An Update on This and That

I was hoping to share some photos of the harbour cruise from last week but I didn't have time to resize them. 

Instead I'll share a few snippets and a bit of sad news.

Two snapshots from my harbour walk. I always love to look at all the boats and yachts at the marina. 

These first two shots are for Skywatch Friday visitors.

The next photo is of a vintage dessert. This one reminds me of my late mom. Years ago when she still had a school age child at home she would make a dessert out of fruit, gelatin and whipped cream mixed in. This one has less whipped cream than she used to use because I wanted to save some as a topping.  When the jelly is half set, I diced fresh strawberries and bananas into the jelly along with whipped cream and then put it back in the refrigerator until fully set. Yummy! Though next time I will use more whipped cream mixed into the gelatin, lol.

I'm reading my 24th book for 2018. This one is by a new to me author.  

Read more about the book here if interested.
I'm enjoying the book. Nothing too taxing. This is just the right kind of reading when I'm very busy and need a small diversion.

I finally finished planting my garden. I got a late start on it due to the long winter we had.  Once the debris was cleared I amended the soil with 160 kgs of compost.  Another 180 kg of potting mix was needed for the many containers.

I've planted vegetables and flowers again.  I've noticed that it is is getting harder and harder to find the starter plants I want (petunias, geraniums and pansies) even though they are common plants.
If, and when I do find them, I might only find one or two small starter plants.  That means there is no selection when the remaining plant might not be well watered or healthy or if you want a different colour than what remains.
Sometimes you just have to suck it up.

I'm not sure why it is getting so hard to find common starter plants.  It may simply be that I arrive too late to the stores and they sell out quickly.  When I purchased the geraniums I asked the store owner if he was going to get more as they only colours were red and pink. He said he hoped so and that there shipment had just arrived that day. They were already very low on geraniums when I arrived.

Another explanation for the lack of plants may be that certain plants are no longer in fashion and so stores don't carry them like they used to.  I remember I had the same issue for the last few years and so last year I went to a large garden center hoping to have more selection. They did indeed have a huge selection but not of the plants that I want.

 I like to plant a lot of pansies. These seem particularly hard to find. This year I only got one container of purple ones.  Fortunately I had one pot of very hardy, yellow  pansies that had survived being outdoors all year even through the cold winter.

 

This year I tried starting plants from seed by purchasing a large tray.  Most of the seeds didn't sprout so I didn't use any of them. I think next year I will plant seeds again but I won't use a large tray. This way I can actually label them first so I know what I've planted.  This will only work if I can get started much earlier in the season.  It's a bit hit or miss when the last few planting seasons have arrived so late after a long winter.

Grandma Sally seems to be doing well at home. So far she has needed one tank of oxygen which the nurse was able to take to her home and administer.  Jonah (Grandma Sally's grandson) has returned home a few hours away for some much needed rest.  He was taking care of Grandma Sally's needs and visiting her every day in hospital for the past 3 months. Now that Grandma Sally is home, culture dictates that males do not enter the bedroom of the females so she has females taking care of her needs. Of course at the hospital when Jonah was visiting, Grandma Sally had staff attending to her immediate care needs.

In sad news, one of my cousins, Connie, was diagnosed with cancer about 2 weeks ago. It was at a late stage as a result of doctors not testing her when she started trying to ascertain the reason for neck issues several years ago. Finally one of her sisters accompanied her to doctors and they were given the runaround until the sister insisted that proper testing be done. This is when the cancer was diagnosed and it was already quite advanced.  Treatment began immediately commencing with some surgery on her spine. The doctors are saying she needs to be moved to palliative care soon as Connie's health is deteriorating rapidly.

