My "Little Women" Placed at Region Competition

Princess Five and her friend took Third Place at their region competition for Drama in the Musical Theater category. She came home SO excited!

It has taken days for Princess Five to send me this video and I asked her for pictures as well but alas, no pictures and I got the video about midnight tonight when I told her I needed a quick post but in the end, it hasn't been quick as I searched all over for pictures but I can't find them. The only reason I have the video is I begged them to have someone video for them. It went from their phone, to hers, to my email to Princess Fours computer which I am borrowing and finally to an SD card where I was able to upload it to youtube quite fast for my internet due to the compressed format. It plays sideways on the computer but youtube flipped it somehow which is good for your viewing.

I think they did a good job and I wish I could have shared pictures etc but I was working on the garage and had a super emotional day with some bad news and a storm migraine most of the day with nausea and no relief from meds and coke. It is now 4:30 a.m. and I am struggling with horrible nausea and have gotten a little relief in my head. I was supposed to head out of town in a few hours but I feel terrible and it has been snowing something horrible so I doubt that is going to happen.

I hope you enjoy their song as much as I do. I wish the video was closer but I will take what I can get! Hopefully, I can share good news at state in a few weeks! Have a BLESSED day!

My Chemical Laden Garage - Totally Embarrassed

I wrote a post last year about a gas can that leaked in my garage and a 5 gallon container of paint primer that somehow cracked in my garage and my garage smelled like a chemical plant. It finally aired out and I was happy for that! 

Since my computer passed on, I am still waiting for the new computer I am getting to arrive at the store so I can pick it up. It is a spring sale so I had to wait for spring before the store had it to sell. 

While I am waiting for it, I can't edit my mothers book, I can't scan her stuff so I am working harder on cleaning things out as I shared a few weeks back I am going through a drawer or more a day. 

My garage has been non-parkable since Princess One's wedding over three years ago. I have gotten it somewhat cleaned at times but crisis happens and I never quite have the time to devote to it with all the craziness in my world. I have about 25 boxes of ebay stuff from before my divorce which I have never been able to find time to pull out of the back due to court, missions, weddings, etc.

I found an solid wood bookshelf at a second hand store for $35 that is about 8 feet tall. I was SUPER happy as my kitchen doesn't have a pantry and not many cupboards so all my large pots, griddles, counter appliances, rice cookers, crock pots etc, all have to go in the garage. I made this make shift shelf to hold them all and it has been so neglected over the years. I had a gallon of "Sprout" starte,r that helps get your plants to sprout up fast to plant, spill somehow and warped the shelves and everything tumbled off the shelves and once again I had a chemical smell in there. 


I am somewhat of an emergency prepper and I have a garage full of weird things like a ton of charcoal to use with the dutch over towers etc. I decided I am going to now store that in a garbage can. I seriously want to be at ground zero if something happens but if not, I want to survive in comfort! 

I want my garage, house, yard and life back! I don't know when I lost it, but somewhere between taking care of kids, my mother, house, and health issues, I lost myself and my organized life!  

I have a few great posts I wanted to write about but don't have time to wait for videos to upload and I spent over 2 hours replying to comments on my blog and youtube channel. I am grateful for people writing and sharing their experience but I never know when there will be some so don't always allow for replying time in my night-time rituals. I also got called by someone I know who shared she has parasites. I also had someone at the hospital while I was there tell me their brother has some symptoms of the parasite. All these types of things take time as I email links, reply to question and I just need to start writing my blog earlier. 

I have tried for two days to get the book case in and moving, sorting, throwing stuff away amidst phone call after phone call today, I didn't get it done. I am almost to the point of removing this weird shelf and getting the nice wooden one in so I can have everything in a spot. I don't know that it will be beautiful, but at least I will be able to find things!

