Dublin Day Three ~ Sunday

Sunday the 17th of September was our third day in Dublin. We were in for rain most of this day so it was good that we had several indoor experiences planned. We met up in the lobby of our hotel to walk to Lemon Jelly Cafe for our breakfast. We timed things well for getting seated quickly before the crowds started showing up.

We all enjoyed our choices and were happy with this little spot tucked away from the main roads.

We had ordered a taxi to pick us up at 10:00 so that we could make it to a 10:30 AM church service. The taxi came after ten and we drove to the south of downtown Dublin to Grosvenor Road Baptist Church. The taxi had some mechanical issues but we made it to church on time.

The rain continued.

The sermon was taken from I Corinthians 1:18-2:5, True Spirituality, A Cross Centered Church.

The points covered were, The Message of the Cross, The People of the Cross and The Preacher of the Cross. Some points taken; “True wisdom of the cross does not meet the world’s expectations.” “Boast in the Lord-because all we have is because of Him.” “Simply preach the Word of God.” This service was also a Communion service so we ‘broke bread together’. The last song we sang together was ‘My Worth is Not in What I Own’.

It was good to be with fellow believers in Ireland.

After church our son arranged for an Uber to pick us up and take us to our Sunday Roast destination, The Old Spot east of downtown Dublin. We were early and ended up having a little walk around this neighborhood and the rain had died down for our stroll.

We all had our fill of food and we added two desserts to share. I know one was Sticky Toffee Pudding with the most lovely of sauces but I forgot what the second dessert was. Hmmm. From The Old Spot Josh ordered another Uber to take us to St. Patrick’s Cathedral where we would attend Evensong which would begin at 3:30pm.

The rain was coming down again so it was not easy to get some good photos of the outside of the cathedral.

The Choral Evensong was beautiful and moving in song with a special commemoration of the Battle of Britain (1940).

Shout out and thanks again to Laura who took so many great photos and put together collages on our stops each and every day!

We had one more indoor stop on this day with reservations for entry at 4:45. Another Uber transported us from St. Patrick’s Cathedral to The Guinness Storehouse. That will be another post.

Truth for Today #73

Thursday October 12th

On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during the week. One, two, three or maybe more. If you have a verse/verses that you read during the week and would like to share, leave it/them in the comments and I will add it/them to the post. Let’s dig deep in God’s Truth again this year!

Ephesians 5:6-14

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

From Vera:

“Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭73‬:‭23‬-‭26‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Marcus Ciderfest 2023

There is no Hodgepodge this week so it’s a good time to go back to our time at the Marcus Cider Fest this past Saturday and get caught up with what’s been happening around here recently.

Every October the little town of Marcus hosts a Cider Fest that is well attended. It starts with a parade on Saturday. This year the weather was so nice it seemed the attendees and cars in the parade doubled!

Granny Great and Jim rode in Jim’s car for the parade.

His car was so shiny that we could see our reflections!

Our kids entered our DIL’s Thunderbird in the car show.

Jamie created all the t-shirts. Dan’s said, It is her car but she lets me drive. Jamie’s shirt said, It is my car but I let him drive and the kids shirts said, What’s the Word? Thunderbird.

We enjoyed the parade with our Grands and then we walked about the craft stalls, bought a caramel apple and headed home for the day.

The last Saturday in September I attended our Women’s Retreat and one of the workshops I attended was on Hospitality and Flower Arranging.

This was my arrangement. Those flowers were spent after a week and I replaced them with these Dahlias I purchased at Trader Joe’s keeping the same filler greens.

Last in this catching up post are photos from our back acres showing some Fall color.

Speaking of Fall, we finally had conditions that allowed us to take care of our burn piles. Branches that fell throughout the year were gathered up and burned. We worked as a team and accomplished a lot on Tuesday.

It’s been good to catch up with many of your blogs.

We are praying for Israel and the conflict on that side of the world. So distressed at how prisoners of war have been treated in such a barbaric and inhumane way. I can’t even imagine the sadness, terror and grief of losing loved ones in this way and the feelings of despair while huddled in a bomb shelter.

Borrowing the verses that Joyce shared on her blog.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day” Psalm 46:1-5

Dublin Day Two ~ Tour Part Four

Our last stop of the day on Saturday September 16th before heading back to Dublin was the city of Belfast.

We enjoyed the little we saw of Belfast.

We popped into the Magnificent Margot and had an enjoyable time in the upbeat and friendly atmosphere. We joined a local couple at a table and had an enjoyable conversation with them.

