Celebrating Midsummer: Pt 2 (AKA -- At the Beach)

This actually was going to be post 3 of a series,

but since we're now into our heat wave

and since very soon I will feel like a wilted flower.

I am posting it today--

because looking at photos of the beach at least makes me feel cooler--

 

Stay cool my PNW friends...

cool and well hydrated!

 

No trip to the northern Oregon coast would be complete without some time at my favorite beach...

besides it seems like such a Scandinavian thing to do on Midsummer:)

 

 

Yes, the native grasses really are that tall!

 

 

First glimpse of the ocean...

I wonder if Lewis + Clark felt the excitement we still feel today?

 

A photo to the left over the field...

LOVE this area:)

 

Almost there...

hurry up grandma!

 

 

Hang on Papi!

 

 

Grandpas make great playmates....

and they make pretty good sand towers too!

 

 

Midsummer wildflowers at the beach...

SO much beauty!

 

Hope you are enjoying some beauty wherever you are today:)

Blessings,

Aimee

 

Notes:

Photos taken on Oregon's north coast.

Celebrating Midsummer (AKA Another Reason I LOVE Astoria)

What's a girl to do when she is hungry for some Nordic pastries?

Well, if it's the weekend closest to the summer solstice,

she heads to Astoria of course:)

 

And this time she headed there with her blue-eyed Farmer Boy

and her green eyed, blonde flower loving youngest granddaughter!

 

 

After a wrong turn,

a bit of a walk

and a trip over a pedestrian bridge suitably decorated for a Scandinavian festival,

we arrived in time for a quick peek at the flag raising taking place outdoors.

 

 

LOVE the traditional costumes...

 

 

Inside it is a Nordic-lover's shopping paradise,

but with a wee one in tow I never ventured there...

my Farmer Boy could save a LOT of money if we always had a wee one along:)

 

 

No matter---I have many Scandinavian hand crafted items already,

AND I did take time to grab the ESSENTIAL Norwegian krumkake and a Finnish pinwheel (tart).

YUM!!

Sadly the line for aebleskiver was too long and so I just may have to make

myself some later this week

(they're actually quite easy to make).

 

 

The festival is held in a pretty setting at the county fairgrounds.

This is in the Midsummer Pole area --

for those that may not know,

that is a large pole with a cross piece that has been decorated with flowers and greenery.

Oh--and topped with a tiny rooster:)

It is quite fun to watch them raising the pole and all the dancing that follows it!

 

 

Sorry we missed that this year...

it would have been fun to see our little one dance around it,

but after a little coaxing from me,

she did do some dancing to the awesome live music of

                                                    Harold Haugaard and Helene Blum,

as did other children there!

If you'd like to hear some of what we heard follow this link to the Festival website...

http://www.astoriascanfest.com/

 

After the pastries and some music it was on to the Barnefest...

where our wee one played a lot of games...

 

 

and won some Viking treasure:)

 

 

And then it was time for some fun in the sun at the beach...

but since this is already SO long,

that will have to wait till another time.

Wishing you a Monday filled with many blessings,

Aimee

 

Information:

You will find a link above should you want more information on this wonderful celebration

of Astoria's Scandinavian heritage.

 

 

 

 

A Few More Scraps from My Scrapbook of Life

The other day, a friend and I were on a trip to get some business done,

 when I realized we weren't far from a favorite café where we had eaten a time or two before...

it wasn't hard to talk her into a detour.

 

 

I had some organic Jasmine tea--

out of this wonderful little tea pot...

unfortunately my smartphone's camera wasn't too 'smart' (accurate) with the true color.

It was a beautiful light, soft green--reminiscent of some vintage items I've seen.  

The tea was AWESOME by the way...

made even more so by the 'lovely' pre July 4th weather we were having outside:(

 

Outside,

besides the not so lovely rain and gray skies,

we were treated to a variety of lovely colorful flowers in a variety of unique containers.

It helped make the day seem brighter!

 

Do you see what I see?

Yep, that REALLY is a toaster being used as a planter!

I've never seen that before:)

They also used old sifters and some other kitchen related items...

cute ideas for a café that used to be a general store

(or possibly a farmhouse or rustic cabin)!

 

I should have taken a photo of what we were eating,

but I was SO hungry that the delicious roast beef sandwich was gone in minutes...

maybe even seconds:)

And then -- not too long afterwards,

so was the yummy lemon cookie...

I LOVE lemony desserts!

I LOVE eating good food in a historical, country setting too:)

 

Here is their website in case business or pleasure brings you out their way as it did us

http://southstorecafe.com/

 

 

 

An earlier trip under sunnier skies

brought my hubby and I to the coast.

