SELF CARE SHABBAT; Ocean Park-WA

I'm planting my own tree.

I'm building a boat in dry sand.

Colton Dixon - 2022 'Build a Boat' with lyrics: 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ky3-duE7d4)

I'm a woman of action; sitting on my duff is not for me.

It is true that my tribe is very small … and my intimate inner circle is even smaller, but that is because I prefer trustworthy friends - hanging back and cultivating solitude when necessary doesn't send me into a tailspin.

At this point, the only being in my Life is God - and that's okay: Elohim - The Father loves & provides for me … even dispatching angels to guard me in every place & all circumstances; Yeshua is the Husband I can depend on - the Lover of my soul, my reliable Confidant, closest Companion, and Healer of whatever assails me; The Ruach HaKo'desh is my Comforter - Who leads me to steams of smooth flowing peace.

And I'm okay with that.

Last night, while Holland was sleeping, I was quietly busy with several things … Holland has trouble sleeping through the night, so when he does actually give in to sleep, I do things quietly so his body get the healing sleep it needs to function well … one of the things I did, was toning exercises. They can be spaced out to complete the sets - which is how I did them:

I went to bed around 6 AM, after he got up.

I woke up at 1'noon, and as soon as the heat started … I got dressed and went for a walk. I am not going to keep rehashing things that are never going to change.

A change of environment was called for - and I heeded the call.

I walked up the street and around 2 blocks.

It was a pleasant day for a walk about.

The area walked, was on relatively flat terrain.

I crossed Bay Avenue twice: once at Oakie's Grocery Store, turning at the first right a block down - and again turning right behind Jack's Grocery Store … where I crossed the crosswalk to circle around behind 262nd PL past the Fire Department, turning right at the end of the block; that led me back to Bay Avenue, which would lead me back home.

It felt good to be outside. In fresh air. Listening to birdsong, enjoying soft earthy scents on the breeze, liking the little surprises of color along the route, and smiling with every gentle reminder of unconditional love Elohim caught my attention with:

Little pink wild roses; petals so delicate, they look like they are made from fine textured paper.

A relaxed deer …

Douglas spirea; bloom period from June to September.

Honeysuckle in full bloom; I had a honeysuckle vine at one of my past homes.

It's a lovely day to enjoy a walk-about.

Foxglove & Calla Lilies - I used to have these flowers in my flowerbeds.

California Poppies.

Foxgloves & Shasta Daisies & Tiger Lilies; I do miss the  flowerbeds I had.

I enjoy hearing birds chatter, tweet, & sing when I'm out and about.

My walk-about route today: a circulous 2 block radius - along both sides of Bay Avenue; Ocean Park-WA

Flag (Old Glory) Bunting on all of this building's windows~Medical Center-Pharmacy; Ocean Park-WA

Bright, colorful eye-catchers.

A fading yellow rose bush determined to survive & thrive among storm damage fallout - also a timely message.

The Calla Lily scent wafting on the gentle breeze had me missing things I hadn't thought about in 2 years.

5 minutes from home, I carefully watched a busy bee (winged death to me) on a dandelion head …

River Oats - I like these.

River Oats: A Native Grass: 

(https://piedmontgardener.com/2014/07/23/river-oats-a-native-grass-worth-adding-to-your-landscape/)

Walking down the gravel road past the Park Manager's house, I couldn't resist reaching out to touch the Monkey Puzzle Tree's spiraling, spiny spikes. They are very sharp, thick and stiffly solid; like a plastic bin.

Monkey Puzzle Tree limbs, hanging over Park  Manager's fencing.

Monkey puzzle trees (also known as Chilean pine trees) are unusual-looking and long-lived conifers, with lifespans sometimes exceeding 1,000 years. Monkey puzzle trees are relatively slow-growing trees, especially in their early lives -  for the first 5 to 10 years of their growth, they stay pretty much grass level … but once they rise above the grass level, they tend to grow at a rate of about 14 inches per year. This monkey puzzle tree is very tall and very wide: it has been here in this location for a very long time.

My impulsive moment past, I continued on towards Independence.

I was feeling good about my walkabout results.

I was feeling grateful and thankful that my lungs behaved, and did not give me a single second of concern during the entire time from start to finish.

Curiosity satiated, I took my tail home.

I did pretty good today.

I had just crossed the threshold of home, when I got a good news text … God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.