Valerie's Voice – Musings on Life

The National Mall, Day 1

We visited the exciting city of Washington, D.C. where there is an unlimited number of interesting things to see. We saw a fraction of them, yet we saw a lot.

First, we were visiting our son and his wife and their two children. That was the best part, and the reason for our visit to the area. They moved in January for our son’s training to become a Foreign Service Officer. It was great to see all of them. The kids were on spring break from school so, while the parents went to work during the week, we took the kids exploring.

We took two days to walk around the National Mall; the area with the reflecting pool surrounded by the domed U.S. Capital, the Whitehouse and many monuments and Smithsonian museums. We missed the peak of the famous cherry blossoms which were in full bloom one week prior to our visit. However, there were a few lingering trees in bloom near our son’s apartment.

Our first day on the Mall we began our walk past the Whitehouse.

The reflecting pool and the Washington Monument, April 2025.

Next, we walked towards the reflecting pool and the World War II Memorial, and on to the Vietnam War memorial.

Walking towards the long black marble Vietnam War Memorial, April 2025.

The Vietnam War memorial is an impressive, black marble wall with the names carved into it of all who died in the war, or from causes directly related to the war.

The Vietnam Women’s Memorial, April 2025.

Next to this memorial was the Vietnam Women’s Memorial, created to commemorate the 265,000 women that served in the Vietnam War, many of whom worked as nurses. It was significant to see because I had just finished reading Kristin Hannah’s book, The Women, a story about three nurses who served in Vietnam (a recommended read).

After a snack lunch, we walked up the steps to the Lincoln Memorial. This is a very impressive monument that brought tears to my eyes. We stood in awe at the looming sculpture of Abraham Lincoln, with some of his quotes carved in the marble walls that surrounded his figure. And though there were many people crowding the area, it was a very poignant moment.

We made a quick stop at the Korean War Memorial, but by now, we were tired and started our walk back to the metro station. We passed the Washington monument on our way, which we could see throughout the day, towering above us from every angle on the Mall.

These monuments and memorials are a tribute to great men and women who served in leadership positions and the United States military service. It was good to see them.

Happy Easter

Christ the Lord is ris’n today, Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heav’ns, and earth, reply, Alleluia!

Anticipation Haikus

Anticipation -
Hope and joy held in the heart
Ready to burst forth.

The dawning of a new day… (Lake Superior sunrise March 2025)

Anticipation-
We’re going to Washington
To see the grandkids,

And see the parents-
We will check out museums 
Smell the cherry blooms. 

Reconnect again. 
Enjoying the company
Til’ it’s time to leave.

Anticipation-
Off to California 
To see the grandkids,

And see the parents-
We will check out the ocean
Smell the fresh breezes.

Reconnect again.
Enjoying the company
Til’ it’s time to leave.

National Library Week

It’s National Library Week.

Even though I went to the library twice this week, and saw a sign hanging in the window telling me it was National Library Week, I dismissed the dates as to sometime in the future. Whoops. I didn’t pay close attention. When my blogger friend posted a piece this week on National Library Week, it finally registered.

I want to celebrate libraries. I love libraries, for all the same reasons my friend cites in her blog: In celebration of public libraries. She’s a great writer. Read it if you can by clicking on the title. I also posted a blog about libraries in 2023. Here’s a link to my previous post – Libraries.

In addition to all the reasons for loving a library, I want to add that I like to go to the library to write. Sometimes I find it inspirational to sit down in the second-floor atrium and work on my writing assignments, which is what I did a couple weeks ago.

I sat down in a comfortable chair and started paying attention to all that was going on around me. So, before starting my assignment, I decided to write down what I was observing and hearing. It was fun for me, but after an hour and a half (!) I decided it was time to settle down and focus on my assignment. One writing prompt was to tell about a time you were abandoned. Throughout our travels we have been stranded a few times, but instead of those examples I decided to polish this piece I had been writing and end it with a twist by saying…of all places I’d like to be abandoned, one would be a library.

