Bonhoeffer Botanical Gardens

A couple weeks ago Dear and I headed north to the Bonhoeffer Botanical Gardens on the grounds of Freeborn Lutheran Church.

Found on 20+ acres located on Exit 215 off the I-5 freeway, 45 minutes north of Seattle. The Gardens contain all of Western Washington’s indigenous trees, shrubs, vines and ferns along with most grass, moss, mushroom, pond, flower and ground cover species.

We had a one hour walk without getting rained on which is a treat these days.

On Thursday I hope to go back with our daughter and see the daffodils that should finally be blooming.

I also want to go back in late Spring to see all the other plants that will be blooming.

Speaking of Bonhoeffer this is a great book about his life…

Taken from the jacket of the book: “Bonhoeffer gives witness to one man’s extraordinary faith and to the tortured fate of the nation he sought to deliver from the curse of Naziism. It brings the reader face to face with a man determined to do the will of God radically, courageously, and joyfully – even to the point of death. Bonhoeffer is the story of a life framed by a passion for truth and a commitment to justice on behalf of those who face implacable evil.”

And here are some quotes from Bonhoeffer:

“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”

” Only if we will venture to enter into the words of the Bible, as though in them this God were speaking to us who loves us and does not will to leave us alone with our questions, only so shall we learn to rejoice in the Bible…”

“The church has only one altar, the altar of the Almighty…before which all creatures must kneel. Whoever seeks something other than this must keep away, he cannot join us in the house of God…the church has only one pulpit, and from that pulpit, faith in God will be preached, and no other faith, and no other will than the will of God, however well-intentioned”

These quotes of course are more powerful to read in context and with consideration of the time period that Bonhoeffer lived in Germany. Bonhoeffer is eventually executed just weeks before the end of WWII.

We in the Pacific Northwest are longing for the sunshine and a string of days without rain. Our February and March have had historical rainfall and will go into the books. Our vitamin D3 is depleted for sure. As I type I see a little brightness outside and it makes me smile. I read an interesting article on grumbling a couple weeks ago and I don’t want to go there. I’m just stating the facts of our weather pattern right now. The weather forecasters say that we will have sunshine about noon tomorrow and that’s a good time to shoot for arriving at Bonhoeffer gardens. After Bonhoeffer since our daughter lives very close to the University of Washington campus we are going to stop there before I drop her off at home to see the Cherry blossoms on the quad. If for any chance the forecast is wrong we’ll just try on another day.

In the Meantime…

…here are a few photos showing what this part of Washington is experiencing because of their heavy snow that is melting and has no where to go since the ground is saturated or frozen. The folk around here are saying this is worse than the flooding in 1996.

The photos I’m showing you are areas that are usually fields not lakes.

This wasn’t a waterfront property before.

Highway 395 had to post detours north of here because of water on the roadway. Hopefully heavy rains will not be in the forecast and the ground will be able to absorb all this excess water. We are glad our kids and their extended family here live on higher ground.

We enjoyed the homecoming of our kids with their little one. While we were waiting for them to be discharged we saw these visitors just outside our granddaughter’s nursery.

Here’s a little sneak peak of our little granddaughter. One wee foot!

Soon I’ll be able to share more. We are getting lots of good cuddle time before we head back home.

So grateful to God for keeping our daughter-in-law and granddaughter safe during pregnancy and delivery.

Barn Mosaics

We spent the last 7 days of February with our kids in Northeastern Washington. We saw many great scenes like these from the road. The photo above is of a barn that you will probably see in many different seasons as it happens to be one we have to pass to get to our kid’s home.

This mosaic above is on our road trip to Dan and Jamie’s along Highway 395 after getting off I-90 and heading north of Spokane.

This series in the mosaic above are on the road on our way back home just off Highway 395.

This last barn with the quilt was taken off Interstate 90 in Cle Elum. We are just on the East side of Snoqualmie Pass and the area that can be the most troublesome in our journey about an hour and a half from home. Thankfully on this day we didn’t encounter anything that hindered our journey. We are always thankful to God for traveling mercies.

Some of my family favorites from our time in Eastern Washington. History being made with family.

Linking up to The Barn Collective with Tom the Backroads Traveller and

Mosaic Monday with Maggie at Normandy Life.

