Garden Goodness

It’s so hard to believe that so much time has passed since I last posted, but it has. A lot of time with a lot of changes and a fair amount of challenges - I’m sure we were not alone in that. 

But today I’m just going to focus on the garden goodness God has sent us this Spring. These are just iPhone pix but they bring me joy and I hope they will for you as well.

Rhubarb blossom 

Rhododendron bloom (the heatwave of last summer did a number on many of our plants). 

Crabapple blossoms - love these!

Lady’s Mantle after the rain. Photography has been a challenge between the abundance of rainy days and wind, but I love raindrops on certain plants because they’re so sparkly!

Camellia 

Dogwood

Well, for a first post in forever and a first phone post - which seems to be a bit more challenging then it does on my MacBook, I’m going to cut it short. Hopefully soon I’ll be able to post trip pix and more.

Peace, 

Aimee

Now the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all. 

II Thessalonians 3:16 KJV

Abundant Blessings

So much has happened since last I posted, but first I would like to take a moment and extend a HUGE thank you to those who left comments on the sad passing of our little Eskie gal. She will be missed for a long time always, but we have a lot of sweet memories of her and lots of photos. 

THANK YOU everyone--you are most KIND!

Now for the main reason I have been absent for a long time...and it's actually a GOOD thing, one of those blessings this post is about. Not too long after THAT sad day, my eldest son gifted me with a new little toy to play with and that is what I've been doing these past weeks....

to be honest, there were definitely some moments when it felt more like WORK than play, (that's what happens when you have to learn a totally different OS from what you have used FOREVER),  but now I am pretty good still learning to do things the Apple way and I mostly LOVE my laptop! Of course it helps to have SO much info on the web and a son that does tech support:)

Besides computer challenges and triumphs, my hubby and I have been taking a lot of day trips. We've been to beaches, bays, rivers, historical sites, lakes, wetlands and up hills. We have also been planning a few trips--some close, some further away. We'll see...

And now a few photos...I still haven't transferred any of the ones on my phones and even the most recent ones on my cameras. BUT, and this is an important but, at least I know how to transfer the photos now to my laptop and somewhat edit and organize them:):) And, as of just a few moments ago, I can actually upload them--sort of--to blogger. LOL.

 I am just SO used to doing things the other, non Apple way.

Oh well, challenges are good. I think:)
Update: my phone, the phone I was going to transfer those photos from...
well it's now decided not to respond anymore. Sigh. Good thing I had texted some of
them to my e-mail awhile back--but some photos are probably lost for good.
:(
Now on a happier note...photo time!

(Still learning this new photo editing app so bear with me please.
Suggestions welcome!)

One day we came back from a wetland area to find we had some visitors of our own. 

Apparently these guys take their "free ranging" seriously! 

Our wetlands adventures were many and we loved seeing all the geese, swans, ducks, eagles, egrets, heron and even beavers close up this winter! It almost made ALL the rain worth it (almost being the keyword here). 

Aren't they amazing? 

Beautiful on the ground, in the lake and in flight!

One last photo for now--

this is Depoe Bay on the central Oregon coast. 

The surf and sea spray was amazing that day spraying up onto the parking area...

a BIG blessing!

Yikes! I just looked at the time and it's way past bedtime. Hopefully by my next post I will have perfected the photo editing programs and can upload faster. Until then--

Blessings, 

Aimee

PS: Is everything in your yard in bloom right now? I can hardly believe it but we have roses--yes roses--in bloom! It isn't the first time, but it is still a bit shocking to see daffodils and roses all within a few yards of each other. Spring is AMAZING!

Giving Thanks Down By The Riverside

Difficult challenges in life can make you sad, depressed, hopeless, angry and bitter

(been there; done that)

Or they can make you think of all the things in life you are truly and completely grateful for...

kind bloggers,

sunny days,

a pumpkin pie tempting me from our fridge right now,

a sandy beach during HIGH surf,

and...

 

 

 a certain lovely river and some of its feathered inhabitants.

Ah, yes. It is THE season for a bird lover like me:)

 

 

Just like my feathered friends at the beach,

the feathered friends here by the riverside make me smile...

 

 

cause me to admire their beauty and grace as they float with the current

or swim against it.

 

 

And their unique characteristics cause me to be filled with joy and a deep sense of wonder!

 

 

I may not like the rain of autumn

(though I am very grateful for it after months of drought),

I may not like the cold

(though there is no snow without it and I LOVE snow).

