First term

What a dramatic start to autumn!  From a long very dry hot summer suddenly a cool change and rain! What a pleasant change it was.  The garden certainly celebrated.  After it started raining I scattered sulphur and iron around the espaliered citrus which were definitely showing signs of iron deficiency and no I didn’t need to go to horticultural school to learn that one. But it was interesting to know that the high alkaline soil (which I knew was the reason for the low iron) was the reason my plants were unable to absorb the iron. I read that trying to change high alkaline soils like mine was quite pointless, in fact useless and very expensive to even try. Still I’m going to keep trying as I’ve already so many plants I would like to see flourish instead of struggle in this poor soil. There is a method I’m going to try once the weather stays cooler. God willing this will help the plants obtain the iron they need.  The change of weather from hot to raining happened twice in March which is quite unusual. March is typically warm but not as hot as it has been.  I only took down the extra shade over the roses towards the end of March, even though the temperature was still in the high 30’s.  My poor struggling garden has certainly been knocked around by the scorching heat this year.

It’s olive time again. The trees on our verge are laden.  On my first pick I was able to get enough black olives to make one large jar. This year I decided I’d also try making green olives.  Once the olives were collected, I collected seawater whenever I went to the beach.  I had learnt this method of curing after reading about a woman who hung her olives in the ocean off an island in Greece. I thought this was a great and economic solution to using tap water and salt.  After daily rinsing the olives for a week they were ready to pickle. I had just come back from the shops before setting about to de-pip and bottle them. I finished bottling the black olives, then realised I had forgotten to check my pantry and had to go a second time to the shops to get malt vinegar.  In the past my local shop didn’t have any in stock so I was praying they would this time, especially as many of the standard items including long grain rice, some herbs and soy milk and other items haven’t been on the shelves for weeks due not only to Covid but to the floods cutting off the roads from South Aust into WA. Praise the Lord, the malt vinegar I wanted was available, enabling me to finish my first batch of black and green olives, which will be ready in 3 weeks.  Since then I have made three more batches with a fourth on the go. I will be fully stocked for another year now.

Another thing I have been trying to get done for a few months now is to renew my British passport.  It’s about to expire this April so I had a deadline to keep to.  Fortunately it’s all done on line these days but even then I had a few obstacles to overcome.  I asked a friend to take a photo which I thought should be ok but then when I tried to upload it, I was informed ‘no shadows’. Ok no short cuts!  It took me a few more weeks of procrastination to get to the post office to have an official photo taken.  This was then emailed to me so that I could upload it on the application.  What? Rejected!  How could that be it was an official photo!  I must admit I looked pale against a white background plus it showed below the shoulders but surely they have photo shop to crop it smaller and adjust the contrast!  I uploaded it anyway with a note that it was taken by an official post office registered to do passports. I then posted my old passport in a trackable envelope (costing a fortune) and prayed my application and photo would be accepted.  It took just over a week for my old passport to arrive at its destination.  To my surprise even after an official notification that my old passport had been received I kept receiving emails to ask me to send my official documents I tried replying to the emails I had received but they kept bouncing (no email communications provided). I then called Perth, then Canberra High Commission, which actually had a human being I could talk to. She told me others had a similar experience and I should put a comment on the main website, which I may or may not hear back from.

Last month the Woman’s Shed workshop had been cancelled due to a power failure. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get to the next session but I did get to the Tool Identification and Cleaning workshop. I figured I’d take a few of Dad’s old tools and hopefully give them a bit of a clean and maybe a sharpen too.  Unfortunately they weren’t doing sharpening that day, but did say they hoped to at a future date.  I did get two of Dad’s old saws cleaned up, while helping to clean some of theirs.  The instructor had some interesting stories to tell about some of the tools he had acquired for the Woman’s Shed, many of them donated by the Men’s Shed. Of course they were not power tools but old hand saws; that is why we were cleaning them from the build-up of rust and neglect. After sanding off the rust, we were able to see the original makers; some were over 100 yrs old and still in reasonable condition. They looked great after sanding their handles and applying lacquer or linseed oil, fit for another 100 years of use.  That week I decided to take a look at some of Dad’s other saws, cleaning two, one of which looked nearly as old as the one at the Woman’s Shed.

