
Our son and daughter-in-love are attending the USA v. Australia game this Friday in Seattle!
6. Insert your own random thought here.
Dan’s ticket that he purchased from his soccer coach was for a game in Stanford. Dan and I traveled from the LA area up to Stanford for the game. The game was on June 24, 1994. And yes, we traveled those same freeways O.J. did. 🙂
I’m behind and the way things are going it will be a while for me to get my mojo back.
In honor of World Cup Soccer 2026 being played in the United States/Canada/Mexico, I’m reposting this poem written for our sons by their
Great Uncle, Arnold.
He wrote this poem in a letter to Greg’s mom, Verna, about our boys playing soccer. Verna was living with us at the time in a daylight apartment Greg built for her in the basement of our home. Verna was the oldest of her siblings born in 1918 and her brother Arnold was born in 1920 on Christmas Eve. Verna passed away in 1997 and Arnold passed away several years later. This would have been written in the early 1990’s while we were living on Norway Hill in Bothell. Uncle Arnold was a letter writer and he wrote several poems. Letter writing at it’s finest in beautiful handwriting.
Playing Soccer in the Rain
It’s raining steadily and hard,
So puddles, growing in the yard
Spill over, and run down the street
Past where this street and others meet.
The boys play soccer in the rain
They run and strive with might and main
To kick the ball into the net
In spite of getting soaking wet.
The teams they play on won 1st prize
It’s good that they could realize
Success for all the joy and pain
Of playing soccer in the rain.
Written by Arnold August Moline
Uncle Arnold is in the upper right hand and lower right hand photo with the darker hair. His brother Clifford is in those two photos along with me on a visit to see Greg’s grandmother in Englewood, Colorado in 1976. Upper right is in the kitchen of Greg’s grandmother’s home. Clifford had made a rhubarb pie. He was the cook for himself, Arnold and Grandmother Agnes. Arnold and Clifford never married. The photo in the upper left is of friends from my side of the family who lived in Denver, the Semenchuks. Lower left is another of Greg’s Uncles, Chester, who everyone called ‘Red’. Greg is in that photo with him cutting logs for firewood at their cabin outside of Denver.
Thank you for reading this nostalgic memory lane post. Enjoy your day!
June 7th through the 9th was filled with family activities and gatherings.
Josh and Laura started the drive across the mountains early on the 7th to make it to JJ’s Taekwondo exhibition at Town and Country days in Kettle Falls.
The sun heated up those mats and they had to make the presentations fast so the soles of their feet wouldn’t burn!
Yep the mats were hot. I’m pretty sure there will be discussions for next year to have the presentations from our group and the gymnastics group for performing on the stage instead of in front of the stage!
A snow cone and ice cream made things better.
From Town and Country Days we all gathered at our country bungalow for a Taco Salad meal. After dinner we all made our way back to the Woodland Theater in Kettle Falls for The Haran Dancers recital.
Addy performed beautifully.
On Sunday after church Josh and Laura traveled back home.
They won’t be back for Father’s Day so Laura took an early Father’s Day photo.
On Father’s day weekend I’ll share the very thoughtful gift our kids and grands gave their dad/gramps.
Very early on this same Sunday morning (2:00 am) our Niece, her hubby and our grand niece found their way to our home from Boise, Idaho where they had attended a wedding. They let themselves in and found their guest rooms without waking us up. They slept in on Sunday and we managed to get ready for church and leave without waking them up. We left them at Bedside Baptist and returned from church in time to make them fresh coffee.
Sunday afternoon we were at the Woodland Theater again with this new crew who wanted to see Addy perform with the Irish Dance group.
It was a great matinee performance and once again we all headed to our country bungalow for a meal.
Pulled pork sandwiches with homemade coleslaw and not home made beans. There were homemade desserts.
Fun and goofy times.
The fun continued on Monday at Bayles Mountain.
Cousins once removed making memories.
The California crew left about noon on Tuesday June 9th after enjoying Uncle Greg’s famous Swedish pancakes. They headed for Josh and Laura’s home for another week in the Pacific Northwest.
And while the westside crew were on the Olympic Peninsula we were back in Kettle Falls at JJ’s Taekwondo Promotion.
We also participated in a community garage sale on Thursday and Friday. We were happy to get rid of some large items that were getting in the way around here. So thrilled we didn’t have to haul them back home.
I’m watching World Cup Soccer games while I work on posts and visiting blogs. It’s no secret that I’m a soccer fan. It’s been an exciting start in the group stage. It’s been fun following fans that have traveled from around the world and who are soaking up the food and experiences unique to the USA!
