Down but not Out!

Due to being trapped at home recovering from Covid, I needed to make an online shopping order.  The last time I did this was on my return from Cairns in 2021 when we had to go into home isolation, when I didn’t have Covid.  I really don’t like doing shopping online as I prefer to race around the supermarket grabbing my supplies and checking the prices with the others on the shelf.  Plus I know which brands I usually get by sight not by brand. As not to bother my lovely friends I went on line to make an order with the list of things I wanted. I maneuvered my way around, finding the products I needed, making sure they were over the $50 minimal shop, then went to check out.  When I went to pay it said I didn’t have the minimal spend. What! That wasn’t right!  I got onto their automatic AI chat box which eventually put me through to a real person who was able to explain that some of the items I wanted were sourced from another company and would be sent separately.  How strange as I usually get them off their shelves!  Anyway back into the order I deleted these items and added a few more.  I tried once more to pay but this time I was still missing something.  I went back a step which showed me I needed to check my list and click ok before I could eventually check out successfully. Wow!  And you wonder why I don’t do my shopping online!  Praise the Lord, this second order came through arriving at 6am the following morning. Yes, a good time for me as I was already up.

I was quite surprised at how much I got done during this time of isolation.  Down but not out! There was quite a bit of research I wanted to do on certain products and services and found the reviews very interesting reading.  Lots of things around the house need doing, some big some small. A good time to evaluate things.  I also had time to go through all the recorded TV programs from while I was away.

After the first full day of Covid, I was beginning to feel a lot better. I never lost my sense of smell or taste which was a good thing.  The headache had gone and I was still feeling a little fatigued. At night, because I was taking Phenergan, not only to dry up any nasal drip but also to help me sleep, I didn’t develop a chest infection.  Four days into the infection I was out jogging, I’m told exercise helps boost the immune system. The following day I hadn’t slept well having taken myself off the Phernergan. Although I didn’t sleep well I was determined to jog.  I followed the jog with my usual exercise, plus the extra the physio gave me but didn’t go to the beach.  I thought it wasn’t such a good idea to be amongst people or to plunge my body into the cold sea until I was sure I was over it. On Thursday, a week since my first symptoms, I took a RAT’s test and came up negative.  I was thrilled.  It really hadn’t taken my body long to get through this infection with the help of the herbs and antivirals.

Thursday was liberation Day!  I broke free from my restraints and went shopping.  I wanted to stock up on some fresh fruit and veg which I hadn’t ordered online as I like to see what I’m buying.  I also drove to Scarborough to give my car a bit of a run having been stationary for three weeks, plus pick up some of my favourite sourdough.  Then up Scarborough Beach Road to Innaloo to pick up some vitamins and a quick visit to Bunnings to return a plant that had died in my absence and to replace it with a sturdier one.

Friday was also an out and about day doing other shopping plus a visit to my favourite doctor for her to take a look at my skin and to burn a bit more off.  She also offered me a pastry which she had bought for the receptionist who politely refused it as she is vegan.  As I exited I realised I had misplaced my lovely mobile cover!  I called back to most of the places I’d visited en route but couldn’t find it.  I prayed I’d left it at home as I left with my phone in my hand punching in addresses for the GPS to guide me.  Last stop before home was the North Beach shopping centre where I called in to the Pharmacy to return the expired RAT’s tests.  I was so relieved when I reached home to see my phone cover sitting on the counter where I’d left it.  Thank you Jesus!

The following day I realised I’d been hit again!  This time with a severe cold! People are saying its part of long Covid I refuse to accept that. I’m sure it was just because my immune system was low. This time I was out for the count! This was worse than Covid!  I had no energy for three days!  Sneezing, runny nose, shivers, headaches and temperature.  At least I was able to sleep dosed up on Phenergan which also stop the runny nose. If I had the energy to shake I’m sure I would have rattled with all the tablets I was taking.  I had to cancel both my barista duties, Sunday and Tuesday. By Wednesday I was feeling much better but was determined not to overdo it this time.

