Summer is here

Hello Folks ~ it's hard to believe we are almost into July and today is the first day of summer. Right now, at 6:22 p.m. EST it is 90 and feels like it is 100. YIKES! No wonder I feel like hibernating. I am so thankful my Friedrich's a.c. is working fine again. A couple of shims, a new hole drilled into the bottom casing, and making a wider pathway for the collected water to go where it should to the outside. I'm thankful to Stephen who came and did this work for me, for free. He's been in the a.c. business for over 30 years. Met him through church.

I bought a Lasko pedestal fan a few weeks back, and it sits in the hallway at night blowing the cool air from a.c. into the bedroom, which keeps the temp in bedroom at around 74. Very comfortable for sleeping.

A week ago I mowed as grass was dry, the next day we had rain and then off and on since then. So I did that at the right time. It needs it again, but I'll wait until next week and then get out early to do it. 

I also got a couple of loads of laundry washed and hung out to dry and that was a good thing also, as a couple of days ago I started smelling something 'dead'. Saw lots of flies, and then saw that it's a critter, either racoon  or possum, in the hedge around the secret garden, hedge next to clothesline area. I know from experience that in a few days nature will take care of it all. When my dear husband was here, he would take care of digging a hole and moving critter to it to be buried. Since I'm here by myself, I'm not even going to attempt that. I don't want to end up wretching.

This morning I saw that I had a regular gardenia in bloom and also a Tahitian gardenia had a bloom. The scents are so wonderful.  I just sat here a little while ago, in my creative space, editing photos while listening to soothing instrumental music, and felt like crying for joy. God's creation is such a beautiful gift to us. These days it is so easy to miss seeing so much loveliness because we are so engrossed in social media, so busy, busy busy. 

So, here is some loveliness for you to enjoy.

  

 

 

In the picture above, you can see a glimpse of the statue below through the window. We bought her at a local flea market many, many, many years ago for $10. She's made of cement. Her head and arm have been knocked off, but DH put her back together again.

I did a google search a long time ago and believe she is called 'The Weeping Woman'. She has aged nicely.

 

I've  been feeling a tad down lately. Those feelings come and go. Being a widow has made some drastic changes in my life and I miss my dearest and best friend so much.

I've been re-reading a book titled "Whisper - How to Hear the Voice of God" by Mark Batterson.

I read uplifting books before going to sleep and after turning off the light and laying there in the quiet, praying last night, these words came to me, "Let it go." I knew what the 'it' was, all of the things I'm anxious about. Those three words, calmed my spirit. 

This morning as I read more in this book, these words jumped out at me ~

His, God's, word does not return void. 

I looked it up in my Bible and this is the scripture from Isaiah 55:11 ~

"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."

Then in verse 12 it says:

"You shall go out in joy and be led forth with peace."

I then was flipping through pages and came across this verse:

"Call unto me and I will answer thee and show thee 

great and  mighty things which thou knowest not.

Jeremiah 33:3 KJV 

A week ago, I finished a 549 page fiction book called 'The Forgotten Garden'. Near the end of the book I read the following: 

"You make life out of what you have,

 not what you are missing." 

Boy oh boy, that hit me and I felt like God was speaking to me through those words also. 

He can and does speak to us, we just need to calm down, be still and look and listen.

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An online friend sent me pics of rocks she had covered in crochet, with a cross as the focal point. I've made a few and given them away and they are great little reminders that God is our rock.

Psalms 18:2 NIV says this:

 "The Lord is my rock,
my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation,
my stronghold."

Below is the last one I made. I had bought a bag of river rocks at Home Depot for around $9, (much cheaper than buying a little craft bag of them), and I am going through it picking out rocks that will work for this project. I wash then off, let them dry, then paint them with clear nail polish.

 

 

  Here's a batch cleaned, waiting for polish then the crocheting.

 

Ok, that's it for now. I pray that any of you who are going through tough times, that you will call out to God. He cares deeply for each of us. He will be our strength when we are weak.

Love, hugs & prayers,

FlowerLady