Apples to Applesauce…

At first I thought our apple tree only yielded about 10 apples this year but when I finally got the ladder out to pick them I found I had underestimated the yield. I always ignore my apples (don’t judge me). This year I decided to be a good girl and try to use them. Over the weekend I made about 8 cups of applesauce. My first time ever making applesauce. Because one of our favorite cakes is an applesauce spice cake I thought making applesauce would be worth it. I froze it in containers that would be the exact portion for the recipe.

I’m linking up with Carly at Ellipsis for Monday Photo Shoot since the theme this week is Apples.

 

Julienne

A favorite breakfast destination for my family in Southern California in San Marino is Julienne. Their logo says Fine Foods and Celebrations and it is true. We have had many a fine celebration at Julienne. While in California to celebrate with my family Wednesday morning was set aside for the girls to have breakfast.

This was Laura’s first Julienne experience…

Niece Debbee, Niece Melissa, DIL Laura, Katie, Niece Michelle

We were seated in the Library.

In the mirror…

My youngest niece Hope joined us for the first time here, too.

SIL Mandy, Sister Vera, my mom, and my sister Kathy.

It really is a joy to have all these cousins enjoy each others company. My girls and Little Miss Hope are the out of towners that look forward to any trips when they can all be together. They make the most of these get-togethers. The next time we will all be together again will be for Katie and Andrew’s wedding next March. Miss Hope will be the flower girl, our grand nephew Jackson will be the ring bearer and my brother Steve will officiate. We are all looking forward to it!

Hope all is well in your neck of the woods…

Manchester United…

…came to Seattle and we greeted them with beautiful weather and a record breaking noisy crowd. What did they give us in return? A solid defeat scoring 7 beautiful goals. Sheesh…they could have let us score once!

I was very happy to see these players in person playing the beautiful game of soccer with lots of style. Wayne Rooney didn’t disappoint after he entered the game in the 2nd half. Our youngest fan at the game that night had a Rooney jersey on.

This game was played in July. Yesterday the girls and I went to another soccer game and this time we didn’t lose…

We didn’t win either. It was a 0-0 draw. It was a fun time out with the girls anyway…

I’ll leave you with this next photo of an interesting hairdo on one of the fans. That takes a lot of “product” to achieve.

Hope you had a nice weekend and are looking forward to this next week.

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

Rest of the Weary ~ Hymn

Rest of the Weary

Rest of the weary, joy of the sad,
Hope of the dreary, light of the glad;
Home of the stranger, strength to the end,
Refuge from danger, Savior and Friend!

Pillow where lying, love rests its head,
Peace of the dying, life of the dead:
Path of the lowly, prize at the end,
Breath of the holy, Savior and Friend!

When my feet stumble, to Thee I’ll cry,
Crown of the humble, cross of the high;
When my steps wander, over me bend
Truer and fonder, Savior and Friend!

Ever confessing Thee, I will raise
Unto Thee blessing, glory and praise:
All my endeavor, world without end,
Thine to be ever, Savior and Friend!

Words: John S. B. Monsell, Hymns of Love and Praise for the Church’s Year, 1863.

Flag Ceremony at Orange Circle…

While we were in California Katie and I were able to participate in a Flag Ceremony at the Circle in Old Town Orange. Every Wednesday at 6:00 P.M. people gather to watch the flags being lowered and folding of the Flag. Many retired military from different branches were represented.

Before they lowered the flag and folded it properly Mark Wayland acknowledged 5 veterans in the audience that had served in World War II. One of the veterans was celebrating his 90th birthday and his family brought cupcakes for everyone at the ceremony. We got to sing Happy Birthday to him.

Mark also acknowledged a young bride in the audience who’s Marine husband is serving in Afghanistan right now…our Katie. He made her cry but the tears were good tears and then when the big burly Vietnam Vets came over to give her a hug with tears in their eyes we knew they understood and we cried some more. It was great to hear these Harley riders tell her they would be praying for her and Andrew.

Dear’s brother Terry and wife Christina with one of their 3 daughters with Katie and me. Christina got to know Mark while working with the Orange County School Board. She invited Katie and me to attend this ceremony.

This vet with Mark served in WWII, Korea, and the Vietnam War. He comes to the ceremony every week. It was great to meet him.

I got the following information from an Orange County Register article written by David Whiting although my sister-in-law who knows Mark from working with him at the Orange County School board also filled me in about this giving Purple Heart retired Marine.

“Mark Wayland, Marine Vietnam vet, retired firefighter and Orange school board member, looks like a biker with his denim vest and bushy mustache. And he is. So are many of the men in the Circle.

Most are members of the Patriot Guard Riders. In particular, they ride to remember fallen military brothers and sisters and to ensure things go smoothly at military funerals.

With his black Harley Electra Glide decorated with Marine logos parked just 50 yards away, Wayland explains tonight’s mission.