We also worked on calling Princess One's college of choice about registration. I think we are late in registering as we got a bit busy with sterling scholar, Region drama and State Band last week. We are hopefully going to finish that up tomorrow but at least she has a better idea of the classes she needs to take and I pray she can get into them without a problem. Hopefully, I can also get the bookcase in and done tomorrow, I think it will make my life much happier having another spot cleaned out of things I don't need or use anymore. It feels good to start getting my life back! Now, I pray I can figure out a cure for the parasites and I can truly have my life back!

Marijuana Buds - Parasite Cure Study

This will be a weird post. I tell those that contact me almost daily, that I will keep them informed of whatever I find about the horsehair nematomorpha parasites through the blog. I hesitate to write things often as it freaks friends and family out hearing about the parasite on a regular basis so I haven't written in some time about it. 

I took Mebendazole, Vermox, Emverm etc. I posted that it was over $300 a pill. I started out on the regular 100 mg a.m. and 100 p.m. Nothing. I then took 200 mg a.m. and 200 mg p.m. Nothing. I then took 400 mg a.m. and 400 mg p.m. Nothing. I figured that back in the day when I took the Vermox I had in the cupboard, that I was taking 2 pills a.m. and 2 pills in the p.m. as the pills were 15-20 years old and I figured they didn't work well. However, I don't know if they were the 100 mg or the 500 mg pills. My guess now is that they were 500 mg pills. I jumped up to 700mg in the morning and 700mg at night for one day to see if I felt anything and I felt NOTHING! 

I was so sad about this as it was my big hope but my eyes are so yellow and I am having some tests done currently on my lungs and liver etc so I didn't want to tax it any more. I spoke with my Dr. about it and truly, he doesn't know what to do but thought at least trying that higher dose was worth it to see if there was any moving around with the medication. NOPE! No moving, no leaving into the muscles, no agitation etc.  

I have had THREE dreams that I needed to chew marijuana leaves to help me with the parasites. I don't drink alcohol, I don't drink coffee or tea, I don't smoke, and I don't use marijuana. I didn't even know if chewing the leaves was an option as in movies you always see them eat brownies or smoke it. I had never heard of anyone chewing leaves before. I didn't do any research until after the third dream in a week. If you read this blog, you know I have dreams and that the dreams often times will come true. See my first post about that here. 

In fact, the reason this parasite was discovered at all, was due to several dreams I had which led me to my current Dr. I had a dream about the lab tech that was working when I took in the parasite that was finally diagnosed. He has not been working before or after when I have taken things in or had my labs drawn. I told him BEFORE we sent the specimen in that I had a dream that he was the one that helped me get the parasite diagnosed, he thought I was crazy because I told him that I believed it was a "not before known human parasite" and he got upset about that. When the result came back, we talked and are fine but I think it scared him to realized that there are things science doesn't have answers for all the time.  I had a dream about the nurse working the day I had my surgery and her name and told others about the dream long before then and it was the nurses first day at work. I believe strongly in dreams and they have led me to some wonderful blessings. 

I had a dream that I needed to eat purple brussel sprouts. I did not know there was such a thing as purple brussel sprouts but on a google search, up comes purple brussel sprouts. You can purchase seeds for them on Etsy for $2.20. I really don't want to grow anything in my yard for obvious reasons with a soil / garden parasite when the neighborhood cats use my garden as a huge litter box so I am hoping I can talk my local grocer into purchasing some. 

There was a type of green pepper that was speckled in the dream as well but I haven't taken the time to look that up. I have no idea what vitamin or minerals would be in purple sprouts verses the green ones but I will work on finding some as I have had dreams about eating apricot seeds with avocado many years back to find out later that anything you eat with avocado is absorbed better and I have posted in the past about the benefits of pits. Here is a link to that post.

So, in my last dream about chewing marijuana leaves, I saw some whiteish tips that I needed to chew. I have no idea what a marijuana plant looks like growing so I am telling the chiropractor about it and he tells me there are no white flower clusters or tips. It wasn't until I was writing this post that I looked up pictures of marijuana plants and it is exactly what I pictured in my dream. So, I am wondering why I would be dreaming about chewing on raw leaves. I didn't swallow the leaves, just chewed on them and then spit them out after the juices were in my mouth.

