About

Hello Folks, 

In cyber world I have been known for many years as FlowerLady, the name suggested by my dear husband because I am always out among the flowers.  I recently added my first name as there are other flower ladies out there.

Gardening is my favorite hobby. To work in the gardens is inspiring, encouraging and mentally and spiritually uplifting. The blooms and scents, colors and textures feed me, body, soul and spirit.

Other hobbies I enjoy ~ cooking, needleworking, photography, reading, music, and helping DH with the many and varied projects that we work on.

DH and I have been married since Sept. 1969. We live on 1/4 acre in zone 10 s.e. FL. We have lived here since the summer of 1973, after coming home from living in Spain while DH did his tour of duty for the US Navy.
  
We loved living in Spain, there was much to see and learn. Our 2 bedroom apt. was on the beach.  We were on the 5th floor, facing east.  From our balcony we could see the golden dome of the main cathedral in Cadiz across the water.  Our rent was $75 a month, our electric about $7, and we had butane for cooking and heating and that was cheap.

Before leaving Europe, and after our belongings had been shipped home, we put on backpacks, grabbed our canteens and cameras, our Europe on $5 & $10 Dollars a Day book, maps and Eurail passes, and traveled to 9 countries in around 50 days.  A wonderful experience.

We came home to our little 50's cottage and have expanded into a compound of outbuildings and gardens.

Every day is a gift to be enjoyed and appreciated.  There is still much to learn in this life.  I want to age gracefully and am thankful to God for His many blessings.


*** 

20 January 2013

My DH (dear husband) went home to be with God 9December 2012, after 4 months of illness. We thought he had torn a muscle in his neck, which had caused the horrific muscle cramping in his neck in August, but that was not the case. He did NOT like going to drs. so I massaged him with essential oils for relaxing muscles and calming his spirit. He took herbs and vitamins. I read the Bible out loud, prayed and cried as he steadily lost mobility. Finally, the morning of 8 Dec. he said I could call 911, as his stomach was distended and he was having shortness of breath. The next morning coming out of MRI he coded and passed from this life into the next at 10:12 a.m. He was ready to go home to God. The drs. asked me what the story was and I told them and they told me I had done all I could, that he had had a massive cancer in his bladder which had spread up his spine compressing his nerves which caused him to lose mobility. If they had brought him back, he would have been on a breathing machine we did not want that. I had the living will papers in my purse. They were all kind and supportive.

I am so glad we did not know he had cancer. I'm glad he was fine until the horrific neck cramps that night in August. We thought and hoped he was going to get better as we had read that torn neck muscles can take time to heal. God had other plans. One day DH said to me that he was ready to go home, I said I would let him go if that was God's will, but I was not going to like it. I released him to God, and God took him home to be with him.

My heart aches as I live without the love of my life. He told me he would be waiting for me on the Rainbow Bridge and I look forward to that reunion. For now, I'm learning to live without his physical presence, I am loving him even more as I think of so many memories I am thankful for our love that grew ever stronger those last 4 months, a love that is forever.

Right now grief sits heavy and tears are never far away. God is my strength, He is my hope, He is bottling up my tears and He is taking care of me. There are new lessons for me to learn, more ways for me to trust Jesus in a more meaningful and deeper way.

Do not take this life for granted. It is precious, it is a gift. 


Thank you for visiting ~ FlowerLady Lorraine

 








2 comments:

Unknown said...

I'd like to share a recipe for peanut butter cookies, since they were one of your husband's favorites.

1/2 Cup peanut butter
1.egg
1 Cup brown sugar

MIX INGREDIENTS
DROP ON UNGREASED COOKI SHEET
FORK CRISSCCROSS

BAKE ATV350 degrees for 15 mins. Tessblessu@comcast.net

Cheryl said...

Oh, Lorraine! I am in tears. My heart just broke as I read your heart wrenched words. I am SO sorry you lost your dear, precious husband. God bless you and comfort you in each moment of grief. One day, you will meet him at that rainbow bridge, where there will be no more tears, and you will never have to say good-bye to him again. This is one of the saddest things I have read in a long time. I am praying for you, my friend, and also thank you for your support of my blog. It truly means so much to me!