Every Wednesday night, Wayland, his buddies, their wives, friends and supporters gather in the Orange Circle. They come to lower the flag at 6 p.m. and honor, as Wayland puts it, “those who are in harm’s way.”

What an honor to be able to meet these folks and to honor them and others who have sacrificed so much for all of us. Thank you Mark for all you do and may your sacrifices return to you tenfold.

ht: Orange County Register, David Whiting.

Hillwood Japanese Gardens and Dacha…

There was one more post hanging back from my favorite museum in Washington D.C. and I better share it before I forget. The Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens was full of surprises.

The Japanese-Style garden was tucked below the edge of the other areas of the huge estate.

You had to go down these stairs to enjoy the garden.

Tucked into a wooded area and surrounded by rhododendrons and azaleas, the Dacha, or Russian country house, is a romanticized interpretation of a small peasant house. Built in 1969 during the Cold War, when U.S. – Soviet relations were tense, Dacha represents a nostalgic view of Russian culture.

The architecture features many elements typical of authentic Russian peasant dwellings, such as the whole-log construction and the intricate carvings around the windows and door. Other details are American adaptations of Russian motifs. The bright colors of the window carvings and the roof’s onion-shaped domes are typical of Russian churches. The Dacha on this property is used for museum programs and Hillwood’s changing exhibitions.

I hope your summer is going well. Dear was off last week and he worked on our basement project and it’s getting close to getting done. He has another week off the end of August into September and I’m dragging him away from the house so he does something besides work on this old house. We booked a night on the coast of Oregon and a night at Bonneville Hot Springs on the Columbia River in Washington State just across from Oregon. I’m looking forward to it. Have you all already had some vacation?

Q is for…

Q is for a Quote by Queen Victoria

“Give my People plenty of Beer, good beer and cheap beer, and you will have no Revolution among them” ~ Queen Victoria

Q is for Quail, the California State Bird ~

Q is for Quilts. The State Quilt with State Flowers and Birds was made by my MIL Verna.

I can’t imagine the work that went into this. This quilt was made sometime before 1959 when Alaska and Hawaii became states. I’m pretty sure my MIL quilted this before she was married, too, in 1945. Verna taught school in a one-room schoolhouse in Kansas during WWII. She truly had the gift of teaching.

Quick, it’s time to join in the quest and find your Q to share with the Queen of the alphabet Jenny at Alphabe-Thursday! Just add you link to the queue quietly.

Our God Cares for His Children…

My dear friend from Count it all Joy and The Matson Sisters has been having the struggle of her life this past week. Some of you may have visited her blog. She’s been in I.C.U. on a ventilator and unconscious. Kathy B. is my cousin Jim’s sister in law, my good college friend Jeanie’s sister. I introduced Jim and Jeanie to each other in college and they got married!  We’ve had a wonderful friendship over the years and through blogging Kathy B. has become my dear friend. Kathy B. has struggled with her form of cancer for 28 years. Our family and friends have been praying for consciousness and for Bill and Jeanie to be able to communicate with Kathy. We received amazing news on how God has been answering our prayers and Kathy regained consciousness and has been able to speak and give input on her care.  She was released from I.C.U. today. She will be released soon from the hospital to hospice care. We love you Kathy B. and thank God for your life and the impact you have had on ours! May God continue to prepare you and all of us for what he has for us…

Update on my 60 Things in my 60th Year List…

1. Finally make it to the top of the Space Needle. Completed on Wednesday January 26th!

2. Dinner with the Mennonite Girls and their husbands. Met for dinner at the Chuckanut Manor on March 13th!

3. East Coast Trip. Things are shaping up for a trip to Washington D.C.  (Any suggestions about what to see and where to eat would be highly appreciated) We were there from May 10th-18th. We saw more than our brains could take in!

4. Apply for my enhanced license so my trips to Canada will be easier. Completed in January!

5. Birthday getaway with my 3 sisters. Plans are afoot. Victoria B.C., April 1-3, 2011

6. Try one new restaurant every month of this year. Looks like this one is really going to be easy especially with trips planned.  Eastlake Bar and Grill~ Lake Union. The Hitching Post~ Monroe. Racha Thai ~Seattle.  Bishops Alehouse ~ Juanita. Chuckanut Manor-Bow. Barolo ~ Seattle. The Cabbage Patch ~ Snohomish. Pescatores ~ Victoria, B.C.

7. Send my parents a bouquet of flowers on my 60th birthday thanking them for loving me all these years. Sent on March 14th and my parents were thrilled.

8. Visiting a a new garden. Hillwood Garden in Washington D.C., Bishop’s Garden in Washington D.C. and Botanical Gardens in D.C.

