Obtaining Mercy

It's Going Swimmingly

With the tropical disturbance in the Gulf, we are getting a LOT of rain every day.  It feels like we need to "swim" about the yard to check on the garden and out to the mailbox and across town with the rivers of water rolling down the street.

Speaking of the mailbox, yesterday I was tickled to find the first of two books that I ordered last week.  I'm sure you're wondering why in the world I am ordering books when Doug is out of work.  So, I will tell you! ;)

I order all of Isaac's diapers and wipes from Overstock.  Each year, I renew my membership in their "Club O".  For me, it is an excellent deal.  Let me explain. 

The first year, I was automatically enrolled in Club O for free.  That was great.  I earned a certain percentage of O Rewards, which you can spend on their site.  The second year, I hesitated to pay the full amount of the enrollment; but then they offered it for $10 off.  Now THAT was a deal!  I've since discovered that they offer the $10 off every year.  I just wait until then to renew.

In 3 years time, I have received over $300 worth of merchandise with those O Rewards!  And guess what I paid for my Club O renewal last year!  $9.95!!!  Over $100 of merchandise a year for $9.95.

Now I realize that not everyone buys $150 of diapers and wipes every month like we do, and so for you, this might not be worth the money.  For us, though, it works great.

• Last week, I realized I had over $15 in rewards waiting, so I ordered 2 books that I'd been wanting to read.  For them both, including shipping, I paid $1.68.
• Today, I found a 10% off coupon for a food order that I was making online.  It saved me almost $5 AND I got free shipping!!!
• I did quite a bit of surfing on the internet this morning, looking for raw cashews.  I finally found them here in Florida for just over $6 a pound.  We got the large pieces, and that saved quite a bit of money.  I will use these cashews to make sweet dishes on the Hallelujah Diet, and so I don't mind one bit if the nuts are whole or not.
• We picked 5 small tomatoes from our garden today - 3 red and 2 yellow pears...yummy!

Well, Isaac didn't sleep last night.  That's the 2nd time this week that he has done that.  We are trying to track down the culprit causing his insomnia.  We are suspecting that it might be a tummy issue.  Anyway, I am thinking very seriously about taking a nap, so I am going to end this for today.

Looking forward to tomorrow's surprises,

Alesha

Tea Perfection

 

Doug and I have been really enjoying drinking hot tea this winter.

(Not that it feels like winter all the time here - it's in the 80*s today - but we're drinking the tea hot, nevertheless!)

So, I wanted to show you this most excellent Christmas gift I received from Isaac's caregiver. 

Here are the reasons that it is my favorite mug ever:

1.  No pretty flowers.  No sentimental words.  Just shiny black with a normal-hand-sized handle.

2.  It's one bit a decor - this fancy little swirl on top of the awesome LID!

3.  The lid flips over to become a saucer...

4. To hold the perfectly-matching basket when it's removed from the mug!

5.  No messy tea bag or leaves dripping, no cold tea after the steeping is done. 

Perfect tea every time in my perfect tea mug!

You know...maybe I should order a spare...yeah...I'm gonna look into that right away!  Just in case...

And, who knows, Doug might like having a "perfect" mug, too!

;o)

Alesha

Winnie the Pooh and Paddington Bear

Doug, Isaac and I traveled to O-town on Saturday to visit with my interwebby friend Tia and her girls.  (You can click on her name to visit her blog.)

Saturday was our first real taste of fall here in central Florida.  The temperatures were mild (in the mid-70s) and it was overcast and very windy.  With the exception of hurricanes, we do not have many blustery days, and that makes them so much more enjoyable to us!  And, of course, makes us think of Winnie the Pooh and his blustery day!

Tia, Mog, the Little Princess and Mary met us in the lobby of their hotel...all of us smiling and hugging and shaking hands in greeting.  The Little Princess was in her very impressive Land Rover chair and helped us keep up a good pace when we headed down the hotel corridors.  Really, it was an amazing little electric wheelchair that she has for traveling.  God bless the mind that created such a cool, little chair for the adorable little people who need them.

