Valerie's Voice – Musings on Life

Terceira

We arrived on the island of Terceira a day before our official tour with OAT began.

We wanted to acclimate our body clocks, plus we wanted to get a hike in with our friends we travel with.

We had a good weather, a sunny day and an interesting hike up Mount Brasil.

Looking over a caldera, to the Atlantic Ocean.

The next day we met our OAT tour group. OAT promotes discoveries and experiences, so they bring the groups to small, local businesses and out of the way places, and even make unscheduled stops. One day we stopped at a farmer’s market and a fishing dock to talk with a local fisherman, neither one on the schedule for that day.

At the fishing dock, a local fisherman shows us the bait that has been assembled for the next round of fishing. These are fish heads/parts secured on a hook for a fishing line.

A few of the many experiences on the island of Terceira was a small winery tour, an organic coffee/banana plantation tour, seeing the dramatic tide pools, and having dinner with a local family. All were remarkable in their own way.

Buildings for the winery built from lava rock.

Several volcanic rock walls create an amazing vineyard.

The Materramenta Winery was interesting. The vineyards were enclosed, and divided, by volcanic rock walls making it picturesque,

Some grapevines were planted in rows in a small area.

Other vines were planted in deep volcanic rock holes – a special planting method. photo gb

plus adding a unique and great flavor to the wines apparently.

The olive tree in the corner is to detract birds from eating the grapes. photo gb

The lava rock walls were strategically put together to allow air flow.

After a tour of the vineyard, we were invited into a tasting room with a long, welcoming table.

Setting for our wine tasting at this small winery.

The coffee/banana plantation was so different from the winery, yet beautiful in a different way. It was very lush.

José, the owner of an organic coffee and banana plantation gives us a tour.

José, has expanded his small business into eco lodging and built a few small camping cabins in the midst of the plantation.

A nice camping cabin on the coffee plantation, complete with indoor plumbing!

The a-line cabins were inviting, and are creating more income for this family.

One of my favorite pictures at one of my favorite spots on our trip.

One of my two favorite activities on Terceira was going to the Biscoitos tide pools and watching the waves crash over the volcanic boulders along the shore.

Mini waterfalls created by waves crashing in.

It was mesmerizing. A fellow traveler commented with waterfalls the water flows down, but along the shore when the waves hit the rocks the water bursts up into the air.

Another favorite activity was a local home visit. One evening our big group was divided into three small groups and folks on the island invited us into their houses for a home-cooked dinner, and for a peek at how the islanders live. It was wonderful.

We were invited into this beautiful home for dinner. photo gb

Due to different circumstances, our host was on his own with all six of us, but his wife had the meal mostly prepared and he pulled it off flawlessly. He was a great host and his 17-year-old and 6-year-old joined us near the end of dinner. We had a delightful evening.

Roger, our home host, adding the final touches to dessert.

And that was not all (that we did on Terceira)…But it is enough…(for now).

Açores & Madeira

We just returned from an adventure to the Azores, an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, with an added hop to the island of Madeira, all governed by Portugal.

The first morning after we arrived on the island of Terceira, one of the nine islands in the Azores archipelago, I greeted a woman in the hallway of our hotel and she enthusiastically replied, “We’re on a small island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean!” And off we went on our separate ways. But, those twelve words became my mantra throughout the trip. Many times I would remind myself, and those around me, by saying out loud, “we’re on an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean!” It was kind of crazy, but very beautiful, and definitely wonderful.

Angra do Heroísmo, the capitol city of Terceira, with Mt. Brazil in the background.

Our adventures started in Terceira (nicknamed the lilac island because of the many lilac-colored hydrangeas there – which only a few were in bloom at this time). After five nights we flew to São Miguel (the green island) our second of the nine islands in the archipelago, and ended up in Madeira, an island between the Azores and Portugal.

The harbor at Angra do Heroísmo, Terceira.

We were traveling with a tour group (Overseas Adventure Travel) for the first time. There were 16 of us in the group, all from different areas of the US. The tour guide was a local man who lived on the island of São Miguel. He was knowledgeable, very personable, and took good care of us. He spoke great English with a wonderful accent. We were together with these same folks for twelve days. We traveled well together. Our group had some very interesting people, and it was fun to get to know them. Everyone has a story.

Henrique, our wonderful OAT tour guide, from São Miguel.

I’m finding the longer one is on tour the more pictures one takes… and then all those photos have to be gone through. It is a time-consuming job, but a fun one. I will be share more stories and photos in the coming weeks.

