March On

The month of February slipped by in my house and, quite honestly, I'm glad it's gone! Don't get me wrong, here, in the Pacific Northwest it was a beautiful, unseasonably warm, dry month. But there was that painful Seahawk loss and then flu hit our home and hit it hard. Might have had something to do with sharing those sticky Skittles at our Superbowl party. In fact, the whole neighborhood has been sick.

On the bright side, we celebrated my better half's birthday(and Valentines day) between bouts of flu with our sweet children and a great home-cooked meal, including an incredible chocolate blood orange tart made by my daughter. I also got to make my Cabbage Burgers which I make every year for my aunt on her birthday. Since we can only buy traditional 'Nebraska' cabbage burgers in Nebraska they are a real treat for her. They are a labor intensive treat!

Cabbage Burgers or Runza

I am grateful to have accomplished anything when, for the most part, I just wanted to sit and sleep! The 'tidying up' continues and I've begun listing my de-stash.

Crobots: 20 Amigurumi Robots to Make  in Cage Free Fibers

Yesterday, feeling rested and refreshed, we took a walk through the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden in Federal Way, Washington and discovered more blooms than usual for this time of year! 

Pacific Bonsai Museum

I'm grateful God is with us through the tough seasons. Really, if we didn't have hard times, how would we truly understand the wonder and depth of simple, joyful times?

Philippians 4:11B by GodsWordandWorld on etsy

Here's to a productive, joy-filled March!

Linda <><

Just Another Day in Paradise

Yesterday my daughter and I loaded the back of the pick-up truck with 7 boxes and 11 bags of discards to take to the thrift store. 

Now there is room in my moms old steamer trunk
for some of my daughters' treasured toys

And today the discarding continues, it feels good. But it also feels good to get out and enjoy this beautiful world. 

Paradise at Mount Rainier with Edith Creek and Tatoosh Range

After another powerful message at church on Saturday night we chose to head for the mountains Sunday morning. Needless to say we did not require long underwear! It was in the 60s and with the sun reflecting off the snow and the workout snowshoes provide we were just plain hot!

You can see the steam coming off the top

We packed a snack for lunch.

Our view for lunch

We've been promised rain for next Sunday, that's fine, we'll be glued to the TV.

A mountaintop 'twelfie'

I hope you, too, can take time out from your everyday activities to celebrate the beauty of God's creation!

Heading back down

And, 

Sing for joy, O heavens; shout, O earth. Break forth with song, O mountains, for the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion upon them in their sorrow. 

  --  Isaiah 49:13

The end!

Linda <><

Under the Steps

When I was young, probably fifth or sixth grade, I decided I wanted to wear eye shadow. My mom was old enough to be my grandma and didn't talk much about makeup, besides saying she had to 'put her face on' before leaving the house. So I put on my tween-age thinking cap and found my first eye shadow in the form of an aqua highlighter. I thought it looked pretty cool on my eyelids. Once my dad noticed,  he did not. He was furious and yelled (and yelled) at me. I was crushed. I didn't take time to find out if it was makeup in general or the fact that I had used highlighter on my eyelids. I retreated to my own private hiding place to cry. I remember, like it was yesterday, crouching among the boxes in the dark under the steps. Since then I have withdrawn there often.

That urge to flee, to hide has been a life long battle. How about you? If so, you're not alone. This is my nature in most difficult or uncomfortable situations. Though it is my nature, I know, with all my heart, I can call on a higher power and I can be at peace! When I want to flee to my hiding place rather than face circumstances head on I thank God for I know...

Philippians 4:13 by SoulSisterPalletShop on etsy

and...

Nehemiah 8:10 by Prims 'n Posies on etsy 

As I look back I can tell you for certain, in all the most difficult times of my life, God has been my strength! 

God blessed my husband and I with a child who started her formal education in Special Education pre-school. In time she was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. She is now a college graduate and job hunting. I'm challenged every day, by this Asperger's, to keep from hiding under the stairs. Thank God, hiding is not in my sweet daughter's nature. She has been a blessing to me and I ask my Abba Father every day to cover her with His grace and build her up to be her best for Him.

We all face turmoil on life's journey. We chose how we react. I firmly believe Romans 8:28...

Romans 8:28 by Simply Zofia on etsy

Last weekend the three of us went kayaking on Lake Washington in Seattle. This was our first big adventure in urban kayaking. We paddled under highways, by lily pads, houseboats and, out of my comfort zone. We rowed through the Montlake Cut along with motor boats and sail boats of all shapes and sizes. The waves tossed and turned us and splashed into our boats, but we never capsized. Our boats were built for stability. 

Highway 520's bridge to nowhere

This is my hope for you and me. To journey through this life never in fear of the waves. Instead, knowing God's strength will always provide in every circumstance.

Lake Washington Arboretum trail

And we will always be brought safely to shore to rest in Him!

