Friday, August 30, 2019

Waiting

Hi Folks ~ It is early Friday afternoon. I did my little job with my elderly friend this morning. When I got there, I got the laundry going, then she told me to sit down. So, I did, and she asked me what my plans were with the hurricane. I said I didn't really know. Guys from the church are coming over in the morning to put up plywood. She said, well, you can stay here in my house. (She will be staying across the street with other elderly friends from church.) So, that is what Miss Tork and I are going to do. She lives in a concrete house, new roof, hurricane proof windows. It will be better than staying in my little wooden Plum Cottage where I can hear every single thing that hits the house and hear the winds roar. 

Dear Husband and I went through Francis, Jean and Wilma, 2004 & 2005. Those were horrible, Wilma was the worst!  I've been through Michael and Irma, Michael I stayed here with Miss Tork, scary, for Irma we went to stay with my dear BIL and SIL, an hour's drive away for me. My friend just lives 2 1/2 miles from PC. 

I will be alone as far as people goes, but God will be with me. (Miss Tork will be with me and have to do a bit of adjusting in somewhere strange). Yesterday I watched a few you tube messages on 'not being anxious',  this one was really good.




Hurricane Dorian was 'supposed' to be here Sun night/Mon morning, now it may not be until Wed. They really don't know what it is going to do, it has slowed down out over the ocean. Praying some wind shear will happen and send the thing out into the ocean where it will dissipate. We just keep watching and waiting. Before modern technology, you found about storms when they happened. Now all the media platforms hype it all up as soon as they have a hint of a storm and freak everyone out for days on end, with scary predictions, that may or may not come true.

I have been a worrier for most of my life. I 'hate' it. My mother was the same and my two sisters have the 'dis-ease' also. Reading the Bible and prayer helps me a lot. As a believer in Jesus, the wicked one, does all he can to plague me with fear, wanting me to doubt, instead of keeping my focus on Jesus. It's an ongoing process of trusting in God's tender care. When the attack of fear happens, I call out to Jesus, and pray for His peace to fill my heart and mind.  I thank you all for your prayers and encouraging words. They help.

After I got home this morning, I grabbed a pair of huge rubber boots from the workshop, and headed out back to stomp down a path to the back of barn where the plywood has been stacked. I think I'm going to have to have new sheets cut soon, as these are pretty bad. After all, they are 15 years old, and were made from recycled wood.

Here's my path. The plant growth is mainly the Wandering Jew plant, it was pretty high, but stomped down easily enough. It was hot and I sweat buckets as I began carrying the window coverings. I left three back there as they were too much for me to handle. The guys can handle them with ease tomorrow morning.


Here are the coverings I put up. DH made heart cutouts in several of them, to let light in and they are a nice romantic touch and make me love him all the more. I miss him, but know he's in heaven cheering me on.

This is the back door and bathroom window. I couldn't do the bathroom window, too heavy for me.


Below are the two bedroom windows.


 Living room window.


Living room and bedroom windows showing the hearts from inside.



Here is the driveway to the back. Wed. morning after work, I came home and sensed I had the opportunity to mow. It had been a couple of weeks and we kept having rain and more rain.

 

This is where I park. You can barely see the 'caravan'. to the left, these days, as a spinach tree has really taken off.

 
This rain lily was along the driveway, heralding more rain in the forecast.
 
 
Here's the mid-day blue sky, you wouldn't know that people are racing to and fro getting supplies, etc. as they prepare for the storm. The traffic is unbelievable.
 

The cap, spring and the pre-strung spools, came for the weed wacker, and I got it all back together and was able to do a bit of 'wacking'. It works fine.

Ok, that's it for now. It's time for a bit of lunch and maybe a short nap. I am worn out from this morning.

Thanks again for prayers, keep praying, and for your encouraging words.
I'll keep you posted.

FlowerLady 

23 comments:

Dewena said...

Lorraine, I am so glad you have a safer place to go to with Miss Tork. I remember the summer of the 9 months we lived in Florida when Matthew was approaching and we were expecting direct landfall. You are so right, the media coverage for days ahead may have been necessary but I had a hollow in the pit of my stomach for days before we actually could do anything and then pack to evacuate. I pray you will have peace during this time and am surely praying for safety for you where you shelter as well as praying that your dear Plum Cottage will be fine. And oh yes if that storm would only head out into the Atlantic away from harming anyone! God bless all those who are helping you! My mother and two sisters and their families live in the Orlando area and when my sister texted me two days ago that they were out shopping for hurricane supplies I knew this was one serious storm. But I hope it miraculously fails to do much damage. Love to you!

susie @ persimmon moon cottage said...

I love the way the light shows into your home through the heart cutouts in your door and window covers.

You have been in my thoughts with all of the hurricane news.

Nice of your friend who you do work for to offer for you and Torq to stay at her place that is constructed of concrete.

Take care.

Rose ~ from Oz said...

The heart cut outs nearly did me in. Stay safe Lorraine. I hope your beloved Plum cottage remains unscathed. Your DH will indeed be cheering you on. XX

Kit said...

Good to hear! That is smart to go over to your friends house while the storm passes over. I used to worry a lot and found it was a sign of my depression. I started to take meds over 20 years ago and it went away. And that feels good. You take care! Love, KK

NanaDiana said...

I am so sorry you have to go through another hurricane. It is always a tense thing to endure. You have a right to feel a sense of dis-ease. I do think that is something God gave you to ensure your safety---that you don't go just blithely along thinking God will protect you without you having any hand in it at all. I think he gave us brains and brawn to work with as best we can when threatened.