And I may hate the decrease in daylight hours...

but I look forward each autumn to seeing some of the feathered ones

who only visit us at this time of the year.

 

 

So, in my little unofficial beauty contest here,

which of the feathered ones is your favorite?

 

 

So many to choose from--

ducks, Canadian geese, pigeons, gulls...

 

 

I can't choose.

I LOVE them all!

 

Wishing you all a very blessed and joy-filled Thanksgiving no matter where you live.

 

Blessings,

Aimee

 

Photos:

Clackamette Park

(located at the confluence of the Clackamas and Willamette rivers)

When It Rains, Sometimes It Pours (But I'm Not Referring To Precipitation)

April was not a good month. No it definitely was not!

I was either sick, recovering from being sick and exhausted all month. Along with that I lost my inspiration for blogging at some point and our high speed Internet earlier in the month than usual.

Then there were the "other" things...

 

Sad sigh #1:

We found out that my Chef son is -- yet again -- moving south. I will really miss our conversations, hikes and drives together, his wonderful cooking...basically I will totally and completely miss seeing him. Sometimes it's really, really hard to be a mom.

Sad sigh #2:

Found out that my best friend of almost 30 years is also moving. She's been there for me through some of the hardest times of my life. And she's more than just a good friend, she's a sister-in-Christ...I already miss her immensely and the move hasn't happened yet. I just have to keep focusing on how grateful I am to God for blessing her with this wonderful opportunity.

 

Sad sigh #3:

A much anticipated trip to one of my favorite places in the US fell through--a place of many memories and lovely landscapes. Soooo disappointed.

Well, there's more---but I think that's more than enough sad sighs for one blog post,

don't you agree? :)

 

 

So, on a more positive note, here's some good things that happened this April...

#1)

Our furnace broke (thank you LORD for getting us through the winter, keeping us safe AND making me aware that there was a problem before something really AWFUL happened ). My wonderfully talented hubby was able to repair it for the total cost of about $10 (let me hear another thank you God!)...

 

#2)

 I -- finally -- had the courage to stand up to one of the slithery ones and, wouldn't you know it, he didn't back down...But at least I lasted a few seconds before my retreat. Yea!

 

#3)

My Chef son promises to send me his gumbo recipe this month! Ever since Teresa started to post her photos from New Orleans and Louisiana, I have been totally inspired to work on my family lines from the South (especially making progress on extended New Orleans family--yippee!). And then, with all those great photos of southern food, I started getting interested in the cuisine of the south--hence my need for the gumbo recipe. Mmm.  Now if I could just afford a trip south...LOL.

Maybe someday!

(And a BIG thank you to Teresa for sharing her trip photos and helping to inspire me)

 

#4)

Though technically in early, early May, I had the opportunity to try some new foods. The first, tendon, was -- well it was interesting. If you've ever had pho, you may have already had this. It doesn't taste bad at all...but the texture is -- well, the texture of tendon is memorable and stayed with me a long, long time. A very long time. However, the flavor of the pho was fabulous and I devoured every single drop of it - tendon and all.

 

#5)

Also in very early May, I had a most wonderful rhubarb hand pie at one of the most wonderful bakeries in all of Portland (Baker + Spice in SW Portland)...let's just say I will be making some of these soon God willing. YUM! Additionally, I've been munching on some yummy cardomom bread from a fav Scandinavian shop...

 

#6)

My Bible reading for 2015 is coming right along and I will most likely be done well before year's end. YEA! I've been much more disciplined and consistent about it this year...usually I have to play catch up:) And, speaking of reading, I was FINALLY able to located a beloved book I first started reading on a stay at Leirvangen, a Norwegian B+B years ago. Can't wait to immerse myself in the land of fire and ice again...oh, and pretend I am riding a Icelandic horse:)

Well that was April, but now it's May --

and May always brings some good, good memories!

 

By the way,

 Feliz cinco de mayo a todos mis amigos y mi familia :)

 

Blessings,

Aimee
 

~ * ~

 

Photos:

Marquam Hill Trail, photo 1

Seaside Beach (access at 12th Street), photos 2, 3, 4, 10

Tryon Creek State Park, photo 5

Seaside Beach (The Cove), photos 6, 7, 8

Yummy pho, photo 9

Link to Teresa's fabulous LA posts:
http://teresakasner.blogspot.com/2015/04/new-orleans-part-deux.html
(this is part 2 of 3 parts; they're all wonderful!)

A special thank you to my son for letting me borrow some of  his photos for the blog
and for forgetting the much loved and most wonderful "M" cookware here--tee hee!
Love you!

