Fave Five #7

Each week I look forward to sharing my highlights.
The time flies by so quickly and here we are again.

Thanks again Suzanne, for sharing your site with us.

Sometimes it's easier to dwell on the difficult challenges of life,
and then I just have to take a ride down town Vancouver,
through the east side, where the homeless live and reality sets in,
"I'm Blessed"
This week I need to acknowledge those blessings.

#1 Just the Two of Us!
This summer has been busy hosting many out of town guests.
I always love it when the two of us can escape and
cycle around the Stanley Park Sea Wall.

#2 Lunching with my Daughter!
My daughter gifted us with birthday tickets for Les Miserables.
What an outstanding musical. It's a must.
The following day we had lunch with her on her noon break.
It's the first time I saw her in her "scrubs"

#3 Spending time playing Hide n Seek!
Is there any greater fun playing in the deep grass.
Booo! "I Caught You!"

#4. Another Celebration of Life

My aunt passed away this week at the age of 90.
We will all remember her with profound gratitude and deep humility.
She was an example of a life fully lived to the glory of God.
This brought together cousins from far and wide.
What a blessing!

#5 A Concert with MW Smith

I love the music of MW Smith.
Over the last 25 years, I have been able to attend several of his concerts.
I love and appreciate his music,
and have collected many of his CD's and music books.

This past week he was in our home town.
He not only shared his music, but he also shared his blessing with us.
He told a captive audience that his 74 year old Father,
always blessed him, all his life,
and that now he wanted to take the time to bless all of us.
His blessing is so heart felt.
Take a minute to return a blessing to your family today!
(to hear this video please turn off my play list,
by pushing the large middle circle above the word Title)

Venice ~ Jewel of the Adriatic

Venice via Train!
We travelled from Munich to Venice by train,
through the European Alps.
The German Alps provided us with breathtaking scenery,
unfolding before our eyes.
Alas after a 7 hour ride, we embark upon the Grand Canal,
which is approximately two miles in length,
and lined with approximately 200 marble palaces that were built
between the 12th & 18th centuries.

The waterways are filled with water buses, taxis and gondolas.
We felt so clueless as to what mode of transportation to use.
As advised by our travel agent we took the cheapest, the water bus.
We were cramped into this bus jammed with people and luggage.
It was hot, sweaty and humid,
and a bit uncomfortable....
I felt like this was a refugee bus!

Then, we finally found our hotel room in this narrow, dark alley.

It was evening and we were tired...

The next day we began to explore the sights of Venice.
We met up with our travelling friends at breakfast
and they introduced us to the water taxis.
A far better choice of transportation.

Our first stop was at the St. Mark Square,
where we found the 900 year old Basilica of St. Mark.

St. Mark's Basilica.
It contains mosaics, precious and rare marbles.
It was built in 830 as an original chapel for the Doges.

St. Mark's Square was crowded with pedestrians.
It was a place for live musicians, coffee houses, and quaint shops.
I loved this particular venue.
We were being serenaded by live music from the "Sound of Music"
which we had toured a few days earlier in Salzburg.
These were magical moments for me.

The rest of the day was spent finding the first seats in the water taxi,
and just cruising around the various waterways in Venice.

The Rialto Bridge.
It is one of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal.

It is the oldest bridge and probably the most famous.
I had no clue that there was an existing legend,
until everyone was poking us to get into the action.
This legend is by far very popular.

"Kiss under the Bridge"
If you kiss under the bridge, you will be assured eternal love.
YEA!!!


We enjoyed the warmth of the sun as we navigated our way
through the narrow waterways, enjoying the beauty of Venice.

There in the distance is our cruise line,
Celebrity Cruise Lines were waiting for us.
This was such an exciting moment as we were now
ready to embark the ship for our 12 day Med-Cruise.

Magical and Romantic!

The Sound of Music

"The Hills Are Alive with the Sound of Music."

Can you hear the melody?
Imagine standing in the Alps, looking, dancing and frolicking in the sun like the von Trapp family.
It's a must. Yes, we took the Sound of Music Tour which was has many of it's scenes filmed along the borders of Germany and Austria. It was first performed in 1959 and made a new awakening in 1964 when this musical was recognized as a Broadway Show and hit the streets of New York with a healthy 1442-performance run.
Do you know that many Europeans have not seen the musical?

Leopold's Crown Palace (Schloss Leopoldskron) The terrace scenes at the rear of the Captain's villa, overlooking the lake. Do you remember when Maria and the children stood up in the boat and fell into the water?

I'm glad that these family members decided to stay seated. Another beautiful forest with crystal clear lakes and snow-capped mountains in southern Germany. Do you recognize any of these people?

