Give Thanks and Make Known

Yesterday I reported that we weren’t slated to get snow but when I walked down the stairs this morning at “oh dark thirty” I noticed that we did get a dusting in the wee hours. Once it’s light I’ll take a photo before it all melts off with the rain that is falling.

Waking this morning my mind was singing these lyrics off an old Acapella cd.

Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name
Make known among the nations what he has done
Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name
Make known among the nations what he has done

Chorus:
Sing to him sing praise to him
Tell of all his wonderful acts
Glory in his holy name
Glory in his holy name
Glory in his name
Glory in his name

Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name
Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice

I rejoice and give thanks for God’s beautiful creation. I so love autumn, the weather, the colors, the start of something fresh and new.

We live in an area with easy access to walking trails and parks that show off God’s creation.

There’s an old public golf course along the Burke Gilman Trail that the city of Bothell sold off and it is sitting and waiting for developers to change it’s landscape. There was lots of controversy over this sale and I’m sure the folks whose homes have enjoyed the green views are disappointed. In the interim they are allowing the public to walk on the course. We enjoyed our first time doing this last Sunday. The many hazards on the course were left there by Canadian Geese, wink wink.

Old and young golfers are mourning the loss of this course. We met one of them who wasn’t golfing this day but walking his old dog on the course instead.

I’m thankful to God for this guy and all the years we’ve had together so far.

Not linking up today with any memes because it snowed and I have to make potato salad to go with the pork butt that has been in the smoker already for 5 hours and the Sounders won last night and I was at the game and didn’t get home till after 10:30 PM…way late for this early to bed, early to rise person. I hope no grammar police are out today to critique my run-on paragraph! Our Sounders are off to the Western Conference Finals!

Go Sounders!

This is what it looks like here this morning. Yikes! It’s melting fast.

Also…to to Mennonite Girls Can Cook for a yummy white chili recipe.

Walking Five…

…not the walking dead.

Last Friday Dear and I ventured out to the Sammamish River Trail for a walk. We walked until the raindrops were hitting us in the face. With our walk by the end of the day my fitbit registered 13,858 steps. Here’s a trail photo.

Saturday morning we walked on boardwalks and walkways at Juanita Bay Park. At the end of this day I had 13,372 steps. Here’s a photo from Juanita Bay.

On Monday we walked part of the Centennial Trail in Snohomish. It was sunny. I registered 13,113 steps by the end of the day.

On Tuesday we walk/hiked the North Trail at St. Edward State park. It was more of a huff and puff walk. By the end of Tuesday I had 12,130. I thought I should have gotten double credit in steps for this hike.

On Wednesday the rains returned with a vengeance so we ventured out from home when there was a slight break in the precipitation. Hoodies up! At the end of Wednesday I registered 12,614 steps.

I’m hoping to keep up with over 10,000 steps every day. I’m also hoping to drop a few pounds. This will be a slow process as I’m not counting calories just increasing my activity. Time will tell if this might work long term for controlling weight gain.

1. Thankful that Dear and I can walk in safe places. 2. Thankful we can still move in this way. We have aches and pains but not debilitating. 3. Thankful for the beauty of God’s creation that we see on our walks. 4. Thankful for some sunshiny days between the rainy days. 5. Thankful for time together to talk and to laugh and to see new things none of which drain the pocketbook.

Linking up to Five on Friday with Amy at Love Made My Home and Friday’s Fave Five with Susanne at Living to Tell the Story.

Good Fences…

Heading out on my walk on Wednesday I enjoyed this bunch of daffodils in front of this fence.

Further along on the walk I looked to the left and noticed the top of our shop/garage in the distance beyond some fences. It’s the structure that has the window with 8 panes in it.

Before I come to the heart pumping uphill portion of the walk I enjoy this path and fence.

I’m linking up for Good Fences #101 with TexWisGirl.

We are promised another dry day with sunshine and I’m headed out to enjoy it. Hope you all have a good day.

T is for Turtles

When I was on my walk last week at Juanita Bay Park there were turtles enjoying the sunshine.

I’m keeping up with the alphabet but won’t join the link-up as I can’t visit other participants this week.

We are spending some time with our son in Eastern Washington getting some things wrapped up before the wedding at the end of June. In the morning we are delighted by the beautiful bird songs and all the natural wonder in this part of our state. We have really enjoyed the Calliope hummingbirds. There are horses that graze in the fields next door to our son that we spend quiet times in the morning and evening watching. We are also greeted in the morning and evening with deer that trek through the land.

I’ll devote a whole post to the hummingbirds we enjoyed soon.

I hope to catch up with all of you after we leave the country life and head back to the city.

