It’s over

I am so glad that the interview is over!  Thank you all again for your prayers and encouraging words. It went smoothly, both gentlemen were nice and we had an hour of questions and answers and talking. When I got in the elevator to leave, my thought was ‘no’, and all the way home the word ‘no’ kept coming to mind and the reasons why.

Here is my main reason: my mind would be learning about and filling up with info about diseases, recovery issues, medical terminology etc., that I would have to learn.  When I brought up that I would probably get emotional with what patients were going through,  one of the owners even said he had a hard time with that. He couldn’t shut off all of the info when he got home and even talked with his dr. about it.  They both said you develop a kind of hardness and acquire a ‘gallows humor’ with the job. Well, *ells bells, that’s NOT something I want in my life. I’ve heard before since I was young, you have to cut back your feelings with nursing or you would be overwhelmed. Well, it is something you’d have to certainly do with this job.

They are all about quality patient care, and their company has 4.5 out of 5 star ratings.

When I got home and heard the birds singing I felt such a relief. I decided to call them and tell them my decision so that they wouldn’t have to keep me on their mind, (if they were considering me anyway, I’ll never know). I called my dear sis-in-law first and told her as she had asked me to when we talked on the phone last night, then called the office. They were in a meeting, (with another interviewee?), so I left my name and # and had to do do some more waiting. About 45-60 minutes later I got the call and told my decision. We thanked each other for the time spent together this morning, and that was that. Phew!

I could have done the job, I just didn’t want to. It wasn’t the right one for me.

After some lunch, I laid down for a nap, and while laying there I was thinking of my decision and this verse popped into mind and with that I will close this post.

FlowerLady

***

Finally, brethren,

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.

Phil. 4:8 KJV

 

Waiting in limbo

 

Good morning Folks ~ Here it is Tuesday morning, and we’ve not had the stormy weather that was predicted from this tropical system. We’ve hardly had any rain. Yesterday was a tad cooler, but I stayed indoors, as I’m sort of ‘in limbo’ ~ “a situation characterised by uncertainty, as when waiting for a decision to be made.”

Tomorrow morning is my interview. I’m somewhat calm. I’ll be glad when it’s over and I then know which way my life will be going for awhile. Either working full time, or I’ll get proper paperwork done for my Etsy shop and keep creating pieces for it.

Here’s the latest heart that I am working on.

The skies have been different and pretty the past couple of mornings.

This was Sunday morning. I just love this ‘sliver of silver’. When I thought of this for the title of picture yesterday, I thought oh my gosh, an anagram. This was looking east.

This was looking in the other direction, south. I love the colors and the tree silhouettes.

This was taken yesterday morning, looking east, a whole different color scheme.

I was going to mow yesterday morning, but it rained. Thought about doing it today too, but its already lightly rained and is supposed to rain more. So, it will be another indoor day, ‘waiting in limbo’.

Last Saturday morning I went out with my two pole cutters, one with a tree saw, and one with clippers, to cut overhanging limbs that were touching the roof of the house, and then limbs on the workshop. It’s a good thing those limbs weren’t any higher, because I was at the end of my pole length. I always say thanks to God for being able to and getting a project done. Such a relief and an accomplishment for me.

Below are photos of two different types of pink hibiscus.

I’m looking forward to knowing one way or the other which way my life will go after tomorrow’s interview. One of my commenters said “a job will add structure to your life”.  That is for sure, something I’ve really lacked since first losing my husband 3 3/4 years ago, and after losing my job 16 months ago. I’ve been more or less lethargic.

I thank you all for your prayers and your words of encouragement. They mean a lot to me, more than words can express.

Enjoy your week, looking for the beauty, joy and goodness in each new day.

FlowerLady

***

Every day is an opportunity

to make a new happy ending.

Author Unknown

***

Life is a great big canvas,

and you should throw all the paint on it you can.

Danny Kaye

***

To live remains an art which everyone must learn,

and which no one can teach.

Havelock Ellis

***

Life was meant to be lived,

and curiosity must be kept alive.