I had my first appointment with an osteopath just up the road which is handy.  He was very knowledgeable and soon pinpointed my problem.  He believes it’s my sacroiliac joint which is playing up.  After some treatment I got off the table feeling much better and far more supple.  God willing this time it will work!

For some time now I’ve been thinking it might be nice to have a two seater chair just near our letterboxes.  It could be somewhere people can sit and chat to all who pass by or just take a break on their walk around the block. I’ve looked on line but nothing caught my eye.  Then visiting a neighbour I saw just what I needed, I asked if they still wanted it, if not I’d like to put it to good use.  Its rather run-down and needing a new splash of paint but I thought it would come up nicely.  I then thought, “I wonder if council would approve?” Well it is legally on my land so I don’t think they would have a say and if I made a proper cement base for it so it didn’t topple backwards I think it should be ok.  Hmmmm more consideration needed.

One of the things I did during my down time was to look into getting my sofa recovered.  I’d been wanting to do this since I inherited Mum’s cane lounge.  I had replaced the three seater with campervan mattresses which had done the job well but the base was getting a bit saggy and I really wanted to do a proper upholstery job. I had met a lovely guy who said he was willing. I wanted leather on the three seater base cushion and fabric on the back as well as the two single chairs. I looked at a few colours in leather and chose what I thought might work with the carpet and surroundings.  His choice of fabrics was limited so it was suggested I visit Warwick Fabrics. (which I thought was just up the road from me in Warwick – no it was in the CBD).

I contacted my friend Lorna who had helped me with ideas and colours when renovating my home in 2016.  There was the usual toing and frowing of SMS messages before I gave in and called her. The only day that suited us was Thursday straight after helping with the coffees at Emma’s celebration of life service. What an amazing woman of God she was.  I was very grateful to John a friend from church who dropped me off in the CBD.  Lorna and I went through so many blue toned swatches, choosing six that we thought would most go with the leather I’d chosen.  I was told I could only take samples of five but was given permission to take six.  The last one I hadn’t written the name down properly so we had to go through all those we had looked at a second time.

Going back to the house with the six swatches, I lined them up on the carpet and against the tiny little swatch of leather but couldn’t really make a choice.  I needed a larger piece of fabric the same colour as the leather to be able to make a better comparison. I asked Kath, my neighbour, if she wanted to help me and together we went to Spotlight.  She found something very similar to the colour of the leather. I bought half a metre and at home placed it on the carpet with all the six upholstery fabric swatches around the edge.  This gave me a good idea of what they might look like with the leather.  Three out of the six I discarded, out of the last three there was a standout winner which was the one I had nearly left the store without.  I’m so glad we persevered to find it, as in the end this was the one that I and most of my friends liked.  It seemed to go well with both the leather colour and the carpet.  Unfortunately this upholstery fabric was in short supply and wouldn’t be reordered, this caused me to be a little concerned that it would be sold before the leather arrived.

I contacted Nathan to ask if he could order the leather and have the fabric put on hold. I wanted to check what it looked like up against the real thing before my purchase.  The leather would take three to four weeks to be dyed and delivered from Italy, and could be a slightly different shade.  It may not suit the fabric I’d chosen so I really wanted to see the two together before making the final choice.

With that out of the way I turned my thoughts to things to be done around the house and garden.  My back fence needed fixing as for months now the gate has become difficult to close.  The whole fence was coming away from the back wall causing it to slant.  After chatting to a Sorrento St neighbour I was given a name of a fencing contractor who came out to give me a quote.

