Dream 4/23/20 at 7:20am

I woke up suddenly around 7:20am; thinking I just had a dream about Donald Trump.  Typically, I wake up groggy and slow.  This morning I shot straight up.

I was sitting in a lawn chair outside.  There seemed to be many people around.  I was near an open garage door.  I was on New Holland street in Hudsonville, MI. During this dream I felt comfortable and calm, not panicked at all.

Sitting on my lawn chair I was watching President Donald Trump putting a new chain on my bicycle (my bike was purchased new 4/4/19, it is a Verve 3 Trek, this is a new bike and should not have needed to be repaired). There appeared to be many people around. Donald Trump was very calm in no hurry.  I walked up to him realizing he was ready to put the seat back on.  He started to have a very calm pleasant conversation with me.  As I was holding the bike so he could reach down and pick up the seat to put back on; he noticed the light blackish/gray/pinkish pearl on my right hand.  He commented on how beautiful it was.  I began to explain about the pearl.  I had gotten the pearl on the celebration of our 10^th wedding anniversary April 29th.  We went to Hawaii (middle of April) to celebrate because we never had a honeymoon and this was to be our honeymoon (I had the single pearl, which I had won in some kind of drawing on the island of Maui, latter mounted in my original wedding band because the diamond fell out of my first wedding ring and was lost).

While we were talking a woman, who appeared very nice and calm walked up and said something to Donald Trump.  I could not hear what she was saying.  When she finished talking to Donald Trump he calmly turned to walk back into the garage.  The woman then turns to me and hugs me really tightly with strength and compassion and says; “we are going to war”.

I decide to take my bike for a ride down New Holland street on the left hand side of the road which would have been against traffic, although there was no traffic and it is dusk out (I remember Dan was thinking she really likes that bike, also Donald Trump was thinking also that’s a nice bike).  I was thinking this bike is riding very smoothly.  I think; well going down the hill on New Holland should be easy enough, but going back up may be a challenge.  I think; the bike is really riding well so it should not be a problem going back uphill.  I then think; I forgot to put my light on and I was riding on the left side of the road. I better cross over and see a car approaching from behind.  When I get to the end of the cul-de-sac and start to make the curve, I see a dog with a very long chain coming out.  The dog looked like a Boston terrier.  I was not worried because I could see he was chained, even though the chain went way out into the road, I just swerved out of the dog’s way.  I rounded the curve and stopped.  Some people were planting beautiful flowers lots of them and many were yellow.  Then I see ……. and ……. ………. standing off to the side.  I did not stop close to them just long enough to say hi.  I wanted to put my light on the bike and get back home so Dan would not worry about me.

…… ……… was standing up and not in her wheelchair (she had a stroke in her early 40’s and over the years has declined significantly.  She can stand with help and take only a few steps).  I was thinking how good she looked, she was standing on her own and had lost a lot of weight. She had mentioned something about the year 1920 (I did not really get what she was talking about).

Then I woke up.            Please note: the …….are names I deleted.

Meanings of:

President Donald Trump: authority/leader

Putting new chain on bike: fixing mobility-transportation/single/personal-see additional motes at the end.

Putting seat back on:  sitting down, not on alert

10-year anniversary:  Completion and fulfillment, perfection divine order

Right hand:  the right-hand means; blessing, possible financial blessing that is being released

Light blackish gray pinkish pearl:  The pearl is also said to symbolize the purity, generosity, integrity, and loyalty of its wearer. Maybe?

Strong long hug: reassurance that it will all be fine

Going to war:  spiritual or literal?

New Holland street:

Put light back on:  we are to be the light of the world.  Matt. 5;14-16

End of road/curve/cul-de-sac:            flattening the curve or coming out of it?

Boston terrier on the chain:  restricted from impeding danger?  Possibly Gov. Whitmer from Michigan?  Other governors over reaching and putting unconstitutional demands on the people, crossing the line.

Flowers:  glory? Possibly Michigan blooming in abundance for buying and selling again?

Yellow:  gift either from God or marriage partner, honor and family

Riegel:  Definition of Riegel

: a low transverse rock ridge on the floor of a glaciated valley commonly situated at the down-valley end of a flat

……. standing: healing?

1920: roaring 20’s?

