They (you know those people who no-one knows who they are but who seem to know everything) say 'bad things' come in threes - well after the week I've had I should be all done for a while, not that I'm superstitious.  Two of the happenings aren't huge catastrophes but all 3 mean an outlay of some money to rectify the problem.  Something I could really do without just now.

On Thursday the first 'bad thing' happened - the large old desk lamp that I use to light my cutting table started to make some crackly sound whenever I turned the switch on and off - I took this to being a bad sign and unplugged the lamp in the hope that Dad might be able to cut out the old switch and put in a new one.  Unfortunately because it was an old lamp it had become a bit brittle and after some miss-handling (rather than man-handling) the lamp head broke out of it's plastic molding and is no longer fixable - it also no longer needed the switch changed and into the wheelie bin it went. I now have a brand new lamp in the same style but in a lovely lime green colour.

On Saturday the third bad thing happened - my jug decided to stop working.  Again not a biggie and at the moment I'm boiling water on the stove - the downside of that being that you shouldn't turn the pot on walk away and become distracted with something else because once the pot starts to boil it just keeps right on boiling and boiling and boiling!!!! Maybe I should buy a whistling kettle??

I'm guessing you're wondering what the 2nd 'bad thing' was!!  Well that happened on Friday morning.  Have you ever had one of those morning where you wake up and you contemplate getting up but your head tells you to stay in bed??  Well I had that sort of morning on Friday - I just wish I'd taken some notice. My alarm went off as usual at 5.45am so up I got to go to the pool.  All was going well till I went to back out of the garage - something I have successfully done many, many times till that morning.  I was a wee bit distracted and suddenly the air was filled with this terrible grinding and screeching of metal and I found myself up against the metal flashing of the garage door with the front left side of the car -I had turned too sharply while still in the garage and it honestly sounded like I had can opened the side of the car.  Thankfully it sounded way worse than the actual damage is, although there is a nice big dent near the light, the bumper is loose and there are a heap of scratches in the paintwork, some very deep.  Tomorrow I'll go see a panel beater (or 2) to see what the financial damage will be to get the car fixed.  Grrrr I was so mad at myself for being so stupid, it even ruined my swim :0(  I really should have stayed in bed!!!!!!

Apart from those 3 mis-adventures my week has otherwise been pretty good.  I have managed to sort out my house insurance with Mum and Dad's help.  We had to do a bit of measuring to work out the house size, they have recently done it for their house so knew what was all involved.  Even so it was all a little bit confusing to start with but we eventually got it sorted.  This week I have an appointment at the bank to see what sort of deal they can do for me insurance wise.

The job situation is very quiet- nothing in the paper or online that is appropriate for me at the moment and still no news re the funding for the English Language job.  I'm not worried but I do feel a bit disheartened and a bit like I'm drifting with no real course to follow.  It is a bit of an unsettling feeling really. I stay busy with the Rawleigh business and sewing plus the household things.  Sometimes when it is sunny I sit outside with my book and pretend I'm on holiday - I haven't has one of those in a while.

My rebel gene popped up again recently - it tends to happen every now and then resulting in me doing things like piercing my own ears as a teenager because I wanted extra holes, getting a tattoo when I turned 40 (a butterfly on my ankle) and then on Friday I got another.  I'd been thinking about it for a while and turning 50 seemed like a good time and reason to do it.  This time it's my favourite Bible text - John 3:16 and it's on the inside of my wrist. Did it hurt?  No not really although it's a bit itchy at the moment.  Would I do it again - probably, but I have no plans anytime soon.  The rebel gene is back under wraps for the time being ;0)

My veggie garden is slowing down. I will need to look into planting some winter veggies.  I think the beans have done their dash and the pepper plants are also slowing down.  The only thing still going strong is the silver-beet. Oh and I have 3 passionfruit plants that have just started to grow, probably from the compost.  I will eventually transplant them when they are bigger.  I don't really want them growing in the veggies garden.  The feijoa trees are starting to drop their fruit and there are heaps and heaps and heaps.  Happy to give them away if anyone wants some.

