Life continues

Hello Folks ~ Wow, it’s been two weeks since my last post. I’m not posting like I used to and I thank those who have checked up on me. I’m still cleaning up my property a little at a time. The other morning there was some cooler weather and I was able to work outside for almost 3 hours, but, there is still much to do. I’ve piles of brush here and there to rake and bag up. The huge pile out front from hurricane Irma was finally picked up this week. They did leave the bags of debris though as they don’t want the plastic bags ground up into the mulch the brush piles will make. I drove pass a huge piece of property where the trucks are dumping the brush and it is amazing how much there is and it is still being picked up around the county.

I’ve weedwacking and trimming to do, was able to mow again the other day. One thing about FL is that the growing season this far south is 365 days a year, and with the rain we’ve been getting lately, things are growing like crazy. It is so overwhelming to me at times, I just want to go somewhere and hide. That doesn’t solve anything though, so I thank God for His many blessings, for the strength He gives me and for working things out.

I had an unplanned expense, a whole new brake job, ball joints, new fuel injection, back door lock mechanisms so I can now open the doors and some other things on my van. It all needed doing. The brakes were metal on metal, and the ball joints had wiggle room. The van is 16 years old, and only has a little over 42,000 miles on it. My mechanic and his mechanic friend said my engine sounds great and with the work they did on my van it will be good for more years and miles. Although, the next expense on the van is a new fuel pump. I need to build up my bank account before that expense. I am grateful that my mechanic only charged me his cost on the parts, plus his labor. My BIL said I was given a great deal on the whole cost of the job. I baked peanut butter, oatmeal, chocolate chip cookies as a thank you for  them for their hard and honest work for this widowed FlowerLady.

I’ve seen a hummingbird twice, once from the ‘scullery’ as I was looking out into the ‘secret garden’, and then the other morning as I was sitting here in my chair. Some movement caught my eye and there was a hummer flitting from one red flower to another. What a treat! Don’t blink, because they are there one minute and gone the next. No time to get the camera.

Now for some photos.

Weedy and overgrown secret garden.

St. Francis garden, where’s the path?

I did pick my 4 key limes from my little potted bush as they were ready and were enjoyed in water and in a margarita. I still have 3 lemons to pick from my Meyer lemon bush. Next year I hope to have more fruit as they will be bigger plants. I love key limes.

Barnhouse rose.

‘Kathleen’

‘Miss Atwood’

Unknown

‘Mozart’

Unknown

‘Winecup’

‘Ground orchid’

‘Miss Tork’ without a care.

I received a beautiful book the other day, one for me to write a review for. I’d been looking forward to it and was NOT disappointed. I cried reading the preface. I am enjoying it immensely.

Ok, that’s it for now. I’m still working on getting rid of books, etc. did give away a bookcase to a young family. B-I-L Todd and I will be working on the living room, patching walls, painting, setting up new/used bookcases and tv stand. It may be another two weeks or so before I post again as I’ve work to do inside and out.

Before I forget, someone asked about the hybrid ‘kiss’ hibsicus. Yes, they are finicky in my opinion. Mine is still hanging in, but I do need to fertilize it as it has not looked as good as it did when I first got it. I love the blooms so will do some ‘babying’ of it and hopefully will be blessed with more of those fantastic blooms. Mine is called ‘Hugs & Kisses’.

Thank you all for your kind words, your encouragement and your prayers, all are much appreciated.

Have a great week ~ FlowerLady

Glorious Sunshine

Good Saturday morning Friends ~ I’m just in from hanging out the first load of wash in a couple of weeks. We’ve had rain off and on since Irma and gray days since Monday of this week. Yesterday morning’s visible sunrise was wonderful!! This morning it is partly cloudy and breezy and also very ‘humid’. Right now at 9:01 a.m. EST, it is 82 but feels like it is 92, the humidity at 90%. My clothes were very wet when I came in. I was thinking about doing some ‘trimming’ but changed my mind, it’s just to miserable out there for me.

I was able to mow the high grass the other day and do a little trimming. Still a LOT of trimming to do, all in good time. I am thankful I have my little cottage and gardens to take care of, so many in the world have so much less.

