Feather your Nest Friday, 16th, Feb., 2024.

I have a mixture to report.  My Friday reports have always made me feel better,  helped me see our progress and the good things of the week.  I am hoping this week works this way too.

After Christmas I had decided it was time to get a much bigger dining room table.  I always kept my Nana's table but with a growing family it was time to face up that it was no longer enough.   Andy thought Christmas Day was just wonderful as we had Lucy's family here and he gave Sidney the special tractor.   It was a very,  very happy day.   Anyway when I told him about the table Andy must of thought about it and he came back into the room and said that he would like to buy it for me.   I said how that would be so nice!    Well,  this week my present arrived.

As two blokes lifted it in I held my breath because it was ordered from a picture only and I am more of an estimator than an actual measurer.    It fit perfectly and is BEAUTIFUL.  It seats 8 but it could seat ten and a couple of kids in high chairs...

I already had a vase of flowers ready.  Each bunch of sympathy flowers that came I saved a little bit of the dried flowers, some had little fake berries and other things that would keep.   I added these to the vase.

It looks beautiful and I thank Andy for it every time I walk by.   He would be so happy with how it looks and how much I love it.

On Tuesday I went to town and I picked up Andy's ashes.  I could have waited until the death certificate was there apparently.  I thought,  no,  he would want to be home.   I did not know what to expect.   I had asked for a lock of his hair.   I now have a lock of his hair from 1964 which his Mum saved and 2024.   To my surprise from picking up his ashes I felt more peaceful.   I thought I did what he would want me to do.  Now and then we get black cockatoos here.   They seem to turn up at very random times and we did not see them for many months.   That evening the blacks cockatoos turned up.  

Wednesday is going to sound silly but I was highly aware it was Valentines Day.  We always celebrated it.    So the night before I knew in advance it would be a hurdle for me.   I prayed that God or Andy would send me something for Valentines.   I prayed again in the morning.   As I went about the day I thought I might find flowers or a black cockatoo feather or something special.

I checked the cows and drove around the paddocks.

Loui looked non plussed just wanting an apple.

Doris was more enthusiastic.

I drove up the hill to where Andy wants his ashes.   There was a huge Hawke sitting on the fence post right there.  

Lastly,  I went to feed my sad four remaining chickens in the hen house (since the fox incident).  As I spread around the grain I heard "cheep cheep cheep" and there on the ground was a tiny newly hatched chicken.  One.  To my amazement.  I did not know I had a broody chicken.  I cannot see where the nest was.   The coop is not safe for tiny chicks as there is no low enough water yet there is deep enough water to drown chicks.  I found a low dish to put out water it could reach.   I thought what do I do as it's chances of survival in there are slim.   I stood there still thinking ...  then I was startled by movement and it was a rat!  The chick came and stood next to my foot and that decided it.   

Now if you have been around here long and know me very well what would be a more perfect present than a chick?  I had my Valentines Day present.  Give me a chicken any day.    So now my warming pad and a box is set up and this chicken just wants to follow me around. 

🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷

I took part the remainder of my flowers that would dry/keep and filled another vase.

I harvested a heap of Parsley seed...

Andy had a lot of legendary hats, belts, pocket knives, guitars, drums and stuff that are all treasures I will keep forever.   He also had a huge wardrobe of stuff that he absolutely never wore.   The lady in a small op shop I go to sometimes once told me how they are always desperate for mens clothes as farmers wear stuff until it falls off them and so not much is donated.   I decided to donate all the non worn and non sentimental clothes.   I did a little at a time and had these bags sitting waiting for when I thought I could do it.    Today was beautiful,  mild and sunny.   I decided to take the drive which is about 40 minutes.   Firstly,  they were so grateful for decent mens clothes.    There was a new lady in there I had not met but she figured out what was going on.  She was so nice and chatted to me.   

I found some wonderful things as well.

Absolutely heaps of 100% pure wool.   A dozen cotton damask napkins,  thick cord fabric for heat packs...

As I looked the lady asked me what else was I looking for?  I said I watch for pencils,  small items because I use them to go in the Samaritans Purse children's shoe boxes.   She said that oh my gosh she has a whole box of that stuff at home.  Then she told me to mind the store and and will pop home and get it.   So I am left minding a store haha for someone I just met and off she goes.... 

When she came back she had a box of stuff which I have been going through tonight and so far have....

So now she was donating to the shoe boxes.   My heart was truly blessed.  How great is God?   How great is the goodness of God. 

I have kept the fruit trees watered,  largely due to the irrigation system Andy put in.   But I have only glanced at the fruit.  Today I looked properly and found that ALL the pears need picking and some of the apples.   I picked two baskets.

The trees are covered.  This is going to be a big job.

I did cook up a big batch of Chicken Mondialia... (chicken,  creamy tomato sauce...). This gave me two meals and a big meal to Chloe's family.   Chloe is feeling a bit like the fruit trees....  almost due!

Mum gave me some Feta cheese.... I baked it with various tomatoes and a capsicum from the garden ...

I served it over pasta,  it gave me a couple of meals and was really good.

Our friend was baptised in the sea on Sunday and I attended for him and for Andy.  It was very emotional but Andy would have been overjoyed.  I also was greeted by several Christian friends,  one I had not seen in more than 20 years but it was as though no time had passed at all.

As you know Andy had told me where he wanted his ashes to go.  It is at the top of a hill on the property they looks out a long was with a 360 degree view.  It was also where he did a lot of work on the pipelines and irrigation of the property.  He never asked for any kind of stone or marker,  he only mentioned location.   He had spent a lot of time moving huge rocks with the tractor into the garden,  along the driveway and near the front gate to kind of frame the entrance to the property.   We have some amazing rocks here.   Andy LOVED it here so much.     My son in law told me about two huge Granite stones which we did not know about.   So we went out for a drive to check them out.

A huge rock was laying on this rock... which was cut granite.   As soon as I saw it I knew Andy would like it.  Our tractor could not touch the weight of these rocks.  Luke went home to get his much bigger tractor.  Then he got it down near the house and upright.  

It weighs around a ton.   We will clean it up with a pressure cleaner.   A large cross will be added with some scripture and wording I have not decided on yet.   On top of the hill it will have a huge presence.  Andy would love it.

Thank you to everyone who has emailed, written, sent cards, gifts... prayed.  Most of all prayed.   I have been doing fairly well in the days but doing badly in the evenings.  I am doing better in the mornings.  For the first two weeks when I woke up I was confused about what was real and what was a dream.  Now being down to mainly evenings being terrible is still an improvement. 

I can see the week was full of significant, important things and many blessings.  I hope yours was too.  xxx