Here is the Second Half of the Jewelry Sorting Video - There are Knives Involved

Once again I am so tired. I have been working VERY long days and an hoping to finish the major portion of the project I am working on tomorrow, but don't know if I will have the time to finish. 

I feel like I have to get this project done so that I can forget about it. I have a constant list in my head all the time of things that I need to get done, and this project has been on a sticky note on my desk for over 2 years now. If I can finish this in the next week, I will be so happy. 

Of course my life projects of family history and organization is never going to end as I have so much from my parents and kids. But funny enough, I don't have a ton of my own. I think I am down to less than a tote for my own pictures etc. 

Anyway, thank for being patient while I work on this side project since I have had to be there for my dads health anyway, it is good that I can do something on the down time and am glad he is allowing me to work on his history. It has been interesting to find out how much I didn't know about my parents as I work on their history. I am guessing that is how my children will feel when they read my history or look at mine. 

I hope that I can organize my own history and clean out the house of all the "stuff" making the history available to everyone in one functional drive and that would clean out many totes and cabinets of VHS tapes and documents etc. Wouldn't that be a happy day! 

Have a blessed day! 

Jewelry Sort With Ruby Slippers and Silver Necklace - It's Been Awhile

I have been working on a large project and fell asleep at the computer. 

It has been awhile since I have been this tired so I am just going to post "part A" of this jewelry sort for my blog post today. 

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Have a Blessed Day! 

Little Kart Doing BIG Things - Folding Kart AMAZED Me!

A few weeks ago, I shared how God gives you what you need when you need it. He knows what our needs are before we even know what we need. 

In this post, I shared that I found this amazing little fold up cart that has an angled back brace that locks and has wheels on it so it can lean back on its own without you holding it and it has wheels on the back.

This past week, I went to a college campus to use the scanners at the library so I can scan all my fathers documents and have them all there while I scan them. I had been worried about it and had borrowed a cart / kart from my dad, but it wasn't super strong, but I figured I could take one box at a time with that fold up kart. 

I liked what I saw and shared in the post, I had an empty tote on it but hadn't tried it with anything heavy on it until this past week hauling four huge totes/boxes across campus. Princess Two helped me as I had a half full box as well that I carried but I was SUPER impressed by this cart. 

The tote is STUFFED full of documents. There was a box of about ten full photo albums which was super heavy as well as two other boxes full of photo frames with glass in them, old photos and family history documents.

The kart didn't have any problem keeping the boxes balanced and moving. I was even able to just tip it back over the curb which lifted the front wheels off the ground and the gutter / curb was no obstacle for getting the heavy boxes up on the curb! 

I was able to get the cart for under $10 or so if I remember, and after using it this week, I was so impressed that I actually looked it up and was floored when I saw how much the Kart costs new! I had never seen anything like it before, but GOD knew I needed something functional and strong and had been pondering on how to get all those heavy boxes there. 

This little Kart is called Kart-a-Bag Tri-Kart 800 by Remin. I found it on a website for $288 plus shipping! Can you believe it? It was just what I needed and God put it, and those perfect file totes in my path, and all are being used and I am grateful for them! 

Princess Two who is the least strong of my girls, being so tall and thin, was able to pull the loaded kart with ease. I used it many days by myself hauling different boxes to and fro and even when you have to go through a door, the kart is so smooth, it was easy to just glide along.

I would give this Kart a HUGE thumbs up and if you need a strong little Kart, it is just that! 

Have a Blessed Day! 

You Know You are a Missionary When -

•you ring the doorbell and you get really excited because you could hear it going off inside and it actually worked, because they never work!

•"Joseph Smith: the Prophet of The Restoration" is your favorite movie to watch, because it's the only movie you can watch.

•it makes you uncomfortable when your friends you are teaching try to call you by your first name, because they saw it on Facebook,  and they feel uncomfortable calling you by your last name.

•you are extremely grateful for the opportunity you have to serve with all your heart, even though you are far from perfect and as well are grateful for all the love and support you get from friends and family at home! (Seriously, thank you!)

This week was packed with adventures!
Tuesday we had district council, and president and sister Tess came, and it was really good.

Wednesday
We went to Ellis Island to volunteer, but neither of our two GPSs were really helpful, so our 45 minute trip ended up taking an hour and a half both ways. But we were able to help some people find their ancestors, as well as see some members which is always super fun.


