Hurricane Irma - September 8, 2017

The morning before the storm, the ocean was calm. We did some walking today. We forgot salsa and dish soap, which prompted us to walk to the nearest food store. Several people stopped to see if we needed a ride and in the store we needed help finding salsa. Bahamians don't love salsa like I do. Everyone was friendly and helpful. Once again, the store had plenty of supplies and the salsa was tucked away in a corner.

We found lots of coral and chatted with Mr. Delancy as he was making preparations for all of his properties. The talk was all about the storm. Hurricane Matthew hit this area around the same time in 2016. Thirty foot Austrian pines were pulled from the ground but there was no flooding. We thought that was odd because the property is right up to a canal and the ocean is just across the street. Mr. Delancy said there were no flooding concerns and being on the second floor was not nearly as safe. The storm could have hit at any time after 6pm. It wasn't until 1 am the following morning that the storm made landfall.

Hurricane Irma - September 7, 2017

This day was packed with activity! It was a very long day.

The hurricane was supposed to arrive the following day. Here we are at the airport and this is the host, Noel Turquist. It is 8am. I am spending lots of time on hold for American Airlines, trying to get out of the Bahamas. It was at least a 30 minute wait.

American Airlines had cancelled our flight on Sunday September 10th but there was no return flight scheduled. I couldn't get us out of Nassau this day with American. I had to abandon the hunt because our flight off Long Island arrived early. When we landed, I called Mr. Delancy and he came to pick us up. Once we settled into his other property, I was able to get us a flight with American for the following day, right before the hurricane was likely to arrive.  So, we agreed lunch was a good idea.

There was a little bar just down the road from us and they served decent burgers. While we were eating our lunch and watching the weather, the bartender told us that the airport would be closed tomorrow. I thought she was joking since American had us booked for that day. We decided to double check her facts when we got back to our room.

Oh yes, the airport was closed tomorrow. Everyone needed to get out today. I tried to get us a flight with Air Canada but it was also booked. Our hearts sank (and there was some mild cussing), as we realized our fate was to ride out the storm at this location. We didn't rent a car and now realized that we needed supplies to get us through the storm. I called us a taxi from the airport because that's how you get a taxi in the Bahamas.

The grocery store was definitely packed but the shelves weren't empty. We were able to purchase all the needed food for a relatively unknown period of time. We watched the weather and played yahtzee until bed time.

Stuff and Things

1 - I have officially completed my third batch of beer and the yeast is currently feasting. It's so much fun to watch the bubbles come up through the air lock. That's how you know the yeast is doing its thing.

2 - I've meant to write a post on my stress relief strategies. I've been distracted but one of the strategies is to complete a task. I best be on it.

3 - This post was meant to be about the beer brewing only. Then I didn't finish but I'm putting the photos randomly in this post.

4 - I had issues with brewing on Sunday. It started out with not enough liquid malt extract. Then the wort chiller didn't fit the kitchen sink. Then the beer won't have enough time to condition in the bottles. I will prevail. 

5 - This batch will be dubbed Blonde Moment. 

6 - I think the stress levels should be slowing down here pretty soon. Good news has arrived. Hallelujah!!!

7 - The wort chiller did a fabulous job of cooling the wort to reasonable levels. It took a lot of water and about 15 minutes.

8 - I tried trail running and got lost. I'll attempt it again but never by myself. That was dark!

9 - My latest health craze is drinking lemon water. I pulverized the lemons and strained it 4 times to come up with some sort of lemon paste, which I then mixed into the water. FYI it's lemony but I'm liking it more than water. 

10 - I tried the Molten Hot Chocolate from Starbucks with coffee. It was good but not sweet like I expected. Still it was a good drink.

I'm linking up with Joey and Kristin! #betterlatethannever

Intagrams and disappointment

I have had disappointments at work and home. While I can mull over these events and wallow in misery, I prefer to focus on positive things. 

I ran Color Me Rad on Sunday. That was a blast!

I recently discovered Youversion's verse in a photo option. This is my photo and I don't know what I was trying to capture but it made a great background for this verse. It's helped me to read a verse a day because I keep making these photos.

I will be brewing another batch of beer. Yay! Beer!

Soon, I will be returning to paradise. Packing will commence this weekend. I hope to have it all done by Sunday so as to not be stressed out. The economy and more specifically the oil industry is enough stress. I don't need more.

This guy is loving and sweet. 

This guy needs drugs or his vocal chords removed.

Make A Difference Monday

My stress levels have elevated to a new high with the house hunting. I'm second guessing every thing I've done. Have I found the right home? I don't know.

