Adieu to October Hodgepodge

Time for Joyce’s questions for the last October Hodgepodge of the this year.

1. Are you a risk taker? To what degree? 

I will take risks in the kitchen by trying new recipes or throwing things together in desperation for a meal.

2. What’s your favorite candy? Would you say you have a sweet tooth? 

I have sweet and sour favorites. See’s Almond Royal is a favorite. I gravitate to dark chocolates from Sees. I enjoy Mike and Ike’s Original Fruits. I do have a sweet tooth. My favorite kind of sweet is in pastry form and not overly sweet.

3. Somewhere you’ve been recently that had you feeling ‘like a kid in a candy store’? 

The new brand from Homegoods/TJMaxx/Marshall’s has been fun to explore. Sierra is the name of the store and it is a more outdoorsy themed store.

4. What do you think is the most effective way to make a positive change in the world? 

On my knees in prayer and keeping close in obedience to the Savior of the World, Jesus Christ my LORD.

5. Do you like surprises? 

Yes, but not in me being the center of attention as in surprise parties. I love a surprise visit from loved ones! I love a surprise sighting in the stores in town when I happen to run into our grands with their mom.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

Speaking of sweet surprises, It was a surprise when Uncle Joshie and Auntie Lolo  pivoted their plans for the weekend and drove to our side of the mountains after they heard our weekend company had their flights canceled. We were able to continue our Family Fall tradition of mastering the corn maze!

Corn Maze 2023

Uncle Joshie and Auntie Lolo arrived to Colville on Thursday evening last and we enjoyed a few days together. On Friday October 27th we arrived at the Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze when they opened at 4pm.

Addy was keen on reading the map and leading us to find the 9 stations of the maze.

JJ was interested in other discoveries.

We mastered the maze in forty minutes and then it was time to pick a few pumpkins to carve.

Carving happened the following day on Saturday after the pumpkins had time to warm up. We’ve been experiencing lows in the teens and 20’s here in Colville.

Saturday evening we enjoyed dinner at our Country Bungalow with nonstop fun and I even got a back massage by my favorite little boy.

Sunday we were all in church for a wonderful service and afterwards enjoyed lunch together at Rancho Chico before Auntie and Uncle hit the road for home.

A special Fall weekend enjoyed and one that will be remembered. Thank you, Joshie and Lolo for taking the time to drive over the mountains to visit us. Loved our time together.

Happy Reformation Day and Halloween to you all. We are looking forward to our two very special trick or treaters to ring our doorbell tonight!

Not too Scary Hodgpodge

Time for Wednesday Hodgepodge. Where Joyce asks the questions for us to answer. Join in the fun HERE.

1. In two or three sentences describe yourself to someone who has never met you. 

I’m the daughter of Russian Immigrants and was raised in the Los Angeles area with my seven siblings. God chose to save me from my sins through Jesus Christ, His Son, who is my Lord and Savior when I repented in 1963. Happily married to Dear for 48 years where in the course of those years we have enjoyed our three children, their spouses and our two grandchildren, the cherries on the top.

2. Will you celebrate Halloween this year, and if so tell us how?

We will actually be going to a Reformation Conference Halloween weekend in Sandpoint, Idaho. On Halloween Monday also known as Reformation Day we will enjoy our grandchildren coming over and trick or treating at our door. They will be the only trick or treaters since living in the country on dark country roads we don’t have the usual city trick or treaters.

Let’s play this or that-chocolate candy or fruity candy?

Chocolate

Pumpkin seeds or pumpkin pie?

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Halloween party or scary movie?

Neither 🙂

Hay ride or corn maze?

We have a great corn maze here in Colville and the majority of our family enjoyed it together this past Saturday.

Carve a pumpkin or paint a pumpkin?

Carve a pumpkin.

3. What’s something that scared you when you were young? Are you still afraid? 

The movie King Kong. If I watched it today I’d probably laugh at the animation.

4. Your favorite soothing drink? 

Hendrick’s with cucumber and Fever tree elderflower tonic.

5. Are you thinking about Christmas yet?

Yes because we are planning a family trip in January which caused discussion about Christmas and reminding ourselves that we would not do ‘present overload’ and save our money for the trip.

Does this make you feel happy or stressed? 

