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!
Our first morning in Cannon Beach it was our goal to make it to Haystack Rock and back before breakfast.
Our lodgings were where the Ecola River empties into the Pacific.
Haystack is not the only rock along the coast, just one of the most known.
It was fun to learn that there are Puffins that like these rocks.
Time to head back for breakfast.
This is the mouth of the river.
Another morning walk and we still haven’t seen the horizon because of the marine layer.
Birds, especially the pelicans and seagulls enjoyed flapping their wings in the river.
Our next walks on the beach were later in the morning or in the early afternoon.
We can see a horizon on this day.
Here come the pelicans!
For our last walk on the beach we started at Haystack and worked our way to another public access spot to head up to Hemlock for lunch before we made it back to our car.
We used a public stair access to the beach.
It was a treat to be able to see further out into the sea.
This was the first day we could see the lighthouse. I zoomed in to get some shots.
The history of Tillamook Lighthouse or Terrible Tilly can be found here.
The last shot from our lodgings. Till next time Cannon Beach. It was a delight to discover you more fully.
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.
We’ve been away from our Country Bungalow since June 20th. Our first stop was at our Son and DIL’s home for two nights. Then early on Monday morning we drove from Bothell to Cannon Beach, Oregon but our first stop on that journey was in Astoria, Oregon.
We were only stopping here for a meal before we continued on to Cannon Beach.
Perched at the mouth of the mighty Columbia River, Astoria is Oregon’s oldest city and the first permanent U.S. settlement west of the Rockies.
With Victorian-era homes etched into hills overlooking the Columbia River, this picturesque settlement is a port city with Scandinavian flavor. Surrounded by forests, boasting three rivers and situated a stone’s throw away from the Pacific, Astoria is a fishing village-meets-Victoriana, chockablock with forts, museums and great local brews.
If you squint, you can see the bridge in the distance that connects this part of Oregon to Washington State.
We had decided ahead of time to eat at Fort George Brew Pub and we were not disappointed.
The seafood chowder was so good and the Albacore Fish and Chips were excellent. The Albacore was a first for us and we really enjoyed it.
The house made tartar sauce was excellent, too.
Driving out of town we stopped to get a closer shot of this bridge.
Astoria Bridge, truss bridge spanning the mouth of the Columbia River between the states of Oregon and Washington, western United States. It was designed by William A. Bugee and at its completion in 1966, it was the longest continuous-truss bridge in the world.
It is 4.1 miles long.
Before we made it into the little seaside town of Cannon Beach we made a stop at Ecola State Park to get these views of Cannon Beach.
We managed to arrive at a good weather window. We paid $12 to park which was the ‘out of state’ parking fee.
Sea air does a number on my hair so I’ll be in search of a good hat to wear for any future beach trips.
The famous Haystack rock is one of many along the Oregon Coast.
Zooming in for our final shot of Haystack. In the next several days we would see the rock up close.
On the way back to our car we took another path to see a different view of the Pacific Ocean.
We drove the narrow winding State Park road down again to get to downtown Cannon Beach where we would be staying for the next 5 nights. More about our time in future posts.
It was a very nice time away but it is very good to be back home.
We are on our way home from a week at Cannon Beach Christian Conference center. I’ll share more about our time there soon. It was a lovely way to start off the summer.
“Our unseen God is providentially working in our lives even when it feels like he is conspicuously absent or silent.”
1. Summer’s here! In the northern hemisphere anyway. If you’re in the southern hemisphere substitute winter for the word summer. What do you love most about summer? What’s your biggest summer pet peeve?
I love summer fruits like nectarines and peaches and plums and watermelon!
In our neck of the woods mosquitoes and mean bugs like wasps are a nuisance!
2. What song always reminds you of summer?
The Beach Boys ‘California Girls’. I was born and raised in Southern California and my early days were filled with music by this classic group.
3. What’s something you remember about your childhood summers? Do you think kids today get to enjoy summer the way you did as a child? Elaborate.
Honestly, I don’t remember specifics about summer versus other times of year. We were outside a lot. We would go to the beach with other relatives. I do remember getting the worst sunburn of all time and our mom soaking rags in vinegar to put on our burns.
Our summers as kids were very much unplanned by our parents. It seems like parents nowadays are more hands on and do more planning for summer activities. Summer camps and summer sports, etc.
4. We celebrate Fathers Day on June 21st. Do you favor your dad in looks or temperament? Tell us something about your dad. Or your husband as a dad. Or a son/son-in-law as a dad. Or your grandpa.
Our Pop worked hard to support his family. He was a man who loved His Lord and Savior and was faithful to our mom and us. He was punctual to the point of being early especially for church. He loved jigsaw puzzles and in his old age worked on them to pass the long hours of the day.
My Pop and me camping in Southern California. He is working on a jigsaw puzzle.
Our dear Pop was called home to heaven June 24th, 2018. Eight years ago today.
I’m a combo of our Pop and our Mom. I do enjoy jigsaw puzzles and I’m punctual to a fault.
5. Let’s wrap up with a summer this or that-
flip flops or sandals
beach or pool
watermelon or peaches
shorts or sundress
iced coffee or ice cold lemonade
amusement park or water park
Sandals, beach, watermelon, sundress, iced coffee. Neither an amusement park or water park are on my list ever for the summer. 🙂 I’d rather go to a place like Disneyland in the cooler months.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
We are getting ready for the 250th celebration of the USA at our house. Here are some initial decorations to mark this epic event.
A lot more will be coming out of my red, white and blue bins.
Our schedule is not our own this week and it will be hit or miss as to whether I can visit as usual. If not, I will catch up next week.
The Haran School of Irish Dance was founded in Kettle Falls by Deirdre Abeid over 45 years ago. Her daughters Caitlin Trusler and Claire Worley have continued in her footsteps, running the Kettle Falls and Spokane branches of Haran for the past 25 years.
