Category Archives: Spring

The Caravan

It’s been a while since we have seen any deer in our back area so we were surprised to see several show up last week. We weren’t excited to see them go after all the new Spring growth.

There were six in our yard and then we looked up on the hill and saw a number of them in a caravan across the mountain.

We counted up to 16 deer hiking through missing some of the earlier ones.

Those on our side of the fence found a way to join up with the rest.

Holy Week all the way up to Easter Monday is filled with activities with family and friends. After Easter when we have some breathing room I’ll share all the activities.

Although I have posts ready to go for this special week my visits will be scarce. Hope all is well in your corners!

Tiptoeing Hodgepodge

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Jo From This Side of the Pond is back this week a new set of Wednesday Hodgepodge questions!

1. What puts a spring in your step these days? 

Getting small and large tasks accomplished.

2. April 2nd was National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day. Did you celebrate? Do you like PB and J? If so how do you like yours? What’s your favorite kind of jelly?

No peanut butter celebrations here in the past week. Yum and yes to PB and J. Toast with peanut butter and honey is a favorite. When enjoying PB with jam give me raspberry or strawberry please.

3. What’s a memory you associate with spring flowers?

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The Skagit Valley Tulip festival in Washington State and visiting Roozengaarde farm and garden in Mt. Vernon, Washington.  Skagit is the county where you find the towns that grow tulips in abundance. We’ve enjoyed tulip farms and tulips in Mt. Vernon and La Conner.

4. Three things on your spring bucket list? Do you have a spring bucket list? If not pretend you do. 

  1. Drop some pounds.
  2. Travel over to the ‘coast’.
  3. Start mowing the lawn again.

5. One place you will travel this spring? (It might be Europe or it might be the grocery store)

Waiting on our passports which needed renewing so no out of country trips this Spring. We will for sure travel south to Spokane for shopping at the big box stores. Hopefully (see #4) we will get a trip to the other side of the Cascades on the books.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Speaking of the tulip festival…

You don’t have to go all the way to Amsterdam to enjoy tulips galore.

Open House in April

We had a very busy weekend and full to the brim Sunday.

Back in the end of 2021 we invited several folk from our church to come over for a Happy New Year get together on January 3rd of 2022. We had to cancel that event because of snow and icy conditions with a promise to reschedule when our front area would be safe for walking without anyone breaking a hip on the ice! Well that day finally arrived and we rescheduled the event for April 3rd!

Twenty Five folk from our church stopped by after church for food and fellowship. It was a houseful with all possible seats filled in three different rooms. The food was enjoyed and I forgot to take one photo of the spread! We had pulled pork sliders, coleslaw (Kathy’s recipe without mayo that you should try, delicious), Vinegret (Russian Beet Salad), baked beans, and Applesauce Spice cupcakes for dessert. Some folk went back through the buffet line for thirds so we knew the food tasted just fine.

Everyone left by 3pm and then our kids and grands came over for leftovers at 5:30. We prayed that our food would be enough to feed all and it did with lots to spare. Thank you Lord.

Not expected at all but fun to receive these hostess/host gifts from some of the folk who came.

From sweet Diana, my trusty helper in the church kitchen.

From Gene and Marilyn, a newer couple who moved to Colville from Southern California.

Soup cozies for Dear and me.

From Gordon and Christine long time residents of Colville who host our Monday evening Bible Study.

A good day with a promise kept.

Happy first full week in April everyone!

Kindly Spring Again Is Here ~ Hymn

Kindly Spring Again Is Here

Kindly spring again is here,
Trees and fields in bloom appear;
Hark! the birds with artless lays
Warble their Creator’s praise.

Where in winter all was snow,
Now the flowers in clusters grow;
And the corn, in green array,
Promises a harvest-day.

Lord, afford a spring to me,
Let me feel like what I see;
Speak, and by Thy gracious voice,
Make my drooping soul rejoice.

On Thy garden deign to smile,
Raise the plants, enrich the soil;
Soon Thy presence will restore
Life to what seemed dead before.

John Newton verses 1-3 Author of verse 4 is unknown

Taking Time for the Hodgepodge

This past weekend we celebrated Addy’s 5th birthday on Saturday and my belated birthday on Sunday since our whole family was together. Addy loaned me her birthday crown for my celebration. She’s wearing her queenly outfit that her Granny bought her for her birthday. Her favorite color right now is yellow.

Jo From This Side of the Pond has some timely questions for the Hodgpodge this week. Click over to join in the fun.

