Category Archives: Travel

Over the River and Mountain Range

We had a beautiful drive through Eastern Washington across the mighty Columbia river and over the Cascade mountain range to the Puget Sound area of Washington.

We had a 2nd birthday celebration for Dear at Rare Society in Mill Creek with our Westside kids. On Monday we had the first celebration with our Colville kids and Grands. It was good to touch bases with everyone before we head out of the country.

Soon we will be in Bonnie Scotland. I hope to be able to share postcards from our days before I recap our trip when we return. Cheers!

Planning is Work Hodgepodge

Our daughter with her dad before we toured Edinburgh Castle in April of 2004.

Hello to our first September Wednesday Hodgepodge of 2024. Thank you, Joyce!

1. Something you’re working on currently? 

I am working on finalizing all the things for our trip to Scotland. Besides packing lists in my head and buying a few extras, I’m filling out 4×6 cards on the different locations we will be in with all the recommendations for sites and restaurants for that city or village. So much to see and do. We are taking this trip with our son Josh and his lovely bride, Laura.

We also are busy making some meals for my cousin’s family. Her husband is being released to Hospice care in their home today, Tuesday. She will be busy caring for him and the least we can do is to offer some meals for her and her sons so shopping for food and cooking won’t be a priority for her. Since we’ll be gone next week we wanted to do some extra meals to freeze, etc., for them to fall back on.

2. Tell us something about your first job?

My first ‘real’ job with an actual paycheck was in my senior year of high school. I was done with my required courses by noon and would get a ride from a fellow student who had a job at the same company, Link Belt. I worked in one of the offices with Dan in charge and Pat his assistant. I helped Pat with paperwork. Pat was a smoker. This was in 1967-68 so smoking was still allowed everywhere. I honestly can’t remember how I got home from this job. I probably got a ride with someone who lived close to me. I started this job to earn money for college. My first year of college was at the University of Redlands, about 60 miles from my home.

My second real job in my Cal-State LA college years was at Montgomery Ward Service Center. I worked in the Parts Department.

Was it a positive or negative experience for you?

The job at Link-Belt was a positive experience for me. Neither Pat or Dan had children and they both were so kind to me and treated me like a daughter. They took me out to lunch on my last day of working before college and they also bought me a gift. Lunch was at a nice restaurant and I remember ordering a steak sandwich.

My job at Montgomery Ward was not as positive but it was something I needed to do. I commuted back and forth to  college and to my job. I worked at least 20 hours a week and sometimes 24. My sister Vera worked there, too. Vera and I were successful in our work and had a good work ethic. One day the two of us were called into the head manager’s office and told we were being watched because we were Russian and we might be Communist infiltrators. True story!! They feared Young Communists were moving up in companies with clandestine motives. We were flabbergasted and in disbelief that we could be accused of this. We told him our parents put their lives at risk to escape Communism and flee Russia and we all were Americans who loved the U.S.A. Thinking back, it is comical to us that he or anyone felt Montgomery Ward was a worthwhile target!

Did your parents insist you work while in school (either high school or college) or did you work because you wanted to? 

My parents never insisted that me or my siblings needed to work. We worked to put ourselves through college and for extra spending money or to buy a car. Our Russian culture did not expect children to leave home until they got married. I lived at home until I got married in 1974. I never paid rent to my folks.

3. Have you ever had a job that required overnight travel? How did you feel about that?

I never had a job that required any sort of travel. The jobs that Greg had did include travel to meetings and conferences around the U.S.A. and some international travel, too. Whenever I could I’d tag along for the free hotel room and go out and about on my own while he was stuck in a booth giving information to other professionals about the Oncology services/medications his company provided. I traveled with him to Chicago, Las Vegas, San Antonio, Atlanta, Washington D.C. and Milan Italy. Besides these cities, he traveled to New Orleans, Denver, Vienna and Marseilles.

Have you ever had a job that required you to wear a uniform?

If you count working hard at being a song leader in high school. A Cheer leading uniform was the only one I had to wear. I never wore a uniform for a paying job.

Do you work better in the morning or at night? 

I will go with morning. I have the most energy in the morning. I never had a night job. Greg has had the night shift in a hospital and that did not bode well with his system and having to try to sleep during the day.

4. What’s something you bake or cook that is labor intensive? Is it worth it? 

Many of our heritage recipes seem more labor intensive and they are worth it. This week my DIL and I will be making some piroshky.

Here are some photos of a Piroshky baking day we had in my kitchen in November of 2019.

Our cousin Cindy who is in the photo above on the right is the one whose husband is in Hospice at this time. For those of you who are Believers, prayers would be appreciated for her and her family.