All signed in and ready to dance
There are breaks between the soft shoe dances and hard shoe dances.
Both Addy and JJ appreciated Uncle and Auntie being at the Feis on Sunday. I appreciated it, too, as Laura could get up close and take photos and videos that I was not able to.
Soft shoe, hard shoe and then it was time for another soft shoe competition.
There is a trick to lacing the soft shoes!
When all the traditional jigs and reels and treble and Hornpipe were completed it was time for the creative water/sea dance. The dancers who wanted to participate in this dance had to come up with their own costume and dance.
This is the outfit conception that Addy came up with thinking about water, ‘under the sea’. Here was the completed outfit Addy and her Mom created.
It is so good to have the support team of mom and dad in the dancers corner.
Waiting for their solo performances. I wish I could share the video Auntie Lolo took of Addy’s dance but I’m unable to on my blog. It was a wonderful performance and we found out while we were out to lunch that Addy had received a 1st place for her outfit and dance!
We gathered for lunch before taking Uncle and Auntie back to the airport for their flight home.
After lunch on their way home Dan and Jamie stopped by the convention center to pick up Addy’s prize for her creative under the sea dance and costume.
Her 1st place trophy!
After getting home Addy donned all her awards from her first Feis!
Well done, Addy. Your hard work was rewarded. Hmmm, I wonder if she’ll want to sign up for another Feis?
Thanks for coming along and for all your kind comments.
A summer sea scape dinner party to celebrate the end of summer from our deck in our former home. This is also a nod to Addy’s creative under the sea outfit at the Feis. (End of post)
It’s time for Wednesday Hodgepodge and Joyce has a fresh batch of questions to prove it.
Dinner parties were mentioned in one of our questions so here are a collection of dinner parties from the past with the Mennonite Girls Can Cook in Canada.
1. Are you more life of the party or more party pooper? If your answer is somewhere in the middle which side of the middle do you lean towards more?
I think I’m a little above middle, more toward life than pooper. 🙂 I might be one of the first ones to say goodnight these days.
Dinner party and Christmas Party are my favorites!
2. Cheese, wine, and balsamic vinegar all improve with age. What would you personally add to the list?
Personally I believe human beings, relationships, marriage, and friendships should all improve with age. Most importantly, my faith and trust in Christ should improve with age and I should be more like Christ each new year. This is challenging and humbling and something I’d never attain to without the Holy Spirit, our Helper.
3. How do you feel about your birthday? How do you want to be celebrated? Or don’t you?
I enjoy my birthday regardless of fanfare. I do enjoy having special meals with loved ones to celebrate my birthday. I’m past needing or wanting gifts other than good times with family and friends. A card or note or text is gift enough.
4. What remarkable feat, interesting piece of trivia, or historical event occurred on your birth day and month? Not necessarily your same birth year, just the same date/month.
March 14th: It is Pi (π) day, 3.14.
In 1942 Anne Miller became the first American patient to be treated with Penicillin on this day.
5. Share two good things about your life right now.
Right now my health is good (I do have some typical old lady aches and pains) and my life in the country is good. I’m where I’m supposed to be. It is so good to be in the same town as our grandchildren.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
On Friday I’ll share more about Addy’s first Irish Feis!
This outfit isn’t representative of an Irish Feis but it played a special role in a creative dance challenge (Water, Under the Sea) at the end of the festival (feis).
A Feis (pronounced ‘fesh’) is an Irish dancing competition. The Word “Feis” is Irish Gaelic for “Festival.” Throughout the year there are many feiseanna (plural of feis) that dancers can compete in. Dancers are always encouraged to feis, but are never required to. Feising will help dancers set goals and gain confidence. They will learn how to win and lose gracefully while meeting new friends and cheering on other dancers.
This experience was a first for all of us, Addy, her parents, grandparents and Auntie and Uncle. None of us knew exactly what to expect. The event was at the convention center in Spokane conveniently located on the same property as our hotel. We walked over on Saturday morning wondering what the morning would be like.
We found some seats together and soon realized that if we wanted to see we’d have to be standing on the edges of the room. The judges table along with their water bottles placed strategically to block (just kidding) your view. Other hazards for good views and photos included the speakers podium and people. Parents and dancers hopping up out of their seats to check-in for their competition and parents moving about the cabin to watch their loved ones dance.
The dance music live! That was amazing to me. Four hours of continuous playing with short breaks in between each age grouping and type of dance, Slip Jig, Light Jig, Reel, Single Jig, Treble, Hurnpipe, etc. Yep…I have no clue what all those are but maybe in a few years, if Addy continues dancing, I will learn.
Each dancer ready for their time to dance.
First day complete and Addy placed in several of her dances, a first, third and fourth and then to cap things off an overall win with a plate to commemorate.
Addy, you performed well. Your cool and calm readiness and alertness was a pleasure to watch.
Addy’s first day of competition was done by noon and she and all her cheerleaders were ready for a nice lunch.
This years Feis had some heart tugs attached to it.
All of the Haran School of Irish Dance participants had this patch attached to their dance outfits.
Lucas was a gifted dancer and competitor with the Haran School of Dance in Kettle Falls. He had won many competitions. He passed away in a swimming accident this summer and it hit the whole dance and Stevens County community very hard. Not only was he a gifted dancer but an amazing piano player, too. He was deaf with cochlear implants. He loved His Lord and Savior and represented Jesus well with a wonderful attitude. We draw comfort knowing Lucas is with his Savior.
With Saturday’s competition complete we looked forward to Josh and Laura flying into Spokane to be with us for the Sunday morning competition line-up. I’ll save Sunday’s photos and commentary for another day this week.
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 