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Category Archives: Travel
Simple Pleasures Hodgepodge
Jo is back this week with some new questions for us to ponder for Hodgepodge Wednesday.
1. Is your life simple? Elaborate.
For the most part my life is simple since I am retired and do not have every day responsibilities. The only set in stone activities in a given week are prayer meeting on Wednesday mornings and church services on Sunday. The rest of our schedule is free for us to fill in the blanks with weekly keep up of our home and property and any church activities that involve the church kitchen. We typically have our Colville kids over for an evening with dinner once a week. We will throw in a card night with two other couples maybe once a month. We always welcome overnight company that happen to travel our way. We just started up walking on the Rotary trail again with a 3x a week goal. We want to add in 3 days of strength training for our arms/shoulders.
2. What simple pleasure are you are currently enjoying?
I enjoy summer fruit, especially nectarines.
3. Travel by…
Plane or go on a cruise? Plane
Walk or ride a bike? Walk
Swim or ski? Swim, although I’m not a fan of putting on a bathing suit these days.
Ocean or mountains? This is a tough one. I like to walk along the ocean and drive through the mountains.
4. What’s the last thing you bought online that you really loved?
The latest is this ‘Sing’ Cd by Keith and Kristyn Getty which I’m enjoying but recently we ordered our new internet service totally online and installed everything to get it up and running. We are so happy with the purchase of Starlink and the improved quality of everything to do with the internet.
5. What’s your ‘back in my day we__________’ story?
Back in my day girls had to wear a dress or skirt and blouse to school. Those dresses or skirts could not be shorter than knee length. If our girls vice principal thought a skirt or dress might be too short, she’d have us kneel and if the skirt or dress did not hit the floor we’d be in trouble! Photo is of some of my high school friends. I’m taking the photo.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
These two have super powers! Love the slippers they find when they come over for dinner with their parents! Super Heroes love slippers! It makes me smile and thank our Lord when I find those slippers under the dinner table.
Quatro, Cinco, Seis, and Siete!
We traveled to the West side of the Cascades for 338 miles to visit our kids on Thursday the 4th of May. We met up with friends in Kirkland at La Corona on the way and the Mexican food theme began. Good time catching up a bit then we said Adios and headed to our kids home with a stop at Fred Meyer on the way. We had a nice quiet evening recuperating from our drive.
On Friday Laura drove us to Business Costco and regular Costco. Friday was Cinco de Mayo and we met up with our other Westside kids and we all enjoyed a meal at Viva Jalisco.
Saturday morning we baked up some Lemon Scones to enjoy while watching some of the Coronation. Laura pulled out a puzzle for us to work on over the course of the day.
The girls enjoyed a dry spell in the morning at Pickin’ at the Barn in Monroe. A market of all things vintage, antique and artisan. We all made some purchases. On the way home from the market we stopped at The Maltby Cafe and Laura and I split Huevos Rancheros. Another day of enjoying the Mexican theme. Saturday afternoon we worked on the puzzle before we headed out to an early Mother’s Day meal at Feast and Fire in Edmonds.
I had the Osso Buco (Pork) which was fall off the bone delicious. The others enjoyed Halibut and pasta dishes.
You can see the Edmonds/Kingston Ferry loading at the dock if you squint.
After a stop at the waterfront in Edmonds we went back to Josh and Laura’s. I opened up some sweet Mother’s day gifts and we continued watching some of the Coronation while finishing up the puzzle.
On Sunday we went to Josh and Laura’s church and were encouraged by an amazing sermon by a visiting Pastor from Southern California. “God’s mercy is God’s goodness to us despite our sin.” What a blessing that was along with Communion. We also ran into friends from our former churches there. An extra sweet encouragement to see and talk to them.
We packed up the car and headed back to Colville after church with Laura as our passenger. Laura traveled back with us so that she could be in town for Addy’s Piano Recital Monday evening. We stopped in Cle Elum for a fill up of gasoline and lunch at El Corporal…if you guessed Mexican food, you guessed correctly! That’s why the title of this post is cuatro, cinco, seis and siete because I enjoyed Mexican food on the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th of May! After lunch Laura took the wheel and drove for a couple hours and then we switched back to me for the ride into Spokane. Dear drove from Spokane to Colville. We dropped Laura off at Dan and Jamie’s and it was a great surprise for Addy and JJ who had no idea Auntie Lolo was coming to stay a couple nights with them.