Our end of the week and weekend was not ordinary at all and we were called upon to care and support someone we love. I won’t share the story because it’s not mine to share on social media. We spent some time in an emergency hospital waiting room where we were exposed to a lot of drama from other people waiting to be cared for and a couple others who were just there to cause trouble. We got to see one of those people escorted out and into a police car. Most of all we experienced caring and kind nurses and doctors and public safety officers who were as thorough as they could be to give help. I was struck with how challenged police officers, fire fighters, doctors, nurses and other staff people are in the whole public service areas of our communities.

Hope you all had a good weekend whether it was ordinary or crazy!

This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24 (ESV)

Safely Home

A funny thing happened while we were in Colville. We weren’t able to drive home on Tuesday as planned because of the conditions on the pass. On Tuesday while doing errands with our daughter in law we stopped at the Toyota dealer and bought a used Rav4(2014). It was a local trade in and well maintained. Our daughter in law even knew the people who traded it in and gave us a thumbs up. We drove home today and are pleased with it’s performance. Since our kids and soon to arrive granddaughter live across a mountain range from us we thought this was a good purchase for future trips. I was even able to drive it up our kids snowy road to their house on the way home from the dealership.

On Wednesday morning we felt confident in our new ride to make the trek west and over the pass and on to home. One last look at the snowy view on our way down to the road from our kids home.

The last stretch before reaching the county road that is plowed. We made it home without any problems at three in the afternoon. Our return trip for the birth of Addy will be in just a couple short weeks.

Goodbye to February and hello to March and hello to the days leading up to Easter (Lent). Hope to do some visiting to your blogs the rest of this week.

Road View Report

So happy to report our drive over Snoqualmie pass was uneventful and smooth sailing.

The Ryegrass rest area was our first stop to change drivers. From this point to Vantage there was an Elk migration warning. We kept a keen eye on the road and the hillsides for Elk but didn’t see any.

The worst conditions we had were on Division driving through Spokane where the potholes were huge! Hwy 395 also had some potholes to watch for. Yikes. This winter has really taken a toll on the roads!

We made to our son and daughter in laws just before sunset and this is the view from part of their driveway (minor road) after switchback #1 and before switchback #2 and #3 that leads up to their home. Glad our 2 wheel drive did not get stuck in a rut on the driveway!

Today Dear is starting to paint the nursery and a dresser and toy box truck. I’ll be taking the dog for a walk when I see the outdoor temperature gauge rise above 20 degrees. Here’s a “good morning” view from Dan and Jamie’s world.

Being on the road most of the day yesterday made for a dismal amount of steps for me. We’ll see what today yields. I hope to get around to blogs later this afternoon. Hope your Thursday is starting nicely. So pleased the sun is shining today and it’s not snowing here right now. How’s it in your corner of the world?

Crystal Cove State Park

These are some of the cottages that can be rented. Quite a nice location.

Crystal Cove is a California State Park and the Cottages on the beach can be rented through the Park system. There’s information at this link.

California beaches in January can be very dramatic. Winter is the time of year I really enjoy the beaches.

My sister Vera and I walked along the shore while we waited to be buzzed for our meal. There is a restaurant on the beach in the State Park called The Beachcomber. The food and service was real good. My post about the restaurant is here.

These photos were taken on January 21st. Back here in Western Washington the news of the day is all about mudslides. Our hills have been saturated first with melting snow and now with a significant rain fall. Several roads had to be closed this week because of mudslides. Our major east/west interstate 90 in Issaquah was shut down on the west side this Thursday after mud and debris came across the west bound lanes. Glad I wasn’t there. No one was hurt thankfully. We are getting a little dry spell between the storms which is very helpful!

Hope all is well in your neck of the woods.

I’m linking up to Saturday’s Critters at Viewing Nature with Eileen.

Walking Five…

…not the walking dead.

Last Friday Dear and I ventured out to the Sammamish River Trail for a walk. We walked until the raindrops were hitting us in the face. With our walk by the end of the day my fitbit registered 13,858 steps. Here’s a trail photo.

Saturday morning we walked on boardwalks and walkways at Juanita Bay Park. At the end of this day I had 13,372 steps. Here’s a photo from Juanita Bay.