I woke up in such a positive mood yesterday morning. The night before, I had started re-reading “The Undistracted Widow – Living For God After Losing Your Husband” by Carol W. Cornish. I bought this book through Amazon in Jan. 2013, a month after my dear husband left this planet to be with God. There are lots of ‘jewels’ to encourage the widow. Lots of underlinings in the book, as I underline bits and pieces that really speak to my heart.

Here’s what spoke to me about ‘contentment’, something I am learning daily. * “Being content results from being satisfied with what God gives us, when and where He gives it, and why and how He gives it. Biblical contentment is an attitude of mind that displays complete confidence in God’s total care in the midst of distressing, even devastating, circumstances.  It evidences willing and genuine trust in God and His love and wisdom.” *

Another book I’ve re-read some of is “The Widow Directed to the Widow’s God” by John Angell James. I got this from Amazon in February 2013. This book is wonderful, written in 1841.

* “Let thy widows trust in me.” You have no other trust, and none are so much encouraged to trust in God, as they whose sole confidence, the Lord is. Then above all times, is the time to look up with hope to God, when we have no other to look up to. ~ The Lord is my helper. Be content with such things as ye have, then for He hath said, “I will never leave thee, nor foraske thee.” *

I highly recommend these books to widows or even to those of you who wish to help and comfort them.

I was overjoyed with seeing sunlight flooding into the living room yesterday morning.

I grabbed my camera and went out to see what I could capture of this sunlight.

Two little songs from when I was a child came to mind.

The first is this one. Complete lyrics can be found here.

Sunlight, sunlight in my soul today,
Sunlight, sunlight all along the way;
Since the Savior found me, took away my sin,
I have had the sunlight of His love within.

The next song was:

