Gazumped!!

So there I was, enjoying the beautiful summer weather we don't get very often, preparing my nails to be painted a funky metallic blue for the weekend, when my mobile phone rings. I'm thinking no rush to answer to it they can leave a message. So I sit back and chill and continue to paint my nails funky blue. When I pick up the voicemail, it's from the estate agent that we put the offer in for the house. I call him back. 'This is part of the job that we hate', he says 'Someone has put a higher offer on the house. They've offered the asking price'. My heart sinks and my chest closes up, my head begins to go funny. But I try and be professional telling him that we're supposed to be exchanging contracts tomorrow! In my head I'm really screaming 'This can't be happening! This can't be happening!' I think back to Chris choosing carpets and blinds and curtains. Imagining myself in the house. The conversation I had with Dad (my father-in-law) yesterday about being gazumped! Yes, unlike delish, gazump is actually a word, it's a term for outbidding in the property market.

I cannot believe we've been gazumped!!! It's one of the downsides of buying a repossession property. Even though a property's had an offer on it; a) the property remains on the market and b) the offer is advertised, so it's public knowledge.

I felt like crying. But then I remembered that from the very beginning we gave this whole affair to God. We submitted it to His sovereign will. So, why should I worry. I cannot control this. All I can do is offer it back to God. So I will and I have. I prayed 'Lord you know that we see ourselves in this house. I know that this house came from you and I commit this situation to you.' Satan, ha! You're a defeated foe. My God reigns eternal and He loves me. I am in His will. He knows every hair on my head (even my new baby dreadlock 'Beanie' that's growing). So I'll let you know the outcome.

I am amazed that I haven't smudged my nails whilst typing this post!

Superwoman???

Today I posted on my Facebook profile...'Julie N Ricketts has (so far) been to the gym, the bank, the in-laws for lunch, sorted out the buildings insurance, coated and decorated 53 truffles, made the ganache for 20 more,currently coating and decorating 54 more, washed and hung out 2 loads of laundry and has put dinner on..all before 5pm. Does this classify me as 'Superwoman' or just a housewife?!'

No one seemed to vote, besides my friend Mariya. I'm casting my vote for....a housewife, who just happens to be Superwoman! I've hand rolled, coated and decorated over a 150 truffles and I have another batch of ganache in the fridge. At the moment there's more chocolate than actual food in our fridge. I am struggling with space to put everything. Today I had to put some truffles on the sofa to set because there wasn't space anywhere else for their trays. And I'm doing it all over again for my church next week!

I do love it really, even though my ankles are killing me.

I can see the light...I think I can...

Is it possible....??

....to kill a truffle???? On my path to my first fair promoting Blue Mahoe Chocolates, which comes up in 5 sleeps! I am having some shall we say technical issues with my guest truffle - the milk chocolate with caramelised hazelnut. In the final stages of coating the last 5 truffles, my chocolatiere machine which up until this point I was very much in love with, decided to kill some of my truffles by making them melt into the white chocolate coating. I could have cried. But I was too spent on emotions. The only emotion I am feeling right now is fatigue, as the clock winds down and I'm trying to keep 'Perfectionist Julie' from raising her ugly head. She is lurking somewhere in the background! I can feel her!

Other chocolate news, I finished my batch of coconut rum truffles and they smell absolutely delish! Is delish actually a word?? Or is my multiple times of watching Clueless coming back to haunt me...Anyhow, I digress. I've hand rolled the milk chocolate truffles which will have a dark chocolate coating sprinkled with fair trade granulated sugar. And this is where my tension level begins to rise , I have yet to make the strawberries and cream truffle!! With my homemade strawberry compote!!! Deep breaths in 1...2...3...and out 1...2...3...

It's 9:53pm here and my eyes are slowly closing. I was so tired that I actually took a nap...a nap...during game 5, of the NBA finals between my team the Celtics and the Lakers! I never take a nap!!! So I think this is my body's cry for a good night's sleep and I'm off to give it to her!

Will keep you posted on the truffle adventure!

PS: did spell check...delish isn't a word....oh well.

Gazebo...

Check! After harassing most the people that I know, my friend Sue Wright saved the day and is loaning me her gazebo. I also got fliers to hand out for the fair. It's all very exciting! I can't believe it's actually happening. I am really praying that Blue Mahoe Chocolates is a success. Chris and I have been looking at our finances and after we've bought this house, our savings will have dipped so much. It'd be great if this could be a way to bring in some extra money into the household.

