It was time for me to host my dear friend, Gayle, instead of her hosting me. I have stayed with Gayle twice now at her home in Bali. She arrived towards the end of January during our very hot days. It’s such a blessing having her stay at my place for some time while she is in Perth. I found out she loves Yum Cha so I organised for a few friends, who also enjoy Yum Cha, to join us for lunch. What a treat for Gayle, something we all enjoyed and something she can’t get in Bali. The weather continued to be very hot although not as humid as Bali. Gayle joined me a few mornings on my beach visits. The water is much warmer at this time of the year but not a warm as Bali. I must admit I prefer it cooler. Gayle also caught up with one of her church members who is studying law here as well as friends who have supported and visited her in Bali. She also got quite a bit of shopping done plus stocked up on pharmaceuticals which she can’t get in Bali too. She had also been asked to speak at a supporting church in Geraldton who also provided for her flights up and back. Which was halfway through her stay with me.
Early one morning, as I was waking up, I heard a blipping and wondered what it was. It took a few days before I found it as there was a long silence between each blip. When I eventually tracked down the source of the noise, I laughed. It was an old landline phone I had lent to my neighbour, Ann, so that she had a cordless phone. Recently I had retrieved it as she had two phones sitting next to each other and mine was unplugged. Because it had been unplugged the battery had eventually run down and needed recharging. That is what was beeping. I disconnected the battery. Silence reigned once again.
Matt my neighbour returned from his travels late January, he asked my advice on what to plant just near his front door and I suggested he have one of my plants which he accepted. Funny thing is although he doesn’t have much gardening knowledge he thinks he does and tried to tell me things that he is convinced about but that really are not correct and he won’t listen to me when I try to tell him otherwise, although he is often asking for my advice.
The figs have been growing beautifully under their wire cage. Some branches had grown through the wire so I cut holes for them to continue upwards. My theory was that I would let a few branches grow out of the net for the birds but then I remembered it’s only on the new branches that I will get the next years crop so now the dilemma is do I cut them or leave them? One of these branches is the one that my friend, John from TAFE, grafted on. I was up checking the figs one day when I noticed a huge fig on the ground. It was then I realised this graft was a green verity which ripened early. There were two other ripe figs on the tree which I picked. Unfortunately the one that had fallen off and one other were over ripe but one was just right. (photo in the last blog update) After this I kept an eye on them but the very next day when I checked on another very big nearly ripe fig I noticed the rat’s had gotten to it! Not happy Jan! I’m still putting out baits and hope soon I will have eradicated them. The following day I found a dead rat on my paved area. Good another one bites the dust! That’s three rats down and baits still being eaten. I made one of the poisons up with a rotting fig which they really gorged on. Another rat I found a few days later drowned in one of my fish ponds. Yuck!
I think I mentioned previously that I have booked a walking tour in Japan this coming June. I then worked backwards booking my hotels; Osaka, Nagaya (where the tour starts) and Narita where I fly out of. After this I booked my ticket from Bali to Osaka. I had throught there was a direct flight from Bali to Osaka but couldn’t find one. Bother! The only one I could find which left at a reasonable hour was through Hanoi, stopping three hours before arriving in Osaka at 8am the following day. Having previously booked the hotel in Osaka I went back online to cancel the first night, 11th June. This is when the problems started. Instead of repaying me it took money out of my card! I thought I had paid up front and contacted the online agency to say I had now paid twice. I had forgotten that I had only paid for the flights not the hotels as they are paid for a few days before I arrive unless I cancel them. After a long drawn out process with me going back through all my paperwork I saw my error (thank God I keep a record and screen shots of all my transactions). Actually it was the agents error as I do remember clicking on refund (although I hadn’t paid) and it took me to a payment window where I thought I was putting in my bank details for the refund but in fact it withdrew the funds, paying for the hotel in advance. I suggested that the agent keep the payment taking note that it was already paid so I wasn’t charged a second time. Praise the Lord this was accepted, I felt so much happier it was all approved and noted. Praise God, I now have all my flights and accommodation sorted.
On Thursday, I picked Gayle up on her return from Geraldton. It was a busy day with us both visiting my doctor then to Frances and Bills for a chat before we tried to find a store for Gayle’s CPap filters. We went to one place but couldn’t find it so headed off to another place where we had been before. En route we passed by the Vietnamese Banh Mie shop in Osborne Park. As we were both hungry we decided to stop. It was 2pm and they were actually closed but served us and three more customers after us. From here we continued following the GPS which was going to take us straight past the store; I’m not sure where we would have ended up! After parking we realised it was closed for renovations. Bother! The other places were miles away! From here we headed north along Wannerroo Rd to Kingsway where we had planned to get our hair cut for $20 at my usual hairdresser. They did a fantastic job which we were both pleased with. Then back along the coast via Hillarys for an ice cream before returning home where Gayle took a rest and I got ready for a community garden committee meeting. What a busy day it had been. We both thought the next day was Saturday but were relieved it was only Friday.
