Tag Archives: Photography

Our New Princess

Our daughter Katie was the princess, the youngest grand-daughter and niece on my side of the family for 22 years. She was usurped this year in her reign by our new little niece and princess, Hope. Katie has given up her throne willingly for this sweet new cousin. Once they meet I’m sure they’ll love each other more and more…

Here we are meeting for the first time. Look she’s smiling. I think she likes us.

 

Boy all these new fangled toys they have these days. She really got them whirling!

 

In the Baby Bjorn with daddy. I love when she screws up her forehead, sets her eyebrows and really looks serious.

 

We got to witness her baby dedication. Here she is in the very same dress her mommy wore.

At the dedication service with mom and dad.

She had quite the long day and is ready to escape to dreamland…

Photobucket is holding all my photos from 2007-2015 hostage and they have blacked them all out. I’m slowly working at restoring my posts without their help. Such a tiresome bother!

Set the Table, Tea is On!

This weeks tea challenge for the Gracious Hospital-I-Tea Blog-a-thon is to share a creative afternoon tea table, linens, serving pieces, teapots and teacup, etc. This is your opportunity to show the world the fun you have when you create your own special tea experience.

I have 3 tea settings to share from previous posts. My first one I’m sharing is my Tea for One.

 

In the past I’ve collected napkin rings. This silver ring with the E on it is my personal napkin ring. The little tea pot is from Russia and has a huge matching pot that I’ll show during “The Pouring Teapot”. I have a couple little tea mugs instead of tea cups with saucers. The white/clear depression glass plates and creamer and sugar are from our handed down stash from Dear’s side of the family. The silverplate candy dish was a wedding gift.

 

The Tablecloth is one of several vintage ones I have from my MIL’s collection.

 

“Tea to the English is really a picnic indoors.”
Alice Walker

A beautiful afternoon for tea…

For more “Set the Table” posts visit Gracious Hospitality.

Photobucket is holding all my photos from 2007-2015 hostage and they have blacked them all out. I’m slowly working at restoring my posts without their help. Such a tiresome bother!

The Soul Cheering Promise ~ Hymn

The Soul Cheering Promise
(words by Fanny Crosby)

We know not the trials before us,
But Jesus takes thought for them all,
And trusting the aid of His counsel,
We never, no, never can fall;
We know not the trials before us,
Or what on the morrow may be,
But sweet is the soul cheering promise,
“My grace is sufficient for thee.”

Refrain

Then cleave to the Savior, cleave to Him,
Whatever the conflict may be,
Remember the soul cheering promise,
“My grace is sufficient for thee.”

We know not the trials before us,
But why; should we tremble or fear?
The arm of the Lord will protect us,
The ark of His mercy is near;
We know not the trials before us,
Or what our temptations may be,
But stronger than death is the promise,
“My grace is sufficient for thee.”

Refrain

We know not the trials before us,
The sorrows and cares we shall meet,
But O there’s a refuge in Jesus,
Though surges may break at our feet;
How blessèd that refuge forever
Where safe from the storm we shall be,
The password to life is the promise,
“My grace is sufficient for thee.”

Refrain

II Corinthians 12:9 ~ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Choose Joy ~

 

One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living.  We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon-instead of enjoying the roses blooming outside our own windows today.
~Dale Carnegie

ht: I saw this quote at Button Willow, a very beautiful blog.

Photobucket is holding all my photos from 2007-2015 hostage and they have blacked them all out. I’m slowly working at restoring my posts without their help. Such a tiresome bother!

Sky Watch ~ Our Lord’s Candle

 

I saw this wisp of a cloud on a neighborhood walk with Willow last week. The hillsides are filled with these Yucca’s blooming right now. I’d like to get a little closer to one and smell the fragrance…

Our Lord’s Candle (Yucca whipplei) Agave Family. AGAVACEAE ~ The flower stalk is 4 to 8 feet tall. There is basal rosette of spine-tipped, sword-like leaves 1 to 3 feet long. The white flowers sometimes purple-tinged, appear in a terminal compound cluster up to 4 feet long. They are very fragrant and even have a pleasant taste when nibbled.

Beginning in April and continuing through July, Our Lord’s Candle blooms abundantly in Chaparral and Oak Woodland in elevations up to 2500 feet.

 

For more Sky Watch photos click over to Wiggers World.

Photobucket is holding all my photos from 2007-2015 hostage and they have blacked them all out. I’m slowly working at restoring my posts without their help. Such a tiresome bother!

Japanese Tea ~ Matcha and Katie’s Yukata

Here is the second guest post from my daughter Katie. She has included photos of her Yukata and a little description of the type of tea used in her Art of Japanese Tea classes.

“I finally received my yukata! Here are some pictures of me wearing it down at the arboretum. Don’t judge my obi tying too harshly, this was the first week that I dressed myself without help from my friend Mika or my teacher.

