Foolhardy choices make for difficult days, but still there's beauty...

A 48-hour migraine this past weekend literally took my breath away, leaving me exhausted physically and mentally when it finally subsided early Monday morning. It was all my own fault as I ate some orange in fruit salad two days in a row at the end of last week, and apart from our seasonal hot/humid/cloudy weather patterns which cause most of my pain issues, oranges are the worst of all my migraine triggers. Silly me. I love oranges, but from childhood they have not liked me, and there is always a price to pay.

I thought I'd just indulge the once when adding half an orange to our Thursday morning fruit salad breakfast, but tempted by my tastebuds and ignoring the twitch which had developed in my right eye, Friday mornings fruity bowl also contained a half orange. I knew my head would take me on a path I'd rather not follow, but was fairly sure it would only last 8-10 hours...but this time it reached new heights. So much so that I have no more desire to ever eat an orange. Only took me five decades.

Just before the sun set on Sunday evening I walked around the garden with my camera to capture some beauty, some aspects of gratitude, some miracles that had almost perished over our very long summer, and others which began as tiny seeds. Away from the glare of sunlight which was too much for my head and eyes even as the migraine began to wind down, I was able to appreciate those small pops of colour, the lush green of new life - and to see the results of my husband's diligent work to bring abundance to what was once a rather barren quarter acre.

Lately my sweet man has been spending extra hours after work building raised garden beds from discarded wooden palettes a local firm were happy for him to take away. So far the completed beds are growing burgundy beans, cucumbers, zucchini and chocolate capsicum, with two more ready to be filled with new seedlings later in the week.

He also surprised me with this flower and herb planter which leans against the fence beside the vibrant pink bougainvillea. I was so happy because this is something I've wanted for a very long time...

It's now filled with zinnias and verbena and scattered rocket, coriander, lettuce and chamomile seeds between. So far things are thriving and I pray everything continues to flourish now that the late autumn heat has cooled to an average of 29 C (85 F) every day.

I have planted a lot of coriander around the garden because along with parsley, chives and basil it is our most used herb. Finally the seeds have sprouted and soon we'll not have to buy it at the grocers.

One of spots where baby rocket has made an appearance...

...and a new lot of basil sprouted from last year's seeds will soon be planted out into the garden beds.

In the front yard we have five large Kent pumpkins on the self seeded vine with more appearing every few days. You know, it's been my dream to grow pumpkins for around 30 years now...and finally that dream has come true. It was joy to hand pollinate (thank you to those ladies who shared this technique) because even though we have a lot of bees in the morning primrose bush nearby I wanted to be sure of reaping my first pumpkin harvest.

Finding beauty amidst the pain truly nourished my soul, and as the last of this pain drifted away on Monday morning it was to reading the Bible that my thoughts returned, most especially to the psalms which I sat quietly and read for a long while after my beloved went to work.

"I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;

in the night also my heart instructs me.

I have set the LORD always before me;

because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;

my flesh also dwells secure."

(Psalm 16:7-9)

I'm sure there will be more times in the future when my own actions will again result in consequences I'd rather not experience, but perhaps not as often? I pray for the Holy Spirit to keep teaching me, to keep refining my character, to nudge me harder when I lean away from what I know is right.

About an hour before I began to write this post my right eye began to twitch again and I can feel a new tightening behind both eyes, a sure sign the migraine is not really gone but was just slumbering for a while...so I'm going to take a break from the blog for the rest of the week and let my body rest and restore with simple meals, lots of water and chamomile tea. It really has been an extra long summer...September to May...and I'm not so young anymore. Recoveries take a little bit longer these days and that's a good thing I imagine. For in the quiet restorative seasons the still small voice of God is just a tad more distinct.

Loving hugs

Results, a free stitchery and the Homemakers Heart...

I first shared this pattern a couple of years ago and the recipient was my sweet Blossom who has it hanging in her sewing space as a reminder of my love for her, and also as a reminder of Who loves her most...our precious Jesus.

This past week I have soaked myself in love. 

The love of God.

The love of my husband.

The love of two daughters.

The love of two granddaughters and a dear grandson. 

