February brought a burst of hot weather, the start of school term, the start of Bible Study groups, barista service for the primary school teachers, and lots of work around the house in preparation for my departure.
The mornings are getting cooler, although after a few cool days it turned hot again. This time, burning many of my plants, including all the top leaves and branches of my two avocado plants and finishing off one of Mum’s transplanted roses. It was of course my favourite scented rose! The hot rays of the sun are now reaching my magnolia which also suffered with burnt leaves. It’s very frustrating having a garden which is in full shade at certain times of the year and the full heat of the sun at others. There doesn’t seem to be a happy medium.
A temporary screen was put up over the magnolia and a more permanent one over the avocados, which I had to cut the tops off to fit. This I’m hoping will encourage them to spread out, not up, making both a broader shade canopy, keeping it low from the prevailing winds and giving easier access to the fruit.
On three occasions I placed buckets under the downpipe to catch the run-off rain water. We have had very little rain this summer and none-what-so-ever being caught on the east side of the roof till end of February. I was hoping to fill my water tank which has been empty since October! During the last and heaviest downpour during the last few days of February, I was collecting rain water when there was a gust of wind blowing the water all over me. My neighbour couldn’t stop laughing. The good news is I now have about ¼ tank of water. I’m very surprised the last heavy storm didn’t fill it as it was gushing at the front!
One morning after my beach swim at 6:30am, I went out around 8am to shop at our local supermarket, when I was confronted with fog! Yes the clouds had rolled in and engulfed the street with a blanketed of low cloud. It hung around for hours. Most peculiar and the first time I have seen it like this in our area. I could actually see the mist swirling around as I walked through it. Quite extraordinary.
Since putting retic through the garden I have had a series of trials – I had to check and replace several sprays as they had either burst off and were spraying everywhere or had the wrong heads for the job. I put in more drippers and micro sprays in the native area to cover some of the plants that I used to water by hand. Then one night around 2am the power went off and reset date and time causing the sprinklers to come on at 2am! I reset the device but didn’t check schedule timing. The ‘A’ program came on at 4:30am went through three stations and then started to repeat the whole process again at 5am. Then just as I was about to walk to the beach at 6:30am ‘B’ program came on! I was furious! What was going on? I had already contacted the help centre by email because I couldn’t connect the system to my phone app. The information they gave didn’t help either. I then phoned the Australian office who called me back and after some discussion to help me fix the programme, I was told that unless I connect to Wi-Fi, I will not be able to link it to the phone app. What’s more, the system will continue to reset the time to the US when the power goes off. He did say he would discuss this glitch at the next board meeting so that it is not sold to customers without Wi-Fi. I then called Andrew who had installed it, to update him. Fortunately Aimee, my new housemate, has decided to put Wi-Fi on when she comes, so she will be able to set up the system to use on a phone app. The power has gone off 4 times since, due to the storms, but I’m used to the system now, as it’s easy to reset.
A few days later, when it was supposed to go on again, it didn’t! Grrrr now what? I turned it on manually. Water was squirting everywhere! Some of the drippers had burst off again! I think there is too much water pressure. I got soaked trying to re-attach them while it was still on! Later I went through all the drippers and the retic programming system again to see what I might have missed previously in setting it up. That night it suddenly dawned on me that the ‘B’ system was supposed to come on every Sat and Wednesday. It was only Tuesday! Oh dear my memory is not as good as it should be, especially when I’m stressing out about things! Then at 3am Wednesday morning when I woke up (and didn’t get back to sleep till after 5am) I turned the retic off so that it didn’t come on at 6:30am and over-water my garden. God willing, this is the last time I have to make adjustments to the program.
I checked the retic for the fernery one more time, changing the screw-in attachments to wedge to see if that stopped the blow outs. I wasn’t sure if it was the pressure or the attachments. Andrew had instructed me to get the screw-in not the wedge but this was obviously the wrong choice. There were a couple of others on other systems that also needed changing. I also changed a few of the sprinkler heads and added more lines to include the rose over the arch. A piece of the rose bush that Andrew had cut off with a root, I planted on the other side of the arch and within days it had sprouted.
In trialling the system again, I called upon a neighbour to help. I needed someone to turn it on and off as I was getting soaked by the connections on the sprinkler pipes as they burst off the retic hoses. Finally after several run-throughs, all seemed to be working well. Now it’s just a test of time. I still have a few more pots to fill in the fern area and some of the potted roses to connect to the retic, but generally it is set to go.
Andrew came back to check but I said it was ok. I thought I might need a gadget to reduce the pressure, but I decided to leave it as is for a while to see how it goes. The same day I get a letter from the Western Power to say the power will be turned off while they were updating our meters. Fortunately it was only the time that needed adjusting.