There is sunshine in my soul today,
More glorious and bright
Than glows in any earthly sky,
For Jesus is my light.

~~~~~

This hamelia paten shrub which butterflies and hummers love, is one of the things I need to trim back. This is in the ‘secret garden’.

This is hamelia paten blooms with the blooms of Port St. John’s vine. With all of the rain we’ve been getting, things are growing like crazy.

I have been feeling like creating and after hearing from one of my new girlfriend’s from church, I created this for her. She loves sunflowers. This little heart is 4 inches by 4 inches.

Now people are preparing for hurricane Nate. I am praying for those already effected by this storm and those in the US in her path.

It is almost a month since Irma was here. I went grocery shopping yesterday morning and apologies were posted for supplies still not in, and asking for patience and thanking patrons for shopping with them.

I have much to be thankful for. Birds have been singing so much, this morning croaking frogs were doing their thing. Flowers are blooming and scenting the air. I have food to eat, clean water, a comfy bed, my sweet Miss Tork, family and friends.

Speaking of friends, Johnnie came over last Saturday afternoon and cleaned my gutters for me. Yay, Johnnie. He is going to get my leaning fencing standing straight again too. I’m waiting for cooler and drier weather.

Each day, we are all blessed with the gift of life.

I will close with a verse ~ Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord.
They are plans for good and not for evil,
to give you a future and a hope.

Have a wonderful weekend, and a fantastic autumn here in the US. For those around the world may you also have a great weekend and upcoming week. I’ve enjoyed seeing blogs with fall decorations indoors and out and the start to the changing of the colors of leaves up north. Thanks for sharing.

FlowerLady

Forward Progress

Good afternoon Folks ~ Thank you all for your kind comments. It’s almost three weeks  since I came home after being away from it for 4 days due to Hurricane Irma. That first week or so was like walking in a fog, but, that has lifted and I’m feeling much better emotionally and physically.

Was able to get dairy, eggs, fresh veggies once again. Boy how they are appreciated after not being able to get them.

I’ve had help with trimming things and clean up. One thing I have to tell you about is an almost immediate answer to prayer.  What I mean is, one morning I was walking through the caravan’s arbor below,

and prayed something like, “Jesus you know I need help, more than I know it. Help me.”

I walked on toward the cottage, then picked up some branches and took them out to the growing pile by the curb. While I was out there, a young woman walked by, our eyes met, we said hi, and she walked on. Then she stopped, backed up and said “Hey.” I looked up and she came up to me and said “Do you need any help?” What?

She said she has a 15 year old son who could help me and it wouldn’t be for $, but because it was the thing to do. I said I’d have to pray about it, as I don’t know her.  She said that was fine, gave me her name, cell#, address. I also told her that I had prayed for help just a few minutes before and here she was offering help. It was amazing.

Well, I did pray about it and decided to take her up on her offer. She had told me her son is interested in getting into landscaping design. While sitting, thinking and praying, the garden design book I had gotten to write a book review for, stood out among my books. I thought, aha, I can give him this book.

He came Sat. morning. In fact, he, his Dad and Mom all walked here, quite a walk I must say. Then I learned more. She was ‘not’ a regular walker like I see going past here, in fact, she had never walked this way before. She had just felt like getting out that morning. After we connected with hello to each other, as she walked by, she felt like she should say something to me about help. Oh my goodness.

God is truly amazing. He heard FlowerLady’s heartfelt cry, and within minutes and literally steps, he answered. I am so thankful for an answer to prayer so quickly. In the overall scheme of life, this is a small matter, but it means a LOT to me.

I found out she is a registered minister in the state of NY. They have recently moved to FL. Her husband is a veteran with 4 tours of duty to Afghanistan behind him. They were kind to this widow, and their son who is somewhat shy, and I got along fine and worked together well.

I had been praying about the jasmine vine in the front hedgerow needing to be trimmed as it was about 10 ft. tall. I kept trimming the sides but can’t reach the top myself. Well, Hurricane Irma blew from the south on the back side of the storm and blew the hedge top over into the inside of the garden where it could be reached with a ladder. This young man worked on that for a full hour and it was not a small job. It was ‘hot’. I was beat and told him we’d done enough for one morning and for him to head on home. It was Saturday afterall, plus his family was moving from a 2 bdrm to a 3 bdrm apt. in his complex. Before he left, I gave him the book, thanking him for his work and said that I hope to work with him again, when it is cooler.

Jasmine below, after haircut. Still have more to do on the left, just didn’t get to that yet.

 

I still had to cut up and bag those trimmings, but Sunday was church and a quiet day. Tuesday I went to the grocery and got some things. Then late in the afternoon, one of the guys, Johnnie, who had been here putting up shutters on Plum Cottage wanted to come by as he’d just gotten off work, to take the shutters down. I texted back ok and he got here about 15 minutes later. (It is so wonderful to have light coming back into the cottage.)

We got started and just took the ones off the cottage, leaving the workshop boarded up at least until after hurricane season is over. We were starting to stack everything back where it had been stored when Vincent, the other guy pulled up. Vincent and I continued to restack, while Johnnie got the chain saw ready so that he could cut broken limbs of the tree near the house, that were touching the roof. He did a lot more than that, giving the tree a buzz cut except for a limb or two that couldn’t really be reached or done without falling on either the house roof or the porch roof. That will be done later.

