Bloggy Friends ~FFF

My favorite blessings from blogging have been my face to face meet ups with the individuals I’ve learned about from their personal blogs. The first blogger I met and who became my walking buddy while Dear and I lived in Camarillo is Willow from Willow’s Cottage. While our friendship continued we met up with Sara from Come Away With Me at The Getty Villa. Willow and Sara already knew each other. Besides the Getty Villa we met up again for some time at the Getty Museum before I moved back to Seattle.

On one of my trips across Los Angeles to visit my folks in 2009 Cori G! from Brambleberry Cottage (formerly Gingerbread and Co.) and I set up a meeting over coffee in Orange County, California. It was a delight to meet Cori. We were able to meet up again on one of my trips back to Southern California and have a meal and stroll through a antique market in the city of Orange.

On Dear and my road trip moving back to Seattle in 2010 we met up with Sandy from Reluctant Entertainer and her husband at the Winchester Inn in Southern Oregon. It was a delight.

In July of 2010 Dear and I met the Scrabble Queen from Scrabblequeen Knits for breakfast while we were in the Sacramento area for a funeral. She gifted me with some wonderful loose tea from England!

On our sister trip to Victoria, B.C. to celebrate my 60th birthday my sisters and I were treated to wonderful time with the lovely Pondside from Life Between the Ponds.

Oh dear me…I forgot another major bloggy meet-up. Jill from Jill’s World of Research, Reaction and Millinery came to visit in my home and we attended the Lavender festival together in July of 2011. Maybe it was the home part that made me think it was a family visit instead of a bloggy visit.

We had a great day seeing beautiful lavender fields, eagles, and eaglets and a baby seagull. Sorry for the oversight dear Jill!

At a book signing in Winnepeg/Manitoba I was able to meet Millie from Wreathmaker. What a fun surprise to see her and her hubby at McNally Robinson bookstore.

Just this year on Katie and my roadtrip from Seattle to North Carolina we arranged a meeting over lunch in Kansas City, Missouri with Pam from Abiding With Love. We had a wonderful meal paid for by Pam’s husband and great conversation with Pam and her daughter.

What a blessing it has been to get to know these ladies and enjoy their thoughts and adventures and beautiful tables, tea settings, recipes, decorating, devotionals, book recommendations, etc. etc.

Judy correctly pointed out that there is another group of women that I met through blogging that have changed my life forever. This next photo is from the first time I met five of the Mennonite Girls Can Cook! This meeting was in the Spring of 2010. All ten of us would meet when we got together in British Columbia to sign the contract for our first book in the summer of 2010. These girls are a big part of my life now and they are more like family so that’s probably why I forgot that initially it was because of blogging that we came together!

These are my favorites for Susanne’s Friday’s Fave Five at Living to Tell the Story. It would be fun to meet Susanne some day!

Taking a Couple Days Off…

I’ve had a busy week with some extra responsibilities and find the need to take a couple day breather. I’ll be back with the Sunday Hymn. Hopefully my scratchy throat isn’t going to move on to anything worse.

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Hope you have a good weekend.

Photobucket replaced all my photos with blurred out versions and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

Hatley Castle

The last stop on our Victoria tour with Pondside was Hatley Castle. I can imagine how beautiful this location would be for a wedding when everything is blooming.

I really do thank God for many wonderful people I’ve met through blogging and blossoming friendships that continue. Pondside is one of those people who I thank God for bringing into my life.

The 4 Bagdanov sisters together at a castle in a foreign country…how great is that!?

Even though everything was 2 weeks behind in blooming this year the Peacocks came out in all their glory to treat us to some beautiful color and grandeur!

This post is my finale to our Sister Weekend in Victoria, B.C.

Ross Bay Cemetery ~ 2

In my 2nd post of photos from Ross Bay Cemetery in Victoria, B.C. there are a few photos from the Military Section of the grounds.

To the memory of those who died for King and Country in the Great War 1914-1919

1939-1945

This next Tombstone I found very weird. Not exactly what I’d want watching over my dust.

This angel is a lot more comforting than that bird!

We got some sunshine today and it was such a welcome relief. I did some shopping for our Easter Meal and stopped in at one of my favorite cooking equipment stores. When I got home I was able to mow the lawn and it was so much easier this week than last.