Here is a picture of the Glass Gazebo in the gardens of the Von Trapp Villa. This is where the song "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" was produced. It poured that day!!! And this photo gives true evidence.

You saw this picture earlier in my last post. The Untersberg Mountain rises majestically behind the area of the Hohensalzburg Fortress. (Konzert Venue) On top of the this mountain was the location, used to film the scenes of the von Trapp family dressed in traditional clothes as if they were hiking on an outing in the mountains. They were actually trying to flee for safety.

The von Trapp family dressed in their hiking clothes. I love Julie Andrews. What an actor!!

A trip down to Mondsee, a half hour drive through beautiful rolling alps. Here is where the wedding scene was filmed. I could of spent hours here....living my wedding all over.

This is me, walking down to the music of Maria's processional in 1973. I was introduced to this musical in my early teens and it was a dream in my heart only to be lived out.
That's why there are many sentiments in my heart to this masterpiece.

Lest we forget the music of "Edelweiss." I found some dried flowers and brought them home as a memory. Let's all sing it together. Imagine the whole bus singing along in harmony.

"Bless my homeland forever."

"A Few of My Favorite Things" What are your favorite things? Can you hear the children laughing and giggling?

I can still hear Deniz voice, my young nephew, from Germany giggling and laughing,
"Let's sing that song again."
"Doe a deer, a female deer, ray a drop of golden sun, me a name I call myself...."

This little man knows where he is going...."I have Confidence"

"I Must Have done Something Good" "Here Tanta Marg, These are for you!"

And so Tanta Marg comes running, thinking, she is who? Julie Andrews? Just for a moment.... It's so much fun to live out our fantasies. This little one allowed me this privilege.

"Climb Every Mountain" What does that mean for a young child?

Thank-you for allowing me to share this theatrical musical with a modern day twist, as I had the privilege of living a true experience in many ways.

So long Goodbye, Auf Wiedersehen, Good Bye,
Good Bye, Good Bye, Good Bye...

Salzburg ~ One Enchanted Evening!

I have finally found some time to sort through photos and reflect about my European travels this past spring. Over the next few weeks, I would like to transport you into my world of travels and experiences. Get Ready. Here we Go! Are you all buckled up?

It's always been a dream to listen and experience a first class concert in Europe.
We first visited family in Southern Germany, and then proceeded to travel alone to Salzburg. I had an agenda..