One must never,

for whatever reason,

turn his back on life.

Eleanor Roosevelt

***

Today,

fill your cup of life

with sunshine and laughter.

Dodinsky

***

The world itself is but a series of footnotes

to a vast unfinished masterpiece.

Vladimir Nabokov

***

Even if you make a mistake,

make it part of the dance and move on.

a dance saying

***

You don't want to get to the end of life's journey

and discover you never left the interstate.

Robert Brault

***

Be glad of life because

it gives you the chance to love

and to work and to play

and to look up at the stars.

Henry Van Dyke

More ‘musings’

Hi Folks ~ Some have asked if I’m up to this job, especially full time, at my age, (which is 67 years young). Well, I won’t know until I do it. There’s a possibility that I could work 9:30-4:00 instead of 8:30-5:00. That would certainly work better for me. I will mostly be sitting on my behind, answering the phone, typing and in the computer and filing. The commute to work is a nice one, about 10 miles from home, less than 30 minutes away.

I will be taught the computer program part by one of the owners of the shop. It will be a learning curve. It will stimulate my mind, it will be good for getting me out of my ‘stay-at-home-comfort-zone’, help with feeling lonely and grieving, and maybe I’ll be able to help others through my job too. Not to mention the income being an answer to prayer too.

In Etsy’s ‘opening a shop’ info, they do tell you to ‘don’t quit your day job’ before you know you can make a living off of it, if that’s what you need to do. Some do it as a hobby, me I would be doing it for income. I didn’t quit my day job, I lost it a year ago because my boss sold the building we were in and moved across the state. I’ve been praying about a job, have had a couple of things mentioned to me, but nothing has panned out until this possible position. Under my circumstances, I couldn’t say ‘no’, when I was first called by my friend to tell me about it. I have just been ‘scared’.

Since I don’t have my dear husband to talk to about things anymore, I am bouncing my thoughts off you all. I’m sure they are somewhat disjointed at times. Your feedback & your prayers are very encouraging to me. My husband would be encouraging me too if he was here because the pay with bennies are better than what I had at my last job for 17 years. If I don’t give this job a try, (if it is offered to me and not someone else), I will regret it, I know, and then all of the ‘what ifs’ and ‘regrets’ would bug me. I’m willing to learn new things and will trust Jesus/God to be my strength, just as He is now with my being at home. He is always with me. Am I nervous, heck yea. I was nervous when I started my last job too, but that eventually went away and the years marched on, until here I am now.

My dear sis-in-law Sue has been a big help with talking about this, pros and cons. She’s encouraging me and praying too. Here’s a line she wrote today,"if you are suppose to have this job, it is a done deal with God. No sense to worry at all." Amen.

So, I’ve got a week to try to wait patiently and not stress over the interview. Just be myself. (I may just finish painting the bathroom.) They are a small office, 5-6 people, Key West style, so a laid-back atmosphere, which I love. I already dress the part pretty much. This morning I went to GoodWill because it is Sr. Citizen’s day, to see if I could find some colorful tops and maybe a pair or two of slacks. Well, I did, 5 tops and 1 pr. of slacks. The tops cost me $2.36 each the slacks were $3.22, they are sort of stretchy/skinny. Yay, me. Fabrics are silk, cotton, rayon and blends.

Oh yeah, my ‘prize’ for the day was a beautiful, hand crocheted table cloth, my cost as a sr. was $3.75. I’ll take some close-up shots later. Looking at other shots I took of this, I realized I had it on upside down, so that the backside is showing.  The work is beautiful, and I crochet so I know that this took lots of hours in the creation of it. It’s a combination of filet crochet and medallions.

We are in for some ‘tropical storm’ weather Sunday. Wind and rain! I’m hoping and praying it stays a tropical storm and doesn’t turn into a hurricane.  The last hurricane we had was in Oct. 2005 and that was Wilma. The eye went right over us and the whole storm was very scary! Our little 50’s cottage survived and we were thankful.  We did have to do some repair on a storage shed and that was kind of depressing, but DH did a great job. We had lots of clean up to do too from downed tree debris.