I think they are thrilled to have Auntie Lolo in town!
Thankful for a wonderful weekend from beginning to end.
A Taste of Britain
We had a wonderful weekend on the Westside of the mountains with good easy trips both ways. Thank you, Lord. While at our kids’ home we started off Saturday watching some of the Coronation while enjoying some lemon scones with lemon curd and clotted cream.
We just got home Sunday evening and this is a quick post with more about our weekend to come.
Pass the Torch Hodgepodge
It’s Hodgepodge time again and Joyce is celebrating Hodgepodge #500!! Congratulations to Joyce and Hodgepodgers everywhere. Click over to join in the fun.
1. Last time you drove/flew 500 miles (ish)? What’s a place you’d like to visit that lies approximately 500 miles from your current location?
In December of 2022 we drove to Abbotsford, B.C. Via Bothell Washington and once we arrived in Abbotsford we drove on to Chilliwack with friends for our Mennonite Girls Can Cook Christmas party. That was just under 500 miles worth of driving.
It would be a nice vacation with Family to stay at Cannon Beach on the Oregon Coast for a few days and enjoy the sand and sea just beyond our doorstep. Cannon Beach is 500 miles from us.
2. Tell us about a time recently it felt like you were ‘racing against the clock’.
Being retired and older I don’t race much. I have felt the need to clear out things and let things go before our kids have to sort through it all.
3. Have you ever attended any really large sporting events?
Yes!
What was your impression of the experience?
We have enjoyed memorable experiences at some large sporting events. I attended my first Rose Bowl Game on January 2nd in 1967 (USC v. Purdue). The Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game are always on New Year’s Day unless that day lands on a Sunday. When January 1st lands on a Sunday the parade and game are moved to Monday. My second Rose Bowl Game was in 1992 when Greg was a student at the University of Washington and the Huskies played at the Rose Bowl against Michigan. The Huskies won this game which made the experience very exciting.
In 1984 the Summer Olympics were hosted by Los Angeles and we were able to get tickets to some rowing events at Lake Casitas. The most exciting part of these Olympic Games was the fact that my husband Greg was able to represent his company as an Olympic Torch Bearer!
In 1994 our sons got tickets for World Cup games in Los Angeles and Stanford. The USA was hosting that year. The photo above was at the Rose Bowl for one of the games we attended.
Dan and I attended Brazil v Camaroon at Stanford Stadium. Attire was colorful and the party atmosphere was very lively. Both those countries know how to celebrate.
We were able to track down where the US team was staying and training and our sons met every player on the team and got all their autographs. That’s Alexi Lalas with our sons. That’s not a cigarette in his mouth.
When Dear and I were traveling with Josh and Laura in England in 2013, Josh got us tickets to a Manchester United game v. Crystal Palace at Old Trafford. That was a great time! Josh also made it into an Arsenal game on that trip.
The Superbowl, The Kentucky Derby, The World Series, FIFA World Cup, The Indianapolis 500, The Daytona 500, The Olympics, The Masters, Wimbledon, The Boston Marathon, March Madness, Tour de France, Monaco’s Grand Prix, The Open (golf), The Ryder Cup, The Stanley Cup Finals..of the events listed which would you most like to attend in person? Or maybe one that’s not listed?
Fifa World Cup, it will be hosted by the USA/Canada/and Mexico in 2026.
4. Are you an iced tea drinker? If so, do you drink it year round, or only in the spring and summer months? Do you make your own or buy it bottled? Sweet or unsweet? Flavored? Lemon or no lemon? How about a Long Island Iced Tea?
Not a usual for me. If I do have an iced tea it would be lightly sweetened with some fresh lemon squeeze or the last variety.
5. April 20th is Volunteer Recognition Day…do you volunteer in some way? Tell us about it. If not, tell us about a volunteer you appreciate.
I volunteer at church under Women’s Ministry. I’m the branch leader of Hospitality serving the church family in planning, supplying, and carrying out fellowship opportunities involving the entire church body. Responsibilities include: Maintaining the kitchen and supplies. Helping with food serving and cleanup for church events like potlucks, Easter brunch, pie and praise, and funerals.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
We celebrated our grandson’s 4th birthday this past Saturday. We had a T-Rex crash the party and we had a cute dinosaur and delicious dinosaur cake. If you want to see more of the surprise T-Rex entry click here.