Wishing you all a blessed week.

Love and hugs
Jolanda

Tropical cyclone Lusi has been and gone and the damage wasn't bad at all down here where I live.  One of my trees has lost a number of branches and there are plenty of leaves and feijoas lying on the lawn, but otherwise all is well.  I did think at one stage the wind was going to take away part of my tin fence, but it was just the feijoa tree whacking against it.  I had stacked the outdoor furniture up just in case.  Last night we finally had a good amount to rain here in Levin - which the garden desperately needed.  It definitely isn't cold over the weekend, in fact last night it was a sleep under a sheet only night it was so warm.  Long may the warm weather continue as I'm sure not ready for winter yet.

I don't actually have a heck of a lot to write about to be honest.  My life isn't really that interesting anymore - do you really want to hear about how last week I did all the lawns, gardens and housework?  Or how I spent a day banishing the spiders from around the outside of the house by giving the house a good wash and then washing the windows as well inside and out?  No I guess not!!!

One really exciting thing that happened in the last week and a half was that grandson Noah turned one.  Yip the little man is one.  Where has the year gone??  He had a party on Saturday for his little friends and the family and he was really really spoilt.

Ryan and Ineke and Inge came for the night so they could be at the party too.  It was so cute seeing how protective and proud Inge is of her wee cousin Noah.  She told everyone that Noah was 'her' cousin.  She will miss him when she goes away.  It was a real blessing that the bad weather that was forecast because of Lusi was slow at arriving so we were able to spend a bit of time outside. 

The other 'exciting' (well not really) thing that happen is that my youngest son Joel broke his arm while playing twilight soccer on Thursday evening - landing hand down on the hard ground that has seen no rain for probably the last 2 or so months is only going to have one outcome - broken bones.  Apparently his wrist was bent like the kinky part of a fork - if you imagine the fork prongs being your fingers and the fork handle being your arm you'll get the picture.  He had a very, very, very long wait at the hospital and finally on early Friday afternoon the hospital staff got him sorted.  They had to numb Joel's arm and then they were literally pulling, twisting and tugging on his arm to get the bones realigned so they could put a cast on -  very yucky to watch or so daughter Aimee and Joel's girlfriend Tia said.  It makes my stomach all queasy just thinking about it.   Understandably he is/was in a lot of pain.  Joel will be in plaster for the next 6 weeks with no work for at least the next 2-3 and then hopefully light duties.  Thank goodness it's his right arm as he is left handed.  No more playing soccer for a while either.  He decided he needs a hobby as he is already feeling bored at the prospect of not being able to do much for the next few weeks.

None of my 3 job applications have come to anything.  I heard last week about the one I was really keen on and it too was a no goer.  I had a wee cry cause I felt really disappointed, but I'm ok about it now.  Something will eventually come up which is just perfect and in the meantime I trust that the Lord will supply my daily needs - which He does.  The Rawleigh business continues to flourish and I have even started to sell a bit more from my Jens Jems and Moppie range.

I am only sewing for Inge and Noah at the moment - I made Noah a lovely jacket for winter and I still need to make one for Inge.  I trialed a new pattern for a cape which turned out very well and Inge loves it esp as it has Nijntje (Miffy) on the back.  Here are some photos of her modeling it.

Speaking of photos I have 2 others to share. The one below is the stunning gift I received for my birthday which was made by my very talented friend Diana.  She makes miniatures and she made me a miniature sewing room and included in it all the things I like, even Jack features in it. It is super cute.

The other photo I will share is of me in my dress.  I have been umming and ahhing about whether to post it, but I did promise so here is is.  This is me with my  mum.  Excuse the sunnies but it was a very bright sunny afternoon.

 So there you go!!

