The Sun Did Shine!

The sun came out, the flags came out, our friends came out, the food came out and we enjoyed a grand 4th of July!

I didn’t take photos of all the food. We had smoked brisket that Dear prepared, cole slaw, a loaded salad, eggplant parmesan, and desserts.

It’s hard to believe Dear has to go to work today. I’ll be off kilter the rest of the week with this Independence Day landing on a Wednesday this year.

We have a forecast of summer here in the Northwest finally. Hope all is well where you live…

Land of the Free…

…and the Home of the Brave.

Happy 4th of July to all in the U.S.A.

Nothing in the United States symbolizes democracy more than the U.S. Capitol Building. For nearly two centuries, it has been home to both chambers of Congress and has evolved and expanded as times changed and the nation grew. The building itself has more than 16 acres of space and 540 rooms. The Capitol Grounds cover about 274 acres with sloping lawns, splashing fountains and beautiful terraces.

The bronze Statue of Freedom crowns the dome of the U.S. Capitol. Her right hand rests upon the hilt of a sheathed sword; her left holds a laurel wreath of victory and the shield of the United States with thirteen stripes. Her helmet is encircled by stars and features a crest composed of an eagle’s head, feathers, and talons, a reference to the costume of Native Americans. A brooch inscribed “U.S.” secures her fringed robes.

Sprucing It Up…

Gotta love a guy that will paint for you after he’s put in a full day of hard work in the office. Did I mention he was dodging rain drops?

It wasn’t raining hard enough to bother the newly painted wall since it’s pretty well protected by the overhang.

I also bought a few more plants to add to the deck. The planters that could also be used as large candle holders were on clearance at 75% off.

This white hydrangea was calling my name, too. I have to decide now where to plant it. I was happy that the weather cooperated for me this morning and I was able to get the lawn mowed. We’re promised rain again on Tuesday and then they say we could have good weather for the 4th.

Tuesday is shopping day for the food for our 4th of July barbecue.

Raindrops Keep Fallin…

In between the raindrops here in the greater Seattle area I decided to take some shots of what’s growing in our yard.

Raindrops keep fallin’ on my head
And just like the guy whose feet are too big for his bed
Nothin’ seems to fit
Those raindrops are fallin’ on my head, they keep fallin’

So I just did me some talkin’ to the sun
And I said I didn’t like the way he got things done
Sleepin’ on the job
Those raindrops are fallin’ on my head, they keep fallin’

But there’s one thing I know
The blues they send to meet me won’t defeat me
It won’t be long till happiness steps up to greet me

Raindrops keep fallin’ on my head
But that doesn’t mean my eyes will soon be turnin’ red
Cryin’s not for me
‘Cause I’m never gonna stop the rain by complainin’
Because I’m free
Nothin’s worryin’ me

So we do have apples, pears, and blueberries growing. My hydrangea is going to have more than one bloom this year and that makes me happy. That rose bush blooms like crazy and my lavender is blooming but not as lush as years past.

The birds are enjoying my new bird feeder and have almost emptied it of seed.

I finally planted the new rhododendron plant we bought at the end of April.

And here’s my last shot of part of the yard on July 1st…just keeping it real folks. Hopefully I’ll have a dry enough spell to mow these weeds before our 4th of July barbecue!

Our lawn definitely is not the envy of the block and is mostly weeds and moss!

I’m linking up with Mary at Little Red House for Mosaic Monday.

Let Us Break Bread Together ~ African-American Spiritual

Let Us Break Bread Together

Let us break bread together on our knees, (on our knees)
Let us break bread together on our knees. (on our knees)
When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.

Let us drink wine together on our knees, (on our knees)
Let us drink wine together on our knees. (on our knees)
When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.

Let us praise God together on our knees, (on our knees)
Let us praise God together on our knees. (on our knees)
When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.

FFF ~ Summertime…

It’s been a while since I’ve participated in Susanne’s Friday’s Fave Five but I’m happy to chime in this week. The next few weeks of my summer are going to be really busy so I don’t know what my Friday’s will hold in the world of blogging. So here are some of my favorites from this last week.