The Field

We moved into our new home in December. All winter I looked forward to seeing a tractor in the field behind us this spring, preparing the field for planting.

I first saw the tractor in back of our house at 7:40 pm on Monday evening.

We’ve been doing some traveling and I thought maybe I might miss it this year, but last night the tractor came through, tilling the soil. He started late in the day, and kept going into the night with his lights on, but he didn’t finish the job.

The darker soil is two swaths from the tractor.

It was fun to see the lights on the tractor, while he worked in the field at night, 8:55 pm.

He was back the next morning to finish the tilling.

It was interesting to see the wide swath of land that was tilled in one run. And I was amazed at how fast the tractor traveled. I had fun watching it while trying to take some pictures. The ground is dry and the tilling produced a lot of dust. It was hard to see the tractor through the dust at times.

We’ll wait to see what is planted…there has been corn in the field the past two years. Maybe they’ll alternate this year, and plant soy beans.

The tractor pulling a seed planter. 3:30 pm Tuesday.

To my delight, he came back in the afternoon to plant. I wonder what is in those yellow seed box containers?

Like the tiller, the planter is a huge piece of equipment.

And then… there were two! It keeps getting more and more interesting. I did not grow up on a farm and so I have really enjoyed seeing this basic, yet key principle, of farming up close.

It just keeps getting better…3:55 pm Tuesday…there were two tractors in the same field.

I did some tilling of my own and planted zinnia seeds along the field in our back yard…hopefully the zinnias will come up too.

Now we definitely need to wash the windows!

Happy Mother’s Day

Thinking about two mothers today; my own mom and her best friend. Here’s a fun little poem I wrote about the two of them in 2013.

Two Friends

Back in the 50’s
When life was pretty good
In NE Mpls up sprang
A special neighborhood.

Children gathered daily
Going outside to play
Fathers off to work
Moms at home to stay.

Friendships were forming
…Everyone was new…
Some lasting fifty years or more
Wow – who knew???

Two special families
Lived across the street
Two special women
Destined to meet.

Raising their children
Having driveway coffee breaks
Always checking on each other
Vacationing to many lakes.

Their daughters grew up
Becoming lasting friends
Sharing McKinley Street stories
No more playing pretend.

Marriages, then grandkids
Time was marching on
But playing Bridge and having lunch
Kept their connection strong.

Four years ago God took the first
And now He’s taken the other
But memories will linger on
Loving memories of our mothers.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Pig Races and More

We had a nice trip to California, to visit our son and his family.

We took walks along the ocean and to parks, the grandkids rode their bikes, we went to the harbor, and enjoyed the ocean scenes.

We made home-made cards and lemonade (from the lemons off their tree) with the grandkids. Later the grandkids had fun setting up a lemonade stand on their driveway in front of their house.

And, we took the grandchildren to a carnival. That’s where we watched the pig races. At the carnival we went on a few rides (including a pony ride) looked at animals in the animal barn, ate a picnic lunch and finished just in time for the Pig Races.

I am on the roller coaster with our granddaughter.

There was a race track set up for the pig race, and the show began. Eight adorable pigs (I don’t know what kind they were) were trained to run this horseshoe-shaped track. Four pigs at a time were let out to run from one end to the other where their reward of food awaited them. Spectators, young and old, gather all along the racetrack to watch and “squeal” with delight! There is a second race with four more pigs. The first-place winner and runner-up of the two races competed in the final race for the championship title. The spectators were broken into four cheering sections for the final race. I’m sad to say our pig, Strawberry, did not win.

Children loved to watch and cheer the pigs on, but I think adults enjoyed it too. Just maybe…we might enjoy the races most because we’re with the grandkids.

(Unfortunately, I was not in a good spot to take photos of the pig races.)

National Zoo

One day, while in D.C., we hopped on the metro with our grandchildren and went to the National Zoo. It was very enjoyable.

We were all excited to see the zoo’s feature exhibit; the two newest panda bears from China that arrived in October 2024.

Three-year-old Bao Li (male) and Qing Bao (female) are show stoppers.

We were amused at their antics; watching them jaunt around their pens, chase a ball, and roll over. They were adorable.

I’m including a 10 second video of the panda bear playing with a ball.

We spent a lot of time walking around to see other animals, including a tiger,

a lion,

a very old tortoise…

And visiting with some old friends, too!

Our friends from Northfield, now live in the D.C area. Our grandson took the picture. He likes to use unique settings.

Even at my age, I am always delighted to go to a zoo. The animals are so entertaining.

God’s creativity is endless.

