Monday, December 7, 2020

Plum Cottage happenings - long winded ;-)

Hello Folks ~ Here we are into December, starting the second week with 18 days left until Christmas. Time is zipping right along. I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving day in spite of covid and it's rules. I did fix myself a nice dinner and was really pleased at how well it turned out. One of my best I think. I do miss fixing special dinners (and any dinner) for my dear husband, so it's not always easy to fix a special dinner just for one. Last year I did have my sweet widow friend Rita over and we had a nice time. This year we spent our Thanksgiving day alone.

I had bought a small young turkey breast and fixed it in the crockpot. No liquid required, I just made up an herbal butter and spread under the skin. Turned the breast upside down, and at the end of 8 hours it was so tender. I made a green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and a cranberry sauce with a bit or horseradish sauce and Greek yogurt added. Pkgd. cornbread stuffing was made up and baked with JD sausage added. It was all delicious. I didn't make any dessert though.

A couple of days later my friend Mary brought over some of her Thanksgiving dinner for me and it was all delicious as well, plus she made dessert. ;-) Leftovers have been much appreciated. There was stuffing, turkey, a sweet potato dish, mashed potatoes, a broccoli dish, 2 biscuits and pumpkin and a custard pie. Oh my, oh so good, lasted me 2-3 meals.


I have been dealing with tooth pain lower, right jaw for months. It would come and go, until last Monday when I could tell, I really needed to see the dentist. I called and was able to see my dentist the next morning. I'm telling you that the 'dread' of going and what will be done is much worse than the actual event. She is kind, funny and gentle. She put me at ease while the 4 shots of numbing agent did their work. That took the longest, because pulling the actual tooth was over in a flash. I had the $ to pay for it as I had sold something that gave me a little cushion. God provided once again.

We had temps in the 80's, then a little cold front came in and one night it got down to 48. For us down here in s.e. FL that is cold. But it only lasted a couple of days before it warmed back up. Tonight it is supposed to get down into the low 50's, then the next three nights down in the 40's again. Such a nice change from the heat and humidity that we deal with here. It is clouding up and windy, looks like rain, which will be ushering in this little 'cold' front.

With the cooler temps I have been motivated to work outside and am able to do so for longer bits of time. The overgrowth won't be taken care of all in one fell swoop, but a little at a time, makes me feel better.

I did this little bit below in a couple of hours. It's only half of the space, but what a difference.

 

On the other side of the hedge on the left is 'the secret garden'.


Way back in March just before covid happened, I had three guys from church come over and started work on fencing that needed to be replaced. We figured out what I would need, I gave them $ and they went and bought materials. Well, covid came down along with rules, regulations, lots of fear, etc.  This is how it looked in March, before clean up.

 



 

This was after.


The neighbors next door where this fencing work was being done between us, put their house on the market. So, I got in touch with the main guy who had helped in March and we set up a date for this past Friday. It ended up only being he and I. I enjoyed working with and helping him with this project. I have missed working with my dear husband as we did all kinds of building projects during our 43 years together. Sean and I also had some good spiritual discussions which was a blessing, especially during this time of isolation. 

Before he came, I had to get back out to the area and get rid of overgrowth that had grown back up since March. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I was thankful as I'm not getting any younger and I prayed and asked for prayer from friends for this 71 year young body to be able to work along side Sean. We did very well, working from 9:30 until around 1.

Here's how the area looked before and after. We had gone through rain and winds from Eta in the last month which didn't help the fence situation any, but it did stay up. All of that rain caused everything to grow all the more. ;-)




 The creeping Wandering Jew plant has taken over as you can see. It is a nice ground cover and tamps down easily enough when walking repeatedly on it.


 



While working on digging up old fence posts that were rotted, the neighbor lady came out and said hello. They don't live here now, they live in northern FL, she was here to do some work on their RV to sell it. Well, while talking she said, I meant what we discussed back in March. They wanted to help financially. She said when she was done with her work, she would go to the bank and give me a gift. 

Oh my goodness. God is so awesome. I had been able to just buy a couple of fence sections and some posts back in March just to replace the really bad sections. Well, she got the $ and gave it to me as Sean and I were done for the day and just talking. When she left and I saw what was in the envelope, I just couldn't help smiling and saying thank you to Jesus not only for their generosity, but that he worked it out that she would come down on the day we happened to be working on the fencing. They gave me $300, enough to buy two more sections to finish off the fencing between our two properties, and then to buy 3 sheets to start on the other fencing that needs to be replaced along the other neighbor's property. Back when dear husband and I had done all of the fencing it was around $20 a section, now it's up to almost $41. Yikes. The fencing all around this property is ancient.