We were very saddened this past Sunday to hear about a devastating tornado that destroyed some military housing and damaged several more military homes at Camp Lejeune, N.C. This is the Marine Base where our son-in-law is stationed. He was not at the base at the time but someone in his unit got the call that his wife was injured and his toddler was in critical condition because of the tornado destroying their home. Please pray for this family as the mom is needing medical attention and the toddler is still in critical condition. Thank you.

Photobucket replaced all my photos with these blurred out versions and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

Ross Bay Cemetery ~ Victoria B.C.

I mentioned previously that my sister Lana and I really enjoy visiting old cemeteries. The Ross Bay Cemetery in Victoria was one that we were happy to discover.

Ross Bay Cemetery has the oldest surviving formal landscape design in BC and is a superb example of a Victorian-era burial ground. Its profusion of unusual trees and plantings, winding carriageways, graves with intriguing marble, sandstone and granite monuments, all bear witness to the people buried here.

This walk to the cemetery was part of our Sister Weekend. Lana is far ahead with Kathy and Vera trailing…

Many famous Canadians and Americans are buried here, including Sir James Douglas (BC’s first governor), many subsequent premiers, coal baron Robert Dunsmuir (who built Craigdarroch Castle), Sir Matthew Baillie Begbie (the “Hanging judge), Emily Carr (world-famous artist), Billy Barker (discoverer of gold at Barkerville) and Nellie Chapman (the ‘Miners’ Angel who was featured on a US postage stamp).

This is my first of 2 posts from the Ross Bay Cemetery.

This week I’m laying low and considering a challenge to slow down during this Holy Week. I want to reflect on what Christ has done for us. Looking forward to Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday services with a Saturday in between where we have a baking day here at this old house baking our Kulich (Paska) and making our Seerney Paska (Sweet Cheese Spread) for the Kulich (Paska). We’ve decided on our Easter menu and we will have our traditional lamb marinated and grilled, Shish kebabs. We call our lamb kebabs Shashlik.

Hope your week is going well.

Dallas Road ~ Victoria, B.C.

Meanwhile, back to our Sister weekend in Victoria on Vancouver Island. Pondside gave me the great suggestion of walking along Dallas Road. We started out on Sunday morning after another fabulous breakfast at the Beaconsfield Inn and headed for Ross Bay Cemetery which happens to be on Dallas Road. Lana and I love old cemeteries and this one did not disappoint. My post with many photos from the cemetery will come on another day. Today here are the beautiful views along Dallas Road which we walked on our way back to the Beaconsfield Inn where Pondside would pick us up for our driving tour of Victoria. That post is coming later, also.

Victoria, BC Dallas Road area is an ideal spot for a walk, marine sightseeing, picnics and in the winter the area is a popular gathering spot for storm watching. The mostly paved waterfront walk way follows the coastline all the way to the back door of Beacon Hill Park and continues far beyond leading to sandy beaches.

Our walk along Dallas Road started at Memorial Crescent and ended at Cook St. where we turned off to head back to the Beaconsfield.

Flying proof we were in Canada!

There are so many great views in Victoria. My sisters and I appreciated being shown and directed to things we would have never seen on our own.

This week is a full busy week. Today I’ll be in the kitchen for a good chunk of the day. Tomorrow I’ll be on the road. How’s your week going?

Christ Church Cathedral, Victoria

Christ Church Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Diocese of British Columbia of the Anglican Church of Canada. This structure is the third Christ Church built. The wooden structure built of 1872 became inadequate for the size of the congregation. In 1891, through an international design competition, architect J.C.M. Keith of Victoria was commissioned to design a larger and more enduring edifice. He produced a design in 13th century gothic style, inspired by Durham Cathedral in England.

Winston Churchill visited the sight on September 9, 1929 and helped to lay a stone in the North Tower. There is a inscription there today recording this event.

We really enjoyed seeing and taking photographs of this grand cathedral. Reminded me of some of the cathedrals we visited in Great Britain.

This is a busy week for me here at this old house. Dear is having some muscle issues in in right leg which makes walking difficult for him. He’s using a cane. Since the weather has improved the lawn needs mowing and weeds need pulling and my weed-whacker partner can’t help with these tasks. I’m traveling to Canada on Thursday for a cooking demonstration at Lepp Family Farms and will be spending the night and traveling back home on Friday. All this to say if you don’t hear from me or see comments left on your blogs you’ll know why…

Hope your week is going well.

