Setbacks and Encouragement

November started a little stressful due to some complications that arose before the scuba lessons.  I had booked my original dive doctor’s appointment, but then had to cancel it due to my ongoing cough and my concern that I wouldn’t pass the lung capacity test; FVC and FEV (Forced Vital/Expired Capacity). I rescheduled for the following week, then suddenly remembered the issue with my eye!  Oh dear, I hoped it was ok to dive with a scar on my retina!  I called the Lion’s Eye Institute, who said they would get back to me.  That was on a Friday and of course they are closed over the weekend.  I called again on the Monday and then about 4 times on Tuesday as my medical was on the Wednesday and I was desperate to hear back from the ophthalmologist before my appointment.  Feeling rather anxious I called on prayer and went to bed.  I was considering cancelling the doctor’s appointment and the lessons if I didn’t hear back in time as I didn’t want to take the risk. Wednesday morning I received an email saying; “Good Morning Sally, Sorry for the delay in reply. Dr Chen says: No physical restriction required for her eye condition. Scuba diving is fine. Kind regards, Medical Secretary.

Praise the Lord, what a wonderful answer to prayer.  Little did I know there were more challenges ahead! Later that morning I had a call from the doctor’s surgery. My second appointment with the dive doctor was cancelled on the day of the appointment as they didn’t have the spirometer which measures the amount of air you are about to breath in and out and the time it takes to exhale completely after a deep breath. What! Panic! I rang the dive school to ask for another location for a dive doctor and rang two more clinics.  Praise the Lord I was able to get an appointment for the day before my lessons started. What a palaver!  I was sure all this effort would pay off once I was able to enjoy the scuba diving.

At this appointment I was given several tests including hearing, where I was informed that I was quite deaf in my left ear.  I kind of knew this as I have very noisy tinnitus!  It was after my spirometer test that the doctor told me he couldn’t pass me due to my having asthma. The pass reading was 75% and my best reading was only 62%.  I was so disappointed and angry, as the doctor informed me that he couldn’t pass me if I had ANY form of asthma!  I thought I had childhood asthma but was told asthma was asthma no matter what time of life you have it. I had now paid for the doctor plus the course, plus my pool entries!  I wasn’t happy!

I rang the dive centre who reassured me I’d get part of the money back for the course but not the online lessons of $100.  At first I thought this was reasonable but after hearing about, and inquiring into ‘free diving’ lessons, I received an email with a list of medical conditions which I needed my GP to sign off on, including asthma, I realised that the original scuba inquiry had not given me this advice prior to paying for the course.  Had I been given this information initially, I would have saved myself all the stress and the financial outlay, as my GP would never have signed off on the medical.  Because my friend Janice was now doing the course, delaying the last two days as she needed private classes, I decided not to do anything about the refund until she finished later in the month.

During the first week of November, Janice had flown down from Newman.  I’d stayed with her while visiting Newman with the Hearn’s in October 2020. It was my turn to return the favour. The first two days she stayed in the city catching up with all the things a country girl does when they come to town. I picked her up Wednesday evening, stopping in Floreat for satay and noodles.  We had planned to do our scuba lessons together but now with me not passing my medical, it had thrown a spanner in the works. I dropped her at the dive school in Hillarys on the Friday morning before heading to my drawing class at Share In, held at church. I also had time to cook a lovely pulled pork dinner for us before picking her up. It was then she told me she had cancelled the following two days and was coming back later in November to complete the course privately. This freed us up to attend the Saturday morning prayer group at the Hearn’s home where Janice spoke about the work at Martu Farm and the ministry to the Martu people at Newman through Red Dirt Blue Sky.

Sunday after church we joined a group of ladies for lunch, which was a lovely way for Janice to meed some of my friends.  We had been hoping to catch up with Frances and Bill on Sunday evening but things didn’t quite go to plan as we were waiting around the side of my place for them to arrive and unfortunately we missed them calling as we didn’t hear the front door bell.  Checking it later I realised the battery was flat!  Never mind, Janice is returning later this month.

On Monday Janice spoke again on life in Newman working with the Martu people at my Bible study group, which was very interesting.  Monday afternoon we went back into town to collect a prescription she had ordered when at the hotel in town.  We stayed for a Chinese dinner then headed home for an early night as Janice had decided to return to the Pilbara early.  We were up just after 4am. I kept out of her way so she could get ready and finish packing.  I reminded her several times that we had to leave as I hoped to leave by 5:15am.  It had been raining and was still pouring with rain as we pulled out of the driveway closer to 5:30am.  Although we were still early I was concerned about the traffic especially in the wet weather.  And rightly so as the roads were already choked with vehicles.  Half way there we turned on the GPS to see if there was a quicker way off the freeway where traffic had nearly come to a standstill. We found an exit which fortunately took us a bit quicker before bringing us back to the freeway just where the problem was.  A huge puddle of water crossing the highway had brought traffic to a slow crawl. From this point on it was smooth sailing. We had aimed to be at the airport by 6am and arrived just after. I had prayed that the rain would stop when we arrived which it did, Thank you Jesus. Janice had plenty of time to unload and enter the airport before the next down pour.  I arrived home just before 7am, giving me plenty of time for breakfast before joining the early morning coffee team to deliver a hot brew to the teachers at the primary school.

