It’s amazing how in the past we have taken our freedom for granted. Just to be able to freely exit our homes to shop and exercise is a huge blessing. Having been in self-isolation for two weeks, I really appreciated even the most simplest of pleasures like being able to catch up with friends when and where I wanted. I do feel for all those who have and even at this moment are still in lockdown due to this dreaded virus.
My ‘iso-freedom day’ finally arrived. Unfortunately it didn’t start as I had hoped with an early morning jog. I had gone to bed early to keep warm and read a book but then couldn’t sleep till after 10pm when I tossed and turned all night and finally woke just before 8am exhausted. What was nice though was that my friend Jess rang just after 8am to ask if I wanted to go out. Yes! Of course! She came around after 10:30 am and although rain was predicated off and on all day, I just wanted to go out, enjoy my freedom and have a walk. We drove up to Hillarys Boat Harbour where we could walk under cover if needed, stopping for a coffee while we were there. We then drove back to North Beach where we parked the car and walked to Trigg Café, where we had fish and chips for lunch, stopping to do a quick shop en route home. In total we had walked over 8 km and, praise the Lord during all our walking, we never got wet! What’s more the Lord had kindly taken the rain around the edge of my place so that my washing could dry or at least mostly dry.
It was such a blessings to be able to go jogging the following morning, just as the sun was shining its first rays over the bush. I’d checked on the BOM app to see where the rain clouds were and took the risk, which was the right thing to do as it didn’t rain till after I had returned home. There were more severe wind warnings for the rest of the day so I’m glad our walk yesterday went so well.
Since then I don’t take for granted my ability to go jogging through the bush. It’s so invigorating in the cold, fresh, sometimes air laden with moisture at this early time of the morning. I was delighted to see the Frogmouth Owl was back in the gnarled tree at the entrance of Star Swamp.
It’s great to be able to get back into the swing of things. Friday I returned to my sketching group, one of the many craft and art activities put on by Share In which is held at the church. There were so many friends to catch up with. As I was signing in with our SafeWA app at the back entrance Dorothy called out a welcome greeting. Others spotted me as I was wandering around and stopped for a chat and to welcome me back. It’s a blessing to be part of such a big loving family and lovely to know I was missed. It was three and a half months since my departure because of the extra two weeks in quarantine. The following week I asked my neighbour Ann if she wanted to come along to see if there was anything she was interested in joining. She said she is not an artsy craftsy person, but found a scrabble group she could join.
Catching up with lots of my friends at church and then at our Monday Bible study group was also a blessing. Hearing all about what I’d missed out on in exchange for all I had done and my experiences. Tuesday mornings is a team effort in serving coffees to the primary school teachers across the road from the church. I received such a lovely warm welcome back there too. I’d really missed the team and it seems they missed me too.
There were two funerals to attend in August. One was held at church. Many friends and family arrived to celebrate her life, as she had been involved in many thing at church for over 50 years and will be sorely missed. It was such a pleasure to be able to help serve the coffees at her service. The other held at Pinnaroo Cemetery was the funeral of a friend’s husband who had been suffering from Parkinson’s Disease.
Since returning home, I’ve enjoyed catching up with several of my long-time friends. Going out for a coffee or lunch, exploring the new Karrinyup shopping centre. It’s such a blessing belonging to such a warm loving community, friends of all ages and views. I even tried booking next year’s holiday at Christmas Island but found it was already fully booked well in advance.
For weeks now the winds have been relentless. During the last days of July, gale force winds up to 120km battered our homes and pounded our coasts. I certainly did not miss the wind while in Cairns, which in comparison is such a calm peaceful place with the occasional gentle breeze stirring the leaves in the upper canopy of the tall rainforest trees. Returning to Perth, I realised why it has been named the third windiest city in the world!
During my garden clean up I cut back branches of overhanging plants, tidying things up. One of the tree branches, on which some months back I’d seen what looked like sawdust mixed with tree sap, needed trimming. Little did I know it harboured an enormous bug, which unfortunately I cut in half while trimming the branch! The grub must have been about 9cm long and 2cm in diameter. Previously on one of the Gardening Australia programs I’d seen Clarence Slockee dig a similar beetle lave out of a tree and eat it! I wasn’t game enough to do that although the insides looked like creamy custard. No, sorry, not tempting with legs attached!
I also cut and removed a grevillea which died during my absence. It had been growing so well and was filling in a spot which helped screen my garden from passers by. My block is on a slope which is lower than the road but mostly shielded from prying eyes by a large, hedged New Zealand Christmas tree which unfortunately I think has wood borer in many of the branches, as there are dead sections which constantly need cutting out. Beside this hedge is a gap which is required for access to the water meter and then there is the dead grevillea. Behind this is my upper garden, with a self-grown Geraldton Wax bush which looked beautiful in bloom when I returned, but sadly is also dying. These bushes are quite sparse, therefore not offering much privacy. Behind this is my fig tree, which of course is naked in the winter months. The plant I have in mind to replace the grevillea is the protea Susara, which grows 2 mt high by 1.5 wide and would make a lovely dense hedging plant with a wonderful display of winter flowers. But can I find a nursery which stocks it? No! So it’s now on order and, God willing sometime this year I will be able to plant it as it is well suited for our hot salty weather sandy soil.
