I feel blessed

 

Good morning Friends ~ It’s a new day another gift to enjoy, to learn in. We are having partly cloudy skies, some rain is predicted, but it has been predicted for days and most of those days nothing happened. So, I just started a load of laundry because I really needed to and will hang it up on the lines to dry and hope for the best. It is very warm and humid out, our cool weather disappeared and it almost feels like summer once again.

Autumn came to my little cottage from a dear friend Val.  I have known this young lady for years, we met in a forum either about gardening or about country living,  probably 13 years ago. She inspired me way back then with her love of life and her happy spirit. You can visit her at her blog Pretty Little Rough Patches. I wondered how I could display these and saw the little brads I have nailed into the strip of wood under plates for hanging Christmas decorations on beam between kitchen and scullery. Ah ha, that will work.  I just attached a paper clip to each leaf and hung them that way. Thank you dear Val for thinking of FlowerLady down here in the sub-tropics.  I really appreciate you thoughtfulness, these are little jewels.

Here is my latest little felt heart.

Complete with a funky little butterfly.

The next two photos are of the same rose, an unknown I bought earlier this year, cheap.

It smells wonderful.

This is another unknown rose, also bought cheap.

Next is a whole passel of photos of the sweet little hybrid musk rose named ‘Kathleen’.

I love this rose and it always brings a smile to my face

and joy to my heart when it’s blooming.

I really need to try to get some cuttings rooted of this rose.

I’ve had it for many, many years now.

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I’ve been working on emptying out things from the bedroom for this weekend so that my brother-in-law and my nephew can work on plumbing. I am excited about having this done, especially the leaking pipe under the cottage. Whatever else they can accomplish will be icing on the cake.

I look forward to helping them both and fixing barbecued beef brisket in the crockpot for sandwiches. I am so thankful for the time and help these two are giving me.  It blesses my heart so much.  I’ll keep you posted and plan to take photos during the day Saturday.

Sunday was church, early service 9:30, then afterward was brunch with a small group of ladies for a Bible study.  We have such a good time together.  Our next time together will be for our Christmas party on the 22nd.  The hostess goes all out for decorating for Christmas each year and we are all bringing a dish.  I am taking my Pumpkin Mincemeat Pie. We also exchange gifts and I will be creating a heart especially for the lady whose name I chose.

Yesterday morning was the Friends Needing Friends, FNF, widow’s group meeting and luncheon and it was wonderful! It was one of the best I’ve been too.  Everyone was happy and thankful for so much in our lives. You can visit the post I did about it here.

I had two different ladies, one on Sunday and then one yesterday tell me how much better I looked, like healing was taking place and it is. My broken heart is being restored by the Great Restorer of all things. Mark would love that, as he was a restorer of broken things himself. There is something wonderful and oh so satisfying in restoring things. God Almighty loves to restore us with His love, grace and tender mercies. Widows are very special to Him and He cares deeply for us.

I saw a wonderful story online last week that really touched my heart.  A young photographer went around NYC photographing thousands of real people and asked them what piece of advice they would have for a large audience.  One lady he came up to in pouring down rain was a widow in her 80’s, standing under a colorful umbrella. Her piece of advice was this. “I’ll tell you what my dying husband told me when I asked him what will I do without you in my life.  He told her, “Take that love you would have given me and spread it around.”

That still gets to me as I write and read the words again.  I loved my husband deeply, he was my life, and seeing this story was a gift from him and from God for me to carry on and ‘spread the love’.

Thank you all for reading my posts, for your loving, kind, encouraging comments.  Thank you for your own blogs which inspire me to keep living and enjoying life.

Love and hugs ~ FlowerLady