Input from trusted friends:

A few things that jumped out about your dream as I read it are the following:

• Your bike represents the economy.  The chain is the driver of the economy.  Trump is not worried but has just put the economy back in motion.  We will have to peddle to get it going before we can accelerate by other (motorized) means.
• It appears dark and some might worry, but we have the light to guide our path.
• Your friend represents the fact that the economy is healing and trimmed off excess weight that was bogging it down.  (Let’s hope this is getting rid of red tape and unnecessary regulations)
• We are headed for war, both abroad, a cold war with China, and a form of civil war in our nation. 
• The hug is comfort and peace that it will be okay, even in wartime.

1920:  plague ended

Bible verses I felt lead to this morning:

Isaiah 43:3-13

For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
    Cush^[a] and Seba in your stead.
⁴ Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
    and because I love you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
    nations in exchange for your life.
⁵ Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
    I will bring your children from the east
    and gather you from the west.
⁶ I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
    and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from afar
    and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
⁷ everyone who is called by my name,
    whom I created for my glory,
    whom I formed and made.”

⁸ Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,
    who have ears but are deaf.
⁹ All the nations gather together
    and the peoples assemble.
Which of their gods foretold this
    and proclaimed to us the former things?
Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right,
    so that others may hear and say, “It is true.”
¹⁰ “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,
    “and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
    and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
    nor will there be one after me.
¹¹ I, even I, am the Lord,
    and apart from me there is no savior.
¹² I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
    I, and not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God.
¹³     Yes, and from ancient days I am he.
No one can deliver out of my hand.
    When I act, who can reverse it?”

Isaiah 40:21-31

Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
    Have you not understood since the earth was founded?
²² He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,
    and its people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,
    and spreads them out like a tent to live in.
²³ He brings princes to naught
    and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.
²⁴ No sooner are they planted,
    no sooner are they sown,
    no sooner do they take root in the ground,
than he blows on them and they wither,
    and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.

²⁵ “To whom will you compare me?
    Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.
²⁶ Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
    Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one
    and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
    not one of them is missing.

²⁷ Why do you complain, Jacob?
    Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord;
    my cause is disregarded by my God”?
²⁸ Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.
²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
³¹ but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 41:15

See, I will make you into a threshing sledge,
    new and sharp, with many teeth.
You will thresh the mountains and crush them,
    and reduce the hills to chaff.

Micah 41:13

Rise and thresh, Daughter Zion,
    for I will give you horns of iron;
I will give you hooves of bronze,
    and you will break to pieces many nations.”
You will devote their ill-gotten gains to the Lord,
    their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.

FRANKLIN LOCKS SW FLORIDA & U TURNS

Boating weather report for the day:  bays mild to moderate chop – gulf 1-3 foot waves with winds gust up to 20mph.  No problem, just head up the Caloosahatchee River through the Franklin Locks and I can almost guarantee you smooth waters are ahead.  In fact once you pass the power plant before you even get close to the Franklin Locks you can pretty much plan, your cruise will be smooth.  Chances are you may not see dolphins, although a manatee sighting is very possible.  You will find a very quiet peaceful setting of farms and upscale river houses. 

 Another plus is the water depths range 22-30 foot deep and there is no speed limit once you get past the power plant for the most part.  Feeling that need for speed now is the time to push that throttle all the way down and see what she’s got!  Plenty of open uncrowded waterway so feel free to do a few donuts because unless some huge cabin cruiser comes through… that is about as wavy as it gets.  In fact; if you’re a skier now is the time to break out that ski for miles of untainted waters. 

 I wish I could say I have been skiing on the Caloosa but my hubby thinks I will become gator bait (truth be told, I have seen people skiing and tubing up river).  From Fort Myers Yacht Basin it is about a 30” ride (during manatee season add 15-20”) to the Franklin Locks.

Navigating the Franklin Locks is easy even for “rookies” like us (to the SW Florida waterways).  When approaching the locks things to prepare for before you call them on channel 13:

•  Hang your buoys out on whatever side you want grab the ropes on (normally they do not care).
•  We like the port side because the driver is out of the way (on our boat the steering wheel is on the right).
•  Learning curve…put out 4 buoys.  The first time we went through the locks we used 2 buoys.  There is a current inside of the locks and our boat swung over at an angle that the back buoy hit the wall and it threw the buoy on the back swim deck. If Dan had not caught the boat we would have encountered some real nasty scratches on a brand new Splendor!  I am so glad he was paying attention. The walls of the locks are solid cement.
• Now that you have secured the buoys call the Franklin Locks and ask permission to enter.  When the light turns green enter no wake speed.  Carefully make your way to whatever side you hung the buoys, slow is the key.  Go fast enough to have some control due to the current but slow enough that you do not smash your boat into the wall while you attempt to grab the ropes.  If it is just Dan and I in the boat; I drive and Dan catches a rope to secure our boat along the wall. 
•  Typically it takes us about 15” to get through the locks.
•  Now that your boat is secure take some pictures and chit chat about the beautiful sunny weather.
•  Warning, be sure you are back to the locks by 4:15pm or you will be stuck on the other side calling a friend to pick you up.

