Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Are you wearing green today?

Do you make a special Irish dish to serve for dinner on this day?

Do you have a favorite Irish saying?

Have you ever been to Ireland?

Do you have any Irish relatives?

Have you ever attended a céilis? Céilis are held in large towns and country districts where young and old enjoy group dances.

We’ll be having corned beef and cabbage tonight along with some Guinness. I’m thinking I should try a good Irish stew recipe soon, too.

From 2008 at Fado an Irish Pub in downtown Seattle…

An Old Celtic Blessing

May the blessing of light be on you –
light without and light within.
May the blessed sunlight shine on you
and warm your heart
till it glows like a great peat fire.

Photobucket replaced all my photos with ugly black and grey boxes and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

Just in Time…

…for the Major League Soccer season opener in Seattle my flagpole was ready to hoist it’s flags. We’re proud to wave the American flag and our Seattle Sounders flag, too. We also have our Marine Corp flag that will be waving proudly.

Dear mixed up the concrete base for the flagpole on Saturday. On Monday we were ready to set the telescoping flag pole in and to raise the flags. Josh and Dear did the honors. Long may they wave! We take them down at Sunset since we do not have a light to illuminate the Stars and Stripes.

Last night at the opening ceremonies they had representatives from all the Military Service Branches. They unrolled and held and waved huge flags on the pitch. The Few. The Proud. The Marines. They were the brightest and the best. They never flinched, slouched, or let go of the flag. I bumped into a few of them during halftime and complimented them. Of course they replied “Thank you Ma’am” , because they are very polite, too.

Our daughter is marrying a Marine and we are proud of him! OO-RAH!

The origin of OO-RAH ~

U.S. Marines were the word’s first proprietors, using it to express contentment or to set expectations. And although use-dependent, the word OO-RAH can take on a variety of meanings. Now after languishing in military jargon obscurity for decades, it has rapidly become much more commonly known as even civilians associate its use with Marines.

The spelling of the word has never been standardized, as is often the case with phonetic interpretations of a sound that can only be properly formed at the bottom of the lungs. Variant spellings include “OORAH,” “OOHRAH,” and “OOH-RAH.” However it is spelled, it is recognizable as distinctly Marine whether spoken or written, and it can easily be distinguished from the Army version, the venerable but significantly less motivating “HOO-AH.”

Hope your Wednesday is going well. I’m a wee bit tuckered out from all the partying and fun we’ve been having around here this week. I slept in and missed my Zumba class this morning. I’m enjoying a little sunshine but I hear it’s not suppose to last so for the time being I’ll bask in it. Tomorrow I’ll be making corned beef and cabbage to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

These things I warmly wish to you-
Someone to love
Some work to do
A bit o’ sun
A bit o’ cheer
And a guardian angel always near.

Dance as if no one were watching,
Sing as if no one were listening,
And live every day as if it were your last.

May your home always be too small to hold all your friends.
God is good, but never dance in a small boat.

Sixty Years from the Day…

… I was born I was given some royal treatment!

Monday March 14th was my birthday and I had no idea what was up the sleeves of my kids. I knew we were going out to dinner at an Italian Restaurant downtown and we’d be leaving just before 6:00 in the evening.

When we stepped outside to get into what I thought was going to be Laura’s car I saw this!

The kids had ordered up a limousine to take us to our dinner in Seattle. “No Way”, I said!

I never dreamed they would come up with this special treat. Dear and I had never had a ride together in a limousine before last night.

The kids weren’t the only ones with surprises. The restaurant managed to surprise us all, too.

We had a private area behind some sheers with this pretty chandelier and then we were handed our Menus.

A personalized menu just for my birthday. How great is that!? There even was a cocktail with my name on it. The cocktail is on their regular menu. They didn’t make it up just for me but I pretended they did and indulged!

The Ellen…

They turned the lights down very low in the restaurant so my pictures are all dimmed, too.

This is our table behind the sheers.

This made our meal together very private compared to other areas of the restaurant.

Dan and I had the Ossobuco di Vitello with saffron risotto. It was so delicious.

This was Dear’s dessert a ricotta cheesecake.

My complimentary birthday bite. I’m thinking at 60 all desserts should be this size.

I was impressed with the bathroom mirrors.

