One day at a time

Hello Folks ~ I hope you are having a lovely weekend wherever you are. It is another hot and humid day. Night before last, was a rough one for me, after a really down day. I just couldn't fall asleep like normal. All kinds of things running through my mind. Last night I slept really good, lights out around 9:30 and I woke up and got up close to 5 this morning. I thanked God for a good sleep and the new day.

One thing that had been on my mind was one of the frangipani trees in the main garden. It had a couple of limbs getting too close to the power line that runs from pole out front by the road, to the workshop, and that's over my main garden. I worried that it was too close for me to take care of, but it was about a foot or so away.

I went out after coffee, but before breakfast. Got out the tree saw, and the pole cutter and went to work. Then I did some fern and weed pulling and trimming in the overgrown main garden. I was drenched in sweat and called it quits for the day. At least those limbs are gone and they are now hardening off for about a week, before I pot them up to root. The ones I have growing are all from cuttings from a friend, which I have rooted cuttings from to give me a couple more.

Click on photos for a larger view.

Below is the before picture. The limb to the left side was not the culprit, but the ones in the back of pic, with the ever creeping Virginia creeper vine, reaching for the power line.

Here is after and now that is one worrying thing off my mind. These limbs were about 10' high.

There is so much more work to do in this garden. Paths are overgrown with ferns and vines, weeds abound also. We've had a lot of rain and that makes things grow even faster.

The other morning when I was feeling so blue, I was out by my clothesline and happened to look up and saw to my delight that the Cereus cactus was in bloom. This cactus has grown up a dead pine tree and I don't always look 'up'.

I drew an arrow onto the dead pine in pic below. The tree is about 8' from the fence/property line.

These blooms are supposed to be scented, but if so I can't tell. Even when we took pics of one years ago where we could smell it, I didn't detect any scent, which was disappointing. Still the flowers are wonderful and huge.

Below is a link to a you-tube video from 2012. My dear husband was not well, but woke me up in the middle of the night a couple of times, so we could go out and take more pics as this bloom opened up. He held a light and I am thankful for this lovely time we had together. God called him home 4 months later.

In my down moments, God showed His love for me through His creation, by causing me to look 'up' and seeing these glorious blooms to enjoy. He knew they would make my heart feel glad and lighter. He was right. These blooms are only open for a day.

In a devotional by Marcia Gaddis, which came in my email yesterday morning from 'Wisdom Hunters', I read the following that encouraged my heart. The devotional is titled 'Living in the Present Moment', you can click on the title and it will take you to the website.

We are having to wait through this pandemic, life as we knew it is no more, and will never be the same.

~ Betty Skinner, in her book The Hidden Life, says this about waiting:

"Waiting is one of the most difficult pieces of a deep, inner spiritual journey. We want to outrun God, but our growth depends on consciously letting go of our fear and allowing our circumstances the space to teach us what God intends....As long as we wait in fear and anxiety, we will not experience growth."

She goes on to say, "This way of waiting requires we understand that the spiritual life can only be lived in the present moment. Living in the future produces anxiety, worry, and fear. Living in the past produces guilt, bitterness and regret. Many of us never get out of the past or the future and miss the gift that is the present moment." (My bold and italics.)

Oh my, how I want to live in the present. Always knowing and trusting God for working all things out. He is in control and my fretting and worrying over things, past, present or future does NOT do any good.

My gardens are a gift to me and are a comfort and joy during this time. Long, long ago, this property had no gardens. I told my dear husband I would rather have growing flowers than a bouquet of dying ones and that's how this all came to be. He bought, we bought, I bought, plants and more plants. :-)

I selectively take photos, so you do NOT see all of the overgrowth, and what I call ugliness of my gardens. Your kind words about what you see, encourage me to keep working in them. The exercise is great and free, I sweat out toxins and enjoy being out among the scents, colors, butterflies, bees and birds, plus the occasional neighborhood cats.

Yesterday I was able to capture this redbird. I was at the scullery sink and there were two frolicking in the water, but only one was there after I ran for my camera.

Ok, that's it for now. I need to go out and do some hand watering of things in pots.

Find the peace and beauty in each day you are blessed with. If you happen to have people around you, be thankful, give them lots of hugs, tell them you love them. Be forgiving and encouraging. These are rough times all over this planet, and we need to be kind to each other. Being kind matters.

Love, hugs and prayers,

FlowerLady