More on Isaac

You know it is going to be an interesting day when the weather channel has 6 notifications waiting for you- flashing in red. We got a LOT of rain. The wind broke several branches on the trees in back. A tornado formed in the city next door, knocked down a few houses, and then fizzled. The water in the channel behind us rose several more feet and over the embankment. Thankfully, it was still a few feet away from flooding the backyard. Sandbags in the front yard kept the collecting rain water from the house...until about 6pm. Then the water began to seep into the living room and guest room. So we emptied the linen closet of towels to take care of that. Then we went out and rearranged the sandbags (which were made with the pillowcases). So now we have a mostly-dry house, and an empty linen closet... We do have a lot to be thankful for, though. We are thankful that we have been kept safe, that we have been able to stay in our home, and that we have not lost electricity. Please be in prayer for those who have had real damage done to their homes, and for the communities that are dealing with flooding and the memories of Katrina.

Getting ready for the storm

350 lbs in sand bags, 7 extra gallons of gasoline, all of the patio furniture inside, and enough snacks and food to last a month. I think we're ready!
Rocky and his owner, Steve, are staying here with us. They live in the 9th ward of New Orleans, where the hurricane is supposed to be making landfall. Peter and Steve were both here for hurricane Katrina, and I've been hearing stories about their experiences. Peter's car and Steve's home were flooded then.
Right now, we are just having bouts of wind and rain. Our dock has been covered by the rising water, but there is nothing else to report. More later on..

Saturday

As you can see, it was a beautiful day. Calm before the storm, really. We are buying lots of canned food and extra water, and mapping the route that I will drive with the 2 dogs if we get evacuated. Peter will have to stay at work.

We took the kayak out again today. He was asking how far I wanted to paddle, and I pointed to some driftwood in the distance. As we both looked at the destination, a dolphin surfaced there! So we spent a few minutes trying to follow it. Great fun. Then we paddled back home. Now we're getting ready to eat (my first attempt at cooking) a puertorican pernil. Hasta luego!

Never mind- it looks like it could be going towards my house instead! I enjoy a good storm, but I wish it didn't have to go through Haiti to get here. Praying for them now. Maybe the storm will continue to move south and skip them altogether.. (Graphic courtesy of weather.com).

 

 

Raindrops

Looks like they're getting ready for some weather at home. Praying for you, and also wishing that I could be there to ride it out with you.  (Photo courtesy of weather.com)

Monthiversary

Yesterday was our "monthiversary." Hard to believe that it has been a month since the wedding. Time flies! We spent the morning working on the backyard. Took a kayak trip down the bay. Went out to dinner, and ate a frog leg. Trying to make the most of my southern experience, I guess. Peter laughed when I said that the taste jumped back and forth between fish and chicken. Not something I need to eat again. : )

Birthday dog

Life is starting to slow down a bit for us. I'm finding that there is still plenty to do, but much less motivation to get it done. Naps have started sneaking into my days. Skype conversations with the kids and staff at ESD are also fun distractions. So are the cards that they've been sending. : ) And because I like to be distracted, a great opportunity came up yesterday. Delaney dog turned 4 years old. Some people don't recognize birthdays for pets, but at ESD we always seemed to find a can of dog food, a trip to the beach, and a new toy to celebrate our beloved furry friends.
This year she is away from her friends, but they still sent her some love. She may be the only dog to have received flowers via UPS.

I may be appreciating them more than she is. Thanks BH! <3

Diseased

I've been learning a lot about diseases. Most of the books in this house are about various diseases. When Peter comes home from work I get to hear about diseases. When we get together with any of his co-workers, I hear about diseases. (They do talk about other things, but maybe the details of disease are newer and more interesting to me?) Anyways, you could understand how I would freak out when I woke up one morning with a black tongue. I brushed it and scrubbed it, and rinsed until the mouthwash was almost gone. No change. After doing the dishes I would check. And in the middle of folding the laundry, and after walking with Delaney.

As evening came, I realized that I was going to have to admit to Peter that I was diseased and be subjected to quarantine and swabs and who knew what else? I did really well at procrastinating, but finally just before bed I nervously asked him what it would mean if a person hypothetically had a black tongue. Do you know what his answer was?? He shrugged, and said, "That means you've taken too much Pepto Bismol." ...Oh.

Weekend!

Weekends might be my favorite. This weekend was especially busy. Peter's friend Steve came to visit from New Orleans. Steve's 10 year old golden retriever, Rocky, also came to visit. Delaney danced circles around Rocky and begged him to play, but for the most part, Rocky would just watch her with an eye half-open and snooze. We were invited to a party to celebrate our wedding by some of Peter and Steve's friends that were not able to make it to PR for the real wedding.

Steve also came out to go kayak shopping with us. We visited a couple different stores on Saturday before finding what we were looking for. While driving between stores, we came upon a car accident that had just happened. One man was helping to get the people out of their car, so Peter and Steve shifted into work mode and helped to move people and assist with an injured woman. The broken glass, the blood, the crying people- I felt pretty useless (and a bit overwhelmed), but it was insightful to see the guys work, and I'm glad they were able to help until the emergency vehicles arrived.

