Happy Birthday Dear!

Happy Birthday to Dear who is still younger than me. This photo is from 38 years ago for his birthday in our 2nd home in Huntington Beach, California.

Another blast from the past for a birthday celebration in Southern California about 12 years ago.

Birthday brunch with our ‘coast’ kids in 2017

A little celebration last year at El Ranchito where every visit there is like a birthday.

I’m so thankful to God for the man I married.

He is smart, reliable, thorough, faithful, a hard worker, a good cook, a good teacher, a good dad, a willing servant and easy to live with.

Praying that God continues to grow your faith and your love for our Triune God.

Happy Birthday Dear, I love you.

P.S. And what is he doing on his birthday? He’s painting our Master Bedroom.

Don’t Forget Hodgepodge

It’s time for Wednesday Hodgepodge where Jo asks the questions for us to answer. Thank you Jo.

1. Something you’ve done recently that required you giving 110% ?

Supervising these two. They spent a couple hours at our house and they went on a marble hunt outside and then released them inside. The marbles went rolling everywhere and under everything. JJ was intent on filling his pockets with them. Addy moved too fast for me to get a clear photo of her while she chased the marbles.

2. What task-sport-chore-hobby-activity have you participated in or completed, that if judged, would land you a perfect 10?  

The Russian Sacred Singers of Los Angeles are a group of California young people of Russian background. They sing in English and Russian under the inspiring leadership of director Leonard Wozniuk. The unique bi-lingual choir responded to our challenge to record their selections for radio use. Today, their joyful singing is heard world-wide over several short-wave radio stations and over local broadcasts in North and South America.

Hymns of Praise was recorded in stereo in the Lorin Whitney Studios with the creative accompaniment of organist Bill Fasig and pianist John Innes of the Billy Graham Association. Tom Keene on guitar and Paul Stilwell on bass add their distinctive sound to several selections. ~ Andrew Semenchuk, Producer.

One of my sisters, a few cousins, and my best friend were part of this Russian Youth Choir and in the world of Russian Sacred Hymns during the 70’s this was a 10. The recording was used to spread the gospel behind the Iron Curtain. Through the recording of this album and the exposure to the other professional musicians in the studio I eventually met Dear. One of the musicians, a director of a Christian singing group recruited my best friend to sing in his group. I tagged along with her to the concerts. Dear was in this group. I ended up auditioning for the group and was selected. This Christian music group would sing at different churches in the Southern California area on Sunday evenings and toured England in the summers. Dear and I started dating while in this group and later got married. One 10 led to another 10!

3. What are ten of your favorite things right now? 

  1. Our children and their spouses.
  2. Our two grandchildren
  3. Our Church
  4. Sermons by John MacArthur while I mow. I have a 2 sermon lawn.
  5. Podcasts by Costi Hinn, The Sword and The Trowel, Justin Peters.
  6. Fall like mornings. It’s coming y’all. I love Fall!
  7. The Bible
  8. Writings by Charles Spurgeon
  9. Coffee in the morning
  10. My hard working husband (he’s painting our bedroom right now), he makes my coffee in the morning, tomorrow is his birthday.

4. Nine times out of ten I _________________________.

Nine times out of ten I choose joy!

5. Where were you when the world stopped turning, twenty years ago this week? 

I will never forget this day. Where I was, what I did, who I talked to. My TV was still in my living room in Kenmore, Washington in 2001. I sat on the edge of an ottoman in shock. I started dialing, first my husband, then my married son and his wife, (they were married 2 weeks before 9/11).  I woke up Dan and Katie who were still at home. That day seemed like it would never end. Called my SIL to find out if she’d heard anything from our niece who was working in Manhattan. Our niece was in route to Manhattan on that day, no one at work had seen her yet. She wasn’t a casualty that day. She made it. She had to turn around and try to get home again. It took her over 6 hours to get home. Small price to pay compared to so many…

This flag that I unfurled out the window of our daughter’s room in 2001 is the flag that was presented to my mother-in-law, Verna, at Dear’s father Rex’s funeral in 1985. He served in the U.S. Army during WWII. This window is on the street side of this home. Things have changed on this side of the house but the memories are the same. This flag is folded and in a special flag case now.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Thank you to all who serve and protect including our Military, Border Patrol, Police, Firemen, and Coast Guard!

Honey Raisin Bran Muffins

This is a recipe from the Kellogg’s page and the reason I chose to do this recipe is because it’s easy and I don’t keep bran in my cupboard. We enjoy this cereal and usually have a box of it in the cupboard. All the rest of the ingredients are always in my pantry.

Ingredients:

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 1/2 cups Kellogg’s Raisin Bran® cereal
  • 1 1/4 cups fat-free milk, I used 2%.
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 egg

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Stir together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Set aside.
3. In large mixing bowl, combine Kellog’s Raisin Bran cereal, milk and honey. Let stand 3 minutes or until cereal softens.
4. Add egg and oil. Beat well.
5. Add flour mixture, stirring only until combined.
6. Portion batter evenly into twelve 2 1/2-inch muffin-pan cups coated with cooking spray, or use muffin paper liners.
7. Bake at 400° F for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

Serves 6-12

Complete In Thee ~ Hymn

Complete In Thee

Complete in Thee! No work of mine
May take, dear Lord, the place of Thine;
Thy blood hath pardon bought for me,
And I am now complete in Thee.

Complete in Thee! I die to sin,
Thy grace hath conquered, reign within;
Thy voice shall bid the tempter flee,
And I shall stand complete in Thee.