Then another tradie to install surveillance cameras.  As a group of units we had considered them but not gone ahead, I wanted them because my car had been broken into and also due to the unpredictable behaviour of my neighbour.  I had spoken to him about getting some cameras to pre warn him of my intentions.  He didn’t seem to have a problem with them till they were up.  He then complained to his landlady, our unit manager, who rang me to ask about them telling me I should have run it by the other unit owners first. I had spoken to Kath and Ann neither of whom had a problem with them.  The main concern of the complaint was that other people would be able to tap into the footage and use it against him.  I reassured her that I didn’t have Wi-Fi and the cameras were all hardwired and therefore the only access was in my house.  I showed her the screen to which she replied ‘oh that’s not a problem!’ Kath had also spoken to her saying she thought it was a good thing and a deterrent to anyone coming down our driveway.  Only that morning at my Bible Study we had prayed that I would have the wisdom of how to deal with this situation and the Lord had spectacularly resolved the tension.  That afternoon I saw our cantankerous neighbour who asked me for my opinion about some shrubs he was planting. I dare not mention the cameras!

Anyway the guy who installed the cameras had incorrectly fitted the cables. He had tried to run them down from the ceiling into an existing socket but couldn’t so decided to conceal them within conduit and run it down the inside of the bedroom wardrobe.  After he left I started putting things back into the cupboard when I realised the wardrobe door wouldn’t close because the conduit was in the way!  I’m wondering does he usually not check his work?  Of course he needed to return to fix the problem. At this time I also asked if he could turn the driveway camera away from pointing towards the front door of my neighbour’s home.  He also gave me more detailed instruction on how to operate the vision if I wanted to rewind to see if I’d had any intruders.

My return visit to the doctor revealed another problem with my gut.  I had parasites!  These I had probably picked up from my Asia adventure and had free loaded a trip back to Oz!  Well it was time to eradicate them.  Some of the side effects I definitely had: low immune system, fatigue, bloating, excessive gas, and loose stools.  It will be so good to feel normal again!

While I was in having a consultation I took her the cutting of the currant grape I had promised her over a year ago. She was delighted and asked if I wanted a logan plant as she was buying one for her neighbour and was able to get two for the price of one.  Of course I accepted (not sure where it will go as it needs full sun and I have none). I also offered her a dragon fruit and a young jackfruit seedling but said she would have to pick them up, which she agreed to with her son who also loves gardening.

Plant give away had come around again where the council provide native plants for residents to help encourage the greening up of our suburbs.  I walked down to pick mine up and realised I should have brought a box with me.  Never mind I had messaged Kath to join me but hadn’t heard back till I was in the queue.  She wasn’t coming but would bring something down to me.  Isn’t it wonderful having such lovely neighbours?  I had put in an order for five different varieties of hardy, drought tolerant, ground cover for a native wildlife verge garden.  Some of the plants I was given, I’d put in previously but had found the verge was far too hot and dry.  Even after keeping the water up to establish them, they died.  This group I decided to try in a different spot where they would receive reticulation. Some I chose for where I had originally wanted them, under the olive trees on the verge and some I was donating to my neighbour to fill up his native plants which are those I’ve been watering as his hose is not long enough.  By the end of planting out 20 little pots, my back was telling me I’d overdone it.  Praise the Lord for my Shiatsu massage pillow!

I’m so looking forward to rain.  It’s been such a dry summer.

Photos:  1. My new Oleander has flowered    2. Succulents on my kitchen window    3. Proposed bench    4. Banana flower     5. Jack Fruit seedlings    6. Council seedlings

Prayer & Praise Points:

Praise the Lord for this wonderful autumn weather.  Sunny days, bookended with cool mornings and nights.

Praise the Lord for a speedy recovery from Covid and a cold and praise Him I’m now on top of the gut free loaders.

Please continue to pray for my missionary friend, Ross Winchester as we trust the Lord to bring total healing.

Continue to pray with me for world peace both in the Middle East, Ukraine and Russia.  Pray for the hostages and refugees who are caught up in the suffering that both these wars have caused.  Pray that God’s peace may be known by all people especially for those who live in despair, that they will find hope in Christ Jesus.

Please keep my sisters, Tricia, Jen and Kat, in your prayers.  Pray that they will come to know the love of Jesus.