Gardening Bonanza!

The first week of November, somehow and I’m not really sure how, I did my back in.  I hadn’t done anything usual but after breakfast I was in agony!  I prayed that my osteopath was available that afternoon and praise God he was so with his help and prayer things started getting better.  Within three days I was back out jogging and doing most of the things without too much discomfort. I was really quite surprised that it suddenly started playing up as I hadn’t see the osteo since early May before I went away.  It certainly makes a huge difference when you start to feel normal again.  We often take our health for granted till something goes wrong.  I am constantly thanking the Lord for His grace in keeping me well.

Some years back I planted a few Shepard avocado seeds in pots, putting them in different areas of the garden to see which survived and what spot was the best for them.  I eventually planted one in the garden but that one plus two others died.  The only one that survived was in my little mermaid garden just outside the back door.  The sapling had grown to be about a meter tall and very lush so I decided I’d better either transfer it to a bigger pot or into the garden.  I was going to plant it in one of my raised garden beds which I was using mainly as a compost pile.  Unfortunately it was very exposed here to strong winds. I bought some shade/windbreak cloth to erect around it but then decided it might get far too big for this bed and as it was so close to the house and under one of my pergolas it probably wasn’t the best position after all.  I eventually decided to replant it into a very large pot and leave it in the mermaid garden under the tropical pear tree where it had chosen to flourish. I couldn’t believe how many roots it had wrapped around the small pot it was in.  Generally it shouldn’t have looked so healthy but it has survived and is once again thriving.  Four of the fig grafts have survived although I’m still amazed at how brutal the cuts are into my poor tree.

I had been online again looking for a solution to the rat invasion.  I found good reviews and bought an Ultrasonic Pest Repeller which I’m praying will work to keep not only the rats away but the cats away.  I have seen cats in my garden which I dislike as they catch the birds which frequent my garden.  Before setting up the gadget I watched the information video and learnt how to turn off the warning sound which would have been very irritating.  It has flashing white lights which are triggered by a sensor on three sides. Once the sensor has been tripped not only do the lights flash but there’s a clicking sound and at night there is also a blue light that comes on.  Being solar powered is a bit tricky in my very shaded garden but it seems to be working.  Before setting it up, I powered it from a USB cable so I’m hoping there’s enough sun to keep it boosted.

Recently, two of our extended Christmas Island family, have passed away. Being raised on the Island till I was nine, our extended family were like aunts, uncles and cousins, many of whom we have stayed in touch with over the years even though distantly.  Some are in different Australian states or out of Perth which makes catching up difficult, so when I attended a funeral for Marguerite Roux in Mandurah, I decided to drive further to visit and stay a night with Lyn Copley who was one of my teachers on the Island.  Although the funeral was a sad occasion it was lovely to see familiar faces.  For those who have put their trust in Christ Jesus, our lives are only a fleeting phase on a greater eternal journey with Him.

I had arrived early to the reception and found the gate closed.  I called and was asked to go to the next gate which was also closed so I called again.  I waited but nothing happened, as I was early I decided to find somewhere I could wait where it was shaded.  As I drove away I passed the first gate and saw it was now open so entered and found a shady spot to park. I then waited in the reception till the chapel doors were opened. It was a lovely remembrance service closing with time to chat with those we knew.  After a drink I headed south as I hadn’t eaten since breakfast and it was now nearly 4pm so I was getting a little peckish.  Praise the Lord I had packed some Kefir and some of my now very ripe bananas from my garden.  Unfortunately I didn’t have a spoon which I usually keep in the car so had to scoop it out with a finger.  My drive from Perth was 106 klm around 1 ½ hours, Lyn’s home in Australind was another hours’ drive. I messaged Lyn, who had been at a doctor’s appointment, that I was on my way.  I was please to arrive safely, it had been a long day.  Unloading my car of the plants I had brought down plus my overnight gear, Lyn and I caught up with all the latest family news.  It was early to bed for me as usual, sleeping well before waking to her dog demanding his chicken necks which he did every morning around 5am.  A good wake up for me to get myself out of bed and go for a jog along the estuary. It was a beautiful cool morning.  On my return I saw Lyn walking the dog so caught up for a chat as we strolled home. Then before breakfast we headed out to the garden to plant the evening primrose seedlings, dragon fruit and grape I have brought down from my garden.  In exchange I loaded up my car with some of her cuttings, oranges and lemons which she had in abundance. We both enjoy strolling around the garden admiring what has grown and what changes there were since last I visited. Then in for breakfast before I headed back to Perth.  I had planned to stay till lunchtime but so as not to rush or get caught in the afternoon busy traffic and to be able to plant my new cuttings, I thought I’d better go earlier.  I’m glad I did as I only just fitted everything in including a stop at Karrinyup shops to restock my larder before my 2pm lunch and a 3:40pm appointment at the osteopath.  My back is feeling so much better even after all the gardening!

I enjoy offering my gardening knowledge so when asked by a friend from church who wanted some advice on how to look after her roses, I was up to the challenge.  A friend had given her the roses before she passed away so they had special meaning to her.  On taking a look at them I realised they were water logged and not surprisingly as there were so many unused sprinklers over the one garden bed.  The spare sprinklers had been used for other plants and even potted plants.  With so many now going straight into the garden bed the poor roses had suffered.  I suggested taking out those that were no longer needed or broken and just using the surface sprays then keep an eye on the garden to see how much water the bed was receiving.