On one of the power shortages, I checked the time and all was ok, but the next time the retic went on it again started to do the cycle twice! All looked the way it was supposed to on the device so I’m not sure what’s up! I’m still not happy with the choice of some of the sprinklers as it seems water is either sprayed everywhere or there is not enough coming from the drippers. Maybe I should get a second opinion?
After Andrew’s first visit with me helping set up the retic, my back was really playing up. For two nights I had to take anti-inflammatory and massage in some DeepHeat. My neighbour, Kath, then offered me a loan of her Shiatsu massage pillow. I couldn’t believe the difference after only one use. She told me they had been on sale but had all sold out as she had tried to buy another. Then on Sunday I was telling a friend at church about it, who said she would like one if I found one. The next day I called a store in Warwick and was told there were two left. I asked them to put them both aside and went up immediately to collect them. I couldn’t believe the blessings of God’s provision, instead of paying $100 like my friend, they were only $47. God is so good. I’ve even tried it on my hip and felt the results. What a blessing! Cheaper than a massage! I’ve been using it frequently ever since.
One week I had lunch with my neighbour Kath and Jan at my favourite Indian restaurant in Freo, Copper Chimney. Kath and I had our favourite masala dorsa and Jan had Kofta. Jan had once lived in Fremantle and took us for a walk down the street to an organic grocery store looking for goat’s milk to make Kefir from the starter I had given her. There wasn’t any, so we drove to another store, Peachers, but still couldn’t find any. She later told me she found some the following day, closer to home.
My washing machine, which had given me problems with its lid until I partly dismantled it, had another breakage, this time the lint catcher. I was pleased to have found the part on line and called a local dealer who ordered it in for me. One more thing set in order for Aimee.
I was making a list of things both in the house and in the garden to help Aimee know the idiosyncrasies of both areas. What to look for and tips on fixing or avoiding problems, where to find the operation manuals or a tradesman.
During this time I was watching my diet, trying to find out what was causing my tummy to complain. I had cut out garlic, which instantly reduced the flatulence. Then onion, which also helped. I was surprised when I cut out coconut water, which I had been drinking while avoiding dairy to test for lactose intolerance. A sudden turn around, no more explosive bowels. I was still eating coconut yogurt, but when I cut that out, my tummy stopped grumbling and settled down further. I also started sleeping better. Its amazes me how much our gut affects the whole body, moods and sleep! Mind you, I’m still very tired early in the morning and often crawl back to bed before 10am.
Diet-wise I really think going on the FODMAP diet, as my doctor suggested, would be the next step but this cuts out so many wonderful foods. I’m trying slowly to cut certain foods out to find out which in particular make a difference. One of my challenges is that it’s now fig season and these are definitely NOT good for my poor gut! I’m slowly eating through all the foods in my pantry and fridge that I shouldn’t be eating. Once it’s all gone, I’ll try my best to keep to the FODMAP diet. FODMAP = Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Plyols which are carbohydrates and sugar alcohols that are poorly absorbed by the body causing digestive problems. The funny thing is, before I knew I was lactose intolerant (part of the FODMAP intolerances), Jan went on a diet and emptied out her fridge of all her milk products! Praise the Lord some of the cheeses she gave me are within the diets restrictions as lactose is found mostly in the whey. My doctor recently tested me and found I was lactose intolerant. I’m so sick of having digestive problems, I’ve decided on a season of prayer and fasting. This will not only give my gut a rest and enable it to recover, but will call upon the Lord’s mercy to completely set me free from this dreaded curse.
Jan, one of my Mum’s neighbours, and I have been catching up whenever I go out to Bunnings or doing an interesting shop. I have been asking her if she would like to come along for an outing, or call her before I go to the beach in the mornings. One day she was around visiting me when she received a phone call and went outside to answer it. While outside she sat on Mum’s ceramic table. Neither of us knew quite why she did as there was a chair close by. It broke the top, which was a delicate ceramic mosaic glued onto a cement board. I think Mum had drawn the design into the cray before firing it then gluing it together with what seemed to be cement. The whole thing ended up in little pieces like a jigsaw. Jan was devastated. She came frequently for the next couple of weeks trying to piece it together. 
What made it extra difficult was we had no photo of it and it is circular with part of the edge pieces was missing. I really don’t like jigsaw puzzles, but Jan was struggling and loosing heart. I had tried to find a photo of the design,, but that was one of the only pieces of pottery I didn’t have a photo of. In the end I felt sorry for her and together we sat down one morning and, with much prayer, it finally began to fall into place. We were both aware that the Lord was guiding our hands as parts suddenly fitted together. From struggling for days, to finishing it within the morning was truly a miracle. We were both praising the Lord as pieces slotted together. I was so relieved it was finally finished. It truly is a masterpiece even with the missing pieces. Kath my neighbour, who used to do mosaics, offered to cut something to fit the missing pieces. Then days later she told me of some Hardie-board that was in a skip bin down the road. I rescued a piece which will do the job perfectly. One again the Lord has provided.
