Tag Archives: Washington

Blue Monday ~ Travels

It’s almost Monday and time to post something for Smiling Sally’s Blue Monday. This week Blue Monday for me is all about travels and nostalgia.

 

Early Saturday morning I traveled from Los Angeles to Seattle on Alaska Airlines. Alaska Airlines is my favorite airlines to fly. We flew out of LAX over the Blue Pacific Ocean and could see the coastline with the Santa Monica Mountains as a backdrop. I upgraded to first-class and had a whole big row to myself with a window seat. Breakfast was delish with a Mimosa just because. I’m on a 40 day Journey focusing on my life with Jesus in this season of Lent looking forward to our Easter celebration. I had nice quiet time on the plane since my row was empty. I’m also reading a book by L.M. Montgomery called A Tangled Web. I’m really enjoying reading more of L.M. Montgomery after finally reading Anne of Green Gables. Soon I could see the Seattle area with the Cascade Mountain Range in the background. I was happy to be “Home” and seeing the Maple Tree out my kitchen window is always a treat especially when the blue sky peaks out from around the clouds.

I tend to get a little nostalgic when I get to come “home”. This is a photo from my senior year in 1968. We had Friday Night Cheer Squad dinners at different homes every Friday. This was at my parent’s home in Montebello. My high school colors were blue and gold. The Song Leaders have the blue sweaters on and the Flag Twirlers have the gold sweaters on. I was a Song Leader. We helped lead cheers with pom poms.

For more Blue Monday Posts please visit Smiling Sally by clicking here.

 

Metamorphosis Monday ~ My Pear Tree

For my Met Monday this week I am at my home in the state of Washington. Usually I’m at my condo in Southern California. My before and after project was completed today during a short period of time while the rain was not falling here. I’m not a gardener by any means but my Pear Tree really was in need of a pruning. All I know about pruning a tree is that branches that grow straight up are the ones to go after. (I sure hope that’s true). So here is my pear tree with all those unsightly branches that are growing straight up…

 

I got the trusty pruning tools out of the garage and started to work all by myself…

 

Here is the result after about an hour and a half. And this next collage shows the before and after from the same angle.

I hope I didn’t kill it. Time will tell.

To see more Metamorphosis click over to Susan’s at Between Naps on the Porch.

Sky Watch ~ Seattle Area

We were in the Seattle area over Christmas and these photos are from our time there. This first shot is taken at our friend’s home on Christmas Day. They live across from Puget Sound. I didn’t realize when I took it that the sky was reflected in their pool! That garden next to the pool is amazing to experience in the Spring and Summer!

The next shot is taken from my yard early in the morning with some storm clouds brewing…

For more Sky Watch photos from around the world visit the SkyWatch Blog.

Ruby Tuesday ~ The Sign Edition!

Mary at Work of the Poet challenged us to come up with a Ruby post using signs this week. Here is what I came up with.

There’s a little ruby mixed with the Orange in this fun sign I saw outside an Irish Pub in the North Beach Area of San Francisco in early December.

We spotted this sign in downtown Seattle on New Year’s Day. What you have to realize about Seattle and Snow is that there are many, many very steep hills/roads in the Seattle area. These become quite treacherous with snow and ice on them. Snow is not fun to drive around in here.

Visit Mary at Work of the Poet to see more Ruby Signs.

Blue Monday ~ Snowflakes!!

This is the first time I’ve seen actual detailed snowflakes in person like these. These are very tiny ones (about the size of peas and sesame seeds) that fell on Dear’s old blue truck in the driveway at our home in Washington state. He spotted them and called me out to take a look. I’ve seen snow falling and snow piled up but not this kind of detail in a flake. I hope you can see it. I had to use super macro and zoom a bit to make it come out this clear. So glad the truck is blue so I could use these for Blue Monday. We are back at the condo in Southern California now and just heard the snow is falling again at our home in Washington! Here’s some more blue from Washington. I took this right after the snowflakes…

 

For more Blue Monday please visit Smiling Sally and join in if you have some blue to share…

 

I’ll Count My Blessings ~ Hymn

I’ll Count My Blessings

I lift my heart today in praise
To Him Who loves me so,
Whose mercy crowneth all my days,
And makes my cup o’erflow.
O have I loved Him as I should
For all His blessings free?
Praise God Who giveth naught but good,
For He is good to me!

