A Summer Drive in Oregon's Countryside

Yesterday's adventures brought us to three different farms...

on one farm these sunny flowers caught my eye--

there's just something about sunflowers at this time of the year! 

Along with sunflowers, squash and huge red begonias

these pastel colored hollyhocks looked amazing under the summer sky:) 

Ah! Pink--glorious, wonderful pink! 

We passed fields of hops (some now harvested),

corn,

cauliflower,

and more.

We passed this beautiful field of black eyed Susans too.

It was a great way to spend an August day!

And, to make things even better, my friend took me for a ride on a little river ferry:)

 Nothing like the view from a ferry's deck on a warm, summer day!

 

Blessings,

Aimee

Summer Scenes

In some ways I feel like summer is slipping away.

A few nights have been cool;

some trees are beginning to show autumn's color.

Our dinner table is filled with late summer's bounty--

cherry tomatoes from a neighbor's garden

(nothing the like store bought ones),

fresh corn on the cob...

This has been an unusual summer--

cooler than normal

(which was fine with us)

but it has also felt way too short.

So--on Saturday my hubby and I set off to capture some summer memories...

Where best to go then a covered bridge?

We were not alone:)

Local kids were catching crawdads and wading in the cool water below the bridge.

A man walking by told us of the somewhat infamous history of the bridge

(we'll get to that later). 

I wonder how many kids have explored the waters of this creek;

how many families have spent a summer day here in the shade of this covered bridge.

Ah, summer...

I think know I'll miss you.

 

Are you seeing signs of summer coming to an end?

Are you eager to move on to autumn

(I have mixed feelings but am excited to see the beautiful jewel tones of fall)

 

Blessings,
Aimee

 

 

Notes on Gallon House Covered Bridge:

LOVED this bridge!

Maybe it was the excited grade school aged boys wading in the

waters of Abiqua Creek below the bridge

or perhaps it was the warm sun or blue skies;

possibly the hop fields nearby where workers were harvesting the crop...

I'm not sure but I will always hold dear memories of the day we visited....

 

This beautiful covered bridge was built in 1916 and is located in a very nice rural area

not too far from Silverton, Oregon

gateway to Silver Falls State Park.

 

And it's history?

I'll let you read it here:

http://www.covered-bridges.org/bridges/gallon.htm

 

What am I Filled With Today?

"Whatever you are overflowing with will spill out when you are bumped."

What are you filled with today?

Blessings,

Aimee

Notes: 

Quote is an Indian Proverb (via Ravi Zacharias).

His website, which has a lot of great resources is located at:

http://www.rzim.org/

Photo above taken in Seaside earlier this month;

this little girl was overflowing with happiness and no one had to bump her to see it:)

Recently

 Recently I wasn't at home to light my candles a few minutes before sunset,

just as I have been doing since the month of Elul began.

Since I was a bit apprehensive to bring them along,

due to the very dry conditions,

 I didn't--

but this made me a bit sad.

But as a friend and I drove along in the gorgeous countryside,

drinking in the beauty we found there,

I felt as if God Himself had lit my Retreat candles

and I stopped what I was doing to say a prayer to welcome the new day in--

another day to draw closer to Him

and

allow Him to draw closer to me.

 

Blessings,

Aimee

 

Notes: rural Marion county.

Another Day; Another Journey in Farmland

From late summer 2010---
(can you believe I haven't posted this?)
~

It seems like lately I am spending at least part of everyday in and around farms.

Today was no exception when our journey brought us to a wonderful farm which grows dahlias and one that I had been longing to see for a long, long time...

This is why I have been wanting to come.

Acres and acres, 40 to be exact, of every kind of dahlia you can imagine...
and ones you have never imagined:)

Here you will also find a beautiful memorial to a father.

One that, I am sure, was born out of love and planned with great care.

As the days pass by and as we draw ever closer to my mother's death, I can understand the desire to dedicate a portion of a beautiful garden to a parent. I thought this was a very fitting memorial.

A special moment for me was a hummingbird I found at the top of the memorial. How beautiful and amazing are the special moments we are blessed with in our life's journey.

And now ladies and gentlemen I give you some close ups...

I bet you are having a hard time deciding what one of my favorite colors is.

Yea, I know -- I am an open book.

At least sometimes,
when the place and time are right to be so.

Can you believe I took hundreds of photos while we were here

and then a lot more when we continued our explorations in nearby areas?

My friends and family are used to it.

They KNOW me well...

Oh BTW, today I made up a saying for a bumper sticker for people like me.

I am sure everyone who loves photography would buy one;

it made SO much sense:)

Please, please--

can I stay here,

eat here,

live here?

No, that is not the saying I made up today...

but I am thinking it right now.

But all good things must come to an end

and so we bid farewell to dahlia heaven--

at least for today:)

Blessings, Aimee

And so do you know what one of my favorite colors is and more importantly,
do you have a favorite color?

