Getting Prepared

This second term of teaching Gardening Basics was just a fill in as I will not be around for the full term with my trip away.  I wanted to complete the lessons I had prepared initially, which was for a 10 week term.  I had taken a sick day during last term and then there was Easter, cutting another day off our planned 10 weeks, so I had asked my original attendees if they wanted to come back for a few days before I left, which they did.  The first week back we looked at ‘What to know about gardening in Autumn’, then the second week, my last day, we went for a walk around the neighbouring Star Swamp.  Fortunately the Hamersley Environmental Centre was open so we called in for a quick look around before heading out on our 3km walk along the newly maintained limestone paths.  We wanted to see what regrowth had occurred since the recent fires.  Along the way we were able to observe some of the local flora.  We were pleasantly surprised at what had sprouted and what had regrown. It will be interesting to have another look in spring.

Some irritating news about my contrary neighbour who has been very pleasant for quite a few months now; he has suddenly turned nasty again.  Fortunately this occurred after I had received permission from him to plant some native plants in his garden beside the driveway.  I had been given some of the left over council plants from the plant give-away last month, so there were about 16 plants, several of the same varieties.  I planted them out and had watered them every second day over five days, then on one Saturday evening when I was waiting near my car to take Sofia and Guillermo to the airport, Matt’s daughter came out of Ann’s place where her dad was visiting and stood in front of my car looking at me.  I greeted her and asked her how her surfing lessons were going.  Matt came storming out of Ann’s place, accusing me of speaking badly about his daughter and threatening me if he ever heard me mistreating her again.  I was surprised and taken aback at his accusations and wondered where it had come from!  I asked him what he meant but he just got angrier, finally yelling that I had to stay away from his property!  I was really shaken.  I had no idea where these accusations came from, maybe he had misheard me, was it just now or had he meant it was a previous conversation he had heard?  Whichever way it was I knew the accusations were wrong.  Why would I talk about a little girl I hardly even knew?  And why would I putting our new-found friendship in jeopardy. He certainly confirmed my suspicions of his paranoia.  Praise God the rains were coming so that I no longer had to water the new plants and could keep out of his way.  It certainly makes living opposite him difficult.

However, I was so surprised and delighted when after much prayer, I had a visit from Matt to apologise.  He told me he had been receiving quite a few hand written letters, the last one attached to his door.  They were implying that he and his family should be going to church, or something along that line.  He realised it hadn’t come from me but another church in the area.  I reassured him I’d not be pressuring him or his daughter to attend church.  He told me he does sometimes go to church but didn’t like being told to do so.  I accepted his apology and was told he was very grateful for all the work I had done in his garden and his plans to continue to put coffee grinds in to help the soil.  Praise the Lord for answered prayer for reconciliation and peace between us.

Then about a week later after I had picked some Lilly Pilly berries I thought Matt might like to try some.  His daughter was at the door so I asked her to get her father as I had some berries he might like to try.  Matt arrived and taking one said he would try them first before offering them to his daughter which I thought was wise.  Then within minutes he flew into an angry rage.  I was shocked and confused as he accused me of giving his daughter the berries.  It was about then that his next door neighbour, Gee, drove up.  I backed away from Matt, making an excuse to offer Gee some berries putting the car between us. He continued to rant and rave accusing me of offering the berries to his daughter who might have an allergy to them.  Although I hadn’t given her any berries I said I was sorry several times and stated that I apologise but he wasn’t listening to me, just fuming!  Gee tried to calm him down and reason with him. I eventually walked away leaving him arguing with Gee.  He then took his daughter to another neighbour where he called me a few foul names before finally calming down.  He apologised to Gee that evening and wanted to do the same with me but Gee suggested he wait till the following day. I was pleased he did, as I was feeling very hurt and confused.  Matt came over in the morning with some food, with an apology for his outburst but he realised I wasn’t accepting his excuses as he still blamed me for giving the berries to his daughter. I didn’t reason with him as I was afraid of another outburst!   When I came home that evening he had left me with a potted plant.  Then the following evening he returned to make sure I was ok.  He reeked of alcohol as he was trying to tell me his daughter had told him it wasn’t me who gave the berries but Gee.  I was stunned!  I explained that Gee hadn’t taken any of the berries and he had come AFTER I’d offered them to him!  This guy is delusional!  He kept trying to justify himself and blame Gee, even saying he had to prise the berries out of his daughter’s mouth!  I realised there was no point in trying to correct the situation, just back out and leave it!  It took me some time before he left my doorway, even with me nodding and saying hmm.  Thank God I hadn’t unlocked my front door screen.  I really don’t want anything to do with him if I can possibly help it.  He is so unpredictable.  I’ll just be polite and move on.  Praise the Lord I’ll be away for a while; I’m hoping I can avoid him till l leave.  The last thing I did was keep my promise to plant some of my groundcover in his garden.  That done I feel free from any obligations.

