It's here! It's here!

Look what the UPS man brought today ~

My own sewing machine! Isn't it lovely?! :D

Elizabeth called...

...and chatted with Blaine and I for a short while. She's currently in Wichita, Kansas for Josh and Rachel's older sister's wedding this Saturday. It's hot and humid there, which she doesn't really like, but is dealing with it. She's enjoying spending time with the Graves family. They plan to return to Colorado sometime next week. She posted a few pictures on facebook yesterday.

In her new room ~ already sewing...

I think it's a new dress for the wedding.

Elizabeth with her dear friend, Rachel.

Elizabeth and Josh

Continuing to pray for God's protection and provision for her life ~ certain she's glad He's with her, especially when she rides the Fire Ball... ;)

Still wish things could have been different, but hoping she's truly happy and life is good. We miss her daily, but are thankful God is with her.

Memorial Day ~ part 2

Rototilling the new raspberry bed...

Rototilling the new raspberry and blackberry beds

Went to the Memorial Day service at Evergreen Washelli ~ SPU Wind Symphony played.

...with Mom

Blaine and I

Benjamin and Kirstin playing...

Kirstin singing a solo!

Kirstin's mom, Shannon, recording Kirstin singing.

All the American flags used in the parade ~ from different branches of service plus veterans groups, Boy Scouts, Civil Air Patrol...

Dad and I!

(He served in the U.S. Air Force)

Memorial cemetery at Washelli

Wouldn't be a holiday without Apple Pie

(...but feeling bad that Nicholas appears to have the flu now and can't stomach it.)

Garden 'chatting' with the neighbor kids...

Today's gardener ~ pausing to send a text message

The garden tonight ~ didn't get as much done as planned today, but tomorrow is a new day. We did get all the raspberry and blackberry trellis posts in the ground and a 'barrier' fence up, so Coco will stop cutting through (think she'll learn?). Raspberries are still looking a bit sad, but continuing to hope and pray they'll pull through!

Memorial Day

From http://purpletrail.com/partytrail/featured_memorial_day/what-is-memorial-day-history-facts/

Memorial Day is a great way to remember our patriotic heroes who sacrificed their lives to help us breathe the air of freedom. This day is observed with families and friends visiting cemeteries and memorials to pay homage to their loved ones. Want to know more about this historic holiday? Read on to learn about the history of Memorial Day and even pick up some fun facts to share with your friends and loved ones.

“Your silent tents of green

We deck with fragrant flowers;

Yours has the suffering been,

The memory shall be ours.”

–Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Memorial Day History:

• When was Memorial Day first celebrated? Memorial Day was first celebrated on May 30, 1868. It was observed by placing flowers on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers during the first national celebration. Gen. James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, after which around 5,000 participants helped to decorate the graves of the more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers who were buried there.
  
• Why is Memorial Day celebrated on May 30? Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. This date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.
  
• Who started the custom of wearing red poppies? In 1915, inspired by the poem “In Flanders Fields,” Moina Michael replied with her own poem.

We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.

She then came up with an idea of wearing red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need.

• How is the 3rd U.S. Infantry associated with Memorial Day? Since the late 1950’s on the Thursday just before the Memorial day, around 1200 soldiers of the 3d U.S. Infantry place small American flags at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing. In 1951, the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts of St. Louis began placing flags on the 150,000 graves at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery as an annual Good Turn, a practice that continues to this day.
  
• More recently, beginning in 1998, on the Saturday before the observed day for Memorial Day, the Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts place a candle at each of approximately 15,300 grave sites of soldiers buried at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park on Marye’s Heights (the Luminaria Program).
  
• What is the National Moment of Remembrance Resolution? In the year 2000 the National Moment of Remembrance Resolution passed. At 3pm on Memorial Day all Americans are asked to voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a moment of remembrance & respect by pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to taps.
  
• And in 2004, Washington D.C. held its first Memorial Day parade in over 60 years.
  

Memorial Day Trivia:

• Memorial Day is a day of remembrance of those who have died serving our country.
  
• General John Alexander Logan ordered the Memorial Day holiday to be observed by decorating the war dead.
  
• On Memorial Day, the flag should be at half-staff until noon only, then raised to the top of the staff.
  
• Red Poppies are recognized as the Memorial Day flower.
  
• “Taps” is often played at ceremonies on Memorial Day.
  
• Memorial Day was first called “Decoration Day” because of the practice of decorating soldier’s graves with flowers.
  
• New York was the 1st state to officially recognize Memorial Day.
  
• Flowers and flags are the two most popular items people use to remember soldiers.
  