5. One thing you’re looking forward to in the month of September? 

Our trip to Scotland! We will be in Glasgow, Stirling, Pitlochry, Stonehaven, St. Andrews and Edinburgh. Lord willing, we will visit castles, cathedrals, Highlands, Lowlands, Kenmore, the Old Course St. Andrews, universities, a soccer game, a chocolatier, pubs, good restaurants, lochs, view points, villages, monuments, and many cobbled lanes.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

The last time we were in Scotland was in May of 2006. Here we are with our traveling friends in front of the Elephant House where J.K. Rowling spent time and had some of her inspiration for the Harry Potter series of books. (Greg is across the street taking the photo). The Elephant House is closed now and boarded up but people still visit the site and then go down to the Kirk where some of the names in her books can be found on the gravestones. In 2006 we and our friends had a meal in this restaurant.

I loaded another Hodgepodge with way more words than you might want to read. I’ll be late getting around to everyone because we left for Spokane early Wednesday morning for my annual eye exam. We’ll be getting home later than usual, too. See ya later!

Light the Way Hodgepodge

North Head Lighthouse Pacific Ocean Illwaco, Washington.

Another Wednesday means another Hodgepodge! Thank you, Joyce for the questions!

1. What’s a task you do on a regular (or semi-regular basis) that feels like it should be an Olympic event? 

Weeding this time of year. The rest of the year downsizing, the sorting and deciding how to get rid of accumulated stuff!

2. What’s in the trunk of your car right now? 

My vehicle does not have a trunk. I do have a large reusable bag with smaller bags in it for groceries, etc. since in our state you have to pay to get a bag at any store.

3. Summer foods vs. fall foods…which do you prefer? 

Would you rather-watermelon or caramel apple? caramel apple

Iced coffee or pumpkin spiced latte? Iced coffee

Potato salad or sweet potato casserole? Sweet potato casserole

Barbecued ribs or roast turkey? Barbecue Ribs

Ice cream sandwich or apple pie? Ice cream sandwich

Corn on the cob or candy corn? Corn on the Cob

4. August 7th is National Lighthouse Day. Have you visited any lighthouses? Do you have a favorite? Is a lighthouse something you seek out if you’re visiting an area known for theirs? 

Cape Disappointment Lighthouse Washington State

I have visited a couple light houses but not the kind you can enter and check out. If I was in an area known for lighthouses, I would plan to visit.

discovery-park-040

West Point Lighthouse in Discovery Park, Seattle.

5. Light at the end of the tunnel, out like a light, give the green light, a lightbulb moment, in a new light, in the limelight…of the ‘light’ idioms listed which applies in some way to your life lately? Explain. 

A lightbulb moment is the phrase I’ll pick. We are taking a class at church on Biblical Counseling and there are so many things I’m reading and podcasts I’m listening to that are giving me those ‘aha’ moments. So many things we’ve bought into that aren’t really true. Issues that stem from wrong thinking and wrong living. I’ll share one paragraph from Paul Tripp’s book, Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands (People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change):

“The bottom line is this: The problem is not that God is not here or that he is inactive; the problem is that we don’t see him. Our perspective on life is often tragically godless. We miss the one thing worth seeing, the glory of the ever-present God. When this happens, our lives are not built on the foundation of God’s glory, which was intended to give our lives a starting point and a destination, a reason to get up and the strength to go on. Every aspect of my existence was meant to be filled with the glory of God. Everything I think, every decision I make, every word I speak was meant to be shaped by a humble acknowledgement of his claim on my life. I was created to live for His glory.”

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

See y’all soon, Hodgepodgers!

The 2nd July Wrap-up!

My niece’s family (my sister Kathy’s oldest daughter) drove up to Bothell to visit our kids on the Westside of the Cascades. It was nice that Andrew was able to enjoy the group before he had to fly off for business the rest of the week.

Many of the usual touristy things were experienced.

A walk onto the Edmonds/Kingston Ferry for ice cream in Kingston.

A ride on Lake Union where Katie’s barge was spotted.

A Seattle Sounders Game!

On Thursday of the vacation week this crew and our crew from Colville met up in Leavenworth, a Bavarian themed town on the Eastern slopes of the Cascades. It was a long drive for our Colville kids but worth it to spend time with cousins.

Addy loves her cousin once or is it twice removed?

Our grandnephew who in the blink of an eye will be done with college!

Long drives are worth it to see Uncle Joshie!

It was a blistering hot day so a little walk to the river to cool off was called for.

Cousins and cousins by marriage with a wonderful bond of love.

Our two daughters-in-law who we love dearly and are so thankful for.

The guys went for a more dramatic shot but soon it was crashed by….

…Miss Addy!

Time for ice cream for another way to cool off.

And then. all too soon, it was time for both groups to head in the opposite directions for home.

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like precious oil on the head, running down on the head, running down on the beard,…Psalm 133.

Summer Blooms

On July 5th our front acre was transformed into a RV park for a night. One of the Mennonite Girls Can Cook, Bev and her husband Harv, stopped by for a short visit during their summer travels. We enjoyed dinner, conversation, and then breakfast together before they headed out for more adventures.

Thanks for stopping by Bev and Harv!

Olympic Sized Hodgepodge

Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, The Gateway of Dreams statue. Greg had a conference in Atlanta and Katie and Andrew flew down from Jacksonville, North Carolina to join us for a couple days. This was in October of 2012.

Another summertime Wednesday Hodgepodge is up and running. Thank you, Joyce!

1. The Olympics kick off this coming weekend. Will you be watching? If you could watch just one event in person, which one would you choose? 

I will watch some of the Olympics depending on the timing of favorite events.

Gymnastics is always a favorite.

Greg was a torch bearer for his company in the 1984 Olympics that took place in Los Angeles. As a family we were able to watch rowing events at Lake Casitas close to our home. We lived in Ventura, California during the 84 Summer Olympics.

img802

img812

2. Have you ever been to Paris? Is this a city you’d like to visit? What’s your favorite ‘French thing’? 

I am not pulled with the desire to travel to Paris. French food is probably my favorite ‘French thing’.

3. Macaron, creme brulee, chocolate soufle, mille feuille, or an eclair…your favorite French patisserie from the ones listed? 

Our son has mastered the art of making macarons. We’ve enjoyed many flavors of his melt in your mouth treat. Above are some of the macarons he made for Addy’s Birthday Tea Party and below are the ones he made for our family gathering to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. Our actual 50th is on December 6th of this year but we chose to enjoy summer weather for our big celebration.

4. July 24th is National Cousins Day…do you have many cousins? Are you close to them? Will you see any of your cousins on July 24th? 

I have cousins that I love and enjoy visiting with when we can. Lately it’s mostly at funerals that I might see them.

Our kids get together with many of their cousins at least twice a year. Their cousins from California came up for a visit so all our kids gathered in Leavenworth, Washington on July 16th for a quick visit.

Josh, Laura and Katie had several days of enjoying their cousins in the Seattle area last week. Josh and Laura made a quick trip to California over the weekend to spend time with more of their cousins and some aunts and uncles!

Cousins with an aunt and uncle thrown in! Huntington Beach, California this past weekend.

5.  Last time you went somewhere that felt like ‘everyone and his cousin‘ was there? 

Lately this will only happen when we travel. The last large crowd event we were in the midst of was in Liverpool at the Anfield stadium for a football/soccer match in September of 2023. Everyone and his cousin was there!

Even though it’s been several years since we visited London, that city is a sea of humanity that you cannot separate yourself from easily.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

One more cousin shot from Huntington Beach. My brother and his family were visiting from Dallas which was a very good reason for many family members to come together. Josh and Laura flew down from Washington to join in the fun.

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

In other news, things have cooled a wee bit and later this week they are promising the 80’s instead of 90’s!

See you soon Hodgepodgers!

Goodbye Walla Walla~ Hello Country Roads

Tuesday July 2nd was pack up and drive home day. No formal breakfast at the airbnb but one last swim was in order!

It was an amazing trip and time together.

Goodbye Walla Walla.

We decided on a different route home north on highway 12 to 127 and then onto 195 to Spokane and then on 395 all the way home.

Our Colville kids took a different route home and stopped at Palouse Falls.

After the Palouse this was the scene in the rear view window for these tired out Grands.

Coming and going it was a wonderful family time being together and seeing sites we’ve never seen before.

Back to the present. It is hot, real hot. On Sunday we got up to 105 and today will be another blistering day before we start a gradual cool down. We are laying low and only outside in the early hours. Hope you are keeping cool in your neck of the woods.

Mountain View Cemetery

While we were waiting for family to arrive at our airbnb in Walla Walla we took a drive around the city and came across this cemetery. We drove slowly and quietly through it and here are the photos I took. This was on Saturday the 29th of June.

In memory of the departed firemen of Walla Walla.

These are the ones that caught my eye. We didn’t get out of the car because of the heat.

Speaking of heat, we are under a heat advisory. We’ve had some dry thunderstorms with lightning which doesn’t bode well for fires. Our manufactured home came with a fan system to draw out the warm air. Most of our mornings start out nice and cool and we are able to open windows, turn on the fans and cool the house down to about 68 degrees. That means the house keeps cool until later in the afternoon and our cooling system doesn’t have to run all day long. On Thursday morning the outside air was above the 72 degrees we keep our cooling temp at so we couldn’t do our usual cool down routine.

In other news, this is the current book we are reading for a class we are taking at our church.

It is an excellent book. I’ll share this paragraph at the end of Chapter 2;

“A Life Worth Living

The central work of God’s kingdom is change. God accomplishes this work as the Holy Spirit empowers people to bring his Word to others. We bring more than solutions, strategies, principles, and commands. We bring the greatest story ever told, the story of the Redeemer. Our goal is to help one another live with a “God’s story” mentality. Our mission is to teach, admonish, and encourage one another to rest in his sovereignty, rather than establishing our own; to rely on his grace rather than performing on our own; and to submit to his glory rather than seeking our own. This is the work of the kingdom of God: people in the hands of the Redeemer, daily functioning as his tools of lasting change.”

Monday in Walla Walla

Our last full day together in Walla Walla started off with cuddles on the couch with the Grands before breakfast. Our breakfast was served up by Josh and Laura, Joshua’s now famous Huevos Rancheros. Morning swim time before we all headed downtown for our meal out at the Indian restaurant. After our lunch we all bought treats at Bright’s, fudge, caramel apples, ice cream cones, lollipops and other delights. Back to our airbnb for a nap before we had more swim time and a delicious burger meal created and served up by Katie and Andrew. Some Frisbee time was thrown in there somewhere, too, and jigsaw puzzle time here and there. There was one more surprise before bedtime.

This photo was of our movie night on Sunday evening, not Monday but this is where all the morning cuddling happened, too.

Earlier in the weekend Katie and I got the frame of the puzzle done and others contributed here and there to completing it.

Walking to Main Street for our Indian Restaurant meal.

Someone almost fell asleep waiting for his lunch. Swimming really takes it out of you. After lunch we shopped for some souvenirs from Walla Walla before having our treats at Bright’s.

Time to leave Main street behind and head back to the house.

There was another kind of ‘pool time’, too.

Finishing the jigsaw puzzle.

The ‘littles’ weren’t the only ones who had a nap.

Before it was time for bed we had another surprise. Many months before our gathering we gave Josh and Laura an old movie reel of our church wedding shower from November of 1974. They were able to send it out to digitize it and we all watched it together by casting it on the TV. My brother-in-law recorded the movie. It was silent and poor in quality but rich in memories. Both my maternal and paternal grandmother were in it, my parents and Greg’s parents and many other friends and family who have since gone to heaven. Such a sweet finale to our family gathering to celebrate our 50th year.

One more post to come on our travels home on Tuesday and any bits and bobs I might have forgotten.

Happy Tuesday to you. Our temperatures are still soaring close to and above 100. Our hot water tank got replaced on Saturday with the help of our son. We are keeping things low key and doing inside or early morning projects around the house. Hope all is well in your corner.

The Weekend

I was going to finish up my posts about our days in Walla Walla celebrating with our family but I didn’t want to couple those good memories with what happened this past weekend. I’ll finish up my posts later.

From small town USA to major cities and the world we were shocked and stunned by the Assassination attempt on former President Trump on Saturday July 13th. You never know what a day will bring. I happened to turn the TV on just as it was happening and it took me a while to understand the scope of it all. Our Colville kids arrived just a few minutes later and we all stared in disbelief.

Uncontrolled hatred has spawned evil and it is an ugly thing to watch.

We are praying for our nation. We are praying for Trump and his family. We are praying for the family of the young man who was killed in the line of fire. We are praying for the present leaders of our country.

19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

Timely quote from this book we are reading, Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands, People in Need of Change-Helping People in Need of Change by Paul David Tripp;
~
“From the rise and fall of governments to tomorrow’s weather to the exact location of every human being, the universe is under God’s control. He has the power and authority to do exactly what pleases him, anywhere he chooses to do it. God’s sovereignty is not only about power and position, but also a plan. Scripture clearly teaches that God has a plan for his world and the people in it. God is calling people to himself, forming them into his likeness, and preparing them for an eternity with him. This is his overreaching plan of the ages, revealed in history, present in current events and in the lives of everyone who has ever lived. At any moment in time, the right answer to the question, “What is God doing?” is , “Accomplishing his plan.”

We love our country and the freedoms we enjoy but…

Our trust is in the LORD and we wait on Him to see what our future holds.