Tag Archives: Family

Seattle To Camarillo in 17 Hours!

 

We waved goodbye to the Space Needle about 5:30 AM on Saturday morning and continued south through Washington, Oregon and California. We only stopped for gas, 2 fast food drive through windows, and rest areas to change drivers. While I drove Dear tried to sleep and while Dear drove I tried to sleep so that we both could make it through without falling asleep at the wheel.

Along the way I enjoyed the bridges in Washington and Oregon.

I waved to Flower when we were driving in Oregon. I waved to Kathy B. when we got close to Sacramento. I waved to Willow when we drove down the grade into Camarillo, California at 10:30 PM.

 

This photo was taken driving from Oregon into California. Saturday was a hot day from Washington to California. The range we traveled through in the heat of the day was from 98 to 108 degrees.

 

Mt. Shasta in Northern California

We were happy and thankful to God for sustaining us on our trip and for the fact that we were not exhausted. I so appreciate your prayers for us on this journey. We had a refreshing rest Saturday night and were ready to re-unite with our friends on Sunday at church who we haven’t seen for 6 weeks.

We retrieved our mail and there was a package for me. Whoohoo! Melissa at Melissa’s Cozy Teacup sent me the teapot I won on her blog a while back.

Melissa also sent me all these great individual tea-bags to enjoy. Thank you Melissa I love the decorative Tea Pot and I’m looking forward to sharing my tea with friends.

 

Have a wonderful week everyone. I’m off to the airport Monday morning to pick up my daughter and her boyfriend who are flying down from Seattle to spend 5 days in L.A. to take in Disneyland, Magic Mountain and the Beach!

Photobucket is holding all my photos from 2007-2015 hostage on their site and have replaced my photos with black and grey boxes of ugliness. I’m slowly deleting those boxes from my blog and trying to update so many posts, very frustrating.

Lana’s Belated Birthday Lunch!

 

So guess where I took my little sister Lana G! for her belated birthday lunch today?

We went to Madam Fifi’s Tea Room in Bothell at Country Village. I was wanting to share this Tea Room with Lana and since this is a rare day when we are both in Washington at the same time we took the opportunity. We were both delighted with the Grand Tea.

Madam Fifi’s Grand Tea
Pot of loose leaf tea or iced tea of the day
Cup of soup or garden salad
Fresh seasonal fruit
scones with cream & lemon curd
Generous tea sandwiches—
Smoked salmon cream cheese with cucumber
Crab salad
Chicken curry salad
Turkey with raspberry cream cheese
Grand assortment of decandent tarts, cookies and pastries.
~
We had the soup of the day and it was wonderful. We also chose the Lady Londonderry Tea. We really enjoyed it and both ended up buying some to take home to savor. It is really hard to treat Lana to a meal. She is very sneaky about picking up the tab. Today I was going to finally win but Madam Fifi thwarted me and insisted on giving us her Grand Tea on the house! Thank you Madam Fifi. We love your establishment and we will be back.
Photobucket is holding all my photos from 2007-2015 hostage on their site and have replaced my photos with black and grey boxes of ugliness. I’m slowly deleting those boxes from my blog and trying to update so many posts, very frustrating.

Downtown Seattle

On Thursday Dear, Katie and I decided to spend the day in Downtown Seattle.

 

We thought it was high time to drag Dear far away from the Basement Project that he has been putting many hours into while he’s been in Washington.

 

He’s been working on upgrading some plumbing and electrical and structural issues. He is also doing some preventative water proofing.

 

This is the Hammering Man outside the Seattle Art Museum. I wanted to take a picture from this side so I could get the building in the background that looks like a roll-on deodorant. That’s the building where Dear worked for Immunex before Amgen bought them out.

Our first stop in Downtown Seattle was the Seattle Art Museum. Every first Thursday of the month you can visit the museum for free. We toured the regular exhibits and then headed south to Post Alley at the Pike Place Market to go to the Perennial Tea Room to buy some Earl Grey loose leaf tea.

 

For lunch we headed to Pioneer Square and parked and then walked a few blocks to Fado. Fado is a nice Irish Pub in Seattle. We enjoyed some Fish and Chips, Sheepherder’s Pie and some Lamb Popsicles. Of course someone had to order a Guinness while we were in Ireland an Irish Pub far, far away from Eire.

 

We discovered a beautiful waterfall right in the heart of Pioneer Square across the street from the Fire Station #1.

 

 

Seattle is home to the Utilikilt. We also have Native American Culture that permeates our environs. I would love to just walk around Downtown sometime and take photos of all the great architecture. The Pergola in the last square of this collage had to be rebuilt after a truck plowed into it and destroyed it a few years ago.

 

Before we headed home we stood in line for a very long time to get into Salumi. Salumi is Mario Batali’s father Armandino Batali’s Italian Restaurant and Deli in Pioneer Square. We wanted to buy a couple chubs of salami. We bought the Salumi Salami and the Finocchioni. They produce these artisan meats themselves and let me tell you if you are going to be bad and have fatty, salty, yummy salami this is the stuff you want!!