My cousin is unaware that the photo below was taken by her sister and shared with me on the occasion of the birth of her great grandson in April. I share it here so you know who to pray for if you feel so led. But I will likely delete the photo soon out of respect. I can just see the love on great grandma's face and the little one in her arms is so very cute.

~~~~~

Joining in with 

Friday Foto Friends

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Skywatch Friday

Thank you for stopping by.

Update on Grandma Sally

Hello friends,

Several of you have expressed that you  are waiting for updates about Grandma Sally. For those who are not aware, Grandma Sally has been in hospital for almost 3 months.  Many different medical interventions have been needed during that time and it has been an emotional roller coaster for those involved in overseeing her care since they do not live in the town where Grandma Sally is admitted to hospital.

Grandma Sally has been in ICU for almost all of the 3 months she has been a patient.  She has also been unable to speak for much of that time and most recently had some growths (tumours) on her lungs.  Doctors recommended surgery but the family was reluctant due to Grandma Sally's advanced age.

After discussion with doctors, the course of treatment was changed to some powerful medication.  It seems to have worked but in the recent week or so, Grandma's health deteriorated and she has been on life support. The family's goal has been to keep Grandma as comfortable as possible and not do anything that would jeopardize her comfort.  They would like to see a more natural transition for her rather than more medical interventions.  Among other things, I've been guiding the caregivers during the various courses of treatment and helping them with questions to ask the doctors and so on.  The hospital and it's doctors do everything to prolong life and assist Grandma Sally but they conclude that Grandma Sally is transitioning from this life.  No one knows how long it might take.

Interestingly in today's news, an elderly man of 104 years travelled from Australia to Switzerland to get medically assisted suicide.  Grandma Sally is more or less than same age, but she does not fit the category of someone unhappy with life.  Nor is she, or the family seeking euthanasia. In fact everything possible has been done to treat her symptoms and give Grandma Sally the best possible life for as long as she is alive.

Grandma Sally is a very faith filled woman and also a very physically strong woman. The family got the doctors to remove life supports except for oxygen. They are now working to get medical assistance and transport Grandma to her home where she can see out her last hours and days. They think this is how Grandma would want it and I agree.

Grandma's house in the village

It has been difficult for family and friends near and far. Many have traveled long distances to say their goodbyes.  Having no funds for good or lodging it is difficult to remain in the local area for a funeral that no one knows when it will occur.  They all travelled when it seemed Grandma Sally was slipping away fast and they have been patiently awaiting her transition. 

Pray for everyone involved;  for the dear ones that need to say goodbye and are grieving. Most do not understand the end of life process.  Pray also for strength for the family and loved ones, especially those overseeing Grandma Sally's peaceful and comfortable transition.  It is a stress for them as they also do not live in the town where Grandma is getting care.

All in all we trust that God is in control. When Grandma Sally was first admitted to hospital almost 3 months ago it wasn't long before she lost her ability to talk.  At the time it was evident her mind was still working.

She was always smiling at hospital staff and family carers making motions about praying and praising God. While she could still talk she was encouraging family members to walk the path of faith and to ensure they did not deviate from reliance upon God. She is truly an inspiration to me and to her family members. She is well loved and though she is not my biological Grandma, I am pleased to call her Grandma Sally. I love her as if she were my own dear Grandma. May she move over to a new life free of pain and struggle and hear the words "well done, my good and faithful servant".

 

#miracles #GrandmaSally #Godisgood #prayer #KenyaMissionsofHope #Kenyamedicalmercymissions

Joining in with 