On Monday we walked part of the Centennial Trail in Snohomish. It was sunny. I registered 13,113 steps by the end of the day.

On Tuesday we walk/hiked the North Trail at St. Edward State park. It was more of a huff and puff walk. By the end of Tuesday I had 12,130. I thought I should have gotten double credit in steps for this hike.

On Wednesday the rains returned with a vengeance so we ventured out from home when there was a slight break in the precipitation. Hoodies up! At the end of Wednesday I registered 12,614 steps.

I’m hoping to keep up with over 10,000 steps every day. I’m also hoping to drop a few pounds. This will be a slow process as I’m not counting calories just increasing my activity. Time will tell if this might work long term for controlling weight gain.

1. Thankful that Dear and I can walk in safe places. 2. Thankful we can still move in this way. We have aches and pains but not debilitating. 3. Thankful for the beauty of God’s creation that we see on our walks. 4. Thankful for some sunshiny days between the rainy days. 5. Thankful for time together to talk and to laugh and to see new things none of which drain the pocketbook.

Linking up to Five on Friday with Amy at Love Made My Home and Friday’s Fave Five with Susanne at Living to Tell the Story.

A Grand Hodgepodge…

1. What do/did you call your grandparents? If it’s something unusual tell us the story behind the name. If you’re a grandparent what do your grands call you? Who chose your moniker?

I called my grandparents babushka and dzedushka growing up. My parents both were born in Russia. Their families escaped separately into Iran and my mom and dad met in a village outside of Tehran and were married there and then immigrated to the U.S. after WWII. Most of their family members immigrated after them. My maternal grandfather/dzedushka died in Iran. The top photo is of me with my maternal grandmother, babushka Vera, on my wedding day. The next photo is of my paternal grandparents, dzedushka Timofei and babushka Marfunia Bogdanoff. We were a lot closer to my maternal grandmother than my paternal grandparents.

2. Ever taken a road trip along the California Coast? If so what was the highlight of your trek? If not, any desire to do so? If you were to take a trip along the California Coast what’s one attraction you’d have on your must-see list?

Dear and I were born and raised in Southern California. Greg was raised a stones throw from Santa Monica and Venice Beach. Why yes we have taken some road trips along the coast of California. On the first night of our honeymoon we stopped in Ventura and then traveled north making stops in Solvang, Carmel, Monterey and San Francisco.

In 1985 we took a bicycle trip with 2 other couples starting in wine country and to the coast at Mendocino and south to Russian river. This is all north of San Francisco.

Since then we have made trips from Camarillo to the Central Coast of California staying in Pismo Beach.

We lived close to the coast in Huntington Beach (1975-1984), Ventura (1984-1988) and Camarillo (2006-2010) during our married life. The photo below of Josh and Dan at the beach is in Ventura 1986.

I would have to break up the coast of California in sections and pick a favorite in each section. The coast of California is very long and varied. North of San Francisco I’d say Mendocino, but inland of course you have wine country Napa and Sonoma. So maybe a combo trip that takes in Napa/Sonoma/Mendocino. San Francisco is a stand alone city to visit. South of San Francisco I’d say Monterey, Pismo Beach or San Luis Obispo, this is also an area with lots of wineries inland from the coast. Farther south Santa Barbara is a stand alone destination. South of Santa Barbara is Malibu and Santa Monica. I’d skip the next several miles south until you get to Huntington Beach. Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Corona Del Mar and Laguna Beach are all doable together. Lastly I’d do La Jolla and San Diego together. Besides beaches and wineries there are several California Missions along the coastal areas of California.

In January our whole family was in California for a wedding on the coast north of Santa Barbara. I stayed on in California after my family traveled back home and enjoyed a couple days on the beach in Huntington and Crystal Cove.

I’d like to add a northern coastal trip in California some day. From Mendocino up to Oregon.

3. What are three things you don’t know how to do?

Fly, Scuba Dive and Figure Skate.

4. Tom Peters is quoted as saying, ‘Celebrate what you want to see more of.‘ If that’s true what will you celebrate and more importantly, how will you celebrate?

Right now we are celebrating getting past 10,000 steps with our fitbit keeping us informed and motivated being connected with family members on fitbit, too. I want to see more of this kind of movement in my life and I want to achieve those steps out in nature as much as possible.