With my companion gone it was very quiet at home, the past events caught up with me leaving me feeling flat and despondent. I pushed myself back into my routine, busying myself in my garden There’s plenty to do.  I repotted some of my water plants, making a new waterproof pot below the mermaid to replace the pond with the fountain which no longer worked. Into this I planted a Penny Wort which has lovely little round leaves making it look like a small waterlily pond.  The new Rosie Barb has since settled in with the other fish who are all enjoying the lovely waterlily leaves which they hide under or swim between.  I’ve have had three beautiful waterlilies bloom thus far.  I found some old dripper hose and set that up around my newly planted water plants, then realised the next time the sprinkler system went on that it was squirting everywhere as the droppers no longer worked as they should!  Some strategically positioned rocks helped redirect the flow into the pots and digging it into the soil also helped.

One week I decided it was time to do some kitchen duties and make some more kimchi and marmalade.  It takes a day to soak the cabbage and the sliced lemons for the marmalade to soak out the bitterness from the skins.  The following day the lemons were cooked till they jelled.  While they were simmering I prepared the kimchi, coating the cabbage with my special concoction before pressing it into large jars. They then sat in the cupboard for a few days before I refrigerated them ready for eating. It’s so rewarding making and storing your own products. I’ve had quite a few tomatoes off one bush and have planted two more that have sprung up in other parts, probably from the compost.  I bought a punnet of zucchini seedlings, giving two away to my neighbour who unfortunately forgot about them.  Mine are still doing well so, God willing, I’ll be able to give her some of the fruit off mine.  The silver beet is growing well especially now that I have put more mulch around them.  A few weeks later I bought some eggplants and red okra, yes red.  I had asked for green but it seems they only have the Red burgundy variety in at the moment. I’m hoping they are just as tasty.  I tidied up all the poppies, saving the seeds to give away as I’m sure there are plenty scattered around my garden already.

I’m a bit stumped with how to get the cage around the fig tree.  Glenda was able to help me get it up so far but then I needed someone stronger to drill some holes in the brick wall to attach the wire netting to the wall.  I just don’t have the upper body strength to do it myself. I also needed some help to get the netting over the remainder of the frame, which is much higher and requires the use of a ladder, which is difficult to position as it’s in the garden around the fig tree which is now covered with enormous leaves and starting to form fruit.  This makes it difficult to ask for help too as it needs to be someone who understands the need to take care of the plants and ‘please don’t tread on the plants, watch those branches don’t snap!’  I have decided to leave the last bit of netting and just throw over a nylon net till the tree drops its leaves this winter and I can cut back the branches to remain within the frame.

My drawing class at ShareIn is quickly coming to an end.  I’ve finished one drawing of Mum and Dad in their younger days and I have now started on an earlier photo of myself as my final piece before packing it in for a while.

I am thrilled to be able to announce that I have been accepted into the TAFE course on Horticulture next year, which is very exciting. I was thinking of doing it part time but after chatting to the lecturer she encouraged me to start full time and see if I can handle a full day and if not then switch to part time. I’ve become so accustomed to doing activities in small bursts with breaks in between that I am a bit concerned I will find a full day might result in overexerting myself. The good news is that it’s not a full week but only three full days.

I have no longer attempted to keep my swimming up now that I don’t need to be swim-ready till just before our trip.  On one of my last visits to Scarborough I spotted a car covered with Bible verses.  I’m not sure if I would be game to drive something so obvious around but was impressed that someone else was.  Not that I’m ashamed of proclaiming my love for Christ but I’d be so conscious of messing up on the roads and being a bad witness!

One lovely thing result of not being able to scuba dive is that I will now be able to spend more time snorkelling with my friend Vi-Lay.  I took my mask and snorkel to the beach a few mornings so I could practice breathing through a snorkel.  The weather is getting warmer, as is the sea.  At the beginning of November when swimming it felt like I was plunging into ice water straight from the Antarctic!  Then suddenly mid-November, the water overnight was much warmer.  What a blessing to live so close to the ocean.  It’s such a lovely way to start the day with a cold dip in the sea.  I thank the Lord daily for the blessings of living where I am between bush and sea.

Another course I applied for was a two day program on Production Nursery Skills. I thought this would be a good introduction not only to the Certificate III in Horticulture but also for an orientation around the Joondalup TAFE. Completing the course will also get me some credits towards certificate III. I asked Ida to help out with the barista duties on the Tuesday while I was at class so as not to leave them shorthanded.  I packed some snacks, fresh fruit and a large thermos of iced coffee to keep me going. We had been asked to take PPE such as steel capped boots, fluoro shirt/vest, safety glasses (which I didn’t have) plus gardening gloves, hat, long sleeve pant and shirt. I was able to borrow the fluoro shirt and hoped my leather walking shoes would suffice, they did.  We also needed an A4 lecturing notepad, red/black/blue pens, pencil, eraser, USB, camera or smart phone. On the Tuesday morning I drove there early so that I could pick up and pay for a student parking ID which I had applied for online. Arriving before 8am I had to wait for the offices to open up but this gave me time to look around, familiarising myself with the campus. I had been given the wrong information over the phone about the parking ID as I only needed to sign myself in with my car rego because I was only there for two days.  At least I knew what to do for next year when I’m here full time.