~
Notes:

Photos taken at Swan Island Dahlias in Canby, Oregon. Here is their wonderful website: http://www.dahlias.com/
By the way, the Dahlia Festival is THIS WEEK at Swan Island;
that's right August 25th!
A BIG thank you to them for giving me permission to post these photos taken at their farm.
As per usual, I am not associated with the farm in  any way but
 I had a great time there and think you would too.
~

A special TY to Grandma Becky who helped kindle my desire to visit the farm...:)

Be Kind

Be ANGRY, and yet DO NOT SIN:

do not let the sun go down on your anger,

and do not give the devil an opportunity... 

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth,

but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment,

so that it will give grace to those who hear.
~

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,

by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
~

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor

 and slander be put away from you,

along with all malice

Be kind to one another,
tender-hearted, forgiving each other,

just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Not easy to do, is it?

I know.

Not easy to respond with kindness and keep

your heart tender when someone does you wrong;

when they speak to you in THAT tone of voice

or use THOSE words.

Especially not easy when the same person wrongs you time and time again.

And yet God, speaking here through Paul,
commands us to not hold onto anger.
~

How well our Creator knows us---

He knows just how costly it is to US to stay angry--
relationally, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
~

So how do you put these Words of God into action when someone angers you?

How do you extend grace to others when they hurt you?

Blessings,

Aimee

Photos:

Northern Oregon Coast

Notes:

Ephesians 4:26-27, 29-32 NASB

"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®,

Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995

by The Lockman Foundation.

Used by permission."

Morning Showers

This morning (Saturday morning) was noticeably different.

The sky was gray, overcast

and I felt something strange, cool and most wonderful on my bare skin.

The earth had just received a blessing from heaven-

a precious gift from the Creator...

and I was grateful,

very grateful.

My heart felt different today too;

not a lot, I can honestly say,

but I did perceive a tiny change deep within my soul
and  

that was a precious gift from the Creator as well.

When Thou saidst,
Seek ye My face;

my heart said unto Thee,

Thy face, LORD, will I seek.

Psalm 27:8 KJV

Blessings,

Aimee

Photo:

our beautiful crocosmia today.

Welcoming in the New

The LORD is my light and my salvation...

Psalm 27:1a

Yesterday just before the sun set in the west,

my husband helped me light two new candles:

symbols of the light of God that dispels the darkness;

symbols of our prayers reaching heavenward-

towards the Creator of all.

Every evening during this new month

 (and for 10 days thereafter)

they will be lit for a few moments -

to set apart this time as a time of reflection and renewal.

Wishing you a blessed Elul,

Aimee

Resources on Elul for Christians:

http://hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Fall_Holidays/Elul/elul.html

 http://frontrangemessianic.org/moedim/a-season-of-teshuvah/

When Your Soul Feels Parched

You caused abundant rain to fall, O God.
When Your inheritance was weary You revived it.
Psalm 68:9 LEB

Outside many of our plants are showing signs of stress;
wilting, browning, loss of fruit--

visible indicators  that it has been very hot as of late
and that the plants did not get enough water when it was needed.

Our grass (no way can I call it a lawn) is brown except in a few places;

it will bounce back when the autumn rains begin.

This evening at sunset begins my spiritual retreat--

a time I set aside yearly to examine where I am at spiritually;

a time of renewal.

As the hours tick by today,

I find myself so in need of this year's retreat;

I feel totally parched-
wilted,
weary,
unfruitful.

I know the causes of my soul's drought
(there are many)

and

I know the only cure.

As the deer longs for streams of water,
so I long for You, O God.
I thirst for God,
the living God,
When can I go and stand before Him?
Psalm 42:1-2 NLT

Blessings this day,
Aimee

Notes:
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Little Lost Soul

A little more then two years ago,

a smile of a little soul flashed across my television's screen

and touched my heart.

It was the smile of 7 year old Kyron Horman

standing proudly by his school science project -

a project on tree frogs.

Shortly after that photo was taken at Kyron's school--

Skyline Elementary in Portland, Oregon

this sweet boy,

with the infectious grin

went missing;

sadly he still is.

So on this 15th day of August,

I invite you,

as fellow grandparents,

mothers,

fathers,

sisters,

brothers,

uncles and aunts

to take a good look at the banner above,

to visit the Missing Kyron page where you will find

more information and many more photos

(including some with age progression);

to keep an eye out for this little lad

and

 to say a prayer that this lost soul will SOON be brought home.

I know I have.

Blessings,

Aimee

Notes:

Banner used with permission of this facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Missing-Kyron-Horman/125336750831264



Summer Snow

When I was younger my grandma would make us snow cones.

She would create them by placing ice cubes in a dish towel

and then

crushing the ice with a hammer.

It actually worked really well!

She would then put the crushed ice in a glass

and top it

with that orange flavored powder that NASA brought into space:)

It was good,

especially on hot summer days!