Over the weekend I stitched this again for myself and it's hanging right above my desk where I can daily be reminded of Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 13:8

In times of trial there's no greater comfort or strength than to be held tightly in the LOVE of those who care deeply for you, those who put your own well being above their own, those who truly know the depths of your heart and how important it is to feel secure.

You see the test results on my heart weren't good and though I've known for many days now, I simply needed time to let everything sink in and make my peace with it before telling you. In fact, there was a huge part of me that simply didn't want to because to be honest, this feels very private and I would prefer to keep it that way for now. But my inbox fills with emails asking how am I and what were the test results...your concern is so warm and caring. I've chosen not to respond because re-running the same reply to so many people is time consuming and doesn't allow me to be free of the 'thinking' involved. Please forgive me if you were one who emailed and I did not reply.

The stress test needed to be stopped as my heart did some crazy things and it has taken many days to recover, though I'm still quite weak and needed the nitro glycerine spray yesterday. As of now I'm awaiting an angiogram hopefully before the end of February and have been classed Category 1 (most urgent)...but as I am only a public patient there is natural delay for treatment. 

Once the angiogram is done the cardiologists will decide on the correct procedure to hopefully set my heart on the path of healing, or at least aid in the correction of it's health so I can get about again and breathe without the labouring I currently experience.

So that's all I want to say about it. My life is in the hands of the Great Doctor, the One who made me, the One whom I worship and serve, the One who knows intimately what's not functioning as it should in every part of our lives. He shall carry me through this valley, as He has carried me through many valleys before. How blessed I am.

If you would like to stitch 'Love Never Fails' you can...

DOWNLOAD THE FREE PATTERN HERE

Now, let's talk about other things, like some very pretty visitors to our garden over the weekend.

It's been hot and humid, or wet and hot and humid, so we've had a mix of weather and of birds.

This gorgeous Red Backed Parrot surprised us at breakfast the other day. He's been here once before but that was many months ago. Isn't he striking with his luminous colours against the backdrop of our palm trees...

I've learned to keep my camera close by when we're having breakfast out back because there's always something wonderful to see.

I'm glad hubby moved our old clothesline to the other side of yard as it's in the perfect position the get good photos of our visiting bird life. The corellas and cockatoos (and other parrots) can't resist perching on a Hills Hoist, and fortunately for me they never poo on my washing because they only sit on the metal rungs and not the hanging lines.

During the scattered rain showers our visitors dwindled to just rainbow lorikeets who seem to enjoy the gentle watering from above...

As you can see in the photo above I didn't get around to making that peg apron after all. It was a busy week with health but I'm hopeful of making a start this week, though slowly. But that's it you know, reminding myself  (and you?) that there's no rush. Do as you are able, when you are able, and with what you have on hand if possible.

Another beautiful visitor was one of my regulars, though up to this point I've not been able to get a photo of one because they buzz loudly in and out of the blooming trees at a pace I cannot meet.

You know, I often pray to God for an opportunity to photograph the wonderful wildlife He brings into our garden, and He gives me so many, but never have I been able to capture one of a Great Carpenter Bee.

Until this weekend.

When a female (the prettiest of these bees) landed on a wooden stake Mr E had placed in the ground just near our bird feeder she stayed there for five whole minutes...what a miracle.

Great Carpenter Bees are the largest bees in Australia with a body around one inch long. They live solitary lives, burrowing into dead limbs of trees to nest. 

Where I live that's predominantly mango tree limbs which explains why I see them regularly in our yard as our town is pretty much one huge mango farm with many homes shaded by more than one large tree.

In the kitchen our move to ovo-vegan is going wonderfully, and to be honest this has been the biggest surprise. It's been easy, delicious and so good for our bodies (and prayerfully it will be great for my heart).

I did have a migraine over the weekend, which since going vegan a month ago is only the second one. Compared to 12- 16 migraines a month before this I am excited to have a positive health result amidst everything else.

Having never made 'real' lemon curd before I decided to try a vegan version and wow, how yummy it was! Quite tart in flavour, we had it inside a thin nutty base and leftovers have been put aside for spreading on sour dough.

