Tag Archives: Red White and Blue

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes Hodgepodge

Our current views are smoke filled and our air is very unhealthy. When I was at the library yesterday they were handing out smoke rated masks.

Continuing with Wednesday Hodgepodge with Joyce From This Side of the Pond this historic week for our family and nation. 

1. What gives you energy?

Planning for a trip or an event gives me energy.

What takes it away?

Confrontation

2. How often do you shop for clothes?

Not often. If I’m going to shop for clothes it would be for a wedding or another special event.

What accessory do you always wear? 

My wedding ring and my watch.

3. What’s something free that you feel grateful for? 

The air we breathe. This is what came to mind because of the smoke filled skies and ash in the air. My throat is scratchy and my eyes are sore. Looking forward to our fires being put out and our skies clearing.

There are 5 fires burning in our area, maybe more. The two largest in our tri-county part of the state are within 15 miles from us. Agencies from across the state are camping in our little town as they help with the fires. I’ll have to get a photo of the camp sites to share.

4. Breakfast, lunch, dinner…which meal of the day do you enjoy most? What’s your go-to comfort food? 

Any one of them is enjoyed when the food is tasty and good. I find soup to be very comforting. Russian foods that our mom made are high on the list for comfort, pirishky, lopsha, apricot filled pastry, Vareniki, Roolyet, blintzes.

5. This week the world remembers the tragic events of 9/11. Do you mark the day in any way?

A day we’ll never forget.

This was taken in 2001. In reaction to sitting and watching all the horror unfold on our television, the attacks on our country, I found the flag that was presented to Greg’s mom at his father, Rex’s, funeral. I slipped it out our daughter’s window on the street side of our home in support of our country.

On the 20 year anniversary we put out all the flags!

There is a 9/11 ride here in our town every year and when we can we go out and wave our flags somewhere along the route.

How do historical events shape your perspective on your personal challenges?

In our travels in Oxford and in Scotland and interest in reading books about the reformation and reformers and all the history surrounding those who stood for truth and were martyred for their faith makes my personal challenges seem trivial in comparison.

Having a son-in-law who was deployed twice to Afghanistan and friends and a brother-in-law who served in Viet Nam and knowing all the challenges that they faced during and after their military service also gives me a different perspective on my aches and pains.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

In 2026 we will celebrate the 250th Anniversary of our Country and the 25th Anniversary of 2011. We’ll have to pull out all the stops with all of our red, white, and blue!

Three Cheers for the Red, White and Blue!

And…three cheers for our kids who share their photos with us! From Colville, Bothell and Lynnwood everyone had their version of celebrating Independence Day. God bless America.

My heart is heavy because of the tragedy from the Guadalupe River surge in Texas. I can’t imagine the pain and grief so many are going through. I’m sure many of you are feeling the same way. Prayers continue…

A Prayer on the Fourth

A prayer from President George Washington’s Prayer Journal:

“O eternal and everlasting God, I presume to present myself this morning before thy Divine majesty, beseeching thee to accept of my humble and hearty thanks, that it hath pleased thy great goodness to keep and preserve me the night past from all the dangers poor mortals are subject to, and has given me sweet and pleasant sleep, whereby I find my body refreshed and comforted for performing the duties of this day, in which I beseech thee to defend me from all perils of body and soul.

Direct my thoughts, words and work. Wash away my sins in the immaculate blood of the lamb, and purge my heart by thy Holy Spirit, from the dross of my natural corruption, that I may with more freedom of mind and liberty of will serve thee, the ever lasting God, in righteousness and holiness this day, and all the days of my life.

Increase my faith in the sweet promises of the Gospel. Give me repentance from dead works. Pardon my wanderings, & direct my thoughts unto thyself, the God of my salvation. Teach me how to live in thy fear, labor in thy service, and ever to run in the ways of thy commandments. Make me always watchful over my heart, that neither the terrors of conscience, the loathing of holy duties, the love of sin, nor an unwillingness to depart this life, may cast me into a spiritual slumber. But daily frame me more and more into the likeness of thy son Jesus Christ, that living in thy fear, and dying in thy favor, I may in thy appointed time attain the resurrection of the just unto eternal life. Bless my family, friends & kindred unite us all in praising & glorifying thee in all our works begun, continued, and ended, when we shall come to make our last account before thee blessed Saviour, who hath taught us thus to pray, our Father.”

I’m humbled by this prayer from the first president of the United States. I pray along with it as I ready this post.

The stained glass window with the sun streaming through casting it’s light and color onto the statue of George Washington was taken at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. in May of 2011. Dear had a conference in D.C. and I was able to tag along. The National Cathedral is a must see if you ever travel to D.C.

