A Day at the Sea

 

 My "live-in gardener" celebrated a birthday at the end of January. I couldn't think of a gift to give him; so I said his gift would be a day trip to the sea to have his favorite fish and chips made with tuna and a walk by the water. The fish and chip boat is located in Astoria, Oregon, about a 2 hour drive from our home. As you can see it was cloudy, but the temperature was mild without wind or rain. It was perfect and a gorgeous drive along the Columbia River. The Columbia River divides Oregon and Washington States and runs very near my home.

Astoria is located at the mouth of the Columbia River. We visited the Maritime Museum just across the road from the fish and chip place and learned it is one of the most treacherous ports for ships to navigate and there have been many shipwrecks.

Inside the museum there were many examples of the shipwrecks and stories.

Since many of the ships come from Asia the china washed up on the shore included this beautiful teapot.

After leaving the museum we drove south along the coast to Seaside, Oregon. Seaside is a popular place for young families as there are many activities for children, such as rock climbing walls and go-carts.

 

On a quiet winter weekday it was perfect for walking on the beach.

I love a winter beach and so does my "live-in gardener".

The sand looked like an extension of the sea with it's ripples.

Turning my camera away from the sea just so you can see the homes nearby.

Oregon's beaches are all public; so most often the homes are back further than in many other states. I like that Oregon has designated the beaches to be public.

And then we headed home.

We traveled over the mountains on a different route where we saw quite a surprise of snow at the higher elevations. We stopped here because there is a spigot where you can fill your water bottles from fresh spring water. Some people bring large jugs just to gather the water, but we just had our regular water canisters. Just the same, another treat along the way.

 

What can I say, but I love a winter walk by the sea!

One of my favorite things to do; so an easy birthday celebration too.

 

Have a great weekend, dear friends!

 

Word Magic

 

The word this week is Pluviophile (n.)

A lover of rain; someone who finds joy and peace of mind during rainy days. Example: My sister is a real pluviophile; she really enjoys the weather in the rainy season.

Looking through my pictures I think I must love raindrops on flowers too. There is something so fresh and beautiful in a rainy day. The song "I love a rainy day" comes to mind here. The picture with the chairs actually was an adventure to the beach for a day at this time of year. I am just a water girl at heart; so walking on the beach on a soft, rainy day touches my heart. My heart is singing!

 

Some of you may know that I go to my garden every morning to see what is happening and snap a picture. When there are raindrops in the garden I just smile and delight even more in what nature provides.

Now I am singing "raindrops on roses, whiskers on kittens"

These are a few of my favorite things!!!!!

Happy week of Valentine's and Love!
 

Lantern Festival at the Garden

 An evening in Lan Su Chinese Gardens.

Most often I am tucked at home in the evenings, but last week a friend asked me to join her and another friend for the Lantern Festival at Lan Su Chinese Gardens. I ventured out on a perfectly gorgeous and dry evening to enjoy friendship and lanterns in the garden. Yes, there was a cup of tea; though in the evening it is herbal/tisane and no caffeine.

 

What a treat to wander the paths in the garden and enjoy the reflections of light on the lake.

There are many superlatives I could use to describe the evening, but mainly it was just perfect. Perfect lanterns, perfect scenery, perfect friendship, and perfect crisp, clear evening.

It was all very invigorating!

 

The Lantern Festival takes place to mark the final days of the Chinese New Years celebrations.

"The lanterns can symbolize the people letting go of their past selves and getting new ones, which they will let go of the next year. The lanterns are almost always red to symbolize good fortune"

"Persimmons bring good luck and symbolize longevity."

At the garden there is always a table with an offering and tea for ancestors. 

It was a lovely evening and reminded me to step out of my comfort zone and go out in the evening more often.

Happy weekend, dear friends!

Word Magic

 Apricity: the warmth of the sun during winter.

This is a new word for me and I love it.

I shared this picture in my last post, but it just speaks to me of the sun in winter and the warmth of sitting at this sweet little table with someone special.
 

Tell me how the warmth of the sun affects you in winter.

Does it make you smile, as it makes me smile?

 

And the sun warms the earth, holds it under it's spell.

Apricity surrounds us at this time of year.

And on a clear day I feel like I can see forever,

dance in the light

and

sing with the birds.

 

Happy new week, dear friends!

A Washington State Adventure

 January is birthday month for my "live-in gardener" and his sister. So we traveled to the peninsula of the northern part of Washington State for a visit and celebration. I made the small chocolate cake and a friend in my sister-in-law's life sent the party in the box.

There are many gorgeous mornings from the window of my sister-in-law's home. This is the first morning as I watched with my tea. On Wednesday I was sitting by this window for a zoom call with friends and four deer came meandering by the window. No picture, as my phone was occupied and camera was not in the room.

My camera hadn't had much snapping recently; so I took my camera along to play. We just drove and explored the area. Ajax is a very nice restaurant nearby, but it wasn't opened that day. It still was a fun stop with camera in hand to play a bit.

I loved, loved how the light shined into the restaurant window on this table just waiting for guests.

