Tag Archives: Washington

Ruby Tuesday ~ My Ruby Living Room

Our living room in my home in Washington has a lot of Ruby/Burgundy accents.

It always cracks me up when I try to describe our style. Kind of an old lady, vintage, modern, eclectic, traditional mish mosh of stuff we’ve gotten stuck with inherited and purchased over the years.

Some of our Books

Kipling, Browning, and Favorite Poems ~ all very old with ruby covers!

For more Ruby Tuesday visit Maryt at Work of the Poet. You can join in any time, too!

Blueberry Mornings ~

We have one blueberry bush in our yard in Washington. Most years it gives us a great crop of blueberries in July. If I am at my home in Washington in July my usual morning ritual is to go in my jammies and pick the ripest berries that day. Thankfully there are enough berries for me and the birds. I take my stash inside and pour them over my high fiber cereal with a cut up banana and enjoy my morning treat. Simple God given pleasures really make my day. Have a great day my friends.

Bowling ~ Project Black

So just when I thought I had exhausted all my creativity for Project Black my daughter asked me to go with her for her pre-bowl. She’s on a bowling team with a bunch of guys in a Tuesday night “9 Pin” league. She has other plans this Tuesday and needed to get her games in for the team.

Her best score today was 151. Her bowling ball was a gift from us for her 22nd birthday. Her brother Dan bought her the cool star bowling shoes for her birthday. The Brunswick bag was a thrift store purchase I made for her.

All of these photos are going into my Project Black File here

 

Have a wonderful Sunday everyone…

Out in the Sunshine ~ Hymn

Out in the Sunshine

words by Fanny Crosby

Out in the sunshine of infinite love,
Breathing the fragrance of Eden above;
I am so happy, O Savior divine,
Living or dying, to know I am Thine.

Refrain

Yes, I am Thine, Lord, I am Thine,
Living or dying, I know I am Thine.

Out in the sunshine, though shadows may fall,
Yet will I thank Thee and praise Thee for all;
Never, no, never my heart shall repine,
Living or dying, I know I am Thine.

Refrain

Out in the sunshine sweet music I hear,
Tenderly wafting a song on my ear;
Oh, what a blessèd assurance is mine,
Living or dying, I know I am Thine.

Refrain

Out in the sunshine by faith I can see,
Mansions in glory preparing for me;
O my Redeemer, what rapture is mine,
Living or dying, I know I am Thine.

Refrain

Oh, A Thrifting We Will Go ~

Oh, A thrifting we will go
a thrifting we will go
Hi ho the derio
a thrifting we will go..

So my sister Lana, our niece Michelle, my daughter-in-law Laura, and I met at Goodwill on Saturday morning to have a shopping party together. Michelle has been in Washington since Tuesday for a wedding and a visit. She is donning an apron that she was considering. This is our sorting out stage of shopping. We first load the carts with everything we think we might want, then when we’ve had enough shopping we sort through everything and decide what we really don’t want.

Some of the goodies I’ve acquired this week. I love the little saying on the blue plate from England. “When two fond hearts as one unite the yoke is easy and the burden light”

I love to mix lace and another color tablecloth for tea tables or just for some old fashioned fun. I’m a sucker for tablecloths and the two I bought today were unique and in very good shape. I’m looking forward to making some sweet treats in these Petite heart pans. Think of the possibilities.

This hand made tablecloth is a very interesting color and the work is so detailed on it. I just couldn’t walk away from it. Well, I could have walked away but I didn’t want to.

While we were shopping my two sons were home preparing a great barbecue for us hard working shoppers. It was so good. They decided on hamburgers and to go with the hamburgers they made carmelized onions, guacamole, bacon, a fruit salad and baked beans. We had my Rice Krispy Bars for dessert. What a feast it was. We felt blessed.

Ok my sister Lana G! really has a talent at presenting her treasures in a beautiful way. She spent the most of all of us. Check out her treasures here.

Port Gamble in Washington

On Wednesday afternoon Josh, Laura, Michelle and I took the Ferry from Edmonds to Kingston for High Tea in Port Gamble. The Tea Room at Port Gamble is in an old Victorian house on the main street in this little town. You get off the ferry at Kingston and follow the road to Highway 104 headed for the Hood Canal Bridge. When you get to the 25 mile an hour speed zone you know you are close. You can’t miss it and it’s a delightful afternoon stop!

Josh was such a good sport to play along and don a hat, too. He had never been to High Tea and we discussed just how civilized it is. Of course none of us had to wear hats but we were just in the mood.

I think the highlights for us were the wonderful scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream and then the chocolate fondue at the end of our tea. Duhliscious!! (I miss-spelled that on purpose!)

We strolled through the little town and enjoyed the architecture and unique little shops. Took the picture of the Artful Ewe for you Willow!

My son Josh and Laura

My DIL Laura and niece Michelle

 

Do you see the sign the antique dealer has under her cash register in her shop? It says “YOUR HUSBAND CALLED – And said you can buy anything you want” On the way out of town we stopped at the Anglican Church.

