Market Day

On Tuesday some of the crew had a shopping day in Woodinville and then we re-grouped with a couple carloads going downtown on the way to deliver Melissa to the airport. She had to fly home on Tuesday for work responsibilities.

My sister Kathy and I stayed behind. We picked up Katie who was done with her workday and enjoyed lunch together at La Corona our favorite Mexican joint on the west side of the Cascades. Sadly because of COVID our favorite waitress only gets 3 days of work and Tuesday was not her day. After lunch we shopped for some dinner items and headed back to Josh and Laura’s to relax before we started cooking dinner. Taco night with pies for dessert.

A very random shot of the clean up after dinner.

On Tuesday night I was feeling under the weather so I made the decision to stay away from the rest of the family gatherings on Wednesday and planned to drive back home on Thursday morning instead of Friday. Even though I didn’t get the chance to see Liliana at La Corona on Tuesday I was able to see her on Wednesday and it was good to get caught up with her and the owner of La Corona. It’s not an easy time for restaurant owners and their waitstaff.

It was good to see Lily!

Wednesday was pumpkin patch day for the rest of the crew.

Are you going to a Pumpkin Patch this year and do you have a Corn Maze near you?

Back in Colville we had our first good frost and this week is bringing more freezing temps so we’ve disconnected all our hoses, closed the crawl space vents, and rolled up the patio cover cloth. On a dry day I’ll be clearing out all the beds and our burn pile will be stacked and ready for the burn ban to be lifted.

Happy Thanksgiving Day to our Canadian neighbors and Happy Columbus Day here in the USA!

Signs, signs ~ Seattle

This is the main drive entrance to the Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle. The sign on the lamp post says Pike Up. This is where anyone visiting and televising something going on in Seattle goes to take photos of the fish throwing at the market.

There are lots of one way streets downtown. Here’s a reflection with a One Way sign.

Linking up with Lesley at signs, signs.

This photos were taken last Wednesday. We are having a picture perfect day with blue skies and sunshine today, too. Hope your New Year is going forward in a good way.

Z is for…

…Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah.

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay
My, oh, my what a wonderful day
Plenty of sunshine headin my way
Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, Zip-a-dee-ay

Between Christmas and the New Year we had a wonderful day with plenty of sunshine in downtown Seattle. Our plan was to go to the Seattle Art Museum to see their visiting Impressionism exhibit.

There was a sign that caught my eye and made me happy. It said “please take photos”! Just as long as you didn’t use your flash photo taking was allowed.

We left the Impressionist exhibit as the crowds began to arrive and we enjoyed some other areas of the museum.

This painting above is a Monet that was new to me. The painting below is by Renoir.

Peaches on a Plate…The names of a lot of the paintings made me chuckle.

On our way to the museum we had more beautiful sunshine blue skies.

It was a beautiful day to look up at the skyscrapers!

When we go downtown we enjoy lunch at “The Met” The Metropolitan Grill, a favorite Seattle Steak house.

There were still some nice Christmas scenes we enjoyed on our walk back to the parking garage. Speaking of the parking garage we scored big time only paying $6.00 for 3 hours!

…My, oh, My what a wonderful day!

I’m linking up to ABC Wednesday started by Mrs. Nesbitt and carried on by Roger and other team members! Looks like we made it to the end of the alphabet already!

Five of Many!

Whoa! It has been weeks and weeks since I participated in Susanne’s Fave Five at Living to Tell the Story and I have nothing but life to blame. Seasons come and seasons go but one thing never changes and remains and for that I am ever so grateful (Hebrews 13:8). Although I haven’t participated I have visited some of your Fives. Today it will be fun to see what all of you have been up to.

My Five Favorite things that I’m thankful for this past week:

1. That our family could get together for a early Thanksgiving celebration this past Saturday and we all got to meet and enjoy our son’s girlfriend.

2. For times together with the family away from our table. We had a nice time out on Sunday for brunch and a wee stroll around Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle.

3. For my faithful “Dear” who continues to work hard in the market place and at home and provides well for our household.