You can check out their website and even order online.

We clocked a good 9000 steps and rewarded ourselves as usual with lots of good food and drink. Hope your evening and Friday are wonderful. We’re headed to another wedding Friday night…

Photobucket is holding all my photos from 2007-2015 hostage on their site and have replaced my photos with black and grey boxes of ugliness. I’m slowly deleting those boxes from my blog and trying to update so many posts, very frustrating.

Happy Birthday Lana & Leonard

A Very Happy Birthday to my Sister and my Brother!

Yes, they are twins…

 

Lana, I thank God for you and pray that He blesses you with all things good this coming year. Thanks for all the fun times we have together, shopping, exploring cemeteries, eating, and blogging together. Joy, Joy, Joy is what I wish for you!

 

Leonard, I thank God for all the new things He has filled your life with this last year! Wow, He has really blessed you richly and it makes this sister overwhelmed with joy for you and thanksgiving to our God. I love you my brother!

Since it’s her birthday why don’t you head over to Lana G!’s to see a photo of her and my brother together sporting a fabulous hairdo!

Photobucket is holding all my photos from 2007-2015 hostage on their site and have replaced my photos with black and grey boxes of ugliness. I’m slowly deleting those boxes from my blog and trying to update so many posts, very frustrating.

A New Blog Recommendation

Do you home-school or know anyone who does?

These are my 4 home-schooled nephews. My SIL Kelly and my brother Steve have home-schooled them from K to College. One of my nephews has graduated from Westmont College, one will be a Junior there this year, and one will be starting there in August. My youngest nephew is 16 now and still being home-schooled. These young men have gotten the best kind of education. They have learned to love learning. They have all represented the State of California at National History Day in D.C. several years in a row. Timothy and Levi have spent a summer or two in Africa serving at orphanages there. Levi leads college worship at Westmont. Caleb is serving at Forest Home Christian Camps this summer with young boys. All this to say that this family has done Homeschooling well and there is wisdom you can glean here.

Kelly’s new blog is called Substantive Education. Here’s how that is described.

“A Substantive Education provides more than a solid academic foundation. It is a life-long passion to know more of the world, it’s people, and it’s Creator. Substantive Education doesn’t just prepare one to make a living, but to live a full and significant life.”

Kelly is one great learner and teacher. She is also the Director of Grace Prep School which provides support services to other homeschoolers in her area. Besides all that she’s a Pastor’s wife. I rest my case…

You can get a lot of good tips for homeschooling or learning in general at this new blog. I highly recommend Substantive Education to you.

Oh, A Thrifting We Will Go ~

Oh, A thrifting we will go
a thrifting we will go
Hi ho the derio
a thrifting we will go..

So my sister Lana, our niece Michelle, my daughter-in-law Laura, and I met at Goodwill on Saturday morning to have a shopping party together. Michelle has been in Washington since Tuesday for a wedding and a visit. She is donning an apron that she was considering. This is our sorting out stage of shopping. We first load the carts with everything we think we might want, then when we’ve had enough shopping we sort through everything and decide what we really don’t want.

 

Some of the goodies I’ve acquired this week. I love the little saying on the blue plate from England. “When two fond hearts as one unite the yoke is easy and the burden light”

 

I love to mix lace and another color tablecloth for tea tables or just for some old fashioned fun. I’m a sucker for tablecloths and the two I bought today were unique and in very good shape. I’m looking forward to making some sweet treats in these Petite heart pans. Think of the possibilities.

 

This hand made tablecloth is a very interesting color and the work is so detailed on it. I just couldn’t walk away from it. Well, I could have walked away but I didn’t want to.

While we were shopping my two sons were home preparing a great barbecue for us hard working shoppers. It was so good. They decided on hamburgers and to go with the hamburgers they made carmelized onions, guacamole, bacon, a fruit salad and baked beans. We had my Rice Krispy Bars for dessert. What a feast it was. We felt blessed.

Ok my sister Lana G! really has a talent at presenting her treasures in a beautiful way. She spent the most of all of us. Check out her treasures here.

Photobucket is holding all my photos from 2007-2015 hostage on their site and have replaced my photos with black and grey boxes of ugliness. I’m slowly deleting those boxes from my blog and trying to update so many posts, very frustrating.

Port Gamble in Washington

 

On Wednesday afternoon Josh, Laura, Michelle and I took the Ferry from Edmonds to Kingston for High Tea in Port Gamble. The Tea Room at Port Gamble is in an old Victorian house on the main street in this little town. You get off the ferry at Kingston and follow the road to Highway 104 headed for the Hood Canal Bridge. When you get to the 25 mile an hour speed zone you know you are close. You can’t miss it and it’s a delightful afternoon stop!

 

Josh was such a good sport to play along and don a hat, too. He had never been to High Tea and we discussed just how civilized it is. Of course none of us had to wear hats but we were just in the mood.

 

I think the highlights for us were the wonderful scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream and then the chocolate fondue at the end of our tea. Duhliscious!! (I miss-spelled that on purpose!)

