Love

Love,

love,

love!

 

What places do you love?

 

Blessings,

Aimee

 

Photos:

Vernonia Lake, Upper Nehalem Valley

Humbug Creek, Camp 18, Elsie

Coffenbury Lake, Fort Stevens, Warrenton

 

Notes:

Yikes! My hubby caught me up...

he says I am a night owl;

I think, that besides being a practical man,

he is very wise.

Night:)

Of Vaflers, Lingonberries and Lefse

Back in May of this year, I had a burning desire to get a heart shaped wafflemaker

so I could make those thin Scandinavian waffles I am so fond of...

I thought they would be fun to make for special days like

Valentine's Day,

Syttende Mai,

and Christmas morn

(oh and a whole lot of the mornings in between).

A quick call to my one of my favorite Scandinavian shops and
I was on my way to pick a wafflemaker up:)

Of course, when I go there it is never for just ONE item...

if you could see my house,

you would know that is true!  

 After a nice drive we arrived at their front door -

and found shoes!

High heeled ones with succulents planted in them

(what a CUTE idea)!

Through the door

we entered paradise...

well, paradise to me.

Imported chocolates and other candy (gummi's--yum),

cloudberry and lingonberry preserves,

lingonberry juice concentrate

(update: today they also had elderberry juice concentrate)

and many other Nordic food items.

They also carry cardamom bread (yep, it's yummy),

lefse (YUM) and other items

(hint: check out the refrigerator--for years I didn't).

 I LOVE their selection of books--

favorites of mine are Carl Larsson

(love, love, love his artwork--the colors he uses, the themes, etc, etc)

and

I really love the Northern Lights series by Lisa Tawn Bergren!

I don't see them in this photo but I have also read

and enjoyed these Scandinavian themed books too:  

The Emigrants, Johan Bojer

The Emigrants (a trilogy), Vilhelm Moberg

Kristen Lavransdatter, Sigrid Undset

(I like the translation by Tiina Nunnally).

By the way,

if you have any suggestions for books with a Scandinavian theme,

I'd love to hear them:)

Scandia Imports also carry books on crafts, interior design

(I would like to learn rosemaling and wheat weaving one day;

have books on both of these crafts).

 Today when I was there I noticed that the new owner has changed the layout of the shop

and I really like it as it seems so much lighter in there!

I LOVE light

(especially as we go into the autumn + winter).

~

My shopping list was shorter than usual today--

Nordic chocolate

(for the hubby man),

lingonberry juice concentrate

(LOVE this),

a hallonkräm mix
(sounded good)

and

2 bottles of Solo

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solo_(Norwegian_soft_drink)).

 

But, though my list was short,

 I couldn't resist checking out some favorites

 (Swedish textiles, tomten/nisser,

wooden kitchen spoons, etc)

and a few new items...

after all Christmas is coming:)

And, yes, I am VERY happy with my vafler maker!

 

What are your favorite kind of places to shop at for your home and food?

 

Blessings,

Aimee

 

Syttende Mai?

You've never heard of it, you say.

Well you are in for a wonderful time

 if you are lucky enough to find a Syttende Mai celebration near you.

Here are some links to posts from this year's festivities:

http://aimeeonthemountainside.blogspot.com/2012/05/syttende-mai-parade-from-different.html

http://aimeeonthemountainside.blogspot.com/2012/05/syttende-mai-norse-hall.html

 

And a post on one of my favorite horse breeds (which of course just happened to be there)

http://aimeeonthemountainside.blogspot.com/2012/05/syttende-mai-of-fjords.html

LOVE fjords!

Notes:

Thank you to Scandia Imports for permission to take photos this spring and post them here!

And if you are reading this -- thank you for our talk today!

It meant a lot to me:)

 

You can find their facebook page here:

https://www.facebook.com/ScandiaImports

With more photos:)

 

Disclaimer: as per usual, I have no association with this business

except as a long standing, happy customer!

 

Proverb + the WORD on Wednesday

"If we don't change our direction,

we are likely to end up where we are headed"

This proverb is true in many ways...

and I think it is true for my personal situation.

