New Apartment

Me and my niece got moved into our new apartment finally. We don't have any furniture in our living room to sit on yet. We have every thing else we need though. We will not be getting our Internet hooked up until next Wednesday though, so I will not be able to post again until then.
The good thing is that the weather for the past 2 days has been beautiful. The sun has been shining and the temperature has been mild. I can't wait for spring. This winter has been so bad. I know people who live in the north would probably laugh. But I get cold easy. I freeze when my niece is complaining of being too hot. I moved down to Kentucky to get away from bad winters. It worked pretty well until this winter. The Lupus has been doing something freaky. My feet , and especially my toes get really cold. Sometimes i have to put on anywhere from 2-7 pairs of socks on. My dad and step-mom brought me an electric blanket yesterday. That helps at night.

Apartment

My back hurts and I feel crappy today. It may take a few more days to get the apartment. See, I have custody of one of my nieces. Her mother, my sister, got child support awarded to her by court order in the state of Indiana. After I got custody in
the state of Kentucky, I had to go to Indiana to the judge who issued the original support order to get it changed into my name. They didn't give me any document showing that I get child support, because they sent checks every week with receipts. Those were sufficient to show at the food stamp medicaid office in Kentucky. Then the state of Indiana went to debit cards for child support and unemployment. And I didn't think anything about it. Now all I have is that card and the number on the back to call to check my balance. Well, the apartment manager has to have proof of my income, and right now, that's all I've got. 75.00 a week. But I don't have any proof, nothing to show I get it. So the manager called the court clerk yesterday in Indiana where the support was awarded to my sister to try and get something. He called and left a message on the machine here saying it could take as much as a week to get it, and he can't give me a key and let me move in until he has proof of my income. I have my custody papers but that's not enough. Tell you what, I'll be getting me a copy of that paper when he finally gets it and keeping it for my records, because the food stamp office has been asking for it too.

What time is it when the clock chimes 13?
Time to fix the clock?

Groundhog DAy

I was supposed to write yesterday but I couldn't because I was looking at a subsidized apartment. Turns out it took even longer today to go through the paperwork, but since I am living with my Dad and stepmom right now I have to get my computer time when its available.
Question: Doesn't the sun have to be shining in order for there to be a shadow? They said on the radio that the groundhog saw his shadow today so there would be 6 more weeks of winter. I don't know where the groundhog was, but he sure wasn't anywhere around me. I'm in Allons Tennessee, and we had snow over the weekend, and rain today. The fog was so thick that when I was coming home I passed up my road I was supposed to turn on. There was no sun shining here.
So, are you ready for 6 more weeks of winter? I'm sure not. I hate winter!!!!! Besides the fact that it makes me feel worse, I don't like driving in snow and on ice. I know how; I came from Indiana. I just don't like to. In fact, I would like to move a little farther south than what I am right now. If I do, though, I'll have to wait until circumstances allow. I'll write more on my situation when I am in my apartment and can spend more time typing. I don't type very fast right now.

Why doesn't a crow ever get hit by a car?
Because there's another crow saying, "Caw! Caw!"LOL

For what its worth to you, HAPPY GROUNDHOG DAY!

Positive Attitudes

I got this out of a free magazine called Southern Humor.

Bill had won a toy at a raffle.He called his kids together to ask which one should have the present. Who is the most obedient? he asked. Who never talks back to mother? Who does everything she says?
Five small voices answered in unison: Okay Dad, you get the toy.

When I was in college, I took a class on marriage and family counseling. This was our first assignment.
Make 3 lists. The first list is a list of all the things you like about yourself. Spend a lot of time on this, and write ddown every thing you can possibly come up with. They can be outside looks, inner character, abilities and talents, etc.
Next, make a list of the things you don't like about yourself that you can change.
The third list is the things you don't like about yourself that you can't change.
The object of the lesson was to focus more on the things you like about yourself and the things that can be changed.
For example, I don't like that I don't initiate conversations with people. This is a goal I have. I an going to be more open with people.
My suggestion is this: Take the list of things you can't change and burn it. Put those things behind you and don't think about them again. Work on the things you can change one at a time. Don't try to do them all at once. Set realistic goals for accomplishing them.
Most importantly, try not to browbeat yourself all the time, focus on the good things rather than bad. Go over your first list as often as possible. Learn to like yourself.

Winter Depression Help

I got this stuff out of Women's World.
If you get depressed during the winter time take Vitamin D. Having too little D in your system inhibits your body from producing seratonin, which makes you feel tired and depressed. The doctor reccomendation is 1000 of IU of vitamin D daily.
Lack of sunlight can make blood sugar levels fluctuate, which makes you crave sweets and other carbs that keep your body from using insulin correctly. Cinnamon slows the rate at which carbs are absorbed. The reccomendation is to sprinkle 1/2 tsp. of ground cinnamon on oatmeal, coffee, etc.
If you have arthritis,or other problems that cause aches and pains, make sure you get a full eight hours of sleep each night.According to research, sleep boosts production of growth hormones, which reduce inflammation and speed healing of damaged tissues.
If I get tired it makes me feel worse; here's some pick-me-ups that were suggested.
Eat fiber rich cereal and foods. Being constipated can make you feel sluggish.
A study showed that participants who listened to music that had progressive tempos had more energy than those who only listened to fast music.
Rubbing each fingertip for 15 seconds boosts your blood flow, which releases extra oxygen to your brain.
A study from Wheeling Jesuit University showed that the aroma of peppermint activates the ares of the brain that governs alertness.Athletes who inhaled the scent apparently worked harder without realizing it.
Look at something green. Apparently there receptors in the eyes that are sensitive to green, stimulating the brain and relaxing the strain that causes tiredness.
All of these things are in the February 1, 2010 issue of Women's World.

What did the pen say to the pencil?
So, what,s your point?LOL

Teaching at Church

Well, I went to church yesterday prepared to teach, but I didn't havr to. I teach every other week, I trade off with a sister who is a nurse and has to work every other Sunday. I sat in the class, met the children, and watched her give the lesson. I will teach next week. This was good because I was worried about wether I had prepared the lesson for their age level. Now I know I have a couple 6 years, and a couple of 7 years. Now I can prepare the lessons with those specific children in mind. And when one of the children was giving the opening prayer, he thanked the Lord for the new teacher.
I do not feel very well today. This is one of those days when I do not have very much energy.

What did the scotch tape say to the duct tape?
I was hopin' you'd stick around.LOL

Teaching-No Greater Call

Tomorrow I have to teach in church. A couple of weeks ago I was asked by theBishopric at church to be a teacher in Primary. I got set apart last Sunday after church. Here I am on Saturday night, lesson prepared, and nervous as a canary whose cage was left open by its owner, with the cat sitting there licking its chops. I have been a teacher before. I enjoy it. I was a teacher several years ago in a different ward of the church in Indiana for the 4 year olds. More recently, I taught was a teacher in Relief Society, the Women's organization in the Lord's church. Both presented their own challenges, and rewards.
Now I will be teachinh 8-11 year olds. I am prepared but I can't help being nervous. I have spent the whole week stressing out over something that will only last for about 1/2 of an hour. I have spent a good portion of my life stressing over things needlessly. I worry about how I look and if I'm fat, and how I sound, and what to say. I wish it was over already. But there is no need to do that. When you get a calling in the Church, its the Lord who is asking you to do it. He asks you to do something not because you are perfect at it, but because it is something that will help you become closer to Him, and to those you serve. I have to keep reminding myself of that.
When I was set apart last week, Father promised me in the blessing that if I prepare the lessons, and teach with The Holy Ghost, my creativity will be increased. That's a very great promise for me. I have never been very good at art. Never thought I could be. My brother is an excellent artist. And that's an understatement. If I could even be half as good as him someday, I'll be happy. And I would like to improve that because I would like to be able to illustrate my books eventually. For right now I've asked my brother Rob to illustrate for me. He said he would.
The really important thing about teaching children is that they are our future leaders. They are the future of our nations, and the Lord's church. Especially the Church. It is very important to teach them good morals and values so they can be good leaders in our nations, and good, strong individuals who will stand for what's right. In Church, we need to teach them the Gospel so they will grow up able to accept and face the challenges the Lord gives them, and fight Satan head on and win.
In times like this, I remember a quote from a movie, The Princess Diaries:

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the knowledge that something else is more important than fear."

Teaching the Primary children is more important than my being afraid of how they might see me. And I know I did well with my 4 year olds from several years ago, despite my fears of being inadequite. They are now adults. And I enjoy havin some of them on Facebook. They have all grown into very lovely adults. Its nice knowing I helped with that.

Notice: I am going to start posting on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

What did the duck say when she bought lipstick?
Just put it on my bill.LOL

House Helps

An easy cleaning tip from my DAd. In your bathroom, put a squeegee in your shower stall. After you finish showering, squeegee the whole thing then use a towel and dry what water remains. Do this after every shower. You won't get the water and rust stains. The shower looks clean all the time. And you won't have to clean it as often.
Next, keep a wash rag hanging next to your bathroom sink. After every time you wash your hands, you use the rag to dry out the inside of the sink. Same thing as for the shower. It keeps it looking nice and you won't have to clean as often. And it won't take as long to clean when you do. Train your kids to do this. My dad trained me and I'm almost 38!
A tip from my step-mom that seems pretty simple, I don't know why I never thought of it. Except the Lupus sometimes interferes with the way my brain works. When you do laundry, put the measuring cup you use to measure out your liquid laundry detergent in the washer with the laundry. It comes out clean and you don't waste any detergent trying to clean it out in the sink.
There are some things here where my dad lives, out in the boonies, that can be recycled. Some can't. So we use empty jars to put smelly trash in. Like banana peels, orange skins, grease from cooking, etc. Then put the lid on. You can stuff a lot of stuff in one of those things. I also add used tissues, napkins, pieces of paper, etc. in. When it's as full as you can get it, then put it in the trash. It keeps your trash from smelling, keeps the can cleaner, and it doesn't fill up as often. At least not here. We are able to recycle cardboard, plastic, and cans.

Why did the music teacher need a ladder?
To reach the high notes!LOL

Wellness

I was sick for three days. I've had times when I've been sick and just went ahead and proceeded with life as normal. Having Lupus, when I get even a common cold, it takes at least a week, and a lot of times more than that, to get well. Because I don't take the time to let my body rest, it hangs on longer. These last few days, I took the cold medicine that my Dad gave me. And Saturday was a scheduled trip to visit some friends who are elderly. My Dad told me I didn't need to be out in the cold with my cold that I had. So I stayed in. By Sunday, I still felt a tiny bit tired, (well, more than usual), but I was able to go to church. And I didn't think I would be able to do it. And it's a good thing I went because I was asked to work with the primary children. It really makes me feel better when the Lord asks me to serve in His church. I feel so useless sometimes because of the Lupus. It makes me feel better when I can contribute something and help others. No matter what you have to do, when you gat sick, take some time to let your body rest and get better. Call on family and friends to help you do what needs to be done. Then you will get better quicker and get back on your feet.

Pets

Going back to the previous blog, if you can't have pets or don't want one, youo can have pets on the games on Facebook. Of couirse, I do have real pets, and fake ones too. Anyway, I have several on my Facebook account. Gotta be careful with those though. I went back to Petville after having been gone for a few days and my pet, whhich I named Cuddles, had run away. I had to bust her from the pound. You do have to go and feed and groom them. But that's good if you don't like the mess if real ones. Then I have Happy Pets. Right now you can adopt cats and dogs. You can even breed them. And I have Pet Society. You can take your pet fishing for more coins. If you don't want something you have to spend much effort on, that you can leave for a few days, there is Sea Garden. It just lines up the sea pets you have on the page, and whenever you log on you get 50 bucks, and you get bucks for doing whatever upkeep you have to do. It just takes one click. It's very easy. Also helps to clean up the oceans because every time you log on the sponsors donate money to environmental organizations.

What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire?
Frostbite.LOL

Pets

Pets are good to cheer a person up. At least I know they do me and the others in my family who have pets. We had pets all the time when I was little, then we stopped having them. We never had cats because my mom said I was allergic. We had dogs. I had a pure bred Beagle named Lady. She looked like Snoopy. She died saving me. The dog next door was threatening me when I was outside playing in the backyard. Lady jumped over the fence and went after her. She was a big wolfhound. Her and Lady fought. I screamed and my mom came out. She went over the fence and separated them and got Lady. The other dog had bit her. Now a vet hospital would be able to save her. But then, all the vet could do was put her down. We got a new dog to replace her from the same people. She was Lady's little sister, from the same parents, different litter. I named her Lady 2. Somebody swiped her before she went into heat for the first time. I don't remember having any dogs after that. My brother had a couple of dogs when he was a teenager. He had to take care of them himself.
Now I have 3 cats: Baby and her kittens, Cuddles, and HAley. The father, HArley, died. He was a full blood Devon-Rex. I love pets. Just petting my cats and hearing them purr makes me feel better. There have been studies done that have found that people with pets are generally in better health. I know mine reduces stress. When I get upset, my Cuddles will come lie on my chest and purr. I calm down real quick. They make me feel less alone when I'm the only person home.

Who tastes the dog food to know it's a new and improved flavor?LOL

Helping others

To illustrate what I wrote yesterday concerning helping others, I was out shopping yesterday when I ran into the mother of one of my nieces' friends. I stopped and talked to her for a few moments. Just talking to someone for a few can make them feel better. And I found out she was having some problems of her own. When we parted I told her I would pray for her and I wished her a Merry Christmas. Also, everywhere I shopped at I smiled and wished Merry Christmas to the clerks. You have to figure they would most rather be elsewhere. I know it cheers them up. Like I said, I've worked in the service industry.

If you think turning solids into gas has something to do with a burrito...You are not smarter than a 5th grader.LOL

Merry Christmas!

Charity

I went to see my Dr. at the John Kenyon American Eye Institute today for a checkup. The results were good. I can see 20/40 with correction now. And he will start taking stitches out in 2 months when I go see him again.
Today's topic: Charity. I was reading a Christian book called A Christmas Wish by Betty Neels. The main female character, Olivia, and her moyher had reduced circumstances and had to move in with Olivia's maternal grandmother. She took them in, but she never let a day go by to let them know it was a financial burden on her. And she didn't just tell them. She told everyone she happened to meet. And not just that. She berated Olivia constantly for her lack of marketable skills and her inability to attract a man and get herself married. Through it all, Olivia bit back angry retorts and did not lower herself to that level. She kept up good spirits for her mother also.
Now, real charity is not what most people think it is. If you look in 1 Corinthians, 13, the whole verse is an explanation of charity. Real and true charity is the pure love of Christ. It is the pure love that He has for us, and it is also the pure love that we can have for Him and each other if we choose to. If you have a sincere desire to serve Him, and you serve others in order to serve Him, you will find that your capacity to love your fellow brothers and sisters grows. True charity is freely given. It does not begrudge the receiver. It does not hold anything over another's head. It is freely given , and cheerfully, and does not expect recognition or reward.
When I give loving service to those in need it makes me feel so much better. It lifts my mood, makes me smile, laugh, and makes my day. Plus it makes me grow closer to that person, and the Savior. He performs some of His greatest miracles through us. Even when you have severe health problems and other problems that limit what you can do, everyone has something they can give to uplift and help another. It could be something as simple as a smile and 'thank you' to a cashier. I've been there, trust me, they need the kudos. You could take a card to a nursing home one day when you're passing by and ask to be directed to a resident who has little or no family visits. Just talk a few minutes. If you find yourself depressed or frustrated about your problems, find someplace in your community, or someone who needs a little something you can give. Even if its just a few minutes of your time over the phone. It will be mutually beneficial in so many ways.
Peace, Smile, and I love you.

Christmas Gift

In Church yesterday the topic of a talk in Sacrement services was on what to give the Savior for a Christmas present. Here are some ideas:
1) Repentence- is a very special gift to give Him, considering we would not be able to do that if He had not suffered in the GArden of Gethsemane for us.
2) attend your church services, and while you're there, remember to thank Him for choosing to obey Father. He had His free agency too. He could have chosen not to do it. He loves us.
3) Service to others. Remember when you are serving someone, anyone in any way, you are serving Him.
4) Remember to say Merry CHRISTMAS, not Happy Holidays or Merry X-Mas. WE celebrate Christmas to celebrate His birth.

Remember that the Savior must have an enormous amount of love for all of us, it enabled Him to do what He did. He loved us more than Himself.

Why is it not safe to say anything on a farm?
The corn has ears, the potatoes have eyes, and the beans talk.LOL

More car problems

My dad was out shopping in town this morning. He went to start his truck and it wouldnt start. He said he got in and said a little prayer and asked Heavenly FAther to please let it start. He then started it up. It turned with no problems. Like I said in the blog about my own car problem, instead of wasting adrenaline pannicking, pray to Father for help. Dad got home safely and with no problem. Sometimes your car doing that can serve as a warning that there is something wrong. You could take it in and have it looked at. You catch and fix a small problem before it becomes a big expensive one.

If you think a square root is less popular than the other roots, you might not be smarter than a 5th grader. Jeff Foxworthy LOL

Typing

Hello! I just got finished taking a typing lesson online. I never took typing in school. It was not required where I went. Now I wish it had been. I'm trying to become an author; it helps if you know how to type. Up till now, I've gotten my niece to type for me. She is in college and has her own things to type. So I got on the internet one day and googled to see if I could find typing lessons for free. I ended up at a site that has typing lessons, tests, and games for free. I am progressing very nicely. Each lesson has only 2 letters you practice with. You choose the lesson you need and how many words per minute is your goal. It suggests 15 wpm to start. You can go lower if you want. And it tells you which fingers to use. After you reach your goal it will ask if you want a certificate printed off. I decline because this is for myself. But if you had to learn for work, its helpful to have that. I have learned the letters and some punctuation and am now on numbers. I took 2 lessons today.
The reason I'm putting this on here is to say that it makes me feel better to accomplish something. It also helps ease depression to have something to do every day if you don't get out much because of health. And this typing thing gives me a goal to work toward. It helps me to feel better about myself and my circumstances to have a clear goal to be working towards every day. The site address is: freetypinggame.net

What did the hat say to the hat stand?
You stay here, I'll go on a head. LOL

Christmas

I tried to go Christmas shopping with my step-mom, Mary yesterday. We had first gone to breakfast at a church friend's house. Then we decided to go to Wal-mart. The one stop shopping place. Yeah, its nice to have pretty much everything you need in one place right. I really liked Wal-mart when it first came out. It was cheaper. Then when they decided to go to supercenters, I thought it would be good because you would only have one place to go to get everything you need. But my goodness! By the time I only get half way around the store I am so wore out! I still cant get everything, even though its right there. I poop out. And its even worse during Christmas season. I love Christmas, its my favorite holiday. But I hate shopping for it! We ended up getting one gift and leaving! Having Lupus, I poop out easy anyway. It doeesnt take long for me to get tired of the crowds. Dont leave your shopping to the last minute if youre like me. Do a little bit at a time. Or just get gift cards and let 'em shop themselves. Try not to go crazy. Remember what Christmas is for. God bless you!

My family tree is full of nuts! LOL

The other day I had to go out of town. I thought I had enough gas to get me to the next town where I would stop to get gas. I was wrong. I ran out of gas completely right outside of that town. Right after I prayed for Father to send someone to help me, a truck with two nice gentlemen showed up. They went to the gas station and bought me five dollars worth of gas and put it in my tank. I was so thankful! Nobody else would stop. From now on, I promised God I would always stop to check and see if a person pulled over needs help. So long as it looks safe. Im also going to get a gas can and put it in my trunk for emergencies. And Im going to do what my dad and stepmom do: keep at least half a trank of gas in the car all the time. Heavenly Father always answers prayers. He may not always actually SAY something. Sometimes you may get 'you dont need to know that' or you dont need to know that right now' , but you will Always get an answer. ALWAYS. But remember, He cant answer a prayer unless you pray. So talk to Him everyday. He loves you and wants to hear from you. He is your FAther. Literally.

Why was Moses the worst sinner?
He broke all 10 commandments at once. LOL

More about me

After I graduated, I went to work at a group home for mentally handicapped people. This was my first fuul time job, and was the happiest time of my life up to that point. I really loved working there. I saved money and bought my first home. After working there for about 2 years, I was diagnosed with Lupus. I needed to go on pain medicine immediately. Because I had terrible back pain and my job was physically demanding. For me. For someone who is healthy it would not be. The home I worked at needed staff 24/7. There was a lot of overtime because it was hard to keep staff. My intent was to work 2 or 3 years and work while getting a masters degree. I should have startes the process of more schooling sooner. As it was, I didn't start it until it was too late.
In addition to the overtime, I had to be on my feet most of the time. There was a lot of running around to dr. appts., and so on. Shifts were 12-24 hours long. A lot of the time I was on my own. It was very hard to keep people. When I did look into getting a masters online, I filled out the app., and then a staff had to quit, and we were short already. There was going to be a lot of hours needing to be covered. I withdrew my application temporarily in order to work. In hindsight I should have went the other way around. My health was getting progressively worse. By the time I was home, my feet would be swollen to the size of grapefruit and I could barely walk. Most days off found me in bed. I missed a lot of church. And if it were not for my faith, I would have ended it long ago. I could not sleep well, I tossed and turned, I woke up a lot with hips, arms, legs hurting and had to change positions. Still do. I kept working to the point I would be at work 2 hors and I would be dizzy and walking into walls; and I would feel like every muscle in my body had been beat on; and my body was full of magnets and the floor was one big magnet and I was being pulled to the floor. In a job where your responsibility is to take care of others, that is not good. I got to the point where I had to make a decision: quit or end up in the hospital. Or worse. So I quit. I tried to find a job for 2 years and noone would hire me. I have tried to get disability. No go. They wont let me have it because of my education and age. The only thing I can do that does not make my disease worse is writing. I have written 2 books so far and am trying to get published. I had to sell my house several years ago because I had no money. Thankfully my mom moved me in with her to help me. Now I live with my dad and step-moom while trying to get published.
If you have to quit qorking, dont do what I did. Try to line up another job before quitting. I could not work any job that had those same working conditions that are natural to the job anymore, but I could have found an easier job elsewhere temporarily if I had looked. Instead I had quit without notice because of my health. I was not able to get unemployment, and every where I interviewed with I had to be honest and tell them why I quit. The kinds of jobs I had experience with I could no longer do. Group home and food service. I had no experience in what my degree was for, or anything else I applied for. I applied for a social work position and got turned for no experience because they had applicants with experience in that job. So if you find yourself needing to quit a particular job for health reasons, get all your ducks in a row first. Dont make impulsive decisions like me. And pray for the Lord to guide you first. I didnt. I should have.

Why didnt the chimney feel well?
It had a flue.LOL

About Me

I started having health problems when I was just a little girl. I remember being skinny, fast, and very talkative and outgoing when I was young. Then at about kindergarden, I lost energy and gained weight. I was very embarrassed about my weight gain, even with my mother. People at school made fun of me. I did not know what was wrong with me. I was taken to all kinds of specialists who ran all kinds of tests with no conclusions. They said I was just lazy. This was very hurtful. I knew there was something wrong with me. Over the years, the teasing became much worse. As a result, I became very withdrawn. I became shy, would not look people in the eyes; and often I did not go to school because I did not feel good, and I could not face the teasing I knew would come. I managed, for my last 2 years of high school, to go to school every day in order to get my GPA up so I could go to college. I made Straight A's and B's. I wanted to go to college to get a degree in business and own my own restaurant someday. I ended up not being able to pursue that. My health was getting worse as I got older. I did not do so hot in the Maths classes. I liked helping people. Those I knew. And elderly people. I felt more comfortable with them than with those my own age. So my Mom advised me to go into social work. I had to graduate with just a minor in Social Work with a bachelor of general studies degree because the head of the department felt I was too shy to be an effective counselor.

I need to stop now. More tomorrow.

If it rains on your parade, break out the slip-n-slide!