Thankfully we have a relatively quiet week ahead of us. We need that. Have a good week y’all.
“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:4-7
2. What’s the most used app on your phone (and are you proud of that)?
(WhatsApp) It is the app we use with the Mennonite Girls and also with our immediate family. It is easier to send videos and photos with this app than with text messages.
I’m proud of myself when I figure out how to use any app!!
3. ‘Every rose has it’s thorn’, ‘everything’s coming up roses’, ‘looking through rose-colored glasses’, ‘it’s no bed of roses’ or ‘stop and smell the roses’…which rose idiom best relates to something in your life currently. Explain.
‘everything’s coming up roses’ (or peonies)
It’s a busy and good time of year with so much happening all at the same time including flowers blooming on our property. We’ve had performances, visitors, events, meals in, meals out, preparations for a community garage sale this coming weekend. Life is blooming!!
4. How do you feel about floral flavorings in food or drink (rose, hibiscus, elderflower, lavender)?
No, thank you. Elderflower has been acceptable in the past.
5. Over the course of your life what have you probably spent more time pondering than anything else?
This is a tough one. It is not my habit to be introspective. I know I’ve laid awake at night pondering things but it has been a variety of things over the course of my life.
When I was young I remember pondering whether my parents would die and being sad about that prospect. They did die but not until they were in their 90’s so that was a waste of emotions.
In my teen years I probably pondered too much about myself and whether people or certain boys liked me. That was a waste of time and emotions, too.
I’ve spent a lot of time pondering what to make for dinner.
I’ve also spent a lot of time pondering what to do and see on any given trip we’ve enjoyed over the years.
In my older years, I’ve pondered how and why friends that I used to worship Christ with and who I’ve served Christ with have walked away in disobedience to His Word and how they have embraced the world and the ways and philosophy of this world.
Right now I’m pondering what else I should try to get rid of at the garage sale this Thursday/Friday/Saturday.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
The 2026 World Cup begins tomorrow. I’m excited and have set our DVR to record many of the games. We were at the last World Cup in the USA in 1994. This Cup I’ll be watching from home. Josh and Laura will be attending the USA v. Australia game in Seattle a week from this Friday!
Dan and I were able to attend the Brazil v. Cameroon game at Stanford in 1994.
We have great memories from the ’94 World Cup and I’ll share more on another day. In between games, I’ll be working on the new 2026 World Cup puzzle our Josh and Laura gifted me.
It’s no secret that we have soccer/futbol fans in our family and I’m one of them. We are excited for World Cup 2026 here in the USA/Mexico/Canada.
This is a collection of Soccer Commentators comments during games in the past in honor of World Cup 2026. The photos are from games through the years from our travels and at home. Some are from World Cup 1994 which was the last time and first time World Cup was hosted by the USA. This post is very random and jumps around near and far and wherever soccer/futbol has taken us.
“He’s already written his name in lights here”
“That was a chance to put the game to bed”
“That goal keeper is a mere spectator” “It’s one way traffic at the moment”
“Every road is a cul de sac at the moment” ~ Ian Darke announcer for the Slovenia/USA game.
“England is running around like flies at the moment”
“He is a new name among the old soldiers”
“The giants can be knocked out by the minnows!!”
“Suarez, next time you get hungry take a bite of a Big Mac”
Quote of the match: “His ears look quite normal.” :0)
another great one…”couple years past their sell by date in the premier league” :0)
“So many of these players now on the wrong side of 30” Adrian Healey
“It really is keystone cops stuff here”
“The last drop of the drink in the last chance saloon”
“The North Koreans are a toughish nut to crack”
“The ball got smuggled away”
“So many of these passes going astray”
“Made rather a mess of it”
“Events conspiring against them”
“They need a win to tie up an almighty knot”
“That tall beanpole striker”
“Over the bar with a goal gaping at her”
“Columbia just had a sniff of something”
“Solo could have brought a portable TV and watched her favorite Film”
“Like a hot knife through butter!” I love Arlo White!
“A slender advantage”
“The cruelty of sport” nice way to describe the own goal…
A sport announcer’s most stupid statement of all time “It’s going to come down to who wants it more” As if one or the other team doesn’t want to win. It’s going to come down to a lot of factors in the run of play but there’s not anyone on the field who wants to lose! And that’s my personal opinion. Thanks for letting me vent!
“He was the meat in that sandwich” ~ English Premier League soccer announcer. The meat in this challenge happened to be the ref! He’s still down on the pitch…
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 