07 June 2013

Exploring Our Heritage: Pt II

Is 2 weeks considered 'soon'?
Well time is passing by so quickly these days,
and things have changed SO much here lately,
 that my 'soon' (meaning coming soon) became 1/2 month before I knew it:)
Anyway on with our mini tour of the Yamhill Valley Heritage Center....
 
In a way, I would call YVHC a living museum, because they host several events that
let children experience, in very tangible ways, our state's past...
one of these is Pioneer Days, where kids can 'attend'
the actual one room schoolhouse on the grounds and
do typical chores of pioneer times
(candle making, making cedar shakes, gardening and much more).
 
I SO wish I could be a child for a day, dressed up in pioneer clothes!
Actually I DO have a pioneer outfit...
maybe I can play pioneer homemaker here at home:)
 
 
So many interesting things to see here.
One of the two stage backdrops at the heritage center...
(click on the photo to get a better view if you would like)
beautiful, beautiful!

 
I mentioned the tractors but didn't post a photo...
this was one of my favorites!
Such a great collection--our nation has truly been blessed with so many inventions
from so many creative minds~

 
Part of the logging exhibit--
this is where the school aged boys learn to make shakes that will actually be used!
Logging was once a very big part of the PNW...
 
 I should also add here that they have a blacksmith shop and sawmill,
 but  they are open on a more limited basis...

 
They have a garden here too and
in April they had a Farm Fest with draft teams and mules--
I would have LOVED seeing that!
 
Aren't these geese cute?
 
 
Love!
 
 
This is the historic schoolhouse they have on the grounds there...
looks very similar to the one my grandma taught in.
LOVE...
 
 
Oh, did I happen to mention the covered wagon they have?
Look at the wonderful cage on the side!
Several of my ancestors came to the Oregon Territory and took up donation land claims--
some of these pioneers settled in the Gresham area
and others eventually settled in southern Oregon.
  
Just to let you know...
YVHC has a very special event, their Harvest Festival, coming up in several months..
A wonderful opportunity for you, your kids, your grandkids to go back in time
and see how your ancestors once lived...
 
Questions of the day
(don't feel you have to answer all of these):
if you could go back to anytime, any era what time would that be and why?
Me: the late 1800's. I would like to see how women of that time ran their households and know how they felt about the circumstances of life--both bad and good.
 
Do you practice any skill/craft/task as your ancestors once did?
Me: I now wash my dishes by hand--although I have modern plumbing of course.
I also dry our laundry outside whenever I can.
Made soap once--but it was using a quick method (glycerin melt + pour)
 so I still want to do the old fashioned kind.
 
What skill/craft/task of pioneer times would you most like to learn?
Me: So, so many...crocheting, candle and soap making, etc.
My fellow bloggers--Alicia, Betsy, Gracie, Teresa and others constantly inspire me!
 
Do you have any pioneer heritage in the Pacific NW or in the area you now live?
Yep--also early settler heritage in many other areas of America.
 
Should you be able to time travel, what would you miss most from 2013?
Probably refrigeration and modern plumbing.
I think I would also miss being able to travel to so many places so quickly, but then I LOVE horses:) 
 
Blessings,
Aimee
 
Notes:
Their website
 

05 June 2013

The WORD on Wednesday: It Was (And Still Is) Good

And God said,
 Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed,
and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself,
upon the earth: and it was so.
 
 
And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind,
and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind:
and God saw that it was good
 
 
And the evening and the morning were the third day.
 
And now it is time for me to check on some of that grass, herbs and fruit
 that is part of our garden. 
Have a blessed day!
Blessings,
Aimee
 
Scripture:
Genesis 1:11-13 KJV
 
Photos:
Upper Nehalem Valley
 

04 June 2013

How I Spent My Monday (AKA Can Everyday Be Like This One?)

LOL-this post reminds me of some back-to-school English assignments...
but with a LOT fewer words:)
 
 
Lunch with Papa -
what could be better than that?

 
Time on the mountainside and down by the river too.
Trips with my grandkids ALWAYS include time in God's creation--always!

 
We took photos of plants, flowers and trees...
lots of them.
Even my granddaughter took some -
with a little help.
 
 
 
Our day also included time at the lake
and time with the ducks and birds that seem to always be there.
This time we were thrilled to see a whole duck family
(maybe I will introduce them to you later).
We also learned a bit about PNW history--
always interesting!

 
Did I say we exercised a bit LOT?
Here is my granddaughter exercising...
(not seen is her mom and I exercising).
 
I think my grandbaby is going to be part of my healthier lifestyle
(she and Teresa have inspired me).
BTW, this is the kind of swing set I grew up with...
the BIG, metal kind that I absolutely love!
Now, if I could just find one of the metal merry-go-rounds that I remember..
Have I said lately what an idyllic childhood I had?
Sigh.
Sometimes we just don't see how blessed we really are till that time has become a memory only. 

 
OK, one cannot keep cuteness all to themselves...
it just isn't right:)
 
 
And with this last photo I bid you adieu for today,
because I have a whole LOT of things to do before my next workout day:)
 
How did you spend your weekend and yesterday?
 
Blessings,
Aimee
 
Notes:
Photos taken -- for the most part -- in the upper Nehalem Valley of Oregon;
© 2013 A. Blessings

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