First term papers, or should I say their digital version, needed to be completed and uploaded. For every class there were both practical and knowledge-based assessments that needed to be submitted.  I’ve never liked tests of any kind. They are, I feel, unnecessary stress, not really proving your ability.  Praise the Lord at TAFE things are done a little differently. Most of the lecturers go through our assignments in class, making sure we understand what is required of us. In one class I hadn’t realised I was late with submitting my assignment, as I thought it was due on the 6^th of March. When I got to class, the teacher asked if I had submitted my work.  I looked at him, surprised. Fortunately I was able to do it there and then, even if it was a week late.  I noticed I wasn’t the only one!  By the end of the month I had submitted all my assignments, even receiving some of the results.  The knowledge-based assignment for Pests and Diseases came back with a few things I needed to change.  We went through the questions in class and it seems that others had a similar answer to mine and after some discussion, it was agreed that depending on our personal understanding of the situation, the question could have been interpreted and answered several ways.  I worked on these questions again and resubmitted the assignment.  That’s the good thing about TAFE, they will help you to get a satisfactory pass. I’m still waiting for the other results to come in.

During one of our Landscape Management classes our usual lecturer was absent, replaced with another young guy, from Bangladesh.  We were going through how we would implement a maintenance plan for the herbal garden, followed with the rest of the afternoon spent cleaning it up, which included weeding, hedging, sweeping and removing debris. It was quite a hot day and with having to wear masks, it was even hotter. I made sure I alternated and changed my activities to pace myself.  The teacher came over a few times to ask ‘Sally do you have any water?’ ‘Sally, have you taken any water?’ I noticed he hadn’t been asking anyone else and I’m sure I wasn’t looking flustered or red in the face. Then he stopped to talk to me about his father who works very hard in the garden and doesn’t stop till he gets a job done. He asked why I was doing the course, as it was obvious that I am much older than the other students and possibly not really suited for external hard labour.  He was genuinely concerned for me because of the hot weather, which was so sweet. This was in stark contrast to the next week when a young Anglo-Saxon teacher took the class.  In the 39⁰ heat, he insisted we worked for 1½ hours under the midday sun!  When I mentioned there was couch grass growing in one of the garden beds, she asked me to pull it out By this stage I was definitely on the verge of heat exhaustion and decided to sit it out.  Back in the classroom, once I had finished the assignment, I asked if I could leave half an hour early, to which she replied ‘Yes, but I will have to note you left early’!  I couldn’t believe how petty she seemed.  Unfortunately, she will be one of my teachers next term, so I’d better keep a good attitude towards her

Joe, who had done the propagating course with me last year, came around to my place one week so we could go through some of our work together.  He was quite a bit behind, especially after taking a whole day off.  Fortunately it was the day we did the herb garden clean-up, so he didn’t miss too much class work.  I was able to email him work that we did in the morning, to help him catch up too.  It was good to be able to go through stuff together and to give him some assistance, especially as he has a few learning disabilities and needs some encouragement. The following week he missed another day. This time I sent him a copy of what we had done in class and suggested he work through it before asking me if there was anything else he needed to know.  I feel he needs to be encouraged to believe in himself.  When he began to call me quite frequently, I realised he was becoming reliant on my help and began to encourage him to do more online research and to look back through the material the lecturers had provided online, so that he could learn through self-study.

On the Monday of the long weekend, I woke with a sore throat, wondering if it was just the effects of hay fever I’d been having for a while. It could also be because I hadn’t been sleeping very well lately.  I went out for my usual jog and swim, with the intent of having an easy day. Well it was a Monday holiday after all.  I did want to stock up on a few thing from Chemist Warehouse just in case I as coming down with something.  Heading off at 9am, I didn’t realise till I got there that it wasn’t open till 10am. With a bit of time on my hands I filled up with petrol and bought a few things at Woolies before waiting another 15mins for the chemist to open.  Then home to relax. By this time I had a headache and was glad I didn’t have anything else planned so I could just relax for the rest of the day.  I still wasn’t feeling the best on Tuesday, so decided to take the day off TAFE.  During the next 4 days I tried to keep separated from people, just in case it was something more serious  I spent quite a few hours watching things I had recorded on TV.  One of these was about Koko, the dog used in the Aussie movie Red Dog. My friend Vi-Lay aptly called it a Dog-umentry.  Then because I was feeling better on the Thursday, I did a heap of gardening, even though the weather had changed again and was heading for another 39⁰ day on the Friday.  This was the Friday we were asked to weed the garden at TAFE!