I did a search for "parasites marijuana" and up comes a study by a Washington University professor on Aboriginal tribes in Africa showing that the men in the tribe that smoked marijuana had much less parasites than other tribe members that did not use marijuana. I then searched for "Chewing marijuana leaves parasites" I found all sorts of pages where people that smoked pot "felt" parasites. I found one page that really kinda freaked me out and I will share why. 

A few weeks back, I ate something and the parasites DID NOT LIKE IT! I can't figure out what I ate and have tried over and over to recreate whatever set them off. I could feel about 15 LARGE parasites and could tell you exactly where they were in my body at every second for a few hours. I could feel every move and felt one go from my head all the way to the base of my spine on one side and then back up. At any given point on any day of the week, I could tell you where one is, or maybe two if they are moving and if I eat something they don't like or chew on ice for awhile, I feel a few moving a way from the digestive tract but that was nothing compared to this. I ate some peppermint ice cream that Princess Four left behind, I have tried drinking things with a few drops of peppermint in them. I have been eating lots of homemade cilantro dressing and thought it could have been that so I have actually gulped down a few ounces thinking it may have been that. I can't figure out what caused the reaction! 

I am looking on this site that I linked to from the search about chewing leaves and I read an encounter a guy has after smoking pot and he describes to a TEE exactly the experience I had. However, I didn't have pot to get my reaction but I can't tell you what I did eat! I don't know why the dream was to chew it, especially the tips / flowers / white part but in the dream, it was fairly specific. I did read where some people chewed their leaves and  said they had a longer more mellow high but needed more pot than smoking to get high. I have NO idea, but wonder what chemical is specific to raw, fresh marijuana that would affect the parasites! 

There were lots of people writing on this site about having all the symptoms of the parasite I have and they all grow their own "pot" so I am guessing that it is in the potting soil they are using to grow their plants as I had a lady tell me she had some potting soil in her garage and thought there were strings in it and picked up these two long "strings" only to have them whip around and hit her in the face and were the horsehair worms! She has all the symptoms I have now and is sure it is from her potting soil! 

Research says that Marijuana kills parasites in a petri dish so maybe there is something to my dream. My Dr. asked if I was going to take a" road trip" and find some to use thinking it may be worth it for documentation. I told him I would have a VERY hard time doing that. I told him that I felt like my experience with the parasites was probably so I would recognize and understand what the person and other commenters were talking about on the forum about pot use and parasites. Maybe the cure is linked to the tips and buds of marijuana. I think maybe the "chewing" portion was to get the benefits without having to take the drug internally but absorbing it through the mouth being more effective. Most things I looked at about it, say that ingesting it without cooking it is harsh for the digestive tract and you don't get high. Frankly, I am fine not getting high and would love to use it to kill off the parasite but until science figures it out, I will continue my search for a legal cure and will continue to post about what I find and share how things are going. I only posted this so that eventually, when someone is looking for a cure, they can take this and research it! I am NOT suggesting that anyone try smoking or chewing on pot especially as there are lots of articles on how much pesticides are on even legal pot. I know I had a problem when I tried tobacco tea. I couldn't take it because the pesticides on it made me sick.

I am worried my lungs are much worse and the liver is an issue but I am fighting the good fight and still working on being more positive in my world. I hope you all have a VERY BLESSED DAY!

Developing 8mm Film Over 60 Years Old

Many years ago, I sorted through lots of things from my mom's home and started a process to transfer 170+  8mm and Super 8mm films over to DVD. Here is a link to a post about that.

I spent lots of time watching them all and writing down who was in each video and putting them in order of date and then had them transferred. 


In the midst of family bringing over the films they had and finding some from my mom's and dads, I found about four boxes of unopened film that wasn't developed. 

I also found four boxes that had been opened but there is no way to tell if they have been used or not. At the time, we looked online to try and find a place to transfer them over. 

When we called and found out it was going to cost about $50 for each one to be developed, we held off sending them in. 

The place we contacted said it could be up to two years to get them developed as they have to do them in groups. 

