Summer Was Awesome

 I have missed blogging but have no good excuse for not logging in nightly. This summer has been one adventure after another with one summer duty or need after another leaving absolutely no spare moment that has not left me exhausted and deciding I really need to get some sleep. Yes, this night-owl has been to bed before 10:00 p.m. many nights the past month ( August ), so maybe that is my excuse ! I needed to get some sleep. We did some camping last month with our daughter & her family, and my husband's brother and his wife. ( Above is our little Jayco trailer , our home away from home when we're camping. )

 We camped at Iron Creek Campground near Randall, Washington. I am the gray-haired lady in the picture with my husband and 4 of our grandchildren. This campground is so beautiful with ancient trees, fast moving rivers, hiking trails, berry picking, fishing... just an amazing place to camp with family and friends. A place that is so beautiful and magnificent there are not adequate words to describe it. "Awesome" comes close, if you're using the intended definition of the over-used word.

 We've spent quite a bit of time at our home over the mountains too. Our youngest son and his wife  who live near-by this home are expecting their first baby after 13 years of marriage and this little long-hoped-for miracle is due any day now ! My husband & oldest grandson are shown here after checking out the woods and pond and discussing what needs to be done for next year's hay crop.

 Our oldest grandson is a very hard working young man and has his heart set on raising Galloway cattle. He and his mom ( our daughter ) discovered there was a couple who raise Galloway cattle near our home on the other side of the mountains and our grandson has worked hard to earn the money to buy a calf from these lovely people. We visited them and their herd a second time, where our grandson saw his calf. She isn't ready to leave her momma yet, but in a few weeks ...

 One of the perks of our trip over the mountains is the time to hang out with these characters . Yes, along with our oldest grandson who traveled with us are his 6 cousins ( or 6 more of our grandchildren ) . You just know you're going to be amused and entertained when you sit down with this group. If you make sure you have a lot of Cheetos and chocolate pudding to share you're in for an even better time !

 My husband & I also began a bedroom / bathroom re-model late this spring, and are finally finishing up. I use the "we" generously , because my husband really did almost all of the work himself after the plumber re-fitted the plumbing for our new spa bathtub. This is the old master bedroom as we began to clear away and move things for the work to be done. The room is now repainted, the tub and sink have lovely tile my husband cut & fitted perfectly , and after this month I'll have the carpet shampooed, new curtains, bedspread... oh, lots of things.

 We can't escape gardening around here either. With all that we have going on my husband also raised a bumper crop of beans and cucumbers. I promised him I would process and preserve all his hard -earned harvest . This is the number 1 reason I have had no spare time or energy. We here in the Pacific Northwest have had a record number of days over 80 degrees in July & August. We do not have central air-conditioning and I have been over-heating myself as I have been canning in our kitchen with the temperatures indoors at about 80 to 90 degrees daily. Believe me when I tell you I wilt at 72 degrees. Yes, this wilted blogger was very happy to go to bed before 10:00 p.m. for many a night lately. I must confess, we have a teeny tiny air-conditioner in our bedroom , so it wasn't hard to choose going to bed over blogging !

 The reward for all that hot and hard work was worth it though.

Summer is almost over, and although it is my least favorite season, it was a summer well spent. My youngest grandson shown above with our dog Whimsy  is soon to be the 2nd to youngest grandchild and grandson. My dog Whimsy is over 1 year old now and she has proven to be very good dog, wonderful camper, and all around excellent companion to our family. The year has gone by so quickly and soon my favorite season will bring with it the weather I love . As I look over my blog from its' beginning, a beginning that started as our family eagerly awaited the birth of the grandson shown above with my Whimsy, I see how quickly things can change in a life, how what seems an insurmountable life situation can in a few short years turn into something quite amazingly different. Not what was expected , but every bit as "awesome" and blessed.