Cathedral in Bloom

I have never been to the National Cathedral, but have always wanted to see it. Since we were going to be in the Washington D.C. area during holy week, I checked out the cathedral’s schedule. There was a lot going on. I settled on buying tickets to see the Cathedral in Bloom.

The magnificent cathedral is lavishly decorated with flowers for Easter and they keep the bouquets fresh throughout the following week for people to enjoy, adding more beauty to the already impressive architecture.

So once again, we took off with the grandchildren to go exploring.

The Episcopal cathedral was chartered by congress in 1893 and established on Mount St. Alban (the highest point in the city). In 1907 the cornerstone was laid by President Theodore Roosevelt. The construction slowed during periods of economic hardship, so the building wasn’t completed until 1990.

“Our” National Cathedral is for all people. “This Cathedral holds a unique place at the intersection of sacred and civic life. …we strive to serve God and our neighbors as agents of reconciliation; as a trusted voice of moral leadership; and as a sacred space where the country gathers during moments of national significance.”*

Looking up to the rose window on the outside.

Looking out the rose window from the inside.

“In a city of monuments and memorials, this Cathedral stands apart as a vibrant community of people called together to serve and renew the world around us. Our founders envisioned this Cathedral as a sacred space where the nation could gather in good times and in bad.”*

This amazing Easter Lily bouquet had a matching bouquet flanked on the other side of this entryway.

We used a self-guided tour brochure to find our way around the massive building.

I enjoyed this space stained-glass window so I took a photo. I learned later that the small eye in the large red circle is a piece of moon rock brought back by the astronauts of Apollo 11 and given to the Cathedral by NASA

I enjoyed the gothic architecture, stained-glass windows and myriads of flowers.

The Pilgrim Observation Gallery on the 7th floor.

There was a striking observation gallery on the 7^th floor, offering great views of the city.

There were several smaller chapels throughout the cathedral.

Resurrection Chapel: the walls were floor to ceiling Mosaics depicting stories of Jesus.

I have noticed the choir section on television, when I’ve watched special events at the cathedral. Although there were no flowers on the choir seats, the dark, rich, carved wooden benches were stunning.

This Cathedral took on much more meaning after seeing it and touring it. I want to think of it as our National Cathedral from now on.

My enjoyment of flowers along with my enjoyment of exploring churches made this a special outing for me.

The Canterbury Pulpit is made from stone from Canterbury and was carved in England in 1929.

I had a hard time choosing which photos to include on this blog post.

Beauty invites you to enter under the arch.

Enjoy.

This lovely arrangement was tucked in the corner of a stairwell!

*Both quotes taken from the Washington National Cathedral brochure.

The National Mall, Day 2

We took a second trip down to the Mall a few days later to complete the circle…to see the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.

All were impressive. The last time Gary and I were in Washington D.C., in 2019, we saw the Martin Luther King, Jr. and Jefferson memorials.

Side view of Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, April 2025.

I was happy to see them again. And, we were glad we could see the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial this time. We decided it was our favorite.

Among many wise, sensible, and profound FDR quotes etched into the granite (that I wish our current administration would read, believe, and act on) the monument itself was well designed with four series of waterfalls representing different periods of FDR’s life and presidency.

One of the falls created for the FDR Memorial, April 2025.

Apparently, water was a major part of FDR’s life…from his childhood upbringing on the Hudson River to using water as a therapy during his illnesses (polio). Franklin Delano Roosevelt was 32^nd president of the US and served from 1933 to 1945. In 1921 he was paralyzed at 39 years old.

The bronze statues of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (in a wheelchair) and his dog, Fala. April 2025.

The first waterfall is a simple waterfall symbolizing the fresh energy FDR brought to the presidency. The second falls are a series of steps to represent the Tennessee Valley Authority project FDR founded. The TVA Act was part of Roosevelt’s broader “new Deal” initiative to address the Great Depression. The third falls has chaotic falls to represent the destruction from World War II. The fourth falls includes a still pool that symbolizes his death.

The bronze statue of Eleanor Roosevelt, April 2025.

The FDR memorial is the largest memorial on the Mall. A couple more unique features include it’s the only memorial that includes a sculpture of a First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, and the only one to include a sculpture of a dog, FDR’s dog named Fala. Because of FDR’s disabilities, the memorial was intentionally designed to be accessible to people of all abilities.

Once again we walked back to the Metro station and past the Washington Monument, which I remember climbing steps to the top, as a kid, when I was in Washington D.C. with my parents.

This was another fun day with the grandkids, walking several miles everyday, for each of our adventures.

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!