Friday Foto Friends

Miss Sally ~ Home At Last!

I'm happy to say that Miss Sally (Part 1 here and Part 2 here) has made it home after almost a full month in hospital.  It was touch and go on several occasions but by God's grace Miss Sally has recovered and gone home.

Her discharge date was delayed by two days. The hospital had ordered some medicines from Nairobi and wanted to both administer the medicines and run tests to ensure a good red blood cell count.

January 22, 2018 ~ Miss Sally is overjoyed to be home again.

It has been difficult for me to focus on much over these past few weeks since Christmas other than Miss Sally's condition, my own sickness and praying for a few other needs. On good days I have done a lot of reading, crocheting or cooking and baking. On other days I've just managed to do a bit of house work here and there.

Lovely fields of green

near where Miss Sally was in hospital (near Bomet, Kenya).

Miss Sally is not out of the woods yet.  She will need to have a better diet and possibly supplements. If things don't improve consistently she will require more medications. If you feel led to help her in any way, kindly let me know. Otherwise we would appreciate your prayers for Miss Sally.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

While my sickness with cold and flu bug has dragged on I don't feel up to doing the usual things. I've spent a lot of time in prayer and reading the word but have also spent a lot of time watching television and programming on Netflix. I managed to watch two full seasons of The Crown and enjoyed it very much. Claire Foy does a fantastic job of humanizing the Queen while maintaining the dignity required of a Queen.  The cast of actors are all fabulous.

I'm on a free trial for Netflix and it expires this week. I would like to cancel my television channels and subscribe to Netflix or other streaming service but am waiting for high speed internet to be available in my building. I hope I won't have to wait too much longer as it has already been years, yes you read that right. I've been waiting years for the high speed internet. When I first moved into my building we had the fasted internet speed in the area and in much of the city. I felt quite smug, lol. That didn't last because now we have the slowest internet in the area. It still pretty good considering but I'll want the much faster speed if I am going to rely on the internet for watching television and movies. I would then upgrade to unlimited internet data for home use.

When I'm confined to the house during illness I tend to want junk food or comfort food, especially late at night. I haven't been buying "treats" because of the high cost and also for health reasons.  Instead I'm doing some baking here and there. though I haven't exactly made healthy options, I can do things like reduce the amount of sugar used and so on.  I can also freeze some and eat it later.  I did some baking today.  The results are in the photo below.

I must be on a health upswing as I made three different treats

First up was something called Butter Cake. It was the first time I'd heard of it.  I came across the recipe when searching for a simple, basic cake.  It was quite tasty but I doubt very much I will make it again. Too much butter for me.  I really don't know what I was thinking because I wanted a lemon cake to use up some of my lemons. I did use some freshly squeezed lemon juice in the batter but the butter overwhelmed the lemon flavour I was after. Oh well, next time I will make sure to make a plainer cake with lots of lemon.

I also made a dozen blueberry muffins and a few dozen jumbo raisin cookies. Most of these will be frozen and used as needed.  I far prefer home made muffins to store bought ones. I only like the store bought muffins at high end places. Otherwise they tend to have a lot of oil or a lot of air. I like my muffins with a bit more substance.  Same with cookies. I don't like sweet cookies and I do like to have them large so I can dunk them in tea or coffee. These are also good to take with me when I run errands and I need a snack.

The muffins and cake were baked in silicone muffin and loaf pans.  

Personally I don't like silicon pans as much as I like the tin or metal ones. 

I find they completely change the texture of the food.
If you are a baker have you noticed any difference?

Joining with Our World Tuesday 

Pictorial Tuesday

Sally's Miracles ~ Part 1

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 

Mark 1:35 (ESV) 