I also have a job interview at the Burton Caribbean Association next week Friday. It's for a post that is such a far cry from what I did my qualifications in. But during our lockdown time Chris and I were talking that actually we're happy with God firmly shutting some doors and blocking some paths to steer us where He wants.

Chris said something that will stick with me for a long time. If you're completely obedient to God, loving him with your entire heart, soul and might, you may not know where you're going, but you'll have a more than worthy guide.

More to come...

Who needs sleep?

Do you know what time the birds starting their morning song? 3am. How do I know this exciting fact? I was awake from 3am until 5am with my mind all a-buzz with ideas for Blue Mahoe Chocolates.

Latest news in relation to Blue Mahoe Chocolates (www.wix.com/bluemahoe/blue-mahoe)...I'm doing my first promotion for the business on June 19 at a local craft fair. Handy tip for going to bed and actually getting sleep is not to be thinking about figures and products for your business in bed. Catalogues are officially a banned item in our bedroom!

I almost cringe with the amount of money I spent for equipment and packaging today...over £100! Lord I pray you'll help me make the profit I need!

Chris and I had our first lockdown (bible study) together for months! And it was amazing! I this in itself is a testament to God working in me. I remember when Chris and I first started going out and he tried to encourage us to do bible study, I resisted it so strongly!

Now, I know when we need to spend time together with God because little niggles creep in. It just the discipline that is needed to keep on going, when you feel like it and when you don't.

Right now, I'm on the hunt for a gazebo. I'll let you know how I get on!

Inspiration...

Having recently watched the film Julie and Julia with my hubby, I now feel re-inspired to master french cuisine and blog. I don't really think I'll ever be like Julie Powell or Julia Child and master French cooking; though I do want Child's kitchen! And kitchen utensils! And kitchen accessories! But since that's not going to be possible in the near future, what I can do is start blogging again.

I feel that I have been spending too much time on Facebook where one of my darlings from church said 'Is the only place where it's okay to talk to a wall'. I'm not sure if I have anymore followers. Just realised it's been 6 months since I've last written on this blog.

Well, I can tell what's in store...Updates on our house purchase and getting that ready.

Updates on my chocolate truffle business, which I pray will come off the ground for Christmas time!

Updates on my own spiritual growth.

Hope to see you soon

Julie x

Hello 2010...

I was really happy to see the back of 2009. It had been such a stressful year. A year filled with tears, breakdowns, dissapointments, frustration, anger, attempted suicide. But yet, it was the year when I was honoured to celebrate my first wedding anniversary with Chris. I was awarded the title of Dr Julie-Ann Ricketts at my graduation at Leeds. A year with no injuries, a marriage intact, a house intact, and with the recession - Chris' job intact. We lacked nothing. I think what makes 2009 really hard for me was that I never received the one thing that I wanted...a job fit for my qualifications. I looked around and all the other people who I did my Phd had just walked into excellent jobs.

My relationship with God really slipped. I was angry with Him. I didn't understand what He was doing. He saw my tears. He saw my heart breaking. He saw how hard I was trying to seek employment and yet all these doors were being slammed in my face.

The expectations that I had for myself were not being met and I didn't understand why. So everything, all that I believed in, all that was my security came crashing down and me with it.

I subscribe to the 'Love Worth Finding' devotionals. To be honest, I couldn't bring myself to read them. It seemed smug, unrelated to what I was feeling. It wasn't going to fix my problem! It just said the same thing over and over, trust in God. Hmph! I did, where did that get me?! On anti-depressants and trying to self-harm!

But I realise that if I don't centre myself on Jesus, everything spins out of control. That's what was happening to me.

“...for your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things.” Matthew 6:32.

I've started reading my devotionals again and I'm making the effort to put God first in everything that I do. My counsellor says that I need to centre on my inner child. It makes psychological sense, but what's even better than that is centring on Jesus Christ. He can bring back from the brink of whatever breakdown I face.

The New Year always seems to start with a clean slate. Anything can happen. What I want is for God's will to happen. I've tried doing it my way...it doesn't work.

Adrian Rogers commentary on the above bible verse is this: There is nothing that can satisfy apart from your relationship with Him, but it's not because He is a heavy-handed dictator forcing you to accept life the way He dishes it out! Who knows what will satisfy your deepest needs better than the One who made you? As your Creator, He can see what your needs are going to be tomorrow and ten years from tomorrow. Don’t you think He knows what you need today?

It's focusing on not what I want, but what I need. And I need the security of Jesus as an anchor through this year and the years to come...