Decisions, decisions...

My hubby is asleep on our family room sofa,

one load of laundry is hung outside on drying racks under what I hope continues to be dry skies.

several days of dishes are washed, dried and put away,

a John Wayne movie in on TV,

our three pups are stretched out on the carpet

and I am trying to decide what to do next.

 Part of me wishes we had gone to the coast today

(lately I have felt drawn more and more to that gorgeous place of serenity),

part of me wants to make crepes

(these from Cathy at Wives with Knives),

part of me is eager to get started on jam making

(this recipe featured on Grace's One Saylor's Log),

and then there is the part of me who is faced with the fun task of deciding where these 

newly arrived gifts, from one of our friends, should go...

 Yes, just when I had figured out what it was that some of our gardens were missing...

these blessings arrive at our home.

They won't work in our younger son's PNW/Japanese style garden,

but we have several other possibilities... 

there is my dear daughter's miniature rose garden that badly needs something amidst the lavender, mini roses and Lady's Mantle.

Hum, which one for such a special blessing

as the Daughter of my Heart?

(thinking)

And then there is my mom's memorial garden...

it already has a bird bath, but needs something more I think.

Should this cherub go there?

Among the dogwood, kinnikinnick, salal, columbine, roses, bleeding heart and ferns?

Hum...

Of course the wildflower/perennial garden needs some artwork too...

something to place near the salad burnet, poppies, columbine, snapdragons,

 yarrow and more.

Plus I need to decide if I should paint the wood frames

(they are raised beds)

white or another pastel color,

or just leave them as they are.

Any suggestions?

Hoping your weekend finds you making such pleasant decisions.

Blessings,

Aimee

Notes:

Photos 1-2

Miniature rose garden

Photos 3-6

A few examples of our newly arrived garden art.

There is also a little wood planter that looks kind of like a rocking chair

and a little garden girl.

Photos 7-8

Wildflower/perennial garden

(still in process)

Fun Without the Sun

I have waited for this moment with bated breath...
and, at last, the time is here. And all I can say is...
fun, fun, fun! Oh and thank you Helen:)

But fun or not,  I still should be in bed.

Blessings, Aimee

Collage photos:
Yes, ferns really do grow through the tiny spaces between our deck.
Yes, son, our blueberries in 'your' garden are getting closer to THAT time:)
Oh, beautiful Iceland poppy, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...
Yes, it is Rose Festival time again. Here is one of my favorite miniature roses...the Magic Carousel. LOVE this one; love all my miniatures.
Deck shadows...deck shadows from another new plant-a lupine. I wonder if it would look nice to paint/stain some plant shadows on my deck. What do you think? Maybe more subtle than these?
Our first, just about ripe strawberry. I wonder how long it will be till my Alpine's are ripe...oh, oh--they may already be. I forgot they are the white kind (mental note to check Alpine strawberries tomorrow).

Collage made at: http://www.picmonkey.com/# 

Friday Flowers + Fruit

Hello Friday!

Oh yes, it's already a new day and

Aimee should have been in bed by this time,

but of course, she isn't.

Nope! She is up and, as usual, playing with photos,

wishing my favorite genealogy (family history) site had the Washington state 1940 census index searchable and mailing my DDIL (dear daughter-in-law) a photo that I know will make her smile!

But, since I really should be in bed...

this will have to be a quick post.

Actually it may be even quicker than I planned because my broadband is

having reception problems again:(

Here are some flowers and fruit photos for your Friday...

 Dianthus--gorgeous, I LOVE pink dianthus.

LOVE these flowers...

 One of our newest wildflower/perennial floral residents...

an Icelandic poppy.

Well suited for life at Aimee's place since everyone knows I LOVE things that remind me of Scandinavia--even if I have no idea where these poppies really originated from

(although that makes me eager to research their origin).

BTW, I should let you know that today was quite windy so the photos are...

well you can see.

Oh and I should disclose that as the hour is early...

there may be grammatical errors because Aimee is, finally, getting tired.

 Some of our culinary lavender.

