Back Home

It was good to be back home despite adjusting to the cold weather. I had an easy ride from the airport, strangely enough with a Kiwi driver instead of an overseas student trying to earn their way through university.

I popped in to see my neighbour, Kathy, and thank her for looking after my place while I was away.  So much gardening needing to be done and the weeds! Wow! A big job ahead of me.  I took some large pots off their saucers as the plants were getting waterlogged; of course I should have had someone helping me and later my back was complaining.  I booked an appointment with my osteopath, and also with a Chinese medicine clinic to see if they could give me any help with my gut and bowels as I still had loose stools.  I started my unpacking putting things in the wash and trying to find where I’d left things.

That night I kept awake till 8:30pm then crashed out waking but quickly settling during the night finally waking at 5:30am.  What a blessing.  I had time for a quiet time before the sun rose and then out the door for my first morning back into my usual routine; jogging and exercising.  It was so nice to be able to jog again even though it was about 6⁰C.  It delighted me to be able to jog through the bush and say hi to some of my friends walking their dogs. My first swim was early Aug but it was just so rough I didn’t go again till late August and even then it was still very rough and very cold.  My pastor, who called to ask it I would help out with the coffee said I must be ‘chilled’, hahaha yes I replied I was very chilled.

One morning while out jogging a lady passed me wearing so much perfume I nearly gagged!  Unfortunately she was going about the same speed as me and as I fell in behind her I kept getting a strong whiff of it even when I was about ten meters behind her.  I’m not sure why people have to wear such strong scent it’s very off putting especially when you have a keen sense of smell as I’m sure I have!  I must admit I much prefer the fresh smells of the bush as I’m jogging through it.

I asked my neighbour, Donna, if she had any kefir but she didn’t so I tried to find the woman who lived nearby who had originally given us some.  I googled her name and found someone who might have been the right person on LinkedIn. I sent her a message to see if it was the right lady and surprisingly it was!  She suggested I come around that afternoon to collect some.  While I was there I took a look around her garden as she had offered me a large bag of passionfruit which she had in abundance.  Before leaving, she also gave me 3 jars of fig jam, then on my walk home I saw some mandarins hanging over a fence.  I asked the owner who just happened to be sitting behind his fence if I could pick some and thus returned home with a bag full of treasures which I shared with my neighbours.

It’s also been lovely catching up with friends including our monthly prayer morning at church where there was also another group of members who are involved with the meet and greet at church.  I was invited to join with them for some morning tea.  Then on my walk home I stopped to chat with Fran, Mum’s old neighbour who now lives next to the church.  She too enjoys traveling and exploring different places overseas.  Leaving here I continued my walk home, stopping to talk with other neighbours who were out enjoying the sunshine.  I’m starting to enjoy the weather as it warms up.  The first spring as some call it before the proper spring starts.  This is always such a lovely time of the year.

Sunday I was back into my barista duties at church which I always enjoy.  Then on Monday at our Bible study group, one of the members wanted help with her online visa application for Indonesia.  I suggested she come around on Tuesday which she did but applying on her phone was very tedious and eventually something went wrong and we were unable to log back in.  It wasn’t till that night I thought of my contact in Bali who could help her.  With some help from one of the young guys at church and a little bit of help and encouragement from me we finally got things sorted.

Tuesday I was up early to join the coffee team making and distributing coffees to the teachers at the primary school across the road from church.  It was great to be back with the team and hear what they have all been up to during my absence.

Its been great getting back into the swing of things at church especially with the barista team.  I did so miss making coffees for everyone.  There was a pastor’s conference one week I was back, where I volunteered my barista services, which made up for all the time I was away not making coffees.  We made over 200 coffees over two days.  People were surprised we had so many different milks offer to choose from.  I got a few laughs when I told people we were fresh out of camel milk as they hadn’t come in for milking that morning.

A week after my return home I’d booked myself into a Chinese medicine clinic which, praise the Lord was very close to home.  I wanted to see if this alternative medicine could help with my gut and bowel problems. After going through my health history, checking my pulse and tongue, I was informed that my body was balanced but weak. My practitioner reassured me balancing my body would help in all areas including sleep.  I then lay on the bench feeling like a pin cushion with acupuncture needles from head to foot, literally.  I had needles in my feet, shins, stomach, forearms and head.  Here I snoozed for half an hour before all bar one needle was removed.  I didn’t know it had been lost till I brushed out of my hair when I was home.  I also went home with three bottles of herbal medicine, tiny back pearls, which I was to take ten of each once a day.  I was hopeful but not convinced they would work as I was told they are mild in comparison to the fresh herbs, which were not available at this clinic.