4. For reports we get from Afghanistan when our Son in law, Andrew , makes it back from “Missions” safe and sound.

5. For my pop’s well being since my mom died this past September. After living with your love for 70 years it’s not easy living alone. I enjoy getting the facebook photos from my sister and niece when they take him dinner on a weekly basis. Here’s another facebook photo my sister sent me that makes me smile. This is the first recliner he has ever called his own or chair for that matter. It took 90 years for him to get his favorite chair and Dear and I are so thankful we could buy it and have it delivered from 1200 miles away (the chair wasn’t delivered from that far but the arrangements were made from afar). He called me after it was delivered and said “lyena, when I sat down in the chair I just laughed, I was so happy.”

I think it still has the tags on it in this photo.

Bonus Fave: I’m so thankful that God loves me and sent His son to die in my place so that I can have so much hope for the future no matter what this life throws at me and for everything that comes and goes His love remains and He is the same.

Happy Thanksgiving and Gobble Gobble y’all!

A bonus question if you want to answer it (or are old enough to answer) as I noticed today is November 22nd and 50 years since the day JFK was assassinated. Where were you on that day when you heard the news? Did you know that C.S. Lewis died on this very day, too?

My answer: I was in 8th grade science class at Montebello Junior High in California. Our science teacher gave us the news. It was such a somber sad day at school. Each class we went to there were tears and disbelief and then we all went home and were glued to our televisions. It wasn’t until years later that I learned C.S. Lewis died on this day, too.

Sunday in Seattle…

On Sunday morning we headed to Seattle to have brunch at Palisade on Elliott Bay.

It was very windy and the water was choppy with white caps. We had the sun blinding us and then getting blocked with clouds that the wind whipped through the skies.

The sun kept breaking through so after brunch and our photos in the wind we decided to head to Pike Place Market and see if we could find a parking spot and enjoy the market and all it has to offer.

Our son just sent me this photo so I’m adding it into my post after the fact.

When our parking time was up Dear and I headed home leaving the “kids” to do a little shopping before they joined us at home again. The skies and views tempted me to take photos from the car on the ride home.

We had a wonderful weekend. Dan and Jamie left to go over the pass while it was still early and light on Monday. A very good choice as the weather is worsening with more snow predicted to fall in our passes.

The rest of the week is relatively free for us. The only thing on the books is our small group meeting here on Thursday evening. I’m looking forward to getting things thought through for Christmas. Maybe I’ll even start on our Christmas letter…maybe. Have you started thinking, planning, or buying for Christmas?

Tour of Seattle…

…on a blustery day!

The wind and rain limited my camera from clicking much outdoors. We were again blessed with a parking spot right at the Market! Amazing! My cousin and his wife who happens to be my best friend from college are in Seattle and I tried to give them my hallmark tour but we just had to go with the flow. While at the Market we went down the steps to the famous “Gum Wall”.

It can be a little overwhelming for newcomers! Jim and Jeanie were good sports.

Jim wanted to enjoy the abundance of our seafood choices and ordered a crab cocktail to enjoy while we walked around the stalls in the Market.

When in Seattle it’s a good idea to enjoy our bounty!

Katie joined us on our tour, too. Our last stop downtown would be Boka for Happy Hour where we would meet Dear when he was done with work.

I’m grateful that Dear is willing to work hard while I gallivant about the town. We love to meet up after work for him to enjoy a good ending to the day.

Father and daughter time is always good along with some good food!

We have lots of good history with Jim and Jeanie. Jim, Jeanie and I all graduated together from Cal State Los Angeles in 1972. Jeanie and I both graduated with a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Home Economics. We both completed a 5th year to receive our Teaching Credential. Jim and Jeanie were married the same year Dear and I were married. We’ve had lots of celebrations together. We lived in Huntington Beach together as newlyweds and attended the same church. Their 3 kids were born in the same years our kids were born at different ends of the year.

Our Seattle tour was on Friday afternoon. I’ll be sharing our Saturday tour on Whidbey Island soon. Today we attended church together with a great celebration of Missions around the world and in our neighborhoods. Good times and good memories continue. A great afternoon of re-kindling our memories of fun playing Rook together so many years ago…

Hope you had a good weekend!