Thursday

We had interviews with President Tess. He is such an inspired man, I'm very grateful to have him as my mission president. He is incredibly kind, and is very dedicated to the mission and serving God.

Friday
We had Mission Leadership Council in the morning, and exchanges right after. I was able to go to Perth Amboy, with sister Whit! It's right down by Staton Island, like maybe a quarter mile across the bay. It was so much fun because, when I was in training she had been out for 9 months and was my STL. And now she is training, and I've been out for 9 months and I'm her STL. So that's fun, but we taught an English class, we did some door knocking, we heard a man singing very loudly in Spanish and so we knocked on his door, when he answered, I told him that his voice was really good, and it sounded as if he were singing with a microphone, and then he whipped a microphone out from behind his back. He told us very honestly that he was having some "me time" but that we could come back on Sunday, it was really funny in the moment, hopefully they can meet with him again. We were also walking home when this drunk man stopped to talk to us, we gave him a card, and then he tried to give us a hug, but was really sad when we would only give him a handshake. We made some street corn, and ate the best papusas I've ever had, and also went to a cute little icecream shop down by the bay while we were street contacting.

Right after exchanges we drove quickly home because we've been planning a karaoke night for the last 2 weeks, and there was still a lot to be done. It was a potluck, so we tried to make some funeral potatoes, but it did not turn out at all and we ended up throwing the entire thing away. We told everyone it started at 5, we got there at 5 to set up, no one showed up until about 6:30, not a lot of people came, and the whole thing was a little rough, so luckily, none of our friends ended up coming which was a little sad, but a blessing in disguise. On the bright side, our branch president sang "a whole new world" with his little girl, it was so precious, and if that wasn't dad goals, I don't know what is.

Sunday
We went to young women's, and were able to participate, and it was a lot of fun, the youth here are incredible! Strong and brave.
We knocked doors for a couple hours and finally at the end of the night we found a cute little family. They said they were from a different religion but were willing to listen as to why our religions were so different, so we explained the Book of Mormon a little bit, and hopefully we can see them next week! It seems like something so simple but to 2 tired missioneras it was music to our ears.

Cuídense 

Hermana
Princess Five 💜

Car Breakdown Blessings on a FREAKY FRIDAY

I was headed out of town to help my dad on a project for the weekend. I had a long drive planned and was scheduled to leave early on Saturday. 

Friday morning, I got a call from Princess Two saying that my aunt contacted her asking if she wanted two tickets to "Freaky Friday" a new musical. She asked me if I thought I could head on my trip sooner than later and enjoy going to the play with her, along with my aunt and uncle.

I told her I would hop on it so I could get everything packed and make the long drive to try and make it for the play. I packed everything, picked a load of plums off my tree to share, and headed off in the car with no time to spare to make it to the play on time that evening. 

On the way up, my car started to overheat. It has done this several times on long trips in the summer. For some reason, the wiring in the car overheats when I have the air-conditioned on and drive up hill. The car itself doesn't overheat as the gauge is fine, but the temperature light comes on and the car loses power and I can floor it and nothing happens. I have to turn off the air-conditioner and the radio, and cruise control if I was using it. 

This had happened to the point of the car turning off twice where I had to sit on the side of the highway for an hour for it to cool where I can drive it again. I can't use the air, radio or anything on road trips on hot days for this reason. 

It started to over heat halfway through my drive and I limped at low speeds with no radio or air for the rest of the trip only being able to go about 50 mph which made me run late to make the play. I found out that my aunt had her grand-daughter and her father hadn't picked her up so we agreed to meet at a "park and ride" exit and her dad would pick her up there as well since they were running late. I made it to the bottom of the exit ramp and my car died! I floored it and couldn't get it to move an inch. 

There was a guy behind me now sandwiched between me and the car behind him and he got out and asked what he could do to help. I told him the issue and he said he would push me to the park and ride area. I asked if his bumper matched mine and he said he would push me with his body as I floored it hoping I could get a few mph out of the car. Next light change, he started pushing and I had about 2 mph so we got into the left lane with people waiting patiently as we crossed three lanes of traffic. It was then an uphill battle and I got nothing out of the car so I got out and we pushed it to the top of the hill where there was a red light that had a left turn lane on it. On the next left turn light, we both started pushing and it wasn't enough so the guy behind his car which was now right behind me with his wife driving and hazards on, got out and the three of us pushed the car through the left turn with everyone in the intersection waiting and I got through the turn and then it was downhill to the park and ride area and I yelled a "Thank You!" out the window as I coasted off down the street. 

