No Avoiding Winter

My first night back in Perth I slept all night with the electric blanket on, not being able to get up when I woke because it was so cold. I switched on the oil heater to warm the air then pulled the blankets over my head to read the daily devotionals on my phone.  It was just after 4 am and I couldn’t sleep.  It was too dark and cold to get out of bed.  As the room began to warm up I ventured out from my cocoon, staying in bed to do some Duolingo studies before getting dressed in my jogging shorts and T shirt for my run as the light began to peak through my curtains.  It was a glorious morning for my first run after 10 weeks break.  Sure I had done the Walk Japan but that’s not quite the same.  I pushed myself to do the three kilometres then my usual exercises whilst all the time deciding whether I’d go for a swim down the beach.  It was going to be a glorious sunny day with a temperature of 20 C.  In the end I decided to go.  I got myself all rugged up to walk down to the beach wearing my swimming cap under my beanie to keep my body heat from escaping from my head. Stripping down to my bathers, I ran towards the water and decided I’d just keep running and not be deterred by the temperature.  Oh my, oh my!! The water was so cold it took my breath away!  It was like plunging into an ice bath, still I was determined to stay in for the 30 seconds which is supposed to be good for mental health.  My toes felt like they would freeze off. But I must admit it was invigorating and although I was glad to get out, it had been worth it. I just would have preferred a hot shower not a cold one to wash off the salt water.  My fingers and toes were numb!  After dressing I walked back through the shopping centre to buy a few things including fresh milk for my kefir, some more bananas and veggies as well as meat from the butcher for a hearty stew.  What a start to my first day home.  My neighbour Laura, who arrived home a few days later from Italy where she and partner Aurelio just got engaged, also went for a swim on her first morning back.  She said it was like grounding herself back home.  So true. I like her association.

The rest of the morning was spent organising things before heading off to Karrinyup to buy my dried foods for my muesli, as I’d taken what was left in the cupboard to Bali with me and finished it during my time away.  I bought a treat for lunch then headed home where I heated up Kath’s vegan pie to go with my bought lunch.

I slept well that night waking again around 6 am and waiting till just before 7 am, as the sun was not yet over the horizon but shed enough light for me to go jogging.  It was around 7 degrees out but lovely running through the bush.  I got quite wet when it started to rain but it eased up just before I reached home.  I changed before commencing my exercises but decided it was too cold and wet to go swimming, plus I needed to be at church for our once a month Saturday prayer meeting, which I attended at 8:30 am after my breakfast at home.  We heard from a couple who have been working in Lahore, Afghanistan.  It was very interesting to hear their stories about life for local Christians there.

For lunch this Saturday I made a stew which lasted four more days as it had lots of veggies to bulk it out.  I do enjoy my warm winter dinners, my comfort foods.

Sunday I was back on barista duty at church which I enjoy.  It enables me to see lots of people I don’t usually have time to see plus I don’t have to make idle chit chat as I’m too busy concentrating on the coffee orders.  Then the usual Tuesday coffees for the teachers at the school opposite the church; the teachers have said it is their weekly treat.  Mia, who is one of our baristas, said she and her husband were interested in the Walk Japan tour.  That Tuesday and the Wednesday I had volunteered to help out with coffees for the state pastors meeting. I was there off and on for three day shifts from 8am to 2:30 pm.  There were quite a few people who I had met previously and there was always heaps of morning tea and lunch left over, which we were welcome to help ourselves.

Another Sunday, for our AGM, I made carrot soup for those with food intolerance; FODMAP friendly, gluten and dairy free.  There was quite a bit left over and as I had made it with coconut milk, I thought it was an ideal base for a curry.  I fried up some mutton pieces in some curry powder before adding the soup.  It was delicious.

Naomi, the daughter of my neighbour, Ann, drove down from Exmouth to collect her brother Pete, who flew in from the UK where he is living.  They were cleaning Ann’s place as it had recently sold following Ann’s move to residential care while I was away.  I had heard about it through Kathy my neighbour, who wouldn’t tell me who had bought it other than I would be happy with who it was.  I then guessed it was Greg, who had previously lived on Sorrento St and who we all knew.  He had been looking for somewhere in the area, in particular Sorrento St, to buy since breaking up with his wife. Greg is a train driver and often needs to get up at 4am, so I’m hoping my sleep won’t be too disturbed!