Mog was in rare form, telling us about her upcoming shopping trip via her Talking Book.  It is an amazing notebook that Tia has put together, with what I can only think to call "Question Trees." 

Tia went through 3 or 4 main questions, and Mog immediately let us know when we had hit upon the one she had an answer to.  Tia kept asking "yes" and "no" questions, until we had sifted out the ones Mog was not interested in.  Finally we hit "pay dirt", so to speak, when we asked if she had chosen a name for her new sock monkey!

She had chosen a name!

A few more questions were asked, and to MY utter delight, she wanted to name her little monkey "Alesha".  I'll tell you - I was quite honored. :) :) :)

Our sweet friends brought us some sweet gifts.  This lovely orange marmalade is from the Women's Institute:

I asked if I should bake some scones to have with my marmalade, and was told no, but to eat it on toast, like Paddington Bear. :)

They also brought along some lovely teas for us:  Yorkshire Gold (a black tea) and Clipper (a loose leaf green tea).

All very English gifts, weren't they?  We were so tickled to receive them.  My religiously-soda-drinking husband has had tea TWO mornings in a row, and has already looked to see if the Yorkshire Gold is available in the states.  I am amazed, Tia!!!  I never would have guessed how much he would like this tea! :)

Honestly, though, much more special than any gifts they could have brought, was the sweet time of fellowship and visiting.  We stay for over 2 hours, and really, would have been happy to stay longer, but little ones needed medications and changes of position and tea and so forth; and so we made our way home with happy, full hearts.

The best part?  Hearing voices pronounce names we had only read in print, hugging friends we had never seen, seeing smiles next to us that previously only beamed at us from our computer screen, and communicating with little ones who have become so special to us over the years.

While I hope that this meeting was not a once-in-a-lifetime gathering, in all truth, it just might have been.  I am so grateful for the time we spent together with Tia and the girls. 

Our lives are far richer because of your friendships!

Blessings,

Alesha

 

Here a Link, There a Link

Oh my goodness, y'all!  I really think Autumn is on its way to Florida.  As I put on Facebook last night, I was able to sit outside yesterday evening without sweating AND without getting mosquito bites!  THAT is wonderful, let me tell you!

My buddy Newton hung out with me for a while out there.  It was nice. :)

 

Here are a few links I think you might find interesting.

I have been reading this book during my devotions, and it has been a real blessing to me!

 

 

 

This article - about whether or not Christians should adopt embryos - really surprised me.  I had never even considered the right or wrong of it.  In fact, I didn't even know people were adopting embryos!!!  Is Embryo Adoption Immoral?

 

We receive a magazine called "Israel My Glory".  I find it to be fascinating, relevant, pertinent and sometimes absolutely shocking.  If you would like to read things from a Christian pro-Israel position, this magazine is definitely worth the subscription price.  You can click the above link to check it out.

 

This book has gone on my wish list!  I've always wanted to learn to solder, but the torch and the tanks??? {shudder}  This lady uses the small hand-held torches for her work, which she explains in this book; AND it comes with a DVD!!!  Oh yeah! :)

 

 

 

I like to work my way up to the glorious music of Christmas slowly, limit myself to just one or two cds, until the season gets in full swing, which to my mind begins on November 1!  With that in mind, I have been thoroughly enjoying this cd this week:

 

 

 

For my final link, I'm sharing my Etsy shop with you:  Alesha Kay Jewelry    If you use this coupon code  ITSFALLYALL  you will receive 25% off your entire purchase! :)

 

 

I pray you have a great day,

Alesha

Happy Fall, Y'all! (A Little Late)

I love that it is finally autumn!!!  Of course, we won't be able to tell it here in Florida for another month or so.  Nevertheless, it is nice to know there are cooler days ahead!  This picture was taken by one of my bloggy friends, Shanda.  She lives up north, of course. ;)

Well, we are a-l-m-o-s-t fully recovered from our bout with the cold/flu thingy at our house.  My hubby is still sniffling quite a bit, but the allergens are still rampant here, too, so we think it is more allergies than cold.  We hope so, anyway.