Butterfly Tea Party

It might be April, but the weather around here says we are still in winter. Rain, snow, hail, sunshine, and tonight below freezing temperatures. No spring weather for enjoying butterflies outdoors, so we had our butterfly tea party indoors. "The butterfly is a flying flower.." Ponce D. Lebrun All 8 of our grandchildren, our daughter, and my husband's parents will be seated around the table to celebrate being together, with tea, sandwiches, salad,french fries, and angel food cake topped with strawberries and whipping cream. This is a spring time tea with butterflies as the theme. These teacups are so colorful and all sport butterflies. The table is set, simply. There will be 8 children around the table so we need lots of elbow room . The cake platters are ready for the egg salad and tuna fish sandwiches I hung little silk butterflies from the lamp above the dining room table."Beautiful and graceful, varied and enchanting, small but approachable, butterflies lead you to the sunny side of life." Jeffrey Glasskey We gather together to eat and sip tea or hot coco from the butterfly teacups. The grandchildren are of an age where they love to be together and have much to say to one another. There is always a lot of giggling when the 8 cousins visit with one another.How special to be able to share tea time with them, and their great-grandparents, my husband's parents.

My husband's parents seem to enjoy tea parties too, and they brought special gifts for these great-grandchildren, but that is for the next post.

Our daughter pours tea and hot chocolate, filling and re-filling the butterfly teacups.

The colors of this set of teacups are bright and cheery and not too feminine or delicate for the boys at the table. Look at this, froggy green and dandelion yellow teacups.

Sky blue, dark stormy blue, sweet pink, and there is also a pumpkin orange teacup. They go so well with the bouquets of flowers the granddaughters chose from the floral section of the supermarket.How could I resist buying these cheerful flowers to add to the table, especially when the cold weather has stalled all but the bravest and hardiest of flowers ( mostly weeds) outside . The tea party is over, there is more I will tell in another post. The teacups are packed away in their special box. These cheerful teacups are Yedi Houseware Classic Coffee & Tea Butterfly Teacups.* I use them frequently as they make me smile and my grandchildren like them too. Please take the time to visit the links listed below to see other teacups and tea parties, you will be surprised at the variety, creativity, and passion these ladies have for serving tea , sharing their tea treasures, and gracious hospitality.~

• Terri at Artful Affirmations *
• Martha at Marthas' Favorites *
• Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage *
• Lady Katherine at Lady Katherine's Tea Parlor *
• Wanda Lee at The Silken Purse *
• Pam at Breath Of Fresh Air *

" Sometimes , I think, we rush so, we finish a schedule only to make a newer and busier one. We do not,ever, live deliberately and fully, for we haven't time. I know few people who go outdoors now and sit quietly for a couple of hours just looking at the miracle of spring." Gladys Taber ~Take time for tea today. If the weather is kind,sit outside and sip a cup of tea from a lovely teacup or mug while rejoicing in the good things and the lovely things God has given to you and you will be refreshed in body and soul.

