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.

 

Mosaic Monday ~ Saturday Road Trip

Dear wanted to head down to Lacey, Washington because that’s where Cabela’s is and I went along for the ride with an understanding that a little side trip would be acceptable, too. We got to the Cabela’s parking lot right before 8 A.M. and people were already coming out the doors with their brand new digital food dehydrators. I took an unscientific look see poll and saw that the dehydrators were definitely the hot ticket item of the morning!

While I was counting dehydrators for my unscientific poll I also got to see animals from Africa, North America including Alaska! That Steller Sea Lion was from the Smithsonian of all places. They even had an huge aquarium filled with some great looking fish. Dear was off looking at guns and ammo and other fun stuff like that.

We finished up our time at Cabela’s with our appetites ready for a nice breakfast. Doing some research on the computer before we left home I came across a restaurant in Olympia called Sage Brunch House. We trusted the computers directions and headed south of Lacey to Olympia to try and find the restaurant. After a few wrong ways we managed to put two and two together and found this little out of the way spot in West Olympia.

I think the chef was related to Julia Child because she was not shy with butter! The food was really tasty and that Blueberry Walnut pancake with real maple syrup was amazing!

The real reason we ended up in Olympia was to see this…

Our Washington State Capitol. This was the first time Dear and I had ever been to our state capitol. I’ll show more pictures of our stop here later in the week. I hope you noticed that we had some fine weather for our little road trip.

I’m looking forward to a wonderful week with family and friends. Hope life is treating you all well.

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

 

I Have a Friend, so Patient, Kind, Forbearing ~ Hymn

I Have a Friend, so Patient, Kind, Forbearing

I have a friend, so patient, kind, forbearing,
Of all my friends this friend doth love me best;
Though I am weak and sinful, yet when sharing
His love and mercy I am ever blest.

He is my Lord, my friend, yea, He’s my brother;
And Jesus Christ is His most blessèd name.
He loves more tenderly than any mother;
To rest in Him is more than wealth and fame.

My poor and wretched soul He bought so dearly,
And freed from condemnation, death, and hell;
The old and bitter foe He crushed completely;
My soul, rejoice and sing, for all is well!

Thus I’m redeemed; no more the law prevaileth,
For Christ, the Lord, is my redeemer’s name;
His precious blood more than my sins availeth;
And cleanseth me from all my guilt and shame.

With hallelujahs here I’d tell the story,
My Lord to praise, to laud and magnify;
And praise His name forevermore in glory,
Before His throne with all the saints on high.

Words: Gustaf Palmqvist, 1851, & Carl O. Rosinius, (1816-1868) Translated from Swedish to English by John Jesperson, (1858-1943)

FFF ~ Finally!

It’s time once again to look back over the last week and come up with 5 favorites to share. Susanne at Living to Tell the Story is the hostess for this event each week.

Finally someone is selling a Chocolate Chip Ice Cream that is as good as I remember the Chocolate Chip scoop I’d get at 31 Flavors growing up.

The key to the great flavor I was missing must be the semi-sweet chocolate. Thank you Private Selection for taking me back to the good ole days of stopping in at 31 flavors and being able to choose 2 scoops.

2. These new place card holders that I’m looking forward to filling in names for a meal soon.

3. New shoes for Zumba! These shoes should make the moves easier on my knees. The great thing is that I get to try them at a Zumba class and if they aren’t good I can take them back. See the round pivot point on the bottom. Should be good for twisting and turning.

4. Time spent with my daughter Katie this week.

5. March is one of my favorite months and I’m happy that March 2011 is here. March favorites include MLS soccer season starting up, my birthday, the start of the season of lent, beginning of Spring, and daffodils. If I was in Southern California I’d add fresh strawberries from the local strawberry stands to the list!

What were your favorites this week?

The Wind Blows Cold…

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.

~Charles Dickens

That really describes Wednesday. It was extreme in contrasts. We will see what Thursday holds for us.

I need to get a smog check on one of our cars and I hope to get some laundry done now that the washer and dryer is in it’s new location and all hooked up and vented. What does your day hold?

 

Getting Ready…

…for some St. Patrick’s Day Fun.

I’ll be joining Kathleen at Cuisine Kathleen for her St. Patrick’s Day Party on March 15th. I’m partying all month anyway since this is my birthday month. Actually, I’m partying all year because I’m turning the epic age of 60 in 2011!

In the meantime…

Psalm 118:24 (ESV)

This is the day that the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Lord willing this is what I’ll be doing today…

This morning I’ll be moving like a Latin dance queen at Zumba. There are no mirrors so I can humor myself in thinking that I’ve got the moves. What’s important is that my heart is pumping and I’m burning some calories.

Late morning Katie and I are headed to Crate and Barrel for some light shopping.

At 1:00 we have Katie’s 3rd wedding dress fitting for her alterations. Today is going to be fun because Patty Forte Linna is joining us. She’s an artist and we’ve commissioned her to do a wedding painting. This appointment will be animated for sure!

That will be enough excitement for one day!

What are you doing today?

 

Welcome March ~ The Next 20…

For those of you who humor me and follow my meanderings and whimsy on my blog you know I’m working on a list of 60 things to do in my 60th year of life. Because I’m getting older and it might be a little difficult to complete all 60 in a years time I started early and I’m on my way already. You also need to know that cutting myself a lot of slack is something that has allowed me to be more content then I should be with myself. All that to say if I don’t get around to all 60 this year they’ll just fall to my 61st year!

The first 20 on the list are here. Here are the next 20.

21. Re-arrange some things that have been the same for 13 years in this old house.

22. Buy a Welsh Sideboard. I’ve wanted one for years.

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

24. Find a couple new blogs to add to my favorites.

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.

29. Meet Dear downtown for lunch.

30. Do some volunteer work.

31. Try baking a pie including the crust.

32. Bake cinnamon rolls from scratch.

33. Write some letters and mail them.

34. Surprise someone.

35. Get a manicure and pedicure.

36. Have more than one hour long massage.

37. Use my sewing machine.

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

39. Call Dear’s Aunts on their birthdays.

40. Try something new with my camera.

This isn’t as easy as I thought it might be.

 

Blue Monday ~Totem Poles

It’s hard to believe that just a week ago the skies were so clear and blue. We are in a overcast, gray, and wet pattern right now.

We have the opportunity to see many Totem Poles in the Pacific Northwest because of our Northwest Coast Native populations. They are carved from large trees, generally from Western Red Cedar. These Totem Poles are featured at the Evergreen Fair Grounds in Monroe, Washington. If you are interested in reading about the different types of  Totem Poles google it and enjoy the history…

Have you ever used the expression low man on the totem pole? Usually the expression means someone who is the lowest ranking in a group or organization. The thing I learned today in reading some history about Totem Poles is that the order of the faces carved on a totem pole have no universal significance.

Visit Sally at Smiling Sally to see more blue…