I couldn't believe that this man would be willing to push a strangers car uphill by himself on a HOT day! He had given me his card before we decided to push it up the hill so I can send a big "Thank you" to him but it just doesn't feel like enough. 

I got out of the car with my purse in hand and my aunt and uncle pulled up with my daughter exactly as I got to the corner of the street so I could just jump in and go! We missed the first few songs of the play but they had sold our seats to someone else, so we were bumped up to third row side and my aunt and uncle ended up third row center! So, even though we were late, we got to see a great show, the cast was amazing, and we got wonderful seats! My uncle bought us drinks and cookies at intermission and delivered them to us. I thanked him as he left to go back to his seat and the woman next to me asked if it my uncle was "Christie's Dad?" 

I told her it was, and she said she had worked with their daughter in a pageant and I told her my mother had been involved in that pageant many years ago as well and she had remembered meeting my mother! We ended up talking and sharing some information with one another and it was a fun event. We even took a photo together after the play for her to send to my cousin! 

If we hadn't been late, we wouldn't have been able to share that information with each other! It amazes me how things work out as they need to for the benefit of all.  

After the play, my aunt and uncle wanted to share dinner with us and suggested a steak house. I suggested Thai food and they laughed as their son-in-law owns a Thai restaurant and we eat there every chance we can so we drove the longer distance to eat at their restaurant and as usual, it was wonderful! 

I had such a stressful drive up, but the company was wonderful, the play was fabulous (more the talent than the music as the leads were amazing - the songs were good and I enjoy them, but the actors made the play for me.)  The meal was yummy, and to top it off, as we were pulling out from dinner, my cousin, their oldest son ran up to the car with his daughter saying they had stopped at a convenience store to pick up treats for a movie and saw the car and wondered why his parents were that far from home, but it was fun to get to see him and his daughter for a few minutes! 

I had a wonderful day even with the weird car issues as I was able to visit with that woman at the play and I enjoyed spending time with my mom's sister and family and I always enjoy getting to spend any time I can with any of my girls, so for me, it was heaven! 

My car started right up and has been working fine since, so I am feeling very grateful for a working car, good family, kind strangers, friendly patrons at the play, better seats for the musical, some of my favorite food, seeing family, getting someone to drive me places as I always have to drive myself, and a bunch of other things I am blessed with!!!!!! 

Have a musically, family filled, Blessed Day! 

Re-Tiring the Tire Swing - My Tree is Rotting From the Inside

Many years ago I posted about my "Tired" swing hanging from my back tree. Here is a post about that. A few years back, I posted about pruning the big tree as I was worried about it hanging over the house. Here is a post about that.

This week, I was out pruning the lower branches of the tree and I noticed that the tree bark was coming off one of the branches in the center of the tree, I pulled off the bark and was shocked to see that the center of the branch was completely rotted. 

I pulled out much of the rot just to see how deep it was and couldn't believe that the branch has any living branches on it at all with how much rot there is in the center of the tree. 

I knew that the rope swing was in rough shape and I have been nursing it for years. I have repaired it but for some reason, big kids want to stand on it rather than swing so they put their feet on either side of a rope and even if it can withstand one, for some reason, two always get on it and then at that point, the rope pulls through. I had thought of several ways to fix the problem and got a new tire to put up a new one.

This week I realized that if a child or two got on a swing on that big branch, the weight of the kids could split that entire branch away from the center of the tree and come down on the kids. I am sad about losing the shade from the tree but I think I can't leave it as it is. I may just cut it back tons and guide new branches where I want them and take down the bulk of the tree as it isn't healthy as it is. 

It will be expensive to get that major branch cut off as it is so thick around that a regular chainsaw wouldn't be big enough to get through that large of a branch. I don't want a large expense currently but may see if someone would come and take it down just for the wood. It hasn't grown high enough that you would need a bucket truck since I pruned it a few years back.