I have two old iPhones which are both operational.  The 4S which is only able to receive incoming calls, I use to receive verification codes. This is very handy, especially when I go overseas so I don’t spend a fortune on roaming to receive these verification so I can pay bills and the like.  I have asked my bank if the code can be sent via an email like some institutions have been using for a secondary verification but, no, this is not an option for the banks.  This old phone started to run out of battery very fast even though I had a new battery put into it in 2017. It now needs to be permanently plugged in to power. This phone I leave in Australia with a trusted friend.  My other phone also old, a 6SE, and its battery also needs constant charging so it was time to buy a new one.  During this time I was also thinking to swap mobile providers.  The one I was with was putting up their prices, I had stuck with them through some troubling times so called to discuss my plan although I had almost made up my mind I was going with AldiMobile.  I was surprised how desperate my original provider was, offering me the same price as the plan I was going to get with Aldi but giving me 30GB instead of the 22GB Aldi was offering.  And on top of this they were offering me a free phone. Well it’s not really, as I would be locked in for 2 years contract and I’m not accustomed to using any phone other than Apple.  Plus I want a small phone not one of those bulky mini computers!  I don’t need a phone to view movies or to play games!  I declined their offer as my eye was on the iPhone 13 mini.

Before going into the Apple store in the CBD I bought more iCloud storage and backed everything up.  It took 24 hrs and still not all the photo files were backed up this took another 3 days!  When in store I spent some time chatting first to the tech genius about a list of questions including iCloud, how to use eSIMs and how to turn off roaming when overseas, and then to a sales rep who talked to me about the phone itself.  He stayed on to help me set up, showing me how to setup face recognition although I chose to still use a pin code.  The reason behind this was that I saw on a TV program someone’s phone being stolen, the person turned around to see what was happening which enabled the thief to open the phone with face recognition before running away!  At least with a pin code once they had figured it out they would have to return to get face recognition before opening any of the other apps.  It was then I hit a snag as I needed my Apple verification code which funnily enough was sent to my old 4S phone which I hadn’t brought with me!  Oh well the rest will need to be done at home.  The rest of the setup went quite smoothly other than needing to reset most of the apps which meant knowing all the password and pin numbers so that they could be saved on the new phone.  It’s such a rigmarole setting up a new phone, it’s no wonder I keep my old ones for so long!

Then next day I rang my phone provider to have the physical SIM changed to an eSIM.  Easy enough you would think.  Well not so! I started at 4pm one afternoon, waited for it to be transferred, my phone was only showing SOS so I couldn’t call the helpline as I had no reception or internet!  Praise the Lord, my neighbour had given me access to her Wi-Fi.  I used this to get on line using their internet chat to ask for help.  I was still there 3hrs later and getting nowhere except tired and cranky! In the end I think they were only messing with me although I’d kept my cool the whole time.  I was asked to go into the ‘Health’ settings on the phone and delete the emergency number!  WHAT!  I asked how this would help.  Then it was suggested I visit the store to get someone there to take a look.  I did but only after my Gardening Basics class which was on that morning.  I finally found someone who knew what to do.  He went into the mobile data and turned off both the SIM settings then reloaded the eSIM.  Praise the Lord it was operational again 30 hrs after I had begun.  I then went shopping for a list of accessories I need for this new phone: a new protective cover, screen protector, new wall charger (as the new phones cord doesn’t have a USB port), headphone adaptor jack (as new phones no longer have earphone sockets because most people use Bluetooth).  And, especially for traveling, a battery pack as public charging stations can be tampered with, causing a virus or Trojan software being uploaded onto your devices.

All stocked up I headed home to check out my purchases.  I was so excited about my new iPhone but struggling to learn the new shortcuts.  I called Apple help line for a few tips and asked why my photos were taking so long and was sent a link for an eBook manual.

With my new Aldi SIM ready to go in I waited till Sunday morning knowing it might take 24-48 hrs to transfer and I was hoping to have it transferred on the 1^st of May.  Nothing like starting a 30 day contract on the first of the month.  But no, it wasn’t to be as the activation came through half way through the morning!  Well it seemed to have come through as my phone was once again showing SOS and no signal.  Then I saw the AldiMobile symbol and a very faint one line data but I could neither call or go on line.  Hmm maybe it took a little longer to get properly set up, 24-48hrs?  I tried turning the phone off and restarting, then taking the SIM out.  Nothing worked.  I went online through the Wi-Fi and sent a ticket from the AldiMobile website. Then in the middle of the night (when I was awake for 3 hrs) I remembered the tech guy from the other network had turned off one SIM from inside Mobile Data on the phone.  So early the next morning I decided to try this.  The first ‘Mobile data’ I tried turning off gave me an immediate response of SOS so I turned it back on and tried the ‘Primary’ SIM.  Hallelujah! That worked.  Turning off one allowed the true SIM to operate at full power.  We were back in the game.  What a relief!  I’m hoping it will be that easy when I take on a SIM while overseas.