Here are some wise words from our first ‘first lady’;

“The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not on our circumstances. We carry the seeds of the one or the other about us in our minds wherever we go.” ~ Martha Washington

It is folly to say our nation was not founded on Christian principles. Some would like to blot out this part of our history and remove all evidence of our Founding Father’s faith in the one true God.

Have you ever seen or read the third verse of “The Star Spangled Banner”, our National Anthem?

 O thus be it ever when free men shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation!
Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Pow’r that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto, “In God is our trust.”
And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Praising God this morning for preserving our nation to this point in history.

Give me this day almighty God the Spirit filled mind to serve thee in the righteousness of your dear Son, Jesus my Lord, Christ’s sacrifice covers my sin repented of and gives me the strength to live in your holiness.  God bless America and keep our land free to worship you in righteousness and truth.

Have a safe and sane 4th of July everyone! We are celebrating with gratefulness and joy!

Freedom Rings Hodgepodge

Sizzling into Hodgepodge Wednesday this week. Thank you, Joyce! 

Today is forecast to be hot, hot, hot. If I do anything outside it will be in the early hours. But now on to the questions.

1. What does freedom mean to you? 

Freedom means I can choose. I can choose what I believe, where I live, where I get an education, where I go to church, what I wear, what I eat, where I work, what I do for fun, where I travel, and all of that without fear of being thrown into prison because of those choices.

I can also choose to give up a freedom for a greater cause like parenting, being a wife, being a friend, being a citizen, being a member of the Body of Christ. As a mother I chose to give up many freedoms so that I could help my children. As a wife I can give up some of my freedom to be a better helpmate. In serving others sometimes you give up personal freedoms, too.

There are national freedoms and personal freedoms.

I don’t want to abuse my relationships by demanding my freedoms to the extreme.

The more I think on this the more there is to say about freedom. There are times that God will take my freedoms away to teach me something I need to learn. Maybe through an illness or a loss. I’ll save those thoughts for another time.

2. How will you celebrate Independence Day this year? If you live outside the USA answer this question as it relates to your own country’s patriotic holiday, wherever that may land on the calendar. 

We will go to an annual party in Colville with many of our church family. We bring our own meat to cook and a side or dessert to share. There are several grills for cooking the meat. There are games to play including an annual corn hole tournament. Fireworks are set off later in the evening.

3. This or that…red, white, or blue? Blue

Stars or stripes? Stars

Watermelon, home made ice cream, or blueberry pie? Watermelon

How do you feel about fireworks?  I enjoy watching them. I’m always reminded of our dear Pop who never bought fireworks that I’m aware of. If we asked, he would say, “Here’s a dollar, just burn it.” His sentiment was that spending money on fireworks was just burning up money that was better spent for something necessary. 🙂

That said, here in Colville we don’t set off fireworks just anywhere because we are in a high fire danger season. Many families shoot off fireworks on New Year’s Eve instead when there is snow on the ground. People in town can set them off without the greater danger of starting a wild fire.

4. What have you purchased recently that made you excited?

I talked about my new riding lawnmower last week. This week I was excited to have the window washers come. Clean windows are exciting and when someone else cleans them that is even more exciting!

5. I’m thankful to live in America (or fill in whatever country you call home) because____________.

…it’s the land of the free and home of the brave.

I’m so thankful God led my parents to make the choice to immigrate legally to the United States from Persia. They made the hard journey to settle in the Los Angeles area with our oldest sister Kathy and while our mom was pregnant with our sister, Vera. God led them on that journey and was with them all their 90 and 95 years. They enjoyed their freedom in the U.S. and their abundant life in Jesus Christ. That freedom and abundance is available to all of their children, children’s spouses, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I love decorating and celebrating the 4th of July, Independence Day in the U.S.A.

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Stars and Stripes Hodgepodge

Time to celebrate the Hodgepodge again. Jo From This Side of the Pond asks the questions and we ponder them for answers.

1. It’s been said the best things in life are free…are they?

There has been a price that has been paid for the best things in life like salvation in Jesus Christ.  We didn’t have to pay for that but Christ did and our new life in Him costs us. “Take up your cross daily and follow Him.” When we are faithful and obedient to the Word of God there will be a price to pay.

On a National note there is a cost that has been paid for our freedom. It is good to be free but we can’t forget to be grateful for the sacrifices made for our freedom.

What are some of those things? The Free Things…

*There are good things that are free like hugs, a sunset, smiles, lovely views, etc. etc.

