The last day of January

 

We are having cloudy skies at the moment, 8:04 EST, had some wind and then a little rain. More light showers are expected. I am thankful as we need the rain.

Yesterday was totally gorgeous weather. After I took care of some paperwork, I decided to do some puttering outside. It was just what I needed. Wind, music of wind chimes, birds singing, butterflies flitting and thankfulness in my heart.

I worked on an overgrown path, you couldn’t even tell a path was there, after 6 months of neglect. The first 4 months were filled with taking care of Mark, he needed my nurturing and love and we needed the time of growing closer together. These past two months I’ve worked other areas of other gardens to get more or less back to normal. I want to get as much done before summer heat and humidity get here. This whole little haven I have here is a work in progress, as it will be the rest of my life. I am thankful for it. It is filled with lots of memories every where I look.

Before

After ~ I’ve got to add some color to the fence line, and have a couple of things in mind.

Before

After ~ I didn’t feel like sweeping up the paths. I ‘plan’ to buy a roll of roll roofing as I can, to cover up the old roofing as it is deteriorating. It’s probably

The pictures below are from 2007, after the path was first done. I had to go back to find these and of course looking through the photos made me cry. We were such a hard working team, enjoyed all of our projects. Again I am thankful.

We made some changes in the area since then. It’s amazing looking back at pictures to see things as they were.

David and Venus

Reed orchids

Old Blush rose

This is a cup of Celestial Seasoning’s Tea ~ Honey, Vanilla and Chamomile along with Walker Shortbread cookies, sent to me from Balisha.  Both are delicious. I had this Monday after a very emotional time of going through Mark’s clothes. It was just what I needed. You can read more here.

While I’m thinking of Balisha, please pray for her and her family as they are having some medical issues and she’s taken time off from blogging.

That’s it from Plum Cottage at this time.

FlowerLady

***

There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude,

a quiet joy

Ralph H. Blum

His Eye is on the Sparrow

 

I was left a kind comment in my FlowerLady’s Creations blog by Deb of ‘Posted of Home’. I then went to her blog and her post today really touched my heart. ‘Sentimental Sparrow’. She mentioned the old hymn that I remember from years gong by,  ‘His Eye Is On The Sparrow’ and I had to look it up on you-tube and found a lovely rendition.

This is by ~ Jessie Colter

 

Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Refrain
I sing because I’m happy,
I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Refrain

Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Refrain

***

Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.

But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Matthew 10:29-31 KJV Bible

More January blooms

A little color to brighten and cheer your days.

Flowers seem intended for the solace of ordinary humanity. 

John Ruskin

***

Life at Plum Cottage

Good evening Folks ~ I hope you all had a lovely day inside or out. From reading blogs I know that a lot of you are ‘inside’ cozy and warm, as outside, is sleet, freezing rain, snow, icy roads. Others have had nice days puttering outside, and I also was one of the latter. More on that in a bit.

Here is my partial book order. Two others did come in and I’m still waiting on another one. These are all great.

I have been reading ~ ‘One Thousand Gifts ~ A Dare To Life Fully Right Where You Are’ by Ann Voskamp. It is wonderful! Every day there are gifts to be thankful for. I’ve always been a thankful person, although, it is somewhat harder at the moment, but I am still thankful to God for His many blessings every day in my life.

Reading Ann’s book inspired me to create a little journal of thanks. I bought three of these little notebooks and used one for me. The cover was going to be my practice as I didn’t know what I was going to do, not having made one before. I watched a couple of you-tube videos and got some inspiration and tips.

I had bought some tacky glue and used it. It showed up with the light fabric, so I’ll remember that for future projects.

I did the above and stopped so that I could fix breakfast then go out to putter in God’s lovely creation. It was a gorgeous day and I ‘needed’ to be out there.

Later I worked more on and finished the little journal, which is 4 1/2 inches by 3 1/4 inches. The colorful laces I won in a give away awhile back, from Nicki Lee at Ravioli Dreams. The white lace Mark found curbside a couple of years ago in several boxes of craft items.

This is my first writing in it. I plan to write down things I am thankful for each and every day.

This back piece was also in the box of crafts, it is a section of lace.

Yesterday morning I was thankful for the sunlight that comes into the ‘scullery’ and the view out the window too.

West side of window.

My view out into the secret garden and beyond.

East side.

This morning I brought the round terra cotta pot over from secret garden, to take the place of the turquoise plastic pot. This terra cotta pot has a Dwarf White Orchid tree in it. I need to plant something at the base of it, to fill in the pot.

I took this picture cockeyed, and don’t know how to straighten it up but here it is anyway.

The next photo is DH’s workshop. His dream come true. We built this from the ground up, starting with the form work for the concrete slab, but had a concrete crew do the slab.

There was a stack of wood leaning up against the left door on the stoop, as we were in the middle of working on the caravan. I got rid of some of it, and stacked the rest elsewhere. I’ve still some clean up to do here, but that was enough for today. He loved working in there, and I loved going in there to get things, help him etc. He told me before he died, that it would be mine if things didn’t work out and to make it mine. Sigh! The three work benches are piled high with stuff, from projects, so I’ll be tackling them a little at a time.

