Window Views ~ Forest Lawn Glendale

Dear and I were meeting his brother and wife at the Tam O Shanter Restaurant in Los Angeles on Sunday for brunch. We were early and dropped in at Forest Lawn Glendale to see some of their beautiful churches and to walk through their museum. These are some window views from the park.

For more window views please visit the Window Views Blog.

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Sounders 2 ~ Houston 1 in Overtime!

My Outdoor Wednesday Post is from the soccer field at the U.S. Open Cup Semi-finals in Renton, Washington. Thanks to Susan at A Southern DayDreamer for hosting the weekly event.

 

Tuesday afternoon/evening I attended the Sounders U.S. Open Cup Game against Houston Dynamo with my kids and Jamie D.  What an intense physical game. Houston scored in the first half and we didn’t tie the game up until the 89th minute to force an overtime. We scored in the first five minutes of overtime and then it was nail biting excitement to the end!!

Our seats were up close and personal. We were happy to have just a little shade because it was hot in Seattle yesterday. Very close to 90 degrees but it felt even hotter on the field.

 

 

Jaqua got hit hard early in the first half and had to have his head bandaged. The ref really did not control the game well and the crowd let him know what they thought of him. Jaqua ended up scoring in the 89th minute to tie the game!

 

The Seattle soccer crowd is loud!

 

 

 

 

 

You should have heard the crowd explode when we tied the game up and then when King scored early on in overtime. We now head to the finals that are sometime in September.

Things are a bit slow for me in bloggy world this week. My connections here in Seattle are slower then molasses and my brain is distracted with all the home activities I have here. Hopefully I’ll get organized soon.

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She’s Not Cooking ~ She Got Cooked!!

 

Monday was a travel day for me. I flew from L.A. back to Seattle. My sweet lily white daughter picked me up at the airport and I was shocked by the pink glare coming from her skin. Yes it’s been sunny and hot in Seattle and my daughter went on a bike ride and in all the excitement of getting the bike in her car and getting to the meeting point she forgot the sunblock. She rode for 25 miles. I think it’s safe to say she won’t forget next time. It’s been an AloeVera ointment ~ vinegar bath kind of day for her.

I hope to return all the sweet comments on my Monday posts on Tuesday while avoiding looking at my daughter. OUCH!

These photos of Katie were taken earlier in July before her overexposure to the sun.

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Another Blueberry Monday!

 

These are some shots from my one Blueberry Bush in Washington State.

Thanks to Smiling Sally for hosting Blue Monday.

Have a great week everyone…

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Todays Thrifty Treasures ~ Beatrix Potter Books

Rhoda at Southern Hospitality is our hostess for this weekly event. Click on over and see what great buys people all over bloggy world found.

 

In 1973 when I was in England I began a collection of Beatrix Potter Figurines and purchased a full set of her sweet little books for children. There are 23 books in the full set. Whenever I see a Beatrix Potter book at a thrift store in good shape I buy it. I found these 23 books at Goodwill for 79 cents each and I bought all 23 of them. They are in perfect shape and look as though they have never been read. A full set of Beatrix Potter books for under $20.00.

 

 

Table linens are another weakness of mine and I didn’t walk away from this either. I’ll have to see what occasion comes up for a table setting on this cloth.

Looking forward to see lots of Thrifty Treasures. See you soon and thanks for visiting…

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It Is Well With My Soul ~ Hymn

It Is Well With My Soul

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

Refrain

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Refrain

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

Refrain

But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord!
Blessèd hope, blessèd rest of my soul!

Refrain

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Refrain

Words: Ho­ra­tio G. Spaf­ford, 1873.

This hymn was writ­ten af­ter two ma­jor trau­mas in Spaf­ford’s life. The first was the great Chi­ca­go Fire of Oc­to­ber 1871, which ru­ined him fi­nan­cial­ly (he had been a weal­thy bus­i­ness­man). Short­ly af­ter, while cross­ing the At­lan­tic, all four of Spaf­ford’s daugh­ters died in a col­li­sion with an­o­ther ship. Spaf­ford’s wife Anna sur­vived and sent him the now fa­mous tel­e­gram, “Saved alone.” Sev­er­al weeks lat­er, as Spaf­ford’s own ship passed near the spot where his daugh­ters died, the Ho­ly Spir­it in­spired these words. They speak to the eter­nal hope that all be­liev­ers have, no mat­ter what pain and grief be­fall them on earth.

We sang this at Sophie Wozniuk’s Funeral on Wednesday and I decided to share it for my Sunday Hymn.

One of These Things Is Not Like The Others

I saw this goose in amongst the Canadian Geese at Bothell landing. I wonder what kind it is…

One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn’t belong,
Can you tell which thing is not like the others
By the time I finish my song?

Did you guess which thing was not like the others?
Did you guess which thing just doesn’t belong?
If you guessed this one is not like the others,
Then you’re absolutely…right!

Words and Music by Joe Raposo and Jon Stone

Have a great Saturday everyone. Dear and I are helping a young couple from church get their new old house ready for them to move in. Scraping ceilings and other fun messy work this morning. This afternoon my brother Tim and our SIL Letty are coming over to hang out with us. Fun times!!

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Friday’s Fave Five ~ Seattle?, L.A?, Where Am I?

Thanks to Susanne at Living to Tell the Story we’re encouraged to look back over the last 7 days and remember a few of our favorite things.