The following morning, although I woke many times including being awake for three hours in the middle of the night, I was pleasantly surprised that the watery diarrhoea had ceased.  All the same I was off to see my GP to get tested for parasites.  I told my GP about my visit and diagnosis from the Chinese doctor which she was interested in as she has used acupuncture on herself with some success.  I was interested to see what the stool sample would come back with.  I continued to see the Chinese doctors, my first doctor now on holidays so I saw Fatima, yes she is Muslim and has studied both in Australia and China.  She is also into diet, prescribing me warming foods as opposed to cooling foods to help my body balance itself.  I had started waking up after midnight and staying awake again so was looking for anything that would help.  My sleep had really improved since coming home and I was hoping it would continue to improve and, God willing not go back to the old habit.

One week she introduced me to cupping.  She asked me if I would permit her to do ‘cupping’ therapy.  I told her I wasn’t quite sure about it and was very sceptical but she persuaded me to try as it drew out the toxins.  Later after the session she told me to drink lots of water to flush out the toxins.  This to me sounded very conflicting, if the toxins were drawn out through the skin why would I need to flush them out through my kidneys?  She also gave me more medication. I was beginning to think she was trying to add more to my visits which had come to the end of my health cover.

At my next visit to my GP I asked her about cupping and told her what I felt, she agreed with me.  She also said my body doesn’t need detoxing as I ate a very healthy diet.  I also believe detoxing is a waste of time as God provided our bodies with kidneys, liver, bowels and skin which do an amazing job of detoxing. We don’t need to improve on His work!  This leads me to the results of the tests my GP gave me.  She said my blood was great, no signs of any loss of nutrients but the urine and other tests picked up that I had a heavy growth of Coliform bacteria which could be the reason my gut has been out of sorts for some time.  She said she would give me some medication to knock this on the head and also some women’s health probiotics which were the only tablets that had this particular probiotic which was what was missing in my gut because of the Coliform.  I’m now praying for a miracle that this will actually be the answer to all my gut problems.  Watch this space!

Something I did do about a week after my return was to listen to my phone messages.  There were over 20!  All bar 5 were Chinese spam.  I’m actually glad they weren’t from a heap of different people which would mean I had to return all their calls LOL

After the disappointment from the two fencing contractors I finally found a handyman.  I was walking to church one morning during the week when I saw his vehicle at a neighbour Michael’s home.  Later that week I called in to ask Michael if he would recommend him.  The handyman, Shane, was actually there again so after I received a glowing report from Michael I asked Shane if he would be able to fix my gate.  After sending him some photos of the problem we made a date for him to come around.   Praise the Lord Shane came around and did a very thorough job fixing the gate.  First he took the panel off the Colourbond fence to put another two screws into the stone wall. Then he attached a diagonal brace across the face of the fence so it would help hold it plumb.  This lifted the gate back into line enabling it to close properly.  What a relief. He’s the only guy who actually made sense when he explained what he was going to do.  I found out he used to be a farmer down south so was used to fixing things.  It was a real God-sent finding Shane. I’m sure I will be using him again in the future and what’s more he lives just around the corner.

I’ve done quite a bit in the garden too, most of the weeding has been done including some in my neighbour’s area, plus trimming the NZ Christmas tree which was encroaching over the front verge.  I put an advertisement out for free cuttings from my fig tree and had quite a bit of a response.  I even had one make a comment what a kind lady I was to give them away free. I replied that I would prefer to give them away than throw them in the bin.  I also took some cuttings from the fig tree that overhangs the path where I jog in the bush and some from Maria’s tree which is a Black Turkey.  These I grafted onto my tree hoping this time they will take.  The bud graft that John grafted on last year is so big, I do hope it produces figs this year.

Over a period of some weeks I gave away fig cuttings, one large branch to whoever came.  One guy from the Middle East came with ten different varieties he had cut from his collection of 20 fig trees.  He asked who had done my grafting and when I said it was me he went about showing me how it was supposed to be done.  At first I was horrified at how he hacked back my beautiful tree.  I knew you could be brutal but really?  Anyway I thought I’d keep my mouth shut as he sounded like he knew what he was doing.  I was also quite surprised at the method he used for grafting and then strapping the grafts to the tree and covering them in plastic bags which I was told was not to be done to fig trees as it causes them to sweat and go mouldy (which I learnt from experience last year). Although he had explained all the different types he had bought with him, they were not labelled so I have no idea which are which on the tree.  He did say there were some early ripening and late season varieties, there were green, black and yellow figs and one variety which was a big as an eggplant!  I do hope they all survive; they sound amazing!  After he’d left my little tree was covered in plastic bags with new grafts beneath. The cuttings that were left over I potted up hoping these too will sprout, some of which I also gave away.  A few days later I checked the plastic bags and noticed they were getting a lot of condensation inside so decided because it was going to be a dry few days I’d remove the plastic bags and hope for the best.  What an amazing provision from the Lord!  I had been hoping for a few more different varieties and now if they all survive I will have over 14 different varieties including the original Black Genoa.  I finally took my notice off after advertising for three weeks or more, giving my last cuttings away to my dear friend Di Harvey and catching up with all her news at the same time.  I was also able to catch up with my wonderful editor, Elaine, and give her a few gardening tips as well as offer her one of my avocado’s which is different to the one she and Steve have and will hopefully, in the future, help it produce fruit.