Well, that’s it. Just putting more thoughts out to you. I do thank you for reading, and your kind and encouraging comments.

Enjoy the rest of your week ~ FlowerLady

 

Oh dear… eating crow?

 

“If I do hear from them, I’ll have to deal with it then.” ~ A line from my last post. Well, a few hours after I posted this morning, I laid down for a nap after lunch, and the phone rang. I let the machine answer, then when I heard who it was I got up. I replayed the message and it was ‘the call’ about ‘the job’. I gathered my wits about me, drank some water then called back. We had a very nice chat and I found out what all the job entailed, the pay and bennies, and I have an interview next Wed. morning. WOW!

Lesson learned, don’t speak/post too quickly. I should have known that as soon as I’d hit that publish button something would happen, and it did. In reality, I’ve been somewhat afraid because this job is out of my comfort zone, but maybe this is just what I need at this time in my life. Being out with others, and helping others will help me with grieving and loneliness. I will have an income again, and in my spare time, I can still create my hearts. I can still live my simple life, but I won’t have to stress over income.

So, keep praying and I’ll let you know what happens next week after my interview and I know something for certain. It will be a learning curve for me. I’m getting excited for the opportunity to learn new things and to grow as a person. They are talking with a few others also. Like I said before, if it’s meant to be, it will be.

The verse at the end of my earlier post still applies.

That’s it for now, I just had to update.

FlowerLady

So far, I’ve heard nothing

Good morning Folks ~ Here it is Tuesday morning and I am thankful for this new day. I had a restful sleep, and yesterday was a peaceful day as I worked on another beaded heart. I was humming along with music, or watching you-tube as I worked and enjoyed myself. I was doing something I love, right here at home. Something I have started making an income from.

***

Do what you love

and the necessary resources will follow.

Peter McWilliams

***

This job offer mentioned in my last post, was out of the blue, and in my circumstances I had to say yes, that I was interested and willing. If it was meant to be, it would be, has been my thought and prayer. Your prayers and my faith in Jesus have kept me calm. So far, I’ve heard nothing, and actually, I am relieved. I don’t really want to work ‘full-time’. At this stage and age in my life, it’s not something I really want to do. I’ve just been reading a book called, ‘Choosing Simplicity ~ Real People Finding Peace & Fulfillment in a Complex World’, by Linda Breen Pierce, loaned to me by a friend. My dear husband and I have been living a simple life from the beginning of our life together, now that he’s gone, I want to continue in this lifestyle. To get a full time job now feels like going backwards, not forwards. I kept thinking of the drive to and from work and could see it in my mind’s eye, I kept thinking about 40 hours + from home and that just wasn’t appealing at all. I would much rather have some sort of part-time work. What I’d really like, is to work right here from home doing something I love. I kept thinking of the job and how it would start to fill my mind with all that it would entail. I would lose some of the peace and tranquility that has become part and parcel of my life now. Things would become hectic & nerve-wracking. The more time/days have passed and the phone hasn’t rung, the better I feel. I hope I don’t hear from them. It feels right to me. So that’s where things stand right now. If I do hear from them, I’ll have to deal with it then.

Anyway, last night I thought to myself, OK, now is time to fill out the forms for a resale tax # and for a fictitious name for doing business.

Here’s my work from yesterday. It’s a start, and I’ve plenty more to do on it yet. Seed and bugle beads and fresh water pearls so far. This is what I really love to do, create hearts.

Today I plan to get some laundry washed and hung out, go to the library to return/get books, to Walmart to return a 3-way LED bulb that didn’t work in three different lamps that I tried. Plus, I need to get a few things at the grocery.

Here is aother photo, showing part of my life, then I need to eat, and get going for the day.

My sweet Miss Tork.

I will close this post with a wonderfully encouraging scripture verse, taken from Pinterest.