 

My life confuses me some times. Dear and I are living in Southern California right now and for the past 3 years because of his work but we still call the Seattle area “home” and that is where our house and kids reside. For the past couple years I’ve spent about 6 weeks in July and August at our home in Seattle. After 2 weeks in Seattle I unexpectedly had to fly back to Southern California this week to attend a funeral. I’ll be in So. Cal. for 6 days and head back to Seattle on Monday night. So here are 5 of my faves…

1. My blueberry bush has ripe blueberries and every morning in Washington I go out in my jammies with weird hair and in front of the birds and the early going to workers and pick a good bunch for my cereal. I love this ritual.

2. My daughter and I had a great time transforming our deck gazebo into a Moroccan tent for a shower she gave her friend. It’s fun to work along side each other and enjoy the time and the results.

 

3. Being unexpectedly reunited with Dear for 6 days. It breaks up our time apart which is a good thing. He’ll be flying to Seattle on July 31st for two weeks and then we’ll return to Southern California together.

4. Attending Sophie’s funeral. I know this probably sounds weird to a lot of you that it is a favorite but this great old lady (95-1/2) wanted to die and be with Jesus and she finally got her wish. The wonderful part of attending the funeral was being reunited with church family from 35 years ago and singing together again and boy did we sing a lot and every stanza and with music and a cappella.

5. It was also nice to see my older brother at the funeral. I hadn’t seen him for at least 5 years and it was good to see him face to face.

Looking forward to seeing your favorites!

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Sophie Wozniuk ~ December 25, 1913-July 9, 2009

 

What a wonderful celebration of Sophie’s life we had at her funeral on Wednesday. Sophie is my oldest sister Kathy’s MIL. Kathy and her husband Len cared for her for several years right up to her death last Thursday night. Sophie was a spunky hard working lady. She has 3 daughters Lil, Laureen, Ruth and one son, my BIL Len. Len charged us from the beginning of the memorial service that we were going to rejoice with his mom who was finally in heaven. Sophie loved her Savior Jesus Christ.  Heaven was her theme and desire for the last 20 years. This last year it became her daily prayer to God, for Him to please take her home.

 

Len and my sister sang a duet in Russian and English. Len’s sisters Ruth and Laureen, 2 of my sisters Kathy and Lana G, my niece Michelle, and an lifetime friend Diane sang a sextet of Psalm 121 put to music. My father gave a word from Micah. My nieces shared some stories about their Baba. The oldest grandson Phil (Lil’s Son) read her Eulogy. Another Grandson Greg (Laureen’s son) spoke of remembrances of her and read her favorite Psalm 121. My brother Steve spoke and wove a wonderful message about Sophie’s Song using some great old hymns and referencing the songs of women in the Bible.

 

 

Len was our choir director at Bethany Baptist Church in L.A. (A Russian Baptist Church) many years ago and we were led in song again by him at the funeral. It was a great reunion of so many of our Russian friends and relatives who have all gone their separate ways. Fun times looking at a face we recognized but forgetting the name attached to it. Wozniuks, Semenchuks, Leonovich, Katkovs,  Menns, Bagdanovs, Titovs, Shvetzovs, Kudraves, Kaluzny, Goncharenko, Rudametkin, Kowalski, Wlasiuk, Poulsons, Kuzichev, Moure, Philipchuk and more.  We sang at the service, we sang at the graveside and we kept singing at the dinner reception afterwards.

 

My nieces are trying to sneak a photo of me taking photos but I caught them!

 

All Sophie’s grandchildren that were at the funeral released a balloon for her…

 

My niece Michelle with her husband Ryan and their son Jackson. Doesn’t she look so cute pregnant. They are expecting a little baby girl in September. I got my sister Lana G! to pause a moment to get a photo taken with Michelle. The case that this bouquet of flowers are in belonged to Sophie’s husband Tony.

 

My cousin Jim and his wife my friend Jeaneen and my friend Heidi and her husband Ken. Heidi and I met and became friends at the Russian Baptist church. I met Jeaneen in college and introduced her to my cousin Jim.

 

Shirley, Bobbi and their mom Nura Menn. Shirley is another one of my buddies from the Baptist church. Her mom Nura is my Aunt Nina’s sister. Phil Semenchuk (Phil’s mom is one of Sophie’s daughters) with his fiance Anna. Milla and Susie. Milla’s father was our aunt Nina’s brother. Milla’s parents were friends with my parents in Iran and remained close when they both immigrated to the U.S.A. Milla’s sister Tamera was at the funeral, too, but I didn’t get a good photo of her. We always called their parents aunt and uncle.

 

My brothers Steve and Fred with my sister Lana G!  This is the very first current photo you’ve seen on my blog of my brother Fred. I was happy to see him at the funeral.

 

My brother Fred and my cousin Jim with my nieces, nephews and SIL Kelly in the background.

 

My partner in travel and crime in my early college years…

 

 

My cousin Jim, sister Kathy, brother Fred, sister Vera, our Aunt’s niece Milla, ellen b, my sister Lana G!, and my brother Steve.

 

Kathy, Vera, Fred, Ellen, Lana, and Steve. (Tim and Leonard are the two siblings missing in this photo)

I have found that people are so loving and attentive at funerals. It’s as if our mortality sinks in for a time and we take care to let each other know that we love them and care for them. It truly was a great time of reunion for me. We ended our time by singing  “God be with you till we meet again”

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ABC’s of the Word ~ W

9 You rule over the surging sea;
    when its waves mount up, you still them. Psalm 89:9 (NIV)

Jesus Calms the Storm

23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

I pulled this out of my archives for W today because my brain is on overload and it needs a little rest before I can come up with anything new. We had a glorious celebration and reunion yesterday at Sophie Wozniuk’s funeral and I’ll post more about it when my brain revives. Blessings on all of you.

To see more ABC’s of the Word visit Pam at Grey Like Snuffie!

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.