Tag Archives: See’s Candy

Thoughtful Thursday

This thoughtful Thursday happens to be Valentine’s Day, too.

Here’s a heart shaped box of handpicked See’s chocolates. True confession: I bought these as a gift to myself a few years ago to fulfill a wish I had in my head for a heart shaped box of candy. Some of the desires in your head won’t be fulfilled by wishing. Truth be told I’m not comfortable with some earthly person knowing the thoughts in my head. Many thoughts and desires aren’t worthy to be known or fulfilled. I’m thankful God is gracious and kind and He will not keep His justified wrath against me. This graciousness and kindness comes to me because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross for me and because God called me to follow Him. His kindness transforms me and my thoughts.

Here’s a beautiful bouquet of flowers. I didn’t buy these for myself. I don’t expect flowers on Valentine’s Day or any day. When flowers do get delivered I really appreciate them.

While I type I’m listening to a sermon on Biblical love by John MacArthur. Some of my takeaways: I need to be motivated and guided by self sacrificial love if I’m following Jesus. Biblical love is self-sacrificial love that motivates me to serve friends and enemies in love.

Hope you can accept the love that God has given to you in Jesus Christ.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Heart Felt Hodgepodge

1. When’s the last time you had a heart to heart talk with someone? A change of heart? Experienced figurative ‘heart failure?’

We’ve had lots of heart to heart talks recently around our Pop’s failing health.

A change of heart: I’ve had a change of heart by praying for some folks in my life that I’ve wanted to give a piece of my mind to or punch. Praying for them gives me a different perspective.

Heart Failure: Watching the Olympics and seeing some crashes or falls or amazing spins in the air. Yikes!

2. Champagne, chocolates, flowers…what’s your Valentine pleasure? Any special plans for the day?

A confession about the heart shaped box of chocolates above. I had never in my life received a heart shaped fancy box of candy on Valentine’s day and a few years ago I decided to treat myself to one. I’ve received flowers or chocolates (not in a heart shaped box) or a nice card but that evasive heart shaped box of chocolates was haunting me. It haunts no more! See’s Candy’s are favorites in these parts.

I like all three of those things but I don’t need them on Valentine’s Day. Tonight we are having our weekly small group gathering at our house. No one had plans so they all opted to continue on. I did a little decorating for the day.

3. Are you a hopeless romantic or do you fall more in the category of practical and pragmatic? What’s a gesture you find romantic?

Absolutely more practical or pragmatic. I find kindness, encouragement and service on Dear’s part to be romantic.

4. Do you ask a lot of questions in life or are you pretty content with what you already know?

I wonder a lot and that’s why I named my blog The Happy Wonderer. My wondering leads me to research and find out, to travel and see, and sometimes that involves verbal questions.

5. Your favorite power ballad?

First off, I had to google Power Ballad to see what it was. I’ll have to go with Unchained Melody by the Righteous Brothers. I went to our Junior/Senior prom at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles in 1967 and my date made reservations for dinner at the famous Cocoanut Grove where the Righteous Brothers sang. Pretty amazing. Then in 1968 I was watching television when presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy was shot at the Ambassador Hotel. Talk about a heart failure moment. If I hadn’t packed away my scrapbook from those years I would have taken a photo of some memorabilia from that time. Here’s what I wore for the prom and the Righteous Brothers. My dear mom sewed this dress for me.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Bottoms up! Still basking in the hours I got to spend with this little one who has learned so many new tricks. Our kids will all be together this coming weekend and that makes me smile. It’s been a long time since uncles and aunties have seen Addy face to face. Dear and I will be heading to eastern Washington the end of February.

Speaking of love…

These two are the last of the Bagdanov siblings left who fled Russia walking to Persia and later immigrating to the U.S.A. My Aunt Anna came to visit my pop last week and she walked into the room with her walker and took a few steps on her own to hug him, give him a kiss and then she asked him not to leave her alone on this earth. She said, “Don’t leave me”. The doctors told Anna she had a month to live several years ago. That comment from the doctor made her consider her future and she told our pop that she was ready to listen to him about the gospel of Jesus Christ and was ready to be born again. Such a sweet moment for our pop and mom and all of us a few years ago. My pop and mom witnessed to all of their siblings over the years from 1963 on when my pop was born again.

Linking up for Wednesday Hodgepodge where Joyce asks the questions From This Side of the Pond and we answer.

We’ve had a lovely string of days without rain and with lots of sunshine. It’s good for the soul. It’s been quite cold but the sun warms things nicely.

Friday Already

Friday has a way of arriving sooner when you have a Monday holiday or at least it seems that way. So many things to be thankful for and I’m joining Susanne and a few of my bloggy friends in sharing Friday’s Fave Five.

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1. I’m always grateful for a little sunshine in between the rain showers.

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2. A heart shaped box of hand picked candy from See’s. Katie and I went to See’s on Valentines day morning and we hand picked 2 boxes. One of the boxes came home with us for Dear, Katie and me to enjoy and the other box was dropped off at my son’s office for him and my daughter in law to enjoy.

3. Our tax prep appointment is behind us and I always give a sigh of relief when that is done. Hopefully we’ll hear good news when the accountant completes all the forms. Some people don’t mind preparing their returns themselves but I am grateful for someone to do that for me.

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4. I’ve been continuing my quest of scanning some of our old photos and as I look at them I’m grateful for my little Russian grandmother who prayed for all of us and prayed for the people we would marry. This grandmother was widowed just before she immigrated to the U.S.A. When she was young she lost one of her arms up to her elbow. She still was able to raise her children and do any housekeeping without modern conveniences. She did more with one hand than many people do with two. She was a great cook and she was a talented embroiderer. We called her our little babushka. I’m the one in the yellow dress with the Buster Brown hair. This was taken at Easter in the 50’s.

5. Today Katie and I are meeting Dear downtown for Happy Hour and then we are going to the Seattle Home Show. Looking forward to the good food and seeing what’s new out there for the home. We are specifically looking for products for a bathroom remodel.

Do you have any favorites from this week? Hope you have a good weekend.