What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?

What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?
Remember: "When God closes a door, He always opens a window!" You never know what might be out there waiting for you!

Friday, January 13, 2017

Friday Foto Friends - Progress in the Garden!

Hello Friday Foto Friends!  I truly love this weekly gathering of friends from near and far...who share their favorite photos of the week...which could be  anything from babies to birds to seashores to sunsets to snow...we never know what we will see each week...but it is always fun and interesting.  So, I hope you will join us! Grab your camera and take some pictures this next week, and share them with us next Friday!  Just link up with Deb at Breathing in Grace on Friday for the Friday Foto Friends.   (I wrote this last night to post today...but as you can read below, we had to take a little detour today...)

I am sorry that I am a bit late to the "party" today.  We got a call late last night that my sweet 93 yr old mother in law had fallen and was taken to the hospital. So we made a 2 hour trip one way to be with her today and have just gotten back home. Please keep her in your prayers. She does have a fractured hip, but not severe enough for surgery or a cast, thank the Lord. She also was dehydrated and has some other issues, along with her dementia, etc.  So they have admitted her and she will most likely be going from the hospital into long term care.  Thank you for your prayers for our family as we make these decisions and attend to her care. We know that God is in control...and we can trust Him to care for His dear child.  But...well, so many of you already understand how this feels.

So now, here we go for my photo offerings for the day:

As most of you are probably aware by now, I am attempting to create a "Secret Garden" as a place of prayer, meditation in God's Word, and just resting in the Lord while I observe His creation at work around me.  Click HERE for  how it all started with a Christmas gift from my son... .  Now for an update on the progress:

This was the view looking at the back yard fence toward the neighbor's house behind us.  I wanted to create something  to give the Secret Garden a little more sense of peace and solitude. So we decided to put up something to give the visual illusion of privacy without it being a total blockade fence...



It took our best "engineers", "architects" and "construction supervisors" to figure out the most reasonable way to put up this privacy screen with minimal expense and also without having to bring in heavy equipment to dig down through the myriad of roots of the huge magnolia tree that shades this spot.  So with some creative use of rebar, PVC pipe and vinyl lattice panels we came up with a plan...

We framed the lattice panels to give them more stability...


And then we carefully attached the panels to the PVC  pipes already pounded into the ground over the rebar...






And the finished product does exactly what I hoped it would do...it gives a visual screen of privacy without totally blocking the light ...and creates a lovely, peaceful spot to relax and enjoy the Secret Garden.  Next comes the "landscaping"...clearing out some of the ferns to create a spot for the lovely new bench and some other secret surprises for the garden...hopefully when my "landscape architect" gets some time to do some creative  weed-whacking and planting...  (please note, these "specialists" are all family volunteers pretending to be whatever I happen to want them to be for the moment...)




Already God is blessing this little place with beauty and friendship...one of my friends in the community who happens to sell plants at the local flea market brought me a lovely gift of a camellia bush for the garden and another delightful plant that will have bright yellow flowers in the summer that attract the butterflies... (I can never remember the name of that plant...help!)  This was such a wonderful surprise that I never expected...and I thank the Lord for this dear friend and neighbor who has such a giving heart....




And then I saw THIS plant on her plant trailer and just had to purchase it....it is called a 
New Zealand Tea Tree...and it has such dainty little pink flowers...and also will attract
bees, butterflies and birds!  :




So we are off to a wonderful start in our Secret Garden! God is already blessing this place with His Presence and drawing people here in a spirit of love and fellowship.  That is my dream and goal...

Oh, I guess I haven't shown you the bird houses we added to the garden...yep, right there on top of the clothesline...




And the other morning I noticed a chickadee flitting around in front of the bird house on the left...and then scolding me for watching her...therefore I don't know if she decided to build a nest in there yet or not, so I'll be watching from a distance! But isn't that exciting?  It's kind of like the saying from the movie "Field of Dreams",  "If you build it, they will come!"....so stay tuned for more adventures in the Secret Garden...

Until next week...


"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord,
"He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust."
Psalm 91:1-2
Amen.

