Tag Archives: Friday’s Fave Five

Five Amazing Things…

I have time this Friday to join in with Susanne at Living to Tell the Story for Friday’s Fave Five! It’s been awhile and it will probably be a couple weeks before I can join in again.

This is a post about amazing things. The most amazing thing is that Jesus Christ laid down his perfect life to save all who are lost in their own sin. I was lost in myself and now I see how big my God is and how he saved me with His perfection…Jesus Christ.

Our son Dan sent me this photo from his yard over the internet. Amazing things…beautiful lilac, a lovely butterfly and the internet where I can enjoy this photo minutes after our son took it from 6 hours driving distance away!

Amazing how time flies! Weren’t we just celebrating Christmas!? Here we are on the brink of June!

It’s amazing to me that we are planning a trip to Great Britain in September with our son and his dear wife. Their first time, Dear and my 6th time together. Very excited to see England on our son and daughter in law’s terms. Each of our children are different and England holds so much to see to cover each of their particular interests. With Katie it was mostly literary, Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Jane Austen. With Josh it has to include Soccer! Laura and I will push for the quaint and lovely and probably a play or musical to enjoy…

Last amazing thing is related to our daughter’s literary interests. We found this Christmas card/offer from Dear to our Katie to read a book out loud to her when she was 3. She turned 4 just after Christmas that year and asked Dear to read her The Hobbit. He read it out loud to her and she recalls the fact that he used several different voices for the different characters in the book. Dear bought this copy of The Hobbit on one of his trips to England in the early 70’s. Our Katie to this day is the most interested in reading and enjoys several literary styles. The card had an expiration date on it added by her dad and Katie crossed it out and added the “Not expirable”. Katie is quite amazing as she was reading and understanding a wide vocabulary at a very early age.

I’m so looking forward to catching up with all the FFF participants and seeing what’s new in your worlds…

Bonhoeffer Quotes

For my Friday’s Fave Five hosted by Susanne at Living to Tell the Story this week I’m sharing 5 quotes from this biography on Bonhoeffer. I’m almost half way through it. It’s not a quick read book but one with so many things to consider along the way.

1. “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”

2. “Bonhoeffer began to wonder whether he ought to pursue the life of a pastor rather than that of an academic. His father and brothers thought it would be a waste of his great intellect, but he often said that if one couldn’t communicate the most profound ideas about God and the Bible to children, something was amiss. There was more to life than academia.”

3. ” Only if we will venture to enter into the words of the Bible, as though in them this God were speaking to us who loves us and does not will to leave us alone with our questions, only so shall we learn to rejoice in the Bible…”

4. “The church has only one altar, the altar of the Almighty…before which all creatures must kneel. Whoever seeks something other than this must keep away, he cannot join us in the house of God…the church has only one pulpit, and from that pulpit, faith in God will be preached, and no other faith, and no other will than the will of God, however well-intentioned”

5. “A true leader must know the limitations of his authority.”

A bonus quote:

6. “If you board the wrong train, he said, it is no use running along the corridor in the opposite direction.”

These quotes of course are more powerful to read in context and considering the time period that Bonhoeffer lived in Germany. Bonhoeffer is eventually executed just weeks before the end of WWII.

Taken from the jacket of the book: “Bonhoeffer gives witness to one man’s extraordinary faith and to the tortured fate of the nation he sought to deliver from the curse of Naziism. It brings the reader face to face with a man determined to do the will of God radically, courageously, and joyfully – even to the point of death. Bonhoeffer is the story of a life framed by a passion for truth and a commitment to justice on behalf of those who face implacable evil.”

I highly recommend this book to all of you.

To a lighter subject…I’m looking forward to our weekend and spending time with Josh, Laura and Katie at the opening game of our Sounder’s soccer season and then next week Katie, Dear and I are traveling across the mountains for Katie to see her brother Dan’s new home. Good times together…

What’s happening in your part of the world? I’ll leave you with this photo I took today that promises me that Spring is on it’s way…

Susanne’s new button also says Spring is coming!

Wrapped in Love…

It’s that time of year when the signs are all around us. This week for Susanne’s Friday’s Fave Five I’m concentrating on love. Some deep thoughts and some not so deep.

1. I love Jesus who gives me hope for today and my future.

2. I love fresh flowers and how they brighten up a room.

3. I love my family and friends.

4. My palate loves chocolate, especially mixed with nuts!

5. I love to watch for birds flying to the feeder. This is especially enjoyable in the sunshine!

And for the record I don’t think that “love is all you need”.