The Belfast Boer war memorial takes the form of a statue of a private of the Regiment in khaki uniform, with topee and puttees, with a rifle and fixed bayonet at the ready. It lists 130 names of the officers, non-commissioned officers and men of the Royal Irish Rifles who were killed during the Second South African War that lasted from 1899 to 1902. The memorial was unveiled by Field Marshall Lord Grenfell in 1905.

There were several meaningful monuments around the City Hall, war memorials and a memorial to the lives lost on the Titanic.

The last work of sculptor Sir Thomas Brock and originally unveiled in the North of Donegall Square in 1920, this memorial was moved in 1960 to where it stands now. In white Carrera marble, the female figure of Death or Fate looks down at two sea nymphs rising from the waves, with the body of a drowned sailor in their arms. It was thought at the time that only 22 local people had died in the disaster and only the names of those victims are recorded on the original memorial. Their names are listed on two sides in order of rank upon the ship.

The Titanic was built in Belfast.

Created by the sculptor Sir Thomas Brock to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897, it was unveiled by her son, King Edward VII in 1903. Carved from Sicilian marble and standing 11 feet high, this memorial is accompanied on each side by life size bronze figures representing spinning and shipbuilding.

The birds have no respect for Queen Victoria or any other people memorialized in the statues.

 

Robert McMordie Statue at City Hall in Belfast, Northern Ireland
The political position of Lord Mayor of Belfast dates back to 1613 when the Sovereign of Belfast received its charter as a town. This is one of four statues of famous Lord Mayors on the grounds of the Belfast City Hall. The sculpture by Frederick Pomeroy is a tribute to Robert James McMordie. He held the post from 1910 until his unexpected death during his fifth year in 1914.

The Belfast War Memorial is in the form of a cenotaph (a memorial to those who are buried elsewhere) with the backdrop of a colonnade. The memorial was unveiled on Armistice Day 11 November 1929. It was designed by Sir Alfred Brumwell Thomas and constructed by W J Campbell from 1925 to 1927.

Several days after we were here our daughter Katie and hubby Andrew reached Belfast on their small tour and stayed in the hotel directly behind this memorial.

From this stop we boarded the bus for our trip back to Dublin. We had one ‘convenience’ stop off the motorway on our trip back. Dropped off along the River Liffey in Dublin we decided to walk to The Church Cafe for our evening meal. This was a great find I learned about by watching podcasts of places to visit in Dublin. I’ll share more about this Cafe in a post of it’s own.

Sláinte!

Dublin Day Two ~ Tour Part Three

On the road in Northern Ireland Laura captured these great country scenes.

On Saturday September 16th, the third and longest stop of our tour day was at The Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland.

Laura was able to capture shots that made it look like we weren’t surrounded by hundreds of people!

On the road down. You can see the line of people headed down in front of us.

There were as many people behind us, too. This was a very popular place to visit.

The Giant’s Causeway lies at the foot of the basalt cliffs along the sea coast on the edge of the Antrim plateau in Northern Ireland. It is made up of some 40,000 massive black basalt columns sticking out of the sea. The dramatic sight has inspired legends of giants striding over the sea to Scotland. Geological studies of these formations over the last 300 years have greatly contributed to the development of the earth sciences, and show that this striking landscape was caused by volcanic activity.

 

Josh and Laura were more sure footed than Greg and me. They went to some heights. We stayed closer to solid ground. We all decided on taking the bus back to the top and to our tour bus when we were done seeing what we wanted to see.

Our next stop on this day would be Belfast for a very short stop.

I want to mention again the beautiful sunshine and blue skies we were able to enjoy at these stops, glorious!

Here, O My Lord, I See You Face to Face ~ Hymn

Here, O My Lord, I See You Face to Face

Here, O my Lord, I see you face to face,
Here would I touch and handle things unseen,
Here grasp with firmer hand eternal grace,
And all our weariness upon you lean.

Here would I feed upon the bread of God,
Here drink with Thee the royal cup of heaven;
Here would I lay aside each earthly load,
Here taste afresh the calm of sin forgiven.

I have no help but Thine, nor do I need
Another arm save Thine to lean upon;
It is enough, my Lord, enough indeed
My strength is in Thy might, Thy might alone

Mine is the sin, but Thine the righteousness,
Mine is the guilt, but Thine the cleansing blood;
Here is my robe, my refuge and my peace
Thy blood, Thy righteousness, O Lord, my God. Amen

Words: Horatius Bonar

White Chili

 

This is a tasty chili that will feed a crowd. Plan ahead because you need to soak the beans overnight. I first posted this recipe in early 2012 and you can find the original post here. This recipe originates from the Junior League of Seattle.