I bought another e-book this month and decided to see if it had loaded on my old iPad. I like reading on the iPad as it has much larger print than my phone and is still portable. I tried several times to load the Kindle but the app wouldn’t open! I called Apple, then Amazon to ask if they could help. Apple told me I needed to update the iPad but then said it was too old to update. Amazon said to delete the old and reinstall the new, but of course that didn’t work as the new would need a new Apple-update. Oh well, looks like it’s come to the end of its usefulness. Something else to throw out. It just seems such a waste! We live in such a disposable society.
One Monday, I had a visit from a draftsman to take measurements for the built-in-wardrobe. After seeing my neighbour’s renovations I knew this could be the ideal plan to store my things and clean out the master bedroom for Aimee. One afternoon I asked a neighbour to help me move the small wardrobe into the carport so I could sell it. With that out of the room I had a little more room to slowly inch by inch, move things around. I was determined to do it that night before I went to bed, and as I didn’t have help, I did it on my own. I moved my bed and a large chest of draws from one side of the room to the other, making room for the new built-in. I had decided what I needed was a wardrobe with three sliding doors (as there was no room for normal doors), one mirror and two wooden. At one end I wanted drawers and shelves, with two long shelves running the length of the top with hanging space behind the other two doors.
I had been given a name of a cabinet maker at church who suggested I go through the company he works for. I was pleasantly surprised as it was half the cost of two others I had inquired with. The measurements were taken and a discussion on two or three tracks for the sliding door and door finishings, etc. That night, after more thought, I decided to go with three instead on two tracks for the sliding doors as I’m sure that not being able to fully open up the central part of the cupboard would frustrate me after awhile. Better to pay a bit extra now and get what I want.
All the companies I inquired with were very busy and unable to come for 6-8 weeks, which was very disappointing. I was wanting to clean things out and get rid of all the things that were cluttering up the house. Then, I’m told the guy from church could come and do a special deal one Saturday. Hallelujah! Thank you Jesus!
I’ve asked my electrician to do a few jobs for me too. I needed the power point moved, where the wardrobe was going and I wanted the power point on the sensor light to be changed back to being two-way so I could turn it on from either inside the house or from the carport, if returned home in the dark. And while he was here, he might as well put a ceiling fan in the master bedroom, which I couldn’t afford to do when I had the others put in. Then the unit manager asked for half the payment for the water safety valve that was recently put in by my plumber because her plumber friend hadn’t done it properly the first place. Safety valves had been put into all the units, paid for by corporate body finance and because a pressure valve was not put into mine at the time I then had ongoing problems with the water constantly going off, both in the kitchen and then later in the bathroom taps. I wasn’t impressed and felt it should be paid for in full by the corporate body, especially now, as I have to correct the problem her electrician friend did, having lied to me saying the two-way switch could NOT be replaced!
I’ve also been in touch with a guy at church who does handyman jobs. I had a list of things that need doing before I leave, including hanging my beautiful mosaic. This has been a challenge, as I’m not really sure how to hang it as I can’t find clips that are big enough. The first time Don came, he hung some of Mum’s pictures and fixed the kitchen window where the glass has come out of the frame. Unfortunately we couldn’t replace the runner on the glass sliding door, which is worn down, as we couldn’t get the door off! Poor design. He took home my mosaic and the dining room chairs which have become a bit wobbly, to work on them there before returning to help me hang more paintings. During his visit, I removed and fitted a lock to my bedroom door.
To keep my place cool during these hot days I have learnt to open everything up overnight to let the cool breeze in and to close all the windows and curtains during the day to keep the heat out. It works really well. When the days are scorchers, I’ve hardly used the air conditioning except for a few hours in the afternoon just to lower the indoor temperatures. Because of this my neighbour asked me a favour.
I’m not sure if it’s known that I prefer Australia to have and keep its own traditions and dislike the way many other (mostly materialistic) festivals and celebrations have crept in. One of these is Valentine’s Day. Ironically my neighbour asked me to look after a box of red roses she had been given from work (she works for a florist). Her unit has no insulation and the air conditioning was not working so to help her roses last longer she asked if I could keep them at my place. God has a sense of humour! His love to me on Valentines day.
Mid-February, after doing a lot of research and digging out the dead trunk of my pomegranate, I decided it was to be replaced by a Jujube. I was looking for a deciduous tree that would bear fruit and was tough enough to survive the hot, salty winds, which is what finally burnt to a crisp the struggling pomegranate. It had been in the garden for years but when I removed a large bush which had obviously been sheltering it, it struggled to stay alive. Each year more and more branches were affected by the scorching hot, salt-laden winds.