Most Fridays over lunch at TAFE I’ve been catching up with Natalie, from the propagation course last year.  She has dogs and found out that some of the plants she has are toxic to dogs, so has given them to me.  Many of them I have repotted and put under the shade cloth with the persimmon (which doesn’t look happy) and the avocado, which seems to enjoy the extra shade.  Another student from the horticultural course, Monica, has given me a Vanilla orchid. I really hope it survives, as within 4 years it may produce vanilla pods, which would be amazing. My friend Glenda also gave me some strawberry plants, as the ones that had self-seeded died. I don’t think they like the heat produced by the terracotta pot they were in.  My figs have finally ripened, giving me a few every couple of days, which is nice, although on the FODMAP diet I’m not supposed to eat them as they cause so much intestinal gas, but I just can’t resist them!  And finally my only remaining tropical pear ripened!  What a beauty!

Later in the month I dug up and replanted two of my kangaroo paws.  One year I bought and planted about 5 different varieties; some have since died, others have not flowered for quite a few years as they are now in the shade of over-hanging trees and shrubs.  I tried replanting others, but they didn’t survive, I think it was the wrong time of the year, so I’m trying again.  Some of the tubers I have put into pots and others straight into the ground.  One was so far under a bush that it had no light or water, but the tubers were quite healthy looking, so I’m hoping they still have a chance of survival.

Those wonderful bees which I thought would be grateful for all the flowers and nectar my garden provides, have once again struck me down.  This time a little more seriously than the last, as I wasn’t even able to go out jogging the next day.  I did, although with difficulty, manage to hobble down to the beach to bathe my swollen foot in the ocean. You just can’t keep a good woman down!  Have I learnt to put shoes on around the garden? No! After the last sting I did manage to keep my eyes peeled for the little critters on the path, but that only lasted a couple of months before I carried on as usual, disregarding what lay beneath my bare feet!  Well some might say it serves me right, I should have something on my feet, but I ask you please don’t be too quick to judge. Do you take these things for granted too?

Four days later and I was back to my early morning routine of jogging and beach. It was during this time on my second early morning jog, with my head in the clouds, not thinking about my feet, that the next minute I found myself parallel with the path eating dirt! What on earth did I trip on? It mustn’t have been very obvious, as I always look where I’m jogging, even with my head somewhere else! Oh well, praise God no broken bones and the weather is still fine for an ocean swim to help with the healing.

WA, and in particular Perth, has now had quite a bit of Covid spread and unfortunately a few deaths.  Three of my neighbours that I know of have had the virus, some from TAFE have been away due to contracting it also and one of the dog walkers I meet on my jogging route has had it.  He and I had a chat about the symptoms, which he had for 4 days before feeling better.  He had had three vaccines and my neighbours, who have not had one vaccine, also only had 4 days of sickness.  They were up and down the beach by the 4^th day!  So tell me, where is the proof that those who are unvaccinated get it worse that those who have been vaccinated?  I praise God I haven’t had it yet; if I am to get it, I hope it’s during the term holidays so that I can isolate at home and not miss any classes.

Just before the holidays I went to the big shopping centre, hoping to maybe contract Covid and do a bit of shopping in Woolies using up a gift card I had obtained through a survey. When I arrived home, I noticed there were two items I had not bought but was charged for and some waffles that somehow went missing!  I tried to call, but it kept cutting off, so I went back in.  The lovely lady who served me gave me a refund and a free packet of waffles, which I had bought especially to share with Glenda, who was coming around that afternoon.  I truly felt blessed

Photos:  1. One of my hanging succulents in flower.     2. My passport photo     3. Dad’s saws renewed     4. Me cleaning rubbish at TAFE     5. Helping clean cement mixer     6. Oversized tropical pear     7. Mum’s pink roses     8. The Outreach Team

Prayer & Praise Points:

Pray with me for peace both in Europe and for all those caught up in the war, especially for the orphans, refugees and those still living in areas affected by war.

Praise be to God for the opening up of travel and Covid restrictions.  Please continue to pray for those with Covid and for our health system.

Praise the Lord for this lovely autumn weather, cooler mornings and nights with warm days.

I praise God for the completion of my first term of learning, all the fun I’ve had getting to know likeminded people and am looking forward to starting my second term on 19^th April, God willing.

I continue to praise the Lord for all the freedoms we have here in Australia, for peace, health and for the Lord’s sovereignty. Its so reassuring to know His Will will ultimately be done and that although it looks like mankind is ruling and making a mess of things, God will one day step in and stop this nonsense!

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