Category: Florida Weather

Touch of Autumn

by ObtainingMercy, posted in Blessings, Florida Weather, Hallelujah Diet, Household, How Great is Our God, Just My Thoughts, What's Happening

Well, here she is – all 20-inch-seat of her!  Isn't she just beautiful?!!  We call her "Chairy"…short for "Chariot" and "Cherry" – because she is such a sweet ride!

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I can sit in it for short periods of time.  Yesterday Doug sat me right next to Isaac's recliner, and after I had been there for a few minutes, Isaac t-u-r-n-e-d his head to his left and loooooooked at me…as if to say "I thought I heard you over there!"  Isaac very rarely turns his head to the left, so when he does, it's for a good reason. 🙂

Today, I was able to trim and peel carrots:

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This is how far I got:

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Not a marathon peeling session, but a little bit is better than nothing.  I was desperately trying to get those last 9 carrots done, but the pain was just too much.  No need to prolong the healing time for something like carrots! 🙂

I had planned to get to my chiropractor today, but we forgot he closes at 11 a.m. on Thursdays.  So I will call tomorrow for an appointment.  He is always able to take me in right away.  I will be glad to get everything aligned, so that the healing can continue in a better way.

Isaac is really enjoyed having Doug home during the daylight hours.  Doug is enjoying working at night.  I am just happy that they are both happy. 🙂

My mom brought me this gorgeous sunflower last week!  The colors are just amazing for a silk flower.

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I have it tucked in between the dresser and the nightstand, so I can see it all the time.  Since the temperatures here are still in the 90's, and I can't get outside anyway, it's the only little touch of autumn I'm experiencing right now. :)  I know cooler days are ahead.  I just have to be patient.

Thanks for your encouraging comments and for your prayers.  I know God is working miracles all around me.  I can't see all that He is doing, but I know He is faithfully fulfilling the work that He has started in me.

Wishing you blessings this day,

Alesha

Happy Labor Day!

by ObtainingMercy, posted in Florida Weather, Food and Drink, Holiday, Isaac Update, What's Happening

I always enjoy this holiday so much…like having one more day of calm before the whirlwind of school and the holidays begins in earnest.  Because even though is was still in the low 90's here over the weekend, my mind is already turning to autumn. 

We don't actually have very much of an "autumn" here, but it is nice to have an occasional day of less-than-sweltering temperatures.

I also just LOVE autumn decor.  I used to wait until after Hall*ween to put out my pretty fall leaves and such.  Now I don't wait that long, because I want to have longer to enjoy my favorite decorations.

Doug and Isaac have been sick with icky colds since the middle of last week.  I was quite busy, doing things I don't usually do, because of that.  It was nice, though.  I enjoyed doing the weekly shopping and was able to visit with my grandmother who is in a local nursing home right now.

I also had the joy of attending the 90th birthday party of a sweet lady from our church.  It was such a nice time of fellowship and celebration.  I wanted to share Mrs. Ruby's secrets for living to be 90.  She had three of them:

  1. Drink a Coke every day.
  2. Take a BC powder every day.
  3. Eat cracklin' cornbread whenever you can.

And I have to add that evidently having a really great sense of humor doesn't hurt, either!!! : ) 

(Here's a recipe for those who are curious:  Paula Deen's Jalapeno Cracklin' Cornbread.)

Well, I need to finish up here.  I still have a couple of "to-do" items left on my list.

Are you working on a project today too?  I'd love to hear what you accomplished today! : )

Were You Wondering About Us? :)

by ObtainingMercy, posted in Florida Weather, Isaac Update, What's Happening

We are doing fine here in sunny/rainy Florida.  (You know, we have them each in turn: the sun and the rain; and then we have them together: sun showers – one of my favorite kinds of rain.) 🙂

Isaac is doing well, although since Friday, he has not slept one night through.  He had been sleeping so soundly every night for almost a month; but suddenly he is finished with that.  I guess it was just too boring for him!  So now he is waking up a couple of times each night, or either he never goes back to sleep after he first wakes.  He does sometimes nap between 6-8 a.m., but then stays awake the rest of the day. 

So, obviously, Doug and I are t-i-r-e-d!  I feel like we are burning our candle at both ends, and the wick is just about completely consumed.  It's a good tired, I guess. 

We are making it to all the church services (twice on Sunday and again on Wednesday night.)  I'm also managing choir practice on Sunday evening and Wednesday evening, and special music practice on some Sunday nights after the service.  It's a lot, but I am enjoying it.

