Beauty for Ashes

Isaiah 61:3 shows the Lord's pattern for exchanging

 "beauty for ashes."

It is a theme of comfort, hope and healing.

It's a  message to encourage and strengthen

those who are having difficult times.

I find the gift my Dad chose for my Mom,

in honor of their 50th Wedding Anniversary,

was poignantly symbolic.

He had 50 years to think about it, he had to score.

Dad is explaining the story behind the jewelry...

...Mom is surprised, because they previously had agreed,

no gifts.

Good move, Dad.

After 50 years you know,

women always want presents.

The beauty of the gemstones, Emerald Obsidianite,

is that they are formed from the volcanic ash spewed

from the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980.

I was living in nothern ND at the time,

my husband on the east side of MN,

and we both remember having ash settle on our cars.

It was a disaster that touched the entire US in some way.

A logging company had expensive equipment buried under the ash,

and decided to use acetylene torches to recover it.

The ash melted and turned a stunning green.

A synthetic gemstone,

a new industry and a trademark for WA was born.

Beauty for ashes.

As you can tell from my previous blogs,

I have been enthralled with my parents' milestone.

For 50 years, they have taken any ashes in the marriage,

and turned it to beauty.

Little disagreements became unity.

Misunderstandings became improved communication.

Problems were resolved,

offenses forgiven.

They continued to choose

love,

committment,

honor and

respect.

The best gift given

in honor of the Golden Anniversary,

wasn't the beautiful jewelry.

It was the gift they gave their children,

grandchildren, and great-granchildren,

a 50 year legacy,

of exchanging beauty for ashes.

The Celebration of 50 Years

The Golden Anniversary Celebration

We had to make Mom and Dad pose a little more.

It stretches out the anticipation,

prolongs the excitement,

and commemorates the occasion.

Plus, we knew it would make them

very, very hungry,

so they would eat everything on their plate.

Mom and Dad started an exclusive club when we were younger,

The Clean Plate Club.

If you didn't eat everything on your plate,

you didn't get dessert.

In our youthful zeal, we were known to sometimes have literally

licked our plates clean,

we were so eager to be awarded membership.

Mommy and Daddy with their oldest daughter,

third in birth order,

the bossy one who took on the characteristics of the first born.

The welcoming scene at our table...

...and the soothing view from our window.

I felt like I should branch out and become a

food blogger,

the meals were so amazing.

Spit-Roasted Prime Rib

Roasted over applewood.

Served with au jus,

fresh horseradish root,

Yukon gold mashed potatoes,

and grilled fresh asparagus.

Brick Oven Washington Dungeness Crab Stuffed Mahi Mahi

The best of the Pacific waters.

Dungeness crab, three cheese and spinach stuffed Mahi Mahi,

served with  ginger jasmine rice,

roasted aparagus,

and lemon buerre monte'.

(YES, I ate dolphin fish,

not dolphin,

DOLPHIN FISH,

it's totally legal

and delicious,

and NO,

I do not know what lemon buerre monte' is.)

Best of the Northwest

Applewood grilled Alaskan halibut

and Neah Bay King salmon.

Served with organic English peas,

butter roasted baby carrots,

sweat pea pesto,

Dungeness crab spring slaw

and charred lemon vinaigrette spring pea shoots.

(I know this chef wasn't raised by my mother.

Doesn't this plate look like he was in the kitchen,

playing with his food?)

Since we all were distinguished members of

The Clean Plate Club,

without stooping to lick our plates,

we ordered desert.

Trio of Crème Brulee

Three of the finest flavors:

Grand Marnier, rich chocolate, and vanilla bean

all topped with a crackling caramelized sugar crust.

Bet the food pictures make you wish

your parents

were celebrating their 50th.

To 50 Golden Years.

Congratulations, Mom and Dad!