This is a white variety and it is starting to form those fragrant, lovely, edible-yummy flowers.

Just a mention here---it will soon be July and for those in the PNW that love lavender,

there will be festivals in both Washington and Oregon.

Believe me it is such a blessing to walk in fields of fragrant purple lavender,

cutting and gathering bundles of it to take home.

(I am planning on visiting a lavender farm this year,

even though we have plenty of lavender here on our land.

Love those places!)

Another new addition to our wildflower/perennial beds.

I'm proud to introduce you to another poppy--

specifically a Beauty of Livermere poppy.

Believe me, this photo does not do this plant justice!

Our beautiful Little Princess spirae.

I LOVE this plant...

I am sure you know why. 

And to end this post...

our gooseberries.

Ahhhh!

Gooseberry tarts, gooseberries raw, gooseberries anything:)

Soon, Aimee, soon.

How does your garden grow?

(Extra blogging points for those who know where this saying comes from...

no fair peeking at the link unless you have tried to guess first).

But really, how does your garden grow?

Are you growing veggies this year? Tomatoes? Swiss chard?

Herbs? Basil? Chives?

Flowers? Roses? Wildflowers? Petunias?

 (it is Rose Festival time in Portland right now)

Planning any changes to your garden this year?

OK--time for bed.

Blessings,

Aimee

The WORD on Wednesday: Never Alone

O LORD,

You have examined my heart and know everything about me.

You know when I sit down or stand up.

You know my thoughts even when I'm far away.

You see me when I travel and when I rest at home.

You know everything I do.

You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD.

You go before me and follow me.

You place Your hand of blessing on my head.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too great for me to understand!

 

I can never escape from Your Spirit!

I can never get away from Your presence!

If I go up to heaven, You are there;

If I go down to the grave, You are there.

If I rise the wings of the morning,

if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

even there Your hand will guide me,

and Your strength will support me.

I could ask the darkness to hide me

and the light around me to become night-

but even in the darkness I cannot hide from you.

To You the night shines as bright as day.

Darkness and light are the same to You.

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body

and knit me together in my mother's womb.

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!

Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.

You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,

as I was woven together in the dark of the womb,

You saw me before I was born.

Every day of my life was recorded in Your book,

Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

How precious are Your thoughts about me, O God.

They cannot be numbered!

I can't even count them;

they outnumber the grains of sand!

And when I wake up,

You are still with me...

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

Point out anything in me that offends You,

and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Psalm 139: 1-18, 23-24

NLT

Notes:

Scripture quotations 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.

Photos:

Downtown Portland Sculpture

Historic PNW Cemetery

Oregon coast.

My youngest granddaughter.

The Sea

Although I am a mountain girl,

there is nothing like the sea.

 The lighthouses you find there...

 The walks with DDD along the sea

(until she begs Papa to pick her up)

 The beautiful surf and the sea that seem to go on forever...

The land that juts into the sea...

 Sitting on the warm sand and watching the world go by...

Yes, I LOVE the ocean, the coast, the beach--

do you?

Blessings,

Aimee

Notes:

A couple complimented us on how well trained our dog was!

 It was hard for us to believe, but the dog that is so hormonal and naughty at home

was a perfect puppy angel at the beach:)

But we know the truth, don't we DDD? 

:)

Photo:

The Oregon coast...a spur of the moment trip decision.

Should I Fly Tonight

When I was younger,

sometimes I would dream about flying above the land.

These were good dreams then;

these are good memories now.

And so are the memories of waking up

with sore 'wings' (arms) from the night's flight.

If I were to fly in my dreams tonight,

I would fly to each of my childrens'

and

grandchildrens'

bedsides.

Then

I would quietly kneel by each of their beds,

say a silent prayer and blessing over them,

and whisper softly in their ears

that I love them,

before flying home again. 

Yep,

that is what I would do...

should I fly in my dreams tonight

(I am really hoping for sore 'wings' tomorrow).

Good night; pleasant dreams...