 

We strolled through the little town and enjoyed the architecture and unique little shops. Took the picture of the Artful Ewe for you Willow!

My son Josh and Laura

My DIL Laura and niece Michelle

 

Do you see the sign the antique dealer has under her cash register in her shop? It says “YOUR HUSBAND CALLED – And said you can buy anything you want” On the way out of town we stopped at the Anglican Church.

 

From the cemetery we could see the Hood Canal Bridge and we commented that we should drop in on Dave and Beth but we didn’t call ahead and our afternoon was turning into evening.  Maybe you can meet Katie and I for tea sometime in Port Gamble Beth!?

 

At the cemetery Josh spotted this engraving on one of the tombstones. “Remember friend as you pass by, As you are now so once was I, As I am now you soon will be, Prepare for death and follow me”

Sobering thought or it could be taken as an encouragement to prepare ourselves for the inevitable by making decisions today that guarantee our future in Glory when we meet our Creator…

Well we decided it was time to head back to the ferry dock and journey across the Puget Sound to Edmonds and onward. But what did we spot on the way back…

CB’s Nuts! A small Roasting operation right off the main highway. We made a U-turn and headed back after we zoomed by too fast to stop. We are glad we turned around. We met Mr. Roasting Guy and he sold us some fresh peanuts, pistachios, and peanut butter.

 

Can’t get too much fresher then this!

 

At the ferry dock while we were waiting for our boat I zoomed in for this shot of Mt. Rainier and downtown Seattle. If you look closely you can see the Space Needle to the right of the rest of the buildings.

Another fabulous day in the Greater Puget Sound! To end the day we met my other kids, Dan and Katie, at PF Chang’s for dinner. A very full day that made this lady pretty tired but joyful.

Photobucket is holding all my photos from 2007-2015 hostage on their site and have replaced my photos with black and grey boxes of ugliness. I’m slowly deleting those boxes from my blog and trying to update so many posts, very frustrating.

My Table and My Yard

 

I do other things beside canoeing, and sight seeing, and eating out when I’m in Washington or California for that matter. And whatever I do I’m inspired to take pictures. Digital Photography has made me free to snap, snap, snap away! First off it was time to change out the Red, White, and Blue table from our 4th of July celebrations. A fresh tablecloth, runner and a vase of fragrant lavender from my bushes make a nice crisp change. Then out to do yard work. I mowed, I pulled weeds and last but not least I attacked the following…

 

I don’t know what this fast growing, bamboo stalk type plant is but it has completely covered other plants and part of the trunk of this big pine tree we have in our side yard. I decided it was time to tell it who’s boss!

 

 

Now you can see the trunk of the tree and the other plants that are trying to grow here. In this shot you can see the stalks of the plant/weed that was taking over.

This shows you the bamboo type stalks on this plant.

And after work like this in the yard my body tells me it got used to living in a condo the rest of the year. I put my comfy clothes on and take 3 Ibuprofen every 4 hours just like Dear told me to. The next day I go out and am pleased I can now see all the not so well taken care of plants that were under the domination of the Bamboo stalker. What do you think, Dear? For those of you who don’t know Dear is in California right now while I’m in Washington and I miss him…

 

Now I just have to put all those branches in the Yard Waste bins…

Ha! But before I do I’m off for a day of fun because my niece Michelle, from Wait For It, is here in town and we’re going to have some adventures together with the family. Have a wonderful day everyone.

Oh and just one other thing. The sun has been shining most every day that I’ve been in Washington. Just gorgeous weather we’re having in the Great Northwest…

Photobucket is holding all my photos from 2007-2015 hostage on their site and have replaced my photos with black and grey boxes of ugliness. I’m slowly deleting those boxes from my blog and trying to update so many posts, very frustrating.

Bellevue Botanical Gardens

While I’m in the Seattle area for a spell, Katie and I are doing some tourist projects on her days off. We’re going out to enjoy God’s creation around us here in the Puget Sound Area. On Tuesday we took a trip to Bellevue to stroll through the Botanical Gardens. There were so many beautiful things to see. The garden is free with free parking, too. It’s located on Main Street between 120th Ave. NE and 124th Ave. NE.

 

So lush, so green, this is one of the benefits of our climate in the Northwest.

 

Makes you think that Faeries might be living here.

 

The different shades of green were wonderful. The sun was shining without a cloud in the sky so the light made for some great contrast with shadow.

 

Many of the Spring blooms have faded but there were plenty of summer blooms for us to enjoy. I’d love to come back here in the Spring.

 

Golden shades of yellow ~

 

Some more exotic looking blooms and ferns.

 

The Fuchsias were blooming.

 

Lovely shades of purple.

 

 

Don’t you just love all the pink flowers God created for us to enjoy. Hydrangeas are just coming out in their glory. And now for the prettiest blossom in the garden…

 

Our sweet daughter Katie. Today she had a crooked smile because she had just had some dental work done and half her mouth was numb. Beautiful never-the-less.

Photobucket is holding all my photos I stored with them from 2007-2015 hostage. They have blacked out all those photos on my blog posts. OH BOTHER! I’m slowly cleaning up my posts.