A Live Concert!
Mozart's Birth House!
The Sound of Music Tour!

~~~~~

Far in the distance you can see the Hohensalzburg Fortress. In this place we were going to feel the magic of music. A small cable car carried us to the top of the fortress.

The Fortress Hohensalzburg is the landmark of the city of Salzburg. With a length of 250m and a width of 150m, the Fortress Hohensalzburg is the biggest still maintaining fortress in Central Europe. The fortress is located on a hill just before Salzburg. The hill is called Festungsberg.
The beginning of construction started in 1077. It was completed in between the 12-13th Century.

Salzburg is a small bustling city with a population of about 150,000 but in summer it hosts the Salzburg Festival which hosts over 2 million young musicians and tourists.
That's the place to be if you love music. I had always heard my music teachers talking about going to Salzburg during the summer times. Now I know why they went.
I never believed that I would drag my husband to a place like this.
He has always championed my interest in music.

Slowly and carefully we made our way up the narrow winding steps. When we arrived at the top step, he said, "Did you know that I counted 144 steps?" Since when does he count steps. Obviously he had been looking for an elevator.
I don't think they had them way back in the 12 Century.

We found our way to the Furstenzimmer. (Prince's Chamber)
There we found the marked door. What was behind those doors?
I was in another world...wondering in awe...

There it was. A grand piano just like I imagined. Imagine taking yourself back into another era and listening to Mozart play this piano.
What an enchanting hour. And there we were entertained by some of Europe's finest musicians.
We listened to "Das Kaiser Quartett" by J. Haydn, "Klavierkonzert D-Dur" by J. Haydn, and last but not least, "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" by W.A. Mozart. (1756-1791)

When a row of lighted windows can be seen as evenng falls over Salzburg's world-famous fortress, you know that a concert is being performed in the Prince's Chamber.

"Music should go through you, leave some of itself inside you, and take some of it with you when it leaves. " ~ Henry Threadgill. This was truly experienced by both of us.

The following day we took the afternoon to explore and learn more about the history of W.A. Mozart, one of the world's finest musicians and composers. We visited his birthhouse. Just imagine tracing the footsteps of a classical composer who brought soothing hours of music to generations and generations. A young boy of five years of age composing and performing. Unbelievable! A musical prodigy!
A short life, but well lived, not without struggles and challenges. Thirty five years old.
He left the world in awe! Januay 27, 1756 - December 5, 1791.

Prior to the concert, we dined in an elegant atmosphere in the Fortress Dining Room.
This is the view from our window..A mountain in the distance...Everyone's eyes were focused.
Do any of you recognize it or know what it represents?

More to follow. Stay posted!

It's a Hot One!

Birchwood Dairies is part of the Circle Tours in the Valley.

There is nothing better than driving out to the country,

knowing there is fresh home-made ice-cream at the other end.

While I was sitting licking my ice-cream cone,
I glanced up and thought,
Sheer Determination!
Nothing is going to stop him from enjoying a
grocery cart filled with ice-cream buckets.

It's been hot and he knows where to cool off.

Oh by the way, check out this Blueberrry Scone Recipe.
I made a batch yesterday, I think another one today....

Anneliese Blueberry Scones
It won't take any time and those will be scooped up!

Oh, by the way,
Happy Birthday Frank!
Don't Fear...You are scared of growing older?

There are three periods in life:
youth, middle age and “how well you look.”
~ Nelson A Rockefeller

It's Berry Time!

It's time for Berries!

There's nothing better than some freshly picked berries.
So my Teacher friends, who have all the time in the world,
biked 40 km to meet me at the market.
Do you think they had energy to pick?
We purchased our fruits and in no time flat,
they were washed, rinsed and put onto trays,
and stacked into the freezer.

I love those berries.
I open my freezer door and a smug feeling comes over me.
In the winter we will have so many options to choose from.
Bumble Berry Crumble and Fruit Smoothies!
PIES Galore!

Here is a quick recipe,
that I made for company....
It's fresh and tasty.
Raspberry Cake!
You can find the recipe on MGCC Blog.
I posted this recipe last year,
but dressed it up a bit more this year.
For a finishing touch,
you can add icing sugar, or drizzle icing over the cake.
Serve this with a freshly ground cup of coffee.
Have you ever heard of Driftwood Coffee?


Most people add parsley, but I found a sprig of Rosemary.
Hm.....
It could almost be served at Christmas time.

One more thing...
Another favorite raspberry recipe.

Have you ever tried a Raspberry Ripple Ice-Cream Cake?
Check it out!
I made several this weekend...
I'm not sure where they are....
I think I need to make some more.

I'm hoping you all have a Berry Good Time!!!

Fave Five

It's FAVE FIVE AGAIN!
Take a minute to check out
Susanne, at Living to tell the Story
She has inspired us to simply share five highlights of the week.
It's so much fun to reflect on those special moments.

#1. First Dig
After this little man helped me plant the potatoes earlier in spring,
there was nothing more gratifying than digging them
together and enjoying a feast of fresh potatoes.

#2. Fresh Radishes!
Yummy ! What a highlight to go to the garden.
It's fun to have fresh vegetables right at my finger tips.

#3. A Bowl of Fresh Lettuce.
Watch for a simple recipe coming up on Monday, July 20th.
http://mennonitegirlscancook.blogspot.com/
So tasty and delicious.

#4. Building his First Go-Cart!!
Learning to recycle all the materials,
that he could find in his Opa's shop.
And of course you can see that it is motor-operated.

I wonder whose having more fun?

#5. Enjoying the Back yard.
It's been a hot sunny week,
More to come and we love to sit outside on our
backyard with family and friends.
That reminds me...
I better get some baking done for the weekend.

Hope you have all had a relaxing week.
Join in the fun and share your highlights.

Fear Factors!!

As I young child I entered 4-H in order to help conquer my fears.
I needed to train a young heifer for showmanship.
As a member of the Sumas 4-H club,
we entered our animals at the annual PNE Show.
What a highlight!

Showtime came.
It was my turn to show my animal...
After all I had trained the animal daily, for months on end.

Guess what? It was in Heat!!!
Meaning that the animal was experiencing physiological changes.
This meant a radical interruption to it's normal trained behavior.

It didn't take long and the calf was dragging me all over the ring.
The judge of course, had is eye on me,
to see how well I could manage the animal.

Finally, my Dad had to come out of the stands,
and grab the halter from me,
while I slumped away in embarrassment.
I had this enormous fear,
that it would jump right on top of me.

Anyways, last week I took a drive to my old farmstead.
The farm yard still looked identical. Nothing had changed.
I asked hubby to stop...just for a moment to grab some shots.
I jumped out of the truck,
took a few steps forward on the lawn and....

KABOOM!
A hugh dog came running and leaping across the yard.
I felt I was his target!
I spun around and jumped into the truck.
Loud shrieks could be heard all over the place.
Fear chilled me to the bones.