Complete in Thee—each need supplied,
And no good thing to me denied;
Since Thou my portion, Lord, wilt be,
I ask no more, complete in Thee.

Dear Savior, when before Thy bar
All tribes and tongues assembled are,
Among Thy chosen will I be,
At Thy right hand, complete in Thee.

Refrain:

Yea, justified! O blessed thought!
And sanctified! Salvation wrought!
Thy blood hath pardon bought for me,
And glorified, I, too shall be!

Words: Aaron R. Wolfe, 1851,

Refrain: James M. Gray

Pickle Ball Court~Phase 1

The ground has been prepared for the next phase of our future Pickle Ball Court. We won’t be having the concrete poured until next year and hopefully will be able to find concrete finishers available for that job. That is not easy out in the country with limited finishers available. Some folks we hear have been waiting for 6 months for someone to do this type of work.

If you are not familiar with Pickle Ball here is a link that will help.

It was such a beautiful late summer day when I took this photo.

September

September
“The breezes taste
Of apple peel.
The air is full
Of smells to feel-
Ripe fruit, old footballs,
Burning brush,
New books, erasers,
Chalk, and such.
The bee, his hive,
Well-honeyed hum,
And Mother cuts
Chrysanthemums.
Like plates washed clean
With suds, the days
Are polished with
A morning haze.”
– John Updike, September
“The foliage has been losing its freshness through the month of August, and here and there a yellow leaf shows itself like the first gray hair amidst the locks of a beauty who has seen one season too many.” -Oliver Wendell Holmes
Isaiah 40:8
The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.
Ecclesiastes 3:1,2
There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—

A time to give birth and a time to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.

Genesis 8:22

“While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
And cold and heat,
And summer and winter,
And day and night
Shall not cease.”

Looking forward to all that September brings…

Back to School Hodgepodge

This collage above is from a first day of school in Ventura, California back in 1985 and a first day of school in Bothell, Washington in the very early 90’s.

Jo From This Side of the Pond asks the questions and here are my answers this week. Thank you, Jo!

1. As we begin this brand new month tell us, on a scale of 1-10, where does your life fall in terms of being in ‘apple pie order’? Please elaborate. (1=nowhere near it, 10=practically perfect in every way)

Yikes, perfect and neatness. That’s a tall order. The only thing I’ll attribute to perfection in my life is that I am perfectly forgiven and saved by Jesus Christ my Perfect Savior and Lord. I’m thankful for that position in this life and for what it means in the next. On a physical not spiritual level I’d say I’m about a 6. Most places in our home are tidy enough for surprise drop ins. I’d need a couple days notice to get everything perfect in every way! Outside in my flower beds, etc. I’d need a month to get things perfect!!

2. An apple a day keeps the doctor away…are you doing your part?

Not an apple but our new daily regimen since the Ch*na V started it’s spread is a multi-vitamin, vitamin D3, vitamin C, Zinc, Quercetin, and we just added N-Acetyl Cysteine.

Red or green?

Either.

Sweet or tart?

Like them both.

Ever played the game Apples to Apples?

Yes.

Do you like apple pie?

Yes.

If so, ala mode or just gimme the pie? 

As my dear old Pop used to say he’d like his “pie alamo”

3. Tell us about a time recently where you ‘upset the apple cart’ or the last time someone ‘upset your apple cart’? 

A good true quote is something that ‘upsets my apple cart’ in a constructive way.  Here’s one that makes me ponder, “Nothing is more deceitful than pride. We are inclined to believe anything about ourselves if it is favorable.” From a commentary on 1 Corinthians.

And from Spurgeon: “My own weakness makes me shrink, but God’s promise makes me brave. Lord, strengthen me according to Your Word.”

4. What are three words that come to mind when you think of September? 

School because traditionally school started in September. Birthday because Dear’s birthday is in September. Fall/Autumn because this great season of the year starts in September.

5. What are you most looking forward to this month? 

Our road trip to North Carolina and Dallas. Those are the two destinations in our 20 day trek that involve seeing some of our loved ones! Technically we won’t be in Dallas until October.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Goodbye August

Straight from the garden. Their mommy plants and tends an amazing garden.

We were able to see these two on Sunday afternoon. So good to have them run to us with open arms and lots of hugs. As we leave they run along the fence line following our car and we yell our goodbyes to each other. They are safe on the inside of the fence and our car goes along the drive on the other side of the fence. Fun traditions.

Adios to August!

Weekend Wrap-up

The little ones are camouflaged and so cute!

They keep coming back for visits and we can see that they have grown.

Not the clearest photos of the little ones. I have to take the photos from the inside through glass without moving much or they all fly away.

On Saturday we mowed and weed wacked. We were in the 80’s over the weekend and this coming week we have a mix of 80’s and 70’s. On Sunday we drove to Spokane to pick up my glasses. No prescription except for a bifocal section for reading. I am a happy camper. No shifting back and forth to readers and that is my preference.

We are still in prayer about the disaster in Afghanistan, aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti, and for those in the path of Ida.

We are studying 2 Timothy and listening to expository preaching (John MacArthur) while mowing and driving back and forth to Spokane. This last letter by the Apostle Paul to his beloved Timothy is so rich. This resource, Grace to You, is one where you can access expository preaching on every book of the Bible. Dear and I highly recommend it.

2 Timothy 2:15

15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

2 Timothy 3:14-17

14 You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Hoping for a week with some good news for all of us.