Once all was set up, I called Apple for advice on how to turn off roaming, eSIM’s and some tips on using my new 13mini.  I was sent several emails which helped, plus downloaded the manual.  I also booked in a session with Apple support to help sync the music on my computer with my iTunes library.  The woman was very helpful, even sending me more information via email so that I will be able to keep it as a reference.

One week day morning one of the local MPs came to our local shopping centre.  I had a list of things to ask about, which I did.  Now I’m waiting to see if it makes any difference.  By the end of the month there was a guy putting new shower heads on our beach showers.  I was impressed!

The next area for me to work on in getting prepared to go was the house and garden.  I already have the spare room bed and desk covered with clothes and items ready to pack into my suitcase.  I like being well prepared so I can go through things a few times before I leave.  I’ve backed up my computer, arranged for neighbours and friends to pop around to keep an eye on the place and booked my car in to be serviced while I’m gone.  Cut back all the grape vines, organised for people to take some of my pot plants and generally tidied up both inside and out. I also have a team of prayer warriors to support me while I’m away.

One afternoon as I was sweeping my garden path there was movement out of the corner of my eye and low and behold there appeared to be a mini tiger coming down the path.  Usually I frighten cats away but this one was stunning!  Beautiful blue eyes and a spotted tiger coat and so friendly. It has a large tracking devise on its collar which it rubbed off while smooching on my path.  I had to hold her still to reattach it to her collar.  I later heard it’s a breed called Tigris and can cost up to $5,000.00 for just one kitten!  Wow! Where did this one wander in from!

The babies have been growing well.  I have made a new shelter for them as it seems not all of them are permitted into the original abode.  One evening I saw one of the dark-coloured babies curled up under the downpipe.  He looked so cold.  He was still there in the morning so put him inside the new shelter on an old cloth I had warmed in the microwave. He stayed there all morning till the sun had warmed the pavers. I do hope they will use it regularly.  I found out another interesting fact about bobtails: they don’t hibernate as I had thought but come out on warm days to forage for food and warm themselves in the sun. Then one morning I heard a rustling under the pomegranate tree and there he was with a very guilty look on his face!  What are you doing there?  This is not your area!  How did you get out? Oh dear, I think he squeezed out from under the side fence.  Sure enough there was just enough room for a baby to squeeze through. Not for long!  A few planks and bricks closed the gap.  Just hoping I didn’t leave one on the wrong side!  Praise the Lord all safe and accounted for the following morning – sunning themselves.

I’m a little disappointed I will miss the harvest of passionfruit.  The vines have gone mad with huge fruits handing down from the pergola.  Guillermo has promised to keep some of the pulp for me. I’m sure they will share any they have from their vine when it fruits.  I will probably also miss the one and only pomegranate which is still green as I’m sure will ripen while I’m away although I was blessed with a small pawpaw.

Cheryl, from Bali, contacted me, asking if I’d speak with Ria who is teaching simple conversational English to village children. I was a little concerned as, although I was a mothercraft nurse I usually taught parents not their children as well as teaching adults’ in other areas of learning. As we talked I became more confident the Lord would enable me.  I chatted to Hayley at church about material.  Ria also spoke of a family in the village who was wanting to make a vegetable garden, they had just cleared the land ready for planting.  Now that interests me and I’ve thought of different seeds I can take up with me.  Before rushing off to Bunnings I contacted my sister Jen who had a vegie garden when she was in Broome.  I’ll also see if I can buy more seeds when I’m there as local ones will probably have adapted to the area.  What a shame I can’t take some of my worms and start a worm farm.  Writing this has reminded me to empty out all my worm farms and spread the contents around the fruit trees before leaving.  The Bobtail family enjoyed the worms, scurrying over for a free feed along with a platter of fresh fruits.

My next update will be from Indonesia, so stay tuned.

Photos:  1. Passionfruit flower    2. Star Swamp bushfire recovery and Gardening Basics class    3. Matt’s peace offering    4. Ann’s pumpkin    5. Abundance on the passionfruit vine    6. Garden visitor the Tigris     8. Tiger snake or is it a Dugite?    9. Escapee    10. All you can eat smorgasbord

Prayer & Praise Points:

Praise God for His leading as I head to Bali on a new adventure.  Pray with me for His protection, guidance and provision while I’m away.

Praise Him for opening doors, providing opportunity for me to volunteer in different areas.

Please pray I am an asset to those I’m staying and working with.   And for opportunities to share His love with those around me.

Please pray for Jen that she will continue to be safe and well during her adventures and travels in Europe and the UK.  Pray she finds someone to rent her campervan and someone to buy it before she leaves.  She has recently had a wonderful time with her daughter and partner and her son who was visiting.

Let’s continue to pray for world peace and for the refugees who are caught up in the suffering this war has caused, both in Ukraine and Russia.

Please continue to keep my sisters, Tricia, Jen and Kat, in your prayers.  Pray that they will come to know the love of Jesus.