Another of my neighbours, Laura, has also asked for some gardening suggestions as she wants to plant a succulent garden which I think is very sensible as she is really not a gardener and busy with studies.  I had collected quite a few plants when at Lyn’s place some of which I planted in my garden and others I now planted in my neighbour’s as well as offering her some of my plants which I was needing to cull and to find a new home for.  I then asked Kathy who is also Laura’s neighbour, if she could please remember to water this new garden when she watered hers.

Our community garden has also kept my hands in the garden with their Busy Bee days, where I have offered some advice, staked young trees and weeded and suggested where some changes or improvements can be made to help protect our young trees from the prevailing winds.

I’ve also been out with Vanessa, who trains and organises our barista roster, who invited me to a new Vietnamese restaurant as she heard it served egg coffee.  I was excited to try it out to compare it with what I made and had experienced in Hanoi and was pleasantly surprised with what we were served.  It’s a special treat and fortunately not that near to where I traverse so I’ll be keeping this for special occasions.

An update on my now pink lips.  There is a little spot that remains slightly blue which I have decided will be a remembrance of what came before so have left it. Generally it looks much better and I’m very pleased I got the laser treatment done.

The ocean is getting warmer, it’s such a wonderful start to my day when I can get down for an early morning swim after my jog through the bush.  I’m pleased to say, since the first of November, the harassing maggie is no longer pestering me.  I can now go jogging in peace and enjoy the birds and noises of the bush in peace.  Though on occasions when it’s been very windy I have avoided the bush as in the past there have been huge branches that have fallen off some of the trees, across the path.  On one occasion I decided to jog around the Charles Riley Oval instead.  On this occasion another jogger waved at me.  It was one of the early morning swimmers who I knew from Hamersley Pool.  Also during this jog I noticed some of the council trees which had been staked with three ties looked as though the ties had been there quite some time so I moved them along the trunk which I hope will elevate the marks the bands had made and help the saplings survive.

Towards the middle of November I received notification from TAFE that I had been accepted into the IT course.  Realising that my previous access to their study portal had expired I called them to help me update my access and login details and to check that my student pass was transferable, which it was.  I’m now set up for next term, I’m just waiting on my new timetable which I was told was only two and a half days on campus. I’m praying they are not days that I’m already occupied with other commitments.

Towards the end of the month I caught up with friends who I haven’t seen since my return from Asia. Dropped off a few grapevine cuttings which were growing out of their small posts and of course the first of the all important end of year Christmas get togethers.  One of these being the Christmas Island Christmas lunch.  I picked up Jeanne en route to the RAAF club, praise the Lord she knew where we were going which made driving easier for me.  We were one of the first to arrive, I then noticed there was another function at the centre for Elders.  We had a bit of a laugh about our group being the phosphaters and the Elders being the farmers.  Both needing one another, one to dig it out of the ground and the others to put it back into the ground as fertiliser.  Many of the older Christmas Islanders were unable to come, others had passed away, there were only a few that I knew from my era on the Island.

As the weather began to warm up, it was time for my summer haircut.  I had decided I wanted something different this year with hair over my ears.  I found two photos on the internet which might help the hairdresser.  When I showed them to her she was quite perplexed but unable to express herself in English so asked her fellow worker to express her concerns.  He told me that the photos were of women with straight hair and I had curly hair so it wouldn’t be the same.  I reassured him I understood but I still wanted to go ahead.  This was before I attended the Christmas Island lunch where photos of me were taken with my new hairstyle which looked like I had earmuff.  After a few days I realised I wasn’t really happy as my hair puffed out over my hair like Larry in the three stooges.  My neighbour Kathy agreed so I decided to do something about it.  Having already had a practice run on Lyn’s hair I decided to have a go at my own locks.  I sat outside in front of one of my garden mirrors so as not to make a mess inside.  It’s really difficult trying to cut your own hair, my hands weren’t lining up, the scissors were going in the opposite direction to what I wanted.  Eventually I achieved what I thought was a better look and asked for Kathy’s opinion.  She gave me the thumbs up, quite surprised with my achievements.  Hmmm maybe I should do a hairdressing course too.

I hope you all have a wonderful, safe and joyous Christmas celebrating the greatest gift of all, God’s outpouring of His love to all mankind through the birth of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Photos:  1. My Bougainvillea     2. Christmas bells? No rat and bird deterrents    3. Australind estuary    4. Drying rose petals    5. Christmas Island gathering    6. A harvest of pawpaws

Prayer & Praise Points:

I praise God for this lovely spring weather, a bit of rain and some beautiful sunny days. I’m so grateful for the weather at this time of the year. What an amazing God we have.

Praise Him for bringing healing to my back and keeping me well this November.

Praise the Lord for the opportunity to catch up with Jen, her daughter Kate who is visiting from the UK and Kat as we stay at Jen’s home in Ocean Grove for Christmas.  Please pray that this is a lovely time of bonding and sharing.

Please continue to pray for Gayle’s health, she is having more tests to try find out what’s troubling her, pray also for her son Joshua’s health.

Please continue to pray for Anthony Higgs; 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 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 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.