Hope you have opportunities to show love to those around you this week.

The 1st of February!

Today is a great day to reflect on the good things in our lives. I’m joining Susanne at Living to Tell the Story for Friday’s Fave Five.

1. Being able to read and study. Currently we are studying the gospel of John in our Women’s Bible Study and it has really been good. I’m reading a biography on Bonhoeffer that is teaching me a lot about Germany in the 30’s – 40’s and Bonhoeffer’s growth in faith and what that meant for him in Natzi Germany. I’m also reading several different travel guides for Milan and the Lakes in Italy to prepare for our trip in March.

2. Family and Friends to support and enrich our lives. The rich heritage I enjoy and having a family and friends that support me in so many ways can never be taken for granted.

3. Ingredients in abundance that we can buy and put together to make a satisfying dish. It’s great to have taste buds that are willing to try something new. I’m enjoying the adventure of cooking. Sharing what I’ve cooked with others is the cherry on top!

4. Products that make life easier. A few of these many products have gotten enough wear and tear around this old house that they are giving up on us. There are those that we don’t hesitate to replace because we just aren’t willing to live without them. One of those items was my wireless mouse! I’m still attached to a mouse even with my laptop. My fingers just don’t want to do the scrolling on the pad…

5. Shows that entertain us and even teach us something new. I enjoy period pieces like Downton Abbey where you are entertained while getting a picture of what life was like during different periods in history. I also watch shows like Biggest Loser and find it rewarding to see the progress of the contestants. Sometimes I’m inspired to add some healthy alternatives to my life.

What good things are you thankful for today?

The Five…

Today is Friday and I’m joining Susanne at Living to Tell the Story for her Friday’s Fave Five. It’s good to think back over the past week and see the good things in life that God has blessed you with to enjoy.

1. Vareniki have become traditional for my family to prepare together before Christmas and then to serve on Christmas Eve for dessert. My mom’s version are larger and fancier than these but when I don’t get my mom’s these are the next best thing. I can buy them at a European Deli not too far form my home. They call them perogies but the Russian on the upper left translates to Vareniki with cheese. After they are formed, filled with cheese and sealed they are boiled cooled and frozen. We like to serve them hot out of the oven after they are cooked from their frozen state with butter and 1/2 and 1/2. Then we plop some sour cream on top and cover them with good maple syrup. Delicious! We had these for breakfast last Saturday before we started in on cleaning out the garage loft.

2. When we crave a good meatball sandwich we drive to a pizza joint in Lynnwood. We’ve tried to find a good one closer to us but they always disappoint. These were delicious as usual. I brought half of mine home for another day. All my favorites aren’t about food but it seems the freezing snap we’ve had since last Friday made us seek out some of our favorite comfort foods.

3. Our favorite sons both have birthdays this week. We are so thankful that God blessed us with them. Each one is unique and appreciated!

4. I’m thankful for the local library where I can put books on hold and then check out to enjoy without spending lots of money. The book in the middle is co-authored by our friend Lela Gilbert. Lela has a new book out that I’ve ordered from Amazon called, Saturday People, Sunday People. I’ll share more about it after it arrives. Without Reservations was recommended to me by Susan in Switzerland after she read about our upcoming trip to Milan. The Unofficial Downton Abbey cookbook is just for fun.

5. We are excited about finally sending our chairs out to be reupholstered. They were in sorry shape after 36 years or so of wear and tear. We are looking forward to their new look and feel.

In the meantime the table is very lonely.

Looking forward to coming around and seeing your favorites this week. What’s in store for your weekend? Some of us in the U.S. get a long weekend since Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr. observance. Dear’s company doesn’t give him the day off. We hope to celebrate with Josh and Laura on Sunday if they are well enough. (Lousy illnesses gripping our world!) We also are plowing forward to try to  finish the clean up in the garage. Blessings!!

The Last Friday…

…of 2012!

I decided I better join in for Friday’s Fave Fives with Susanne at Living to Tell the Story since this will be the last faves this year. Oye, where did the year go?

1. We had one of the most wonderful Christmas Eve Service I’ve ever been to. From a stomp band to the candle light Silent Night it was a night of worshiping Jesus.

