Saturday, July 23, 2022

It's about your mindset

Hello Friends ~ It is another hot and humid day down here in s.e. FL. Not as bad as some of the vloggers that I watch on you tube. Still bad though. I worked outside Wednesday morning from 8:30-10:50, and have NOT done any work outside since then. It was 83 but with humidity real feel was 92. When I stopped I was hanging out laundry on the lines and couldn't even finish, I had to come inside, as it was 90 and felt like it was 100. I had taken a few breaks and drank my electrolyte water, but at the end I was starting to feel a little funny, so I left the rest of the laundry in the basket to get to later. I drink water all throughout the day, have done that for years and years. For any of you that work outside, please stay hydrated. When I went inside, my shirt was completely soaked. I felt better after being in the a.c., drinking more water and having a bit of lunch.

I mowed, trimmed the driveway hedge, and started to hang out the laundry. I have 1/4 of an acre, but thankfully all of that doesn't need mowing. Below is the front portion of grass in front of the driveway gate. It goes over about another 5' to the right where there is an indent.


  This is looking to the north now. I'm about to start mowing. When I get the urge to mow, it's usually good that I do it, because rain will be coming sometime. Not always as predicted or not. (It has rained the past two mornings, giving us some much needed rain.)

I am so thankful for this battery operated lawnmower that was a gift from friends. I mow in half the time and it is so much easier than dragging a heavy 100' extension cord around.


Now I'm  at the north end of the driveway looking south. Behind the picket fence is my clothesline area, with the caravan to the right. My little wash house in the middle of the picture &  hidden under several flowering vines.

 

 


 I took the photo below while on a electrolyte drink break. It's under the pole barn awning. So much cooler under there than out in the sun. I'm looking east.


I love growing flowers. It is work, but there is so much joy in growing them. Just this past week, I saw that gardening work burns 300 calories an hour. Not to mention all of the toxins we sweat out. 

Here are some of the bloomers I have giving me joy at this time. 

Beauty berry, and Miss Blackie. If you look close, you will see all of the 'grass' that has taken over this front garden of mine. It has been sadly neglected with all that has been going on this past year.

Clerodendrum, thomsoniae, red bleeding hearts that grow in s.e. FL.


Here is Double Delight rose.

 

This is an unknown, I also have it in purple and a red one I think.


 

This is a favorite of mine, Sweet Almond. The scent is wonderful!!


 

This is an orchid that grows like a weed here. Vanda Joachim.



 Here are links for the chilling cloths and the electrolyte powder, both are from Amazon.

I will close with an inspiring quote from a young lady's vlog 'Little House on the Mountain'. It came just when I needed some encouragement. 

'Romancing an Ordinary Life'

"It's not about what you have or even the season of life that you are in, 

but it's about your mindset. 

It's about seeing splendor in the ordinary 

and experiencing the wonder in the mundane." 

******

The past two years have been rough. Things are a little better, but 'not back to normal', they will never be back to the way it was. Things are more expensive as prices keep going up and up. There is so much negativity, fear, anger all around us. It can be so easy to get sucked into despair if all we think about are the negatives. Here's a verse from the Bible that I will leave with you today.

Let's count our blessings and look for the splendor, wonder and beauty that is all around us. May our eyes be opened.


Love, hugs and prayers,

FlowerLady

 

12 comments:

Lynn and Precious said...

Lorraine, it certainly looks as if you and your magic electric mower are keeping up with the lawn just fine. You do have to know your limits for exhaustion and not go beyond what you should to recover quickly. Love seeing Miss Blackie and the flowers. I always look back again and again to view the photos. We just had a storm an hour ago that completely broke off one of my tall zinnias, just as they are really blooming and attracting hummingbirds and butterflies. The others are now heavily staked and tied up to withstand the next round. Otherwise, it got cool during the storm and is now sunny and hot and humid. My cousin sent me a birthday card years ago with the Philippians verse on it and I keep it were I read it every day. Lynn and Precious

L. D. said...

Having orchids growing freely in your yard would be a wonderful experience. Your lawn mowing is a good thing and I am glad you have one that is not attached to a cord. I hope that it has some power to the wheels to help you. The times are tough right now. I am hoping things change and we can live more freely again. I always enjoy your flowers and hearing of what you do. Keep drinking that water.

Brenda @ Its A Beautiful Life said...

A beautiful post, Lorraine. Enjoyed seeing your yard and garden and flowers. I'm glad you know how to keep keep and hydrated during the heat and humidity. Thank you for the link and inspiring quote from Little House on the Mountain about romancing an ordinary life. Beautifully said.

Wishing you a grace-saturated day. Keep cool.
Brenda xo

Nancy J said...

Way too hot to be out there working. A friend's grandma in Japan, so hot in their summer, she hung out the washing at night, with a wet towel over her head.Those cooling towels are great, we can get the slimmer type down here.Stay cool.XXX

Terra said...

Philippians 4:8 is a mighty Scripture for me, especially in these times of division. I am glad you are keeping hydrated and being inside in the hottest part of the day; your plants are thriving with your loving touch.

Vee said...

So glad that you have a battery operated mower. I do, as well, and it is a godsend. Your flowers are gorgeous!

A Joyful Cottage said...

Perfect scripture to recite as we face these turbulent times. I have been practicing the art of contentment, and staying grateful to the Lord for all that I have in Him. I may lose all my earthly possessions, but I will never lose the most important thing, and that's Jesus Christ. I'm glad you are enjoying your lush property, and that you're pacing yourself and taking care of yourself. Stay well, Lorraine. Hugs.

Ruth Hiebert said...

I'm glad you are taking good care of yourself. That kind of heat is ridiculous.

GretchenJoanna said...

Your closing reminder is always a WELCOME reminder. And your blog, with the photos of such lush and brilliant plant life, is a LOVELY thing. Thank you, Lorraine.

M.K. said...

One of my favorite verses -- true, solid words that correct us when we drift. These have been very difficult years. You are plugging away, though! Your yard looks good! Because of the heat and rain where you live (which are hard), you have gorgeous orchids that grow wild! (which is amazing!) There is a silver lining. Blessings to you, dear!

Deb J. in Utah said...

Lovely post, Lorraine. I love that Bible verse and the quote about mindset. You are working so hard in your yard. I always enjoy seeing your beautiful flowers. Thanks for sharing the goodness. Have a good week.

Melanie said...

We are planning on buying a battery operated mower next year. We currently use a gas one. Bad for the environment and we get tired of always have to run to the gas station to get a container of gas.

We've been working a lot in the yard too in this hot weather, and yes, we both stay hydrated. We both normally drink a lot of water.

Take good care, Rainey!