Rose

Our oldest Granddaughter has been faithfully and enthusiastically checking under our broody bantam hens to see if the many eggs they are sitting on have hatched. We already had 3 new chicks and sadly found 2 little ones that did not even make it out of the egg before they died, so our granddaughter was even more diligent about checking the eggs. One morning last week I was up early, very early. Completely surprised my granddaughters to see me watching them wake up. Night-owl that I am, it surprises many people if I am up early, but I do arise before nine a.m. on occasion. Anyway, I was struck with the sheer joy of having the little girls sleeping soundly here in our spare bedroom which has become their bedroom these past few weeks.They awoke and as they sleepily sat up in bed the sun streaming through the window shone upon their very blond and sleepy heads and it looked for a few moments as if they were encircled by golden clouds. Our oldest granddaughter smiled and said " I dreamed I found 5 new little chicks under the hen today, was that real?" The youngest granddaughter beamed at her oldest sister and said " I dreamed my sister loved me.." The youngest sister's dream is true but there were no new chicks hatched out on that glorious morning. Sunday however, from the other side of the property I heard our oldest granddaughter yelling, " Grandma, come here!" So I quickly ran to her thinking she was in need of help from some calamity or another and there she was, tenderly holding a wet, newly hatched chick and most wonderful of all, Granddaughter told me it had hatched in her hand.And it had! This little chick has been named Rose. Granddaughter just knows Rose thinks she is her mother because Granddaughter was the first thing she saw and she hatched in Granddaughter's hand. Granddaughter tended Rose the rest of the day and I am happy to report Rose is fine and dandy even now. Granddaughter told her Daddy about this and he said when they get their own place he will build them a chicken pen just for their pet chickens. I know he will, as Granddaughter says, " Our Daddy loves us very much!" And today Granddaughter cried because even though she is having a wonderful time here and loves us very much, she misses her Daddy. I told her I miss him too, but we'll see him in a few days and the little girls will go home with their Daddy and other sisters. I hope Rose likes being around little girls!

Lavender Weekend

The first Celebration of Lavender in Roy, Washington took place this past weekend~

This is Barbara, the only one of the couple who own this lovely Lavender farm I could pin down for a picture, in front of one of the lavender fields. Although it is hazy, you just might spot Mt. Rainier in the background. Here is my booth , you can see Mt. Rainier in the background , and to the left of the booth is the pen I displayed two of my very handsome Jacob ram lambs. I do believe I had the best spot on the place . The large tree gave us shade and my booth was very close to one of the lavender fields and where they were giving lavender oil distillation demonstrations.

My husband kept me company and answered the many, many questions about Jacob Sheep.

A view of some booths and a lavender field.

Lavender distillation equipment.

Some of the grandchildren came to see us and the festival. The girls all made lavender sachets at the craft area.

Our oldest granddaughter just loves our youngest grandson! ( I think he is eating Cheezits )

Our daughter A.Joy and Little J check out the lambs. Little J wanted to watch them a long time.

These two granddaughters remained with us the rest of the festival and we had a good time. I did a lot of spinning wool during the festival and answered a lot of questions about spinning, wool, yarns, etc., The jug in the back ground was filled with ice lemon water each morning and we drank it all up as the temperatures were in the 90's both days.

Oldest granddaughter poses by one of the many classic cars in attendance at the festival.

A beautiful sight to me, "our mountain", a field of lavender, and our oldest granddaughter! We had a wonderful time this weekend at the first ever Lavender Festival in Roy. I made enough money to make it well worth my time, and I hope to be asked back again next year~

Cedar Pond Explored

This week we were privileged to have our daughter's two daughters for two nights and three days as a special birthday request from our #5 granddaughter (MN), and she asked that her sister, #2 granddaughter (KN), spend this time with her. Of course! We're delighted to be considered a treat for them, we know that just as our children grew up so quickly, so will these precious ones and time with them is not to be put off "for later". The grandchildren, just as their parents, love to spend time around the pond. Paddling the boat with Poppa, throwing rocks into the pond, swirling sticks to see what floats up...or simply enjoying the woods around the pond and catching glimpses of frogs, birds, ducks, and who knows what other amazing things. Ah! I get a smile out of her as I walk toward her with a camera. She is usually camera shy and I was prepared for a scowl, but look! She is happy and loving her time around the pond. KN has run outside by herself frequently today to wander the property , follow my ducks around, and explore the pond's edge. " A child's world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement. It is our misfortune that for most of us that clear-eyed vision ,that true instinct for what is beautiful, is dimmed and even lost before we reach adulthood." Rachel Carson Little sister MN follows her big sister around the pond's edge and after their pleading for me to come with them how could I not? This area of the pond has much more treacherous footing than it looks from this picture, but with sturdy mud boots and small trees to grasp we do just fine as we explore. "Children are born naturalists. They explore the world with all their senses, experiment in the environment, and communicate their discoveries to those around them." Audubon Nature Preschool The sisters find one of their mothers' childhood secret places. It is hard to get into this place under some very large cedar trees. You could sit under them in pouring rain and the cedars would keep you dry. "Children learn best through their everyday experiences with the people they love and trust, and when the learning is fun. And the best places for these experiences is outdoors, in the natural world." KN was truly in her glory and delight today, I think she is happy her little sister requests her presence for all things that make her ( little sister) happy. I am glad too. "Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.." And I believe this last quote to be true because one cannot truly contemplate this vast and awesome creation without contemplating the Source of it....God! "O Lord, how many are Thy works! In wisdom Thou has made them all; the earth is full of Thy possessions. " Psalm 104:24 , and "Every beast of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird of the mountains, And everything that moves in the field is Mine." Psalm 50:10,11