2. Josh and Laura came to spend the night on Christmas Eve after celebrating the evening with Laura’s family. It was so nice to spend Christmas day with them. We will be together with Josh, Laura, Dan, Katie and Andrew on Friday night and Saturday for Second Christmas.

3. Having Katie and Andrew arrive the day after Christmas. The last time we had the two of them together here was for their wedding in March.

4. Celebrating Katie’s 27th birthday on the 27th. We gave gifts and then shopped to exchange some of the gifts, :). We met Dear for lunch and then Josh and Laura joined us and brought Chinese in for dinner. We put 27 candles on the cake I baked and watched it glow as we wished Katie God’s continued blessings for her golden year.

Watch the powdered sugar fly!

Laura brought golden roses for Katie’s golden birthday!

5. When Dear and I were at the MGCC Christmas party at Judy (My Front Porch) and Elmer’s a couple Sunday’s ago we were introduced to the game of Crokinole. We had never heard of it before. We ordered a game after the party and the family has been enjoying learning how to play it. Josh, Laura, Dear and I played it on Christmas day and last night after cake and ice cream Katie and Andrew were introduced to the game.

After Josh and Laura left we waited up for Dan who drove across the mountains to join us for 2nd Christmas (his first). He arrived at 10 PM safe and sound and then I went to bed sleeping well knowing that. Fun times….

I’m hoping to get around to a few Fave Five participants but it might take a while since tonight we are 9 for dinner here and I’ll be busy making preparations for our 2nd Christmas dinner. Tomorrow morning we will open stockings, have Dear’s Swedish pancakes and Judy’s bacon wrapped smokies again. Then we will open presents and relax together and probably play some more Crokinole. Saturday night we are having a relaxed soup meal together.

Hope you all have a good weekend.

200 Fridays of Favorites…

Today Susanne at Living to Tell the Story is celebrating the 200th Friday’s Fave Five!

I picked up a book at Goodwill of Prayers by Michel Quoist. On the subject of Thankfulness he writes:

“We must know how to say, “Thank You.” Our days are filled with the gifts the Lord showers on us. If we were in the habit of taking stock of them, at night we should be like a “queen for the day,” dazzled and happy with so many blessings. We should then be grateful to God, secure because he gives us everything, joyful because we know that every day he will renew his gifts.”

Because Jesus died and rose again paying the debt for all my sin to God, I am forever His thankful child.

Here are my 5 for this week:

1. Thank you Lord, for these girls who came into my life unexpectedly and have become my true blue friends!

2. Thank you Lord, for my “Dear” who provides for me, is faithful in our marriage and is always willing to do those little and big home improvements.

3. Thank you Lord, for our children and the good relationship with have with them. Thank you that they stay in contact with us and find ways to spend time with us in person or with phone calls.

4. Thank you Lord, for all the beauty you have created for us to enjoy.

5. Thank you Lord, for our abundance of good things to eat and that we’ve never gone hungry.

What are your favorites this week?

I’m adding this link to my very first Fave post.

FFF ~ Summertime…

It’s been a while since I’ve participated in Susanne’s Friday’s Fave Five but I’m happy to chime in this week. The next few weeks of my summer are going to be really busy so I don’t know what my Friday’s will hold in the world of blogging. So here are some of my favorites from this last week.

1. Field of Dreams fund raiser auction for Medical Teams International.  Click on the link to find out what great work this group does. Our son invited us to join their table at the event and we were so glad that we attended and found out the scope of this great organization in helping the hurting around the world and in the USA.

2. HomeGoods grand opening was a long awaited event for me. I grew to enjoy the shopping experience at this store when we lived in California and was hoping they’d make their way to Washington State. Their grand opening was this past Sunday and I made my first shopping trip on Monday morning. On my initial trip I bought some goodies for the yard, a bird bath and some iron wall decorations. I’ll share a photo when they are mounted properly, too.

3. Spending time in person and talking with our adult kids on the phone. It’s always so good to hear their voices and to get up to date on what’s going on in their worlds…

4. Starting my first Christmas project. A first for me trying this German traditional treat. I found some little jars at HomeGoods for my Christmas gifting of the end result, too. Of course instead of calling it Rumptopf I might have to change the name to Vodkatopf or Smirntopf.

5. Enjoying a new mystery writer to me. I’ve started the Inspector Monk murder mystery series by Anne Perry staged in Victorian England with all the manners and tensions and history of this period. It’s been a good escape for me.