9. Plant something new in my yard. I planted some Sweet Peas and 2 Top Hat blueberry bushes.

10. Have my flagpole installed. Installed on my birthday March 14th.

***11. Lose 10 pounds. Oh Nellie! I should have said gain 10 pounds! Woohoo!! Before I gain it back I want y’all to know that as of 7/18/11 I have lost 10 pounds. I started my program on June 12th. Now I’m moving on to lose 10 more. This past Sunday I fit into the jeans one size down that have been draped over the couch for a year waiting…

12. Enjoy a book by an author I haven’t read before. I’ve read a couple books by Jeanne Birdsall that I’ve enjoyed and I’m on the second book by Rick Riordan that I’m enjoying. I also read a non-fiction book by Lewis B. Smedes on Forgiveness.

13. Explore 6 cities/towns in Washington. Lake Union~  Monroe~  Snohomish~ Olympia ~ Lynden ~ Port Townsend

14. Try 2 new recipes every month. As you can see by my mosaic at the top of this update I have been trying lots of new recipes.

15. Go on a easy day hike.

16. Walk more.

17. Go to a new Tea Room. White Heather Tea Room in Victoria, B.C. (Oak Bay)

18. Purge 60 books off my bookshelves. Well on the way

19. Begin going through old boxes in the garage loft. Working on this with 4 boxes down to work on…

20. Go on an adventure with my daughter Katie. I’ve had many adventures. One fun one is going with her to register for her wedding! We just got back from a wonderful California adventure with family members. Our Bag-O-Rama Jamboree was a wonderful experience in Southern California from July 22nd to July 30th 2011~

21. Re-arrange some things that have been the same for 13 years in this old house. Moved antique hutch around and changed some wall hangings.

22. Buy a Welsh Sideboard. I’ve wanted one for years. Instead of a Welsh cabinet we found an Indonesian cabinet that fits our space perfectly.

23. Make and serve our Russian favorite recipes for family gatherings. Golubtsi, Pelemeni,

24. Find a couple new blogs to add to my favorites. Pondside, and more to be added soon…

25. Clean out my closet.

26. Take some time to journal.

27. Invite someone new over for a meal.

28. Invite old friends over for a meal. Had our dear friends over on April 8th for dinner.

29. Meet Dear downtown for lunch.

30. Do some volunteer work. Fulfilled on March 28th although I’d like to do more. United We Serve

31. Try baking a pie including the crust.

32. Bake cinnamon rolls from scratch.

33. Write some letters and mail them.

34. Surprise someone. Sent cookbooks to Dear’s Aunts and to a dear lady who encouraged me in college.

35. Get a manicure and pedicure. Fulfilled on July 18th, a gift from my brother’s family for my 60th.

36. Have more than one hour long massage. Fulfilled on June 20th, a gift from Josh and Laura for my birthday.

37. Use my sewing machine.

38. Be brave enough to get a new generation phone.

39. Call Dear’s Aunts on their birthdays. Called Aunt Audrey on April 14th ~ Called Aunt Carol on June 26th

40. Try something new with my camera. Tried doing some angled shots.

Now here are the final 20 of my list of 60 things to do in my 60th year!

41. Take a ride in a limousine with people she loves. Completed on my birthday March 14th with our sons, DIL, and Dear.

42. Treat people for her birthday. Bought drinks for all our season ticket neighbors at the opening game which was the day after my 60th birthday.

43. Find a purse that will accommodate my stuff plus my camera with a long enough strap to fit over my shoulder. Completed, I’ll share it soon.

44. Meet bloggy friends in person that she has never met in person before. Met the lovely Pondside in Victoria B.C. and she treated my sisters and I to a fine tour of her town. Met Jill from Jill’s World of Research, Reaction, and Millinery when she flew in to stay with us for the Lavender Farm Faire Tour.

45. Reorganize cabinets and purge some Chotskies.

46. Make those every so many year appointments you dread but need to do. Yearly-check, The Squeeze – check, Got my bone density done! check! Colonoscopy done!

47. Write a Psalm to God. Done!

48. Find a dress for our daughter’s wedding.

50. Learn to put the flagpole up and take it down. It’s not as hard as I thought and I’ve done it several times already.

51. Back up the files on my computer.

52. Create some photo books.

53. Mail a box of goodies to Katie’s Andrew while he is deployed. I’ve been adding things to Katie’s boxes.

54. Order a DVR. Got one March 24th!

55. Get a new modem that might actually make her internet work well. Got one and things have improved but we need more improvement! Finally got some good service and much improvement the week of May 23rd!

56. Send flowers to some unsuspecting person.

57. Detail my car.

58. Write poetic tribute of my history as seen on Debora’s blog.

59. Take a canoe ride on Lake Washington this summer with Dear. Him rowing, me taking photos.

60. Do a blog tribute to some of my favorite blog posts on other people’s blogs.

Coming up with 60 things was not an easy task. Maybe there will be some modifications along the way. It was a good exercise and I’ve already enjoyed the benefits of completing many of the 60.