Isaac seems to really enjoy being in the church building with all the people before and after the services.  He always has enjoyed noisy places.  I've read that the NICUs in the hospital are very noisy places, and that preemies get used to that level of noise.  They find it soothing.  Isaac's foster parents told us that when they first got him he cried all the time; but he would quiet down in his favorite places:  church and Cracker Barrel.  : )

People are getting to know him, which is nice.  Folks are asking me questions about him, which I much prefer to staring. : )  Some people have volunteered to watch him for us during a service, but there is much to be considered before we can do that.  He needs to be changed during almost every service, but there isn't an appropriate place for that yet.  When it's just him and Daddy, it's no big deal; but others will need to be trained to lift him.  They will also need to learn to recognize his seizures, as well as learn how to engage him so that he doesn't become overstimulated, noisy and obnoxious!  (although he does that last bit with us sometimes, too! lol!)

Daddy has decided to take a much needed day off of therapy today.  It does make quite a full week for him when he does all the church services and both days of therapy.  Each trip to therapy is 4 hours of driving.  The therapy is totally worth the drive time; but occasionally we just need a break. : )  Hopefully we'll be able to get Isaac's hair cut today.  He is getting a little "shaggy".  ; )

I guess that's it for today.  We're struggling right now with our diet, and have not been eating as well as we should be.  It really takes a toll on my energy levels when we don't stick to the eating plan.  That's my only excuse for not blogging as much as I should. : /  Every week, we are getting back on track a little more.  Lord willing, my energy levels will rise with each healthy habit we practice. 

I pray you have a great day, and can count each of God's blessings as He gives them.

Alesha

“A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That…”

by ObtainingMercy, posted in Blessings, Florida Weather, Household, What's Happening

"…A pot, a pan, a broom, a hat." 

(Free earrings to the first person to leave on comment on my blog, naming the origin of the above quote.) : D

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I hope you all have had a good week.  I haven't blogged every day this week, because it would've been the same blog over and over! 

Yep, one of those ordinary, boring, nothing-exciting-happened weeks…for which I am extremely grateful!!!  

We do have a couple of tropical systems somewhere out in the Atlantic, but I really don't know much about them.  Any time someone starts to discuss them, I just put my fingers in my ears, and go "La la la la la la la la." ; )

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Neither Isaac nor I have felt very well this week, so we have laid low, taken it easy, and for Isaac, had lots of naps. 

His mystery fever was back for a couple of days this week.  <sigh>  We still don't have a clue…but are keeping a really close eye on him.  We can't just ignore it, of course…something must be causing the low-grade temps.

Here's a question for you medically-minded people out there, or for those with medically fragile kiddos:  Could the temperature in the house cause him to run a temp? 

Our house is small with one window until a/c, and we run 2 fans 24/7 to move the air into his room.  However, we are in Florida, and the temps get extremely high outside; and due to very little insulation, the room that the sun is shining on gets very hot.

Isaac's room is on the northwest side of the house, so it gets a full blast of afternoon and evening sun.  His room probably gets to 80* or better some afternoons. 

Could this cause his temp to go to 100*?  I know his brain doesn't regulate his temps very well, but I just don't know if it could cause that much of a rise in his temp.

Any input or ideas would be very much welcomed.

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I sold a pair of earrings last week!  It was very exciting, because they were bought by a person unknown to me.  Just someone who found my site and liked the jewelry, I guess.  I really hope they like it when it gets there.  I always want my customers to be very pleased and satisfied with their purchases.

My mom has blessed me the past 2 months by paying a friend to come and clean at my house for a couple of hours a month.  It has been such a blessing.  She does such a nice job, plus it is nice to fellowship with a friend while we're working.  We've worked out a plan for her to come an extra time each month:  I'm going to make jewelry for her and she's going to clean for me.  : ) : ) : )  I am so excited and pleased to be able to do that!

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I'm needing to be very careful with my back this week.  It is feeling very "fragile", so I am not doing much with Isaac or the house.  We just sort of put everything on "hold" if we can.  For those things that can't wait, my hubby works very hard to take care of them.

I've been enjoying some of those books that my mother-in-love mailed to us last month while I've been resting this week.  Isn't that so handy that she sent them? : ) 

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For any new Facebook friends who have wandered over here to my blog, feel free to check out the "All About Isaac" tab at the top of the page.  It has his adoption story there, and also a little bit about his medical condition.

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I guess that's it for this week.  I am hoping to resume my regular blogging schedule soon, but it's still summer, so we'll see! : D  I don't consider the summer finished until September starts…I'm just "old school" that way!

I pray that ya'll have a wonderful weekend, and that you are able to assemble with other Christians and worship the Lord together.  I know sometimes you just can't get to church; but if you can, I hope that you will.  If you cannot, I invite you again to watch our services online:  Landmark Baptist Church.

Blessings to you,

Alesha

The Slow Days of Summer

by ObtainingMercy, posted in Florida Weather, What's Happening

Well, here in Florida, we've hit that part of the summer that means daily showers and hot temperatures.  And THAT means that the grass needs to be mowed about every 72 hours!  It just grows so fast!!!

