End of 1st Semester

June 2022 has been a very busy month and it’s not over yet!  I don’t know about you, but there always seems to be something in the diary; even the things I’ve been meaning to get around to do (which sometimes takes months, especially if it involves putting away projects that have collected in piles around my home).  With guests arriving towards the end of June, I had all these little piles to clean away, tidy the table tops, dust, scrub, vacuum and generally clean house. Not something I enjoy doing and not something I’d pay someone to do as I’m so pedantic (when I actually make the effort).  If it’s going to be done then it should be done properly – move the furniture and the dust collectors (sorry ornaments) on every shelf, put things away in their proper place (not sure about some things as my sheds are still bursting at the seams!) and generally clean every nook-and-cranny. Anyway, others don’t know where things go so it’s up to me to it stop procrastinating, bite the bullet and just do it!

Last October, I mentioned that for many years I’ve been wanting to return to my place of birth, Christmas Island.  After my friend Vi-Lay suggested we escape some of the Australian winter by holidaying on a tropical island and realising this could be my opportunity to return, I looked into it.  I was disappointed to hear most of the accommodation had already been booked a year in advance.  Then after a chat with Neesha, the daughter of Lyn, one of my teachers from Christmas Is, my hopes were renewed, as Neesha had booked for a large group to return in July 2022 and she had a few places to fill if we were interested.  Yes, indeed we were.  Praise God our plans had not been thwarted after all.  Since then, there have been a few challenges and changes in the plan, including the scuba diving dramas and that two others I had invited have had to pull out of the trip due to ill health.

With Jen passing through Perth, driving down from Broome where she has been working for six months, and Vi-Lay arriving from Sydney, the last weeks of June have been all go!  Vi-Lay had planned to arrive two weeks before our group headed overseas (well actually, Cocos and Christmas Island are still within the WA border, being Australian territories).  When we had previously planned to go, we had taken into consideration that Vi-Lay might have to spend two weeks in mandatory isolation on entry to WA.  Praise God that no longer applies, unless you actually have Covid of course.  Now we had two weeks available to plan another adventure.

Earlier in the year I had messaged Jen about a few spots still available on the trip to Christmas if she was interested in joining us.  Her original plan was to drive through Perth enroute to her place in Ocean Grove, Victoria.  Hearing of the offer, she grabbed the opportunity and signed on, not wanting to pass up the chance to flee from the cold, wet, winter weather for a two week break on a warm, sunny tropical island.

Jen and her friend Brony left Broome at the end of May, heading south for a 4-week camping trip before planning to arrive in Perth just after my friend Vi-Lay.  All four staying at my place!  Eeeek! I wasn’t sure where they were all going to fit in my two-bedroom home but was willing to see how we would manage.  There has been lots to do in preparation for their visit, including the big clean up!

Firstly the water-hammer in the pipes has been getting worse and disturbing my sleep (anything for a peaceful sleep). It seems even though each of the 12 units have their own water valve, if someone further down the line to me (which is all five units on my side of the driveway) use their water it sends pressure up the pipes causing the banging at my place. I tracked the noise back to my hot water system and called in my plumber.  Praise God it was an easy fix, just requiring a change of valve, which was leaking.  While he was here I also got him to change the swivel tap in the kitchen which has constantly leaked since being fitted in 2016.  I was surprised to see the flexi pipe was rusting away and on the brink of splitting.  Praise the Lord we found it when we did, escaping a burst pipe and possibly an expensive clean up and repair to damaged kitchen cupboards

Secondly, there were lots of little things to do around the house, including cleaning out all the preservatives in the fridge before Jen arrived to scrutinise their contents and the use-by dates!  I made two fresh jars of apple cider vinegar, a jar of kimchi and one of pickled Chinese salted lemons.  I still needed to start on the huge job of cleaning the house.  All those piles of ‘jobs still to be done’ materials, tools and boxes of bits and pieces.  The more I can put it off the better, but when I know I’m having visitors or just before I plan to go away for some time, I like the house to be clean and tidy.  I just love the clean fresh look when it’s all done and dusted!  Mind you it doesn’t last long! 

Procrastinating……. Changing the subject……. Have you noticed that the bees have been dying in large numbers? I’m told it is due to the cold weather.  Not hard to remember to wear something on my feet, to prevent beestings, now that it’s cold outdoors.  The gentle rains in early June have been a welcome change and a good chance to get into the garden more.  I’ve made up two long pots of bok choi, which I hope to munch on this winter. They are in pots so I can move them into the sun, which only reaches limited areas around the house.

My garden produce has all but dried up as the long shadows of the winter stretch across most of my garden.  The leaves of the pear have turned a beautiful red, orange and gold before falling to make compost.  My bananas have finally started to ripen, although unfortunately due to the rains, they are also splitting while still green.  I removed the last of them before cutting down the trunk, exposing a new sucker for next season.

Most of the seedlings from TAFE have survived and will soon produce flowers. I have cut down some very large branches off the self-seeded acacia, whose lower limbs I had trained as a windbreak for my shaded area.  I borrowed my neighbour’s chainsaw to cut off the larger limbs, then trimmed the taller ones to limit their height to hopefully allow more winter sun into my garden. I had put this off for some time but when I saw the council was collecting the verge garden refuse, I knew it was time to get to work.  Praise God, I completed the job within minutes of the council collecting it from my verge.

