Playing Catch Up!

Well we are back from Canon Beach as of last night. We had a wonderful time. It was very relaxing. I have alot to catch up on this week in blog land. I only had Internet a few times at a coffee shop...talk about withdrawal. We were all going a little crazy with not being able to check in on our email. It was a good thing though, I am sure.

The weather was mostly overcast; we had one day of sunshine and one day of pouring rain. It did not seem to dampen our spirits though. We enjoyed the sound and scent of the ocean and that was just lovely. Canon Beach is one of those extremely charming seaside spots. Everywhere you look you are blessed. It was the 4th of July weekend and this place was packed I am sure, but somehow I never felt overwhelmed with folks. The beaches are so expansive and un-crowded here in the PNW. I love that.

We had one very cool surprise. My son who was not going to be able to join us, because he was just getting down off of Mt. Rainier on the 4th; decided to hop in the car on Saturday and drove seven hours from Mazama WA to spend Sat. evening and Sunday with us. We walked on the beach, had dinner, and spent the afternoon in Portland shopping and hanging around 23rd street. It was so great to see him. I have to brag on my son a bit. He spent fourteen days with 9 students and one other instructor training for a climb on Mt. Rainier. The last 1500 ft. of the climb one of the students, a football player got too sick to make the ascent. So the other instructor stayed with him, as my son led 8 students to summit Mt. Rainier. It was the first group of Outward Bound students to make this trip. Josh said when they pulled back into camp, people cheered. Two of the girls that made the trip were sisters that had lost their dad during a climb at Denali (Mt. McKinley) last year. When the girls made it to the top, they dedicated the climb to their father...my son said they cried and he cried...it was quite a moment and a wonderful achievement for all these kids.

I of course am praising God they all made it back safe and sound. I will post some pictures of the trip after Josh sends them to me.

I love how uncrowed these beaches are

Puddin Toes enjoying the ocean waves

Puddin Toes first 4th

Getting reacquainted with Uncle Josh...who is that hairy guy?

They quickly became friends again

Puddin Toes with her mom & dad

We all really missed our youngest daughter Jenna, who was in Jakarta...having an experience of a life time ...see her blog for an update

Turning Bright in the Sea

SkyWatch 2

A real quick check in for Skywatch Friday...coming to you from the Oregon Coast...a shot of Canon Beach from our beach house rental.

Friends at the Well

Paul Signac

Tonight as I have gotten a chance to visit around the blogs I like to drop by, I am once again touched by how comforting it is to visit my friends in cyberspace. I find it totally amazing...really! The other day we got together with some friends, and Strider and I (who were neighbors for years) started visiting about our blog land buddies. After a minute or so we looked around and realized nobody else knew who these friends of ours were in cyberspace. I think we both felt a little silly for a second, and then moved on in the conversation to more general topics. I do find it amazing though how wonderful it is to have met so many interesting people on the World Wide Web. I love all of my cyber friends, such a diversity of people. I love how so many people that I visit with share about their faith, family, friends, jobs, hobbies, talents and dreams. I love the fact that even though I am living the PNW, I get to hear from people in Great Britain, Texas, Florida, New Hampshire, the Midwest, and various parts of Canada. How wonderful is that?

I love this form of communication. It makes me feel more connected to life around me. I have mentioned this before…but it makes me think of folks meeting around the old town well, back in Jesus day. It was a place they went everyday to get their daily water. If they ran into someone, they had a little chat. They went back to their households and lived their lives, but some how those daily little visits of chance meetings…were something that added to their lives and made the day a little brighter, and gave a sense of connectedness. In this modern age we live in we hardly say a word to the people around us any more. At work we use emails and blackberries instead of phones and meetings, at the stores we use machines and check ourselves out, even the library these days you use a machine instead of a librarian. My kids have taken classes on line; they don’t see a teacher or a fellow student. It seems like we don’t have to speak to a soul all day long. With my debit card and a machine, I can get my coffee and my food. I even rent my DVD’s now through a machine. Rush, rush rush, we all seem in such a hurry heading for a destination, with little time for the people around us. I find myself getting sucked into that mode very easily. What am I missing out on?