On the Thursday, a week after my return, Bob (another neighbour) drove us to the Carine Tavern to have lunch with Naomi, Pete and Ann.  Ann was her cheerful self and seemed to be enjoying her new accommodation, although she still wanted to return to her house.  She wasn’t happy that she had not returned home after her last fall but as we her neighbours weren’t always around and with Naomi living too far away, it was essential she went into full time care.  Later that week Naomi and Pete drove to Exmouth where Pete stayed before returning to Perth for his flight back to the UK.  Before leaving, Naomi needed to disconnect Ann’s WiFi, which meant I was left with only one bar of data on my phone.  This area is such a black spot for mobile phones!  Getting on the internet to do anything means very slow, to no connection on the phone, which meant hot-spotting from the phone to my computer was impossible.  Both Kathy and Laura were very kind, allowing me to use their WiFi, but to use it I needed to be at their place not mine, as it was too far away.  One solution I had was to drive (or walk which meant standing in the cold and possibly the rain) and parking at the top of the hill about 200 meters away. So inconvenient! I looked into getting an antenna which would help with redirecting and boosting the connection.  This could cost over $3,000! But when I looked into it further, the installer asked me to test the up and down load capacity within my house, which you can do via an internet link. When I did the test, it showed that both the up and download were very slow. Upload was from 0.30-0.27 megabits per second and down load 2.34-1.19mbps.  Not the speed you need for hot-spotting my computer off my phone, nor using some of my phone apps, including Duolingo!  Buying WiFi is an ongoing cost which doesn’t make sense with me using so little data, as well as me not being here for 10 weeks of the year, and what’s more I have over 600Gb of date to use on my phone, which keeps accruing as unused data rolls over each month, especially when I’m away.

One afternoon I was listening to my language studies without the earphone plugged in as I was charging my phone which uses the same connection port as the earphones.  I was concentrating on my studies, trying to get as many points during a set time limit to make my way up the competition ladder.  During this time I don’t like to be interrupted; I ignore everything and just keep going till I’m done.  Half way through I heard something land near me and ignored it.  Then I got hit by a flying potato and heard someone shouting abusive comments.  Was it aimed at me or not?  I ignored it and moved away from the letterboxes were I was listening to my lessons.  The volume on my phone wasn’t loud, but just in case I moved further away.  After my lesson I still wasn’t sure if I had imagined that it was thrown at me or not! After this I asked Kathy if I could sit outside her home while she is absent and use her WiFi, to which has been very generous of her.  She has also offered me her spare room when the weather is bad.

Trying to correct this data problem, I called my provider to see if there was anything they could do to improve the reception.  I had tried calling them when I first swapped providers but they hadn’t been very helpful.  This time I received several call backs to collect data and confirm the speed of my up and downloads as well as which internet sites were slow at loading.  I informed them it was not only sites but also most of my apps, including receiving mail and messages on WhatsApp.  After several days I received another phone call to say they were still working on it and finally about six days later another call to say they had fixed it.  Well that morning it did seem I could receive better reception early in the morning but after that it was the same terrible reception.  Nothing had changed. On my Facebook app it took 8 mins to load the page and 3 minutes on Google maps!  Very frustrating!  They are still working on it.  I’m not very hopeful that they will fix it as this is a notorious blackspot area.

Having extremely slow internet is a challenge.  On occasions I would drive up the hill to receive better reception, four bars, where I could do my language study, otherwise I would visit Kathy to use her WiFi. Having no internet also slowed down my messages on social media, which forced me instead to call mobile numbers to have a chat. I reconnected with some of my Australian friends who I haven’t contacted since leaving in May.  One of these was Jenny, who I knew from high school.  She and I have been in touch for a few years now but not so much on a regular basis, just now and again.  Since leaving school she is the only one I’ve contacted. I looked her up because I wanted to let her know that her witnessing was not in vain and that I had eventually come to know the Lord. I wanted to encourage her to keep witnessing.  You never know how the Lord will use you in a person’s journey to know Him.

I also called TAFE and spoke to the lecturer who mentioned he was hoping to do a course on WordPress, which I was very interested in as this is the platform I use both for my blog and the community garden and I’d love to know more.  He informed me that it wasn’t ready yet but was coming along and would probably be ready in the second term of next year, which would started at the end of July or the following year in February with the term ending at the end of June.  Either way I’d be missing out two weeks either at the beginning or the end.  I thought if I started in 2027 at least they might have ironed out any problems from introducing the first course.