2. Stars or stripes?
Mostly stars but I do enjoy stripes, too.
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Red, white, or blue?
How about all three…
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Apple pie or home made ice cream?
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I do enjoy ice cream but unfortunately it doesn’t like me anymore so I’ll go with apple pie!
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Do you like hotdogs?
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Yes, give me a good Hebrew National Hot Dog, Nathan’s or better yet a Chicago Dog!
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I love a good Chicago dog (see above) and all the things they put on it but can’t get one of those locally, sigh.
If so, what do you like on yours?
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I enjoy hot dog relish on mine. Side note: Hot dog relish has been scarce in my area grocery stores.
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3. One thing on your summer bucket list?
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To make it to the “Coast” for some visits.
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Any plans to make it happen soon?
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No…people are way too busy right now.
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4. What’s your summer anthem? Yes, you need to have one
*
A few came to mind like Summer in the City and Schools Out for the Summer but since I don’t live in the city and I’m not in school anymore I’ll go with, You Are My Sunshine.
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5. What’s something you love about America? If you live outside of America, tell us something you love about the place you call home.
*
So much to love about America if you ignore the crazy politics going on and the absurd redefinition of basic biology.
I love how you can travel from shore to shore, north and south and see so many different topographies and enjoy small and large towns, seashores and deserts, mountains and plains, regional dishes, amazing architecture, historical sites, iconic landmarks, etc. etc.
*
We are in the middle of planning a road trip from Washington State to North Carolina for a wedding in early October. So far some of the diversions along the highways we will travel will be Deadwood, Mt. Rushmore, Wall, Badlands, The Ark Encounter, Kentucky Bourbon Trail, A Shaker Village, Pigeon Forge, and Asheville. After the wedding, Lord willing, we plan to journey to Dallas to visit my brother’s family. We’ll go through Nashville and Memphis on our way to Dallas. From Dallas home we are waiting to see weather patterns before we make those plans.
*
6. Insert your own random thought here.
Hope you all have a good 4th of July weekend here in the States and to our Canadian neighbors, Happy Canada Day on the 1st.

Hello June Hodgepodge

It’s Wednesday and time for the Hodgepodge  Jo From This Side of the Pond has a set of questions for us to ponder.

1. Besides the flag, tell us about something red, something white and something blue from your weekend. 

I’m going to lump the red, white and blue all together. We had a weird Memorial Day Weekend. Dear and I facilitated the food for a rehearsal dinner on Friday night and wedding on Saturday for a family from church so we were in the church kitchen for several hours. We didn’t have anything else planned for the weekend into the holiday on Monday and we found it relaxing to work on my London jigsaw puzzle which is mostly red, white and blue and on a blue tablecloth.

2. June is here and it’s National Give A Bunch of Balloons Month. Who would you give a bunch to if you could? Tell us why. 

Dollar store has their helium tanks again so I’m excited to buy a bunch of balloons to have here for the grands to enjoy when they visit. I will also buy a few to put out at the street so my Tea guests know which driveway to pull into. Our driveway is easy to miss and since it’s on a 50mph road it’s nice to give ample warning! My Tea date is June 19th.

3. What are three adjectives you associate with the month of June? Something you’re looking forward to this month?

Growing up in southern California we associated June with gloom because of the weather, June gloom. June is also associated with blooms so bloom June. “June is bustin out all over” Honeymoon June since June is associated with weddings.

I’m looking forward to having a Tea for Eight guests in my home on June 19th. I don’t have to cook or serve. I will set the table.

4. Tell us about a time (besides the obvious Corona answer) when you felt stuck in second gear.

Lately I’m stuck in second gear as far as meal planning goes. I’m unmotivated to come up with a weeks worth of meals or even a couple days worth of meals.

5. Sum up your May in fifteen words or less.

A month filled with flowers, joy and sorrow, special hellos and unreasonable goodbyes for now.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Highlight of our Memorial Day Weekend was this little guy coming to play at our house. More to come.

The Fourth at This Old House!

The food that my brother Leonard reminded me to take a photo of, steak, corn on the cob, pasta salad and veggie salad.

Trifle for dessert with red, white and blue highlights!

Katie and Andrew…

Katie, Andrew, Hope and little Andrew!

Hope and Andrew’s parents! They live in Texas.

My brother Steve and Dear. Steve and Kelly live in Southern California.

We broke the 4th of July heat record here in the Seattle area…92. Too hot to do much of anything but hydrate! Our town does not allow fireworks so our guests moved over to my sister’s house across the way from us when darkness approached. Her house happens to be in a city that does allow personal fireworks.

We’re getting ready to watch the Women’s World Cup Final Game now…go U.S.A.!

How was your weekend?

Happy 4th of July America!

We are having a heat wave here in the Seattle area and were so blessed to be invited to dear friends with a pool this past week. I thought this would help make it feel cool for our celebrations. I will show all my decorations for the 4th next week!

Happy 4th of July to all our friends and family in the U.S.A.

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On Sunday we’ll be watching the Women’s World Cup championship game between the U.S.A. and Japan!

Have a safe and sane weekend!