Forward Progress

Good afternoon Folks ~ Thank you all for your kind comments. It’s almost three weeks  since I came home after being away from it for 4 days due to Hurricane Irma. That first week or so was like walking in a fog, but, that has lifted and I’m feeling much better emotionally and physically.

Was able to get dairy, eggs, fresh veggies once again. Boy how they are appreciated after not being able to get them.

I’ve had help with trimming things and clean up. One thing I have to tell you about is an almost immediate answer to prayer.  What I mean is, one morning I was walking through the caravan’s arbor below,

and prayed something like, “Jesus you know I need help, more than I know it. Help me.”

I walked on toward the cottage, then picked up some branches and took them out to the growing pile by the curb. While I was out there, a young woman walked by, our eyes met, we said hi, and she walked on. Then she stopped, backed up and said “Hey.” I looked up and she came up to me and said “Do you need any help?” What?

She said she has a 15 year old son who could help me and it wouldn’t be for $, but because it was the thing to do. I said I’d have to pray about it, as I don’t know her.  She said that was fine, gave me her name, cell#, address. I also told her that I had prayed for help just a few minutes before and here she was offering help. It was amazing.

Well, I did pray about it and decided to take her up on her offer. She had told me her son is interested in getting into landscaping design. While sitting, thinking and praying, the garden design book I had gotten to write a book review for, stood out among my books. I thought, aha, I can give him this book.

He came Sat. morning. In fact, he, his Dad and Mom all walked here, quite a walk I must say. Then I learned more. She was ‘not’ a regular walker like I see going past here, in fact, she had never walked this way before. She had just felt like getting out that morning. After we connected with hello to each other, as she walked by, she felt like she should say something to me about help. Oh my goodness.

God is truly amazing. He heard FlowerLady’s heartfelt cry, and within minutes and literally steps, he answered. I am so thankful for an answer to prayer so quickly. In the overall scheme of life, this is a small matter, but it means a LOT to me.

I found out she is a registered minister in the state of NY. They have recently moved to FL. Her husband is a veteran with 4 tours of duty to Afghanistan behind him. They were kind to this widow, and their son who is somewhat shy, and I got along fine and worked together well.

I had been praying about the jasmine vine in the front hedgerow needing to be trimmed as it was about 10 ft. tall. I kept trimming the sides but can’t reach the top myself. Well, Hurricane Irma blew from the south on the back side of the storm and blew the hedge top over into the inside of the garden where it could be reached with a ladder. This young man worked on that for a full hour and it was not a small job. It was ‘hot’. I was beat and told him we’d done enough for one morning and for him to head on home. It was Saturday afterall, plus his family was moving from a 2 bdrm to a 3 bdrm apt. in his complex. Before he left, I gave him the book, thanking him for his work and said that I hope to work with him again, when it is cooler.

Jasmine below, after haircut. Still have more to do on the left, just didn’t get to that yet.

 

I still had to cut up and bag those trimmings, but Sunday was church and a quiet day. Tuesday I went to the grocery and got some things. Then late in the afternoon, one of the guys, Johnnie, who had been here putting up shutters on Plum Cottage wanted to come by as he’d just gotten off work, to take the shutters down. I texted back ok and he got here about 15 minutes later. (It is so wonderful to have light coming back into the cottage.)

We got started and just took the ones off the cottage, leaving the workshop boarded up at least until after hurricane season is over. We were starting to stack everything back where it had been stored when Vincent, the other guy pulled up. Vincent and I continued to restack, while Johnnie got the chain saw ready so that he could cut broken limbs of the tree near the house, that were touching the roof. He did a lot more than that, giving the tree a buzz cut except for a limb or two that couldn’t really be reached or done without falling on either the house roof or the porch roof. That will be done later.

Lots of sunlight in the area now, it’s a good thing summer is on the wane.

Humongous pile of limbs & brush, maybe 10’x10’. Who knows when it will be picked up. I’ve heard not for months. Yikes!

After we/they cut up and hauled out the limbs, the pile I had made which was large, was twice the size. We called it a day, it was nearly 7 p.m. and I told them they’d both be getting the promised peanut butter/chocoloate chip cookies I’d promised. (I had the ingredients, and had just gotten eggs that morning to make them. But they came before I got them made.)

This post was started the other day, it is now Saturday. A new day to be thankful for. We’ve had rain and more rain, which keeps things green and growing like crazy. I need to mow, weed-wack, and trim things. At least cooler weather will be coming.

I’ve been blessed by seeing a tiny finch-sized bird, black and orange, lots of butterflies and hearing birdsong galore. Scents from various flowers fill the air, the weather is a tad cooler, I baked delicious homemade peanut butter/chocolate chip cookies for Johnnie and Vincent, and enjoyed a few myself.

BSF Bible study group for ladies has started up again and it’s a joy to see ladies from the past two years. There are around 200 or so ladies in our area, from different denominations meeting together to study, and this time it is the book of Romans. This is my third session, the first was the book of Revelation, which was fantastic and last year was the wonderful book of John. We divide up into smaller groups of around 15, to go over lesson, and then meet for the lecture for the upcoming week.  I highly recommend this study. They have it also for men, and a children’s ministry. Check them out to see if there might be one in your area. You won’t be disappointed. Find a class near you.

I’m still working on living room. Hurricane Irma put a halt on that project for a bit. I’ve still leaning fencing to fix. All in good time, a little at a time.

This is a wonderful rose, ‘white Maman Cochet’. I spied two blooms on the climber and picked them to enjoy indoors, where I could take in the lovely scent.

I love the coloring of this rose in different lighting of the two days that I took these photos.

I am thankful to God for His beautiful creation. I am thankful for the gifts of each new day I am blessed with. Thankful for strength and energy to do what I need to do. Thankful for help from others. Thankful for prayers and encouraging words.

Have a wonderful weekend whatever you may do, wherever you are.

God loves you.

FlowerLady