I started going through a box of slides from us living in Europe last night, and I’ll be posting some of them as I go along. They bring back so many wonderful memories.

***

May I not worry or stress, or become depressed, 

but fill my heart and mind with~

whatsoever things are true,

whatsoever things are honest,

whatsoever things are just,

whatsoever things are pure,

whatsoever things are lovely,

whatsoever things are of good report;

if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Philippians 4:8 KJV

***

May your week be filled with blessings, and if you are dealt some hard knocks or lessons, learn as much as you can from them with a grateful heart.

FlowerLady

The Beginning

 

On the 27th of January 1970, a young newlywed young woman got on a plane, her first plane ride, and flew from Miami, FL, to Madrid, Spain, where she caught another flight to Seville, where her young husband, who was in the US Navy, was going to pick her up.

When she got to Madrid, all of the information booths were closed, she couldn’t speak Spanish, she didn’t know where she was supposed to go to catch her flight to Seville. She walked up and down the area, waiting and praying. A gentleman came up to her and asked her where she was going. She told him and he said he was going to Seville too, but would be on the next flight after hers. He asked if she had had any breakfast and she said no. He bought her a pastry and an orange juice. He showed her where she was to catch her next flight and saw that she got onto the right plane. She thanked him. He also had told her that he would be going on to Rota, which is where her husband was stationed.

Dear husband rented a car, spent the night before in Seville, and left plenty early from his hotel the next morning to pick her up. Alas, he got lost, even with directions. He drove around and could not find his way out of the city. If you have every been to Spain you will understand. Their roads the way they are set up are no way like in America. He finally asked a policeman, she thinks, and he told him where he had to go.

Meanwhile, young wife is waiting and everyone had left the airport as they were picked up by family, or whoever, and when taxi drivers would question her, she would just smile and point to her wedding rings, meaning her husband was picking her up. Eventually he did show up and they were so glad to see each other. They had made it this far. Hurray for them. They waited for the next plane to come in so that they  both could thank the gentleman. The plane came in and he was NOT there.  They left, and to this day, they think it is possible that he was a guardian angel sent to help the young wife.

This was the beginning of their life living together as husband and wife, as friends and lovers, for the rest of their life. Through thick and thin, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer until death took dear husband home to be with God 9 Dec. 2012.

They were excited to be together, starting out on this new adventure. It was like a 3 year honeymoon living in Spain, something they cherished their whole life together.

Here is a picture of them taken that first year in Seville. The picture is faded, but oh the memories this photo has brought back to the now widowed wife. She knew she wanted to write about this event, and she had this picture in mind or one like it, but had no idea where it was.

She got home from work today and started looking, after praying to God to help her find the photo, and she found it almost right away in a drawer filled with photos, most of them from after they got home and much later. So, to her this was a miracle, an answer to prayer, a love gift from God to her. She cried, she thanked God and she fell in love more than ever with her dear husband. The husband of her youth, middle and older age. The love of her life.

Losing the other half of you is rough, really rough. No words can describe it. This wife is so happy and thankful for all the years they shared together.

I love and miss you dear Mark. I am happy to have been your wife all those years. We had so much fun together, we laughed, played, cried, grew. You are missed terribly, but I am looking forward to being reunited with you whenever that will be. I am still trusting God to take care of me and He is in more ways than I even know.

Love ~ Your RaineyWife

Feeling lighter

 

Good morning Friends ~ I want to thank you all again for your prayers, positive thoughts, love and encouragement. They do make a difference.

Wednesday afternoon all of a sudden a wash of positive, loving energy came over me and I knew it had to be from God and that all of you were partly responsible for it also. The feeling has not left me. I did have a good cry at work yesterday with my friend Nanci, and laughed with my other friend Cathy and I was/am so thankful to God for being with me every step of this journey. Tears are healing, laughter is good medicine.

I read a wonderful review on the book I ordered last week and am eagerly awaiting, ‘The Undistracted Widow’ by Carol W. Cornish.

God is good, He is more than good, He is AWESOME. At what time I am afraid, anxious, I will trust in Him.

My neighbors are going on a cruise so they gave me some corn on the cob, a cantaloupe, some sweet potatoes and a small watermelon. I’m not a fan of watermelon so am taking it to work to give to my friend Nanci and her husband John as they do like it. The fish my neighbor’s gave me the other night was delicious by the way.

Here are some photos taken this morning.

Azaleas

 

Sweet happy pansy faces.

La Marne roses

An unknown rose that I just bought two of for $5 each. The scent is wonderful!!

The sweet little caravan. That turquoise colored pot has to go.

Little garden boy.

Back of main garden.

Gazing ball that dear husband Mark bought me for my birthday quite a few years ago. It is stainless steel.

Here I am in it. It is around 60 degrees here this morning. I have on an old pair of capri pants, a t-shirt of DH’s, an old flannel shirt of his and flip-flops. Winter in FL is grand.

That’s it for now. Breakfast is calling. Cantaloupe, banana, strawberries and plain yogurt with some raw Florida honey on top. Oh yea and a glass of prune juice.

FlowerLady Lorraine

***

Every day you are alive is a special occasion. 

Every minute, every breath,

is a gift from God. 

Mary Manin Morrissey