Ingredients:

1 pound Great Northern white beans, rinsed and picked over
2 pounds chicken breasts (2 large half breasts are about 2 pounds)
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
2 cups onions, chopped
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 – 4oz. cans chopped mild green chiles
2 tbsp. chili powder
1-1/2 tsp. each of  cumin, and dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne
salt and pepper to taste
8 cups chicken stock
3 cups Monterey Jack cheese shredded and divided
sour cream
salsa
fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

* Place beans in a large, heavy pot. Add enough cold water to cover by at least 3 inches. Cover and soak overnight.

*Spread a little butter on the skin of each half breast of chicken and season it. Place on shallow pan and roast in 375 degree oven till cooked through. Let cool. Remove skin and bones and cut chicken into cubes.

* Drain beans into large colander. Heat oil in same pot. Add onions and saute over medium-low heat until translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, green chiles, cumin, oregano and cayenne. Saute 2 minutes. Add beans and stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until beans are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 3 to 4 hours. Add additional water if necessary. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. When you are ready to finish the chili cover and bring to a simmer before continuing.) Add chicken and 1 cup of cheese. Stir until cheese melts. Ladle chili into bowls. Serve with remaining cheese, sour cream, salsa and cilantro leaves to sprinkle on top. Of course it’s up to you which of these additional ingredients you add to your chili.

We also like to serve this with some warm cornbread.

Serves twelve to fourteen…

Dublin Day Two ~Tour Part Two

Our second stop on Saturday September 16th was Dunluce Castle on the Coast of Northern Ireland at the North Atlantic Ocean. We were able to see Scotland!

The sun came out for our stops here and at the Giant’s Causeway. We gave thanks to the LORD for this smile of sunshine on our day!

Wonderful time spent here and onward to lunch and then the Giant’s Causeway.

At our lunch spot we were last to order our lunch (back of the bus) but we had enough time to enjoy it. This Cafe was fine tuned to serve a crowd. We had a very short hop to get to The Giant’s Causeway which will be my next post.

Truth for Today #72

Thursday October 5th

On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during the week. One, two, three or maybe more. If you have a verse/verses that you read during the week and would like to share, leave it/them in the comments and I will add it/them to the post. Let’s dig deep in God’s Truth again this year!

Ephesians 5:1-5

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

From Vera:

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

From Karen:

Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

We’re Still Lagging Hodgepodge

Jet Lag ~ Jet lag is caused by a mismatch between a person’s normal daily rhythms and a new time zone. It is a temporary sleep problem that usually occurs when you travel across more than three time zones but can affect anyone who travels across multiple time zones. Jet lag can affect your mood, your ability to concentrate, and your physical and mental performance.

It’s time again for Wednesday Hodgepodge. Thank you, Joyce From This Side of the Pond for the questions!

1. What’s something that scares you? 

Snakes, wild animals and stupid drivers.

2. Do you care where the food you eat comes from? To what degree? 

I prefer local food especially when it comes to produce and fresh fruit. I want meat from U.S. ranchers. I prefer food canned and bottled and packaged that comes from the USA or Canada. Mexico is fine for certain products that we enjoy, too. I am not obsessive about it. I pray over the food I eat and ask God to protect me from evil. 🙂

3. What’s something you wish you’d spent more time doing when you were younger? 

Memorizing more Bible Verses while my brain was sharp!

4. Let’s play autumn this or that….

Pumpkin spice or apple cider? Fresh pressed Apple Cider, please.

Corn maze or haunted house? Hands down…Corn Maze. We have an amazing Corn Maze in our town that we try to conquer every year.

Horror film or Hallmark movie? Hallmark Movie that is part of the Murder Mystery side of things.

Blanket or sweatshirt? Out and about, a sweatshirt. Inside on the couch, a blanket.

Watch football or watch the World Series? College Football but really and truly Futbol (Soccer) and especially English Premier League games and the Seattle Sounders MLS are my favorite games to watch.

Foliage-red, yellow or orange? This is hard but since I have to pick I’ll go with orange.

5. This time last year where were you and what were you doing? 

We were at the Marcus Cider Fest last year at this time and this Saturday we will be at the Marcus Cider Fest again. Our kids entered their  vintage Ford Thunderbird in the car show part of the Fest. There is a parade and booths and fresh apple goodies galore including fresh pressed apple cider.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We are still recovering from Jet Lag from our trip to Dublin and England. We arrived home on September 27th. Jet Lag is real and especially for us older folk. We will live with the lag since we love traveling to that part of the world. We finally were able to hug our grands after three whole weeks apart. Our Colville kids came for lunch on Tuesday (yesterday). It was so good to have a meal with them and spend a couple hours with them. The Grands are growing so fast!

It will be nice to come around and see what all ye Hodgepodgers have been up to.