The last three weeks of term 2 at TAFE came around very fast.  I had finished all my assignments by this time and really didn’t need to go in, but did so to help some of the other students who were struggling with being full-time and so many assignments.  Some of the lecturers took us through new material; others left us to finish off assignments. The third last Thursday I missed due to catching the common cold!  As I felt myself coming down with it I dosed myself up with a concoction of immune boosters, praying it wasn’t Covid. I had so much planned for these last weeks of term (during the last week of term hardly anyone goes in if they have completed all their assignments and handed them in).  Friday was a planned class get together at a German Pub, then Saturday some of us were attending a mushroom workshop, this too had to be cancelled although I had already paid for it.  I emailed to let them know I was unable to attend and asked for a refund.  I was informed that unless they have seven days’ notice they were unable to refund me, they would instead transfer my ticket enabling me to attend another session in the future.  Along with these events there was a Durian Feast Tour in Northbridge I would have loved to have attended too.

Praise God by Tuesday’s class, my prayers had been answered and I was 100% over whatever I had.  Monday evening I dug up some of my earthworms to take for a class on Vermicomposting – worm farms.  It was a great day as we had decided to salvage the discarded worm farm containers from TAFE.  They already had the bedding and only needed worms and food scraps to set them up. With a hospitality program at TAFE, I headed off to see if they might have some suitable food scraps.  Unfortunately they were doing a pastry class so no fruit or vegie scraps.  We did get permission to raid the bin for egg shells which we crushed before adding it to the cut greens (weeds from our vegie gardens) and an apple core and a pear that two of the students donated.  One of the other students, John whom I knew from the church, had also brought in some worms and a failing worm farm which we also rescued.  I traded some worms with him as they were different varieties. The rest of my worms went to populate the newly set up TAFE farms.  These were put in the greenhouse, where they will be kept dry and out of the weather.  Joe, one of TAFE’s horticultural staff, was asked to keep an eye on them before TAFE broke up for the holidays.  He and I will be back next semester, so together we could watch out for them and keep them fed.

It was sad saying goodbye to all the friends I made at TAFE this semester, I know of only one student, Erin, who was planning to return part-time for second semester. I hope to keep in touch with a few of the others, some of whom have already acquired work.  Enroute home that last day, I stopped off for long overdue birthday celebrations for my friend Glenda.  We had planned this outing since her birthday late May and now it was a combined celebration for my birthday as well.

Wednesday the 8^th of June I was taken out by a friend from church who didn’t know it was my birthday but still insisted to buy lunch, I said he could only because it was my birthday. Unfortunately, my favourite satay stall was not open but the Malaysian hawker stall was, so I wasn’t totally disappointed.  That evening I also enjoyed a feast of durian, which I had bought on Tuesday coming back from TAFE  I had stopped off at my favourite Asian supermarket in Girraween to stock up on some goodies, including frozen durian (can’t buy them fresh here), mochi and fresh dragon fruit.  Yum!  What a treat!

That evening I attended my first Coastal Community Garden committee meeting.  I was asked why I had come to a meeting on my birthday.  I didn’t tell them I don’t usually go out at night.  They toasted my birthday with a glass of wine, which had been brought to celebrate the Council’s approval of their proposal. This is another project I’m hoping to get involved with in the coming years.  The land, just off Kitchener St, Trigg, has been loaned to the community garden from the Council.  It is within walking distance from home and was another reason for me to take the horticultural course at TAFE. I’m hoping my newly learnt knowledge will stand me in good stead to help establish and maintain these gardens.  Mum would have loved to have been involved, especially as it is walking distance from her old home.

The following Wednesday I picked up Erin on a drive down to Araluen to join some of the other TAFE students and lecturers for a job opportunity day and to meet like-minded horticulturalists.  I realised when I got there that there was not much for me other than take a walk around the grounds enjoying the atmosphere and checking out the plants.  Araluen coves a large undulating area of Australian bush lands which has been cultivated with many European and subtropical plants including tree ferns, magnolias, birch and is particularly known for its spring display of tulip and roses.  At this time of the year the poor roses were in need of lots of pruning, deciduous trees, some with bare branches, others losing their leaves in a display of mosaics red, orange and gold and the bulbs beginning to break through the cold earth preparing for their glorious spring display.

During my walks to the beach this year I had met another Sorrento St resident, Esther.  Later, on one of her dog walks, she stopped to chat when she saw me at the top of my drive.  It turned out that she too is a Christian but was not attending a church at present, so I invited her along to my Monday Bible Study group and then to church. It’s such a pleasant surprise to meet another believer, especially when she lives so close.

Not long now and I will be inundated with visitors but before they arrive there are a few more things to catch up on, including CLEANING!  It needs to be done before my visitors arrive, which is now only a few days away!

Photos: 1. Daffodils first bulbs to flower    2.  Succulent flower    3. Autumn in the garden    4. Home grown bananas    5. Araluen autumn leaf     6. Araluen Aussie bush    7. Birthday treats 

Prayer & Praise Points:

Praise God for His amazing provision and abundant grace and mercy which we experience here in Australia.  What a wonderful land of abundance we live in.

Please continue to pray for those less fortunate who are caught up in the suffering from the war.

Pray with me for peace both in Europe and for the Far East.

Please pray the Lord will continue to provide religious freedoms here in Australia, for peace, health and a recovery from the past few years of the influence of Covid, not only here but throughout the world.

Pray that Vi-Lay and I are Covid-free during our travels.  Jen has just caught Covid and is recovering slowly, while in isolation in Geraldton.

Praise the Lord for His sovereignty. It’s so reassuring to know His purposes will ultimately be achieved, even though it looks like mankind is making a mess of things.  God will one day step in and put things right.

Please continue to pray for my sisters, Tricia, Jen and Kat to come to know Christ’s love for them.