An unexpected silence and what's coming next week...

 What a year this has been so far. It seems every week I have another health challenge to get through and climb over. This week it's losing my voice and the early stages of a head cold. 

My husband is not much of a talker, more of a thinker really, but in his job he is talking to people all day long so when he finally gets home it's peace and quiet he needs so for most of the week we keep conversation to a minimum - and that's fine because we've never been the chattiest couple anyhow. After almost three decades we could easily finish each other's sentences yet we tend to not waste conversation but mostly just talk about things which really matter. 

When I lost my voice this week, even that little bit of conversation drew to a halt. My husband came home to silence. Admittedly I tried to speak but he just put his hand up and said, "Don't talk, rest your throat and get well." So I sat quietly listening to the occasional thoughts he shared and wishing I could respond. The idea to text him crossed my mind once but that just seemed a little bizarre so I decided he's right and we can both be patient as I heal. But of course, when you can't talk you suddenly have LOTS of thoughts bouncing around your mind! I've written many notes to myself over the past couple of days in hope I won't forget anything - because if you're anything like me, talking about new ideas helps me process them in such a way that I'm able to pursue some further and discard others. Blossom tells me she's exactly the same. 

So what to do when you're under the weather, unable to visit your daughter or best friend, and basically living in home quarantine? Sew of course.

I was going to put together the next Homemakers Heart magazine this week but it shall be delayed until sometime next week now as I found writing and typing and thinking wasn't coming as easily as usual with this razor throat, an emerging head cold and insect bites from head to toe (I react very badly to them). Ah, the joys of life in the hot, humid and wet tropical summer. Insects and all. 

So, to the sewing, the fun bit.

 I have been making a few new projects for the Homemakers Heart and one of them is a cushion featuring the Court House Lawn block with a narrow border all round. My plan has been to make one new cushion each month to replace the old ones in our living room and I wanted them to be free of embroidery, just featuring nice fabrics and patchwork blocks, and each one is to be hand quilted. Last month I made a lovely snowball cushion, but this month's cushion is even nicer, and brighter too.

It's for hubby's recliner so I added brown (very rare that you see brown in things I make) because he likes it, but the courthouse lawn block really needed a bright centre to make the whole thing pop so he got some very dark salmon pink in the mix. 

I hand quilted with my favourite Perle #12 threads because as well as gliding through the fabric and cotton wadding, they add texture, that "homemade with love" kind of texture and finish that I prefer.

I love running my hands over hand quilted items...

The cushion is finished now and Mr E came home last night to find it waiting on his chair. I was more excited than him, but he was grateful. I mean, he's a man who would happily accept a solid brown cushion, you know - but he did appreciate that it was made for him. 

The pattern will be inside the next free issue of the Homemakers Heart, along with the Hearts At Home table runner...

...and a sweet duo of lavender themed stitcheries. One of them I finished as a hanging lavender sachet and the other is my new pincushion. 

I had a lot of fun making the Lavender House sachet...

There will also be the pincushion pattern and "Tuesday" in my tea towel series. Quite a lot for a free publication now I think of it, but it really gives me pleasure to bless you this way. 

On to other things...

Do you remember that after being hospitalised last year in January for my heart that I went ovo-vegan for six months? When I look back that was the healthiest I have been in decades. When we decided to introduce a little meat and dairy back in to our diet last August both hubby and I started going backwards. Thing is we only just realised it this year as both of us have been dealing with a string of unrelated health problems through January and February. 

So, ovo-vegan it is again. Probably forever this time. I genuinely enjoyed it last year and found it not difficult to plan or prepare for so I am left scratching my head a bit right now as to WHY did we stop? Regardless, we're back to it now and both heaving a sigh of relief. 

Groceries were delivered today and I was able to plan out ideas for the next week...

Something I always do now is store all my vegetables inside individual glass containers in the fridge. During our very long hot, humid and wet spring/summer/autumn season food spoils quickly, even in the fridges, but since I began storing fresh veg and fruits in these sealed glass containers they will stay fresh for weeks. It's amazing! 

I bought all the containers with light blue lids from K-Mart for just a few dollars each, and the black lidded containers were free through a promotion that Woolworths ran late last year. I have plenty more in the fridge and cupboard but these are the ones I filled today with ginger, cucumbers, tomatoes, grapes, zucchini, asparagus, capsicum, lettuce, coriander and spinach.

We have two large fridges because as you can imagine we need the cold for lots of drinks, water and fresh produce as well as other things here in the tropics. Finding a way to keep our produce fresh for longer has been a gamechanger for our budget and the way we shop. 

I found Xanthe's recipe for dairy free Tzatziki again and made some of that up today, which was then served over last nights delicious brown rice and Tarka dhal for lunch. The warm soft meal was lovely eaten slowly, and even eased my throat.

I sent out Block Two of "Simple Days" to all my BOM members the other day, but if you're not a BOM member and still want to stitch the "Simple Days" blocks you'll find blocks 1 and 2 over HERE in my Etsy Shop.

A new block comes out every month on the 25th until September. Here's photos of block 2...

The patterns are very detailed and include graphs for cutting and placement as well. 

Well, that's it from me today. I can feel myself getting very tired as I barely slept last night and I still have dinner to prepare for hubby and then folding all the washing which is drying in various parts of the house (more rain), as well as ironing his work clothes for tomorrow.

