I is for Indiana

Later this month all the Mennonite Girls and many of their husbands are headed to Shipshewana, Indiana for …

This is all very surreal to all of us and we are excited to see the show and enjoy the experience. I’ve been reading up on the area and want to respect the people in this community. This article is helpful.

LaGrange County and Shipshewana are home to the third largest Amish community in the nation. This community’s simple way of life is the reason many people visit our area—to observe, learn about, pay tribute to, and purchase items from the Amish.

With the travel season upon us, here are a few things to remember as you travel to our area and interact with the Amish:

1. Upon your arrival, you will notice the roads filled with bikes and buggies; many people will be walking, and kids will be riding pony carts.

Please slow down and take extra caution as you travel. Buggies follow the same road rules as vehicles, so they are allowed to be on the road.

2. Please don’t honk at the horses pulling buggies. The sound easily could spook the horses.

3. The Amish in our area understand the fact that visitors come to get to know them. Within limits, they will visit some with you, but if they choose not to, that’s okay. Even if you don’t get into a conversation with them, they will provide a smile and a nod.

4. As part of their religious heritage, Amish believe photographs are “graven images,” so please do not take photos of their faces…grown-ups or children. It’s tempting, we know, but please honor their culture by not taking photographs.

5. DO stop in at their home businesses on the Amish backroads. Many of these businesses help sustain the Amish way of life. You’ll see many signs on our county roads advertising these small “cottage businesses.” When you see a sign, you’re automatically invited to stop in; you’ll be welcomed.

6. Most shops are closed on Sunday so the Amish can honor the Sabbath with a day of rest and spend uninterrupted time with their family. Plan your schedule accordingly.

Welcome to LaGrange County. We’re so glad you’re here!

After a few days in Indiana we continue on to Ohio for the second location of our play at the Ohio Star Theater (Sugarcreek). Somebody pinch me…but not too hard!

I wonder what items I will find to buy and bring home with me from these industrious people.

If any of you have been in this part of the country and you have a recommendation on what to see let me know in comments.

I’m linking up with ABC Wednesday started by Mrs. Nesbitt and carried on by Roger and a team of exceptional bloggers!

Seattle Treasures…

All these shots of the Seattle waterfront and other views of quintessential Seattle were taken from two Bainbridge Ferry Runs across the Puget Sound on August 28th.

The rounded tops are of Century Link Stadium where the Seahawks and the Sounders play and the further one is Safeco Field where the Seattle Mariners play.

Mount Rainier is always a treat to see even though it’s a dormant volcano and if she blows we’ll all be toast!

Linking up for Tuesday’s Treasures with Tom at The Backroads Traveler.

We are wrapping up our Labor Day with some relaxation. Dear trouble shot an electrical problem in our basement and all is well again. A handy man is a treasure to have around the house!

Courthouse Mural~

This mural is at the entrance to the Stevens County Courthouse in Colville, Washington. I broke it down into sections so you could see it better.

I took these photos in the middle of August and this was a very mild beautiful day.

Linking up to Monday Murals at Oakland Daily Photo.

Our electricity is off for I don’t know how long whilst Dear tries to find out what’s going on with some dead outlets. Hopefully there hasn’t been any critters chewing through wires. I’ll be late in visiting.

Mosaic Monday

Last Saturday Dear and I attended our very first Chinese/Vietnamese Wedding Banquet. We had a wonderful time and we were happy to be invited and introduced to this cultural experience.

Dear was the groom’s boss. The banquet was at a restaurant in the greater Seattle area called Joy Palace. We brought the traditional Red envelope with a money gift for the bride and groom. There were no gift registries that we could find. It was good to google Chinese/Vietnamese wedding manners that were very helpful in giving us an idea of how the evening would unfold and what to expect.

What a culinary experience it was. I tried every course except for the Steamed Fish. My favorites were the Shrimp Stuffed Crab Claw and the Walnut Shrimp. These were all dishes I had never experienced before. We had to leave after course number 9! We missed the dessert courses. The Fried Rice Mix was different from the local Chinese restaurants we go to. It had the added ginger ingredient that I enjoyed.

