Saturday Wanderings~Another Neighborhood Story

It's Saturday afternoon, and it's raining "cats and dogs" out there...well, maybe just cats. LOL. No dogs in sight right now. And actually the cats are in hiding somewhere out there. Can't say as I blame them. We keep getting bright flashes of lightning and very loud thunder boomers.  If I didn't enjoy watching the storm so much I just might go into hiding myself...

I took these photos after the storm had stopped...can you see the water in the mud ruts that were left from the mower getting stuck the other day?  Now they are all filled up with rain water and Still Waters Pond is being renewed raindrop by raindrop:

Oh, just as I was taking those pictures above, look who came around the pond to come play in the puddles? LOL.  Actually, they are finding tasty morsels of food coming up in the water/mud after the storm...they are happy Sand Hill Cranes!

This picture below is of a neighbor's house way across the road from us, but I can see it from our house, and prior to the storm starting in earnest, and as we could hear the thunder rolling in from a distance, I noticed there were still children swimming in that little swimming pool. I know those kids love to swim every day and if they could they'd stay in there all day long.  But I could hear the thunder, and I was getting a bit nervous about them being in that pool.  I was about a hair's width away from going over there to tell them they'd better get out before lightning strikes them, when I noticed that their mother finally must've come out and told them to get out of the pool because I saw them running into the house just as the storm was about to crash in on top of us. I breathed a sigh of relief and thanked the Lord for protecting those children.  I mean, I don't want to be a nosy busy body neighbor, but I definitely did NOT want to have it on my conscience if lightning struck those children...which does happen here in Florida frequently. Just a week or so ago a young man was struck dead by lightning over at New Smyrna Beach. He was on his honeymoon.  So very sad. It's definitely nothing to play around with! So I am very thankful those children got out of the pool when they did.

Now, back to unique encounters with interesting people in the neighborhood...About a week ago I noticed an elderly woman standing in the front yard of the new house next door.  As I just happened to be outside getting our mail, I wandered over there to say hello and see if she had some questions about the house.  No, I am not the realtor, but I have been kind of an "unofficial" security person for the house since the owner/developer lives out of town and we have stayed in communication about anything happening on her property.  The lady said that she was just looking at the house and wondered if it was still for sale (which it was at that time). She asked me if it was okay for her to walk around the property, and I told her it was fine, but I offered to walk around with her because the ground is still quite uneven in places where there are lots of exposed roots and little rough spots in the terrain.  

Well, even though this lady said she was just killing time while she waited for an appointment, she did express some interest in wanting to move to a new house. We ended up having quite a "lengthy conversation" as she told me many things about her life story, including that she is 87 years old and has written many many books! I was enjoying chatting with her as she shared so many interesting things, but after quite a while I told her that I didn't want to keep her from her appointment, which she then looked at her watch and realized she was already late.  I asked her name and told her how much I had enjoyed visiting with her, and she told me her name is "Belle Tilley".  I told her that I love the name Belle,  and especially because one of my mother's older sisters was named Belle.  Anyway, she hurried off for her appointment and I was left with a feeling of how much I wished I could've talked to her longer and especially wished that I had asked her more about the books she had written.  

Do you ever have conversations with perfect strangers like that,  and wish that you could've spent more time with them and had a chance to ask them more questions? I honestly just could not shake that feeling.  She was very articulate, but also quite strong in her opinions and did not mince any words. Belle grew up in rural south Georgia, one of 8 children, and was raised on a farm.  When she was a young woman she left home by herself and headed to Orlando, Florida with nothing but a suitcase to begin a new life striking out on her own.  She reminded me a lot of my dearly departed mother in law...a person with a lot of "character" and true grit.  I told my husband she was from a generation of strong southern hard working women who never met a challenge too difficult to overcome, especially if it meant protecting or providing for their families. And even though her language and manner of speaking at times became quite "colorful", as I said, she minced no words in expressing her beliefs on most every topic...politics, religion, current events and lazy people who steal and lie, (just to name a few)...I had no doubt that she was extremely intelligent and hard working and if she liked you, she'd fight for you no matter what.

So, moving right along. I decided to look her up online and also to see if I could find any information about any books written by someone named "Belle Tilley".  I checked on Amazon, and lo! and Behold!  There were actually quite a few books listed written by a Belle Tilley! However, they were mostly murder mysteries, which kind of surprised me!  But they had been written back in the early 2000's.   I wanted so badly to talk to Belle again to find out if those were her books, but I didn't know how to get in touch with her, so I just prayed for her and also told the Lord that I would love to meet up with her again.  Would you believe that yesterday we were in our local little grocery store, and I turned around and there she was!!  I was so surprised!  Immediately I went over to her and made sure it was her, and that she remembered who I was, and she did after I reminded her of our meeting.  So I asked her about the books she had written, and she told me that yes, she wrote all those murder mysteries back when she first retired.  I told her they were on Amazon, but they were priced rather high (in the $20-$25. dollar range), and she was livid!  She said that she did NOT authorize them to be sold on Amazon, and apparently someone has bought them from her supplier and is reselling them to make a huge profit, and she will not get any royalties from that.  I don't know how that works, but that is what appears has been happening.  She said that she published her books through a self publishing company called www.lulu.com, and they were the only ones authorized to sell them for her.   We didn't have time to talk long in the store, but she said she would bring me a couple of her books as a gift! I thanked her and didn't really expect to see her again anytime soon...but...  

This morning someone was knocking on our front door and when I opened it, there was Belle!  

So I invited her in and she gave me two of her books as she had promised...

I was thrilled, to say the least! And then we sat down and we talked more and more...and again, she shared many more things about her life that were very interesting.  Belle loves to talk and has much to say, and I know she is lonely since her family lives a couple of hours away from her. 

My hubby joined in on the conversation after a while and we also talked about some spiritual issues and concerns she has.  She seems very fit for her age, but I am concerned about some things that are going on with her that become obvious once she starts talking about issues she is having with neighbors and other people  and places...and although I am quite certain she could take care of herself physically,  she is at a stage in life where she could talk herself into some major difficulties with people who are not quite so compassionate and understanding.  

And so I am left with a concern to keep her in my prayers and ask the Lord to keep a close watch over her. I'm not sure if we will meet again, but then again, it seems like God keeps bringing people into our lives for a reason.  I am praying for wisdom regarding this situation and others that have recently been happening.  Here's a good passage from the book of Proverbs:

Proverbs 2:1-8

1 My son, (or daughter!) if you receive my words,

And treasure my commands within you,

2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom,

And apply your heart to understanding;

3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment,

And lift up your voice for understanding,

4 If you seek her as silver,

And search for her as for hidden treasures;

5 Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,

And find the knowledge of God.

6 For the Lord gives wisdom;

From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;

7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;

He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;

8 He guards the paths of justice,

And preserves the way of His saints."

So be it, Lord.

Amen.

Thank you all for again, another long post with a rather long story. I hope you will keep us and also Belle in your thoughts and prayers as well. She has come across our path for a reason...and that may be it. We never know, but God knows!  

Have a blessed rest of your weekend!