Happy Memorial Day - Honoring Those of The Past and Present

I have been working on the yard and house and was able to pull lots of weeds last night. It was nice to get two of the front beds weeded. 

I pruned back the roses and got a few for a vase to take to my mom's grave. I wasn't planning on heading up to the graves but my sister said she wanted to head to the graves and had some shopping to do. 

I haven't been to my fathers parents grave for a few years now and look forward to taking some roses to her grave. A few months back I visited my mothers grave and the headstone was sinking in one corner and the grass was growing over the stone and you couldn't read the names. You can see in the photos how the stone leaned down to the right on an angle.

I contacted my brother that ordered the stone and he informed me that part of the headstone cost is the "resettling" of the stone so he contacted the company and he informed me tonight that the stone had be resettled. I was glad as I asked him to ask them to have it done by memorial day so that when people went to visit it would look nice.

I am glad that we were able to get that taken care of and that we can honor her in that way. I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful heritage. 

I felt strongly that I should call my dad this week and tell him how much I appreciate him for being such a great dad. He has sacrificed so much over the years to give us a good foundation. His wife, my wonderful step-mother, has given up so much to support our family and provide for each missionary monthly. Here is a post showing how many missionaries they have supported and how many countries all over the world they have helped by providing for those missionaries. 

I really was able to have a good conversation with my dad and we had some good laughs. 

I am so grateful to have such a wonderful family and heritage. It truly is a blessing in my life. 

I wish you all a wonderful Memorial Day!

I LOVE Being a Grandma - Getting To Watch A Game

I have attended many games for my children. When watching their games, I would always see grandparents at the games watching their grandchildren. I was always sad that my children didn't have grandparents to watching their games. 

I decided that when my children were old enough to play in recreational leagues, I would do my best to be there to watch them play. My friends are all the age now where they get to go watch their children's games.Their children married locals and they live in this same small town. 

My girls never want to move back to this small town. They are all living in other places in bigger cities or far away cities. I would love to move near my girls, but since they aren't married and don't know where they will end up, I don't want to move somewhere just to find out they are moving elsewhere when they get married. 

So, for now, I just live where I am in hopes that someday I will be closer to my grandchildren. Until then, I will just have to plan visits around events in my grandchildren's lives. 

Princess Three and her boyfriend were going to visit Princess Ones family so they could meet her boyfriend. They invited me to the weekend and I asked when the closest softball game would be to that weekend, and found out that Grand-Princess-One had a softball game a few days before the weekend. 

I then made sure I arrived early as I didn't want any traffic or something to keep me from seeing her play. I arrived and we got ready and went to the game. It was much different than the games we had as ours were on real ball fields. I was mortified at how crazy the games were as there were kids everywhere, each kid lined up had their own metal bats, and they were lined up near the batter. The batters would throw their bats. The foul balls were flying into watchers who were sitting on the ground near the baselines. The other teams playing were all within feet of the other teams, and all were playing on a soccer field. 

I had a hard time enjoying watching as the surrounding children playing were all in the line of fire, the kids in line were swinging their bats and could have hit another child, there were baby strollers within a foot or two of the first baseline and my grandsons were running around near the baseline and the balls flying made it really stressful. 

I LOVED taking photos of Grand-Princess-One and she checked that we were watching her as she reached each base. She played pitcher, catcher, third base, and a rover. She was so cute as she asked me "did you watch me on every base?" as she really cared that I was there and watching her play. 

It was so crazy and noisy, but I was surprised at how most of the watchers weren't really cheering for the kids. It seemed more of a social even for the parents. In the end, it is more about supporting my Grand-Princess. I LOVED seeing her play. I took lots of pictures and she was SO happy that I went to watch her play. 

It was well worth going a few days early to see her play and let her know that she is loved. It was good to be able to be there to support her! 

Have a blessed day!

Total Lunar Eclipse - Kind Of Cool Event

I don't watch the news. I don't read the newspaper. I don't listen to the radio. The only news I get, I see on passing online homepages, or I get local emails from the main newspaper in the state. 