Isaac is continuing to get his days and night mixed up.  Saturday night, he never did go to sleep.  He stayed awake until 5 a.m. Sunday morning!  Sigh...that's not very conducive to getting to church on time, is it???  In fact, he and I didn't make it at all to the morning services.  (I've been dealing with a lot of pain this weekend, so I stayed home with the Sleeping Handsome One.) :)

Doug begins another tutoring session today, and we are quite grateful for this bit of extra income.  I do, of course, still have my shop on Etsy, but it seems like nothing is selling there lately.  I'm hoping that things will pick up nearer the holidays.

I was able to make it to church last night, and to choir practice.  We have started work on our Christmas cantata!  Yay!!!  I love Christmas music and I love to sing with the choir - it's like 2 of my favorite things all rolled up together.  So fun!

My goal this year is to actually sing IN the Christmas cantata.  Usually I end up sick during December and have to watch the cantata from the audience or on the internet.  It is very discouraging, I can tell you, after doing all that work, practicing all those songs, and to end up not being able to perform it together with my choir friends!  I am going to be working very hard to get myself healthy and well and STAY THAT WAY for the next 3 months!

I guess that's it for today's update.  I leave you with a picture of Kepler in her favorite new hiding place:

;o)

Blessings,

Alesha

 

 

Resting the Body, Working the Mind

Oh my goodness.  We are such a sleepy bunch here at our house!

Isaac slept until after 10 a.m. yesterday, then - mercifully - slept all night too. Yay!

Doug came home from work and slept for several hours, as well.  Thankfully, Isaac was his angelic self and played quietly while Daddy slept.  Of course, the fact that we turned on his favorite radio station had a lot to do with his contentment! :)

I didn't actually sleep, but I was very happy to quietly watch videos on the computer all afternoon and evening too.  I was pretty convinced that, at some point in time, my head was going to explode due to the sinus pressure and barometric pressure combo, but it never did.  Secretly, I would have welcomed the relief! :o(

Doug and Ike are not going to try to go to therapy today.  We are all still dragging, and there is no need to push it.  Continuing to rest seems to be the best option.

I have been loading up on every supplement that I think will help me fight this cold: oregano, echinacea and vitamin C especially.  I am taking quadruple the usually dose of C and I really feel like it is helping.  It is not upsetting my stomach at all, so I just keep increasing the dose.  If my stomach can take it, I know it is certainly helping the rest of my system!

 

 

Newton the Magnificent

 

On a sad note, we are pretty certain that Newton (our 8-year-old Labradoodle) has some sort of growth on his spine.  We have been giving him supplements and he is moving around much better than he was, but he has developed a knot right on his backbone.  Since his movement is good, and he doesn't seem to be in pain, we are not pursuing a diagnosis at this time.  We'd appreciate your prayers for wisdom and peace, as quite honestly, we are having a hard time with this.

My devotions this morning were about "mortifying the deeds of the body" and "mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth" (Romans 8:13 and Colossians 3:5).  Not a popular subject on any day, but especially when I am sick and don't feel well!

Honestly, though, I could come up with that excuse all the time, because due to fibro, I always have "something" that hurts!  I know it is a work of the Holy Spirit when I can set aside my physical pain to do whatever task is before me.  That is something that I can almost never do on my own.  It is just too hard. 

Even though I often ignore my physical body and do what needs to be done, there are always other areas that still need work.  My mind is usually the most rebellious "member" that I have to work on!

• Am I indulging in self-righteous thoughts? 
• Am I harboring hatred toward anyone? 
• Am I letting coveteousness to control my mind? 
• Do I allow lustful thoughts to linger? 
• Am I catering to self-pity?

So, even while I am taking it easy, due to illness, I can still work on strengthening my inner man through the obedience of my mind to the Word of God.

Today's word for me:  "Mortify".

(I've got a feeling it might be a l-o-o-o-n-g day!)