The aqua jogging is still going great and I am loving it when I get there.  I have been managing to go 4 morning a week but it sure is very dark now at quarter to 6 when I get up.  Sometimes I am tempted to just roll over and go back to sleep, but amazingly I don't - not sure where this strong will power is coming from.  Maybe it's a needs must thing esp as there is no one here to encourage me to get up.  Having said that though Jack does have it worked out and when my alarm goes off he is usually sitting on my side of the bed as he knows the alarm also means it's breakfast time for him.  Nothing like a set of pleading eyes that say 'feed me' to get you up out of bed.  While the weather is still relatively 'warm' in the morning I will continue to get up and go to the pool - once winter sets in it might be a whole new kettle of fish!!

I had a thought the other day while sitting outside enjoying the beauty of God's creation.  It's a thought that some of you might find a bit strange or even hard to understand, but I guess for me it all part of the moving froward process.  It stuck me that I no longer grieve/mourn Roy's death - I feel great comfort in the knowledge that he is at home with the Lord and that he is not here doesn't make me sad anymore. Although I don't mourn for Roy I guess that selfishly I do sometimes mourn for myself and what I have lost and the emptiness that has been left in my life. I still miss him and I miss the things we had together and the things that I might never have again - I know that is part of the coming to terms with being alone, but it is the thing that I still struggle with the most. 

I have  recently been listening to sermons by Dr Timothy Keller and in one of his sermons he spoke about finding fulfillment in the Lord because He alone can satisfy my deepest needs.  I need to love the Lord more than anything else in my life.  Dr Keller talked about the Lord needing to be the spouse of my soul and His love for me needs to be the most important thing in my life.  I love that thought - that the Lord is the spouse of my soul.  That is so awesome.  Whether married or single the Lord needs to be the spouse of our soul.  We shouldn't look to our marriage spouse for the fulfillment that only the Lord can give.  We shouldn't have to 'change' to make our spouse feel fulfilled nor should we expect them to 'change' so we feel fulfilled, it isn't going to work the way we want and we will be constantly let down. When we truly look to the Lord for our fulfillment we can accept our marriage partner as God created them - flaws and all.  As singles we also need to look to the Lord for our fulfillment rather than pining for what we don't have.

Well on that note I'm going to call it a night (not literally) although I will going to bed early as it was an early (dark) start this morning and I want to catch up on some sleep.

Wishing you all a blessed week.

Love and hugs

Jolanda

It's the beginning of March and it feels like winter has arrived - it is cold, wet and windy here today.  For the first time in more than probably 4 months I've put on socks and a sweatshirt - however I'm doing a Roy and still wearing shorts.  Anyone who knew Roy knows he was known for wearing shorts all year round.  My phone app tells me that tomorrow will be better and the day after will be even better so I haven't completely given up on a bit more summer.

I can honestly say that the week that has just been has been 'interesting' and I'm glad it's over!!

On Monday I looked after Noah as usual, however he was still not well.  He was off his food and slept a lot needing lots of Oma cuddles, which Oma was happy to provide.  That evening his Papa and Mama came down with the bug too.  I was still feeling fine.

At 6am on Tuesday morning I went swimming as usual.  Later that morning I had an appointment at the bank to talk about my mortgage - its fixed term is about to end and I wanted to talk about options.  However I soon discovered that nothing could be done until the property title had been changed as that was still in our joint names, so I rang the lawyer and they got that all sorted for me.  Yesterday I went in to sign on the dotted line and now it all belongs to me - cold comfort really and not something that I actually don't feel like celebrating as it is actually rather sad.  It is one of the last things that needed to be done.  Now I wait for the lawyers bill :0(

On Tuesday I also got asked to come for an interview the next day for a job I had applied for as Playgroup Manager for a Playgroup run by one of the local Churches.  On Wednesday morning I didn't go swimming because I woke up not feeling so great.  I thought it might just be butterflies because of the interview - but it wasn't.  I made it through my interview which actually went very well, however afterwards I still had the butterflies feeling - in fact every time I moved I felt like being sick.  I went home and lay on the couch for a while.  Lying down I felt fine but when I sat up the nausea hit with vengeance.  At 4pm I locked up the shop and house and went to bed and slept pretty much straight through until 7.30am the next day.  Oh I did get a phone call that evening to say that although I had interviewed very well and ticked all the boxes I didn't actually get the job but I was 2nd choice - I guess it was a boost in confidence to know that I'd done so well even if it's a bit of an odd feeling to be told you're 2nd best. I was actually too sick at the time to be upset and have since given it very little thought.