I also contacted the family who had bought Mum’s house and asked if I could please have some cuttings from their mandarin tree to graft onto mine.  This way I will have them producing fruits at different times of the year.  Mine produced the first two fruits this year but unfortunately they ripened while I was away so I wasn’t able to try them.  Mum’s usually ripens in November which will be prefect.  I eventually picked up a cutting and grafted three cuttings onto my tree.  I made one a wedge graft and two whip grafts so I’m hoping at least one will take. They are definitely different types of mandarins as the one from Mum’s tree has larger leaves.  I’m also looking for someone with a pink pomelo and a red grapefruit to graft onto my orange tree. If you know of anyone with either of these please let me know.

One evening I went out with some of my neighbours to celebrate my neighbour, Bob’s, 81^st birthday.  It was the first time for me to go to Froth Craft Brewery which is just at the end of our street overlooking the beach.  It’s not a big place but we found a table that would seat seven of us. While I was there an Asian lady called me by name and gave me a hug. I could vaguely remember her face but couldn’t remember her name, only that she had been the last of Mum’s student boarders.  As I sipped on my lemon, lime and bitters, munching on the delicious pizzas, it slowly came to me.  It was Jacqueline from South Korea who had been studying to be a chef.  I wasn’t really enjoying the conversation at our table which often ended up having smutty connotations so I excused myself early and walked home.

This month I also made some inquiries into TAFE to upskill my website abilities.  I’d like to know how to fix a problem we have with the payment gateway on our community garden website.  I thought having these skills I would not only keep my brain stimulated but also help others.  I contacted TAFE several times via enquiry emails but they didn’t really answer my questions, I also tried calling and sent a specific email to the jobs and skills centre at TAFE but have yet to hear from anyone. I’m hoping I can actually just choose a few courses and do them not having to do the Certificate IV in Technology Information as I don’t need a certificate.

The community garden started having fortnightly busy bees while I was away which I’ve now started to participate in.  It mainly involves pulling out the persistent weeds which of course at this time of the year with all the rain are running rampant.  I’m also working on the website to provide a gallery of all the photos from the beginning until present day so people can see the progress.  This started well but then I think I put up too many photos on one page and started to have troubles.  Hmmm more challenges.  This confirms I really need to do a Web design course!

The last Friday of August I was invited to morning tea with our MP Ian Goodenough.  There were a few things I wanted to discuss so invited my neighbour Kath to join me. She hadn’t been able to go to the BBQ Ian put on a few weeks earlier so I forwarded the invitation I received and changed my name to hers then added a few comments.  Unfortunately she didn’t realise I’d sent it and thought our MP was being very rude.  When she told me about the email she had received from him I laughed and explained it had been me who had sent it, thinking she would have realised because of the comments.  I had written: “I would like to invite you to join your neighbour Sally in attending my next Community Cuppa in North Beach.” I finishing it off with “RSVP HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE – so you are expected to join Sally (don’t let her down this time)”.  We both laughed hilariously at her misunderstanding and were grateful she found out the real sender before she confronted Mr Goodenough.  We both attended the coffee morning and had a lovely time meeting others from the area plus being able to bring our concerns to our local MP.  He is such a community minded fellow, originating from Singaporean from a Eurasian background.  I also invited him to our community garden opening in September to which he promised to bring his BBQ for a sausage sizzle, which he was willing to provide.  What a blessing.

Photos:   1. Chorizema cordatum or heart-leaf flame pea    2. Grape cuttings sprouting    3. Hydrangea    4. Fig cuttings from last year    5. The grafted figs before I took the plastic bags off    6. Jacqueline and me    7. MP, me and Kathy

Prayer & Praise Points:

I praise God for my safe return and for helping me settle back into my routine and the weather here.  I have already seen His hand at work in so many areas since my return for which I am so grateful.

Praise the Lord for providing knowledgeable doctors to help us work through the health challenges we have.

Praise the Lord for Gayle’s new grandson. Both mother and baby are well.

Please continue to pray for Gayle’s ongoing health concerns, especially her eyes, for Anthony Higgs who will have a reverse shoulder replacement in October.  Pray also for Elsie and Ross Winchester as they continue their cancer treatment. Believe with me for the Lord’s intervention and total healing for all of them.

Continue to pray with me for world peace both in the Middle East, Ukraine and Russia, South Brazil, PNG 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 in 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.