Thankful Thursday - A summer morning

 For the first time in weeks I find a moment to sit and savor the quiet of an early summer morning.  It's peaceful.  The low harmonic tones of the wind chimes whisper softly in the breeze.

 

A bird sits chirping in the branches of the maple tree. I look for movement but it is deeply hidden in the green leaves.  Perhaps it's talking to its mate or perhaps it's just giving its own thanks for a beautiful day.

The sun sparkles on the ripples of the lake in the distance. The clouds form a swirling backdrop to the mountain peak. The trees have grown up over the years, and we don't see the mountains or lake as well as we used to, but the knowledge of their presence is still with us.

What joy to be able to embrace the stillness of a summer morning, to reflect on God's love and blessings from the past few weeks and to hold close to my heart his graciousness towards me.

Eucharisteo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family Joys

 The beginning of this year started out a little rough with my mother's illness, as well as some concern over my daughter in law's health during the final few weeks of her pregnancy.  Added to that I was battling an infection after a minor surgery on my leg that wouldn't heal.   However, God  is faithful in the big and the small, and as always, he has seen us through.

Now that my mom is pretty much back to normal we took her on an outing after church one blustery wet day a few weeks ago.  No matter what the weather, it's always fun to head over to the Mukulteo Lighthouse Park.

 We treated Mom to lunch at Ivar's Fish Restaurant right on the waterfront overlooking The Sound.  While it wasn't as clear as it would be on a warm summer day, we were still able to watch the ferries coming and going as we dined on fish and chips and clam chowder. 

Once we had Mom safely settled back in the car, The Inspector and I went for a quick walk around the Lighthouse.

It's wonderful to see this historic building so well cared for, no matter the time of year or weather.

There was a young man feeding the seagulls.

This photo made me think of the old Alfred Hitchcock film "The Birds"! That movie scared me to death when I was a kid! (shudder!)

It was just so nice to be able to see my mom feeling so much better and enjoying the day with us.  A few weeks later our daughter in law delivered a beautiful baby boy two weeks early, but strong and healthy.

He is already a tremendous blessing and joy to us all!

 

Now Spring is starting to show her head and little spots of color are popping out everywhere.

We are looking forward to the joys of Easter followed by a visit to Georgia to see our daughter.  I have such an intense feeling of gratitude for all the trials as well as blessings of this life, for without both I don't think we can truly understand and appreciate all that God does for us each and every day.  Eucharisteo! And may God bless you.

Adieu!

Easter

 While our Easter Resurrection Sunday has passed, it is just beginning for my Orthodox family and friends.  However, it is interesting to note that the Easter season in the church actually lasts 50 days going from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday.  This season is known as Eastertide.  So, may I just wish a Happy Eastertide to each of you!

You all know how I love to decorate for the various holidays and seasons of the year.  This year is no exception, although I have toned it down just a bit!

That love of decorating spilled over into the church where I have the pleasure of choosing and ordering the banners and paraments for the alter all year long.  With the help of others way more gifted than I am, the alter on Easter morning turned out really stunning.

 

 

 

I loved sharing Resurrection Sunday with my family.  While we missed having our daughter here, our two sons and their families were with us, and we were blessed to still be able to have my mom with us as well.

 

 

  In the afternoon after church we had an Easter egg hunt outside with the girls..

 followed by a delicious dinner inside. Rather than our traditional ham I had a nice turkey with all the fixings. It turned out perfect! Yum!

I didn't take a lot of pictures.  I was too busy enjoying this time of eucharisteo.  I pray your Easter has been or will be equally blessed.

He is Risen!

He is Risen Indeed!

 

 

* In the original language, “he gave thanks” reads “eucharisteo”. The root word of eucharisteo is “charis” meaning “grace.” Jesus took the bread and saw it as grace and gave thanks. It also holds its derivative, the Greek word “chara” meaning “joy.” Deep chara joy is found only at the table of eucharisteo- the table of thanksgiving. Ann Voskamp

Ocean Shores

 

I can only be away from the ocean for so long before I begin to get cravings for the sounds of waves crashing on the shore and the feel of sand between my toes.  So last week we decided to take a quick trip over to Ocean Shores.  There we were able to walk the beaches to our hearts content.  The town is located on spit of sand surrounded on three sides by water so there are plenty of places to explore.

It was late afternoon the first day we arrived, but the sun was still shining when we parked our car on the sand.  There was only time for a short walk before we headed back into town for dinner and to get ourselves settled into our hotel.

 

 

 

After dinner, of course we had to stop in at picturesque Sharky's.  It's a local icon.  That's as close as I ever want to get to a shark!

 

 

As we explored the beaches we were very surprised to find hundreds of  what seemed to be dead crabs littering the sand.  After a little research I discovered that crabs actually molt and leave their shells behind as they grow new ones.  A strong storm current will toss the shells on the shore..interesting and a relief to learn that nothing more sinister was going on.

On our second day we headed over to the bay side to wander through the driftwood and rocks on shore.  The sky was overcast but the day was warm, perfect for walking.

We spotted lots of rather creative driftwood "architecture".  Has anyone seen Robinson Crusoe around?

 

 This was as close to a sunset as we were able to see that day.  I loved how the light sparkled on the water even in the fog.

 

 

 

The sun finally did shine through the next morning and there was time for one last walk on the shore before heading for home.

 

 
 

 

 Watching these girls playing in the water reminded me of all the times I spent with my brothers and my cousins at the beach by our grandparent's cottage.  They are such joyful memories.

 

 

 The roar of the waves, the sounds of the gulls, the scent of salt on the breeze and the feel of sand between my toes will always mean home to me. 

Eucharisteo!