1. What’s something you never seem to have enough time for? 

Being retired, I have a lot of time to do a lot of things. It’s a lie that convinces me I don’t have time. It’s an excuse. Getting my heart behind something I need to do is the struggle. The thing that is the biggest struggle for me is consistency with exercise. I should be getting my heart rate up everyday with a 30 minute cardio workout. That ‘not enough time’ excuse is really time I wasted away doing something else that isn’t as important.

I’ve done a simple exercise in the past to show just how much I can accomplish in 15-20 minutes time. Set a timer for 15 or 20 minutes and get after a task you have been putting off. You’ll be amazed at how much you can accomplish in that time. Do that once an hour for 8 hours in a day and you’ll really be impressed with your accomplishments.

2. If you could turn back time and relive just one day in your life, which day would you choose and why? 

Truthfully I wouldn’t want to relive any day just as it was. I’d want to go back with what I know now and improve on the day by being totally there, relaxed, aware of what was going on around me, engaged and content.

3. Something you enjoy making that takes a long time to prepare/cook? 

Blintzes or what some call crepes. First we make the blintzes and then we fill them, roll them with either savory or sweet fillings and bake them to enjoy, with a crowd.

You can see the process and recipe by clicking here.

4. A time recently where you needed/gave yourself a ‘time out’? How do you do that? 

I give myself a ‘time out’ at least once a week. I choose a day that is event free and stay in my robe for most of the morning. When there isn’t a scheduled event in a day it is a most relaxing day for me even if I end up doing a project or two or three with no time limits or deadlines.

5. Something you’ve done recently that you’d describe as a ‘good time’? 

This past weekend all of our kids were together and that’s always a good time. We ate together, partied together, went to church together, listened to each other commiserating with one another, laughed together, and prayed everyone back home safely.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Our dear granddaughter Addy turned 5 this past weekend and we celebrated her with a wonderful Tea Party that her mom put together.

Addy’s mommy made the cake and in the next photo you’ll see the teapot pinata she made with Addy getting the first blows in to try and break it open for all the treats that were inside!

Full Tea Party post is here.

Happy Hodgepodge everyone. Thank you for taking the time to stop by and scroll through my post. I appreciate it!

 

Birthdays and Spring!

A beautiful first day of Spring in our neck of the woods after the early morning fog burned off making the glorious blue skies visible. We had a full family weekend. Our west coast kids arrived on Friday night. Addy’s 5th birthday party was on Saturday. A wonderful Tea Party theme. On Sunday after church our kids put together a brunch to celebrate my birthday which was last Monday. Our west coast kids traveled back home on Sunday. I’ll be posting all about our times together as soon as the internets allow me to upload all the photos. Things are very slow going right now.

Our snow is almost gone. The clean up list is getting long. Happy Spring Everyone!

Keeping Up With Our Grands

Such busy ages that we are enjoying with our grands. Age 4 and 2 are such active ages. They can really tire out a 70 year old. I’m so thankful they choose to love me and tire me out.

Last Friday big sister had some other appointments so little brother got dropped off at our house for a few hours.

After some raking JJ was very interested in the watering possibilities.

He mastered our new water nozzle pretty quick. It was fun to watch the delight a powerful nozzle gave him.

Dear and I were able to get a lot of weeding done while JJ enjoyed the power of the hose.

Addy enjoyed some time with a homeschool Co-op which she is trying out while little brother was with us.

A big transition in the month of May for our 4 year old was the move up from this toddler bed to…

…this twin bed with new bedding. I think she is pleased.

The end of May we also enjoyed seeing our ‘Coast Kids’ via messenger enjoying a night out together.

We’ve been in the upper 90’s the last couple days. Friday we are supposed to be in the upper 80’s. Hot for Spring so there has been a lot of watering happening in the early hours or late hours.

Today Josh and Laura are driving across the Cascades from the ‘Coast’ for the weekend. We are looking forward to catching up with them and the grands will be thrilled to see Uncle Joshie and Auntie Lolo! A brisket will go on the Traeger early and cook long and slow for dinner here after they arrive.

Hope you all have a good weekend.

Busy Days

We have some busy days behind us and in front of us that demand our undivided attention so I’m stepping away from my blog until things settle down.

Thursday Bible Verse Challenge won’t be happening this week but will be back next Thursday (Lord Willing) which will be June 3rd.

Speaking of the Psalms, I’ll leave you with this portion from Psalm 145…

“All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your saints shall bless you! They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power, to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures to throughout all generations.”

Hello Hawk

I was outside in our backyard when this hawk swooped in and landed on this tree house. My phone was in my pocket so I was able to get a couple photos before it flew away. We’ve seen it fly above the tall trees on the mountain behind our property. We think it has a nest up there.