Friday Night in Paradise

It’s Firefly and Candlelight,
And everything’s alright
Tomorrow might bring stress and pain;
Today was one long fight.
But right now I have Firefly
And tea, and candlelight.

The candles softly flickering,
Old friends on my TV,
A cup of tea, a comfy chair,
A world made just for me!!

A Messy House

I need to clean my house again,
It seems a month or more
And every step that I now take
Is on a crunchy floor
The windows are a mess with dust
The furniture is too
I have to clean my house again….
Within a week or two!

The Signs of Spring

Saltwater and lilac blossoms
The fragrances of Spring

Mingling on the evening air
Where tiny finches sing.

The wild geese fly, the heron hunts

The sun burns in the sea

And tosses ribbons in the clouds
Above the dark fir trees.

Moments and Memories

WARNING: Goeducks appear in this post!!!

On our little beach we have lots of "visitors", as you may have noticed. Today, however, we had the entertainment of a Geoduck hunt. (It's pronounced gooeyduck for the uninitiated!)

First step is to pick where to start digging on a beach filled with geoducks.
You may start with a shovel

And make some headway at first,

But Geoduck hunting requires that you get dirty and that you get deep into the sand...

But the prize is worth the work and the dirt... especially if all you did was watch it being done!

So... okay, they look really disgusting, but they are great eating!

Okay, they are really, really disgusting looking.... Hence the warning at the start!

Ft Lewis Freedom Fest 2008

On May 17th, when the heat reached the mid 90's, the women of Mosby's Rangers (as re-enacted in the Puget Sound region) set out for the Ft Lewis Freedom Fest and a busy day of living history. Wth the support of only our dear Pvt Ridley we began the process of setting up house! Of course, the cutest among us deserve special attention....

Having finsihed setting up the children's section of the house, they watch as the women put the final touches on the rest of the house.

At last, all the work is done and we settle in for a cup of tea, a chat with some of the women from other units and a bit of needle work to pass the time.

The displays of household items included home made soap and candles, medicinal herbs, a washboard for laundery, The Game of Graces and school slates for the children, some wonderful books from which the ladies can read to each other and lots of wonderful food. Of course the big draw on this hot day was the lemonade which we offered to our gallant soldiers in both Blue and Grey!

*

*

And, of course, the men soon got about the business of war.

A little preparation before the battle

The Cavalry formed up for the attack

And then swept in on the Rebels, who were holding their ground at the far end of the field

Under counter fire, even the Cavalry will get out of the way!

Of course, the contrasts between Then and Now were always there for all to see.

After the Battle was over, the visitors began to return to the cool of the tent and the comfort of Southern Hospitality. Even some from the middle ages...

And the most handsome of the Yankee soldiers

And even the visitors from this era were made welcome and were loved!

But one of the most unexpected and honored guests was Mr William Jones, one of the last surviving Buffalo Soldiers!!!

Fun, Friends and lot of lemonade and dill pickles (the Civil War era version of Gatorade). How can you top that for an Armed Forces Day celebration? YOU CAN'T!!!

My Name is Job

My soul is battered by the world,
My heart and mind cast down.
I need You to direct my feet,
Lead me to solid ground,
Wrap me in Your loving arms
And soothe my deepest fears,
Remind me of Your ceaseless love
And dry my weary tears.

I hold to faith, I know Your Grace
I feel Your Love, I see Your Face.