At the Feet of Jesus ~ Hymn

Jesus Said + I Am Come That They Might Have Life

At the Feet of Jesus

At the feet of Jesus,
Listening to His word;
Learning wisdom’s lesson
From her loving Lord;
Mary, led by heav’nly grace,
Chose the meek disciple’s place.
At the feet of Jesus
Is the place for me,
There a humble learner
Would I choose to be.

At the feet of Jesus,
Pouring perfume rare,
Mary did her Savior
For the grave prepare;
And, from love the good work done,
She her Lord’s approval won.
At the feet of Jesus
Is the place for me,
There, in sweetest service
Would I ever be.

At the feet of Jesus,
In that morning hour,
Loving hearts, receiving
Resurrection power,
Haste with joy to preach the word;
Christ is risen, praise the Lord!
At the feet of Jesus,
Risen now for me,
I shall sing His praises
Through eternity.

Words: Philip P. Bliss, 1876

FFF ~ Sisters and Friends…

Time to look back and pick favorites from the past week. Visit Susanne at Living to Tell the Story to join in. Last Friday I missed FFF because my sisters and I were on a getaway to the beautiful city of Victoria on Vancouver Island in Canada. My favorites this week are all about that weekend trip.

Walking, Talking, Eating, and Sight Seeing were 4 of my 5 favorites. My last favorite was getting to meet a wonderful bloggy friend who lives on the island. Pondside met up with us at our Bed and Breakfast Inn and gave us a wonderful tour of her city. I’ll post more about our Pondside tour in a later post. This last photo is of Pondside and me at Hatley Castle.

This wonderful meeting fulfills #44 of my 60 Things to do in my 60th year! Thanks for being part of my 60th year celebration Pondside. I appreciate you!

Looking forward to seeing what you have all been up to this week and what blessings have come your way…

Food Glorious Food!

Warning: This Post could make you hungry!

On our sister weekend we enjoyed lots of good food. Our first night in town we walked to Pescatores for dinner which was a little over a mile round trip. We enjoyed some wonderful fish dishes and steak. I had Pescatores King Halibut ~
Blackened queen charlotte halibut topped with king crab and citrus hollandaise. It’s the middle photo in the collage. It was mouth watering good to the last drop. I also decided to try a Beaufort Oyster just because. Vera had the Sooke Trout stuffed with Brie and crab, Kathy had the Cedar Plank Roasted Salmon and Lana had the Filet Mignon. Our dessert was Banana Foster ~
Fried with brown sugar, butter and rum over sweet crepes. Served a la mode. We shared it amongst the 4 of us.

Do you remember this song from the musical Oliver?

Food, glorious food!
Hot sausage and mustard!
While we’re in the mood —
Cold jelly and custard!
Pease pudding and saveloy!
What next is the question?
Rich gentlemen have it, boys —
In-di-gestion!

Food, glorious food!
We’re anxious to try it.
Three banquets a day —
Our favourite diet!

Just picture a great big steak —
Fried, roasted or stewed.
Oh, food,
Wonderful food,
Marvellous food,
Glorious food.

This is just part of the song sung while the boys had to put up with more Gruel. We on the other hand didn’t have any Gruel on this trip. Our breakfasts at the Inn were a gourmet delight.

Todd was an excellent chef.

On Saturday we walked many miles around town and ended up for an afternoon tea in the Oak Bay area of Victoria. It was a wonderful authentic English High Tea that was recommended to us by Pondside who lives on Vancouver Island. She graciously made our reservations for us including instructions not to be seated in the middle of the restaurant. We had a delightful experience at the White Heather Tea Room and would recommend it to you. Later I will post about meeting Pondside on Sunday and what a wonderful day we had together.

As if we hadn’t had enough food we stopped in a nice grocers and bought some salami, avocado and veggies to have later in the evening in our room with some fresh bread we bought at a bakery across from the grocers. If you’ve never had a picnic in a hotel room you should give it a try…

Hope your days are going well this week. I’m yearning a bit for some sunshine…

The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b.

To honor and encourage

Tag Archives: Victoria B.C.