I chose the Jujube because I was told they don’t mind the salt and were heat tolerant too. My only concern now is the strong winds, as the branches that bear fruit don’t look very sturdy. I asked Jan if she would like to join me in a drive to Gidgegannup, which is about 45 minutes east from my place. I had been promised I could try the fruit before buying so I might know which variety I’d like. Unfortunately, not all the varieties were ripe. They found a Chico, which I was told was the best fruit for taste when fresh and can also be dried. It was about the size of a golf ball and tasted a bit like a crunchy apple. I was very impressed to know the little tree bears fruit in the first year. I chose a plant that didn’t have too many fruits as I wanted it to put its energy into growing first. Jim, the owner, gave me a few tips on growing Jujube. He suggested I keep the tree pruned to about 2 meters making it easier to pick the fruit. Jujube have amazing health properties and have been used in Chinese medicine for many years. They can be eaten fresh from the tree or left on the tree to dry and eaten like a date.
I still wanted a pomegranate tree but decided it would be better planted in the courtyard, which is a little more sheltered. Since the mango which had been there had suddenly died. I was pleasantly surprised to see within a week of planting my new pomegranate it had produced two branches of flowers!
Liam, who I mentioned previously said he would try to find a day when he and Greg were able to help me with the limestone steps I wanted. I called in to his place while walking back from my Tuesday barista duties at church. Liam was able to bring the stones that afternoon, but Greg was working. Fortunately limestone, being porous is much lighter than the stones in my wall which are cement and limestone mix. I was able to carry the smaller two stones which completed my wall, making it into a path to the upper garden. Liam lifted the heavier stone over the wall and into place where it will be holding the soil back from the next level. Being rather pedantic, I had to move it to dig it in lower, to be level with the paving I had already in place. Boy! It was rather heavy but eventually in place. It looks so much better than the bricks I had there.
This month, the first time after buying Mum’s car, I was shamed into washing it! I saw Kath cleaning hers, she said she cleaned it every month and when was I going to clean mine as it was filthy? I had to totally agree. The dusty streaks down the windscreen were a dead giveaway.
Residents have continued to have sensor light problems (that is all but me, as I had insisted mine could be switched off so the sensor only came on when I needed it), some having to put cardboard over the lights as the constant flashing off and on kept waking them. Unfortunately the unit manager is overseas, so they haven’t been fixed. I’m hoping when she gets her electrician back to change them all to be like mine, he will also fix my two-way switch!
Kath asked me if I would like to join her and some of the past residents for lunch one Sunday at Elizabeth Quay. I haven’t been there since it’s been finished and had planned to go someday. She wanted to go to an eatery which offered vegetarian food, which you just give an offering for. The food was passable but nothing to rave about. I was very grateful that it had neither garlic nor onions. After lunch we visited the new Ritz hotel and were shown around several of the different venues. It was really spectacular, only $400 per night!
Re posting some of my items for sale, I have sold a few more things in an attempt to clean out the excess from my place. Most of Mum’s pottery has gone now and a few of my things. I’m still waiting on someone to buy the cello, which Kat brought over. Any offers?
Photos: 1. Succulent flower, 2. Fog along North Beach foreshore, 3. Guardians of the retic 4. Masala Dorsa, 5. Mum’s ceramic table top, 6. Roses, 7. Jujube, 8. Pomegranate flowers, 9. Path to fern garden. 10, Kath, Alison and me at the Ritz Hotel garden.
Prayer & Praise Points:
Praise the Lord for His guidance, provision and abundant blessings this February. For good health, protection, strength, leading and wisdom as I look to Him to provide for this coming year.
Please continue to pray for Kat as she recovers from surgery. She is settling into her new home in Cairns, having had a visit from Jen to help her while she was unable to drive, lift or carry. Pray that they will both come to know the Lord.
Please continue to pray that my three sisters, Tricia, Jen and Kat and their families will come to know the Lord and for reconciliation and forgiveness between Tricia and the rest of us.
Thank you all for your prayers as I prepare for Thailand. Please pray that I will soon receive the paperwork for my Thai visa and for accommodation when I arrive.
Pray also that prayer and fasting will bring healing to my digestive tract.
Praise the Lord for His provisions, enabling me to do a few things around the house, making it easier for Aimee to look after both house and garden while I’m away.
Please continue to pray for the success of the business, Senior’s Benefits and Rewards. We are about to launch after a trial period. If you know any seniors who might be interested in becoming a member, please direct them to our website to sign up to either the free or paid membership. https://seniorsbenefitsrewards.com.au/
Thank you to all my supportive friends and prayer partners; this journey would certainly be a lonely one without you. It’s also reassuring and encouraging to know you are standing with me in prayer.