Feather your Nest Friday, 22nd March, 2024.

Well, it has been such a big week.  Thank you for all the beautiful comments on my basics post.  I decided that I cannot reply individually while I do try to on Friday posts.  But I am very blessed by prayers and so many of you.   I have many things to tell you, so here goes...

I have been working through apples.   This week I made puree which I froze and stacked for when Lily is ready for them.  

I had some too, it is really nice with yoghurt.   Also I made a big tray of pork chops and apples...

I served them with carrots and broccolini and it was really good.

I made scones for Mum.

In the thrift store I found this beautiful jug (quite large) and several gingham cottons.   

There is more of a routine happening and this includes two days a week I have farm help.  I provide morning tea and lunches.   Those days are go go go but now I can see we are getting somewhere.   At first I just felt like I was in a black hole.   Then I felt overwhelmed with my own work and things I can't do.  Like I have no idea how to fix a trough or a water pipe or use the tractor!   Now I have help and also now I have (as of today) an automatic lawn irrigation system.   The lawn is a big area.  It is so big because it is a major buffer around the house against fires.  It looks lovely but it has this purpose.   Andy managed it with the ride on lawn mower and watering it in sections with huge sprinklers.  The last thing he did that day was turn the sprinklers on for the girls.

Reading my Bible this week I came across verses that speak of death as being asleep in Jesus.  I realised that when the girls came running in to tell me Andy was "asleep near the mower." ..  this was not just a fluke.  By God's grace I had a warning, a moment to prepare and the message in real words... he is sleeping.   I think that is incredible.  I am slow to catch on but I just "got it."

I have also been thinking on easier/more efficient ways to do things.  As I am writing the sprinklers came on,  all by themselves!  Each time I find an easier way I write it down.

In town a lady said to me she was very sorry I had lost my husband.  It was a case of she knew me but I didn't know her.   She had also had lost her husband three years ago.   We had a really beautiful talk. She was so kind.   Her husband had died by suicide.   All the way home I thought of the implications of this,  how that would be and I felt grateful for how Andy had died and the time leading up to it.

Thursday I headed off on a mission to pick up seven hens.  Conventional ways of buying more chickens aren't working so I advertised and found six grey and black hens.  It was a beautiful Autumn day.. a lovely drive and I found a farm with so many gorgeous hens and chicks.  The lady gave me a tour and it was a lot of fun.   So during the conversation with her I learned she had become a widow at nineteen years old. 

All the way home (with the chickens in the car chatting away) I thought I am so grateful that did not happen to us!  Seriously, we just never know what someone is going through.

Andy liked it when I talked about him on the blog.  He loved it!  Usually it was something he had made, built, fixed...    now it is something else even better.  Now he is giving homework.    I have spoken about the book I bought after meeting with my friend,  the movie I watched and the painting the young girl did.  All of this were very good for me.  I have been having prayer times and bible reading.   Then when I finished the book I was looking for new material.  

Andy had watched The Chosen series three times.  He was usually watching it on his iPad in the evening before sleep.  I have heard good and not so good things about it.  He only seemed to benefit and was in his Bible 10x more... which is a good sign about it I think.   I decided to catch up with him and began to watch.   The first episode I didn't really know if I would like it.  I decided to hang in there and watch one more.  By the end of the second episode I was completely hooked.   In the last week between all of the above the spring is back in my step.  I can't even explain it fully.

Each season of The Chosen explains it is based on the life of Jesus,  they have had to add personally and embroider it to bring it to be a movie.  They say to read your Bible.    This is what I have done.  I am only in season two.  It needs to be watched in exactly the right order...  it is completely free to view.   So taking into account I am in season two...  I am loving it and I am thinking about Jesus basically ALL DAY long and if I wake in the night.   If you need encouragement,  if you want the scriptures brought to life for you and if you think that will help you read your Bible more you might enjoy this. 

I made a large pin up board of Andy and Andy and me in happy times.  I only finished it last weekend.   It has had a great effect on me.   Every time I walk past it I feel happy.  As I pass it probably 20 times a day that is pretty good.  Seeing him fit, healthy and so happy, as he is in heaven.   Good times.  This is very uplifting. 

This has me thinking.  I am prompted by reminders.  If I have may Bible on my bed side table and where I sit at my computer it is right next to me and I open it.  My Grandparents had a beautiful Christian image on the wall in the bedroom that was "mine" at their house.  I loved that image.   In bed it was straight in front of me, over the doorway.  It included a short prayer.  I always read the prayer over and over and it reminded me of Gods love. 

Later someone told me that the way they reminded themselves to pray throughout the day was to light a candle. As she went about her work she would pass the candle over and over and it would remind her to get her thoughts back to praying.   This also worked for me.  My mind just wanders off in all kinds of directions, we have many interruptions ...  but a reminder works for me.    So like with Andy's photos where I can see them any times a day  I realise I could benefit a lot from visual reminders of God and to be praying.   Andy had a prayer card and a small cross on the front of his phone cover.   Every time he took his phone out of his pocket or sat it down he saw that cross.  He died with this cross in his pocket.   There is something to this, visual reminders.   I am going to keep rearranging and reorganising the house and also the car to have visual reminders to keep me on track. 

I continued to write down a gratitude list every evening.   This evening I haven't done this yet although some of the photos will represent these things.

I also continued the hot meal run.   Tonight was sausages, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes and peas. 

Now I am changing over to meals that are ready to put in the oven.  So the hot meal run ends, except maybe in emergencies!  

Now take a look at this little face...

Miss Lily looks like she can't wait to get going!  Pretty good for the ripe old age of two weeks.  😊

I sewed Lily some very soft flannelette burp cloths.

Hopefully some more chickens are coming and Chloe ordered some as well.   

My efforts to include Fr. Goring's micro changes are going well.  Two are... to always have a drink with me in the car and always keep a spare bottle of water on my bed side table. I ALWAYS run out of water in the night and always cannot be bothered to get up and get more.  It would seem simple just to keep an extra bottle next to me,  now this small thing has worked.  I will add another micro change next week.

My eyes are closing so I must stop talking.   I hope it was a good week for you also.  How did you build up your home, pantry or garden?  xxx