You know Jesus stopped at a well, and sent his disciples off to get some food. He was tired and needed a rest. But when his disciples came back they asked him, aren’t you hungry? He said I have food you don’t even know about…He was about His father’s business, just by sitting down and having a visit with a woman he met at a well. So what am I trying to say here? I’m not sure, a bit of rambling really. But I just love it when I visit at some of your wells and get a refreshing drink and to carry me on my way. I know I have a lot of visitors myself who drop by but don’t leave a comment. My hope is that you found some refreshment for your day…just a bit of a visit, a peek into my week, sometimes a rambling thought… or two. And around my place lots of pictures of flowers… sorry Pappy and Strider ;0) and baby Puddin Toes.

I do want to say thank you to all of you who stop by, and especially to those that leave a comment, to let me know you have dropped in. Have a good week and enjoy your visits around blogland. You never know who is in need of a drink today and who you maybe blessed, to refresh...

Sky Watch

My first Sky Watch!

For an interesting way to travel across the globe in one day, go visit Sky Watch hosted by Tom at Wiggers World.

...a little bit of heaven on earth...

This is where we are headed next week for vacation. Haystack at Canon Beach, Oregon. Our favorite yearly destination.

A Few Posies

I was very busy this week with arranging some flowers for a wedding reception at our church. The young bride wanted some very eclectic flower arrangements. She wanted daisy's and white tulips. Her colors were brown and green. It was a challenge for me, but great fun at the same time. We kind of did these simple floral and fruit table scape's.

We grew some grass and had that set on the guest book table, the bar, and the wedding party table...different but quite fun.

And here is the cute little bride. Emily is my daughter's best friend, and while she was getting married Jenna was on her way to Jakarta. We all missed her very much at the wedding...sad

Thought you might like to see their simple but elegant cake too!
I will be posting about Jenna sometime this week as pictures come in from Jakarta. She is already in love with the people of this city and eating some mighty spicy food.

It is a little hot, but my daughter is safe and blessed to be spending the next three months in serving this community.

My Secret Garden...

It is a Garden Party, click here to take the tour

This is the back view of my home with the desert coming right up to our back yard…so hence the oasis in the desert theme. But...just this week we turned it into a secret garden!

I am so excited to have a new wall around my fairly new garden. We kept the back open to our fabulous wetland/sage steppe view.

At the front of my house you really have to come into the courtyard to see what is going on in there. Just a little peek is visible from the street. Then if you are a friend, you may come to the back of my garden, to see my secret. Our lovely borrowed vista that we so love and enjoy.

So come take a look around, you are an invited guest...things are still growing, but give this garden just a few more years and it will be a bit of Eden...right here in our backyard.


This is looking out from the back porch
Turning south from the porch you can see my new wall. Now you must envision roses filling the tops of the arbors...
Just a bit closer now...
This is looking down the south side wall to the front of the street
Now we are looking at the north side of my porch, at our eating nook window

A close up of my Canterbury Bells that I seeded the first year, they have gone crazy

I often use these kinds of plants till the perennials fill in

This is looking back out to the desert from this gardenlooking north east you can see our garden shed and behind the roses a bit of the potager


there is my north wall

I have lilies coming up in this bed

Looking out to the street again. Can you imagine a black rod iron gate?

The front of my house, with the courtyard



here is a closer look at some of my plants
the penstemons were amazing this year


more lilies

and this is what I do with some of my blooms
But the best thing growing in my garden this year...

Is Puddin Toe's my first grandchild!

The kiss of the sun for pardon
The song of the birds for mirth
One is nearer to God's heart in the garden
Than anywhere else on earth

Dorothy Gurney
1858 - 1952