There were only six students in our class which was great.  Our teacher, George was a very knowledgeable chap who had taught as well as worked in horticulture for many years. Unfortunately, because he is unwilling to receive the Covid vaccine, he is unable to continue teaching next year. Although I’m not against the vaccine, I don’t believe the government or anyone should make it mandatory.  It seems more and more our freedom of choice is being taken from us.

Anyway, I really enjoyed my two days working with plants. It took me awhile to relax to Georges teaching style.  As many of you know I get very frustrated with waffle, just get to the point, we don’t need all the background story! But waffle was George’s style.  There was a lot to get through and it seemed we would not have time to complete our manual. The Lord had put me in a position to learn more patience and I wasn’t comfortable doing it! But who was I to kick against the pricks?  Then I realised there were large sections in our manual that we’d skip.  This enabled us to cover parts that would be in the evaluation sheets. We had quite a bit of practical lessons too.  Learning to take and pot cuttings and seeds as well as air-layering which George explained was not done on hard wood as the students in the other class had done. There were many things I picked up NOT to do, including from students in the horticultural classes. I was starting to think we were all going to be worse off without George teaching next year!  At the end of the course we all took home some coriander seedlings and a few other things.  I met Joe, one of the students, on the first day and offered him a lift home as he lived in Scarborough not far from me.  On our drive he told me he was doing the same course as me next year although George had suggested we both do the Circ II instead of Circ III.  Joe had done other courses which had given him the necessary points qualifying him entry into Circ III. I told him I’d done a Bachelor in Ministry which had qualified me, although I was considering taking up George’s suggestion. Joe than asked if I was a Christian, this led to us both sharing how we had come to Christ. The following day I got to know Lauren, another student and found out she too was a Christian.  This meant half the class were Christians! That is most unusual. We exchanged phone numbers and promised to keep in touch. I also exchanged contact details with Natalie and invited her around to see my garden and exchange seeds and plants.

Nat came around Sunday afternoon with so many seeds she was willing to share with me. Some very rare types as well as common plants she had bought online.  She gave me a seed for giant pumpkins, I mean the 1000 lbs/450kg pumpkins! After some thought I decided to give the seed to Janice for Martu Farm as it would be far too big for my small garden!  Some of the other seeds Natalie gave me were GM strawberries (which also grow large, maybe not quite as big as the pumpkins though. LOL) camomile, sage, spearmint, lemon balm and others.  Most of the seeds I provided were flowers; stocks, poppies, Hoyas and lettuce.

Monday and Tuesday Janice was back in town. We had two full days of racing around getting things done before her return home. Bible Study group in the morning, then a loop around from Karrinyup to Wangara for wheel alignment, a visit to the Lily Farm where I couldn’t resist buying ANOTHER water plant, this one looked like grass!  Then called in to Bunnings and once again I can’t resist looking at the plants. This is when I bought the Red Burgundy Okra, Janice bought a heap of plants to take back to Newman with her.  Stopped off at Kingsway for my $15 summer haircut before returning home exhausted!

Tuesday we were both up early; Janice was off to do her scuba lessons and I was helping out with the coffees for the teachers.  Glenda came for our usual iced coffee lunch date in my garden before her appointment at the school where she mentors a child once a week.  Janice then returned and we were off again, this time in the other direction to Ikea and Bunnings again en route home.  This time I found a water holding pot for my new water plant and Janice found some rattan screens for the garden. I had planned to visit Chemist Warehouse but had forgotten my phone which I use for payments so will have to leave it till I’m out this way again.  That afternoon we stopped off for an early farewell dinner at Tom’s, overlooking the ocean. Janice packed her car well into the night so that she could rise early and just leave.  It takes around 12 hours to drive from Perth to Newman.

Photos:  1. One of Mum’s roses    2. Car with scripture verses    3. Prayer breakfast    4. Bible study group    5. Kimchi     6. Jen and family    7. TAFE class    8. Me at Lily Farm    9. Janice at Tom’s

Prayer & Praise Points:

Praise the Lord for the beautiful swimming weather we are having and the intermittent rain throughout November to help the garden before the start of the heat.

Please pray for the safety of all over this Christmas period that families can come together across our great country.  For safety on the roads and from the virus as people begin to move around as the restrictions lift.

Praise the Lord for friends and family as we gather together to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Praise the Lord for the wealth we have in Australia and pray for those who are not so well off and are going without this time of the year.

Pray also for families and the tensions that often occur during this time.

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