~~~~~~~~

Some of my long time readers know that I do some missions work in the country of Kenya, East Africa.  I've been doing small projects here and there for approximately 10 years.  The work is done on a small scale and I do not have any financial partners in carrying out the work though from time to time friends have assisted.

The sky is beautiful almost every day here and you will often find goats in the middle of the highway near Marigat (north of Nakuru) in Kenya.

During the 10 year period, I have been engaged in many different aspects of humanitarian work and in all cases I work with local pastors and lay leaders in small villages. Primarily the work has been based in and around the small city of Kericho in the Great Rift Valley but has also extended to the northern and northeastern areas of Kenya where the Pokot and Samburu peoples live.  From time to time, the work has also extended to small cities and towns like Garissa (near the coast), Nakuru (northeast of Nairobi), Olenguruone (in the SW Mau National Reserve), Narok and Bomet near the Masaii Mara National Reserve and in Nairobi City.

Street scene in Marigat, just opposite the market.

The work is challenging due to lack of financial support but for anyone who has a calling you know that you press on despite the challenges and trials and you pray a lot for God to help you meet the call.  I believe that God placed a burden in my heart for the people of Africa and for the people of Kenya in particular.  I pray for God's leading and direction and help for

No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.

Luke 9:62 (ESV)

I want to be faithful in what I am doing but I also want to be fruitful. 
In that I must trust that God leads me to those he would want me to help and and encourage. 

The life in the villages in Kenya is very difficult indeed. 
While the country is very rich in resources and there are many well to do people, the poverty level is extremely high and unemployment is at a rate which would be totally unacceptable in the west. 

The last time I checked, unemployment was at approximately 70 percent and the World Bank reported that 45.5 % of  Kenya's population lived in poverty.  Many Kenyans have pursued higher education despite great sacrifice as a way to try and become employable but even those who graduate from university or other training have a very hard time finding a job. 

In a report I read last year, the daily newspaper stated that on average it took 5 years for graduates to find work. Approximately 80% of the country's population is under the age of 35 so you can guess that there is a very high dissatisfaction rate amongst the majority of Kenyans. 
At this moment, I happen to know several graduates ranging in ages from 24 to 39 years of age.  
Some of them have  multiple degrees but only one of them is employed and that was after years of short term jobs and trying to find stable employment. 
I hope this short overview of the country's poverty and unemployment situation gives you a bit of background into why my work though small is extremely important to those that receive it. 

Over the past decade my work has transitioned from helping with educations costs for orphans, seeds and fertilizers for widows and single mothers, food relief for starving people in the north and those in Internally Displaced Peoples(IDP) camps.

These days most of my efforts are in helping people receive medical care.
This is an area where there is great need and the cost of one person's medical care is not inexpensive. 
In fact, I would say the cost of medicines and certain treatments costs the same as in Canada if one had to pay for it. In Canada we do have great medical insurance but we do not yet have a national drug plan and there are still the odd persons here and there who do not have insurance.

It is then easy to see why people need assistance with medical costs in Kenya. Otherwise they simply die.
Sometimes they die anyway as in the case of a few people we have tried to help over the past year.

About one year ago it came to my attention that a very elderly woman who lives near the town of Bomet, Kenya (near Narok which is located northwest of Nairobi.) was having difficulty with her eyes. 
She could no longer see very well and since she was living alone it was getting more and more difficult for her to collect firewood, make fire and feed herself.
The woman's name is Sally.
Sally is 103 years old and the mother to 12 children, 9 of whom are still living.  She has been a Christian for approximately half of her life and is a staunch believer in prayer and in living a Godly life.
 I am not sure how many grandchildren and great grandchildren she has but they are all in dire economic straits as approximately half of the country's population.

I asked my youth pastor friend to please take Sally to the missions hospital in Tenwek for an eye check. 
At Tenwek they attempted treatment but Sally's was a difficult case and they referred her to Sabatia Eye Hospital in the western part of Kenya.

Sabatia Eye Hospital is only one of two eye hospitals in Kenya. The other, called Lions is located in Nairobi. 
Sabatia is located in Vihiga in Western Kenya (near Kakamega in western Kenya) and it offers both inpatient and outpatient services to patients who arrive from all over Kenya.

 (Promotional photo for Sabatia Eye Hospital)


 Going to Sabatia required a long bus journey and a stay of several days at the hospital lodgings which of course entails a lot more resources.  Time is needed to enable an eye assessment, eye surgery and follow up care.  
Sally did get the eye surgery she needed. It was very successful and she

was extremely happy.
In Kenya many of the elders do not look at the camera straight with their eyes. They mostly do not like their photos taken too and wonder what tourists and foreigners do with their photos. 
I can certainly understand that and have learned to ask first if it okay to take a photo.
In this case, my friend took photos at my request and after Sally's surgery, she gladly looked straight into the camera as if to show me that she can now see.

Sally shortly after returning from eye surgery. She was suffering from a bout of malaria in this photo.