Traveling Mosaics…

This past week was filled with travel and travelers. Dear and I traveled to Eastern Washington to spend a couple days with our son and we had travelers arrive at our house for the week. Today I’m sharing some views from our busy week. I’ll be posting more views from our week soon.

This is a restaurant in Chewelah that wasn’t open on Monday or Tuesday so we met our son here on Wednesday morning before we hit the road home. It was worth the wait for breakfast at The Chalet Grill and & Lounge.

At the Chewelah Pioneer Cemetery we saw a headstone for someone who was born in 1820 buried here. Chewelah has some very interesting history that you can read about here.

We took a slightly different route home from our trip out. We made good time and arrived home to spend the evening with our house guests from California. My sister and her daughter’s family spent the week at our home with and without us.

On Friday we had the classic whirlwind tour of Seattle taking in Pike Place Market, Kerry Park, and the Troll. At Pike Place we made stops at the original Starbucks, Piroshky Piroshky for our traditional Russian treats, the flower stands inside the market, the fish throwing, and the yucky gum wall below the market.

My niece and grandniece at the wonderful flower stalls in the Pike Place Market.

One of these dudes is not like the others…

My oldest sister and her granddaughter.

We didn’t escape the gum wall!

Last stop on the way home was a visit to the troll who lives under a bridge in Fremont. We were sad to see that the troll had been defaced. Look closely at the Troll’s hand that the kids are standing on, that is an actual VW bug that his hand is covering!

Our company hit the road home to Southern California on Saturday. Dear goes back to work on Monday. I’m spending time relaxing while watching the Olympics. So far summer here has been busy and eventful. Hope all is going well in your neck of the woods!

I’ll be linking up with Mary at Little Red House for Mosaic Monday.

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…

Signs of My Summer…

It’s that time of the week again when I scramble to find photos that will fit the Alphabet letter of the week. This week we are up to the letter S. I know it’s Wednesday and not Thursday yet but I’ve got something special to post tomorrow…

Jenny keeps us all on track with Alphabe-Thursday so click on over to join in the fun.

Signs are my choice for the letter S!

Sisters by marriage at Julienne.

I was happy to even find some signs in my archives that had words that began with the letter S.

This is the original Starbucks in Downtown Seattle across from Pike Place Market.

This next sign is from a couple summers ago from Central California. It just made me chuckle.

Summer made a slow appearance here in Western Washington but these last weeks of August have been very nice. Even though Fall is one of my favorites I’m happy that the sun and warmer temperatures finally blessed our region. Next week Dear is off and we are going to head to the Oregon Coast and then inland to Bonneville Hot Springs. I probably won’t have a chance to participate with the letter T. Hope you all are still enjoying your summer…

Packed Into Three Days…

Mosaics today with more details to follow during the week.

Jill arrived at SeaTac Airport on Thursday morning and we headed straight to Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle.

Kerry Park on Queen Anne Hill has a wonderful view of Seattle and if you continue down Highland you’ll find this sweet little park.

On Friday morning, bright and early, we headed out to catch the Edmonds/Kitsap Ferry which took us across the Puget Sound to the Kitsap Peninsula. We traveled a few miles to the Hood Canal Bridge which took us to the Olympic Peninsula and then to our destination of Sequim.

We were blessed with more than beautiful views of lavender in Sequim.

Full grown eagles and a couple young eagles still in their nest were a wonderful surprise for us to view. The Dungeness Spit and Lighthouse are the background for this mosaic with the eagles who were nesting above this area. At 5.5 miles in length, the Dungeness Spit is the world’s longest naturally occurring sandspit and home to the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge. Dungeness Crab comes from this area.

I have many photos to share from our lavender tour and eagles which I’ll share later during the week.

I’m linking my Mosaics over at Mary’s Little Red House.

Hope to visit you soon…

The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b.

To honor and encourage

Tag Archives: Pike Place Market