My sister Kathy sent my family the text of Psalm 145 this week and it was such a great Psalm to read and consider. I’ll leave you with just 2 of the verses.

The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.
The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.

Psalm 145:8-9

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and to our Canadian friends a very happy Canada Day weekend to you!

Favorites Into May!

Attending a wedding of forever friends is special but it’s a double , triple, quadruple blessing when you get to celebrate it with family and more friends, new friends, friends that are yours for eternity.  The fairy tale wedding of Lucy and Kris tops my favorites for this past week.

1. We traveled to Whidbey Island on Saturday, checked into our Inn, had a light lunch in Langley and headed to the wedding at a garden destination minutes from our Inn.

2. The weather held for the bride’s dream of being able to have the wedding outdoors. Our son and daughter in law were in the wedding. Our son is like a brother to the bride who is one of 3 girls in her family. We met the bride and her family in 1984 in Ventura, California and have been good friends since that time. Our boys and daughter and the 3 girls in this family have always gotten along brilliantly.  The bride’s sister was our daughter’s maid of honor a month ago in her wedding.

3. Our son Josh gave a wedding toast to the Bride and Groom at the reception. We were so pleased with his encouraging affirming thoughts and wishes for the new couple. We love to hear a toast that honors instead of demeans or makes fun of the couple.

4. It was so nice to have a short drive to our Inn after the reception looking forward to one more day on the island. We had a restful sleep, a nice early morning walk where we got to observe an Eagle and a whale, a tasty breakfast and a nice drive to some beautiful garden settings. Oops…we had 2nd breakfast, too.

Crab Cake Eggs Benedict!

5. Its always good to come home to all the familiar comforts. My last favorite for the week was a fun evening at Century Link field watching the Seattle Sounders gain a victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy. The weather was good for the game and the drive to the game with my son and daughter in law gave us time to get caught up with life.

So what were your favorites this week? You can link up with Susanne at Living to Tell the Story to share…

Timeless Favorites…

On Friday it’s time to look back and think about the good things in our lives. I’m joining in for Friday’s Fave Five with Susanne at Living to Tell the Story.

My Timeless favorites are all wrapped around Family, Food, Friends, Flowers and Fellowship!

Last Saturday Dear and I had to change our yard/house work plans because the roofers were still here. We headed to Snohomish to do some antique shopping eating a good breakfast on the way. On Sunday Josh and Laura came over and we barbecued a meal to have together and got caught up on our lives. The weather was beautiful in the Seattle area on Saturday and Sunday. It brought out the best in people!

On Wednesday a few of the girls from MGCC were on a tour of Seattle so I popped downtown and met them for the morning. Don’t be surprised with all the photos of the food I’ll be showing you that we indulged in. Warning: If you haven’t eaten you might want to step away and come back later. Food, fun and fellowship galore around the table!

Breakfast at the Edgewater Inn where the girls were staying. After breakfast they grabbed their umbrellas and I grabbed my rain coat and we headed to Pike Place Market.

First stop was the original Starbucks. We were already on coffee overload from our breakfast so we just stopped long enough for a photo.

Marg seemed to know someone at every stop we made. Before we headed into the Market proper we went downstairs so I could show them the famous gum wall below the market.

It was refreshing to see all the beautiful flowers in the main thoroughfare of the market after the disgusting interesting gum wall. Flowers at the market are one of the best things in my opinion. Because it’s April and tulip season in Washington the majority of the flowers were tulips.

The Market was easy to navigate because we did not have the summer or weekend crowds to contend with. This walkway in the market can be wall to wall people.

Marg and Judy

After the Market and before the girls had to be back at the bus to continue their tour we stopped a Macrina Bakery. We were just going to have some coffee and a pastry but in order to sit at a table we had to order lunch so…what’s a girl gonna do? We ordered a cup of soup which was delicious along with wonderful baked fresh bread.

Remember that pastry we were just going to have? Instead we ordered their pie of the day with lemon infused cream. We split it three ways cuz that’s what friends do to help each other…

We walked back to the hotel and the girls got their spots on the bus and I jumped into my car and headed home. On the way I got a little peek of the Space Needle that has returned to it’s original Galaxy Gold color in honor of the anniversary of the 1962 World’s Fair.

I hope to get a photo from a better angle before the World Fair Anniversary events are over. Hope you are focusing on good things to be thankful for this week, too. Blessings…