Yards take so much work, and I have lots of fruit that is ripe currently, so I have been busy drying plums and have given out at least 25 bags of plums or more and still have enough to stick in my fridge to enjoy for the next few weeks. 

I shared with neighbors and one came to get more today and another man I gave two bags to last week told me they are the best plums he has ever had. My dear friend Deanna told me she "couldn't stop eating them, they were "that" good." I do have sweet and wonderful fruit and I believe part of it is that my trees get lots of attention from me and I keep them short and pruned yearly so the energy of the tree can go into the fruit. 

That's just my take on it, but I have heard that my nectarines are the best people have ever tasted, my apples are the best they have ever tasted and now my plum has gotten the comment that they are the best they have ever tasted, so I must be doing something right! 

Now if I can just get a shade tree to be in good shape, I will be doing alright! Have a Blessed Day! 

My Angel Sister - Rough Day Made Right

I have been so busy trying to get my life organized. I had a dream the other night that I wanted to go on a bus with a friend and because I was helping someone else, I missed the bus. I was SO upset in this dream that it actually woke me up. I lay in bed upset because I missed the bus and I said a little prayer asking what the bus represented and why it upset me so much.

The answer I got to that prayer about my dream, was that the bus was a job. Other people have jobs and go and get recognition and compensation for their jobs. I think my life would be much easier if I just ignored all the other crazy stuff I have in my life and went to work and threw away all my mom and dad's history, video tapes, audio tapes, pictures, documents etc. And, I could ignore sharing my parasites situation online with others, stop blogging, and would then have time to travel and see the world and have a normal schedule like other people have.

I have also been doing some research on other ancestors and contacting my uncle about that and was up most of the night last night working on that project which has been started and unfinished for at least two years now.

One of my girls sent me a job in my area saying that I was qualified for the job. I laughed because I feel like my Heavenly Father sent me an answer in my dream as to if I should apply for the job. I don't live a normal life. I am constantly helping others, and working on things no one else can or would do. In the dream, I missed the bus even thought I really wanted that normal type life and was super upset I couldn't have that life, I was HELPING SOMEONE when I missed the bus. Each time I have prayed about getting a job, the answer I get is, that I DO have a job, God pays me and takes care of my bills so I can be in HIS service.

In pulling out some boxes from my garage that were there from my mothers move from her home to assisted living at least five years ago. I found another 30 VHS tapes needing viewing and previewed to see if there were any items on them we would want. There were also books, documents etc but not much related to my parents lives or things I would want to scan ,so it just made a huge mess for me. On one VHS, I was able to find her speaking to a large youth gathering which she did for 15 years or more traveling around the country as a motivational speaker. I was thrilled that I found this really quality VHS recording of her giving a talk to one such group. My children never knew my mother like that, so I was happy to find that so they could see my mother at such an amazing time in her life when she helped so many people with her insights.

I also worked on one of my cars today, got some court documents today, worked on my yard today, and was just not feeling that I have a grip on my world as I feel so guilty that I haven't finished the parasite website or even made any videos or updates on that, and I have been so flat out helping my dad and organizing his stuff and making sure that he was healing, and getting items on their home was fixed, that I haven't had any time in several months to even try any of the suggestions that people have shared, or tried things I have researched to try.

Basically, it was just a stressful day and my sister came over in the middle of me having car issues to look at a box of stuff I had from her in my garage related to the same sort from my mom's home. She decided that she didn't want anything out of the box of stuff she kept originally and I was proud of her for letting it go as some of my siblings are having a hard time releasing some of my mothers belongings.

She asked if she could help me in any way and I told her I needed a syphon as mine got stuck in the tank last year after our reunion as my suburban has a gas tank leak and I lose all the gas in the tank. I can't remember how much gas I need so I always overfill it by about $50 of gas and if I don't syphon it out, I lose that $50. I made myself a little note for next year so I don't overfill it and won't have to deal with that but she was headed to the gas station and I was out there in the dark under my suburban as the hose fell off into the tank supply hose again.

A car drove up, and it was my sweet sister who is in the middle of building a new home and still has kids at home. She said, "I was checking out at Maverick and realized I had trail points on my card so I got you a $10 gas card for free!