  At Sally's advanced age, she is still able to take care of her personal needs but was finding it harder to go long distances to collect firewood and to safely cook over the fire.
I felt led to do what I could to help her in her day to day life. 
Sadly, just today I read in the Kenyan paper how an elderly woman of 77 years of age fell into the fire while trying to cook and died. Unfortunately no one heard her and her grandson found her later after he arrived home from school. 

There are many issues related to cooking in Kenya but I will say that for another day.
For now, I focus on Sally's story.

After Sally returned home from Sabatia Eye Hospital I asked my friend if he would assess Sally's household needs so she could be made more comfortable in her old age.

He let me know her house was in need of repairs, she needed a water filter, a new bed and chairs.
I agreed and I also determined she needed new bedding and some warm clothing as it rains a lot where she lives.

My friend set about getting Sally's son and other relatives to assisting in the work that was needed and he went to buy the items. One of Sally's daughters was able to take care of the clothing requirements.
My friend also found a young female relative who needed a job who could help with collecting firewood, cooking and taking care of any of Sally's other needs.
 

When you buy goods and take them to the village you must usually walk a far distance from the road up paths  and through fields to your home. When it is wet or raining the paths can be very muddy.

In Kenya there is still  no national pension for old people though it is expected to begin sometime this month of January 2018. It will be a process before everyone over the age of 70 years of age will be enrolled and start receiving funds. Once established the elderly will receive approximately $28-30 Canadian dollars every other month. It isn't a lot but it will help the elderly to buy some basic food items.

Some of the gifts being presented to Sally. Her son looks on.

In addition to hiring a helper for Sally, we purchased a bed, mattress and bedding, and warm clothing. Sally already had wooden chairs but my friends purchased some plastic chairs which are easily moved in and out of the house to sit outside when the weather is agreeable.

See into the doorway where the mattresses are propped up. These photos were taken before the house repairs.

One of Sally's daughters looks on.

My friends also helped to hire people to clean, tidy and spruce up the humble home by making repairs to the mud plaster exterior walls and the tin roof.  

Iron sheets for the roof repair.

 

This is the house after repairs. The kitchen  (see far left in 1 of the photos above) has not been repaired.

Finally we were able to locate and purchase a large water filter though I am not sure it actually works properly and the funds may have been wasted.  The kitchen which is in great disrepair is a job that I was unable to deal with due to lack of funds.

Water filter made and sold by a local non-profit group.

It wasn't too long after all this work was completed when Sally started having health problems.
Since then she has been admitted into hospital several times.

 ~~~~
Given the length of this post, I will report more on Sally's hospitalizations in the next installment of her story.

Thank you for stopping by and for reading about Sally.

I hope you will come back for the remainder of the story.

~~~~~

Linking up with Friday Foto Friends

Skywatch Friday

and 

Saturday's Critters

The Weather Around These Parts

In Kenyan news

My young friend, Alvin has graduated today with his Bachelor in Engineering. He is hoping to do his Master's Degree in approximately one year but first he needs a job and to save some money.

That is Alvin on the left and Nathan on the right. Alvin is my friend.

 I met Alvin a few years ago when the choir he is in (Kenyan Boys Choir) were in the city.
Saturday they will have a big luncheon with family and friends to celebrate this great achievement.

My elderly "grandma" is still in hospital. She has been back and forth between the Intensive Care Unit and the private ward at the mission hospital where she lives.  She has pneumonia which she contracted while in hospital being treated for a bacterial infection.

She is a strong woman but she is very old and it is hard to recover.
I continue to pray for her recovery.

In sad news, a friend's uncle, Kipkoness has succumbed to heart problems and passed on.

I met him on my very first trip to Kenya. I am sorry I will not have a chance to meet him again when I return next to Kenya.