I’ll be sharing more from JJ’s Dino-wonderful party on Friday.
Thanks for stopping by for #500!
Kenneth Grahame ~ Wind in the Willows
From the Wind in the Willows ~ by Kenneth Grahame
“The weary Mole also was glad to turn in without delay, and soon had his head on his pillow, in great joy and contentment. But ere he closed his eyes he let them wander round his old room, mellow in the glow of the firelight that played or rested on familiar and friendly things which had long been unconsciously a part of him, and now smilingly received him back, without rancour. He was now in just the frame of mind that the tactful Rat had quietly worked to bring about in him. He saw clearly how plain and simple – how narrow, even – it all was; but clearly, too, how much it all meant to him, and the special value of some such anchorage in one’s existence. He did not at all want to abandon the new life and its splendid spaces, to turn back on sun and air and all they offered him and creep home and stay there; the upper world was all too strong, it called to him still, even down there, and he knew he must return to the larger stage. But it was good to think he had this to come back to, this place which was all his own, these things which were so glad to see him again and could always be counted upon for the same simple welcome.”
“This has been a wonderful day!” said he, as the rat shoved off and took to the sculls again. “Do you know, I’ve never been in a boat in all my life.”
“What?” cried the Rat, open mouthed: “Never been in a – you never-well, I-what have you been doing, then?”
“Is it so nice as all that?” asked the Mole shyly, though he was quite prepared to believe it as he leaned back in his seat and surveyed the cushions, the oars, the rowlocks, and all the fascinating fittings, and felt the boat sway lightly under him.
“Nice? It’s the only thing.” said the Water Rat solemnly, as he leaned forward for his stroke. “Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing – absolutely nothing- half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Simply messing.”
I read The Wind in the Willows for the first time in 2008 and that same year Dear and I went to the Rose Bowl Flea Market where I saw and purchased this teapot by Sadler from their Classic Stories series.
While we were in Oxford in September of 2022 we took a stroll through Holywell Cemetery.
The friends of Holywell Cemetery need some more friends to help keep up this cemetery.
The reason I’m adding photos from this cemetery in this post about Kenneth Grahame is that we stumbled upon his gravestone in this cemetery. We saw a few gravestones of note. This one is Kenneth Grahame’s. His son is buried here, also. He died tragically when he was just 20.
To
The Beautiful Memory
Of
Kenneth Grahame
Husband of Elspeth
And
Father of Alastair
Who Passed the River
On the 6th of July 1932
Leaving
Childhood & Literature
Through Him
The More Blest
For All Time
And of His Son Alastair Grahame
Commoner of Christ Church
1920
Another headstone we took note of was this one for Charles Walter Stansby Williams.
Charles Walter Stansby Williams was a British poet, novelist, playwright, theologian, literary critic, and member of the Inklings, an informal literary discussion group associated with C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien at the University of Oxford.
Have you ever read The Wind in the Willows? I found it to be very entertaining and heart warming. I’ll leave you with one more quote from this children’s classic.
“Here today, up and off to somewhere else tomorrow! Travel, change, interest, excitement! The whole world before you, and a horizon that’s always changing!”
Enjoy your horizons!
Keble Chapel Mosaics
Noah and the Ark
Abraham and Isaac
Joseph sold into slavery by his brothers.
Joseph reunited with the brothers who sold him into slavery not realizing who Joseph is.
These are not all of the mosaics that line the walls of Keble College Chapel but all I will post. I’m thankful to be able to hold the inspired and inerrant Word of God in my hands to read and not to depend on an artists representation of the Bible.
We left Keble and we were still early for our Lodge check-in.
On this last full day in Oxford we made our last visit to The Turf for Fish and Chips.
Before we settled into our Lodge room for the night we made a stop at Gail’s Bakery in the Jericho area of Oxford for some sweet treats to enjoy in the evening.
Finally we could check in to our little room and prepared our things for our trip to the airport the following morning.
After breakfast at our Lodge on Saturday September 24th, 2022 we took a Taxi to the bus terminal for our ride to Heathrow. We met a couple from Washington State who were on the same bus and enjoyed exchanging our experiences in England with each other. Till next time, Lord willing, it was a wonderful trip to Oxford, The Cotswolds and Woodstock.
Thanks for reading along. This post completes our Oxford September 2022 holiday. Cheers!
Back to the Present:
We got some fresh snow on Thursday and they are talking about more.
Sunshine makes it a lot nicer. The fresh snow melted nicely since we got up into the 40’s. We are supposed to get a couple more inches of snow today.
I Still Call It Easter Break Hodgepodge
Time again to answer Joyce’s questions for Wedneday Hodgepodge.
1. We’re in to a season students call ‘spring break’. Did you/your family travel over spring breaks when you were growing up? Tell us something about a ‘spring break’ you remember (from childhood or adulthood, either one).
Growing up in the 50’s and 60’s we always had Easter break. I forget when it was changed to Spring break. I’m not sure if we had the full week leading up to Easter off or starting on Good Friday for a full week. My family did not travel over Easter holidays. My mother was too busy baking Kulich (Russian Easter Bread) and making Seernaya Paska and sewing Easter dresses to go off galavanting. 🙂 We would fast on Good Friday and then attend a Good Friday evening service and when the service was over we would break our fast together with a meal at church. On Easter Sunday we would all dress up in our Easter finery and celebrate Jesus Christ’s Resurrection and come home to a luncheon of Lamb with colored Easter eggs and of course the delicious Russian Easter Bread for dessert.
In 1997 I had an epic road trip during our kids’ ‘Spring Break’ to Southern California. Dear was working but our two sons and daughter, our oldest son’s girlfriend (whom he married in 2001) and our middle son’s best friend, joined me as we traveled down I-5 with stops in Yuba City (at Dear’s mom’s condo) and then to our destination in Yorba Linda at my Mom and Pop’s home. Our oldest son was accepted to Westmont College in Montecito (Santa Barbara) and would be attending there come August so we made a trip there on one of our days. We had beach days, cousin days, a Disneyland day and Baba and Dzeda days before we headed home stopping in Clovis (at my cousin’s home), and Yuba city to have one more visit with Gommy (Dear’s mom). That stop and visit on April 18th/19th was the last time we would have with Gommy as she died on May 6th of that year, unexpectedly. Collages at the end of this post are from this epic road trip to Southern California. The photo at the top of the post was from this road trip, too.
3. March 7th is National Cereal Day…are you a fan? What’s your favorite? If not cereal what’s your favorite breakfast? Your typical breakfast?
I do enjoy breakfast cereals like Raisin Bran, Frosted Mini Wheats and Granola. My favorite breakfast is our family traditional meal of Swedish Pancakes and little smokies because we are all sitting around the table enjoying that breakfast together. If we eat breakfast at a restaurant I enjoy Eggs Benedict.
A typical breakfast would be high fiber cereal with blueberries or toast with avocado.
4. Break ground, break of dawn, break down, break the bank, break one’s stride, break the ice, break a law, break a habit, break bread…choose one of the idioms listed and tell us how it applies to your life currently.
I’m in the throws of trying to break the habit of going up on the scale after I’ve gone down on the scale. So far so good. The up and down and up again has been a yearly habit so it would be nice to break that cycle this year and stay on the low end.
5. Where do you go to connect with friends and family? What do you like to do most when you’re home alone?
Because of our moves later in life I’m disconnected from my longer established friendships. We’ve been in our current country location for 4 years and we are establishing new friends. We go to church to connect with friends. We connect with family and friends in our home or in their homes. I’m thankful for friends and family that come visit and stay overnight. Also thankful for trips to see friends and family.
I’m a list maker so when I’m at home alone I like to tick off my list. I like to have at least one day a week where my calendar has nothing on it and I can wile away the morning in my jammies and robe.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
March is my birthday month and this part of our state is not ideal for travel on my birthday, usually. We are re-thinking a night away and postponing that to the beginning of May, Lord willing. We’ll check the weather and try to get down to Spokane for a nicer meal than we would get in Colville on my birthday but time will tell. We also want to get to Spokane to see ‘Jesus Revolution’ while it is still in theaters. Growing up in Southern California we had experience with the Jesus People at Calvary Chapel (the original one) and want to see how it’s been portrayed in this film. Have any of you seen the movie?