Love & hugs ~ FlowerLady

 

Latest happening at Plum Cottage

Hi Folks ~ About 24 hours ago I was contacted by a lady from church wanting to know if I was still looking for a job.  I told her yes and she asked if I could work full-time? I said I could, but it has been 8 years since I’ve done so. She said it is a secretarial position, answering the phone, typing and filing charts for a home health care co.

I emailed her this morning asking the size of the office and what the dress code was. The office is small, so I won’t have to deal with a ‘lot’ of people, and the dress is casual. Yay, I was hoping I wouldn’t have to wear a uniform made out of polyester.

The office is a block from the intra-coastal waterway, and I’m wondering if there is a view. That would be nice.

She gave the one owner my name and number this morning, the other owner is out of town and they will both want to meet me and I should hear from them on Monday.

Needless to say, I am nervous. Last night I could hardly get to sleep for thinking of a gazillion and one things that this job would have an impact on in my life. No more coming and going or doing as I please. That’s one biggy. When will I do any shopping, etc. How will I take care of my gardens? But the other biggy is making an income. I don’t know how much yet and I kept thinking is the $ worth the hours away from home and my life? The plus is the money will definitely be a big help to me at this time. If this job is meant for me, it will happen. I will just go with the flow. I am praying about it and others are too. God will give me the strength I need to do it if I get the position. The ride to and from work is easy, about 10 miles or 20 mintues away.

Today was hot and humid once again, with a big clear, blue sky and a brightly shining sun.  We did finally get several afternoons of rain recently and that was a blessing. I did lose one of my favorite rose bushes though, ‘Kathleen’. I’d had her for around 20 years and our latest dry conditions did her in. But, I had taken a cutting from her several weeks back, wish I’d taken more, but I didn’t. The cutting has new growth coming from the stem.  Yippe doo! I hope it continues to grow well for me. It will take a couple of years or more before she’ll give me blooms, so I’ll just watch her grow. I loved this simple rose and her scent was so delicate and sweet.

Tomorrow I’ll be joining others from my church family as we have another ‘paint party’. The last one was at my house in March, when 20 people showed up to paint the exterior of ‘Plum Cottage’.  Tomorrow we’ll be painting interior spaces for a couple who just bought a home.

So, that’s it from s.e. FL.  Keep me in your prayers that I’ll stay calm. If the job is meant for me, it will be.

Have a great weekend ~ FlowerLady

Closer than Close

 

Good morning Folks ~ Today’s post is a book review on the book ‘Closer than Close ~ Awakening to the Freedom of Your Union with Christ’, by Dave Hickman. I was given a complimentray book to review from Tyndale House Publishers.

This subject is dear to my heart, especially since my husband left his earthly home for his heavenly one 3 3/4 years ago. Jesus has been my strength and sees me through each day. I want to continually grow closer to Him. The title of this book is what prompted me to read and review it. I was not disappointed and it was a blessing to me.

I will post a couple of quotes that spoke to me and I hope will speak to your hearts as well, wheting your appetite for a closer relationship with Jesus/God.

~~~~~~

“God loves everyone 100 percent.  How could he not? As an infinite God he has an infinite capacity of love, allowing him to give 100 percent of his affection and 200 percent of his attention to every single person on the planet every single second of every single day! This means that right now as you read these words, God’s complete and utter focus is on you.”

“All spiritual grow begins with having the faith to simply be with the Father, as the beloved, without doing a single thing.  It is in this posture that we begin to grow naturally.”

“We cannot attain the presence of God because we’re already in the presence of God.  What’s absent is awareness. Little do we realize that God is maintaining us in existence with every breath we take.  As we take another it means that God is choosing us now and now and now.” (From the book Everything Belongs, by Richard Rohr.)

~~~~~~

We are God’s creation, each unique and loved by God. 

May you feel His love, peace, joy, strength and healing

flowing through and surrounding each of you.

Love, hugs & prayers ~ FlowerLady

 

Middle of August

Wow, I can’t get over how fast time is zipping along. Of course, that means cooler weather will be here soon. Well, down here in s.e. FL that won’t be until around the end of October, as September can be/usually is, pretty hot and humid.