I had planned to make another handmade tag this week as well - the theme being bullion stitch, pistol stitch and french knots, but as yet I've not practiced the bullion stitch so that may well be my sewing plan after dinner if I can stay awake. 

I pray for all of you, that no matter what life is throwing across your path that you look up to God and not down at the problem. It's so easy to focus on the problem, but He is the problem solver and it is to Him we must offer our dilemma and then sit quietly to listen for that still small voice which will strengthen, console, lead and teach us in the things we need to know.

Bless you so very much!

hugs

PS: If you're not a regular reader of my blog and don't want to miss out on the next free issue of the Homemakers Heart magazine, pop over HERE and sign up for my newsletter. It's easy. 

PSS: Issue one is still free to download HERE.

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

Psalm 23 - block 2 and the page construction...

I don't work on Saturdays so if anything is due that day (like the next BOM pattern) I'll be sharing it the day before. So, dear ones, you can begin stitching the February block from The 23rd Psalm today...

This month it is verse 2 which I find to be such a comforting passage to ponder in my heart.

There's a tiny applique bee in this block but you could stitch it instead of applique if you prefer because there are lines draw inside it's body on your pattern sheet.

THE COMPLETE PSALM 23 Book Pattern is now available HERE in my EtsyShop.

And because you've already completed block one I can also show you how to make the double sided page which will eventually become a sweet fabric book encased is a removable cover.

The blocks each month are trimmed to just outside the embroidery edges and then sew onto a piece of background fabric (mine is pink gingham) which has been backed with thin Parlan. 

You can omit the Parlan if you like but it will make the pages rather floppy and I created this book version of Psalm 23 to be given as a gift and wanted it to be easily handled by anyone, especially those in ill health or young children.

I cut two pieces of pink gingham measuring 6" x 7.75" and two pieces of Parlan the same.

Fuse the Parlan behind the gingham.

Trim your completed blocks to no more than 1/4" outside the edge of the embroidery and stitch them onto the parlan backed gingham with a raw edge straight stitch.

Lay the two stitchery pages right side together (make sure they're facing the same way and one isn't upside down) and sew around three sides with a 1/4" seam. You want the left side of block one and the right side of block two to be unstitched/open when you turn the page right side out.

Push out the corners with a blunt rounded tool, such as large knitting needle, and press the page flat.

Cut a piece of wide cotton lace 6" long. My lace is 1.25" wide.

Fold it in half over the open raw end and pin in position, not snug though. You want a bit of the doubled lace free from the page as we will be stitching through that at the end of the BOM.

Machine stitch a straight line along the edge of the page, catching the lace to enclose it. 

Trim away the excess lace.

Put your page away until the end of this project.

As I mentioned recently my completed book of The 23rd Psalm is going to be gifted to a dear friend so I'm currently stitching along with you as I make a second version, this time in pastels and without the fabric backing to the blocks.

My blocks this time have been stitched onto larger pieces of background fabric and once complete will be trimmed to the same size as the gingham pages of the first version, 6" x 7.75"

I quite like the idea of all white pages with just the embroidery/applique.

My plan was to have this second version of a page ready to show you today but it's been quite busy here and I'm still in the midst of cardiac tests. Hopefully I can do it at the weekend and show you on Monday in my next Homemakers Heart post. 

It's rained here all week and the garden has loved every drop, though it certainly got a bit more than it needed so when it finally settled last night we breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness for gumboots or I'd not be so pleased about wading out to feed the chickens or the wild birds. 

We had about 10 inches of rain in three days, which is a good soaking, but thankfully not like the floods a year ago.

Plants really show their beauty amidst raindrops, don't you agree?

The mint, oregano, basil and lemongrass are booming...

...but so are the weeds!!

Hidden between the weeds my replanted spring onion (green onion or scallion) root-ends have grown a treat.

Betty the cockatoo decided all week long that heavy rain was no excuse for not putting out seed in the feeder. Mr E and would laugh when she arrived each morning as we were having breakfast at the outside table because she'd sit there and give that loud cockatoo screech looking directly at us - which for a cockatoo is side on.

Then she'd fly two feet over to perch on the clothesline as my cue to fill the seed cup, pull on my gum boots and wade out to fill the feeder. As soon as I turned to go back under cover she'd stretch her wings and literally drop over from the clothesline to the feeder and happily munch and crunch away.

Never a thank you, mind you.

In the kitchen I've been making my own almond butter and cashew butter, pickled red onions and pickled radishes, bulgur & vegetable salad, more black bean brownies, rice paper rolls and a Vietnamese noodle salad with veggies. Everything is vegan and delicious!

My prayer for you this weekend is to seek and find calm contentment with where the Lord has you at this season of life. So many of us are walking in valleys or climbing difficult mountains, but we must remember that we do not walk or climb alone...Jesus is holding our hand and will catch us if we stumble. Never feel as though you cannot call on Him, reach out to Him or simply cry in His presence if you can't find the words.

I cried this week, long and deep sobs from the depths of my heart and when that was all said and done, He filled me with precious peace and my world turned right side up again even though not every issue had not been resolved or explained. Some things are not for us to know, or are too high for us to understand, and that's where being content and trusting in how God directs the circumstances of our life becomes so very important to a peaceful state of mind.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts."

Isaiah 55:8-9

“Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

Bless you always, dear ones,