Have you ever been to a Chinese or Vietnamese Wedding Celebration?

I’m linking up with Maggie at Normandy Life for Mosaic Monday.

How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds

How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds

How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds
In a believer’s ear!
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
And drives away his fear.

It makes the wounded spirit whole,
And calms the troubled breast;
’Tis manna to the hungry soul,
And to the weary, rest.

Dear Name, the Rock on which I build,
My Shield and Hiding Place,
My never failing treasury, filled
With boundless stores of grace!

By Thee my prayers acceptance gain,
Although with sin defiled;
Satan accuses me in vain,
And I am owned a child.

Jesus! my Shepherd, Husband, Friend,
O Prophet, Priest and King,
My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,
Accept the praise I bring.

Weak is the effort of my heart,
And cold my warmest thought;
But when I see Thee as Thou art,
I’ll praise Thee as I ought.

Till then I would Thy love proclaim
With every fleeting breath,
And may the music of Thy Name
Refresh my soul in death!

Words: John Newton, Olney Hymns (London: W. Oliver, 1779).

Ht: Cyberhymnal

InSPIREd Sunday

I’ve posted this church before but on this day the light and the clouds and all made for a lovely view of it. I took this on our recent trip to our son’s home in August.

This is St. Mary of the Rosary in Chewelah Washington. Chewelah is a one signal town in Northeastern Washington on Highway 395.

I’m linking up with Beth and Sally at InSPIREd Sunday.

Five or More from August…

Early in August the Mennonite Girls Can Cook had our book launch celebration at The Mennonite Heritage Museum in Abbotsford, B.C. The turnout was beyond our expectations. We all read from our stories or devotionals in the new book which was the scary part for me but I made it through without shaking too much. Our new book is called Bread for the Journey.

Mid August we took a trip across the Cascade mountain range to Dan and Jamie’s to help build a new pump house. The old smaller one had to be demolished which included getting rid of some significant wasp and hornet/yellow jacket hives. They are nasty and aggressive. My part in this project was to keep the dog occupied and bring out cold beverages. I also was able to escape for country drives, a farmer’s market, antique/thrift shopping, and Jamie and I participated in a Bubble Run in Spokane while the guys continued their project.

While we were in eastern Washington Josh and Laura were in the Los Angeles area and my pop was thrilled to get a visit from them. My pop turned 93 in May and he lives with my oldest sister’s family.

We finished our attic project, adding floor space, carpeting the floor and organizing our bins.

This past Sunday our family was together to celebrate our friend Dave’s life on this earth and to support the Dickinson family in their grief. Beth, Dave’s wife and our dear friend just sent me this photo of her with our son Dan.

dan-beth

Thanks for sharing this photo Beth!

There also were some recipe triumphs and failures during the month of August. The ones that worked have been or will be featured on the Mennonite Girls Can Cook Blog soon. The ones that flopped will just be forgotten.

The bottom right photo is an indoor picnic not a recipe and it never fails us. It’s nice to put a tray together with Charcuterie (cold cooked meats) cheeses, fruit, pickled veggies, roasted veggies, with crackers and a baguette.

So I’m thankful for:

My friends in Canada and our new book.

Our journeys to help our kids and to enjoy new scenery created by God for us.

My dear old pop and our kids honoring him.

That we can still work hard and improve things at this old house.

For the lives of dear friends who are resting in Jesus.

The bonus of good food along the way.

I’m going over the top and joining in with

Amy for Five on Friday

Susanne for Friday’s Fave Five and

Rattlebridge Farm for Foodie Friday and Everything Else

We have had some steady rain showers now that September is here. It’s nice to get a good watering done without a hose. We are low key here with one celebration planned for Sunday dinner with a cousin from California that I babysat many many years ago. I hope everyone has a good Labor Day Weekend.