On Sunday we churched, and then we got our kayak and Steve's paddle board into the water. : ) It was fun to navigate the back bay, watch the fish jump, and look at all the classic beautiful homes that line the shore. Four miles later, we were still having fun, but starting to feel the soreness and the tiredness setting in. Can't wait til we kayak again. : )

Ecclesiastes and a happy ending

Ecclesiastes is the book we're reading through at the moment. On Wednesday night we contemplated all that Solomon chased after, enjoyed, and lamented. "Meaningless, meaningless," he decided- about riches, possessions, and the esteem of man- all that the world had to offer. And then we woke up the next morning to find that our car had been broken into, and several things of value stolen from it.
Hmm...suddenly esteem and stuff felt so important. "Meaningless, meaningless" was easily overshadowed by the feeling of being wronged and violated. We met with a nice officer, made the report, and spent much of the day with insurance calls, etc. Working separately on different things, we were each able to give the situation to God and thank Him for our safety, for our car still running, that my favorite crocs were still in the backseat, etc.
And guess what? By the end of the day the thief was caught. Our things were recovered. We enjoyed our happy ending, but remembered that God was good either way. : )

Adjusting

Hi Friends, thanks for reading. : ) Days keep passing with activities like church, medical appointments, grocery shopping, laundry. It still doesn't feel real. Last night Peter was working late.While watching the Olympics and waiting for him to finish, the thought ran through my head- "He needs to hurry up so we can hang out. I have to go home soon!" Oops. Still hasn't hit me yet.
Delaney seems to be adjusting better than me. She helps herself to the couch, patrols the backyard for squirrels, and talks to her friend, Daisy (the lab next door) through the fence. Daisy is a gulf coast native. She even survived a tangle with an alligator earlier in the year. I'm hoping she tells Delaney how to stay away from them! Thankfully, Peter seems to enjoy having Delaney in the house...

Rainy day

Yesterday was a lovely and dreary day. The sun did not show its face outside, and neither did I. There was lightning and thunder that shook the house. Torrential downpouring of rain. The kind of day where I was thankful to light a few candles, make a cup of tea, and just be at home. At one point I did open the front door and saw our welcome mat slowly floating away. One of the future projects I had hoped to do in the front was to take all the rocks out of the planters and do mulch and plants. Now I'm thinking now. I took a picture, and texted to Peter, saying "ahh, THAT'S why they have rocks instead of plants there..." He thought it was funny. I still think our yard needs a facelift.

First week as a housewife

 I have survived my first week as a housewife, and I am happy to report that the smoke alarm did not go off. The plants have not died. None of the clothes in the laundry bled or shrunk. My husband has survived a week of my cooking! Now to do it all over again. : )
I have been trying to spend an hour or two working in the yard in the morning before it gets too hot. All of the bushes and the enano poky palm trees are overgrown and there is still a lot to do. Yesterday it was fun to spend the afternoon in the front yard with Peter and Delaney. We cut the grass, pulled a lot of weeds, and trimmed the bushes in front of the house. Satisfying work. Here is a before picture. Still a bit more to do before posting an after picture.

Man's new best friend

Peter and Delaney have become good friends over the past two weeks. When he leaves for work in the morning she sits by the door to watch him go. In the evening she listens for his car to pull up, and greets him with a happy dance. Thankfully, he enjoys this new tradition and joins her in the celebratory dance. Just wait 'til Peter takes her to the dog beach someday...

Change

Change is not something I'm fond of. Right now there is so much change that it is hard to breathe sometimes. Today while having some quiet time I desperately felt the need for something familiar. After tearing into the closest media rate box, I came upon my copy of Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost for His Highest." Ah, an old friend was found! I smiled and shed half a tear when I ready the entry for today:

"The strain of life is what builds our strength. If there is no strain, there will be no strength. Are you asking God to give you life, liberty, and joy? He cannot, unless you are willing to accept the strain. And once you face the strain, you will immediately get the strength. Overcome your own timidity and take the first step. Then God will give you nourishment."

So I continue to pray about stuff as I work on settling in, soaking up the joyous moments to hang onto during the tougher ones. And look! Most of my boxes have been unpacked now : )

Wednesday : )

Today I ventured out on my own for the first time. I'm kind of a homebody, and would probably stay home most days if given a choice, BUT it is Chick fil A appreciation day. And I have a few wedding gift cards burning a hole in my pocket, so out I went! I met Peter for lunch at Chick fil A, and was really encouraged by the number of people that showed up to support the Christian-run business and the values they support. The line was out the door, and it was fun to hear different people chatting and sharing in the comradery.
After lunch I spent some time shopping for things like shoe racks, dish soap, and clothes hangers. It is fun to put a home together. Now I'm home with Delaney, enjoying a thunderstorm and waiting for Peter to come home from work. We've been invited to have dinner with a family that he knows from work. Should be nice : )