I’m grateful for our library. I wouldn’t mind be stranded in a library.

Galleria’s Flower Show

We went to Galleria’s floral experience with Bachman’s annual show last week.

This year’s theme is Escape to Paradise. Bachman’s fills the mall with beautiful plants and colorful flowers in wonderful designs, and it’s always a delight to see.

Especially this time of year when we are waiting for spring to arrive here in Minnesota. The landscapes are pretty drab outside right now. We can all use a bit of color.

The day we ventured to Galleria was our anniversary. We arrived early to look at the flowers (and search for a frog hidden in each display) and then we ate lunch at The Good Earth. It was lovely.

A sweet story: On our honeymoon, we bought a framed-in-box of preserved iridescent blue butterflies in Puerto Rico. We have always had it hanging in our house somewhere, and it is hanging in our new home now.

When at the Galleria’s flower show it was fun to see pretty, blue magnetic butterflies that took us back in time to a market we visited on our honeymoon – 47 years ago – when we bought our special memento.

Uplifting….

Colorful…

Pleasing…

Perky…

Whimsical…

It was a special day.

A Poem: One Wave at a Time

One wave at a time…
Faithfully rolling unto the shore
Hitting the rocky bedrock
Bringing healing as I sit and watch.
For hours.
Each time a little piece of hope
Delivered in the rhythm of the waves
Reminds me God is faithful.
Such needed blessing
During these times of uncertainty.
I am grateful to be on the shore of Lake Superior,
Doing nothing,
Watching the waves roll in.
One blessing at a time.

by Valerie Bollinger 03/25

The North Shore

We went up to the north shore to celebrate my birthday last week.

There was a beautiful sunrise the morning of my birthday, and the sun continued to shine all day long.

We wanted to do a little hiking. We had tried hiking at Gooseberry Falls the day before, but we had to turn back due to a very icy trail. Although there was no snow on the ground anywhere, the shaded trails in the woods still had ice cover making it difficult to hike on them.

When we stopped for a specialty coffee at Vanilla Bean in Two Harbors, another customer joined our conversation with the waitress about places to hike in the area that might not be icy. The stranger asked us about the Gitchi-Gami bike trail. And it was one of those ah-ha moments; “I can’t believe we didn’t think about the wonderful paved bike trail with sections all along the north shore.”

An portion of the Gitchi-Gami Bike trail along Lake Superior.

So we found our safe place to hike along Lake Superior, and it was lovely.

Besides the sparkling lake, we saw different images on two different hikes. Do you see what I see?

A bat…a sheet of ice still clinging to a large rock in Lake Superior, facing south (no sun to melt it).

The head of a wolf (right), and a deer lying down looking out (left) in the hollow of a tree.

Several little bear cubs climbing up the tree.

It was a fun birthday; with hiking, cabin time, and watching the waves roll in. A great beginning to another trip around the sun.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

I’m not Irish but I do like the color green and I do like tales of St. Patrick – I read he used the shamrock to explain the trinity to others.

We have traveled to Ireland, the emerald isle. It is charming and picturesque, and green.

So, for those silly reasons, I decided to have a little St. Patrick’s Day celebration.

The seasoned brisket on top of the vegetables.

For the first time, I made corned beef and cabbage. I found a crockpot recipe that had good reviews. It called for red potatoes, carrots, onion, cabbage and corned beef, which my husband purchased at a store in the cities.

The cabbage is added to cook for the last hour.

I followed the recipe carefully – 8 hours in the crockpot, before our planned dinner time.

The crockpot on the counter, cooking the corned beef meal.

While waiting for our dinner to cook, I set the table, looking around the house for green items to use for decoration. I had bought some fun napkins for the occasion.

Green tablecloth, candles and themed napkins.

Also, I found a BINGO game online, using the Irish theme. Gary helped me make up several “boards” and we went out to find some prizes which I wrapped in green tissue, of course.