S is for Snail’s Pace or Full Speed Ahead!

Before I move on to ABC Wednesday, The American Sniper DVD Giveaway winner is announced here.

I’m adding some sunshiny photos from my walk yesterday east of Seattle at Juanita Bay Park that have nothing to do with snails or speed!

Life at this old house is speeding ahead and moving slow at the same time…

Our son’s wedding is just 40 days away. Things are speeding ahead with all the plans and things that need to get done before that day. We are headed to Eastern Washington soon to wrap up some things we need to do for the wedding.

Dear’s last day at his current job is on May 29th. That seems to be moving at a snail’s pace along with the prospects of his next job. The company that bought Dear’s company decided to let his department go. Dear has been at his last conference for this employer in New Orleans and the time he is away has moved at a snail’s pace. There is a possible job out there that needs results from some trials that seem to be moving slowly for us, too. Time will tell if we need to speed up the job hunt process.

The road ahead for us is in the hands of our creator. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” Psalm 23:6 (NKJV)

My soft food diet is moving ahead at a snail’s pace as far as I’m concerned. I really enjoy biting into things that need some good chewing. But…I am very thankful for the ease of this procedure I had before our insurance runs out.

I’m past the speedy part of dropping pounds in my de-fluffing program. Now the pounds will continue to drop off but at a snail’s pace. So…I still need to count out the chips to have with salsa that I allow myself to enjoy at our weekly date at the local Mexican dive. Sad but true, chips will have to wait for a little while longer until my mouth completely heals but I can eat the salsa!

I’m ready to sink my teeth into something like this next dish.

In the meantime this could be included in my soft diet…Sangria!

Lots of the letter S in this recipe!

Sooner than I know and a few days before the wedding I will leave my fasting time behind and embrace the feasting time that a wedding celebration brings. After the wedding we will have family staying on for some vacation time at our home and my sister’s home in the Seattle area. That will be a time of feasting and celebrating, too.

I’m linking up to ABC Wednesday originated with Mrs. Nesbitt and carried on by Roger and the ABC team. Thanks!

If you came here looking to see who won The American Sniper giveaway on my blog click on American Sniper or scroll down one post!

FFF ~ Food, Friends, Fun

Friday is here and it’s time to join Susanne at Living to Tell the Story to share our favorites from this past week.

Uno ~ Oh my what is it about clean windows that make me happy. Makes me want to stop and sing “I can see clearly now, the rain is gone…” Dear washed the windows in our new spare room (formerly Katie’s room). I want to sing every time I walk in there. Since it is the new office, too, and I was going to see the Tax man this week, I had a lot of time in there enjoying the clear views.

Dos ~ A good long walk with one of my walking buddies. We had a stretch of beautiful dry days up here in the Pacific Northwest and that made the walk even more pleasant.

Tres ~ Experimenting with foccacia bread to make a pizza sandwich. It was interesting flipping it to get both sides of the bread nicely baked. Even though the experiment isn’t something I’d be too keen on trying again it was real tasty and satisfying as a meal! The thing we didn’t like was how hard it was to eat without all the innerds squirting out.

Cuatro ~ On Sunday and the reason for all my Spanish numbering this week we were invited to a party by our favorite waitress at the Mexican restaurant we frequent. We were honored that she’d even think to invite us and more honored when we got to the party and we were the only fluent English speaking people there except for her 20 year old son. Everyone made sure we were comfortable and had enough to eat and drink. Her son kept us in the loop explaining who everyone was. Her parents are visiting from Mexico for 2 months and one of her nieces was being baptized that day so this was a party in honor of that occasion. A Mariachi band came later and that’s when all the dancing and singing started. Such suave dancing with twirls and steps and turns with smooth transitions. It was kind of like watching dancing with the stars.

Cinco ~ Decorating a little for Valentine’s Day and Chocolate Fondue! If you’d like to see the recipe hop over to Mennontie Girls Can Cook! It’s a good treat to serve for Valentine’s Day!

Our weekend looks pretty free and laid back. Hope your weekend is relaxing and rejuvenating!

An Eyeful…

…on a 2 mile walk.

In lovely weather with the sun shining, my camera and I walked from the Pyramid Alehouse restaurant to Harbor steps across the street from the Seattle Art Museum. I love the details on many of the buildings downtown.

Occidental Park in Pioneer Square

Look closely and you’ll see the Space Needle.

The side of the Seattle Art Museum. The higher building beyond will soon be where Dear will be spending his days.

The Hammering Man at the Seattle Art Museum.

Dear’s future home away from home.