From the cemetery we could see the Hood Canal Bridge and we commented that we should drop in on Dave and Beth but we didn’t call ahead and our afternoon was turning into evening.  Maybe you can meet Katie and I for tea sometime in Port Gamble Beth!?

At the cemetery Josh spotted this engraving on one of the tombstones. “Remember friend as you pass by, As you are now so once was I, As I am now you soon will be, Prepare for death and follow me”

Sobering thought or it could be taken as an encouragement to prepare ourselves for the inevitable by making decisions today that guarantee our future in Glory when we meet our Creator…

Well we decided it was time to head back to the ferry dock and journey across the Puget Sound to Edmonds and onward. But what did we spot on the way back…

CB’s Nuts! A small Roasting operation right off the main highway. We made a U-turn and headed back after we zoomed by too fast to stop. We are glad we turned around. We met Mr. Roasting Guy and he sold us some fresh peanuts, pistachios, and peanut butter.

Can’t get too much fresher then this!

At the ferry dock while we were waiting for our boat I zoomed in for this shot of Mt. Rainier and downtown Seattle. If you look closely you can see the Space Needle to the right of the rest of the buildings.

Another fabulous day in the Greater Puget Sound! To end the day we met my other kids, Dan and Katie, at PF Chang’s for dinner. A very full day that made this lady pretty tired but joyful.

My Table and My Yard

I do other things beside canoeing, and sight seeing, and eating out when I’m in Washington or California for that matter. And whatever I do I’m inspired to take pictures. Digital Photography has made me free to snap, snap, snap away! First off it was time to change out the Red, White, and Blue table from our 4th of July celebrations. A fresh tablecloth, runner and a vase of fragrant lavender from my bushes make a nice crisp change. Then out to do yard work. I mowed, I pulled weeds and last but not least I attacked the following…

I don’t know what this fast growing, bamboo stalk type plant is but it has completely covered other plants and part of the trunk of this big pine tree we have in our side yard. I decided it was time to tell it who’s boss!

Now you can see the trunk of the tree and the other plants that are trying to grow here. In this shot you can see the stalks of the plant/weed that was taking over.

And after work like this in the yard my body tells me it got used to living in a condo the rest of the year. I put my comfy clothes on and take 3 Ibuprofen every 4 hours just like Dear told me to. The next day I go out and am pleased I can now see all the not so well taken care of plants that were under the domination of the Bamboo stalker. What do you think, Dear? For those of you who don’t know Dear is in California right now while I’m in Washington and I miss him…

Now I just have to put all those branches in the Yard Waste bins…

Ha! But before I do I’m off for a day of fun because my niece Michelle, from Wait For It, is here in town and we’re going to have some adventures together with the family. Have a wonderful day everyone.

Oh and just one other thing. The sun has been shining most every day that I’ve been in Washington. Just gorgeous weather we’re having in the Great Northwest…

Suzzallo Library ~ University of Washington

Since I had absolutely nothing for ABC Wednesday, the letter Z, I decided to cheat a bit and use my Suzzallo Library Post for Z. Look! There are two z’s in Suzzallo! My daughter and I were here last Thursday.

This is Suzzallo Library on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle. Ground was broken for this library in 1923. The building is an example of the Collegiate Gothic style adopted by the University as part of the 1915 campus plan, developed by architects Carl F. Gould and Charles H. Bebb.

Three heroic figures of cast stone depicting “Mastery”, “Inspiration”, and “Thought” sculpted by Allan Clark stand over the portals of the main entrance.

We walked up the beautiful staircase to get to the second floor reading room.

One of the entrances to the reading room. This room has inspired comparisons with the great library reading rooms of the world. After being in it I can understand why.

Oak bookcases are topped with a hand-carved frieze representing native plants of Washington State, including salal, Douglas fir, scrub oak, grape, dogwood, mountain ash, rhododendron, pear, trillium, salmon berry, wild rose, apple, marigold, canteloupe, tulip and cherry.

The room measures 65 feet high, 52 feet wide, and 250 feet long.

At each end of the room, a paneled alcove features a hand-painted world globe hanging from the ceiling, which bears the names of different explorers.

Tall, traceried windows incorporate leaded glass which is intended to break the direct rays of light.

The room features a vaulted ceiling elaborately decorated with rich colored and gilded stenciling.

A 1927 article in The Pacific Builder and Engineer stated that “This room has been pronounced the most beautiful on the continent and is ranked among the most beautiful in the world. It is comparable only to the nave of a cathedral.”

If you live in the Greater Puget Sound Area and have never visited Suzzallo or if you happen to travel to Seattle, I highly recommend you put it on your list of places to visit.

ht: Most of the information I’ve shared comes from a Library Guide that is free at the entrance to the Library.

If you’d like to see more ABC Wednesday, Z is for posts click on over to Mrs. Nesbitt’s.