Chia pudding with raw cacao is full of protein and vitamin C so I'm back to making this again, which when served over the fruit salad we have eaten every day for breakfast since moving here, is quite yummy indeed.

Regarding the Homemakers Heart tasks of the past two weeks - cleaning, decluttering and re-organising your kitchen drawers - how did you go??

I'm so glad that I began with that task because as the kitchen is the centre of our home it seems everything is running smoother with regards to meal preparation because I have less 'stuff' now, and what I do have is useful and worth the space it takes up in my drawers and cupboards.

As I am on strict rest at the moment my next task is small, one that I can sit on a small footstool and do - cleaning under the kitchen sink.

Now you may think, "Jenny, that's not too bad"...but you can't see the stuff shoved behind and how many things are crammed into that red tub. 

So this next week I shall clean under my kitchen sink and make a start on that peg apron, which I have decided needs two extra side pockets for collecting the eggs each day from our hens. Our two girls are wonderful layers, giving us around a dozen free range and bright yellow-yolked eggs each week.

Here's the fabric I'll use, found it at Lincraft last year on clearance for $4 a metre. So I bought three metres. Why? No idea! But I'm sure there'll be enough left for a table cloth after the Peg-Egg Apron (don't you love that name!) is made so that may be the best way to make use of it all.

I think it will look cute, don't you?

This week's task:

Are you going to take up the challenge this week and clean under your kitchen sink area?

How about giving the sink itself a good scrub too? I line my sink with a sheet of aluminium foil, scatter a cup of bicarb soda over it, and then pour boiling water over everything to cover. 

Leave it for about ten minutes, then turn on the cold water tap to cool everything down. Remove the aluminium foil and discard. Give the sides of the sink a good scrub and pull the plug. 

Rinse the sink and wipe dry. Sparkling! 

BONUS - revive your silver jewellery:

Oh, and if you have some plain sterling silver jewellery (without any gemstones) you can place them on top of the aluminium foil before scattering the bicarb.

Make sure to remove the jewellery before you remove the aluminium foil - very important. Rinse the jewellery in cold water and pat dry. Sparking again.

Well dear ones, that's it from me today. I'm going to make a salad and a herbal tea for lunch, then choose threads for a new Faith-In-Hand embroidery pattern before settling down to stitch. Think I may also start over with my Lark Rise to Candleford dvds while I'm on enforced rest days.

What are you watching at the moment?

I shall leave you with two Scriptures which I'm holding fast to at the moment, two of my favourite ones over the past three decades of walking with Jesus...may they bless you, encourage you, lift your soul and remind you of the goodness of our God.

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. ~ Isaiah 41:10

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you,
    because he trusts in you. ~ Isaiah 26:3

hugs

Rain, a new video, good food and stitching...

The rain fell last night and we had a most amazing light show from the sky with deep booming thunder as well. When you rely on the wet season to water an ailing garden, and when your town needs more water to top up the dam before the dry season returns, then a good soaking late in January is most welcome, even if it is a couple of months late. Now we pray it keeps coming. Though not as much as last year's wet season floods. 

We water the garden where it needs it a few times a week for about 20 minutes and at the moment that is where my out-of-season tomatoes are bearing fruit. Not a lot of fruit on them and the vines are only small, but considering the extreme heat and humidity which refuses to abate, the little gems deserve some care. 

Sadly, many of the herbs have withered under the stress of heat and even 'dried' in their pots, like this sage which has battled on bravely since the heat set in a few months back...

I've put all the potted plants close together near the garden bed which houses the bird feeder and they get a bit of shade from the taller shrubs around them but it's just scorching outside and too many have burnt up in distress. 

Though I must say the basil, Thai basil and thyme are thriving! 

So last night's downpour was a gift from God and just looking out over the front yard glistening with water droplets this morning filled my heart with sweet delight.

This little old cubby house was a find on Gumtree by my dear husband just after Christmas. It's battered and bruised but give us time and we'll have the prettiest little house for Cully May and Rafaella to play in over the late autumn and winter when our days here are like spring in most areas of the world. 