The past three mornings I’ve worked outside from 1-2 hours, sweat running. The shade is much nicer to work in than where the sun is hitting, that is for sure. Monday I weedwacked, until I could do no more. My arms start shaking and feeling like jello, that was the morning I worked only for an hour. My left arm is still sore from that work out. Yesterday morning I mowed, and then trimmed along the driveway, that was for two hours.  This morning I washed and hung out a load of laundry, then did some trimming of hedge around the secret garden, another two hours. I hope to tackle the main garden paths that are really overgrown starting tomorrow morning.

Afternoon sun, driveway heads north, and then west.

The Confederte Jasmine on the arbor by the caravan needs a haircut, and I’m not showing what else needs doing in that area. I selectively take photos. Where I park is more or less behind me. The cement in photo is one of the runners.

Below are the berries from the Beauty Berry bush. My first time growing this. Aren’t the berries pretty?

This sweet little flower below is from the shrub, Melochia tomentosa L., otherwise known as  Teabush, Pyramid Bush, Woolly Pyramid Flower. The people I bought it from just called it “Gray Leaf” shrub, because at times the leaves are a grayish-green. 

The flower below is from an unknown groundcover. It looks pretty growing with the ‘wandering jew’ leaves.

Below is a Drift rose, coral in color, which I got this past spring.

Below is first the bud taken on the  9th of August, and then the full blown rose on the 11th. The rose is Mr. Lincoln. It smells heavenly.

The cookies below were made to take to a small home group study from my church. Brown sugar crescents on the left and peanut butter on the right, two of my dear husband’s favorites.

This past Saturday morning I went to a baby shower. I knew the family but no one else. It was fun and I enjoyed making the gift. Mom and Dad both loved it, Mom said the colors were perfect.  They are having a little girl. The skein of yarn below and the finished blanket. I also crocheted the tiny little baby and had that in my stash to use for the pkg.

Well, I guess that is it from Plum Cottage for now. I’m ready to get horizontal to read before sleep. Tomorrow is a new day.

Count your blessings, see the good and beauty in each day, take time to breathe, listen to the silence, and enjoy. Ask God for strength when you need it, and ask for help from others as well. You and they will both be blessed and one day you will do the same for someone else.

Love & hugs ~ FlowerLady

Feeling better

Good evening Friends ~ I want to thank all of you for your encouraging comments and emails lately. Being a widow has it’s moving forward times and it’s grieving times. The past couple of months, I’ve been feeling rather down for several reasons, but yesterday afternoon I felt a sense of peace and energy envelope me. I thought about it and wondered if people were praying for me right then. I know I am being prayed for by my church family, my physical family and my online family. I just can’t explain exactly how I felt but I felt motivated to pick up my life and move ahead. Each day is a gift and I want to live each one in the now, not dwell on the past, or even worry about the future, just live today as it comes to me. Jesus is my strength and He has promised to always be with me and I believe that, I’ve just been a tad depressed lately and lost my focus.

After my wave of motivation, I totally cleaned up the kitchen last night, I woke up around 4:30 this morning and got right up, ready to go for the day. I remembered a dream I had last night about two kisses between my dear husband and myself and smiled and felt joy. Short sweet dreams are gifts.

This morning I decided to go to Walmart for a few groceries and some nail polish. I saw colors on a friend of mine the other night and told her I like the colors, but hadn’t been brave enough to try them, yet. So, I came home with 4 colors and here they are on my hand.

Left to right ~ Grease Lightening, Blue Me Away, Jazzy Jade and Re-teal Therapy. These are all by Sally Hansen, so non-expensive. I wanted a color my friend had by ELF called Skinny Jeans, but can’t find it anywhere, even online. I don’t think it is made anymore.

These colors make me feel happy and artistic. These are my natural nails. Pretty soon they will need trimming but this is how they look today. I decided to paint them all on so as to get a feel for how they look.

