Flashback to the Summer Olympics 1984!

For my Canadian friends, especially Marg who is going to experience the Winter Olympics in her own backyard and Susanne who kind of  missed the torch going through her city, I decided to pull up this photo of my husband with an Olympic Torch from the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. I’ll have to dig up some photos of him doing his actual run in Ontario, California. He entered the chance to represent his company and his name was drawn. It really was an exciting time for our family.

We also were able to see some Olympic rowing events at Lake Casitas.

Today I’m off running to take care of some things for Dear and then I’m driving across town again for an evening event with my family. Hoping the rain doesn’t interfere too much with my visibility while I’m driving. It doesn’t mist here in Southern California or rain lightly like in Washington. Rain here is always an event of ginormous proportions and ramifications…

UPDATE: ellen b. is staying put at her condo. We cancelled our event in Huntington Beach because the weather is deteriorating and a tornado watch has been issued! Yikes..

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

When it Rains it Pours…

After all the fires that burned so many hillsides in Southern California a rain event here can trigger mudslides and flash floods without much warning. The rain here in the Camarillo area has been coupled with heavy winds so eucalyptus debris is just flying through the air. The air smells of eucalyptus which is a nice change from other smells we can get because of the extensive farming in this area. Weather advisories are streaming across the television.

 

 

 

Looks pretty scary! Hopefully the predictions won’t come through…

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

Family Blues…

 

On Sunday I drove across Los Angeles to my sister’s house for a family gathering in honor of Avery and Jackson’s  grandparent’s from Michigan. Avery is my sister Kathy’s granddaughter and Jackson is Avery’s big brother. Jackson and Avery’s grandparents flew out to meet Avery and spend some time with both of them.

 

Is there any doubt that this is Avery’s father… Look at the shape of their eyes…

 

 

 

The great grandparents (my parents) were also there to enjoy the festivities.

 

 

My sister Kathy with Avery(Jackson and Avery’s nana), my sister Vera, MLou (Avery and Jackson’s grandmother from Michigan), and Ellen b.

It was so much fun to finally meet MLou in person. We have interacted with each other for a long time via my blog and Facebook.

Please visit Sally at Smiling Sally for more Blue Monday posts…

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

Mosaic Monday ~ New Dishes…

 

Got some new dishes that make me smile. Now to come up with a tablesetting for dinner on Saturday…

Thank you to Mary at the Little Red House for hosting mosaic Monday.

Thanks for your visit and hope you have a week filled with love and joy…

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

Hot Tea Month Blog-a-thon ~ Week 3

Click on the image to get to the Hot tea Month blog…

Week Three: January 17th-23rd
Our topic for week three of the blog-a-thon is:

“If I could have my own Tea House this is how I would run things…..”

If I ran my own tea room I would want it to be a wonderful experience for anyone who walked through the door. I would not want my guests to feel hurried or ignored so I would limit my tea room to one seating a day. That seating would be for a group of 6 to 12. I might consider two groups of 4 or 2 groups of 6. It would only be open on Saturday. Hey since we’re being hypothetical I have the freedom to plan unrealistically. My tea room would not make any money but I would be happy at the end of the day. Everything would be fresh and made to order. The food would be something that people would remember. Everyone’s tea would be served hot for every cup they sip. Cups would not be dry for longer then a few seconds. My guests would be treated well and their experience would put a smile on their face.

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.


O God of Mercy! Hearken Now ~ Hymn

O God of Mercy! Hearken Now

O God of mercy! hearken now
Before Thy throne we humbly bow;
With heart and voice to Thee we cry
For all on earth who suffering lie.

We seek Thee where Thou dwell’st on high;
Beyond the glittering, starry sky:
We find Thee where Thou dwell’st below
Beside the beds of want and woe.

O let the healing waters spring,
Touched by Thy pitying angel’s wing;
With quick’ning pow’r new strength impart
To palsied will, to withered heart.

Where poverty in pain must lie,
Where little suffering children cry,
Bid us haste forth as called by Thee,
And in Thy poor Thyself to see.

Words: Emily V. Clark, 1891

January is Very Significant…

…in our family! Both of our sons were born in January. Katie’s due date was in January, too, but she decided to come at the end of December. All three of our kids were born on a Friday.

 

Josh was born on January 19, 1979 at 7:34 a.m. weighing in at a solid 10 pounds!

 

Daniel was born on January 16, 1981 at 12:30 P.M. weighing in at 8 pounds 1-1/2 ounces.

 

Daniel loved to have a Choo Choo Train cake. I even made him one for an adult birthday of his. :0)

 

Our boys have always been good friends to each other and I thank God for that. Happy Birthday Josh and Dan. We’ll celebrate when we can all be together!

Other family birthdays in January include my brother Tim on the 22nd and our sweet niece Hope on the 25th!

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

Round Robin Photo Challenge is Back!

Round Robin Photo Challenge is back for the new year today Saturday, January 16th!

The topic of the challenge is “Candlelight.”

 

 

To see more Round Robin participants visit the Round Robin Photo Challenge Blog.

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

Finding Beauty ~ Look Up!

 

It’s time to join Claudia at Dippity Road for Finding Beauty.

My husband was out barbecuing on Tuesday night and called me out to our little front patio to check out the great sky! Little puffs of clouds covered the sky around our condominium complex. I love it when all I have to do is step out my front door and see something as delightful as this!

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things…

I’m posting early this week so I hope I don’t confuse anyone into thinking it’s Friday already…

Time for Friday’s Fave Five again! Visit the lovely Susanne at Living to Tell the Story to join in with this fun exercise.

 

#1 & #2

~ Saturday was a double date day! In the morning Dear and I walked at our favorite beach at dawn and then in the early evening we went to one of our favorite restaurants to celebrate a belated 35th Anniversary dinner. Our Anniversary is December 6th but Dear and I were in different parts of the country on that day so we decided to celebrate this past Saturday.

#3

It’s no secret that the enjoyment of food is big in my life. My mother has never driven a car and she has never worked outside the home. She put her energy and time into her love language which was cooking food for us and others. We always had people over growing up to share meals with us. I never worried about bringing home an unexpected guest because there would always be enough food for all. Our family was in the lowest middle income class but my parents always found money to put food on the table and shoes on our feet. I’ve inherited the love of food and being around a table.

All of that to say that I experienced a wonderful Prime Rib dinner on Saturday with an amazing fig and orange souffle for dessert! Yum…

#4

What a fun sky we saw here on Tuesday night! Dear was out BBQ’ing and he called me outside and said “You’ve got to see these great clouds” I grabbed my camera and headed out and clicked away! The clouds were like little cotton balls.

 

#5

Oh dear me…I bought some more dishes. They were just so much fun and they met my criteria of being made in England. I’m thinking it will be fun coming up with a Valentine day dinner using these red checked dishes! Thrift store shopping and finding dishes at a bargain are always fun for me and a favorite!

#6

A Bonus Favorite: I love how people always come together after a disastor to help their fellow human beings. For all of us who feel so bad about what has happened in the Island Nation of Haiti don’t forget or hesitate to send some money their way using a reputable/tried and true organization like World Concern, or Samaritan’s Purse just to name a couple who have proven their integrity in getting relief where it’s needed. A little from all of us adds up…

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.