Today is day seven of the transition to a ovo-vegan diet and it's been wonderful. This morning I 'felt' the difference because the pressure was off my chest and I could breathe a bit better. My heart ultrasound is scheduled for January 30th and I'm so hopeful that over time this change of menu will be exactly what I need to heal my heart.

I've always chosen alternative over medical if I believe there's merit and in this situation I am encouraged by many avenues. Have you ever watched the documentary "Forks Over Knives"? It's on Netflix if you have it (we don't) but we purchased the DVD and have watched it a few times, most recently with a genuine focus on heart health.

Removing dairy is easy as I've been off and on dairy for two decades, always checking if it made a difference to my migraine frequency (it doesn't) and tummy pains (it does)...but now hubby and I will eliminate it permanently. To be honest I was shocked when Mr E told me he was happy to use almond milk in his morning lattes. Bless him! 

A few days ago I made this delicious Cashew Parmesan and it's so good I'd choose it over dairy parmesan any day. My Kitchen Aid whizzed it up very quickly...

There's only four ingredients - raw cashews, nutritional yeast (tastes very cheesy and is super healthy), garlic powder and a little salt.

We had a good serving scattered over vegetable pasta salad that night which was loaded with fresh veg and roasted carrot and beetroot.

A yummy treat are these raw 'Lamington' bars which also whizzed up in the Kitchen Aid in just a few minutes. Pressed into a brownie tin and scored before leaving in the fridge to set, they are yummy and have become our current dessert each night along with a handful of green grapes.

Burgers were on the menu at the weekend and I used what was already on hand to create these morish patties from canned lima beans, sauteed zucchini and onion, garlic, ginger, chopped fresh coriander, a few breadcrumbs and a jolly good dollop of curry paste.

Rolled into patties and browned in a little coconut oil they are very filling and truly addictive.

In my sewing basket is the second version of this year's Block of the Month, Psalm 23.

I'm stitching block 2 at the moment, which I'll share with you on February 1st. 

If you've missed the first block go HERE to download the pattern. 

The Psalm 23 patterns will be free all year.

NEW PATTERNS

I realised this morning you've not seen the three new patterns for my next Faith In Hand Stitchery Club issue...

If you are like me and love having the Word of God displayed beautifully around your home then you might just like to join myself and the many Club members who each month bring Bible Scriptures, hymns or inspirations to life with needle and thread.

These are the three designs for February.

They will be emailed to all my Club members on January 31st...

Joining the Faith in Hand Club is easy, and you're not locked in to any particular length of time. You can join and leave whenever it suits you because I understand life is never static and your needs or situation can change - and I'll never require you to tell me why you need to leave. Your privacy is important to me.

Go HERE to find out more

The previous designs from the December and January issues of Faith in Hand can be purchased  as single patterns in my Etsy Shop.

The birds...

Many of you love seeing photos of the wild birds in our yard so I thought I'd pop a quick little video on YouTube so you could really see and hear them as I do. 

A theme for 2020...

There was a lot on my mind and heart to share with you as this new year began to unfold, but a trip to hospital kind of detoured me for a bit. In coming days I'll be back to blogging regularly as Mr E returns to work for a new school year and the rhythms of home life slip back into their normal ebb and flow.  

Home life...that's so deeply embedded in my thoughts and prayers to write about, and I hope as we journey through 2020 there'll be a lot of encouragement and discussion between us about the joys to be found in the ordinary everyday life of a homemaker. 

Bless you sweet friend, and may the favour of the Lord shower you with every precious kindness from above,

hugs

Slowing down and a silly mistake...

If you follow my Instagram or Facebook pages, or are a member of my Gentle Domesticity group, you'll already be aware I was hospitalised a few days ago for what turned out to be a problem with my heart. 

It's an ongoing problem and though I am home from the hospital now I have a number of tests to be done in the coming weeks to pinpoint where in the heart my problem lies. This honestly came as a shock...my heart was one thing I had long imagined to be very healthy. All the blood tests result were excellent (yay!) but my blood pressure was very high and the most concerning results for the cardio doctors were the ECG's which were taken every few hours over a 24 hour period and weren't good at all.