Refrain

I’ll count my blessings—
Count them o’er and o’er—
I’ll tell my Father’s goodness—
I will love Him more,
I’ll count my blessings, bountiful and free—
Yet I can never count them all—
So good is God to me!

I thank Him for unclouded skies—
For love beyond my ken—
That when my path in shadow lies,
The sunshine comes again.
I thank Him for the hopes fulfilled—
For every answered plea,
That though life was not all I willed,
My God is good to me!

Refrain

I go to meet another year,
With faith no doubt can dim,
God reigneth, and I will not fear,
But trust my way with Him.
Then if that way be bright or dark,
Let peace unshaken be!
And let me, like the soaring lark,
Sing “God is good to me!”

Refrain

Words: Car­rie E. Breck (1855-1934).

Music: George B. Hol­sing­er (1857-1908) (MI­DI, score).

ht: Cyberhymnal

2008 Christmas Tour of Homes

It’s time for Boo Mama’s 2008 Tour of Homes. You can travel all over the world and see homes all decked out for the most wonderful time of the year.

A very warm welcome to you from ellen b. in Washington State and Southern California.

The tree above is our first annual Mystery Tree. I started a new tradition last year. I walk into Home Depot look at all the tied and wrapped trees, pick one without unwrappping it, bring it home all wrapped up, and surprise our Mystery tree is unveiled and we can laugh or cry at what we ended up with. Actually it’s quite fun to pick a tree this way. Good way to lighten up during the season…

Like many of your homes Jesus is at the center of our Christmas celebrations and Joy! This is what you’ll see at our entry in Washington.

And this is from our condo  in Southern California.

Let me serve you a festive drink and some chocolates and let’s start our tour before I serve dinner. These chocolates are the easiest things in the world to make. Just melt 1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1 bag of butterscotch chips then throw in some pecans or walnuts or whatever nut you like, spoon them onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and let them cool and voila you have candy. I’m so darn sorry I forgot whose blog I saw these on. If you happen to visit here let me know if it was you and I’ll give you credit!!

Another collage of my little fake Christmas tree with lights that I bought for the condo from a local thrift store here in Camarillo, California. I’m usually in the State of Washington the whole month of December and only put up a tree there but this year is different and we’re not flying to Washington till Christmas day so we need something at the condo so people won’t think we are part of the Grinch family!

Now if you visit us in Washington I could serve you at this table.

Or from this Christmas table in Southern California.

Here is what I will be serving and what is part of our traditional Christmas Eve meal.

We’ll have a Rib Roast, Creamed Corn, something green, and Yorkshire Pudding. (Ok, it used to confuse me that they called Yorkshire Pudding pudding when it’s not pudding but a popover type bread that you bake using the hot drippings from the roast, I’m way over it now. You can make it in any pan but I bought this great popover pan that works great for them.)  After dinner we can sit by the fireplace and enjoy the tree with a cup of cocoa or coffee. If you stay for Christmas morning we’ll have those yummy Swedish Pancakes above that Dear makes for us every Christmas morning after we open our stocking gifts…

Now for some of the people God has put in our lives to share all the wonder of Christmas with…

I’d like to introduce you to our family. Our daughter Katie and DIL Laura. Our oldest son Josh with Dear. Our son Dan. Josh and his wife, our DIL, Laura. Another shot of our son Dan. Dan and Katie live in our home in Washington and take care of it while Dear and I are living in California. Josh and Laura live in Washington, too.

 

More shots of the family and extended family. The top left photo is of my sister Lana G! and I. She has a tour happening at her blog too, Above the Clouds . We have a great time blogging and tablescaping together. Dear, our daughter Katie, and me at Molbaks in front of the Poinsettia Christmas tree, Our girls…Katie and Laura, ellen b. and Dear at our 34th wedding anniversary celebration.

Thank you for taking my tour and meeting some of my family…

To see more tours click over to Boo Mama’s.