Harbor Steps across the street from the Art Museum. This is where I turn around and head the mile back to Qwest field for a Sounders game.

We call this building the ban roll-on building. Dear worked in that building back in the 90’s.

The Totem Pole in Pioneer Square. There is such an interesting history behind this pole and the original pole that you can read here.

The Pergola in Pioneer Square. Interesting facts about the Pergola can be read here.

The Pergola had to be replaced after a truck plowed into it in 2001!

There’s nothing quite like downtown Seattle on a nice day.

I’m linking up with Susan for Outdoor Wednesday.

Photobucket replaced all my photos with ugly black and grey boxes 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.

A Walk Downtown

Last Friday I had a few hours by myself downtown with my camera. The weather was sunny with a few puffy clouds but cold.

The walk from the Pyramid Alehouse Restaurant across from Safeco Field to Harbor Steps across from the Art Museum was 2 miles round trip. I got a good dose of vitamin D. Later in the evening at the Sounders Soccer game at Qwest field the weather turned to rain. I’ll show the rest of my photos from my downtown Seattle walk during this coming week.

Hope your Sunday is going well. We are enjoying the aroma of Baby Back ribs that have been smoked for several hours and are now in the oven continuing to cook smothered in barbecue sauce. I’M HUNGRY. We’ll eat when Josh and Laura stop by shortly.

I’m linking to Mosaic Monday hosted by Mary at Little Red House.

FFF ~ Psalms

It’s time to think back over the week and consider your favorites for Friday’s Fave Five.

Please visit Susanne at Living to Tell the Story to join in.

I’ve been motivated to get out and walk more this week and here are 5 passages from Psalms I have on 3 x 5 cards to enjoy while I walk.

Psalm 36: 5-6

Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.

Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
O LORD, you preserve both man and beast.

Psalm 66: 1-4

Shout with joy to God, all the earth!

Sing the glory of his name;
make his praise glorious!

Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power
that your enemies cringe before you.

All the earth bows down to you;
they sing praise to you,
they sing praise to your name.”
Selah

Psalm 103: 1-5

Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-

who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Psalm 105: 1-4

Praise the LORD, O my soul.
O LORD my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

He wraps himself in light as with a garment;
he stretches out the heavens like a tent

and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
and rides on the wings of the wind.

He makes winds his messengers,
flames of fire his servants.

Psalm 89: 1-2

I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever;
with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.

I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself.

Hope you are all having time to relax and enjoy your summer. I’m contemplating taking a break for a couple of weeks from blogging while I enjoy some summer company and anticipate a short trip to Sacramento for a funeral. Thanks for stopping by!

***I’m headed out on a little adventure so I won’t be around to visit till later this evening or tomorrow!

The Herons of Bothell…

The Herons of Elmwood

Warm and still is the summer night,
As here by the river’s brink I wander;
White overhead are the stars, and white
The glimmering lamps on the hillside yonder.

Silent are all the sounds of day;
Nothing I hear but the chirp of crickets,
And the cry of the herons winging their way
O’er the poet’s house in the Elmwood thickets.

Call to him, herons, as slowly you pass
To your roosts in the haunts of the exiled thrushes,
Sing him the song of the green morass;
And the tides that water the reeds and rushes.

Sing him the mystical Song of the Hern,
And the secret that baffles our utmost seeking;
For only a sound of lament we discern,
And cannot interpret the words you are speaking.

Sing of the air, and the wild delight
Of wings that uplift and winds that uphold you,
The joy of freedom, the rapture of flight
Through the drift of the floating mists that infold you.

Of the landscape lying so far below,
With its towns and rivers and desert places;
And the splendor of light above, and the glow
Of the limitless, blue, ethereal spaces.

Ask him if songs of the Troubadours,
Or of Minnesingers in old black-letter,
Sound in his ears more sweet than yours,
And if yours are not sweeter and wilder and better.

Sing to him, say to him, here at his gate,
Where the boughs of the stately elms are meeting,
Some one hath lingered to meditate,
And send him unseen this friendly greeting;

That many another hath done the same,
Though not by a sound was the silence broken;
The surest pledge of a deathless name
Is the silent homage of thoughts unspoken.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Today I’ll be looking for a cool spot to escape to like this Heron. My sister Lana and I spotted him on the Sammamish River Trail last weekend. We are suppose to have the hottest temperatures of the year today and break some more records in the Pacific Northwest. I’ll do my running around early and then move as little as possible the rest of the day. I’ll be waiting for temps in the low 80’s and high 70’s before I plan some summer adventures. How about you? Is it cool enough for an adventure where you are?

The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b.

To honor and encourage

Tag Archives: Walks