U TURNS:

               U TURNS ARE LEGAL IN Florida unless it is posted…at stoplights of busy intersections they are legal unless posted otherwise!!

DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU WANT TO HEAD TO TODAY?  HOW ABOUT:

I absolutely love cruising our river!  There is so much undiscovered adventure out there.  However as much as I love the Caloosa, there is another river that truly holds my heart captive.  Imagine this:

Ezekiel 47New International Version (NIV)

The River From the Temple

47 The man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. ² He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was trickling from the south side.

³ As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits^[a] and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. ⁴ He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. ⁵ He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross. ⁶ He asked me, “Son of man, do you see this?”

Then he led me back to the bank of the river. ⁷ When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river. ⁸ He said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah,^[b] where it enters the Dead Sea. When it empties into the sea, the salty water there becomes fresh. ⁹ Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live.¹⁰ Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets. The fish will be of many kinds—like the fish of the Mediterranean Sea.¹¹ But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. ¹² Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.”

TAX COLLECTOR - SOCIAL SECURITY and ICE CREAM

Raspberry Cheesecake Dipped in Chocolate

If you are a “northerner” the Tax Collector is known as the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicle).  There is a real good reason Florida calls it the “tax collector” because they collect every tax you can think of at this place, all under one roof.  Think of it as one stop shopping.

·       Driver license

·       Vehicle and vessel registration

·       Property taxes

·       Hunting and fishing license

·       Business taxes

·       CWL

You are going to need more than just your piggy bank

if you are planning on becoming a Florida resident.  Check out the county website and you will find all the required documents that you need to have with you when you register your vehicles and apply for your driver’s license.  One thing they fail to tell you…you must have with you every vehicle you own and plan to register with you at the tax collector.  They will physically walk out the door and look at the VIN of your car.  So if you have more than one vehicle, be prepared to get all of them there or you will be making more than one trip (we had to leave and come back with both vehicles).  To make a long story short our final bill was just shy of $1000.00!  The good news is they give you a driver’s license that does not expire for nine years (a scary thought in some cases).  You can also pay for two years on your plates.  Florida does not have state income tax (yeah) so I guess they must collect your money somehow.  Romans 13: 6-7 does say; This is why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing.  Give everything what you owe him:  If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue then revenue:  if respect, then respect; if honor then honor.  Jesus also said; “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s. (Matthew 22: 15-22). 

ICE CREAM

Now that you made it past the tax collector what better way to swallow that bitter pill then with ICE CREAM!!

Right on Bayshore between the “2”- 41’s is the best ice cream, at the best price; Twistee Treat!  Two double dipped cones covered in chocolate for $7.06. We all scream for ice cream.  They have countless flavors to choose from including soft and hard ice cream.  I had a raspberry cheesecake dipped in chocolate, YUM!

  

IN REGARDS TO SOCIAL SECURITY

We were given some good advice and I am so thankful we listened.  Make an appointment before you go.  Because if you think the lines are long at the DMV…pulling into the parking lot at Social Security we were fortunate to find one spot way out yonder in the back.  When we walked through the door there were a minimum of one hundred people maybe more.  Head straight to the registration station and sign in.  Turn up your hearing aid because you may just miss your name and number being called.  We made a 9:30am appointment and to our surprise they were on time and it took less than thirty minutes for Dan to sign up for social security.  The gentleman who helped us was very knowledgeable and polite.  He answered all of our questions.

Now for the rest of the story, get out and enjoy some of that Florida sunshine and follow it up by an evening out in beautiful downtown Fort Myers for a most romantic sunset.  Life is good…livin the salt life…

GOOD BYE MICHIGAN - HELLO SUMMER 24x7

August of 2015 we sold our beautiful lake front home in Plainwell, MI. 