Being sick sucks, but having no-one to look after you sucks even more.  I haven't felt so sick and miserable in a long long time.  I thought I might get sick after Roy died (I'd heard of it happening to others) but I never did, maybe this was a delayed reaction.  Thursday is a bit of a blur - I know I didn't do much and I didn't eat much and I had a whooper of a headache - that was probably due to a lack of coffee.  The upside is that I lost 3kg - however I really don't recommend being sick as a weight loss program.  My appetite is still not great and it's more a matter of eating because I have too rather than because it's so appealing. Otherwise I feel fine.  I haven't been back to the pool yet either as I still feel very tired.  My immune system has obviously taken quite a hit with this bug. I hope to go to the pool again tomorrow as I sure am missing it.

On Friday I received the news that the husband of one of my dear sister chicks had been involved in a serious life changing motorbike accident the evening before.  What a shock it was to hear this news and my tears flowed for my dear friend and her hubby and family, even as I thanked the Lord for sparing  Bill's life.  The road they now have to travel will be hard and long but they have the assurance that the Lord will be with them and He will continue to uphold them and that He will graciously supply all they need every day. What greater comfort can you have than knowing that the Lord is on your side.  It is great to hear that although tired and in pain Bill is progressing well and has a positive spirit.

As I had recovered from my illness by Friday I headed up to Hastings as planned with Aimee and Noah to celebrate Inge's 3rd birthday. She was so excited to be having a party with all her friends although when they all arrived she was a little bit overwhelmed.  It was so nice seeing Inge and Noah interacting together.   We had a wonderful time however it was bitter sweet as this is probably the last time we will be able to celebrate Inge's birthdays with her for a while - at the end of April  Ryan, Ineke and Inge are off to England to live - indefinitely.  This is the news that I was not able to tell you about way back in December. Ryan had 4 teaching job offers and has accepted one at a school somewhere in Surrey.  I am very sad that they are going and will miss them very, very much - but this is something they feel they need to do, so then they should do it.  I need to entrust them into the Lord's care and trust that when the time is right that He will bring them safely home again to New Zealand.  In the meantime thank goodness for Skype!!

As if our emotions hadn't taken enough of a battering the last few weeks we were dealt another blow on Sunday night with the shocking and tragic news that Richard's younger brother had taken his own life that day.  Talk about stunned - it is one of those things you hear or read about but never expect to have it effect your own family even if it is indirectly.  I really missed Roy on Sunday night - he had always been the spiritual head of our family and it struck me as I prayed with and for Richard and Aimee that that mantle has now fallen on me.  It was a HUGE step out of my comfort zone to ask Richard and Aimee if it was ok if I prayed for them, I have never been the leader in those sorts of things, just the follower but I felt prompted to pray for them and am pleased I did it. Please pray for Richard and Aimee as they come to terms with this tragic loss.  May they find their strength and comfort in the Lord, esp as they struggle with what has happened.

On the job front things are still progressing slowly.  I just heard today that things are looking up in the funding department and we should know something within the next 3 weeks so that is good news.  I have also applied for a 20 hour work from home job which I am really, really keen on and I'm praying that the Lord will open this door for me.  Meanwhile the Rawleigh business is booming with heaps of sales lately so I'm kept pretty busy with that - God does provide, yet we forget that so quickly.

Well that is a brief overview of the 'interesting' week that I've had - there are plenty of prayer points in there that's for sure.

Oh before I go here is a very cute photo of my 2 favourite little people.  Inge was all dressed to go to a birthday party.  I love her rather sassy pose.

Till next time.

Love and blessings.

Jolanda