Anyway, Sean and I talked and he's going to help me clear this property of 'junk', do more fencing, etc. so that I can be more at peace in taking care of this place. This is 1/4 of an acre. It has been a little haven since 1973 when we moved in here after hubby's discharge from the US Navy. We had lived overseas in Spain since 1970. Before God called my husband home, my husband told me to get rid of the junk, because he knew I would feel better if it was gone.

I couldn't deal with that right after he left this planet, but eventually, I did get rid of a little over 3,000 pounds of metal to the scrap yard and got a whopping $300. There is still more iron, lumber and other things dear hubby just couldn't let go to the dump when he saw it lying on the side of the road. Through the years, we used things, we sold some too and of course, I still have some laying around. So, I am appreciative for Sean's help in this project.

Please keep me in your prayers to keep positive and focused on Jesus. He is my strength when I am weak, He is my provider. I've had some depression these past 9 months, along with sciatica pain, dealt with heat and humidity, been stressed to a degree over the whole state of circumstances with health, relationships and finances around the world. We all go and hopefully grow through the problems that come our way. We can't compare ourselves to anyone else. This time of isolation has drawn me closer to God, made me appreciate so much more and makes me want to be a better person.

Miss Tork and I are still dealing with fleas, but they are a lot less!! She was in my lap one afternoon, when I looked down at her and saw a rainbow on her face. It was from a glass piece from a chandelier reflecting the sun's rays. She likes to sit in my lap like this when I'm here at the computer.



 I did 'start' to decorate yesterday, did a little more today, hope to finish tomorrow.

 


 Found this little gift in the driveway the other day.



With that, I will close with the following from a devotional I read this morning.

 

"We wait in hope for the LORD; 

he is our help and our shield. 

In him our hearts rejoice, 

for we trust in his holy name. 

May your unfailing love be with us, LORD, 

even as we put our hope in you."

Psalm 33:20-22 (NIV)

******

Have a wonderful Christmas month, seeking the joy and beauty, giving thanks in all things.

Love, hugs & prayers,

FlowerLady



 

21 comments:

Deb J. in Utah said...

Hi Lorraine - The new fencing looks so great and God blessed with the help and funds to get it finished. So nice that you have found someone willing to help you with some of the big jobs. God is so good. Have a good week. Love the pictures of you with your kitty friend. See you again soon!

Leslie Kimel said...

Wow, the new fencing looks great! And your Thanksgiving meal looks and sounds delicious! I'm so glad you are staying safe. This year has been so hard for everyone, but I hope next year will be better.

firefly819 said...

May God bless you and keep you safe and healthy this holiday season. I thoroughly enjoy your flower photos. Here in Michigan, the days are dreary and bleak. But at least, I have my beautiful Christmas tree and decorations to uplift my spirits.

Ruth Hiebert said...

Oh how wonderful that God showered you with blessings. Fixing up a yard and keeping it in shape is so much harder when we are alone. I am so thankful to have a neighbor who has taken on the job of keeping my yard in shape.

Terra said...

Your new fencing is a great improvement, and how nice you found Sean to work for you and the neighbor lady gave you money to pay for part of the fencing. Your kitty looks mysterious with the rainbow on her face. I hope December finds you in good spirits.

Cheryl said...

How encouraging to hear of the Lord's provision for you in so many ways! He is so good!

It has been a long nine months, hasn't it? Many challenges, and so much has changed. When we are overwhelmed, it is helpful to remember that He has not changed . . . He never changes . . . and He is with us always!

Louca por porcelana said...

Happy Advent!Thank you for your visit!

Lynn and Precious said...

Dear Lorraine, so glad the tooth extraction went as well as it did. Never
a comfortable thing to deal with. I do the turkey breast the same, and like
you said, it turns out so tasty. But I am glad you got a "carry-in" from a
wonderful friend. I recommend the flea medicine "Revolution" for Miss Tork.
It kills what is on her and any eggs on her for a month. Just a liquid you
have to apply to the back of her head. By the time it wears off, the rest
of the fleas in the house have died. Good news all around on the fence! The
hard work you did and in prayer at the same time. So the woman was so willing
to help finance some. God does have His way, and we simply have to trust.
Praying for a wonderful Christmas for all. Lynn

Rebecca said...