Linda <><

What To Do

How many times in you life have you been left wondering what to do? When you're looking for concrete answers and they don't seem to come He provides. 

Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. -- Jeremiah 6:16

This beloved verse came up in my reading the other day. I've been doing a read through of the Bible this year. I admit some days are more difficult than others; all those begats and atrocities. But most days either a single verse or a story speak to me. I am grateful for the time to attempt this.

Another cherished verse came to me from a friend in Bible study. I am forever grateful to her for this answer and I pray it will always come to mind when I don't know what to do.

Trust in the Lord by Graber's Graphic Designs on Etsy

It's so comforting to know that the burden of answering that age old question is not mine to carry. I hope and pray that you, too, find the answers today.

I love the sofa in the picture. It reminds me of the one we just ordered. We sold our old sofa at a garage sale early this month and then spent the better part of the month furniture shopping. We calculated we've now bought five sofas in our 34 years of marriage. I was thankful when number five was ordered Friday so we could get on with some summer fun.

I'll leave you with some reminders of our Sunday hike at Suntop Peak.

Linda <><

In The Garden

When I was growing up in the little town of Scottsbluff in western Nebraska we didn't have Christian radio stations as we've come to know them, or even contemporary Christian music. However, ever Sunday morning the local radio station played hymns and that's what we listened to, without fail, as we got ready for church. This song reminds me of those days gone by. It was Jim Reeves, not Alan Jackson, but I hear my mom's voice singing along regardless.

 She loved to garden.

As a teacher she had summers to garden, can, pickle and freeze. Her garden was a big sunny spot in the backyard filled with tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, carrots, peas, cucumbers and much more. 

Here in the Pacific Northwest it's harder to find a sunny spot and my backyard isn't a big as hers, but I do love to garden and I love to eat from the garden.

Please, take a walk through my garden with me!

This bed is mostly kale (a few beets in the back).

L to R: cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and sweet peas (this is where we
battled some sort of vermin wanting to eat the broccoli leaves).

Hopefully we'll be eating Brussels sprouts sometime in the near future.and
next to it was radishes. Now it's carrots. I put sticks in between the rows
and sprinkle it with hot pepper flakes to keep bad cat from using it 
as a litter box.

One of several peppermint plants meant to
deter mice. Seems to be working so far!

Growing tomatoes is an art in the Puget Sound region where the climate
is temperate and summer is short. I plant the basil with it because it is
supposed to help keep the insects away. Caprese salad is also my all
time favorite, especially straight from the garden. 
The owl, by the way, does not deter anything.

Radishes are easy to grow and tasty fresh from the garden.

Juliet grape tomatoes and snapdragons

Can you spy my first two little grape tomatoes?

The three planter boxes on the deck are usually filled with some
sort of greens. This red lettuce has already provided several
salads. The nasturtium is said to draw aphids away from
other plants and the blossoms (when it blooms) are edible.

The herb garden (L to R):  sage, marjoram, parsley, oregano,
rosemary mint, chives and assorted weeds. 

I just added the teacup bird feeders, they were a fun, quick craft.
My daughter made the house bird feeder in high school shop class. 

And look, they really like it!
I think this is a chickadee. 

I pot my peppers so they can get the greatest sun
exposure possible. The half barrel is thyme and
the trellis is rose vines and clematis.
Jack, the cat who loves birds, photo bombing:-)

Clematis

Jack posing with some Shasta daisies.

The hanging baskets make it feel like summer even though they
are hard  to keep alive. My sweet hubby built the window
planter and I fill it with red geraniums every year as my
 grandmother planted red geraniums in the kitchen window of the sod house
where she raised six children.

We don't have (and rarely need) air conditioning, so these help
keep the kitchen cooler in the summer.

One of my favorite fresh from the garden meals is sauteing veggies with
kale and topping with an egg. I like to add a little Chipotle Tabasco!

This beautiful hydrangea is in my front yard. One summer afternoon
 a few years ago a young couple stopped by and asked if they could buy 
some of the blooms to use for their wedding. I told them to take
 whatever they wanted and I felt like the lucky one to be a part
of their special day.

My friend gave me this hosta when my mom passed away
 two years ago. It's a lovely reminder.

I transplanted the calla lilies from our family cabin on the sound. 

Columbine

Some sort of lily:-)

Just for fun we sprayed this pot
 with glow in the dark paint.

When we moved to this home sixteen years ago there was no backyard, no lawn, no trees, no patio or deck. We had to haul in top soil. It has all been a labor of love that we enjoy sharing. My thumb is not green, even so I try my best and it continues to be a learning experience. 

Thanks for taking this walk through my garden with me. I'd love to have shown you a garden with no weeds and fresh beauty bark, but 

My advice for you today: play in your garden, or find one to walk through and listen!

Linda <><