Lots of sunlight in the area now, it’s a good thing summer is on the wane.

Humongous pile of limbs & brush, maybe 10’x10’. Who knows when it will be picked up. I’ve heard not for months. Yikes!

After we/they cut up and hauled out the limbs, the pile I had made which was large, was twice the size. We called it a day, it was nearly 7 p.m. and I told them they’d both be getting the promised peanut butter/chocoloate chip cookies I’d promised. (I had the ingredients, and had just gotten eggs that morning to make them. But they came before I got them made.)

This post was started the other day, it is now Saturday. A new day to be thankful for. We’ve had rain and more rain, which keeps things green and growing like crazy. I need to mow, weed-wack, and trim things. At least cooler weather will be coming.

I’ve been blessed by seeing a tiny finch-sized bird, black and orange, lots of butterflies and hearing birdsong galore. Scents from various flowers fill the air, the weather is a tad cooler, I baked delicious homemade peanut butter/chocolate chip cookies for Johnnie and Vincent, and enjoyed a few myself.

BSF Bible study group for ladies has started up again and it’s a joy to see ladies from the past two years. There are around 200 or so ladies in our area, from different denominations meeting together to study, and this time it is the book of Romans. This is my third session, the first was the book of Revelation, which was fantastic and last year was the wonderful book of John. We divide up into smaller groups of around 15, to go over lesson, and then meet for the lecture for the upcoming week.  I highly recommend this study. They have it also for men, and a children’s ministry. Check them out to see if there might be one in your area. You won’t be disappointed. Find a class near you.

I’m still working on living room. Hurricane Irma put a halt on that project for a bit. I’ve still leaning fencing to fix. All in good time, a little at a time.

This is a wonderful rose, ‘white Maman Cochet’. I spied two blooms on the climber and picked them to enjoy indoors, where I could take in the lovely scent.

I love the coloring of this rose in different lighting of the two days that I took these photos.

I am thankful to God for His beautiful creation. I am thankful for the gifts of each new day I am blessed with. Thankful for strength and energy to do what I need to do. Thankful for help from others. Thankful for prayers and encouraging words.

Have a wonderful weekend whatever you may do, wherever you are.

God loves you.

FlowerLady

Surviving ~ thankfully

Good morning Folks ~ It is Saturday morning 11:41 a.m. EST. I went outside at 7:45 to beat the heat so that I could mow. I came in at 9:30 for water and to rest a bit. Even at that time it was in the 80’s but real feel temp was low 90’s. I didn’t finish mowing a small bit because it was sprinkling when I headed back out, so I put the lawnmower away for the day. I am just doing a little at a time and not stressing over what needs to be done.  It is a whole different story being by myself than being with my DH and working together as a ‘team’.

I have hibernated since Tues. morning after getting home around 8:30. Just haven’t felt like going out at all. Plus the light at the big intersection near me was still out and I didn’t feel like dealing with traffic. I was only going to go out to the grocery store, but have found out that there isn’t much to be had. No fresh veggies, no dairy, maybe a few eggs. All of the trucks are going to the west coast and south of us to the areas that were hardest hit by Irma.

I’ve been drinking my coffee black, sweetened but black. I have cereal but no milk. I’ve some canned goods, food in the freezer, I can make bread in my bread machine. I have rice and pasta too. I’ve been eating peanut butter and crackers, canned veggies, with hot dogs and hamburger from the freezer.

I am so thankful for air-conditioning, clean water, a toilet that flushes, my comfortable bed, a roof over my head, a full tank of gas, compliments of my in-laws. My feline girls are all fine. Flowers are still blooming, butterflies are flitting, birds are singing. I have much to be thankful for.

I did find an unwelcome little snake while doing some clean up the other morning. He was about 6-8 inches long. I was concerned when I looked at his markings. Ran for my camera and after I took a blurry photo, I got the flat edged shovel and chopped him to bits. I sent a pic to my bro in law Todd, and he confirmed my suspicion, a rattle snake. I’ve never seen one here before, but we both figured he got blown in by the storm, either wind or water. I’ve not seen any more and hope I don’t either. Sheesh! A baby diamondback rattler. He kept striking at me. The usual snakes slither off in the opposite direction as fast as they can go, but not this little guy. I was so nervous I didn’t get a good picture, but you can see the diamonds on his back.

This morning during one of my mini breaks while mowing, I saw this sweet little beauty. She is one of my very favorite roses, with a delicate scent. ‘Kathleen’. As I was standing there enjoying her beauty, I thought “this is why I garden”. Yes, it is a lot of work, some harder work than others, but so worth it for as long as I can do it.

I’ve had a bit of lunch, now I’m going to take a nap. Talking with my sis in law, Sue, yesterday I was saying how I felt and she said she was feeling the same way and that she had heard some ‘call ins’ on some show about how people are thankful they are safe, that they have food, a.c., etc. but they felt awful. The dr. or whoever was taking the calls said it is because we’re all going through a bit of traumatic stress syndrome.  Freaking out and preparing as best we could for a possible cat. 5 hurricane, not knowing where it was going to make landfall, took a toll on us all.

So, thank you again for your kind thoughts, comments, and prayers. They help more than you realize.

Love & hugs ~ FlowerLady