Blessings,

Aimee

Do your dreams ever take you above the countryside

 like a hot air balloon or a bird in flight?

Has any of your dreams ever come true?

Photo: taken at the Oregon coast.



Saturday at the Seashore

Sea serpent on Saturday at the seashore.

What did you see on your Saturday outing?

Blessings,

Aimee

Friday's Fruit + Flowers

Have you ever really looked at the flowers around you?

At the differences in color, texture, fragrance and form?

 I feel so blessed when I wonder among the flowers and 'baby' fruit of our gardens.

I am so amazed at the beauty of the Creator's creations!

 I am a bit humbled too because I know that I,

nor any other man or woman,

could create the world I see among us.

Yes, we can make different varieties of flowers and fruit...

but God and God alone created the original.

Simply amazing!

And sometimes delicious too

(as these raspberries will be in the not too far future) 

 And these blueberries too...

Yes, the blessings around me,

remind me of the One who has blessed me.

And to Him, do I give thanks.

Blessings,

Aimee

Photos:

my favorite of our Japanese irises

yarrow

wallflower

 (bowles mauve)

centranthus

 (Jupiter's beard)

raspberry

 (Anne)

lettuce + Swiss chard

(red sails + Bright Lights) 

Syttende Mai: Viking Soul

Swedish meatballs, pickled herring, aebleskiver, blotkake.
Lingonberries, pressgurka, fattigmann, Finnish pinwheels,
lefse....
yes, these are a few of my favorite things
(at least when it comes to Scandinavian foods)!

Recently,
I was craving some Nordic goodness
and was totally delighted when I found
a listing for a food cart in Portland that specializes in lefse...

LEFSE?
In Portland?
Not far from the Norse Hall where we were going?
In one of my favorite areas of Portland--the Belmont District?
Oh yea, count me in!

BTW for those of you who may not be familiar with lefse,

and we all have been in your shoes at one time,

it is a thin, delicate flatbread made from potatoes.

You can eat them plain, with butter and cinnamon-sugar or

with almost any filling you like.  

Now, I've had lefse from grocery stores and bought some at Nordic festivals-

though all were good,

some were definitely better than others.

Based on the great reviews, I had very high hopes for Viking Soul's lefse...

Would they really be as great as I had read?
I really, really hoped so---I was hungry for some GOOD lefse:)

We found the place with no problem and parking close by

(and as a bonus even got to drive by my favorite Victorian house in this area).

After chatting a bit with the delightful owners--

Megan and Jeremy--

and another nice lady who was there,

we proceeded to place our order...

I chose a vegetarian lefse that sounded particularly delicious

and also ordered a lingonberry ice tea

(because I adore lingonberries).

I was not disappointed...

the ice tea was absolutely fabulous.

In fact, as I am typing this, I am remembering just how DELICIOUS it was!

And then the lefse wraps were ready to go....

my vegetarian, a rhubarb one for my friend,
and as an added blessing,

the owners kindly gave us a free lingonberry wrap:)

Here are the finished lefse--

(how I wish this photo had turned out better;

it can be very difficult to hold 3 lefse wraps in a car and take a good photo...LOL).

Now remember how I said "though all were good, some are definitely better..."

these lefse fall in the latter category;

in fact these surpass all the ones I had prior to then.

The lefse were really thin and

of the most delicate texture!

They were perfection...

And the vegetarian filling?

(see photo #3 for the ingredients)

Oh...my goodness, talk about heavenly!

A while later,

after the vegetarian lefse

(hereafter known as the heavenly lefse--

at least by me),

blotkake at Norse Hall,

touring the Hall,

and some other things...

I found myself waiting for the Syttende Mai parade to begin...

and I decided that would be a good time to consume the final lefse---

This time a sweet one filled with a combination of lingonberry preserves

(oh yes!)

and

the owners' own cream cheese.

Verdict: again a heavenly medley of flavors.

So did Viking Soul satisfy?

Did they live up to their reputation?

Totally!

Am I eager to go back?

So eager!

Have I already decided what lefse to order?

Oh yea...

Blessings,

Aimee

Info:

For more information on this wonderful Portland, OR food cart see this link

http://www.vikingsoulfood.com/Viking_Soul_Food/Home.html

Note:

A BIG thank you to the owners of Viking Soul for allowing me to take photos of their food cart, Gudrun, and post them here on my blog! TY also for the free lingonberry lefse--it was beyond delicious and I am already craving another:)

As per my usual disclaimer--I am not associated with Viking Soul in any way.

Guess What Season It Is?

If you said spring...

you'd be correct.

And if you said Rose Festival season...

you'd be right too.

But,

as all of us know---

the best part of this time of year is...

 it is

 the beginning of

our LOCAL strawberry season!

Oh, yea:)

And what do I plan to do with all this strawberry sweetness?

1) rinse and eat (done)

2) rinse and eat more (soon)

and

3) make these wonderful, delectable, yummy fresh strawberry muffins ASAP

http://nancysrecipes.wordpress.com/2008/08/25/fresh-strawberry-muffins/

Again,

 I will add a little lemon zest

(because I adore lemons),

use raw sugar

(because I LOVE that stuff)

and add--

possibly

a teeny. tiny bit of extra milk

(if I think it needs it).

But I won't overfill the muffin tins

NOPE!

(even though my oven could use a good cleaning again).

OK, locals and others---

what is the first thing you will do with the first ripe berries from your area?

And now to eatin'

Blessings,

Aimee

Notes:

Nancy's recipe is highly rated by many (and I mean many) people;

if you are looking for a fresh strawberry muffin recipe, I KNOW you'll like hers!

I know I do:)

The WORD on Wednesday

 

Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied...

keep yourselves in the love of God,

looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Jude 1:2, 21 KJV

Blessings,
Aimee

Note:
A BIG thank you to Grace of One Saylor's Log
 (see her blog link under my PNW blog list) for bringing this verse to my attention.
Photo from Washington Park, Portland--
road between the Vietnam Memorial and International Rose Garden.
Gorgeous drive...

A Garden of Solace

In the hills above Portland, Oregon there is a garden.

It is a place to remember;

a place to honor those who were lost;

a place to find comfort.

It is the Oregon Vietnam Living Memorial.

 We enter the garden...

walking the brick pathway which leads inward

and then upward.

This was our era--

my husband's and I.

 He knows the story much better than I;

he was part of the story...

though he served in the States and not overseas as so many of our native sons did.

Many have left flowers--

a beautiful and moving symbol of life.

The pools fountain is peaceful--

its melody soothing and refreshing to those who visit here.

 This Memorial Day the garden is filled with the beauty of blooms

and the beauty of the views before you

(Mt. Hood wasn't visible on this mostly cloudy day)

 I pause again at the first memorial.

How could I not know when this conflict,

that affected the lives of so many began?

(the war ran from 1959-1976)

We pause at each of the granite memorials

to read the inscriptions on them:

little glimpses into life at that time

and over there.

And the names of those who never came home--

to this beautiful land of evergreens, snow capped mountains and wild surf;

who never came home to the ones they loved.

War takes a large, priceless toll...

let us remember to pray for peace...

both for our nation

and others.  

Let us pray for and remember the families

who have sacrificed so much during our nation's history...

let us never forget their pain;

let us pray for them to find comfort

and

peace.

Let us remember those who have fallen;

those who are left with wounds--

seen and unseen.

Let us never forget... 

for these are our sons and daughters;

our fathers and mothers;

our aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, friends;

our fellow countrymen.

"So long as we are not forgotten we do not die..."

Dona nobis pacem.

Dedicated to the memory of those whose names are inscribed in this garden

and in the hearts of those who loved them.

Dedicated to the memory of ALL of our fallen and wounded warriors.

May God surround you with His peace and love.

Aimee

Notes:

The Vietnam Living Memorial is located in Washington Park,

not far from the Oregon Zoo, Children's Museum and the World Forestry Center.

Parking is available near the Memorial.

All photos taken Memorial Day 2012.