• The south refused to honor the dead on Memorial Day until after World War I when the meaning of Memorial Day changed from honoring civil war dead to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war.
  
• Memorial Day was declared a federal holiday in 1971.
  

Formal Observance of Memorial Day:

• Wear a red poppy on Memorial day to honor those who died serving the United States during war.
  
• At 3 p.m. local time, Americans should pause for a moment of silence or listen to “Taps”.
  
• Visit cemeteries and place flags or flowers on the graves of veterans.
  
• Visit a memorial.
  
• Attend a parade to honor fallen heroes.
  

Memorial Day Quotes

• For love of country they accepted death… ~James A. Garfield
  
• And they who for their country die shall fill an honored grave, for glory lights the soldier’s tomb, and beauty weeps the brave. ~Joseph Drake
  
• The patriot’s blood is the seed of Freedom’s tree ~Thomas Campbell
  
• These martyrs of patriotism gave their lives for an idea. ~Schuyler Colfax
  
• We come, not to mourn our dead soldiers, but to praise them. ~Francis A. Walker

A few photos from Arlington National Cemetary in Washington, DC.

Thank you to all who gave the ultimate sacrifice... You are not forgotten!

Garden progress

Met with the edible landscape designer on Tuesday... Chris is wonderful and I connected with him immediately! Talked and walked around the yard for 1 1/2 hours ~ so excited! Yet, the reality of the COST to hire him to do design work is not realistic right now. $2200 ~ detailed design, 30 hours of working on the project (remember - just design), includes driveway, front and back decks, front and back fencing, landscape layout map, greenhouse, garden shed, chicken coop (design), outdoor patio with firepit... oh, the possibilities would be wonderful. We just don't have that money available + we'd then have no money to start the actual construction of our "urban farm". Had a real 'down' day on Wednesday, but dusted myself off and got busy getting a garden in for this year and will slowly begin building by "trial and error"...while relying on the Great Gardener! God is so good and His love endures forever.

View of the garden Thursday evening...

One of my rhubarb plants ~ happy to be in ground!

Rainier strawberries ~

always best to plant on hills in Seattle, because of how wet it is during growing season; less chance your strawberries will get "moldy"...

3 rows of lettuces

Dinosaur kale

Brussel sprouts

Broccoli

Celeriac

2 rows of snow peas

2 rows of yellow wax beans

2 sweet million cherry tomatoes

Grape cherry tomato

Black cherry tomato

My two new babies from cousin, Denise: Japanese Maple saplings!

We love pole green beans!

Heritage raspberries ~ today's project!

Happy little work space...

"For we are God's workmanship created in...

...Christ Jesus to do good works, which God

...prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10 NIV

A childhood connection... I grew up with him!

Any idea whom this literary character is?

The Quilt Shoppe by Judy Wickersham Schauermann

My 4-H Bear!

My new workspace ~ where my sewing machine will join me...

(and the boys' foosball table in the foreground)

A delightful, peaceful place to work!

Mother's Day...

Hope you all had a lovely Mother's Day...

The weather was beautiful here and I spent the afternoon at a local Tree Festival. I had a good time and bought myself a worm bin plus made a great connection following a fruit tree class that I attended. Talked to backyard beekeepers too!

Blaine made me an apple pie! It was delicious... yum!

Flowers from Benjamin... So beautiful!

...and Nicholas is taking me shopping at a local nursery to pick out a plant! Yay! :)

A Mother/Daughter Day!

Mom at her favorite store in Seattle ~ and she spent lots of money there... GO COUGS!

At the fountain at Westlake Plaza

My favorite picture!

Trying to get my Mom to "smell" the glass flowers...

She's so cute... (I could get her to do just about anything, huh?!)

Me 'smelling' the glass flowers

Mom and I at PF Chang's restaurant in Westlake Center

Our yummy food ~ we ordered both items gluten-free, so we could share! Mom was glad we did, although the jasmine blackberry green iced tea was interesting...

At the SPU Bookstore ~ she stocked up on SPU hoodie, t-shirt, etc in support of her grandson!

At PCC Fremont ~ she'd never been there before and got to see Nicholas too. (She was getting tired of smiling by now...)

The Fremont Troll ~ he made Mom giggle and giggle and giggle...

We met a young woman visiting from Memphis and she took pictures of us after I took pictures of her.

Mom's favorite!

My favorite!

At Bethany Community Church ~ dropping my Mom off at her van. The end of a wonderful day together!

Cheers ~ Mom is drinking her Knutsen Mango Spritzer as she drives away!

...and me! A joy-filled afternoon with Mom and a good day. :)

The perfect way to celebrate Mother's Day...

Happy Mother's Day Mom ~ I love you!