While at Walmart I saw a floor lamp that caught my eye, for $10.94. I’ve been needing a good floor lamp for my bedroom.  This is perfect. The top light as a 3-way bulb, and the reading light has lower wattage light, energy efficient. I bought an LED 3-way bulb and when I tried it in three different lamps, it does NOT work, so I’ll be taking that back. I have an older bulb in it right now. Here’s a photo from the box picture. It is perfect for what I wanted and the price was right.

For supper tonight I fixed grits, and an omelet made with some left-overs and cheese and toasted Italian bread with butter & Pineapple Sage jelly. The jelly was one of 6 varieties won in a give away from Lemon Verbena Lady on her blog last year.

Below is a photo of the heart shaped bread slices, which made me when I realized what I was seeing as I was spreading the butter.

Now I am comfortably full, kitchen is cleaned up and I’m feeling ready to get horizontal and read before falling asleep.

May you all have pleasant weekends. I pray that we will all seek to see the good in each day, even in the midst of bad happenings.

Love, hugs & prayers ~ FlowerLady

First of the Eighth month

Wow, where is this year zipping off too? It is hard to believe that it is August already. It is hot and humid here, but from what I’ve seen online, it’s not as hot as some of you are having it. I do live about 3 miles from the ocean though, and that makes a lot of difference. My husband and I really noticed this living in Spain while he was in the US Navy. We’d go off for a ride and as soon as we headed inland it would become hotter, although in Spain it was a ‘dry’ heat, not humid at all. Every time on the trip back to our apt., there was one place in the road where the temperature changed, and we would feel the cool breezes once again. We lived on the beach while in Spain, $75 a month rent, 1970-1973.

Some of you with hotter temps will soon see an end to them, whereas down here in s.e. FL we still have August and September to get through, and they can be brutal.

This morning I did not know what I was going to do, but when I stepped outside and took a quick walk around, I decided to mow. It was something I’d not done in at least a couple of weeks, not having much rain, there’s no need. But, it did need it now and it felt good to be doing it. I really like my electric lawn mower. It’s so much quieter, easier to handle and doesn’t put out heat and polution like the old mower did. Every time I mow I enjoy the scent of the freshly mown grass.  There should be a way to bottle that scent, maybe for an air-freshner, an incense stick, a candle?

Anyway, here’s my driveway after  mowing. Off to the left where the driveway veers off, is another area that was mowed, and then behind me in the photo, is the little lawn out by the front sidewalk and the rest of the driveway.

I’ve been working on some needlework pieces. One I forgot to take a picture of before I gave it away. It was a heart with a newlywed couples names on it and some peachy roses.

I just finished up another heart yesterday afternoon. The embroidered butterfly and flowers I had created from a photograph of mine, done in 2010. It’s been sitting in a drawer. This will be a gift to the young lady who I recently met. She works at Butterfly World, being a tour guide there, and writes up info, etc. She has a degree in horticulture and is a lepodopterist. She and her husband are a sweet young couple who go to the church I attend.

I couldn’t find the right frame in my stash, so decided to mount it to some lovely fabric I picked up recently. I also made a little name tag with the name of the butterfly embroidered on it and sewed that on. The flower that the butterfly is on is Hamelia Paten or Firebush.  All sorts of butterflies and bees love these flowers.

Next are pics of two different yarns, such luscious colors. I’ll show later, what I create with them.

Next is a gorgeous orchid that bloomed last week. It has several more buds on it but only one is open right now. I don’t know the name of this orchid.

View from the backside.

Zoomed in. Isn’t it amazing?

Side view.

Front view.

Still don’t have the sales tax stuff figured out. Will email Celestina about it as she volunteered to help me from TX.  I heard back from the Small Business Assc. today and they basically sent me links to websites I’d already been too. Sheesh! Something that seems like it should be simple, is turning into a bit of a nightmare. I’ll keep you posted. I’m not going to stress, I want to enjoy the simple pleasures and the beauty in each and every day that I am blessed with.

May you all feel the love of God as you go about your daily lives. He loves us all.

Love, hugs & prayers ~ FlowerLady