It was so thoughtful of her, I asked if I could have the receipt so I could put it on my gratitude frame as a reminder of her kindness on a bad day. She gave me the card and the receipt and each time I walked past the counter where they were placed when I came in the house, I got a huge smile on my face as I was so grateful for her thoughtfulness. She said, "I may not have the time and ability to help you with mom and dad's history right now, but this was something I could do!

It really made my day and I know they are strapped for cash building their home currently, but I felt like I needed to accept the gift as she would be blessed for sharing what she dose have with me, so I accepted the gift card and am grateful that she thought of me!

Have a Blessed by an Angel Day!

Your Smoke Detector or Carbon Monoxide Detector Has a Shelf Life - Check Yours

Until a few years ago, I didn't know that smoke detectors were different than a fire detector and the both had a shelf life. 

In the past, I blogged about a woman who contacted me due to a blog post I made taking a close up picture of a smoke detector we had in the house. She shared that due to my photo, they were able to identify the detector that malfunctioned. There was a smoldering fire which filled a womans home with smoke and her boyfriend and five children died due to smoke inhalation and neighbors said that they could smell smoke and the detector did not go off until the fire department broke the door in. The mother was at work at the time. She lost everything and everyone in her life. Here is a link to that post. 

From that experience, I learned that your detectors have a shelf life and the sensors on them stop functioning after five years or so. However, the alarms I bought in the past month or so have a ten year warranty on them so I am guessing they are rated for twice as long as the first alert detectors. 

I almost wondered if the "shelf life" on them was to make you have to purchase new ones and they make more sales similar to how the appliance industry has dumbed down their products to give them a ten year working life so you have to buy a new one. I know people that have worked for the appliance companies and it is becoming a "throw it away" industry rather than a repair it industry. You can't even purchase parts for an appliance that is over ten years old, they don't make them so you have to purchase a new unit. 

Anyway, the two detectors in my hallways were put up the same day and they both went out within a month of each other and there is no way to reset them so I had to replace them at nearly $40 each. Here is a post about the day they were installed.  

I dated a fireman at one point, and he shared some good information about shaking your extinguishers as the powder forms into a cake at the bottom of the can and then when you need it, it isn't functioning as it takes a few minutes to tap the powder from being a solid and shaking it in the extinguisher so check out this post as it was informative. Here is that post. 

A few weeks back, I changed out the detector in my basement hall as it kept beeping after several battery changes and I finally looked up the "first Act" carbon monoxide detector, smoke, beeping" and was able to find a video about it after searching through a few. I found out that if it is beeping five times in sequence, it was due to the detector reaching the end of its life and had to be replaced. 

Now a month later, the one in the upstairs hall did the same thing and so I purchased a new one at Walmart as I had priced them at three different stores last month and knew the cheapest was at Walmart. They are not inexpensive, but I wanted the one with the human voice saying "Fire" but it is a quiet woman's voice, I think it should be a man yelling, "FIRE" as that would wake anyone up. However, it has both the high pitched beeps and the voice for both the smoke, fire, and carbon monoxide issues so I am happy to have that taken care of as all three in one makes for less on the walls. I do have smoke detectors in most rooms of the house and garage, I have extinguishers in the bedrooms by the beds, so we can get out if needed. I have extinguishers in the laundry room, kitchen, and garage as well a we used to carry one in each car, but we haven't done that the past few years as my cars have gotten smaller and newer. 

Take the time now that it is "back to school" time to check all your detectors batteries, shake your extinguishers, and remind your kids how to get out in a fire. It really only takes a few minutes to do all of those things and you would probably never forgive yourself if you didn't and something horrible happened. 

Have a Blessed and tragedy free day!  

Princess Five Gets To Shake Hands With An Apostle - Mission Highlights

Hola hola!

This week we went to a baby shower for one of the women in the ward. I was invited to be fed applesauce by a blind folded member while I too was also blind folded. It was really funny... and messy.

Elder Renlund came and visited the mission this week for an all mission conference! We had the opportunity to take an all mission picture! It was a wonderful conference, full of laughs, revelation, and new ideas.  I know he is an Apostle of God, in God's one and only true truth.

We did a lot of street contacting, a lot of English classes and door knocking as always, so slowly but surely the work is moving forward here in P-land!

Cuídense 

Hermana Princess Five 

Photos: 

Just another day in P-land, a broken meter 

My whole mission, I'm standing right behind Elder Renlund

Shaking Hands with Elder Renlund