On Friday we had our second visit to Pearl River Yum Cha, in Morley. This time we tried a few different things which were just as delicious. Stopping once again at the Chinese supermarket to get a few things before hunting down a pharmacy where Gayle could buy some Vitamins for her return to Bali where they are more expensive and a little more difficult to find. En route to one pharmacy we passed another large store and decided to stop there instead. It truly was the Lord leading us as we saw the CPap filters we had been looking for were also there. What an answer to prayer. From here we headed to Bunnings Balcatta as Lian from the community garden had told me they were selling banana palms for $10 each! They are usually $26 each. I found two Williams Bananas which are wind tolerant and only grow two meters. After my purchase we dropped Jan home, she had joined us the first time. Then at home I repotted my new palms. My patio now looked like a tropical jungle!
Saturday was the first day of February and the start of our monthly mission’s prayer meeting. Frances had given Gayle time to talk about all the work she is doing in Bali and the NGO’s the church has set up to help the poor. Everyone then prayed for the work and Gayle’s health. We also prayed for the work of the Chaplains here in WA and Kid’s Hope which provides mentor support for children who are struggling at primary schools.
After this we drove down to the Trigg Markets. I dropped Gayle off while I looked for parking. The cars formed queues all along the beach in both directions. I prayed, pulled into a carpark, and behold there was one waiting for me near the Trigg Café where we planned to return for lunch. I then caught up with Gayle, walking around the markets looking at the pavilions where products and food was sold. We had heard about how good the donuts were so indulged ourselves, and yes they are very good!
We walked back to Trigg Café, collecting a salad I’d made before leaving home, and ordered a salmon salad and a kids serving of fish and chips which we shared before returning home. The rest of the day we relaxed and watched a pre recorded movie.
Then on Sunday Gayle was picked up by her friend to visit her church and was out till late afternoon. Knowing this I had volunteered myself to help the barista team at church as they were short staffed. Then back home I stuffed another huge zucchini for my lunch and as reserve for my TAFE days as I would not be getting home till after 3pm and therefore needing to take something with me. I also prepared a few snacks to take with me so I could have them between classes.
Then on Monday when I went off to my first day at TAFE, Gayle and her Indonesian friend went exploring Fremantle, coming back just before my bedtime. It sounds like they had a very full day, then up till midnight chatting, I of course went to bed at 8pm as I had another full day at TAFE the following day.
Tuesday, while I was out Gayle got herself ready for her departure back to Bali on Wednesday midday. En route to TAFE I stopped off at church to drop off a hedger which I had borrowed from my gardening mate Glenda. I called in to see how the barista team was coping without me. I do miss helping deliver coffees to the primary school teachers across the road from the church. This term I was missing out on the Monday Bible Study group as well as Tuesday coffee making.
I was supposed to be at TAFE till 6pm on Tuesdays but I came home early which I’ll tell you all about in the next blog update. I had TAFE three days a week plus one online course during the week and all the homework for every class. At this stage I was already beginning to feel frazzled and I had only been two days! That afternoon I was having second thoughts.
Wednesday morning I hadn’t slept well so didn’t do my usual jog or swim. Gayle was up by the time I dragged myself out to bed. She had two huge suitcases on the bed trying to organise her packing. She had been online to book another 20kg of luggage as she was taking extra luggage back home with her, including all her medications, vitamins and a few other things she is unable to buy in Bali. We eventually got all her bags packed, decanting some of her medications into zip lock bags to reduce the bulk of the boxes they were in. After loading all her bags into the car we realised she had left my spare keys in the handbag she had locked in one of the large suitcases. Praise God she realised before her departure.
Breakfast, with the car loaded with Gayle’s things and my TAFE gear; computer, little eski with lunch, fruit, water and a thermos with ice coffee (good to be prepared), we headed to the airport. The traffic wasn’t too bad as it was after peak hour traffic, so we arriving well ahead of time. Gayle had plenty of time to relax, have a coffee and recharge her iPad which she thought was charging overnight but had not turned the power point on. She later messaged me to say there was no problems with checking in which was a relief but now her flight was half an hour late. The good news was when she arrived safely with all her luggage intact to be picked up by Joshua her son.
The house is now empty, quiet and a little lonely although Gayle promises to be back again now that she knows she has somewhere to stay here in Perth.
Photos: 1. Grevillea olivacea Apricot Glow 2. Yum Cha 3. Gayle and I shopping & lunch Karrinyup 4. Hillary’s Boat Harbour 5. Trigg Markets 6. Banana plantation my back yard 7. My tropical fruit area – banana palms & gigantic Pawpaw
Prayer & Praise Points:
I praise the Lord for Gayle’s safe arrival and for the time she was able to catch up with friends both her in Perth and Geraldton.
Please continue to pray for Gayle’s health, she visited my doctor here in Perth who has suggested a few more tests.
Please pray for Ross Winchester’s, family as he has very recently gone to meet his Maker.
Join me as we continue to pray for peace in the Middle East, Ukraine and Russia, and all countries dealing with major disasters, wars and the unbelievable hardships they cause. Pray for all those caught up in the suffering these events have caused. Pray that God’s peace may be known by all people especially for those who live with despair, that they will find hope in Christ Jesus.
Please keep my sisters, Tricia, Jen and Kat, in your prayers. Pray that they will come to know the love of Jesus.