From the Other Side…

…of the Great Divide. The only side of Washington that is predominately red in their politics. The line between the blue and red counties cuts along the Cascade Mountain range. The blue side has the highest population, largest cities, with Seattle (652,405) being the largest. The red side has the most farmers and ranchers and many small cities. The largest city on the red side of our state is Spokane (210,721), then Spokane Valley (91,113) and Kennewick (76,762). All the population numbers I’m sharing are from 2013. The city I live in on the blue side of the state has a population of 21,611.

Dear and I travel across the great divide when we visit our son and daughter-in-law. We enjoy our time on that side. We find it refreshing. There are lots of great fences and barns to photograph. Here are some of those fences and barns all taken in Stevens County.

I’m linking up to Good Fences #128 with TexWisGirl and later in the weekend I’ll be linking up with Tom for The Barn Collective.

Happy First day of September to all of you! I started the morning off with fresh strong coffee in a new cup to me that I bought at the Habitat for Humanity Shop in Colville, Washington (population 4,668). It was half off and I only paid 40 cents for it. It’s Churchill made in England with a population of 53.01 million.

May September bring good things to us all.

“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

Eastern Washington Signs

On our recent road trip east to visit our son and daughter in law we saw these signs.

Ukrainian/Russian treats at the Farmer’s Market in Chewelah.

My mom made piroshki and pelemeni in our home growing up but I had never heard of Cheburekki.

Linking up to signs, signs with Lesley.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

I’m joining in again for Wednesday Hodgepodge with Joyce from This Side of the Pond. She comes up with the questions we find the answers. This week it’s all about the Hodgepodge blues…

1. Are there any men or women in blue on your family tree?

We have a cousin who was a police officer in Huntington Beach. Our son in law is a Marine who wore dress blues.

2. Are you someone who suffers from the Sunday night blues? What helps you get over it?

No Sunday night blues at our house since we are unemployed and everyday is a holiday. We are hoping for a few more years of employment for Dear before he is truly retired. Waiting to see…

3. I read the color blue is an appetite suppressant since there are very few naturally blue foods out there. How do you feel about blue cheese? Love it or blech? If you’re a fan, what’s something you like that’s made with blue cheese?

Dear and I enjoy Blue Cheese, Roquefort or Gorgonzola dressings. We also enjoy these cheeses on a cheese platter with fruit or on flat breads as appetizers. Another way we enjoy blue cheese is in cream sauces with mushrooms. This has been an acquired or matured palate for me. In my youth I wouldn’t touch these cheeses with a ten foot pole!

4. We can’t head in to the Labor Day weekend without a related question, can we? Complete this thought: I work best when____________________.

I work best when I’m on my own and when the end is in sight. Sometimes to achieve the end in sight part I have to cut off big chunks of work into little chunks. I also work best with encouragement.

5. ‘Everything yields to diligence.’ Antiphanes Your thoughts? (on this particular quote or on diligence in general)

First I went to the definition of diligence: constant and earnest effort to accomplish what is undertaken; persistent exertion of body or mind.

My Dear is a great example of someone who is diligent. He completes whatever he undertakes and is constant and earnest in his endeavors. I appreciate the end result but sometimes I have to leave for many hours and come back to the result of his labors instead of seeing all the earnest effort and what had to yield in the process!

6. The National Park Service turned 100 years old on August 25th. Have you been to many of America’s National Parks? If so share with us a favorite or two. Which National Park would you most like to visit before the next birthday rolls around?

Dear and I visited Yellowstone National Park in June for the very first time. It was amazing. We’d like to see many more or our National Parks but the one that is on our bucket list right now is Glacier National Park.

Here’s a flashback from the 50’s. My family at Crater Lake in Oregon which is a National Park. I’m the one in my mom’s lap with my sister Kathy holding my brother Tim and my sister Vera on the right. We also visited Yosemite National Park in my youth with my family in the 50’s.

7. Bid farewell to August in seven words or less.

Celebrations, anticipation, launches, and goodbyes…adieu August.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Speaking of blue I have to share that I love blue and white dishes. It’s hard for me to leave any blue dishes behind especially if they are made in England.

I also like blue jeans…

Hope you aren’t suffering with summer blues. We are cooling down right now with some rain in the forecast.

The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b.

To honor and encourage