~~~~~~~

The next day I was walking with a friend.
Guess what?
Two dogs come running out at us,
and be reassured, the screams were piercing.
I was imagining my legs being scarred forever,
the flesh of my calves being shredded apart by their sharp teeth.
Meanwhile my friend is smiling and getting a kick out of this.

Finally she shoos them back home.
Now, I finally had to confess to her,
that I, even though a farmers wife,
had a huge fear of animals, especially dogs.
Now, how were we going to come back?

I finally found a stick which would provide me with protection.

I can still see her chuckling....

As we turn about to go back,
I see the dogs dart out of the drive way.
All I'm thinking is...
Where is my cell?
I need to call 911!
She once again, stands by and makes sure the dog attacks her.
They were playful with her, jumping on her nice white hoodie.
Meanwhile I'm walking briskly down the road,
heart pumping way out of kilt...
thinking how foolish I was.

What is it about some things, that fear seems to get the best of us?

I checked on the internet in how to deal with fear,
It suggested to put yourself into an entirely helpless situation,
like skydiving....
Once you commit yourself, to undergo an activity like skydiving,
it becomes clear that the outcome is out of your hands.
That's quite an option!

I think in this case,
I'd rather walk with a close friend...
who can smile and laugh at my fears.

Over the last few days, I stumbled upon my 4-H Pledge.

"I Pledge,
My Head to clearer thinking,
My Heart to greater loyalty,
My Hands to larger service,
My health to better living,
For my club, my community and my country."

Even after all these years my fearful, selfish actions,
obviously did not emulate the words of my 4-H Pledge!

What's all the Ruckus About?

I woke up one morning to this ruckus on my back yard.
Truck, wheelbarrow and cement mixer.
What's happening?

Ah ha! I think one of my wishes is coming true.
For years I've wanted a flagpole,
especially, to honor our upcoming 2010 Olympics!

It didn't take long before I pitched in,
"Can I invite the Mayor to join us for the Flag Raising Ceremony?"

Preparations began for July 1, 2009!
My daugher in law jumped right in, both feet, with many ideas!
Together the two of us walked together and brainstormed at Starbucks.
Starbucks coffee drinkers began giving us their ideas....

This event was meant for the young and young at heart.
Thanks Tino for bringing your Mom!
You were the best MC!!
What a Sport!

Patriotic Spiritism!
That was evident.

Games for young and old!
Those white spots are water balloons.

Look whose drenched!

Sack Race!
I had to try my hand, just once.
I lost.....

Face Painting!

Log Rolling!

The One Hundred Yard Dash!
The Winner?
Orlando!

Water on the Tramp!

Snitching Raspberries!

Levi's Ice Cream Bar!!!

Watermelon & Roll Kuchen!

Happy Canada Day Cake!

Rewarding of the Medals to the Blue Team!
Thank-you Lora.
This was so much fun.

This could not happen with out someone behind the scenes.
Thanks loads, Steff.

And whose putting the final touch to the details?
I think he ran a marathon that day!!!
He has know idea how emotional I was, when the flag was raised.

The day was not finished until
my robust and sturdy brothers carried the pole...

Heave! Hoist!

"Are you sure we can leave go?"

And where is our Mayor?

(Unfortunately in the 11th hour, she became ill,
and had to cancel all her appointments that day.)

So we continued on.....
We gathered together and sang
"O Canada"

During the raising of the flag, our Mayor left a voice message.

"On behalf of the city of Chilliwack, I, Sharon Gaetz, your Mayor,
would like to thank-you for your patriotism and your
passion for the country of Canada!
Your parents have paved the way for their original
love for your country,
and you, too, are sharing your love for your country,
with family and friends.
Thank-you for sharing faith in your country Canada!"

What a wonderful day!!!
Another Milestone!

Canada Day

Once more we proudly celebrate Canada Day!
Canada Day is celebrating 142 years of Canadian Heritage.
This year as we celebrate 142 years of Confederation,
we are also proud to celebrate Canada's hosting of the
2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Check the side bar to see how many days are left.

And how are we going to celebrate today?

Planning has been going on for awhile....
We have invited family and friends.
We will be hosting the Pre-Olympic Games.
My family has always been very competitive,
and so today we will divide into two teams
"Canada East versus Canada West"
We have a variety of skilled games planned for this event.
We will all be wearing our patriotic colors.
As usual, no Olympic event can be held with out the
100 Yard Dash
It's been officially measured.

Games
Finger Jello
Face Painting
RollKuchen And Watermelon
BBQ Hamburgers & Hotdogs
Canada Cake
Raising of the Flag Ceremony ~ Chilliwack's Mayor
Fireworks ~ Downtown

The decorations and details are finalized.
So proud to be a Canadian!
Why don't we all join in and Celebrate Canada, EH?