A few days ago,

I had one of these in a park we stopped at  

and even though it wasn't my grandma's snow cone...

 it was excellent!

In fact, it was so good,

I am craving another right now.

Mmmm.

So I ask you...

are you a shaved ice fan or do you prefer snow cones?

Do you have a favorite combo?

FYI-

I like peach and strawberry

but I think I will try to make a lingonberry snow cone later this week.

Sounds perfect!

Stay COOL.

Blessings,

Aimee

Update (8/14):

I've been thinking about my grandma's process and I decided to clarify it a bit.

First, I am sure this is obvious but I will be cleaning our hammer first before using it because it has seen much time in less than clean conditions. Secondly, I am going to try enclosing the ice cubes in a plastic zipper type food storage bag first before placing that in a dish towel. My thinking is that this will keep the crushed ice cleaner (no cloth fibers) and more contained.

My target date is this Thursday.

Meanwhile I have some pomegranate juice popscicles freezing in the freezer...

Mmmm, summertime frozen treats!

From Hilltop to Ocean Beaches

It's quiet here now,

gone are the voices and laughter that make a parent's and grandparent's life so full.

But for those all too few precious days life was SO sweet

as we returned to old places

and discovered new ones too.

 On Coxcomb Hill,

at about 600 ft above sea level.

The famous Astor Column--

both of my grandsons climbed it;

one twice!

When I see shadows of children

I always think of Peter Pan;

what do you think of? 

No trip to Astoria is complete without a stop at my favorite Scandinavian bakery

(Home Bakery)

for Finnish pinwheels and fattigmann.

Yum! Just ate some more this morning;

I never get enough!

After Astoria we discovered a new beach--

one we all loved! 

Do you know the name of this headland?

If you do, you may know which beach we discovered for the first time.

 We weren't the first visitors that day though.

Another view of the headland.

My grandkids and daughter enjoyed a lot of surf time here;

grandpa enjoyed his rest within reach of the tall coastal grasses

and grandma?

Well you can tell what I enjoyed:)

Wishing you a blessed Sunday.

Blessings,

Aimee

Current Events

My dear daughter and two of my wonderful

(and very, very active grandsons)

have arrived safely

and

so has my dear DIL

and

part of her family...

so posts may be a little sporadic for awhile.

Have a great weekend!

I know I will:)

Blessings,

Aimee

Photo: no time to upload photo;

this one of my DD from several years ago.

For Men Only...NOT!

I am always looking for new places to visit and interesting sights to see.

You already know I love our incredible coast and mountains;

you may know I also love our high desert too.

But did you know I love historical vehicles and cars from my childhood?

Yep! And recently, when I was looking for a place to visit on our Sunday drive I found out

that a small city to the southwest of Portland was having an old-fashioned festival,

with a historic fire truck event and a cruise-in for historical and other vehicles.

Heavenly, I thought--

and after a bit of persuasion,

off we headed

(we being the Farmer Boy and I).

Now women--please tell me you don't find this appealing?

Look at those lines...

and that gorgeous color. 

And patriotic too! 

Or how about this?

I LOVE red;

I would love to be driving this baby around!

Look at those dials...

the steering wheel...

ahhhhh!

Or blue?

Soooo pretty!

Of course, this one might be a problem as I have never been able to

 master driving a car with a stick shift--just ask the 2 men who tried to teach me

(no, we didn't end up in the ditch. Close does not equal 'in').

Can you drive one? 

There were quite a few vehicles there--and some very proud owners.

Who can blame them?

The admirers consisted of young people,

senior citizens,

children

(like this young man)

and us middle aged people!

And yes, guys and gals:) 

Cute! 

Stylish!

Sporty!

My hubby used to have one of these --

same year; different color! 

But his didn't have a surprise under the hood:)

I liked this sign.

Yikes, almost forgot the classy, classy really old vehicles--

there were a couple of them,

but I couldn't get a photo of the other without people in them.

Sorry--it was very nice and even had a name:)

The last photo

(yea I know it was a long post,

but at least I was short winded)

Hope you enjoyed cruisin' with Aimee and the Farmer Boy!

Have a wonderful Wednesday...

I will be house cleaning.

Blessings,

Aimee

Somewhere...

Somewhere

between the organization and cleaning of our home

or
sometime

 in one of the crazy moments that make up my life lately,

my USB connector has gone into hiding

and

 left me with a lot of photos being held 'hostage' on my poor,
greatly overused,
 almost full Nikon.

And the scary thing is that
I know I'll need lots of memory card capacity very, very soon
for the special 'someones'
arriving later this week
:)

Now just where did I put that silly little, indispensable cord this time?
Sigh...
too bad I didn't leave myself any clues.

Hope you are having a great week!

Blessings,
Aimee

Photo:
somewhere very, very beautiful in the northern Coast Range of Oregon