My second swim at the beach was a week after the first, it was an overcast rainy day.  As my internet wasn’t working well, I hadn’t checked the BOM map so didn’t know when the next rains were coming and walked down as it began to sprinkle.  Due to the low clouds the temperature wasn’t so cold, around 17 degrees, the water too was warmer.  Another swimmer was laughing at my facial expressions as I entered the water. I laughed.  He agreed it is such a wonderful way to start the day.  I had put my clothes in the change room that day instead of on top of the wall where we all usually leave them, but due to the drizzle and expected rain, and I wanted dry clothes for after my swim.  As I was changing I could hear the water dripping off the roof, the rain had set in.  Praise the Lord it wasn’t too heavy by the time I was walking home, but I did stop at the shops to wait it out.  Here I met with some of the regular swimmers, to catch up with their adventures while I’d been away.  Simon and his wife had been motorbike riding all over Spain and other parts of Europe.  It sounded such fun. He wanted to know about my Japan trip as he too was interested in going.  Later in the month, on my way to the beach, showers were predicted.  I’d only just missed a downpour before my jog, but as I walked to the beach I could see the rain coming over the ocean.  I wondered if I’d make it to the change rooms at the beach before it hit.  I didn’t, this squall came in fast and soaked me all down one side.  I wasn’t the only one caught and laughed as I passed another crazy couple walking along the boardwalk.  By the time I’d reached the change rooms, the rain had passed.  I hung my clothes up to dry out on the hooks provided before going for my swim.  Praise the Lord I had put my swimming bag inside a plastic bag to keep my change of clothes dry.  Next time I’d better check the BOM map before venturing out.

The first week I was back I asked the painter who had done my ceilings, to return for his last warranty check.  We found a few blistering spots which he scraped back, filled and repainted so God willing I won’t need to paint my ceilings again for some time.  At the same time my bathroom extractor fan and heater went on the blink.  Oh no!  How was I going to stop the steam from collecting on the ceiling?  It was cold leaving the bathroom door open but it was the only way to circulate the air and reduce the steam.  I thought the battery in the remote might just need changing. I really dislike remote controls for this reason.  Once the battery has died, nothing is operational till it is replaced!  Anyway I looked for a new battery at my local shops but the size I wanted wasn’t available.  I then drove all the way to Battery World in Balcatta to get a new one (well 4 more just in case I needed another sometime in the future so I would be prepared).  I was so annoyed that didn’t solve my problem, as it was now the weekend and I couldn’t contact my electrician or the manufacturer, although I left a message for both.  Praise God it was still under warranty.  I’m not sure if it was my electrician reporting the problem or the message I’d left, anyway, Monday morning, after praying for a miracle, I received an SMS message from the distributer with a job number.  I called them and was instructed through some troubleshooting steps.  Praise the Lord they worked!  What I had tried was correct, but I had missed just one more step: holding down the start button on the remote. I was relieved it was so easy but wondered why the unit didn’t come with instructions and troubleshooting instructions. Still one needs to be proactive when you live alone.

Another challenging situation was with the overflow runoff from my rainwater tank.  Kathy had been emptying the bucket as often as she could while I was away but complained how often it needed to be done, especially with so much rain.  I had been thinking of how to solve this problem for quite some time.  I found some tubing but it wasn’t long enough; Kath has similar tubing which was longer which she didn’t need.  All I needed was for it to rain again to try it out. That wasn’t a problem with all the rain we were having. It seemed to work well although the red bucket below the catchment was still filling up. Then a few days later I checked it and found that the hose wasn’t emptying so I had to disassemble my tubing and return to the drawing board. Hmmm frustrating. The next thing I tried was taking out the valve from the overflow tube.  That seemed to solve the problem for the moment.

It took me awhile to get back into the garden, mainly because of all the rain and cold weather but also I was just not in the mood.  Then I pushed myself and once I started I got in the groove.  I pruned all my roses, fig and pear trees, which provided me with some fig cuttings to give away through Facebook Marketplace.  There was of course lots of winter grass and weeds to remove too.  I also borrowed a friend’s hedge cutter and trimmed the grevillea down the driveway and the New Zealand Christmas tree along the public footpath.  I had seen the council workers neatening up the street trees and was concerned they might trim my trees back too far.  I like to grow the branches over the footpath, like an arch, so that those walking back from the beach in the summer would have some shade.

The first week I was home I had a terrible stiff neck and shoulders, so while in Karrinyup one day I called into the massage parlour there.  A young Asian girl came to work on me.  I asked her where she was from and found out she is Thai. I immediately switched to speaking Thai with her.  It comes so naturally, unlike Indonesian which although I study once, even twice a day, I’m struggling to remember.  After her very firm massage we exchanged phone numbers so that she could give me the address of a few Thai restaurants here in Perth that she recommended.