So life is slowing considerably as hubby and I focus on the simple joys each day brings forth around our home, time spent with each other, and the delight of family togetherness with our dear Blossom and her two girls. There's nothing like a good shake up of your heath situation to whittle away the unnecessary and draw your eyes towards those special relationships and the things in life which hold true value. 

One thing I found difficult during my days in hospital was the fear that others tried to sow into my mind. Being told "you could die" by doctors and nurses doesn't bode well when you're alone, in pain, and not fully conversant with heart problems yet. But you know, God does not give us a spirit of fear and so I sought Him through His Word in the quiet hours of the night and between 'obs' during the day. I let His truth and promises soak my soul with calm and hope and confidence. 

Life adjustments are taking place, one major one being the switch to an ovo-vegan diet, which is not that hard as we eat loads of fruit and vegetables in our everyday diet anyhow. But now I'm easily ditching meat and dairy with the blessing of my lovely doctor. I'm also on blood pressure meds and low dose aspirin while awaiting tests and results over the next month to determine exactly what's going on inside my ticker.

SO....that's me filling you in on what's happened this week and why I've been absent from blogging, but now I'd like to put all that aside and talk about normal things, okay?

Last week I was sewing one of Allie's designs, a table runner. I absolutely love her Vintage Flowers pattern and it's my plan this year to make something for myself and the home each month, in between designing and stitching for Faith in Hand.

I completed the applique blocks, pieced the table runner and was very excited to fuse the wadding and backing in place so I could begin the relaxed rhythm of hand quilting. Oh what a joy it is to hand quilt with no deadline looming!

I fused Pellon behind the top of my table runner, then spray basted the other side of the Pellon before laying the backing fabric across it to make the completed quilt sandwich. The acrid smell of the basting spray went right through my small sewing room and immediately I knew there was a problem.

Remember at the start of the month when I gave my sewing room a makeover? Well, my basting spray wasn't moved - it sits on the top left corner of my fabric shelves. What I had forgotten though, was placing a can of white spray paint beside it. :-( 

That's what I grabbed off the shelf and mindlessly sprayed between backing fabric and Pellon...

The Pellon is white which is why I didn't notice the problem as I sprayed from the wrong can. That can of paint should have been placed up in Mr E's shed but I'd bought it to freshen up my old blue drawers in the sewing room and thought if it was in the same vicinity I'd remember to follow through on my plan. 

So I quickly peeled away the Pellon and the backing fabric and threw them in the bin, took a deep breath and made a cup of tea whilst my sewing room 'aired out'.

Then I cut more Pellon and backing fabric and repeated the sandwiching process using the correct can of spray baste this time. Sigh. Lesson learned.

My version of Allie's Vintage Flowers runner is complete and it's so pretty...even worth the drama with paint. 

Last night I had a head start with dinner because Blossom gave me a pot of her delicious potato and chick pea curry, so all I had to do was make a fresh tomato chutney and mint yoghurt (using the last of our dairy).

For dessert I simmered a few cups of mixed berries with lemon zest and baked a tray of flaked almonds, rolled oats and shredded coconut until they were toasty and golden to scatter over the top of the berries for a deconstructed crumble.

We used the last of our custard on the side which gave us a dairy free start from today.

Today I've made cashew cream as an accompaniment to the leftover berry crumble for tonight's dessert, and we're having hasselback potatoes with garlic, coleslaw and corn on the cob for our main. 

Tomorrow Blossom, Cully May and Rafaella are coming over to visit and I can't wait. Those little girls and Mr E played in my hospital room and made the visit extra special with their funny antics and laughter. When Jesus said to become as little children I think He meant that in many ways, such as taking simple joys and letting laughter be a medicine.

So I guess that's what I'll leave you with today; a reminder to laugh, to embrace the simple joys God places in your path, to not sweat the small stuff, to stop and breathe and notice the beauty around you.

I'm excited about what's ahead in my life, because every day I'm here has purpose, a very special purpose God created just for me. 

And He has a unique purpose for your life too. 

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

Ephesians 2:10

Much love,