They have bounced around my house for nearly 8 years now. I keep pulling them out thinking I am going to send them in and then never do it. 

Yesterday, I was cleaning out my emails a bit and found one with the contact information for the place that develops the film and thought that since I am working on cleaning out my moms stuff and getting more 8mm films transferred to DVD that I should get these done. 
 
I called the place from 8 years ago and they charge just under $50 for each video if it has stuff on it or not. It can sit on the shelf for up to two years and they can't develop any color in color anymore as Kodak doesn't make the chemicals to develop them anymore. 
 
I was frustrated that I don't want to wait for two years to get them developed as I really just want to get it done. I decided to search again and see if any new places had shown up in the past 8 years. 
 
I called several places and most just send them out to another place but charge you $75. They keep the difference and send them in to the same few places that develop them. 

I found another place that develops them but they are located in Canada. However, they have an office in Montana just over the boarder and then the take the package over the boarder every 8-10 weeks and develop them in groups. 

The Colorado place gives you a DVD with the movies on them. The Montana place gives you the option of putting them on a zip drive in either mp4 format or a format that works better with Mac products. You can also choose a DVD format as well. They sell zip drives so you can just charge it or they will allow you to send one in but if you do that, they wipe everything on it to put your movies on it. 

If you want both, you can pay $4 for each DVD and they will mail all your canisters back as well for about $15. 
 
Neither place gives the option to have it online but you are saving a step as I don't have to take the film to get transferred to DVD so I would have to subtract $5-$8 per video knowing that would have been a cost. 

The Montana Place charges $35 minimum even if nothing is on the film and then $62 per film if something is on the film. So, it is cheaper if nothing is on the film than the CO place but a bit more if something is on the film but they are faster doing batches every 2-3 months. 

Truly, it is just a choice of how you want to get the film, and how quickly you need it etc. 

I am just glad to have it out of my house but it did cost $7 or so to mail it. In the end, if there is anything on the film, even a light or faint picture, they transfer it and you pay full price so at the cheapest, I am out $160 with everything and if there is something on it, it will be $250ish. 
 
It is probably not worth it to anyone else but the years I am looking at are right around the year of my mother winning her national beauty title and her marriage so I feel like getting any video of those would be priceless. 
 
Also, I can know for sure and they are out of my house! That in itself is worth something. I truly am working hard to get things finished. I know it will take time but just checking thing off the list every day makes me feel like I am still moving forward.

Have a Blessed Day - Wipe the Blues Away

 A few weeks back, I had to call one of my credit card companies to dispute a charge. I got someone from another country on the service call and couldn't understand what they were saying. I asked to speak with another customer service center person (manager) and got another accented outsourced worker with whom I had a conversation where I was told that I was not able to get the charge taken off my card. I struggled to understand what he was saying but was SUPER frustrated as I have never paid interest on a credit card in my life and it seems that every year over Christmas, the cards hold their payements making them late so you have LOTS of interest but for some reason, they always send a letter telling me that my "Late payment" fee will be removed. 

So, they charge you the interest which is where they make their money. They are doing it over the holiday when you have the highest balance and willingly of their own accord before I even know of any fees, remove the "late payment" $35 fee. Each year, I call and they remove all the interest and any fees as it has happened every year for the past 4 years and I send the payment in SUPER early now to avoid just this thing happening but sending it early doesn't help. I think it is just something they do knowing most people won't fight the charge. I was finally able to speak to someone in the U.S. and she immediately removed all interest from the month and restored everything as it should be. She was nice but seemed frustrated herself with my frustration at not being able to understand the workers and for them not being able to resolve my issues. She thanked me for being a good customer spending over $1000 a month on their card for over 13 years. 

Last week, I got a letter from Discover card telling me that I had an authorized user on my account and needed to make sure that I really wanted that user on my account. They asked that I call or get online to make sure things were as I wanted them. 