Such a wonderful evening and we still had our limousine ride home. When we got home there was more. Josh and Laura gave me a gift certificate for a massage with a handmade card that is priceless. Dan paid for dinner and also gave me a card that made me want to cry. I received other cards with gifts of manicures and pedicures and a handmade card from my BFF from junior high and high school. Before dinner I got a special phone call from Texas and my sweet little 3 year old niece sang Happy Birthday to me all the way through by herself. Oh my…that was precious. My heart is full and I am grateful for all the wonderful birthday treats and wishes I have received. I’m savoring my moments.

My Cup Was Filled…

…to overflowing yesterday!

I keep thanking God for his goodness to me expressed in so many ways yesterday through family and friends. Truly it was a day full of joy and gladness for me from start to finish and I still get to celebrate today!

Our day started out with an invitation for brunch at Josh and Laura’s. What I didn’t know was that Dan had taken an extra day off so he could drive over the Cascades to help celebrate my birthday. I was so overjoyed to see him when he walked in the room. I just had to keep saying his name. Thank you Josh, Laura and Dear for surprising me! Thanks Dan for driving the 6 hours one way to celebrate my birthday. The last time we had seen Dan was at Christmas. Tonight the 5 of us are going out to dinner downtown.

From brunch Dear and I headed North to meet up with 5 of the Mennonite girls and their guys for dinner at the Chuckanut Manor.

We had a room to ourselves overlooking the Chuckanut Bay.

What fun to meet all the husbands. Thank you Anneliese, Marg, Lovella, Judy and Kathy for driving across the line with your husbands to join Dear and me for a wonderful evening. I’ll never forget it…unless old age messes with my brain.

The food was delicious and the conversations were lively.

There were songs sung and candles silenced. And if that wasn’t enough I got showered with cards and gifts from Canada and Africa. I also got showered with Loonies and Toonies to send to Willow for a classroom assignment. You might be wondering about that loaf of bread. It’s the Mennonite Girls Can Cook traveling loaf that began it’s journey the day the Mennonite Girls all met for the first time at the Abbotsford airport. Yep! It’s harder than a rock but it is traveling on…

The rain subsided for our dinner time and we were afforded some beautiful views.

Seriously I was overwhelmed in a good way and I don’t take for granted the gift of family and friends that God has blessed me with!

Sixty is looking real good!

Searcher of Hearts, from Mine Erase ~ Hymn

Searcher of Hearts, from Mine Erase

Searcher of hearts, from mine erase
All thoughts that should not be,
And in its deep recesses trace
My gratitude to Thee.

Hearer of prayer, O guide aright
Each word and deed of mine;
Life’s battle teach me how to fight,
And be the vict’ry Thine.

Giver of all—for ev’ry good
In the Redeemer came—
For raiment, shelter, and for food,
I thank Thee in His name.

Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost,
Thou glorious Three in One,
Thou knowest best what I need most,
And let Thy will be done.

Words: George P. Morris, 1838.

Happy Saturday Daffodils!

I wander’d lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

~Wordsworth

This is just a portion of this Wordsworth poem. How wonderful it is to have some sweet little signs that Spring is coming. Today is Saturday and we are just messing about the house with no grand plans. Dear will do some sanding on some drywall in the new laundry room. I’ll make sure the doors are closed and the drywall dust is contained to that room. Tomorrow is Sunday and we do have some grand plans. We will be trying another church in the morning and then we are headed north to meet up with some special people for dinner. I’ll share later when I have photos to show.

FFF ~ Marching Along…

It’s that time of the week when we look back and choose our favorites. Susanne at Living to tell the Story is our hostess and you can click on the logo above to get to her site and join in this worthwhile exercise. Here are my 5 for this past week.

1. Dinner with our kids on Tuesday evening. I made a Russian favorite Golubtsi Голубцы (stuffed cabbage).

2. Elizabeth Goudge books. I re-read The Bird in the Tree and now I’m continuing on with the 2nd book in the series called Pilgrim’s Inn/Herb of Grace. The 3rd book is Heart of the Family. I also was able to check out one of her books I’ve not read yet called The Castle on the Hill.

3. More books including travel books for Washington D. C. After checking out different travel guides from the library to determine which guides I liked best I ordered my own copy last week. I also ordered a box of 50 cards that spell out 50 different walks around D.C. The cards are great because they are easy to follow with a map and the route outlined on one side and a description of what you will see on the other. Groupon, an online site offers deals via email that alerts you to special deals in the many cities across the U.S.A. Besides Seattle I signed up to get Washington D.C. deals emailed to me. I’m concentrating on the dining deals since we’ll be eating all of our meals out. I’ve gotten 2 great half-price deals already. Along with my travel books I ordered The Amish Cook’s Baking Book and I’m looking forward to trying some of the recipes.

