Tagged!

I have been tagged by two sweet blogging friends , Mia (Aspiring Homemaker)

and LDH (With a Grateful Prayer and a Thankful Heart)

on "My Memories From 2008."

Rules:

1. Fill in you memories of 2008

2. Link my blog to yours

3. Tag others ( sorry, I won't be tagging anyone but please play along if you wish)

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1.) A good book I read.

I get on little "kicks". The ladies at the library laugh when they see me coming, and then lug out my carton of reserved books. All on the same subject. One subject I was on last year was the Amish. I have been fascinated by these people for years and two summers ago while traveling with my youngest daughter across the U.S. we visited Amish Country. Shortly after our visit, the terrible tragedy of the shooting at the West Nickle Mines School happened. This was the book I read. So sad, but so very thought provoking.

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2.) A great film/movie I watched.

There were no good movies out last year. Pride and Prejudice is my all time favorite ~ I could watch it every week and look forward to seeing it again the next week. I don't watch it every week but I do watch it two or three times a year. The picture below is my favorite scene. I get all mushy inside and even Gentleman Farmer (yes, he watches it, too!) gets a goofy grin on his face.

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3.) A new place visited

Long Island. Not THAT Long Island! This Long Island (in my state of Washington) is a 5 square mile, uninhabited home to a grove of 1,000 year old red cedar. Access to the island is by private boat ( we canoed ). We went in May, and I think we were the only people on the entire island. We canoed over to the southern tip, stashed the boat, and backpacked half-way up the island to a little camping spot along the western beach. It was delightful!

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4.) An inspiring verse or quote I read

This book has many - Gen. 1:1 thru Rev. 22:21

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5.) A discovery I made

You can make wonderful new friends when blogging!

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6.) A new skill I aquired

I am learning the art of stained glass from a dear friend. ( Watch out Tiffany!)

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7.) A lesson I learned

Never believe anything you hear about a person unless you know it personally to be true.

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8.) A moment I will always remember

I FORGOT!

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"The memory of the righteous is blessed"

Psalm 10:7a

"A thing of beauty....

is a joy forever"

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John Keats

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"So the ransomed of the LORD will return, and come with joyful shouting to Zion; and everlasting joy will be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away."

Isaiah 51:11

Just when....

you think you have it all figured out, He asks,

Job 38:22

Eggs

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"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."

Matthew 5:6

Rocky Brook Falls!

Nearing the end of our month together with Youngest Daughter visiting from New York, and because we are all suffering with various stages of this years' "bug", we wanted to plan a little adventure that wouldn't expose others to it. We decided on a drive up Hood Canal with no particular destination in mind.

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As we neared the Dosewalips River Delta, we spied a small flock of large white birds. We thought at first that they were Snow Geese. But as we pulled to the side of the road for a better look (through Gentleman Farmer's always ready binoculars and Daughter's camera lens), we decided that they were swans. We didn't realize until Daughter hiked down the marshy tide flats to capture their image, that we could compare her size to them and concluded that they must be Trumpeter Swans. ( These swans are from 58-72 inches tall!)

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The swans decided that they had enough of the camera session

and took wing to quieter shores.

We continued on our drive north.

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As we came shortly to the little town of Brinnon, we headed off the main road

up to a favorite spot of Gentleman Farmers and mine.

Daughter had not ever been here. Up the road past the little village

and a small farm or two, we crossed a little bridge and then

parked on the far side. Here was the trail to Rocky Brook Falls!

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Along the misty trail grow fern and lichen.
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The short trail only offers glimpses of the gurgling stream at first,
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but then, after a step or two further, she greets you then

splashes merrily on her way!

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We can hear the falls roaring just ahead. A few more steps up the rocky path

and there she is, like a bride awaiting her handsome groom,

her veil cascading down to the pool below

and sparkling as with a thousand diamonds. ~

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"I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." Isaiah 61:10

PIGS!

"About the middle of the next day, as she was in her room getting ready for a walk, a sudden noise below seemed to speak the whole house in confusion; and , after listening a moment, she heard somebody running upstairs in a violent hurry, and calling loudly after her. She opened the door and met Maria in the landing place, who, breathless with agitation, cried out -

'"Oh, my dear Eliza! pray make haste and come into the dining-room, for there is such a sight to be seen! I will not tell you what it is. Make haste, and come down this moment."'