Then I had a request to stop at this road sign. Does anyone remember a very old movie by this name?

Another morning view from the window.

 

 Crossing the bridge to the peninsula. Snow on the mountains.

Lots of places to pause and watch the water and birds.

You may not be able to tell what's in the little row boat, but it was a man and his dog just enjoying an adventure on the water. The dog seemed very content and happy to be riding along.

I have always loved this little cove with boats and little cottages all in a row.

There is a boat building school right out of camera shot.

It was very good to get away for a few days and just play with my camera and celebrate birthdays.

Do you make time to play a bit and put responsibilities aside for a few days. It is good for the soul.

 

Happy Weekend, dear friends! 

Now go out and play.

Word Magic

The word this week is SYMBOLS

Symbols surround us everywhere we go. Even in our own cupboards and closets there are symbols that tell us something. What do the signs tell us as we drive down the street?

When I was out driving and see a sign with circle and arrow with a X through it tells me to not drive that direction.  The red STOP sign indicates I must stop. And then there is an arrow showing me which way to turn. The "P" tells me I can park there.

Looking on products we find the square with squiggly lines that can give us all kinds of information. The straight bar lines also have a job to do.

Just looking in my cupboard and seeing a large cat on a bag tells me what is in the bag is  for my cat. So even a picture tells us a story and becomes a symbol.

 Colors tell a story too. I remember as a young girl people telling me that black stood for sin and white was purity and clean. Red was for love.

Doves stand for peace.

A logo or trade mark such as Nike swoosh on my very dirty walking shoes. Just seeing that swoosh I know it is Nike.

A picture of Mary and Baby Jesus has religious significance and often called an Icon. So again a picture becomes a symbol and a story, it is telling us something.

Happy Monday!

What other symbols can you think of?

 

Book Reviews

I don't often mention or review books I have read, but my blogger friend, Jeanie, at The Marmalade Gypsy, writes great reviews. She has even inspired me to read and stretch a bit in some of my own reading. So I thought I would share a few books I have recently read.

I follow a much younger, sort of hipster, tea drinker on Instagram and recently he mentioned a book he read. Plus a couple of my tea friends had also mentioned this book; so out of curiosity I decided to read the book. A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers.

There is definitely tea in it, but also a robot.

"Everybody knew what a tea monk did, so Dex wasn't too worried about getting started. Tea service wasn't anything arcane. People came to the wagon with their problems and left with a fresh-brewed cup."

"Everybody thinks they're the exception to the rule, and that's exactly where the trouble starts. One person can do a lot of damage." 

"Deciding on your purpose is one of the most valuable things there is."

There were so many little glimpses/words that were so profound in this little book. The conversations between the main character, Dex, and the robot, Mosscap. I really enjoyed it. I understand there is a second book, which I plan to read soon. I love that I can learn new things even at a "certain age".

State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny

Most often I read historic fiction, especially from the early part of the 1900's and taking place in Europe; so the State of Terror was stepping out of my favorite reading comfort. It was historic fiction for sure, but a more recent time period. This book indeed had intrigue and I was particularly impressed with what each author brought to the story. Louise Penny is an impressive mystery writer and Hillary Rodham Clinton added all the basic truths of being Secretary of State to the story. It felt so real, it was a little scary to think what could happen in government intrigue and real life.

After reading this book I will be planning to read more written by Louise Penny.

The Stolen Lady by Laura Morelli

Having stood in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France and view the Mona Lisa this story really brought home to me all that took place during World War II and the saving of art in France. As I have said before this is my favorite genre to read. Having traveled several times in France and being intrigued by YouTube shows on French chateaus, I could really picture the adventure and intrigue in this story. Since it was based on what really happened, I was thankful once again for the brave souls that risked their lives to save historic pieces of art.

 Allie and Bea by Catherine Ryan Hyde

I was sure I was not going to like this one, but after I got into it I loved how the author brought two lost souls together in this magical friendship of an older woman and a young girl. They certainly captured my heart. And in the end life went on in a different way for each of them.

Daughter of Moloka'i by Alan Brennert

My cousins wife and I often exchange books we have read and this book was in a recent pile of books she shared with me. Strange in my case because I mostly like to read female authors, in a way I feel like I am supporting them. So I told myself I probably would not have picked this book up to consider, but here it was in the pile. 

The book was in three parts. The first part was the story of a young girl in an orphanage in Hawaii that was adopted by a Japanese family before World War II. Then in the second part the story continues with the family at the time of the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the encampment of the Japanese people living in the US, and finally after the war it was a time of healing and recovering. There were a few moments of tears for me in this book. The descriptions of survival in camps here in the US saddened me and made it more real. Sometimes it is easy to forget and a book such as this, though fiction, is a lesson to learn in human survival. 

There have been other books read, but each of the books here have been surprises I hadn't planned on enjoying. All five were a bit out of my normal reading, but I am so glad I read everyone of them.

Happy reading, dear friends!

I hope maybe I have inspired you to pick up something that surprises you too.