16 comments:

  1. Prayers for your MIL and all her health issues. God has certainly shown your family what needs to be done for her care. As for the secret garden....simply wow! I know there's going to be a lot of time spent there in meditation and prayer. Thanks so much for sharing your pictures with us today!

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    1. Isn't it amazing how quickly God "answered" our prayers from the other day concerning what to do about her future? I'm just thankful that she wasn't injured more severely and she doesn't appear to be in any real pain. Thank you for your prayers and compassion. As to the garden...I guess it isn't much of a secret anymore, huh? Thank you for stopping by for a "visit" today!

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  2. Oh that looks so nice. I hope you have many peaceful hours there.

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    1. Thank you Cathy. I just know God has a plan...and I am thankful that He is making it become a reality! Have a blessed a happy day.

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  3. Oh Pam...I just love how the Lord is bringing this desire of your heart together at the Secret Garden!

    I'm really sorry to hear about your mother-in-law's fall, but it does sound as if she is where she needs to be. Your family is in my prayers.

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    1. Thank you Dianna. It is a pleasant and happy project that I believe the Lord has given me...I just have to be patient and let it come together in His time and His way...and every day is a new surprise! thank you for your words of concern regarding my mother in law. I know you understand this having been through a similar situation in your family. We know that God is in control, and that He will work this all out for the best for all concerned. It is still hard to go through, but God gives grace....

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  4. Your secret garden is already turning into something very special! I can't wait to see it finished, with you enjoying the peace and beauty of it. So sorry to hear about your mother-in-law, but glad the fracture wasn't worse. I'm sure your decisions are made with love and caring. Prayers lifted!

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  5. I'm thankful for your mil that she didn't break anything. It's wonderful Indeed the way the Lord watches out for us. My husband fell yesterday afternoon and the knot on his elbow was the size of a baseball and also he hurt his side, which scared me. Your garden is coming together. Could that yellow plant be lantana?

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  6. I'm so sorry to hear about your mother in law's fall. It is a big adjustment for all involved with a change in care. You are all in my prayers. Your pretty secret garden is coming along. I like the lattice work to give you some privacy.

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  7. Thankful your MIL wasn't hurt bad and she's going to get the care she needs,Pamela.
    Your Garden is looking good. Will love to see it when it's finished.

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  8. Praise the Lord. Your MIL will get the help she needs. Wednesday morning, I had to go with Hubby to the ER. I felt as if the world was against us. But things turned around for us. We were only there about half the time we usually have to stay. He has tendonitis in in his rt elbow. He is on pain medication, which makes him drowsy and he seems to be sleeping a lot.

    I love your lattice-work fence. You may have given me an idea for the back of our yard.

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    1. THank you Cecilia, for your words of encouragment. I am sorry about your hubby's pain and injury. May God give him healing and strength in his elbow.
      I'm glad you like the lattice fence. It took some thinking to figure it out, but we persevered and it finally all came together, and I am very pleased with the results. So let me know if you need any guidance on your project!

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  9. Pam,
    I'm sorry to hear about your MIL. It's so hard to make the decision to place a loved one in long term care, even when it's the best decision for all involved. Prayers for comfort and peace. I simply love how your secret garden is coming to "life". It does look inviting.

    Blessings!

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  10. So sorry to hear of you MIL's fall. Prayers for her healing. Your garden is so wonderful!! It's going to be such a nice place for you spend time with God. The lattice not only serves the purpose of privacy, it look's pretty too!

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  11. I'm so sorry to hear about the unfortunate fall with your MIL! I do hope and pray she will be able to recover in the rehab facility. The Lord knows all the details, and will help your family through this difficulty. What a precious spot you are creating in your backyard! I love the ingenuity of the rebar being covered with PVC pipe, and using lattice to have a sense of privacy! I can't wait to see what else you do with your garden. It is hard to imagine gardening right now with all our snow on the ground, lol! Hugs to you today dear friend :)

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  12. Prayers for you MIL, Pamela. So sorry to hear this; oh, how hard it is to watch our parents age . . .
    Your photos are lovely, and you garden is coming along beautifully. We all need a "secret" place to abide and dwell with the Lord. Looking forward to seeing your progress.
    Blessings!

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