I called and immediately had a very happy woman on the line and she clearly identified herself at the beginning of the call as "Lauren from the Utah call center!" I had her help me with the letter information and told her that I was very grateful for her as I shared my experience with the outsourced customer service issue from a few months back. She said she hears comments like that regularly. As she hung up, she said something that touched me profoundly. She said, "Have a blessed day!" where normally you would hear, "Have a nice day" she replaced it with "blessed!" 

I felt like someone had just said a prayer for me. I thought, she probably gets lots of negative people calling upset about things and has chosen to be happy and make a difference. Who would have thought that a customer service person could make an impact on a life in a two minute call?! 

I pondered on that as I feel like recently, and the last year in general, I have lost much of my gratitude and joy in life. It has been a struggle and I know if you have read my blog for the past 7 years, you will be able to see have this past year, my mom, parasites, accidents etc has taken it out of me. 

I decided the past few days, since that call, to see if I could make others feel like their day had been "blessed" by me in some way. I wrote a text to a friend I haven't seen in many months telling her how grateful I am for her in my life. I posted a few uplifting comments on some friends social media sites as I rarely post on social media not having apps on my phone for them, I just don't get on them often. I then thought of my immediate neighbors. I thought of what type of neighbor I have been over the past few years. I run over if I have excess stuff from the food bank and that is about it. I have been so involved with life, I stopped interacting with people unless there is an immediate need. 

I thought about my neighbor who isn't involved in anything I am so I rarely see her unless I make an effort. I know she loves puzzles and cats so I was at a store and found a 10 puzzle "cat" set which I purchased and put a bow on. I then took it over and said, "Happy Un-Birthday! Since we aren't super close and I don't know your birthday, I am sure I missed it but I want you to know how much I appreciate you as a neighbor! You always keep your yard nice, you keep an eye on my house when needed and I know if I had an emergency, I could ask you for help and you would!" 

She had a big smile on her face and seemed happy I stopped over. It didn't cost much, it didn't take lots of time, I didn't have to go out of my way. I wondered why I stopped doing that type of thing. I think when we are overwhelmed, it is hard to reach out to others but that is exactly when we need to do it. I noticed when I am thinking of how I can impact someones life, my own seems less stressful and difficult. I learned about this the hard way many years ago and it impacted my life. I think I just needed a reminder of that. Click here for that post that really did change my life!

I want to thank "Lauren" from the Utah call center for Discover Card for wishing me a "Blessed Day!" I started to say this at the end of my calls to my girls and have gotten a mixed review. Like it did me, it takes them by surprise the first time. I am hoping to make it something I say to everyone I meet! Thanks Lauren!

Long Week - Uplifting Words

This week has been so long and stressful and isn't quite over. I have had a storm migraine nearly every day or at least part of every day. 

I met with my Dr. today and he ordered lots of tests. I am not sure where things will go as I feel like we have tried anything medical we can with the parasites. I have stuff to share but I am so tired and have more tests in the morning. I hope to be able to post about everything next week. 

I was shopping today and saw both of these quotes and I really liked both of them and each spoke to me in a different way. The top one makes me feel like "nothing I am going through is useless if it lightens the burden of another." I feel like there is a reason I am going through all this with the parasite and health issues. 

The second one gave me clarity that I know all I know, and am who I am, from going through all the trials I have with my children,my mother, my divorce, my own health issues and other struggles.  

I know that I have made a difference in others lives. Tonight, I was at Bunko and we were talking about being friendly to those we don't know. I shared that two of my girls have had someone tell them that they would have committed suicide had my daughters not befriended them. 

One got professional help after we got the parents involved. It was hard at the time as both the kid and the parents were angry with us but later, this persons mother approached me at a store and thanked me. I had never met her in person before that, we had just spoken on the phone. The other was when the child moved to our town in middle school in the middle of the year and was a bit chubby and depressed and another daughter was friendly to him. Now they are good friends and he has done extremely well.