As dinner time grew closer, I put soda bread (another first for me) into the oven. When it was done, we were ready to eat. The corned beef and cabbage turned out, and were very tender and very tasty. The soda bread was a little doughy. But overall, we deemed the meal a great success, all the while Irish music was playing in the background. Delicious lemon bars were brought for dessert.

We had a fun time celebrating St. Patrick’s Day.

A traditional Irish Blessing for all...

May the sun shine warm upon your face. And rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Feed My Starving Children

Feed My Starving Children is a Christian ministry that started up in 1987. It organizes volunteers to hand-pack manna packets to send to hungry children all over the world. There are many packing centers around the United States. FMSC receives highest awards for integrity and trustworthiness, “earning a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator for 19 years.”

Kudos to Jeanie who has been organizing a monthly session “Jeanie’s Friends” for the past ten years. I join her and her friends when I can.

The food packet ingredients consist of: powdered vitamins, dried vegetables, soy and rice. Hand-filling the packerts is an efficient process with everyone contributing in different ways…like a human chain. Someone holds the bag open under a funnel, two people add the ingredients, then someone weights the food packet, and passes it to another who seals the packet, and then to the next person who puts the manna packets into a larger box for shipping. One box holds 36 manna packets. One manna packet supplies six meals. There are five 2-hour packing sessions each day.

On Tuesday, when I was up there to help this week, there were 100 volunteers from all over the south metro, and we packed 132 boxes…which means 28,512 meals…which will feed 79 kids a daily meal for one year.

On this day we were packing meals for Burkina Faso, a country in Africa.

It helps me to be doing something positive in these uncertain times, when it seems food uncertainty keeps growing. Today, our short work session impacts 79 more children than yesterday.

Here is a link to Feed My Starving Children if you want to find out more, or to volunteer.

I have posted about Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) a couple of times. Here are links to previous posts: https://valeriesvoice.net/fmsc/ and https://valeriesvoice.net/feed-my-starving-children/

If Tablecloths Could Talk…

I always enjoy setting a pretty table, and decorating for a gathering. Recently I was getting ready for one such gathering. As I was ironing a white, square tablecloth with Hardanger hand-stitching around the edges. I wondered who made it, and how many tables it has graced. If only tablecloths could talk.

The Norwegian Hardanger pattern stitched on the white tablecloth.

I inherited this beautiful tablecloth from my Auntie Ag…and I’m sure she got it from a relative in the Hardanger area of Norway, who hand-stitched the pattern. There are so many relatives over there who can knit, stitch and sew, but Aggie is gone now, and I have no one to ask.

I don’t normally iron tablecloths, but sometimes one must. I wanted to use this white tablecloth for a book shower I was giving. Even though it wasn’t the right size, I made it work. As I was ironing it, I found a couple of light stains. I didn’t mind. It tells me it has been used, and loved.

My red tablecloth used near Christmas and Valentine’s Day festivities.

I have had a red tablecloth for many years – it’s “wash and wear” – no iron, and it’s been used on many occasions, especially around Christmas time, and Valentine’s Day. It has many stories to tell.

My red tablecloth covered by a lace tablecloth…

Our dining room table has four leaves, so it can extend out to seat twelve comfortably. I have two celery green tablecloths…one to fit the extended table, and another smaller one. I bought them almost 30 years ago when we bought our dining room table… they have stories to tell too. Mostly of dinner parties, which I enjoy hosting.

A beautiful piece of fabric from Africa that I use for a tablecloth at times.

I have a few other tablecloths in my small collection, and many pieces of colorful African fabric that I either bought in Africa, or my daughter-in-law has given me. I used them occasionally for tablecloths. They are dramatic colors and patterns and add a festive touch.

In lieu of tablecloths, I will use place mats occasionally.

My limited collection of tablecloths includes two plastic ones that I bought when the grandchildren came along, so we could cover the table when we worked on crafts.

Tablecloths do have histories…if only they could talk.