;o)

Alesha

 

Lessons from the Storm

(Here in Florida we are enjoying the absence of Tropical Storm Debby today.  She dumped massive amounts of rain on us, and sent through some big, gusty winds for several days.  I wondered how our little garden would survive.  You can see my last update here.  After inspecting my plants today, I have come to three conclusions that are quite powerful, I think.)

 

1.)  The storm can destroy you.

 

(Our lovely cucumber that had been producing so well, stripped and broken by the high winds.)

 

2.)  The storm can cause you to grow.

 

(Our yellow pear tomato had dropped all of its tiny green tomatoes just before the storm came.  We just knew it was completely dead, and we had no idea what had killed it.  It is now literally drooping with the weight of dozens of new tomatoes that appeared during the storm.)

 

3.) Even if you've never produced anything, the storm can teach you to try something new.

 

(Our yellow heirloom tomato plant had experienced wonderful growth and dozens of blossoms, but had never produced one fruit.  Here, the day after the storm was over, is our first tomato, growing beautifully, all by itself.)

 

Are you in a storm?

Do you feel your storm is destroying you? 

I ecourage you to wrap your drooping tendrils more tightly around the strong Support that is anchored in the Word.  Drink in the waters of sorrow and allow them to feed and nourish your soul.  Brace your branches in the Lord as the winds of turmoil bend you almost to breaking, and allow God's storm to sink your roots even deeper into Him.

Then watch in amazement as HE produces fruit from the very life that you thought must certainly be dead.

There are so many lessons we can learn from God's nature. 

Let's be encouraged by the miracles that we see there...knowing that the very same God can work those miracles in our lives too!

Foto Friday

 

We had such a nice day...

Shared many laughs...

And I got a haircut!

Good, good day.

Happy Weekend, everybody!

If you live in Florida, try to stay dry.

HopeFULLy,

Alesha

Ask and Ye Shall Receive

 

It's been quite a rainy day today, here in central Florida.  In between the rain showers, I was admiring the blooming magnolia tree across the street.

 

After lunch, my hubby came in with this:

Pretty impressive, huh?

Um, I mean my hubby's thoughtfulness, not the blossom.  (Although, that is quite impressive as well, isn't it?)

I am so thankful for that man!

;o)

HopeFULLy,

Alesha

 

A Garden Photo Update

 

I've been listening to an audio version of The Secret Garden; and every time I go outside to check on my plants, I hear the following refrain (by the mean children who teased little Mary):

"Mary, Mary, quite contrary,

How does your garden grow?

With silver bells and cockle shells

And marigolds all in a row"

I love the way good literature seeps into your psyche, and colors your thoughts with lovely rhymes and prose and wonderful little quotes to fit some of life's more interesting moments!

So, in case you've been wondering how my garden is growning, I thought I'd let you see!!!

We moved all the plants out of doors, and that is working really well for us.  Doug was so innovative to find another "trellis" for the cucumbers when they grew taller than the one we had provided for them.

He sunk a discarded chain link gate into the ground near the house and the cucumbers had twined around by the next morning!

It was pouring when I took this picture, so sorry for the "fuzziness".

 

And here's how every little thing is growing:

Tiny, tiny baby yellow heirloom tomato plant

 

So big now, and still growing...new blossoms every day, but no tomato yet.

 

Yellow Pear Tomato

 

Pretty little tomatoes, growing nicely!

 

Pickling Cucumber

 

This will be cucumber #3 for this plant, and it has many more growing.

 

Here's the first one we picked.  It was delicious!

 

Crazy 8 Cucumber (because the cukes are supposed to reach 8 inches long.)

 

This guy is about 6.5 inches.  It is killing us to leave him out there!

 

As you can see, everything is growing very well; and we are so thankful for that! 

Other than our garden, we are all doing well.  Doug and Isaac have been to therapy twice in the new vehicle and we are so thankful for it.  Every time we drive it, we find something new to love! 

On Friday, I went for my first solo drive.  It was so easy, all the buttons, knobs and gizmos are in convenient places.  I usually hate to drive in the rain, but Tranny even made that a fun adventure. :)

 

Praying you all have a blessed weekend,

HopeFULLy,

Alesha