 I am day # 3 into making some changes

and am looking forward to today.

 

I know, as a wise blogger said, that some days will be harder than others,

but I need to stop living in the past

(focusing on losses, regrets, mistakes),

avoid giving strength to fears and anxieties of the future

(healthwise, national and international problems, etc)

and live in the present.

 

And that reminds me of these WORDS... 

 

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,

for tomorrow will worry about itself.

Each day has enough trouble of its own."

 

and this commentary...

 

Let us not pull that upon ourselves all together at once,

which Providence has wisely ordered to be borne by parcels..

.by our daily prayers we may procure strength to bear us up under our daily troubles...

 

And now, it is time to eat (starving!)

and then cleaning and baking.

 

Blessings,

Aimee

 

Notes:

Old Chinese Proverb

(found widely on Internet)

Matthew 6:34 NIV

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™

Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Matthew Henry Commentary on above verses

(in the public domain)

Photos:

A favorite subject--

the Peter Iredale shipwreck on Clatsop Spit,

Ft, Stevens State Park, Warrenton. 

 

 

Of Fruit, Veggies + Those Wonderful Food Bloggers

I am NOT a food blogger...nope!

I leave that up to the very talented Ree, Cathy, Erin, Anne + others:)

But I really DO enjoy cooking

(sometimes more than others)

and I especially like to try new things...

last week it was an apple pie

made from our very own heirloom and some other apples,

AND

a roasted veggie salsa.

Mmmm!

By the way, did you notice the TERRIBLE lighting in our kitchen?

It is reason #1 why I am happy to NOT be a food blogger

and reason # 365 why I would love to have a skylight there

(alas my husband hates skylights...

they leak he points out, being a practical man). 

 

Reason #2 for not being a food blogger...

well the photo above is only showing you part of the apple pie on purpose 

(it has to do with Aimee not following the exact directions for the pie crust

and--perhaps--letting it brown a wee bit too much in areas).

Sigh.

But even if  the pie didn't look perfect,

it was very, very tasty

and the overly browned areas--

well they provided me with a quick snack before dinner.

 

The salsa, too, was heavenly--

the scent of roasting garlic, peppers, sweet onion and tomatoes

 filled the air of the countryside and our home with sweet cooking love...

but peeling the poblano chile pepper--

well that is reason #3 I am happy to leave food blogging to others.

 

Yep,

 I am quite comfortable with my decision NOT to be a food blogger...

and VERY, VERY grateful to those that are for all the inspiration they give me:)

 

On the 'to do' list for this week-

an apple crostada

and possibly a pumpkin baking mix I've had for awhile.

I am still working on building up courage to make my first biscotti--

I bought one at a farm store this summer that was quite heavenly and

 I am determined to somehow recreate it.

 

What's on your cooking to-do list?

 

Blessings,

Aimee

 

See my bloglist to the right for food bloggers I follow--love them all!

Sometimes...

Sometimes a path turns out to be a very, very bad choice.

My path in the last 2 years has not been easy.

 

Serious house problems

(fear, stress, uncertainty, loss of a dream),

my mom's terminal condition and subsequent death

(grief, loss),

dad's health issues and need for care

(stress, care and family issues),

problems my kids and grandkids were facing

(when they hurt or are in a dangerous situation you hurt too),

world and national events

(where do I begin on this one?),

and more added up to make some really distressing times for me

and finally a feeling of hopelessness

(which wasn't like me).

 

This weekend

 it dawned on me that I had gotten SO totally focused on the bad

(and some things were truly BAD)

the challenges,

the struggles,

that I was forgetting--to some degree--all the good,

the positives in my life,

the blessings

that God has given me;

that He is still giving me.

 

So it is time to change my focus...

and yesterday I began to do so.

 

Blessings,

Aimee

 

Photo:

This is the Horseshoe trestle and I really did want to walk across it...

good thing I changed my mind, huh?

:)

Along the Banks-Vernonia State Trail, Upper Nehalem Valley.