~
April 12th we traveled in a rented van from Bothell to Yorba Linda. We made a rest stop to kick the soccer ball around. If I remember correctly we stopped in Yuba City for an overnight (or maybe that was an overnight on the way home) before we made it to Yorba Linda. Cousins came to visit us at Baba and Dzeda’s house on the 13th. On the 14th we headed to the Huntington Beach where our rented van broke down. I worked on getting that remedied while the kids enjoyed the beach.
On the 15th we drove to Santa Barbara (Montecito) and visited Debbee (cousin/niece) and to check out the campus that Josh would be attending.
On the 16th we had more cousin time playing card games.
On the 17th we had a Disneyland day with my sister and a cousin Melissa.
On the 18th we hit the road with stops planned in Clovis to visit cousins and then in Yuba City to see Gommy again.
Keble College Chapel
We entered the chapel here.
Keble College Chapel was opened on St Mark’s Day (25 April) 1876. The College was founded in memory of John Keble, a Victorian clergyman who, with others in what became known as the Oxford Movement, had a profound impact on the Church of England in the mid 19th century, renewing and strengthening it in the catholic tradition. The architect was William Butterfield (1814-1900), a renowned exponent of the Gothic style. His masterpiece, the College Chapel, is perhaps the grandest ecclesiastical space in Oxford and the interior is decorated with colourful tiles, mosaics, and stained glass.
The organ, built by Kenneth Tickell, was installed in 2011. The Chapel’s resonant ‘cathedral-like’ acoustic is home to a lively and active music foundation in which the Chapel Choir plays a primary role.
I will save the mosaics and the famous Light of the World Painting for another post.
We saw so many beautiful old doors during our time in Oxford and beyond in September of 2022. When we were at the Ark in Kentucky in 2021 we picked up a brochure that talked about the Doors of the Bible.
On the back of that pamphlet it talked about The Door That Leads to Life.
What will you do with Jesus Christ? Your answer to that question has eternal consequences.
We are all guilty of sinning against our holy creator. Because he is holy, God must judge sin. Take an honest look at your life. Have you ever lied, stolen anything, disrespected your parents, or failed to honor God? If so, then you have broken God’s law and are a sinner in need of a Savior.
There was one door into the ark that saved Noah and his family from the flood. Similarly, there is only one door that can save us from eternal judgement. Jesus Christ is that door. The Bible states that now is the day of salvation. If you have not already done so, will you turn from your sins and call on the risen Lord Jesus to save you?
By faith, enter the only door that leads to eternal life today.
Keble College ~ Oxford Colleges
On Friday afternoon September 23rd, 2022 we were able to visit Keble College to see the grounds and the chapel. The dining hall was closed to visitors during our visit.
The idea to found a new college in memory of John Keble was discussed by a group of his friends at Keble’s funeral in April 1866. By modern standards, the speed with which their plans were realized was little short of miraculous.
In four years they raised enough money to buy the land, commission an architect and complete the east and west ranges of Liddon Quad and the imposing main gatehouse, all ready in time for the first forty undergraduates to take up residence in the autumn of 1870. Building continued throughout the 1870s: the Chapel was completed in 1876, the Warden’s Lodgings in 1877 and the Hall and Library in 1878, by which time 140 undergraduates were living in Liddon and Pusey Quads.
Keble’s founders chose William Butterfield (1814-1900) as its architect. A man closely associated with the Oxford movement, he had designed churches and vicarages for Anglo-Catholics all over Britain as well as in the colonies, Melbourne cathedral in Australia being a particularly well-known example. His was a controversial choice, and Butterfield’s architecture has long provoked argument.
For decades ivy hid much of the polychrome brick and the buildings were variously derided as hideous and a joke. Opinions began to change in the latter half of the twentieth century and Butterfield’s Keble, Grade 1 listed, is now widely regarded as one of the finest examples of Victorian Gothic anywhere.
The photos from Keble Chapel will have to wait for another day. Be forewarned there are a lot of photos to share. It was one of the larger chapels we were in on this trip.
Back to the Present: We are still having winter here in N.E. Washington state. We had a busier than usual weekend and it was full with Joy and Sorrow and Joy. Today is my hair day, nothing new always the same do. Hope you all have a good week ahead.
HT: Keble College
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 