Blessings Abound When my Fathers Around - Esteem

I am truly blessed! I KNOW I have a father who loves me. He has done his best through my life to provide for all my earthly needs and has provided for 8 children for 50+ years. He is constantly asking me what he can do to help. I am VERY independent so it is hard for my dad that I don't often ask him for things.
 
On the flip side, he does SO much for others and is still working hard in the community as this past year he helped open a charter school, volunteers for our church and supports his 60+ grandchildren in any way he can. Of course, he doesn't do this alone, but has an AMAZING wife who is constantly planning events for the family and keeping us on track for our annual camping events twice a year and our annual Christmas parties where she spends the day feeding all near 100 of us depending on who shows up and whomever they decide to bring along. 

With that being said, I am also EXTREMELY blessed to know that I have a LOVING Father in Heaven who takes care of the needs that I can't or my father can't and sometimes, he uses my father on earth to bless me as well.  

Recently, I posted about my town car not starting when it is hot or in the sun. Here is that post. There have been so many times that the car has left me stranded. I had it worked on and since then, nothing seems to work when it is hot. I've had three mechanics look at it. 

I let Princess Five take the Suzuki as I don't ever want her stranded as she has so many places to be. While I, on the other hand, can be stuck for 20 minutes waiting for help, a ride or for the air to work its way out of the line.  

Last week, I was delivering some bananas and a few gifts to a friend of mine that has been in my bunko group since the beginning. We got to talking about cars. She is down to one working car. I mentioned I would love to win a car and then I could share a car. She commented that she wouldn't want one of my cars as she had been reading my blog about my car not starting. I then told her I was thinking about my Suzuki cars. I told her that we have three of them and they have not left me stranded and they are great run around cars. For the most part, the repairs have been what you would expect on any car such as tires and brakes. 

As I left her house, I was thinking, I wouldn't mind having another Suzuki as Princess Four has the suburban at college and it has had a few problems including the battery wearing down for unkown reasons so the battery is dead if you don't drive it every few days. They have tried to diagnose it many times but never really figured out why it does that. 

I went to a family event this past weekend as my niece is going to serve as a missionary for the next 18 months. While sitting next to my father, he leans over and whispers, "What car did you drive up here?" I told him it was one of our three Suzuki's. He whispers, "Do you want another one?" 

I gave him the mouth open, wide eyed, "I can't believe you just said that" look. I told him we would LOVE another one! I guess when he helped me get one a few years back, he bought three salvaged ones and used one to fix up the other two. One he sold to me and the other he sold to one of my brothers. My brother had it go through several of his children who are now mostly married and working and upgraded the others so he asked my dad if he wanted it back for someone else. 

I know my dad paid my brother something for it as it is a year newer than any we own and has 10,000 less miles than any we own and I am sure he could have gotten $1,000 out of it. But, my dad won't tell me how much he paid and my brother won't betray my dad so on Sunday, my dad drove the car to our family gathering, he had some supplies I may need to charge the air conditioner which tends to be an issue with some Suzuki cars. I charged the air conditioning on the car and drove it home.  The car worked GREAT including the air conditioning which to me is HEAVEN!

You won't guess what was one of the only things in the dash of the car!!! Yes, a single penny!!!! I just laughed and smiled when I got into the car. I had to tell my girls who were driving the other Suzuki home about it. 

It had just had an oil change and two high quality tires put on the front as well. Those alone would have been a few hundred dollars. The ENTIRE way home, I just kept being amazed and how the desires of my heart are know by my father in Heaven and how he finds ways to bless me with those desires. I am sure if I had thought I wanted another type of car, I would have gotten that type of car. 

I KNOW who owned this car so I don't have to worry that it wasn't taken care of. I KNOW how these cars work and know their flaws and problems and am comfortable with the maintenance and fixing them up. I am completely comfortable in giving this car to Princess Four who is at college and needs a reliable car that she can bring home for visits as the gas for the suburban is much too expensive to drive home for weekends. 

I was getting tired while driving the three hours home so I started checking things out to stay awake and when I opened the center storage box, I got a big grin when I saw all this change!!! 

I think they left it there just so I could know that God had his hand in this. All those reminders to "Trust in God!" just staring at me from the center of the car! No one can tell me that I don't have a Father who LOVES me on this earth and in Heaven. My dad wasn't feeling well yet he worked on some things on the car and drove it forty minutes to meet me with it so we could drive it home.  

Thanks to both of my Fathers, I would say our family has a healthy Esteem!!!!! Gotta love God's sense of humor in giving me four cars with the word Esteem in them! Perhaps it is so each girl could have their own "Esteem" from their Grandfather!

Now for the hard part.... Teaching Princess Four to drive a stick shift manual car this weekend! Should be fun!!!! I am truly blessed!!! I thanked my brother for his generosity in giving us the car. I called to give gratitude to my dad today for all he did in giving us the car and for making sure it was in good condition. I have also given gratitude to my Father in Heaven for his part in getting us this car!! I LOVE both of my fathers!!!! 

Who Will Help the Babies.... Horsehair Nematomorpha Gordian Worm Human Infection Update

I wanted to give an update on how the medication I was trying last week for my parasite worked.DO NOT take Pyrantel for this parasite unless you want HELL in your life for as long as you are taking it!!!!!

The first two days I didn't see much of anything going on. The third day, I had some loose bowel movements. That night when I took the fourth dose, I DID NOT SLEEP FOR ONE SECOND that night. The parasites were PISSED OFF and ANGRY!!!

They started moving. I could feel them piercing and burrowing through my guts getting out of the digestive tract and they went into any major muscle they could find to "hide" from the medication. I was up all night with charlie horses in my muscles, muscle spasms, feeling them creeping into my feet, hands, calves etc. It really hurt when they started burrowing into the muscles. It felt like someone took a hot thick pin and pushed it into my muscles.

I continued taking it for six days total and in that time, I didn't sleep at all for two full nights due to pain and the other two nights , I woke fitfully and in pain all night long. It was HORRIBLE!!!

The night after I stopped taking it, they started burrowing back into my gut and the pains and bloating and gas in my guts woke me all night and I had horrible gas for a few days as they burrowed back into my gut after stopping the medication!

I had also purchased some Pyrantel paste (Pyrantel is the generic name of the medication in the "Pin-X" medication I was taking to see if it would work.

I liked how it drove the parasites in from the rashes on the skin so I will try putting that on the rashes again but I won't take the medication internally again. It just made them really mad and it wasn't worth the pain even if it did kill some. I don't think it did kill any as I have been having about the same pain levels.

With that bit of news documented for those looking for a cure, I can now share about some other things relating to the parasite. It has been a month or so since I contacted the CDC and have had no reply. Not shocking as this isn't Ebola but it is deadly, it just takes time and kills its victims more slowly.

I keep running into people with symptoms and it isn't like I start talking about this with everyone I meet. It just is a constant reminder to me that God in in charge when it comes to this. I had my credit card in hand after researching several Vermox (Mebendazole) places online and was about to purchase a bottle of 1,000 pills. I said a prayer and God told me to hold off.

I didn't hear a voice but I just "knew" that I couldn't do it. The reason that came into my head was that if I purchase it and take care of my family, I wouldn't have any incentive to continue the fight to get this parasite known and get an easy blood test for it etc. The thought that came into my head was, "Who will help the children?" Not many people are as dedicated as I am when I know that something is right. I will fight the fight to make things right. Many people tell me that I should just worry about my self and that is right, I should take care of myself. However, I believe that God gave me this from the beginning to help figure it out for those that can't do it for themselves!

You can ask my children, my Dr, my extended family and they will all tell you that from the beginning, years ago, I felt like I was to figure this out for my mom and kids. Now, I know I am supposed to figure it out for everyone.

Last week, I got a text from the food bank telling me that they had LOTS of bananas that were beautiful to share if I had time. Two days, I went and got a car full sharing with anyone that wanted them. I was at one home and dropped off a case. I was about back to my car when I remembered that the husband told me he knew a woman whose journal I found at a second hand store. I posted her name online asking if anyone knew her and he did. So, I turn around from my car and head back to the house.

He is now on the phone. I am awkwardly standing facing his wife. I know her but we aren't friends so I wasn't sure what to talk about so I blurt out, "We finally figure out what my health problems are! I am thinking to myself, "Why did you even bring this up?" I then start telling her the symptoms I had I think before I even told her that it was not a human parasite.

She then gets a weird look on her face and tells me her baby has the same symptoms!!!!! We are at her door. I turn around and her baby is sitting in the dirt flower bed next to the door wearing a tank top and shorts. No shoes and is covered in dirt!!!! I ask if she has cats. She said they had but had never wormed them when I asked about it. I told her I thought her babies problem was the dirt she was sitting in!!!

I shared with them how I soaked my rashes and the white parasites showed  up and how her rash was in exactly the same place on her foot as my foot. However, she has them on her hands, knee and face as well.

As you can see in these lower pictures, it just looks like white flaky skin. Nothing exciting. It just looks like psoriasis or eczema.

She first tried the peroxide soak by just stick her foot in a bag while she took her in the shower but that only lasted a few minutes. However, her mom did notice some white bumps in just that short time. When she told her husband about it, he is a nurse, he told her it was probably just the peroxide bubbling or burning the skin....

That was until he soaked her foot and saw them on her rashes himself! She sent me the top four pictures while I was out of town. I am so sad for her! They have been using a humidifier in her room for a long time because she has the "cough" associated with the parasites in the back of the throat. It hadn't helped and they didn't know what to do. Now, I can't "treat" their daughter but I shared that I have had relief by drinking the diatomaceous earth and by putting it on the rashes at night. They started doing that. I told her mother that I wouldn't give up until I figured it out as they are both beside themselves not knowing how to help her.

They changed to a diffuser in her room at night and I suggested the "rosemary" oil as the parasites don't like that and it will help her lungs as that is what helped me breath more easily. I know her dad just wants to treat her but I shared today (when I was over there helping them gather specimins out of her stool which they can hopefully identify,) that she can't tell him if the medication is hurting her and until I am SURE that the vermox will work and not cause more problems, I would hesitate to give it to a non-verbal child and they do caution that it not be used in children under two.

He shared his fears that the parasites will harm her further if he waits but I shared that it could harm her more if the treatments isn't just right. I haven't treated my children yet for that same reason. After the other medication didn't work and is making my hair fall out, I decided to not treat them until I KNEW for sure that what I figure out will cure them.

I pray that the specimen they took in today will yield results so that people may start taking notice as I have friends at either end of my state that also have symptoms. There has got to be someone who can help figure this horrible thing out. I am disappointed in the state and CDC for not getting more involved in this as I KNOW it is affecting MANY people and not just in our state. People are writing me from all over the country but we still need to get them diagnosed and the laboratories aren't aware that it is a human parasite so it is getting discarded and false results are being reported!

When I entered their house today, the baby was at the door. The mom opened the door and the baby picked up her left foot to show me. She is only about 15 month old but I truly think she knows I am trying to help her. I have only been to their house a few times dropping off produce from the food bank so the baby doesn't know me at all. Funny how children and animals know when you are trying to help them. That foot is the one they soaked and they soaked it many days ago so it was just weird to me that she showed me that foot.  

I can't be SURE the parasite comes from cats but I truly believe it is in the soil and is being spread by cats due to the dream I had (actually several dreams) and the fact that my sister-in-law got the rashes on her hands from cat scratches. Also, if people are worming their cats, the only medications available are the ones I tried and they are NOT working so worming their cats at this point isn't going to do any good unless they use something other than the three medications I tried, Ivermectin, Albendazole, and Pyrantel. Those are the same vet drugs and the vet DOESN'T even have VERMOX (Mebedazole) available!!!

Mebedazole is the drug they use to "deworm" tropical fish!!!! This is a water parasite and worm so doesn't it make sense that the Vermox would be the parasite medication of choice for a water worm parasite? While doing my research the other day, I came across another fish dewormer called "Praziquantel" or "Biltricide" so looking it up, it seems it maybe be available for prescription in the US. I am going to my Dr. today and will find out if it is available.

The more I find out how many people are affected with this, the more I think I need to get it "out there" so maybe my calling in life is to be the "parasite" lady if nothing more than to save the babies and children of life full of lung and eye damage. I forgot to share that the baby in my neighborhood has been having the pink eye and goopy symptoms as well. I shared with them how I keep them down in the eyes and head and her mom said she had some colloidal silver and was going to try that to help keep her eyes safe.

 I drive home from their house and the vacant house across the street from me has two cats sitting in the yard. The have never sat there before. It is almost like they know no one will scare them away. I jumped out of the car with my camera but one had scattered behind the house and the other started walking slowly to the neighbors yard.

I laughed, but cried a little, when I looked at the cat prints on my car as I got out! I pray daily that I can figure this out quickly and get the right people to spread the word. My daughter thinks I should go on the Ellen Degeneres show. Why she would want a lady with a insect parasite on the show, I can't figure but if it would help get this into the world and help save some suffering and health problems in babies and children, I am all for it!

Pulling My Hair Out Over the Parasite - Not On Purpose

I have mentioned in posts over the past month about how much my hair is falling out. It is worse every day. 
 
Two weeks ago I was at Princess Two's with all the girls to celebrate a birthday. Princess Three straightened my hair and when she finished, several of the girls gathered up handfuls of hair around me and commented on how much hair I lost.

I told them that I lose that much every time I do anything with my hair. I am afraid to comb it. I didn't want to color it as I was worried I would make more come out. 

I am even afraid to wash it as handfuls end up in the drain. 

I was visiting Princess Two again this past weekend and I washed my hair. The handful above is what was on the CLEAN brush after I combed it. 

Then, in the morning, I straightened it and each picture shows more and more hair that came out not with the straightener but with my just running my hand through my hair! 
 
The straightener pulls out more than what my hand does! It is so scary to me. 

It has been so bad, I took some pictures last weekend when I combed my hair and took a photo of the drain hair, what didn't go down the large drain holes!  


The brush was CLEAN when I started brushing it. That is one comb of my hair in the morning! 

It has gotten so bad that when I comb my hair, I hold the top of my head pushing the hair against my head in hopes to hold the hair in my head while brushing the bottom! 

The weirdest thing is that the hair is all the same length and you can see the hair bud at the ends of all the hairs. Usually, when hair falls out, even if there are a few, they are all different lengths and tangled. I have NEVER had hair come out like this in even lengths and distances apart. 

You can see that phenomenon in most of the pictures. If you watch the video, you can see that I am not pulling the hair out I am just running my hand down the entire length like you would a pony tail and my hand ends up with lots of hair. 

It doesn't matter how many times I do this, there is hair in my hands. Not to mention all that fall to the ground, get stuck on my clothes, end up in the sink, the brush, the counter, my food, down my shirt etc. 

I have never thought much about Cancer Drugs and how Chemotherapy causes hair loss but I am worried to the point that I may need a wig soon. I worry that my entire head will end up with nothing while it regrows. 

I wish more would be written about this parasite so I would have known that this drug doesn't work on this bug! 

I am the guinea pig for trying all the things to see if they work. I told my kids I won't make them take anything unless I know it works now as the drugs are expensive and don't work and now, I have no hair. This particular drug can also causes liver damage or issues! I don't know which is worse, the drugs or the parasites!  

Check out the video and for those who have a parasite, DO YOUR RESEARCH and make SURE that this drug works for the parasite, worm, bug that you have. The side effects are horrible! Not to mention, the cost of the drug, about $4000 a week is a horrible price to pay for your hair to fall out! Here is a link to a post showing some of my receipts for the medication I've tried for these parasites. I just want to mention the parasites names in here so when people are searching, they can find this post. Horsehair nematomorpha, gordian worm, hook worm, thread worm.

Anyone have a few wigs I can try?

Cleaning a VITAMIX -Vita-Mix or VITA MIX

I scored a great deal the other day at a second hand store. I love when I am right there when they bring out a new cart of items. Right there on the top of the pile was an old school Vitamix blender.  

It was only $35. It is about the price of a new blender but these are made of steel and have a 750-850 watt motor. They will grind wet and dry items which is WONDERFUL!

These things were built to last. This is probably a model from the 1990's or so. My mother bought one of these in the early 80's and hers is still running. 

This nozzle design is the older model but I am sure there are enough of these around that people still use and enjoy that I figured I would share a post about how to clean it. Of course they figured out the problem with the nozzle model and their newer ones don't have them. 

My favorite treat coming home after school was to put a can of pineapple in the freezer and when it was frozen, I would dump the entire thing into the Vitamix and blend. I would get a sweet frozen slush. I had forgotten that until I found this beauty the other day.

Princess One said she was interested in it for her Christmas or Birthday present so I wanted to make it sparkling clean before giving it to her. 

There are no new Vitamix mixers for under $250 and even on Ebay, they tend to hold their value. Even this old of a model is $100 with shipping. 

I wanted to test it out before giving it to her so I started to clean it out. The nozzle has a plastic nut on the inside and you can easily hand turn the nozzle on the outside if you hold the nut on the inside. I twisted it off and the gross goo on the inside made me cringe. 

You can easily take all the pieces out but pay attention as to how the spring is loaded so you don't put it in upside down later. 

Also, VERY IMPORTANT, do NOT try and turn the nozzle by the top flipper valve. It is only held on by two little plastic pins and can get broken easily. Hold the entire nozzle as you turn it!

I spayed the entire base with Totally Awesome Orange cleaner to loosen any goo. I used a knife to clean out between the handle and the machine and also used the knife wrapped in paper towel to get into the cracks and corners. Be careful when using something sharp not to scratch the finish. 

You can remove the flip handle on the nozzle by sliding it off the white plastic fairly easily, don't force it at any point. It should easily come off. 

The plastic pad comes off the base top easily and you can clean under it using a damp paper towel as you don't want to get anything into the gears. 

The gasket in the lid is removable and they are about $10 to replace on ebay. You can also purchase a plunger on ebay for about the same price. Probably add a few dollars shipping to that. 

The gasket got stuck in the lid as I could tell it hadn't been used in years. I just sprayed cleaner in and let it soak for a few minutes to get it out. 

It is a great machine and I used it to make a hot pepper sauce which I will blog about another day but it worked well. Since it didn't come with a plunger, I had to use a wooden spoon and it really would have been better to have a plunger that goes with the machine. 

I actually don't have one for my machine as it got a crack in it and black mold grew inside the plunger. I ruined a huge batch of squash soup one year before I realize the plunger was broken and moldy. 

 

All in all, a good gift for the homesteader and a great price for a single, holding onto every penny, mom! I am SO grateful to my Father in Heaven who always helps me find what I need and what others may want or need at a price I can afford! I am truly blessed!

Homecoming - First Date for Princess Five

I figured I would post about the hair and the dress before showing the pictures of the actual night but both helped Princess feel wonderful about her first date. 
 
If you can't tell, she is "glowing" about her date. At first, I think she was nervous but on the day of the date, she slept in and her phone doesn't get service in the basement where she had left her phone. She came to my room in her pj's and we were in my room visiting when there was a knock at the door. 

Now, we have a doorbell so usually the only person that knocks over using the bell is my elderly neighbor who gives me fresh veggies several times a week out of his garden. So, when we heard a knock at the door, I told her she was more presentable than I was. I have to admit it was noon but we had both had a VERY long week and it was the week I had the horrible migraine and was in bed all day and then jack hammered my sidewalk the next day causing the splitting headache etc. Here is a link to posts about that. 
 
OK, so yes, it was noon, but yes, we were still in pajamas and no, we hadn't looked in the mirror or eaten etc. She opens the door and I can hear a confused conversation and wasn't sure who was at the door but I knew it wasn't my neighbor. 

I guess her date decided that morning that their groups should go on a hike. She comes running in saying, "My date is here to pick me up!" I said, "I thought he was picking you up at 6:30?" she said, "That is what I thought!" I asked her if she left him standing outside and she said she did. I quickly got dressed and went out and talked with him while she got ready. I asked if he had told her about the hike and he said he had texted her.  


I asked, "When did you text her?" and he answered that he texted her at ten a.m. that morning. I laughed out loud at that one. I didn't say anything to him but I would have thought that if you don't get a reply to a text, you don't assume that the person got it but I have to hand it to Princess Five, we had just been having a conversation right before he came about how she can make any date a fun experience by having a good attitude and how I notice when she has a good attitude, I like being around her more. She admitted that she needed to work on that and just about that point is when the knock came. 

She took the conversation to heart. I hurried and fed her a banana while she put on her shoes and I got her a granola bar as she sometimes gets light headed with low blood sugar. They had waters for her so she basically got ready in about five minutes. Pulled her hair in a pony, stuck on a tie dyed t-shirt and was out the door. 

They hiked the same hike that we did for girls camp that she couldn't go on with us because she had the play. Here is a link to my post about making the pirates map for that hike. 


They spent the afternoon hiking and then went right to his house for dinner so she ate dinner all sweaty and when she arrived home she couldn't stop talking about how much fun they had! I think because she didn't know about it, she couldn't stress, worry etc. She was who she was! He saw her straight out of bed! What could be worse, so she just relaxed and had fun! 

She arrived home with just over an hour to get showered and ready. We both worked on getting her ready and I had the boutonniere made by then so it was good. It was cute how she told me that our talk that morning about having a good attitude and me sharing a story about how I asked a boy out on a date and he didn't reply until the night before that he couldn't go so I just called a friend of mine and asked him to go and that was one of my favorite dates, really helped her to have a good time on the date! 

With the day date going so well, I could tell she was really excited to go to the dance. She had helped decorate and knew that having a new school and it being the first dance at the new school and it being her first date and her first dance, she would have fun. 

She told me how she wanted her hair and I did it how she wanted it. I posted about that two days ago. Then, having altered the dress so she didn't have to worry or pull it up all night or wear a jacket, made her able to just have no worries that way. She bought some cute black heels that she could wear but in the end, decided that flats would be more comfortable and easier to dance in so she could relax that way and not worry about her feet hurting either. 

Truly, she was grinning ear to ear the entire time and as you can see in the pictures, she really is! I was in such a rush about everything that I didn't take any video. I texted her just after they left asking to have his family take some as they went back to his house to take a few pictures and she didn't look at her phone so we have no video but I think the pictures tell all! 

She didn't get any pictures at the dance as her date wanted to use his phone but we haven't gotten any copies of those. Someone from their group did post some of the hike pictures so we did see those. 

I LOVED how he tied his tie. I haven't seen that knot in a tie before so I had to take a picture of it to show you how cool it looked. He said there is a site online that shows hundreds of ways to tie them. Having no boys, who knew?  

He did a great job on the corsage. She told him turquoise and the fresh flowers in it matched the boutonniere I made perfectly. I took a close up just so you could see how well it matched.    

Princess came home with lots of stories about how much fun she had. It is another mile stone.... I am getting old! ha ha