Living on adrenaline is what I would say transpired over the next eight weeks.  We accepted an offer on our house and the buyers wanted to close within seven days and that is exactly what happened.  Fortunately we were smart enough to ask for thirty days to move out.  So how does one rid themselves of thirty seven years of stuff in order to move across the country?  Well some stuff was sold, however the bulk of it was given away.  Not knowing what size our next home would be we decided; if it did not fit in an 8X8X16 foot pod we were not taking it.  So we handed the keys over to the new owners on September 2^nd went to our daughters for the night and headed out via plane on September 3^rd to find our new home and start…living the salt life.

I thought I had done my homework over the last few years knowing this was the adventure we were aiming for; but as Gomer Pile would say; surprise, surprise, surprise!!

Dan wanted a house and I wanted a condo and with that in mind we looked at both options.

~LEARNING CURVE~

• ·       If you are thinking condo and you have a furry friend you have just cut out about 85% of the available condos in your price range.  We decided we could not possible part with Teak so I did not succumb to temptation and even peek at condos where pets were the forbidden “fruit”.
• ·       If you are looking for a condo all HOA’s are not alike and be sure you check out how much money they have in their reserves or you be surprised when special assessments hit your door or they raise your HOA fees.
• ·       If SW Florida is your chosen destination…living in Cape Coral is going to cost you $2.00 to cross the bridge every time you go home (leaving home you have a get out of jail free card).  By the way no one we encounter during our real estate search bother to tell us that.
• ·       If you are a boater and you buy on one of those wonderful channels…to get out to the Calossahatchee and the gulf you may have locks to go through.  By the way no one we encounter during our real estate search bother to tell us that.
• ·       Living on Sanibel Island and crossing over the bridge will cost you $6.00 every time you want to go home (leaving home you have a get out of jail free card).  By the way no one we encounter during our real estate search bother to tell us that either.

Thankfully the Lord had our back and we did not buy in either of those locations even though we looked at several properties for sell in Cape Coral. 

• ·       If you are a northern and you heard cost of living is cheaper in Florida, anywhere near the coast it is much higher.  So, be prepared grocery shopping will send shock waves though you as well as dining out.  Fear not I have found some good dining out secrets I will share soon.

Twin Full Lobster with fries & coleslaw $19.00

FleeMasters Flee Market Fort Myers

Coupon BO/O 50% off

Parrot Key Fort Myers Beach

I really am not a Debbie Downer and we love our new Floridian lifestyle; hang tight cause awesome adventures are soon to be shared.

Proverbs 24:3  By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.

LIVING THE SALT LIFE

I have had some encouragement from others to share our adventures of "living the salt life".  We moved to SW Florida to call it home one year ago.  It truly has been a great adventure.

I have not blogged in a long time but I am beginning to believe now is the time to pick up where I left off , with a twist...the salt life.

More to come in a few days!!

HUNTING RABBIT

Last night around 12:30am Teak (our dog) rudely woke me up and wanted outside.  I stumbled out of bed threw on my robe and encouraged him to go potty.  Pebbles and BamBam (the cats) were on the prowl and quickly spotted Teak; creating a distraction.  Teak was no longer interested in doing his job and took off with the cats.  

I happened to notice a blob in the road thinking it was horse poop (my neighbors had returned with their horse trailer that evening) and not wanting the animals to rub themselves in it I went to investigate.  To my surprise it was cat prey; they were “hunting wabbit” (as Elmer Fudd would say).

I immediately swooped up Teak rushed into the bedroom and woke Dan (my husband) up out of a dead sleep demanding he go outside and get rid of the rabbit the cats had killed.  Our cats love to take their prey into the garage and dismantle it (something I loathe). 

Armed with a shovel Dan proceeded to the crime scene.  He scooped up the rabbit and noticed there was no weight of any sort.  He then shined his flashlight onto the rabbit to discover it was a stuffed animal (Olive the neighbor’s dog had dropped it on the ground that evening).  

I must admit I laughed hysterically when Dan informed me of this deception.

Darkness has a way of blinding us from the truth. If we allow it, the darkness will sidetrack or disable us from making sound decisions or judgments.  However, if we will shine the “light”- truth will be revealed and we will realize what we are up against.  Many times what we have feared was a lie and as powerless as a “stuffed rabbit”. 

2 Kings 6:16-18(NKJV)
So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”  And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.  So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, and said, “Strike this people, I pray, with blindness.” And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

2 Chronicles 32:7-8(NKJV)
“Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. 
With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

Psalms 37:12-13(NKJV) The wicked plots against the just, And gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming.