Day 36, February 5th, 2021
COVID Vaccine
Comal County has gotten three deliveries of COVID-19 vaccines for Phases 1A and 1B recipients. Fortunately, our entire family qualifies for Phase 1B and we got on a standby list to get the shot. Last week, we got the call that our names had come up and we could get scheduled for our first dose of the Moderna vaccine. Dominic was the only one who couldn’t get it for two reasons… 1) he’s 16 and only the Pfizer vaccine can be given to 16-year olds, Moderna is for 18+, and 2) he’d just gotten his flu shot the week before and he had to wait 2 weeks in between vaccinations. So here is a photo of Curtis getting his shot, just after mom, Anna, and I got ours last Friday. Our 2nd dose is scheduled for March 3rd, the day after Anna’s birthday. We’ve all done our research (and I respect those who are waiting or abstaining) and we are extremely grateful that we are on our way to creating antibodies against this deadly virus.
For those who have been praying for Curtis’s Aunt Sharon, please keep those prayers coming. She was in ICU last weekend for blood sugar issues related to her COVID infection, then was able to recover enough to go to a regular room. Last night (Thursday, 2/11/21), she was taken back to ICU for poor oxygenation. She now has pneumonia in both lungs and isn’t doing well. The doctors told Uncle Bill that she has a 50/50 chance of surviving the next 24 hours.
Day 37, February 6th, 2021
Fire in the Light
The only side effect from my first COVID vaccine was a sore arm and it was REALLY sore. It kept me awake through the night and it was hard to lift my arm on Saturday. I always have reactions like this to shots so I wasn’t worried. But the afternoon light was just too beautiful and the weather was warm, so I threw my macro lens on my camera and went strolling in my backyard just to get out of the house for a minute. This Mexican honeysuckle bloom reminds me of fire licking up toward the light in the sky.
Wood Sorrel
My mom cultivates a lot of weeds… yes on purpose! Her Egyptian tortoises eat a lot of various weeds and she likes to feed them fresh greens almost daily. However, this little tiny yellow blossom, called a Wood Sorrel, or Oxalis, is not safe for tortoises. The entire flower is less than a half an inch big. It is so delicate and beautiful! I used live view and my tilt screen on my camera to get low without having to lay down on the ground to get this perspective.
Day 38, February 7th, 2021
OMG Delicious
I don’t know what prompted Curtis to get online one night last week to buy some goodies but I’m so glad he did. He found these dark chocolate peanut butter cups from Trader Joes and they may be one of the most delicious things I’ve ever consumed. The chocolate is rich, the peanut butter filling is extra creamy, and I can taste a hint of sea salt. YUM!!! I’ve never been inside of a Trader Joes but hope to someday if given the opportunity.
Day 39, February 8th, 2021
Guilty Pleasure
Anna was tired all weekend and her arm was extremely sore just like mine. Neither of us slept well and she was just off most of the weekend. When she went back to Life Bridges on Monday, I spent most of the morning in front of our fireplace playing Township on my iPad. It’s my all-time favorite mobile game ever. Most of the time, I make myself do all my chores first so I can sit and relax with Township but not Monday… I made gaming and relaxing my top priority!
Day 40, February 9th, 2021
Valentine’s Gift from Zach
Anna has a real boyfriend! It all started when I took Anna back to Canyon Lake High School to get her senior picture taken for the yearbook in January 2020. Zach, one of her special education classmates, was there and asked if she was attending the Winter Dance that Friday. She asked me if she could go and of course I said yes. They’ve been together ever since! They had plans to attend Prom and the Military Ball last spring but of course COVID canceled all of that. They called and texted each other everyday all through lockdown and the summer. Finally in October, when Anna went back to Life Bridges in person, she and Zach could see each other again. (He graduated in the spring too.) When Anna got to campus on Tuesday, Zach had silk flowers, a card, and a box of chocolates for Anna for Valentine’s Day. He hand wrote inside the card, “ You are the best girlfriend ever. I love you with all my heart. Happy Valentine’s Day. Your boyfriend, Zach.” Be still my heart! I am so happy for her, I can’t wait until things are back to normal so they can go on an actual date.
Day 41, February 10th, 2021
Making Her Own Lunch
One of Anna’s IEP goals at Life Bridges is to make her own lunch once a week. Sometimes she does it at Life Bridges, sometimes she’ll do it at home and take it with her. On Wednesday, she wanted to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch. We threw some typical sides in the lunch box (of which the fresh fruit and veggies almost always come back home in the afternoon and are only eaten under threat of no dessert, snort). Anna’s motor skills make it hard for her hold the knife parallel to the bread and sometimes the bread tears a little when she’s spreading. But she doesn’t get frustrated. She only asked that I hold the paper towel steady while she cut her sandwich, she did all the rest by herself. (My OCD self was cringing a little when she put the top part of the bread upside down so that the bottom and top of the sandwich didn’t match… I have issues.) Well done, Anna!!!
Day 42, February 11th, 2021
Icy Trees
Winter Storm Shirley has made its way through Texas, bringing freezing temperatures and lots of precipitation. We’ve had it mild so far in New Braunfels. Ice and snow is forecast for Sunday night and temperatures are supposed to be in the single digits. Brrr. There is no school now (Thursday, Friday, and Monday) for teacher work days and President’s Day so we are hunkering down in front of the fireplace. Anna and I had to go out to PT on Thursday then pickup a curbside order at HEB. It was nasty. There was a horrible 135+ car pileup in Fort Worth that took 6 lives. I hope everyone stays safe this weekend. Brrrrr.
Thanks for looking!