And wouldn't you know it,

not too long into our trip,

as we were passing some farm fields and hillsides where the lighting was beautiful,

I clicked the camera shutter...

only to discover, 

my camera battery was dead--

sigh.

 

I did catch a few beach photos with my phone,

but I definitely need to take the time and play with the settings.

Still it was better than nothing:)

 

And last,

but not least,

 

 

On an even earlier visit... 

my sibling's cute Cornish Rex kitty taking-

a cat nap:)

 

Ah! The sun has made an appearance...

time to go!

 

Happy Summer Solstice to you!

 

Blessings,

Aimee

 

Scraps in the Scrapbook of My Life

The sky is fascinating today...

it seems to be changing constantly.

I am SO tempted to drive up to my favorite hiding place on the mountain...

but that will have to wait because today is taiyaki day.

 

 

We've been trying to get some things done in the garden recently.

Yesterday my DH spent hours in the main garden (which isn't much of a garden),

mowing the weeds down till it looked awesome!

I only wish our drain field was located elsewhere because I have dreams of having a

raised bed potager garden like this one there...

http://miaslandliv.blogspot.com/2013/06/irises-lilacs-and-rhubarb.html

 

 

One of the things we're been doing

(we being my best friend and I, but mostly my best friend)

is spreading mulch--a yearly chore,

chopping down a tree

(yep--just us women folk),

pruning and trying to get the wildflower garden weeded.

 

 

One thing that is doing awesome is our lavender--

we have about 10 plants (mostly culinary) and I wouldn't mind planting

more because I love it that much!

The bees seem to love it too:)

Speaking of wild things...it seems like we are getting more of the colorful butterflies this year..

I have spotted red ones and a yellow one.

Butterflies bring sweet memories of my grandma...

I miss her.

 

 

A bit closer view of one of the flowers in the wildflower/perennial beds.

Since I am not watching my dad right now --

he fractured his ankle while on vacation and I don't have the physical strength to pivot or lift him--

I am trying to get up earlier and get more done.

It is starting to pay off...

but there is SO much left to do--

isn't that always the case?

BTW--prayers for my dad would be appreciated.

Actually prayers for all of our family would be appreciated right now...

 

 

The roses are looking great this year...

no deer munching on them yet:)

 

 

Another thing I am really enjoying are the daylilies by our upper pond...

SO beautiful no matter the weather!

 

 

And last, but not least,

a recent visitor to our place...

she brought her beautiful sister too!!

LOVE those little gals:)

 

So what do the pages in the scrapbook of your life look like lately?

Blessings,

Aimee

 

 

Wish me luck with my taiyaki....

it's my first time:)

 

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..

Here's a link: http://yamhillcountyhistory.org/Harvest_Fest.php

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

http://yamhillcountyhistory.org/Yamhill_Valley_Heritage_Center.php

 

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

 

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

Here + There (But Not Everywhere)

Recently a s*am comment suggested that I come up with a better title for my posts...

so this is for them :)

Lately we have done a whole lot of traveling in a whole lot of counties...

 

 

This was taken when we were lost on a mountain--

kind of (ok totally) blah lighting but definitely an incredible subject!

LOVE these old wagons:)

I am calling it

'Lost on mountain; found hidden treasure' --

well unless you can come up with a better caption...

 

 

and this one was taken somewhere on that same mountain--but in a different place.

Hum...nothing comes to mind but the view was a very nice one.

 

 

And this photo of a historical church was taken in Lane county...

I shall call it 'Colors of Aimee's World'.

I actually wanted to call it "Color My World",

 but that was already taken by one of my fav bands of the 70's so...

 

 

This photo calls for something very 'Poesque' I think...like 'Edgar's Raven' maybe?

Anyone had any rapping at their chamber door lately or chatted with a raven at midnight?

Yep, me neither...I wouldn't mind the latter though:)

I LOVE birds!

 

 

'History Salvaged'

This is the Centennial Covered Bridge in Cottage Grove.

It was made from timbers salvaged from two earlier bridges which were dismantled.

Why the name you ask?

Well 1987 was the centennial of the founding of Cottage Grove. 

In the same area is a time capsule...the Pandora in me is dying to know what was buried there...

 

 

I am thinking it might be fun to make a time capsule...

what would you put in yours?

(Isn't the lighting glorious? Cough, cough...not!) 

 

 

No caption for this one but I SO love all the rhodos...

 

 

Last, but certainly not least, this is one of the many town murals in Cottage Grove...

and it probably already has a name, but since the laundry is calling my name,

I better go and hang it outside.

Have a wonderful Thursday:)

 

Blessings,

Aimee

 

Photos:

A potpourri of photos from Washington (I think) and Lane counties.