Root Beer Taste Test, Foamy Delight!

Well it is almost Christmas! Are you ready? We determined we would have more time for what is important this year and although we are still busier than we had forseen, we have been enjoying some pretty important people, our grandchildren! (above is part of a winter vignette on the kitchen bar that separates the kitchen from our living room) We had the great blessing to be able to have our oldest grandchild , C.T. spend the night with us. Now that he is getting older there are other things he likes to do, and we still want him to enjoy his time with us. One of C.T.'s favorite things is root beer! C.T. received a root beer making kit last year for Christmas and he made root beer, has learned a lot about it along the way and he has saved his very last bottle of home made root beer for New Year's Eve. Since C.T. now has his own blog with permission and complete and total supervision from his parents, he just might share with us how the last bottle of root beer tasted. ( Please?) Together C.T. and I decided he and his Poppa, who also loves root beer, should do a taste test. We bought 4 different brands of root beer. Because both C.T. and Poppa also love a good root beer float we decided the reward after the taste test should be root beer floats. We assembled the 4 bottles of root beer, and 2 glasses for each bottle, along with the mugs, straws and long spoons necessary for the root beer floats.

Poppa and C.T.'s comments went just so:

• 4th.~ Barq's: as soon as the bottle was opened and poured both said it smelled like orange soda. C.T. said "it doesn't taste like root beer, and he began laughing so hard it was hard to understand him as he said "this is the worst tasting one!" Poppa began laughing too, they both could not get over how awful it was, and kept laughing for quite awhile. Actually, today, hours after the taste test C.T. was still amused by how terrible it was. Both C.T. and Poppa think maybe somebody at the Coca Cola bottling plant forgot to clean the orange soda machine before they changed it to root beer. So there, they are giving Barq's the benefit of the doubt, because who in the world would make such awful root beer on purpose?
• 3rd.~Parker's :Both said it had an aftertaste,was not too sweet, did not have enough vanilla or caramel taste. C.T. also commented it "was not too spicy". It had very little foam.
• 2nd: This was a surprise to me, I worked at A & W as a car-hop in the late 60's and early 70's and remember people loving A & W so much they only bought this root beer. They would bring their gallon jugs to be re-filled with this premium root beer.I expected this to be the winner, hands down. In the esteemed opinion of two very important men in my life, A & W is very, very good...Poppa said it has the best old fashioned root beer taste, good vanilla and caramel taste, but #1 is
• 1st:Mug ! Yes, Mug Root beer. They said Mug has the very best smell, most foam, was darker, and just plain better. So although my picture of the two of them doing a thumbs up in front of A & W, ( guess subconsciously I could not wrap my mind around it not being the best) Mug wins!

Poppa and our oldest Grandchild, and #1Grandson celebrated root beer in the very best way they can think of, as root beer floats. Of course there is nothing better in the very best root beer than the very best ice cream, Tillamook French Vanilla ice cream!

Do they look happy or what?

"Behold, the Virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which translated means "God with us." And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took her as his wife, and kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus." Matthew 1:25