Lorraine, I'm happy with you about the fence, God's provision, a good helper (Sean), and more
I WILL pray that you will continue to persevere in periods of depression. Winters are hard for me up here...
Several around us are I'll or have lost loved ones.
We will not see our children and grands due to the virus this year.
My father who lives with us just turned 94. He does well for his age, but is slowing down mentally and physically.
Your tree is lovely. I wish you a blessed Christmas season. ❤️🎄

Melanie said...

Your Thanksgiving meal looked wonderful and how sweet for your friend to bring you some leftovers. This Thanksgiving sure was different for all of us.

Your new fencing looks wonderful. I can't believe how generous your neighbors were with you. That's unheard of these days!

I was amazed to see the plant, Wandering Jew growing all over the place there. You only see it here as an indoor hanging plant. And it's pretty finicky. I've tried growing it twice and it has died on me both times!

Margie said...

Hi Lorraine,

Your turkey meals made me hungry!

I concur with the other comments on the new fence looking great.

Thank you for the visit!

Henny Penny said...

I enjoyed this post. You and your friend really did get a lot of work done. It all looks so nice and isn't that new fence pretty. How wonderful that your neighbor gave you enough money to finish the fence.

ellen b. said...

Lorraine, It was good to read about the progress on the outside and the fencing and the generous amount of money for your project from one of your neighbors. God is good. I'll pray that God sends you encouragement in old and new ways. Blessings!

sweetbay said...

The new fence looks great, and that’s so nice that the neighbor helped you with the expense.

Miss Tork is so cute and looks much loved.

Marilyn @ MountainTopSpice said...

Your Thanksgiving dinner looked wonderful, you did a great job cooking for just one! And how wonderful that your friend brought you over more leftovers! I'm so thankful to hear that you've gotten some help with your yard, and also that your new neighbors are so kind and helpful! What a blessing this is, indeed! Praying with you that the Lord continues to take care of all your needs, supplying them in ways we never dreamed of. Only God can do this! Many blessings to you dear friend!

Junkchiccottage said...

God is so good and I am so happy you could get the fence done. It looks wonderful. Sorry about your tooth. Glad you got that taken care of. Have a great new week. xoxo Kris

Kit said...

Hello my friend!! Your fence is looking great! Glad to hear you are well. The Lord will provide and you just have to keep getting up each day. Take care. Love you, KK 💕

Hootin Anni said...

Yard work [even when there is more than one person dealing with it...is WORK!!] It looks to me that you tackled a lot. And the rainbow on "Tork's" nose is so cute. Such purr-cious photos. Your tree is very pretty. And ohhhhh, dentists...that is a four letter word in my dictionary!!!! I had a filling come out of my tooth during the covid stay at home stuff, and I still haven't called to get it replaced. Nasty ... I hate going to the dentist.

Carla from The River said...

I enjoyed reading your story and the blessings that have come your way regarding the project. God is Good. And you have done so much.
Is the wandering jew plant invasive to Florida?

I like the rainbow on your sweet kitty.


Merry Christmas,
Carla

Judy at GoldCountryCottage said...

Lorraine, your new fencing looks wonderful and I'm so glad you were able to get it done. How nice of your ex neighbor to help you out with the money. We have wood fencing around our Secret Garden that we put up a few years ago. I don't dare get the ivy trimmed as I know it will fall down if we do. I love have the planting go on the fence, but I think it makes the wood go bad much faster. You were blessed with your friend's help this week and I love your pretty Christmas tree and your dinner looked so good. Those kind of left overs are the best..Stay well my dear friend..xxoJudy

M.K. said...

Hi, dear FL!!! I'm trying to catch up on blog reading, and you are at the top of my list :) I've had a hard time doing it b/c of all the awful news in recent weeks, but my spirit is starting to calm down a little now.
I'm so thankful for all the blessings that God sent your way, regarding that fence! To have Sean there to help, and to assist you going forward on the property (that's huge!), and to have that neighbor also give you money to help - that's amazing, and is certainly God's hand in your life. Be encouraged that He is caring for you now just as He ever was before.