In local news

I'm keeping very busy getting parcels and cards out in the mail in preparation for Christmas. Next up will be wrapping the presents for family members. I also had to go to the eye specialist for laser surgery this week. Some of you remember I had cataract surgery but scar tissue grew rapidly due to healthy eyes and needs to be removed. One eye was done yesterday. The other will be done in a month. 

I'm breaking up all the errands with one of the things I like best, the opera. I have several performances to attend. I wrote about one of them a few days ago.

 I said I would be reporting on a special event. That will be posted in a day or two.

Thanks for joining me here.

I'll be sure to visit you if you let me know you were here.

Checking in with

Friday Foto Friends

Skywatch Friday

and 

Saturdays Critters

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend. x

Happy 80th Birthday!

The last time I posted here my mother had had a serious stroke and was admitted to hospital. 

 I'm happy to say she was discharged to her home last Saturday.  We spent a few extra days visiting and making sure she was settling in okay,drinking adequate fluids and eating.

She is currently on a pureed diet and on gel like water flavoured with honey and lemon.
She likes the flavoured water much better than the plain old thickened water they had at the hospital.

On August 31st we were able to celebrate her 80th birthday. It was a real joy to see her be able to mark the occasion and in her own residence.

We usually have a dinner and cake and a few family members gather with her to celebrate.  We planned to do the same this year but had to forego that idea for now because mom cannot eat a normal meal. In fact, we were not even sure she would make it to her birthday.  We are pleased with her progress and have promised we will have a proper dinner and cake when she is stronger and able to eat regular food. For now we had the very small cake with candles so we could sing "Happy Birthday" and take photos.

When I arrived at the care home I was so surprised to find mom dressed, sitting in her wheelchair and driving herself.  She had also had her hair done by the in house hair dresser.  Last Sunday evening when I left her she was lying in bed and we didn't know if she would be able to drive or feed herself. She is now doing all of the above.

Mom is not yet able to speak clearly on a regular basis.  She does put several words together into short sentences and can often do so in two different languages. She can also say some things very clearly at times.  I was surprised she could do this at all because it is her left brain that has been affected.  The left side of the brain deals with thinking and speaking (language).  She does have days when she is tired and cannot communicate very well and evenings seem more difficult in general. But she also has other days where she is almost her old self.  In fact, my very first day with her in hospital she was alert, talkative, funny and cracking jokes. I was simply amazed.

Several close family members made the  32 hour round trip to visit with her while she was in hospital.  She was very happy and I'm sure it aided in her recovery.  She really loves to see all her relatives at any time but most cannot visit very often.  The journey is so long and expensive and there is no way to fly directly from where they live to where mom lives so a road trip is the primary way to visit. 

My brother was at the hospital the entire time mom was admitted and making sure to advocate for her since she could not speak for herself.  By the time I joined him, he needed a bit of rest.  We both stayed until mom made the transition back to her residence but I took over the visiting and dealing with hospital and residence staff while he did his thing,  relaxed and updated people.  We are both very pleased with her progress so far and will be checking in on her again soon.

Your kind comments, prayers and wishes of support for my mother and I are very much appreciated.

All your words and well wishes meant a lot.

Sadly, just as my mother was getting better, the mother of a very dear friend in Kenya is going through the same thing with his mother.

His mother's name is Eunice.  She is in serious condition in hospital several hours away from her home. 

I humbly ask for prayers for Eunice and her family members all of whom have gone through an awful lot this past year.

Many blessings to all of you.

Another Friday

Time for Skywatch Friday and Friday Foto Friends as well as a brief update on a few things.

We've had a bit of rain this week.

I did not mind as it came after a week and some days of rather warmish weather. 

In addition, I just like when the rain falls so the garden can get a good soaking.

You can see in the distance that there are now two cranes at the site of the high rise that will be built on the horizon.

The crane in the foreground has been there for a long time but things don't seem to be happening that quickly.

It suits me fine because the slower the building goes up, the longer I have a view of the mountains.