BAD HTML...oh well, time to do other things ;)

 

Of Remodeling, Creatures Great + Small, the Garden + Gratitude

As in my last post,

this one is also being written to the sounds and sights

of cooking shows so you all know what that means. LOL

 

My wonderful Chef son texted me his Thanksgiving menu earlier this week...

just reading it had my mouth watering! I cook fairly simple meals at home now,

because that is what Farmer Boy prefers,

 but I confess to having a never-ending love for gourmet and international foods.

(In fact, I could go for some good tempura or yummy nikujaga right now.)

 

DS's menu sounds like something you'd find in an upscale restaurant --

"herb infused",

"pate au choux"...

I will share photos and the full menu in an upcoming post

(that is if I don't devour all the food before I get some photos. Ha ha!)

 

By the way, speaking of Thanksgiving--

do you know I have something in common with a certain Flying Nun?

Tis' true--

But will get to that in another post.

Maybe.

 

Remodeling update: 

there's new sheetrock above our heads and on all the walls in the bedroom now

(except for the closet, that is, where we kept the old drywall).

 

 

My new "best" friend and tool!

Do you know why I LOVE him so much?

Hint: he helps me bear burdens I can't bear on my own!

I named him after our youngest son who has done his own share of remodeling

and would love to be here to help us if he could.

So -- do you know what 'burdens' this 'friend' helps me bear and why I love him so much?

 

 

Drywall installed (I have a whole new appreciation for screws).

Next step: taping.

You can't really see it,

and I didn't want to bore you with a lot of remodeling pictures,

but sheetrock panels are not the same thickness everywhere.

The tape is applied over the 'valley' and where two panels come together. 

It has a self adhesive backing.

BTW, did you know you can't keep rolls of fiberglass mesh drywall joint tape forever?

I do now. Fortunately we had some that was ok and we had bought more recently.

 

 

Are you seeing spots?

Yep, and it's a good thing--a very good thing!

You see, all those lovely screws and taped areas have to be covered with lovely 'mud'

(AKA joint compound).

The trick to using this stuff, per Farmer Boy, is using multiple thin layers to

 blend the sheetrock panels together. All this is necessary before you begin the texturing process.

If you want to learn more about the process,

 there's some good DIY websites out there which will explain it a lot BETTER than I!

 

And now to some prettier stuff...

(although I was thinking, after all these years of looking at studs,

 that the new sheetrock is BEAUTIFUL).

 

 

A through the window shot...

one day the birds were most entertaining!

I can hardly wait to visit a NWR and see some BIG birds.

 

Lots of kiwi still.

Hopefully my hubby will keep giving it away.

 

Ah! Those beautiful ever changing autumn leaves...

 

 

 

A little something (or should I say a little someone) special we saw while driving in the hills.

 

Somehow even the ordinary looks pretty special with a few raindrops on it.

 

Parrot's feather and floating leaves.

 

Water lily leaves and a resident bug:)

 

So last time we 'talked',

I was thinking of blessings and how this world would be SO much better if everyone would live daily being a blessing to each other.

This week, I've been thinking of gratitude and thankfulness...

lately I've been grateful for the little things of life ---

heat, indoor plumbing, a walk in the garden and the wonder of nature!

 

Sometimes, when times are hard and the news is depressing,

it's good to "Count Your Blessings" as the old hymn says.

I know I have a lot to be thankful for

(some of which are pictured above).

 

In closing, a few lovely gratitude quotes for you...

 

Thankfulness is the tune of angels.

(Edmund Spenser, reported in Josiah Hotchkiss Gilbert,

Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895), p. 290.)

　

A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues.

(Cicero, Oratio Pro Cnæo Plancio, XXXIII)

Thanks are justly due for things got without purchase.

(Ovid, Amorum (16 BC), 1, 10, 43)

And the WORD for Wednesday

(since it's after midnight now)...

 

Oh that men would praise the LORD for His goodness,

and for His wonderful works to the children of men.

Psalm 107:31 KJV

 

Blessings, Aimee

 

Links:

"Count Your Blessings"

Awesome lyrics!

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/c/o/countyou.htm

 

Gratitude quotes can be found here:

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Gratitude

(please refer to this site for terms of use, etc.) 

 

Nikujaga: a Japanese meat and potato stew that I am crazy about.

I've only had it once, at a restaurant, but keep telling myself I have to make it---

or talk my oldest son into doing so:)

 

And now, time for a snack...