 

 

In the class we have now done the full procedure for taking a sweet from a bowl with chopsticks several times, have begun doing the full procedure for taking tea, and just started practicing the procedures for purifying all the implements before whisking tea. I got complimented by some of my peers and by my teacher for my tea-whisking skill. 🙂 The tea we use is matcha, which is powdered green tea. It’s…an acquired taste, but I think I’m starting to like it. Mika insists that it is addictive. I guess I just don’t have an addictive personality, haha.”

Thank you so much Katie!

For more posts on Favorite Teas click over to Gracious Hospitality.

Photobucket is holding all my photos from 2007-2015 hostage and they have blacked them all out. I’m slowly working at restoring my posts without their help. Such a tiresome bother!

WFW ~ II Corinthians 2: 14-15

 

II Corinthians 2: 14-15 ~

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.”

For more Word Filled Wednesday click over to The 160 Acre Woods

ABC Wednesday ~ O is for…

O is for Oban, Scotland ~

Oban is the gateway to the Isles.

 

Oban is on the west coast of Scotland.

Oban is the frontier between the West Highlands and the Islands; the meeting place between land and sea. A perfect, sheltered harbour makes it the principal seaport for the Isles and the capital of the West Highlands. It has a mild, temperate climate, warmed by the Gulf Stream and washed (too often, some might say) by the soft rain that often falls hereabouts. This misty, briny character, with a background of heather and peat, is perfectly echoed in the malt whisky produced at Oban.

 

We travelled to Oban in May of 2006 and enjoyed a couple nights here. Our favorite part of this stay was our day trip to the Isle of Iona via the Isle of Mull. Our tour of the Oban Distillery was an extra treat for Dear…

For more O posts visit Mrs. Nesbitt

ht: Dave for Oban photos…

Photobucket is holding all my photos from 2007-2015 hostage and they have blacked them all out. I’m slowly working at restoring my posts without their help. Such a tiresome bother!

Hospital-i-Tea Blogathon ~ Favorite Tea

April 27 – May 3
Tell about your favorite tea. How do you prepare it and serve it? Milk and sugar? Plain? What are some of your best memories of serving or sipping on this tea.

Truth be told I generally enjoy tea steeped with a tea bag. If I am going to steep loose tea I enjoy a good Earl Grey or English Breakfast Tea. I always have to make sure I have good ole Lipton tea bags around for my family especially my brother Leonard. Some of my sisters have moved on to herbal teas. When I was younger I put lots of sugar and milk in my tea. These days I drink most of my hot beverages black with no sweeteners. In honor of this weeks assignment Dear and I went to Cost Plus bought a tin of Twinings Earl Grey Loose Tea and steeped ourselves a cuppa this afternoon. Lovely…

 

My best memories of tea are from my childhood when I’d have tea with my maternal grandmother. Also whenever we get together with my side of the family we enjoy tea at the end of our meals together. Sometimes I’ll have it black, sometimes with lemon, and sometimes with milk. Then the next best memory of tea is when I travelled to England for the first time in 1973. We were part of a Christian Rock band singing at local schools and churches. We would be housed by local families who were interested in our ministry. How very special it was to have a knock on the bedroom door in the morning, open the door and see a tray with a teapot steeping and tea cups and milk to get us started in the morning. What a wonderful treat and memory. I also love how when staying at Bed and Breakfasts in England we’ve been greeted with tea upon our arrival. This next photo is of our daughter enjoying a cup of welcome tea in our flat in Edinburgh.

 

I’d love that beautiful blue and white tea set! Tea is always a welcome refreshment when I am tired and after travelling a long way.

 

For more Tea Posts visit LaTeDah at Gracious Hospitality.

Photobucket is holding all my photos from 2007-2015 hostage and they have blacked them all out. I’m slowly working at restoring my posts without their help. Such a tiresome bother!

Fun Monday ~ Favorite Walk

Here’s our assignment from Angela at the Lurchers for this week.

“I’m going to make it a nice and easy Fun Monday this week. All I want you to do is take me on your favourite walk. In words or pictures. Or both of course! Tell me why it’s your favourite and point out things of interest on the way.”

My husband and I have two wonderful walks that we do early on Saturday mornings. Our walk along the beach at Emma Wood State Beach in Ventura, California.

 

The beauty of the Pacific Ocean, the fresh salt air, all of God’s beautiful splendor, what a wonderful stimulation for all our senses.

 

Then we have another choice close by. Our second favorite is in the Santa Monica Mountains that are in our backyard. In Sycamore Canyon we have several hiking trails with different elevations to choose from. On the Scenic Trail we again are able to see the Pacific Ocean when we reach the top…

 

We enjoy both of these walks/hikes because we are generally all alone going as early as we do. It’s quiet except for the birds and the crashing of the waves. We see different and interesting plants and wildlife.

 

It’s great to get away from the neighborhood and into the “wild”.

For more Fun Monday visit Angela at the Lurchers.

And look what Anni gave me today. I love her graphics and this one is so darn cute! Thanks Hootin Anni!

Photobucket is holding all my photos from 2007-2015 hostage and they have blacked them all out. I’m slowly working at restoring my posts without their help. Such a tiresome bother!