It's time to rejoice in The Lord and rest in his perfect knowledge. If God could give me a sign, such as closing the door on this house then I'd know to keep hunting.

Thank you for supporting me. The giveaway goes on until next week. Please stay tuned for travel Tuesdays.

Make A Difference Monday: list edition

There was a time when I was stressed to the max. This was a difficult time of life and I learned how strong I can be under pressure. Even though I was battling stress induced depression, I did not turn to medicine. I'm sharing my top holistic stress reducers, which helped ease my pain.

1) Keep greenery nearby. Since I can't keep plants alive, I bought fresh cut flowers. The color green is stress reducing.
2) Walk. A simple walk around the building at lunch helps to reduce any stress you're feeling.
3) Pet a furry friend. After a really bad day, give your pet some love and you'll feel so much better. Pets can sense your stress and they will want to help you feel better.
4) Talk. Have a vent session with a friend or family member helps you. Talking things out can get it off your chest and you'll feel better.
5) Do something fun. I love to go shopping and I'd cruise around the mall to have fun. I'd go for a bike ride or I'd go out for a craft beer. These are all activities that are fun for me. I'd plan this in advance so I had something good to look forward to. The forward thinking helped me get through the week.

Do you have any tips to share? Please stay tuned for Travel Tuesday.

Thankful Thursday

Welcome to Thankful Thursday, a mental exercise in good health. There are many things to be thankful for but at times life and stress become overwhelming. These are the moments when being thankful is critical. Today, I am thankful for nature. The peacefulness, the calmness, the greenery are all perfect to me. I don't get to enjoy nature enough. While I am in a state that doesn't boast many natural beauties, there are still opportunities to enjoy God's bounty. Let's all stop and smell the roses. (If anyone wants to buy me roses, especially my hubby, that is A-Ok by me.) Please stay tuned for High Five For Friday.

Make a difference Monday

2009 through 2011 was a difficult time for me. Hubby was at school in a different state. I was stressed and emotionally out of whack. One of my strategies to deal with the pain was volunteering. The experience was rewarding and helped me feel better. I still volunteer and I hope you will consider doing so. Your community is a better place when you give back.

On a separate note, I had a great workout today (another stress relieving activity). 20 minute run at 4.5 and 15 minutes of weight lifting. Also, I'm giving myself kudos for cooking tons of brown jasmine rice without burning it. Kudos!

Thankful Thursday

Welcome to Thankful Thursday. Today, I am thankful for my fur babies; Chomps and Kirby. They give me mounds of love, entertainment, and frustration. I adore them, even though they do not adore me. They provide relief from stress, especially when I have had a tough day. Chomps' purr is so sweet and loud. I am a proud pet owner and I want everyone to know how rewarding it is to take care of these sweetie pies. What do you have to be thankful for?

END

Teeny tiny flower

Often, I prefer to post photos of flowers that I have taken. Flowers are very sweet and the smell can be rejuvenating. Its easy to forget the little flowers when stress starts to overwhelm you. If you can keep flowers close by, you can reduce some stress. I can get so wound up in life and challenges that its hard to relax and unwind. Little flowers can help.

Take time to enjoy the little flowers. 

Better List

Its been a long time coming but I think the worst of the stress may be over.  Now I'm going to focus on fun things.
My top ten fun activities:
10) Writing
9) Playing piano
8) Reading a book
7) Crocheting
6) Watching TV
5) Traveling
4) Playing games
3) Chatting with a friend
2) Biking
1) Enjoying a good drink (be it adult or not)

List

Doubt. Anxiety. Worry. Concern. That was Tuesday. What will Wednesday bring? I hope it brings good news. I am not sure my mind can take all this stress.

I am still praying for a miracle. Amen.

Painting

I was helping at a park with members of Making Oklahoma city Beautiful. We call it the MOB. It was fun and I got to meet some other people. I enjoy giving back to my community because it helps me deal with stress. If you are feeling blue, try giving back to your community. The emotional boost is surprising and helpful.

Adventure

How's this for adventure...
Rent a campervan in a foreign country, don't buy a map, and drive around aimlessly for a few weeks.

Yes, that's what we did in Australia May 2004. It took awhile to find a grocery store. We went where ever we thought would be good. The map was very poor and had me all turned around as the navigator. Driving on the other side of the street was scary.  The trip was an epic blast!

In retrospect, I would do another wild adventure like this. However, I would pay the extra dollars to get a good GPS or map. I don't need the stress of being lost while on holiday.

Dear Lord, I pray for Your blessings on my next trip in September and all my future adventures. Amen!