I was thinking of another daughter who befriended a girl that moved in and years later, I went to the girls mother to get my hair cut as my sister recommended her. She asked my name and when she heard it, she got super excited and told me that my daughter had befriended hers when they moved here and every day her daughter would go home and give her a report about how my daughter had been kind to her. They didn't end up being close friends in the end, but it was just enough to make her feel welcome until she made friends that were more like her. 

It was a good reminder today that we do make a difference and our children make a difference and sometimes the trials we go through are not all about us. I do hope that the trials I am going through with my health presently will not only help me but those suffering with the same nightmare who maybe haven't been able to figure out what the problem is for themselves.

Lets pray together that medical science will figure it out soon. I really would like to be able to move on to something other than parasites and my mothers past very soon! 

Princess Five is a "Little Woman"

 Regional Theater is this week. Princess Five is doing a scene with a friend and they are doing a scene from "Little Women." 

She has wanted to do a scene with someone every year but she couldn't get her friend to do it with her so I told her to go outside the box and find someone that can sing and talk them into doing a scene with her. 

She had a boy that was going to do a scene but after months of working on a scene, they just couldn't get the harmonies. She was once again on the look out for someone to do a scene with so she could do some harmonies.  

She found a younger girl that is perfect for the part they chose to sing. She is doing the scene where Beth lets Joe know she is dying and that she needs to "let her go." Princess Five is playing "Joe" and the other girl is Beth. 

"Somethings Are Meant To Be" is the song they are singing. They have been practicing when they can find some time as her partner is on the track team and some other things and you know how busy Princess Five has been. 

I was going to blog other things but I have been fighting a migraine for the past two days so I figured I would just let you know that she has it going on and I will post more later and hopefully get a video of  the two of them doing it. 

I have coached them a bit in the past few weeks and they looked really good today. I am excited to see how they do. I didn't get much done today due to the headache but I did get her dress hemmed to length and when she got home from her out of town band trip today, we enjoyed visiting after they did the scene and just before she went to her one act play practice. 

It was a good day despite the headache and I hope to have a better day tomorrow.

Today Just Wasn't Our Families Day - Sad But True

I gave Princess Five horrible advice. I didn't know any better and should have done more research. 

Our schools Sterling Scholar advisor is Princess One's age and really don't know anything about it and the Music teacher wasn't all that happy that Princess Five hadn't been in band every year and wanted someone representing the school who had been through Jr. High and High School playing in the band and competing in the band.

If I had know, I would have proceeded very differently. I suggested and prompted Princess Five into doing something that would have audience appeal. I suggested something I would enjoy watching. Like the pageants she did last year, I gave her horrible advice. Though she was the crowd favorite with her adorable rendition of "Que Sera" in pageants, if you do two talents, they judge you on the worst and usually, you lose. It is what it is and I heard it from several people and after the pageant so many people told me they thought she should have won the talent with her talented gift.


I should have thought about it before hand but they get judges from university music departments and music is usually band and orchestra. It is not choir, not performing, not musicals as that is the chorus dept or the theater department. So, she goes in with an adorable Disney Medley and they were looking for classical pieces. She said there were three judges, two were men from other countries with accents. There was one lady. The lady looked at her and seemed to enjoy the performance and neither man looked up from their laptops her entire performance.

The three that won all did classical pieces. I KNOW she had them beat with her leadership, extra curricular, leadership and audience appeal and most likely GPA and ACT scores but they all played classical pieces. They also played instraments that play one note at a time. She was strumming, plucking, picking and singing different notes and playing different chords and plucking strings. It is much more difficult to play with ten fingers at the same time as well as singing. She didn't do any power or "cheat" chords either! 

 She said that she did get some smiles from the judges at  several points in her performance but they didn't even consider her as most of her music experiences have been through performance and musical theater. I think they thought she should have competed in the theater category but they combine theater and debate together so it is hard to win in that category unless you debate. The winner in that category did do debate. They really need to separate those two categories but I doubt they will ever do it so she never had a shot.

One of the male judges did admit she was involved in LOTS of different music activities but none of them were what they were judging on. She is, and has been, in community choirs that tour, played and written songs since she was 12, participated in musical theater competitions yearly, been in pep band and marching band, been the lead in two plays and participated in musicals / theater her entire life. She performs at the fair, fourth celebrations and sings the national anthem at games and is in the percussion / choir / classes and student taught at the middle school in a music class.

I should have had her do a classical guitar piece but I thought crowd appeal verses "music scholar" appeal. People were not super enthusiastic about the three winners performances as some slept, others played on their phones etc. I can't say there was much audience appeal but, it would be what a "Scholar" in a music department would choose. 

I was super sad she didn't get to perform her piece on stage as they only have the three winners perform so I had her play it at home for me but she has been going non-stop for months and she was so physically and emotionally exhausted that she didn't have much left and of course, my computer is down, my cameras are down and the recording I got with my small camera has a "fan" noise which makes it so you can't hear her well even though she looked and sounded adorable, she is hard to hear. So, I took one on the phone but she is so tired and burnt out by then that she isn't very peppy but hopefully you can see how cute the performance was and what a good job she did combining the songs.

I found this adorable sterling silver pin at a second hand store and gave it to her to wear. I know she is super overwhelmed by what she has this week as she is headed out of town for band tomorrow and Musical Theater region on Saturday and is going out of town somewhere on Friday but I can't remember where just now as I am kinda tired as well as having a migraine presently. We both have Dr. apts on Thursday and also need to get her car inspected sometime this week as well.

Just when we found out she didn't win, we all got a message on our group chat from Princess Two. She had been asked to apply for an assistant to the President where she worked a few weeks back. She was one of the top five finalists out of fifty applicants. She had her final interview yesterday. She wrote that she didn't get the job but it went to someone she worked with that would do a good job. 

Her sister, Princess Three, responded with a message saying she didn't get a job today as well! She applied for a new job as her grant job will be ending soon. We joked back and forth with "I'm a loser" songs, and it got fairly funny about them all "not" getting things. They joked about their experiences with Sterling Scholar and other "loser" situation to lighten the mood and Princess Two sent me a notice from President Reagan's years stating that "Today is Single Parents Day! She told me "thanks" for all I do.

It was so interesting because they all are so amazing and do so well but for some reason, today was a bad day for most of them! We have never had a day like that before. I joked with my dad on the phone today about Princess Five almost forgetting her Kazoo she used in her song but how could I be mad as she is a sterling scholar and is at the top of her class and when it comes to extra curricular and leadership, no one can compete with all she has done in her four years in High School!

It was sweet that my dad was calling to offer me a computer to use until I find a new one. I am so blessed with amazing girls and wonderful parents! I know that good things are out there for them and they are truly blessed to be in amazing jobs presently. Princess Two said she never felt like the job would be hers and only applied because they asked her to. She told me that weeks ago so I know it wasn't the right thing for her. I don't worry knowing  that they will find jobs that better suit them when needed and I also know that when Princess Five chooses what she wants to do, she will be amazing. I was proud of her for being herself and representing who she is rather than going for judges vote but I still feel sad that she wasn't guided in the right direction to help her succeed by those who should know.

I hope you can enjoy the videos I tried to take tonight. The Kazoo and her speaking part are my favorite as she is so animated. Enjoy! 

A Beach Photo Shoot in Japan - Princess Four

Once again, Princess Four's email has come late. I didn't get it in time to blog it yesterday but I wasn't home anyway so it was fine. Here is her latest email. It looks like she is having some great fun. I love the top picture as she is in the air and you can see her shadow on the beach. So cute! 
 
"Hello! What is happening beautiful souls!?
This week was probably good. So much happens in a week! I'll try my
hardest to remember all of the miracles!

We were able to do a lesson with (A cute lady) again! She felt like she had to feed us, so that took up most of her time. The food was amazing! We were able to bring a member with us. We didn't have a lot of time to stay,but she prayed is Chinese! And she said that she would come to church with us after she gets back from her trip. She said she wants to learn more about Jesus. cute lady. Have we got a message for you! We heart attacked her door right before she left for her trip, and she loved it!