Kev also came to the rescue with his hedge trimmer for the New Zealand Christmas tree which was beginning to send its tendrils out across the footpath. I have a small trimmer but it is so difficult to handle as it operates using one hand to hold two leavers which need to be held down for the blades to work. This is a safety thing so you don’t cut yourself. But it makes it very difficult and heavy going. With Kev’s trimmer it’s a two hands job to hold both the triggers which makes it much easier and less heavy on one hand. As I was trimming, with storm clouds looming, Jess pulled up for a visit and offered a hand. While I cut the bushes she collected the trimmings, trampling them down in the green waste bins as we went. We only just got it all done before it started bucketing down, nearly drenching us as we ran for cover. It always amazes me how the Lord steps in to provide help when needed. Without Jess’s help I would never have completed the job in time. She had worked hard for the cuppa she had originally come for.
I’m delighted to say spring is just around the corner. How do I know? Well not just because spring follows winter and it’s been jolly cold here but the flowers on my pear tree have just started to ap-pear. (couldn’t resist that one Kev). My lime tree is covered in flowers and the air is filled with bird calls (which of course prevent me from sleeping past 6am!) and the wisteria buds are swelling and the winter weeds and grasses need attention.
Oh boy! I got caught weeding my neighbours garden and was severely reprimanded and accused of throwing rubbish into his garden too. Actually I had just collected it from out of his garden and put it near the driveway to collect it after I’d finished weeding. He also accused me of throwing empty pizza boxes into his carport. I explained it was the wind and there had been a few at my door too but he wasn’t listening. Most people would thank you for weeding their garden but oh no not this guy! He went inside and called his landlady, who is also very aggressive and has been making it very uncomfortable for many of us. Unfortunately she and her partner now have bought 4 out of the 12 units here. Being the unit manager, she has the contact details, so is able to negotiate a deal before they go to market. So unfair! I’m sure there is something in all of this the Lord is trying to teach me.
On one of the stormy days while trying to occupy myself indoors, I did a bit of cooking and in the process chopped the end of my finger off. I know it was chopped off as it sat attached to the nail on my chopping board! With my thumb clamped firmly over the end of my finger I found the Betadine, a Band-Aid and a cotton ball and went knocking on my neighbour’s door. Praise God she was home, although also in the wars as she had fallen over and badly injured her knee. With finger bandaged I headed home to finish my cooking. I was able to take some back for Kath who was glad not to have to cook that evening. Fortunately, the next day she was up and about, feeling much better.
Jen is now happily staying in Broome with work opportunities starting in November taking her through to March next year. She will soon have a bunch of homes to house sit as the tourists and locals head south to avoid the humidity and heat of the wet season.
Kat, unfortunately suffered from a Great Dane puppy ploughing into her knee, which has left her in a leg brace, having cracked the tibia near the knee. This was just at the beginning of the 3 day lockdown in Cairns. Fortunately the dog belonged to her neighbour, a nurse who has kindly offered to pay for all her medical bills.
I was thrilled to be able to attend the Truth of It, Perth conference with Martyn Iles one Saturday evening put on by the Australian Christian Lobby. I had been working on our outreach survey with Richard, who said he was going to the event too. I asked if there was a spare seat in the car and was told they were going with others in an eight seater and there was a seat for me available. We all met at Richard’s brother’s place. It was a fun night driving in together and joining so many Christians all under the same roof. I’m told the first venue held 500 but they needed a larger venue, the RAC Arena. There were nearly 5,000 who attended and tens of thousands more watching the live stream. The WA premier had tried to ban our meeting due to political reasons (anti-Christian sentiment) but with so many Christians lobbying for the event to go ahead, it was finally granted. I had missed the same event in Cairns, so was thrilled when I was able to go to this one. Had it gone ahead on the original date in Perth as planned, I would have missed it again. I’m so grateful to the Lord for providing me this opportunity. What a powerful message Martyn brought from Isaiah 6:1-8, very appropriate for our times.
I’m praying about what I can get involved with next. Being stuck inside due to the weather and restless from my recent travels, I’m needing a project to get involved with. No, I don’t want to do more knitting! For some time I’ve been interested in horticulture courses, but don’t wanting to do the whole intense study thing. My passion is to learn a few specific skills to help out in not only my own garden but also in community gardens in my area. I’d love to learn grafting and budding, which I have found a course for, as well as pruning and espalier skills but unfortunately these courses are not offered here in WA.
We are halfway through August and already this update is getting a bit long so I’d better sign off now and finish the month in my next update.
Photos: 1. Boronia Crenulata ‘Pink Passion’ 2. Me in iso chatting to a friend on the phone 3. Iso-Freedom Day Hillary’s walk 4. Rough seas at Mettams 5. Bobtail sunning in the garden 6. Frog Mouth owl 7. Truth of It Conference
Prayer & Praise Points:
Praise the Lord I was able to get out of Cairns before their three day lockdown. Please pray with me that this virus will come under control, especially in NSW, Victoria and the ACT as well as throughout the world where it is even more out of control than here in Aust.
Pray for Afghanistan and all those in danger there. Pray that the authorities there will fulfil their promises of peace and humane rule.
Praise the Lord for all my wonderful friends. Praise Him for continued good health and our freedoms which we often take for granted.
Please pray with me for Kat’s speedy recovery of her knee.
Please continue to pray for my sisters, Tricia, Jen and Kat to come to know Christ’s love for them.