Elizabeth asked questions in vain; Maria would tell her nothing more, and down they ran into the dining-room, which fronted the lane, in quest of this wonder! It was two ladies stopping in a low phaeton at the garden gate.

'"And is this all?" cried Elizabeth. "I expected at least that the pigs were got into the garden..."'

(excerpt from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice)

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Well, Elizabeth, the pigs are not in the garden but there are

a couple in my kitchen!

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Sweet Gentleman Farmer made his Lady and Daughters adorable

"Pig" cutting boards for Christmas presents!

He modeled them after an old piggy cutting board

I have that was my Grandmothers. It has seen better days

and is cracked and chipped in many places.

These new ones will be treasured Heirlooms for

Grandchildren in the future.

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Shown above is the handsome fellow made for youngest Daughter

of Honduran Mahogany. She visited Honduras and He thought this

would be extra special to her.

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The sweet little sow above is my gift

made from a locally cut Big Leaf Maple.

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Not shown is another sweet little piggy for eldest Daughter

made from Cherry wood.

Gentleman Farmer took boards and planed them and cut them

out with a jig saw. Then He sanded them smooth for the lovely, shiny finish.

I love these charming little porkers!

(And I love the Charming Gift Giver, too!)

(Thank you, Darling, for the sweet gifts and the time you put into them.)

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" Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow." James 1:17

I love the soil!

They started arriving shortly after Christmas, and there has been a steady stream of Seed Catalogs pouring forth from my mailbox since!

It is dizzying to see all the fruits, vegetables and flowers

that one could grow.

I hardly know which catalog to peer into first!




I could spend hundreds ($) on the flower seeds alone,

but I need to be practical! I need to grow fruits and vegetables

to eat fresh this spring and summer,

and preserve for the next winter.

But, I must have flowers, too, for they are food for my soul!

Maybe I will try selling some plants and produce

at the local Farmers' Market!

Let me see... I will plant lettuces and peas and carrots in the spring garden

along with sweet peas and poppies and hollyhocks and....

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(Vintage seed catalog images used with permission from Kalamaquilts Webshots)

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He Know No Winter

He knows no winter, he who loves the soil,

For, stormy days, when he is free from toil,

He plans his summer crops, selects his seeds

From bright-paged catalogues for garden needs.

When looking out upon frost-silvered fields,

He visualizes autumn's golden yields;

He sees in snow and sleet and icy rain

Precious moisture for his early grain;

He hears spring-heralds in the storm's' turmoil

He knows no winter, he who loves the soil.

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~Sudie Stuart Hager~

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"For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations."

Isaiah 61:11

The Birds' Christmas Tree

What do you do with your Christmas tree after the Holiday is over?

We put ours outside and decorate it for the birds!

We usually put on "ornaments" of dried bread, doughnuts, bagels and fruit, but this year I found a recipe for a "Birdseed Wreath" and made little birdseed cakes to hang on the tree.

To make a birdseed wreath or cakes, try this recipe;

1 1/2 cups water

4 pkgs. Knox unflavored gelatin (1/4 oz. each)

8 cups birdseed

Boil 1 1/2 cups water

Empty the 4 packages of gelatin into 8 tablespoons of cold water in a large bowl

Let the gelatin sit for 1 minute

Add the boiling water and stir for 2-3 minutes or until the gelatin has dissolved

Stir 8 cups of birdseed into the gelatin, mixing thoroughly

Let the mixture sit for a few minutes, then stir again

Repeat stirring a few times allowing the seed to absorb the liquid

Spoon the mixture into a greased bundt pan (or several small muffin cups)

You may need to make holes in the center to thread your ribbon/twine through to hang.

Put in refridgerator (or other cool place) for several hours or overnight
(Oopps! Don't know why Blogger turned my pic.)
Remove wreath(s) from the mold by inverting the pan and tapping .
(Mine just fell out!)
Allow the cakes to dry several hours, turning over now and then or placing on a cooling rack.



Thread with twine, ribbon or rafia

Hang on tree and watch the birds enjoy their feast!

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"Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?"

Matthew 6:26

The Ancient of Days

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"The Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow,"

Taken from Daniel 7:9

Pike Place Market!

An impromptu trip across Puget Sound led my Daughter and me here on Friday!

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"My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:19