I love that your hubby made heart cutouts in your storm covers. What a sweet and touching thing for him to do. You were certainly blessed by him. I know you miss him.

Good luck with your arrangements with your friend. You can bolster each other to stay strong.

My friend from Palm Coast has gone north and west to avoid the worst of it.

Blessings and love- Diana

Melanie said...

I am very concerned about you and my other Florida friends with this approaching hurricane. I am so glad to hear you and your kitty are going to stay with your friend in a house that's safer. Blessings to all of you...stay safe and keep us posted as to what's going on.

PS - I had no idea that the Wandering Jew plant grew like crazy outdoors like that! I have a sprig from a hanging plant in the yoga studio I go to and it's merely grown into one longish hanging vine and that's it.

ellen b. said...

I'm glad to hear you have a safer place to wait out the storm.

Susie said...

Just please be safe. I do not know if I could stand that many storms with names. Bless you, xoxo, Susie

Ruth Hiebert said...

I'm happy to hear that you get to stay in a home that sounds as safe as it can be. Hopefully the storm will not be as severe as predicted.

Ann said...

Good to hear that you have a safe place to go. That sure does look like a lot of work getting all those windows boarded up. I bet it was exhausting.

Thelma said...

I'm happy to hear you have a safe place to stay. Also, that your weed eater is working ok.
You've been busy. Get some rest. Take care of yourself Lorraine. God Bless.

BeachGypsy said...

Thinking of you!! Please be safe. Please stay safe! Please go somewhere safe. Keeping you and our Florida friends in prayers.

Nancy J said...

A dear friend who offered her safe home for you and Miss Tork, I am sure this is meant for you to stay and be safe.Sometimes the answer appears unasked. XXXX

Vee said...

Prayers work! You are going to be in a safe home, your home will be boarded up, that old Dorian is stalled or whatever...may it diminish and just go pouf. I appreciated your words about fear and anxiety as I, too, am prone. I’d like to also recommend Anne Graham Lotz’s “Just Give Me Jesus” also available on You Tube. God bless!

Anne Payne said...

I'm glad you have a safer place to go, Rainey! Our prayers are with everyone in the oath of Dorian. My sister in Stuart FL said they were busy yesterday prepping for the storm. Praying it dissipates or at least slows waaay down. Certain models actually show it skimming close to where we live in coastal VA. :(
Your place looks so beautiful with all the lush greenery. I can't believe Wandering Jew grows like that!!! I have a hard time keeping it alive in a pot. hehe
Take care ~ xoxo

Mary said...

Lorraine, I’m a worrier too, in 2013 I decided I didn’t want to let it control me, a friend suggested I read and meditate on Psalm 91, which I did every day and then I read 1 Peter 5:7 "Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you." A friend one day told me that my worrying was my inability to trust our Lord, to look out for me, or my daughter who I was worrying the most about, my need to control. It’s so hard to put our worries in God’s hands. I started trying to visualize when I prayed, my worries as a box that I would symbolically give to God. And I’d say this prayer, Lord, forgive me for not trusting You with my problems and for letting my worry become a wedge in my faith. Give me the strength to put them in Your hands and avoid trying to take them back. Help me learn to trust You more and believe You are always in control of my life and the things that worry me most. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
It took a while but one night, I had this realization.. as I was praying I realized that I felt a sense of peace, I wasn’t rabbiting over my worries, dwelling on them. You’re in my thoughts and prayers that the storm doesn’t impact you or others. God bless you.

Rock rose said...

The report looks good for sparing you the worst so hope that is the case and you don't get too much damage. Stay safe. It is an anxious time with so many terrible things going on and people behaving so badly. It is hard to watch the news and sometimes just not worth it. I share your anxiety problem.

Terra said...

How nice your friend offered you her very sturdy house; will you go there just before the winds get bad? I love the hearts your dear hubby cut into the plywood window and door covers. I am a worrier too, and Jesus counseled us that worry is not helpful, "who among you by worry can add an inch to your stature or a day to your life?" (not His exact words but that is the gist). Stay safe dear Rainey.

Henny Penny said...

Lorraine, I have thought about you so much these last few days. We keep listening to all the reports too and wondering where this hurricane will go. I'm so glad you have someone to be with. Like my mother, I am afraid of storms too, and have horrors of being alone in one. My mom kept a little overnight bag packed and at the first sound of thunder, jumped in her car and went to be with someone, anyone! In my prayers, I always try to remember those who are alone and afraid. I am so thankful for a Heavenly Father who hears our prayers.

Rebecca said...

Checking in again... Continuing to pray that all will be well for you!♥️

Karen said...

Rainey, I am worried for you, but happy that you have a concrete home to go to. Right now, we're living in an underground house (all concrete) until our house remodel is over. We have had some bad storms since we moved in here but didn't even notice the wind in this concrete home. I pray you and Miss Tork and everyone in the path of this storm are safe.

Linda said...

IYes I understand the worry
I always feel bad because it shows my lack of trust in God
What I try to do is look back at all the things he has brought me through
He said we would have trials
In this world they never end but one day this will end and we will be with our father in heaven
thank you for your blog

M.K. said...

I'm so glad you were spared, FL. God truly provided for you, giving you a peaceful place to be whether or not the storm was awful. He is the best company in trying times.
We also "dodged a bullet" with Dorian, but Ocracoke took a bashing. Very sad. I think THEY got the 7 feet of storm surge we were supposed to get. What flooding! So many did suffer, but you and I did not. God was gracious to us.