4. Road Trip on Saturday with Dear to Cabela’s and the state capitol. It’s been a while since Dear and I took off on a Saturday. It was a good diversion from the regular. The weather was nice, too. We shopped, had a wonderful meal, and saw some great sights!

5. Whoohoo! My 2011 packet with my season tickets and new Sounders Season ticket member scarf was delivered by our son Josh. The season begins at Qwest field on Tuesday evening against the L.A. Galaxy. Happy Days are here again.

So how did your week go and what are some of your favorites?

I’m watching what’s going on in Japan and the countries affected by the Tsunami warnings this morning. Praying for the people of Japan and that the Hawaiian Islands stay safe.

Psalm 46: 1-3 (ESV)

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.

From The Message

God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him.
We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom,
courageous in seastorm and earthquake,
Before the rush and roar of oceans,
the tremors that shift mountains.

Starting Early!

I’m one of those people that gets to places early and starts planning ahead. So we had our Fat Tuesday dinner on a St. Patrick’s Day table last night. I’m sharing that table for Tablescape Thursday with Susan at Between Naps on the Porch and also linking it up with Kathleen’s St. Patrick’s Day Party next Tuesday.

When Irish eyes are smiling,
Sure, ’tis like the morn in Spring.
In the lilt of Irish laughter
You can hear the angels sing.
When Irish hearts are happy,
All the world seems bright and gay.
And when Irish eyes are smiling,
Sure, they steal your heart away.

Our Girls ~ Their eyes aren’t Irish but they were smiling last night. We had dinner together with Katie, Josh and Laura. We had an old Russian favorite for dinner and got caught up on what’s happening in our lives right now. Good times…

I’ll share the recipe soon on the Mennonite Girls Can Cook Blog.

The Lenten Season

Today marks the beginning of the Lenten Season. Lent is the 40 days leading up to Easter. Sundays aren’t counted in the 40 days. This year lent begins on Wednesday March 9th and ends on April 23rd.

Helleborus Orientalis is the botanical name of the very popular, early blooming shade perennial more commonly known as the Lenten Rose. Lenten Roses grow hardy around the world in temperate zones 4-9. In the English speaking world they are known as the Lenten Rose but are not roses at all. They are actually of the Butter Cup family. Their flowers bloom during the Easter celebration of Lent.

Hebrews 12: 1-2 (ESV)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!

A Morning at the Capitol ~

Dear and I took a little road trip on Saturday to the state capitol in Olympia, Washington. This was our first visit. We have driven by and seen the capitol just off I-5 on our way to California so many times over the last 20 years. It was good to finally get to see it up close.

The Dome and the Cupola.

The Temple of Justice.

The Temple of Justice was completed in 1920, the first building completed of the Capitol Complex.

Winged Victory Monument

In 1938, the monument was dedicated to the memory of World War I veterans.

Winged Victory includes a twelve-foot tall figure of a winged woman known as Nike, Greek goddess of victory, standing behind four life-sized figures of a soldier, a marine, a sailor, and a red-cross nurse. All of the figures are forward-moving and face a distant horizon. “Victory” or “Nike” stands with her wings outspread and her right hand, grasping an olive branch, extended protectively over the servicemen. She embodies strength, justice, and heavenly sanction for their human mission.

Medal of Honor Memorial

The Medal of Honor Monument
This monument was dedicated on Nov. 7, 1976, to honor those Washington citizens who have received the nation’s highest military decoration, the Congressional Medal of Honor. The 11½-foot tall granite obelisk is affixed with the Seal of the State of Washington and is inscribed with the names of those Washington citizens who were bestowed this supreme honor. The monument is a full scale replica of the national Medal of Honor monument that is in the Medal of Honor Grove in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

We visited too early in the morning for the indoor tour of the Capitol. The next time we go we’ll plan on the tour.

We really enjoyed our nice weather on the weekend. Tuesday night we are going to enjoy a meal with our kids. Our daughter Katie leaves on Wednesday for a trip to see her Marine in North Carolina since he will have a few days off and there are some family events planned on base. Hope your week is going well.

The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b.

To honor and encourage