1. Field of Dreams fund raiser auction for Medical Teams International.  Click on the link to find out what great work this group does. Our son invited us to join their table at the event and we were so glad that we attended and found out the scope of this great organization in helping the hurting around the world and in the USA.

2. HomeGoods grand opening was a long awaited event for me. I grew to enjoy the shopping experience at this store when we lived in California and was hoping they’d make their way to Washington State. Their grand opening was this past Sunday and I made my first shopping trip on Monday morning. On my initial trip I bought some goodies for the yard, a bird bath and some iron wall decorations. I’ll share a photo when they are mounted properly, too.

3. Spending time in person and talking with our adult kids on the phone. It’s always so good to hear their voices and to get up to date on what’s going on in their worlds…

4. Starting my first Christmas project. A first for me trying this German traditional treat. I found some little jars at HomeGoods for my Christmas gifting of the end result, too. Of course instead of calling it Rumptopf I might have to change the name to Vodkatopf or Smirntopf.

5. Enjoying a new mystery writer to me. I’ve started the Inspector Monk murder mystery series by Anne Perry staged in Victorian England with all the manners and tensions and history of this period. It’s been a good escape for me.

My sister Kathy sent my family the text of Psalm 145 this week and it was such a great Psalm to read and consider. I’ll leave you with just 2 of the verses.

The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.
The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.

Psalm 145:8-9

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and to our Canadian friends a very happy Canada Day weekend to you!

We the People…

…of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Since the 4th lands on a Wednesday next week and we are hosting a barbecue I decided to set a red, white and blue table early.

Next Wednesday this same table will be cleared of settings and filled with food for our annual 4th of July barbecue.

The round placemats are from HomeGoods. The dishes say Denmark English Ironstone made specially for Franciscan, made in England. I found them at Goodwill. The glasses are from an antique mall on Whidbey Island. The little bowls are from Target’s $1.00 section. The acrylic star napkin rings are from Goodwill. Other accessories collected from here and there over the years. The fresh cherries are from Safeway, chuckle!

I’m joining in with Kathleen at Cuisine Kathleen for Let’s Dish on Wednesday and on Thursday I’ll link up with Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday.

What will you be doing to celebrate the 4th? For my Canadian friends, what will you be doing for Canada Day on the 1st?

Speaking of, We the People, Pray for our people in Colorado who are suffering from the devastating fires there. Pray for relief soon and for the firefighters fighting till exhausted! Have mercy on them, Lord.

Christmas!

Christmas inspiration came my way via Rosella at Rhubarb & Roses. Since the Mennonite Girls adopted me as their American cousin I decided to try a German Christmas tradition this year. Now if I truly was from German descent I’d stick strictly to the recipe but since I’m Russian instead of using Rum or Brandy I’m making Rumtopf using Vodka instead.

For 3 cups of strawberries hulled and halved I added 1-1/2 cups sugar, let it sit for an hour and then added it my 2 gallon mason jar crock and added enough Vodka to cover the fruit by 1 inch. Store the jar in a cool place like your basement if you have one.

Over the course of the summer, once a month or so, I’ll keep layering different fresh summer fruits with the same process. At the end Rosella adds pineapple and pomegranate seeds and you can add a few orange slices and cinnamon sticks if you want (I’ll probably stay away from the cinnamon). By Christmas I’ll have a topping for ice cream, pound cake, cheesecake, pudding, trifle, or whatever strikes my fancy.

I think my next summer fruit choices will be peaches and Nectarines and cherries. When our blueberries ripen I’ll use them and when our pears ripen I’ll add them. Do not stir the fruit layers. Just layer the sugared fruit on top of the last layer and add the alcohol to cover.

With my 2 gallon jar I’ll be able to give away my Rumptopf as gifts, too. I’ll need to keep my eye out for cute little airtight containers for my gifts…

Here’s another link that describes Rumptopf.