Happy.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

Not only is Ember the new puppy growing fast but our dear Grands are, too!

Corn Maze 2021

We interrupt the recap of our Land That We Love Tour to record the real time happenings this past weekend. This year the annual trip to the Corn Maze was modified as was our annual hunting weekend. Addy took over for Katie’s job of getting everyone through the maze. Katie and Baba were not able to join the maze fun this year.

Laura was in Colville and took beautiful photos of this annual event.

Our beautiful daughters-in-law.

We took a quick trip to the western side of the Cascade mountain range and missed out on the Corn Maze this year. It was a strange year with interruptions to our annual hunting weekend and family festivities.

We enjoyed dinner on Friday evening with our son on the West side of the Cascades.

On Saturday evening we enjoyed Laura’s homecoming from Colville with a Thai meal delivered to their door and time also with our daughter and son-in-law. We left early Sunday morning from Bothell to return to Colville. The winds were forceful and scary going over Snoqualmie Pass early on Sunday Morning. When we were on the east side of the Cascades we decided to get off the freeway and enjoy some breakfast in Ellensburg.

We tried The Wild Huckleberry in historic downtown Ellensburg. Delicious. We’ll stop by on future trips.

We would like to explore the town of Ellensburg more fully in good walking weather sometime in the future. After Ellensburg our trip the rest of the way home was calm and easy with light rain and light wind.

We have a busy week ahead. Hope you all have a good one!

This and That

Thank you to Laura who always remembers the group shot selfie and for taking the next couple photos in the midst.

Me and my favorite eighteen month old. He’s my little guy and I love him so.

Giving a hug to his gramps. Like his daddy when he was little, Jaymison, likes to have his hands full.

Saturday catch up with these photos before I forget them on this last day of October 2020. We have Halloween, a full moon and then before we go to bed we’ll need to turn our clocks back one hour. In the country we have no chance of trick or treaters except for our little grands who will stop by with their parents. They have a costume theme this year that is a fun one and I hope to get a photo tonight to share with y’all on Monday.

Take care everyone!

Corn Maze Snow Version

What a difference a week makes. Sunday the 18th of October my brother and his kids enjoyed the maze with me in sunshine and a bit of mud. On Saturday the 24th of October the patch paths were covered in snow. Our car arrived at the Corn Maze location a little after ten and it was closed. After checking on line we saw that they were due to open at eleven. Jamie and the littles arrived a little before 10:30 and the owner of the maze spotted us and came over to open up early for us. We were the only group on the maze from start to finish. Thank you Colville Corn Maze for a detailed maze experience and for opening early for us!

We never dreamed we’d be trekking through the maze in snow but we were all up for the adventure.

You need a map expert like Katie to make it through with ease and we were so happy she was on point since we were trekking through the snow in below freezing temperatures.

Warning: This is a photo loaded post!

Katie led us to the #1 stop quick and easy. Onward and upward we go.

We supported the Corn Maze People by buying some of their last pumpkins.

The cutest little pumpkins in the patch!

Do you go to a pumpkin patch this time of year? Do you have a Corn Maze in your town? Our snow is melting and we’ve had a nice stretch of dry weather. Very cold starts to the day with warming by mid afternoon. Slow but sure progress on the shop.

Corn Maze 2020

On Sunday after church and lunch we decided the Corn Maze would be a fun adventure with my brother and his kids. Their dear mom was on an adventure of her own for a couple days.

This is not an easy maze and we were scratching our heads for a while until we finally figured out the map.

There were 8 markers and strange but true we ended up finding #8 first and worked our way backwards with some zig zags thrown in.

Me and my brother 2020!

I’m adding this quote from part of the devotional Drawing Near by John MacArthur: Living a Joyous Life…

“God’s Word is a lamp to your feet and a light to your path (Psalm 119:105). It guides you through the difficult mazes of life and gives your life eternal significance. Don’t live simply for your own pleasures. Your life has a high and holy purpose, and each day can be filled with joy as you see that purpose unfold.”

Yesterday the concrete guys showed up bright and early and the first cement mixer arrived at 7:45 AM. What a busy day. The Concrete is setting and we even managed to get some handprints in, too. Photos to follow soon. Have a great Tuesday!