Isaac went to therapy yesterday and is a tired puppy today.  He's content to watch some Veggie Tales and of course he basked in Grammy's visit earlier today.

I've been working on some jewelry this week.  That's always fun for me.  I love the creative part of it.

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Of course, I also love it when I read stories like this one!  I do love a satisfied customer!!!

I'm looking forward to a quiet weekend…we'll probably be working on that grass. : ) 

I hope you have a really great weekend, and are able to be in church on Sunday.  What a blessing is to worship the Lord God with believers of like faith!

Blessings to you,
Alesha

Some Things Won’t Get Done Today

by ObtainingMercy, posted in Florida Weather, Recipe, What's Happening

Doug and I are starting a new schedule this week, and we are going to see just how well it works.  Isaac will be going to therapy twice a week now.  I know the therapy will be good for him.  I'm just not sure how well our poor old truck is going to hold up with all the traveling.  I'm also not sure how the traveling will affect Doug – not that he is old, or anything!!! : )

I was really looking forward to my afternoon yesterday.  I have several rearranging/organizing jobs that need to be tackled in my tiny house.  I was going to jump into those projects while the boys were out. 

What I did not anticipate, however, was the headache that decided to attack with all its fury during the night on Monday.  I'm pretty sure it's related to sinus issues and all of the rainy weather we are having right now…lots of fronts coming through every day.

So yesterday, I did a whole lot of nothing…while trying to make the headache stop.  I finally took some migraine meds, which did ease the pain.  Unfortunately, it had caffeine in it, and I was awake until nearly 4 a.m. this morning.  8-o

Needless to say, my organizing jobs did not get done, but I'm not thinking today looks good for them either.  I'm feeling a wee bit sluggish and oh, so sleepy!

By the way, as per yesterday's advice, I am totally going to try this recipe with my fresh vegetable harvest.  (Please note my linking to this recipe does not endorse this entire site.  Surf with discretion.)

Well, I guess that's it for today.  If anything exciting happens, I'll be sure to come back and let you know.

: )
Alesha

Such a Nice Weekend

by ObtainingMercy, posted in Florida Weather, Food and Drink, Hallelujah Diet, Recipe

We had a really great weekend here in sizzling hot Florida.  Even the weather took a little break and was not in the high 90's the entire time.  We had a few showers that cooled things off a little bit, too.

On Saturday we decided to go on an adventure.  For us, you know, sometimes an "adventure" means that all three of us are in the truck and we're not going to a doctor's appointment!  So for us to go out of town – and not to a doctor – was an especially adventuresome day.

We took a trip to a grocery store:  Whole Foods Market in Orlando.

We didn't even know about this chain of stores, nor that we had one close by.  So when my brother, Michael, told us about it, we were eager to check it out.  (and praise the Lord for his other recommendation of "don't forget to take a cooler!")

It was one of the best shopping experiences we've ever had.  The employees in the store were extraordinarily helpful and polite. (Unlike the man at the mall last Saturday who asked me NOT to stand in front of his kiosk with Isaac if I wasn't buying anything because I was blocking his display!  And he did not have one customer at the entire enclosure!  So rude!) 

It was Saturday, so of course, the store was very busy; but even the other shoppers were polite and kind and smiled at my child.  Doug commented on it as we were living – that it was one of the nicest shopping trips for Isaac in a long time.  No one stared, or commented…maybe it was just because we were in a bigger city.  I don't know, but we had a nice time there.

Of course, everything was extremely expensive.  I'm going to be checking out their website today to see if they have online coupons or a magazine or newsletter, something that might have the occasional coupon.  If you know of anything, please let me know.

(The first thing I did see on the website this morning, as I grabbed the link for you, was a recipe.  And just look what recipe it was!!!  So funny, considering last week's mix-up!)

We found lots of yummy foods to try.  It was especially nice to have choices in the frozen food sections.  It is good for us to have a few convenience foods in our freezer all the time, and while we can find organic, healthy things at our local grocery store, our choices are very limited.  There's only one frozen organic vegan soup that doesn't contain soy (which I try to avoid); and only one cheeseless vegetarian pizza on a whole wheat crust.  It was really exciting to have so many choices and be able to try a few new dishes.

The produce was lovely and they had a nice selection.  The prices there weren't too bad, about the same as our local store.  If we were presently eating meat or seafood, they had many, many choices, including an octopus salad that was so gross looking I couldn't even stand to take a picture of it!  <<<shiver…>>>

There was a huge deli and pizza bar, along with a massive cold and hot food bar.  There were still lots of things that we really shouldn't eat for our diet, but it was nice to just look and smell.

On Sunday, we were both able to go to church, which is always a blessing.  We also worked really hard all weekend on laundry.  I feel like we made a respectable dent in it! : )

Well, it's lovely to be starting a new week.  I pray that you have a productive and peaceful Monday!

Blessings,
Alesha