In related news, I found out that the new grocer in a small mall near by has signed a 20 year lease with the owner rather than a 10 year lease. That means that there is much less likelihood of the mall being torn down and condominiums going up in its place. I've heard the rumour for years that the new development was around the corner. Now at least there is a reprieve.

~~~~

In garden news, my vegetable garden hasn't done very well except for snap peas. I didn't even pick them except one to taste and some bird or animal ate the rest There wasn't a bountiful harvest as I only grew a small amount to try them out. Maybe I will plant more next year.

All the kale I planted was also eaten as were the cherry tomatoes.

The kale grew twice and some rodent or other, ate them twice.  The kale seems to be growing again but this time much more slowly.

The cherry tomatoes have grown once and been eaten before I could pick them. They are now regrowing but still at the green stage.

I'm waiting to see if they will have a chance to ripen before they are eaten by the birds.

My cucumbers did not grow at all.  It is my fault as I waited until the plant was too dry and root bound before I translated it. I tried to revive it but it didn't work.  It's too bad as I seldom see cucumber plants in the stores around town during the Spring season and I wanted to see how long it took to grow. A lot of things do grow in my garden but they grow slowly due to less sunshine and poor soil conditions.  Every year I am improving the soil bit by bit. It is challenging to get new soil and enough good compost into the garden given I am above ground and there is no way to access the garden from the outside.

The peppers have been extremely slow in growing. I don't know if they will ever come out but there is another month or so left in our summer so we will see. Perhaps they need much warmer weather than we've been having this summer.

My flowers seemed to do better.

First time for me to grow Black Eyed Susan

I forget the name of this plant but it attracts the hummingbirds.

I love to capture raindrops on the flowers.

The geranium leaves above have captured a pool of water.

The salmon coloured geranium below looks pretty with spots of water all over the petals.

The hostas did not do well in the main garden
(I did not take a photo of the remaining hosta in the main garden). 

For some reason it seems to do much better in a container. 

The soil in the main garden is probably still lacking nutrients despite my efforts to boost it every year.

I find it easy to grow plants in containers.

But if ones waits too long to water the container plants they can die so quickly.

That happened with my pansies but I managed to resuscitate them.

If I'm lucky they will survive the rest of the summer but they have thinned out a lot since the start of the season.

Petunias always seem to do well.

I think I over watered the Solomon's Seal this year because the leaves are turning yellow unlike other years.

But I still love how the raindrops look against the beautiful leaves.

The plant below is a  called Rhoeo. It doesn't like much rain and is prone to root rot. 

I've planted it under a tree so hopefully it will grow bigger. It's growth has been slow but suddenly it is starting to grow.  I love the colourful leaves.

In book reading this week I  read a wonderful book about early English colonial life in Kenya.  Circling the Sun is actually about the life of Beryl Markham (born Beryl Clutterbuck) and her life of adventure.  Beryl not only became the first licensed female horse trainer in Kenya, but the first female pilot too.

During the early days of aviation, Beryl was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic from east to west. She lived in Kenya during the time of Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen) and Denys Finch Hatton as well as Lord and Lady Delamere.

When I am travel to Kenya I often hear others mention Karen Blixen (who lived near Nairobi) and Lord Delamere (who lived near Naivasha).  So I find it both interesting and useful to read more about their lives and the lives of others who lived during Kenya's early colonial times.

I am now reading 

~~~~

News in Kenya

Some of you will remember the young girl who ran away from arranged marriage and is now going to school far from her home. She was recently in hospital fighting for her life but is now back to her adopted home and recovering well. She is expected to be fine after having surgery to removed fluids from the lungs.

After release from hospital and further rest she is now back in school.

Please pray she will do well in school and be able to continue her studies.

There is also the young man who had the horrible tumour on his lower face and neck. 

He had the tumour removed in Nairobi and went home to undergo chemotherapy.
Due to multiple factors he didn't complete his chemotherapy.

He is not doing well and is very weak in ICU.

My friend has travelled to see the boy and be with him during this trying time.

Please pray for this orphan boy.

James 5:15
And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

~~~~~