5. Thursday (February 16) is National Almond Day. Do you like almonds? Which would you prefer-an Almond Joy or a macaron? What’s something you make that calls for almonds?

Almond Joy! My famous cheesecake recipe calls for almond extract.

6. What does Saturday morning look like at your house?

These days Saturday morning looks like any morning since Dear has been unemployed for 8 months. Last Saturday morning we went for a walk at a local bay park. Hopefully a morning walk will be a habit on Saturday mornings before we have a doughnut!

7. Share with us a favorite book you’ve read this winter.

The Great Reckoning by Louise Penny. The latest Chief Inspector Gamache novel.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

We are in count down mode for the arrival of our first grandchild a little girl who is already named, Addyson, Addy. We are going to be traveling to northeast Washington for an open house/baby shower for our kids next week. We are hoping for a good travel day across the Cascade mountain range there and back again. While at Dan and Jamie’s, Dear will be painting Addy’s nursery and a dresser they will be using for Addy’s things. Dear’s first job was painting with his father. He’s very good. As soon as we hear that Jamie is in labor later in March we will hit the road again and travel east to catch a very early glimpse of our first grandchild. Not sure what we want to be called. Maybe I’ll stick to my roots and have her call me baba/babushka. Maybe Dear will be called Papa. Time will tell.

Linking up to Wednesday Hodgepodge with Joyce From This Side of the Pond. Thanks for the questions Joyce.

Saturdays Past

It’s already been 3 weeks ago that I was on the beach at Crystal Cove having brunch with my sister. I still need to share the photos of the lovely beach and the history of the state park where this restaurant is located…right on the beach. The food was very good!

I took this photo just out front of the restaurant. After you are shuttled across the highway (for $1.50) from the parking lot to the beach side of PCH (Pacific Coast Hiway) which costs $15.00 to park, you can put your name in at the restaurant and they give you a buzzer to let you know when they can seat you. This is a very popular place to enjoy a meal so the wait can be long. In the meantime you can explore the beach and walk along the sand until you are buzzed. If you eat at the restaurant you can show your paid receipt and your parking is free for up to 3 hours. There is a tunnel that goes under PCH if you’d like to walk to the beach side of PCH and get to the beach and restaurant on foot instead of the shuttle. On this day we took the shuttle across because the tunnel was closed due to the heavy rains and runoff that was flooding the tunnel. When we were done with brunch and exploring and ready to go back to the parking lot the tunnel was open with cautions of some running water. We chose to walk the tunnel back. Crystal Cove is a California State Park.

The tunnel was decorated with several murals that were painted by boy scout troops and others. There are hiking trails where you can come across these plants pictured in the mural above.

These two were my favorites. “Protect what you see and what you Don’t see” and the lower one that showed Splash Zone, High Tide, Mid Tide, Low Tide and Sub Tidal.

Linking up to Mosaic Monday with Maggie at Normandy Life.

Also linking up to Monday Mural with Oakland Daily Photo.

Now to the present…Dear and I did some walking on Friday and Saturday morning. We walked a river trail and then at a nearby park on a bay. We hope to make it a habit to walk more. Sunday evening we are having Josh and Laura over for an early Valentine’s Day meal. Dear and I have been cooking for a couple days now trying to recreate Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon. I hope I remember to take some photos of the finished product. Hope you all had a nice weekend. The sun is shining nicely here right now!

InSPIREd Sunday

Community Church Congregational United Church of Christ in Corona Del Mar, California. That’s quite a mouthful for a name. Lots of C’s for sure.

On January 21st while I was in California my sister and I spent the morning at Crystal Cove and on our way home I spotted this church on a side street off of PCH (Pacific Coast Hwy) and my sister humored me and turned down the street so I could take some photos.

We took full advantage of the sunny days in between the rain storms that Southern California experienced while I was there.

Linking up to InSPIREd Sunday with Beth and Sally. It’s been a few months since I’ve linked up.

We are still planning what we will be doing for Super Bowl Sunday and if anyone will be joining us. Maybe some New England Clam Chowder and a Georgia Peach Cobbler if I go with a game theme to represent each team. It will definitely be a fly by the seat of our pants kind of day! What are you planning?

The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b.

To honor and encourage

Category Archives: Travel