We also heart attacked another Shimai's door! She fed us this week.
She is so rockin.  The elders taught the lesson, so I don't really know what happened. But the spirit was there. On the way back from her house I found my gloves! I didn't even know I lost them. But God loves me so we found them!  The clasp broke, but it's all good.

I found out my new District leader was a bee keeper.... and he was chosen to perform on Broadway! What!? For those of you who know me, you understand how much I appreciated being able to talk about musicals! That really was a miracle! Haha but then we brought it back to the gospel. Don't you worry!
Remember (the baker lady) the recent convert? She works at an amazing bakery.

A large majority of the workers have handicaps or disabilities. The first time we went, just she came out to see us.  Now when we go, the whole bakery comes out! Maybe not all, but a large percentage. If you also know me, you will know I want to be a princess... this tops being a Disney princess. The workers are so cute!

We also met the lion of Oz! Aka a man who saw us on the street and owns a cafe called the lion of oz. soooooo cool. He has met missionaries before, so he invited us in to drink coffee and tea, we said herbal tea was fine! He invited us back to try and kimonos because he also sells them...  yay foreigner perks!!! Thanks for the white foreign looking skin ancestors! He gave us a free coat. Like an expensive winter coat.. and I touched an $1000 dollar kimono... so cool!

We were able to paint a beautiful sign for Bolivian night! I'm so grateful for my companion shimais art talents! We also sat at an old lady's house for two hours.... old ladies can talk... even if you can't understand them... that happens a Lot, but I love it! I could understand a few things which means I'm learning! We were able to finally sing to a lady san! She knows one of our hymns! But different words, but that was still cool.
 

Remember the green means go house? We were able to meet her husband! A lot of people don't want us to meet their husbands, but he was really nice! We rang the doorbell and he came out. Then he came home.

God's timing is a real thing! I also was better about opening my
mouth. Luckily my companion Shimai helps me a lot. Talking is so fun when you aren't terrified. So I'm trying not to be scare of it anymore.What is the point of that? You can stop trying to scare me out of talking Satan.

Lots of people came for Bolivian day! Not a ton, but a few potential
people to teach. That's just me scratching the surface. More ShukuFuku to come! Love you all!
Ai shiteimasu! Kyokai wa shinjitsu desu!

Love,
Shimai

Enjoy our photo Shoot from the beach.... haha
Meet bishop. He is still Bolivian and stuff!"

Car Napping - Sititus Times Two

I shared last week that my computer died. I spent hours online and on the phone researching what computer I should get as I need one that is fast enough to handle my mom's scanning, video editing etc. 

I have another 12 "super 8" movies being developed now and 170+ I did a few years back. (Here is a post about that) I got all the videos copied for my fathers side of the family (any of them anyway) but have never had the ability to pull out my mom's family and make copies for them so I am hoping that once I get the new computer, I will be able to do that. 

I drove two hours to the nearest computer places after calling three different places and looking online thinking I could get what I wanted in the nearest city. Well, that didn't turn out so well as one store had water leaking and took down half of their computers and the other store had ten or so out for display and not one of the brand I wanted to purchase in any shape or size in the entire store. I was SO upset that now I would have to drive the two hours home with no computers and purchase something online sight unseen. 

I really just wanted to touch the computer and test out the keyboard and feel it, hold it etc. Something can look great online but when you get it, it may feel tinny or not be comfortable to type on etc. 

The salesman looked at the expected shipment dates for the computer I want but even in a better unit is due today so I am praying the shipment does come in and isn't postponed. I have to be home for Princess Five so I can't stay as she has sterling scholar this week with lots of other things as well. 

Princess Two and I enjoyed attending church and it was such a lovely day that we both ended up taking a nap in her car. See my original post about "Sititus" here.  When we got up to head into the house, I noticed that in her cup holder, she had a lot of change. It was her "found money" and I was surprised with how much was in the cup. Check out my post about that here. 

I enjoyed getting to spend some time with her but really hope that I can be home with a new computer BEFORE my next blog!