Since returning home I have continued to practice the flute, although there were a few things I wasn’t so sure about including the next few lessons with the # symbol. When I saw Lana, who lives on the corner near me, and who was the one I heard playing the flute which inspired me to take it back up again, I asked her if she could help me with a few questions.   She came around late one evening with her beautiful flute, I think it was made of silver. I hesitantly played a few things for her but did so with a request for her to play a few things I was learning so I could hear how they were supposed to sound.  She was very encouraging, saying I was doing very well.  She also helped me with my rhythm, suggesting I use an app with a metronome.  I found this very annoying and not very helpful but was determined to give it a go.  She also showed me what the # meant and how to tune the flute and to practice the blowing through the note from low to high.  Her visit was so very helpful.  She promised to help me again the following Sunday and I promised to show her how to make a good coffee, which she was eager to learn.

The following week my coffee machine was really struggling, leaks seem to have sprung up everywhere.  It was time to get a new one.  I did lots of research and asked around to see if anyone had any suggestions.  Our head barista at church (who had owned her own coffee shop) suggested I take a look at Breville.  My old machine was a very simple Sunbeam which had lasted me years.  Kat, my sister had recommended it and had one herself which had also died but not been replaced.  When I had decided the Breville was the one I wanted, I found the best going price.  Praise the Lord there were some on sale for Father’s Day.  I decided I’d go into the store to have a look.  That was a busy Tuesday for me as I had barista duty at church that morning and then a lunch date with Wan from the massage place at Karrinyup.  She picked me up from home with a friend and together we drove into Northbridge to park, then walked to the restaurant to meet two more of her Thai friends.  I was able to follow along with much of what they were talking about which surprised me and them.  I suggested they order; Wan knew I liked Nam Tok (Thai beef salad) they also ordered five other spicy dishes.  All her friends were Muslim so we avoided pork and ordered beef and prawns instead with sticky rice.  It was delicious, although quite spicy (mild for them).  When we had finished eating I walked to the station to catch a train and bus home while they set off to do some shopping in the city.

On the train home I sat next to a guy who wanted to talk.  He was telling me about all his misfortunes in life and how he was struggling.  He had inherited money from his mother but the courts were only releasing small amounts till he got himself back on his feet.  He said how he was very disappointed in the government and how the world seemed to be going downhill very quickly.  I suggested he give his life to Jesus as I knew how He would lead and guide him in his choices as He had led me.  I encouraged him to find a good church near where he lived and to get involved. They would help support him. I could see the Lord was speaking to him as he seemed genuinely encouraged, his face lit up as he we spoke.  I left him with a tract as I disembarked, praying the Lord would watch over him.

En route home I stopped off at Karrinyup shopping centre to check out JB Hi Fi and their collection of coffee machines.  They didn’t have the one I was looking for so I continued by bus home to collect my car.  I then visited the store in Osborne Park where a sales guy, who owned his own machine was able to give me the run down on a few machines, encouraging me to get one that was more appropriate for people like me who were not beginners in coffee making.  That night I read through the manual so that I was ready for my first cuppa in the morning.  I was very pleased with my purchase.  I certainly made a lovely creamy milk, or was it the experienced barista?

With the new expresso machine operating, I rang several repair shops to see if they wanted the old one for spare parts, but they didn’t.  I then put it on Facebook marketplace for free. I know I shouldn’t be surprised but it does annoy me when people don’t read the advertisement properly which said ‘good for parts’.  Some of those who inquired asked if it was in working order.  “No, it leaks! Have you read the post?”  Eventually I had two interested persons, one just wanted the porterfilter and in particular the single basket and the other wanted the milk frother which was still operational. I’m not sure why someone wanted a huge bulky machine just for the milk frother but I was happy they both went so that it wasn’t me who sent them off to landfill.

My new neighbour, Greg, slowly moved his things in.

Photos:  1.  Jonquil double bloom   2. My tree needing a trip    3. Out for Thai    4. Morning coffee    5. New Expresso Machine

Prayer & Praise Points:

Praise the Lord for my safe journey home, adjusting to this still very cold weather and settling back into my home routine.  Thank you for all your prayer support during my time away.

Please continue to keep Gayle in your prayers, she is visiting her daughter and grandchildren in Victoria as well as trying to have a well-earned break from her hectic life in Bali.

Please continue to pray for all those who have received tracts, that they will hear the voice of the Lord.

Thank you for your continued prayers for Jen during her travels.  She has returned to Italy where she is involved in several Work Away volunteer jobs.

Continue to pray for world peace and countries dealing with major disasters, wars and the unbelievable hardships they cause.  Pray for all those caught up in the suffering these events have caused.  Pray that God’s peace may be known by all people especially for those who live with 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.