I don't often open the emails from newspaper, but if there is a big headline, I will open the email. Yesterday, I saw that there was going to be an eclipse. 

I let my girls know to look for it if they wanted to get up in the night. If you read my blog, you will know I don't sleep well for the most part. So, I figured if I was awake around the time for the eclilpse, I would go out and see if I could see it.

I don't often use my Lumix Camera anymore as my phone is so much easier to use. I at first tried to take some photos using my phone and couldn't get anything on it as it was so dark. 

I pulled out my Lumix Panasonic camera I bought a few years back, and love that it has some preset options for photos. I don't know how to use it as it is so complex, but with the preset options, I was able to take some great photos. 

The super lens's made the moon large enough to see some good detail. I went out and took the "Cheshire cat" moon sliver pictures. I then set the alarm for another 15 minutes and went out and took the full eclipse pictures. You can see how there is a slight halo from the right on those photos and within just a minute or two, I couldn't get enough light to take anymore photos. 

The moon dropped so low on the horizon that I couldn't see it coming out of the eclipse as the sky lightened but it was another heavenly manifestation that I was very grateful I have eyes to see! 

I got emails from my family all over and they all got up and said they couldn't see it due to cloud cover, so I am feeling very blessed to have been able to have the sky clear enough to get to see the event and also be able to take some fun pictures. 

I thought in some ways, the pictures looked somewhat like a baby in the womb photos. Just a passing thought. 

It was a cool event. I have seen many eclipses in my life, but this by far was the closest and best photos I have been able to take. 

Have a blessed day!

Manifesting What I Need and Want - God Loves Me

I have been manifesting what I need and want for many years now. It is the reason for my blog and YouTube channel names. I have gratitude frames where I place things that I am grateful for or feel are blessings.

I made a video today to share three different things that I have gotten recently that I have been needing or wanting. It is interesting how I didn't even know that some of these things are available, but needed something to fulfill a need. 

God is always so good to provide me with the things I want and need. All my family and friends say, "If you ever need anything, tell her as she always finds anything she is looking for." I am always asking people to tell me what they are looking for, as when you say something out loud, it creates and starts that process in motion. Just like the book "The Secret" shares, you can manifest what you need by just focusing on it. 

I have been so blessed in my life to continually get the things I want and need. In this video I share about finding a bottle of "Bluing" that I had been wanting to use on my mothers wedding dress. It isn't all that common, so for me to find it within a week or two of me wanting it isn't coincidence. 

In the past day or two I have been pondering on what would be the best way to make tea for my kombucha using loose tea. I didn't think using the smaller containers that hold loose tea as I make four gallons of tea each week. I want to use loose tea as it is cheaper than using tea bags and also less work than opening so many individual tea bags as I use 32 each week. 

I also mention an electric fryer I got from my sisters I posted about last week and several bags of frozen french fries from the food bank that had excess as I help them distribute excess food they have that won't fit in the freezer, fridge, or warehouse. 

My life is so blessed as these type of things happen all the time. I haven't shared about this type of thing as much as I did in the early years of the blog so I wanted to post about it as I a so blessed! 

I hope you are as blessed!

Full Day and LOTS of Driving

I spent some time with my family this weekend and I started driving at 9 a.m. and my day ended when I arrived home after 10 p.m. I blogged ahead for the past few days before heading to visit my daughter and other family. 

I had a wonderful time and am excited to share with you all the fun things we got to do together.

Have a blessed day!

I found Over $500 in 14 Karat Gold in a $20 Grab Bag from Thrift Store

I have shared that there is an assistant manager at my local thrift store that now does the jewelry. I have shared with the manager that there is no gold or silver in the bags anymore and he told me they are just told to grab a handful and put them into the bags.

I have told him over and over that she is sorting the jewelry and for some reason, there is no silver and gold anymore and I have been doing this for over 20 years and can't believe that they have just stopped getting donations of the "good stuff" and that it happens to coincide with her being hired. 

He told me recently that she isn't sorting the jewelry and I laughed as we tend to joke about the entire thing. I shared how the bags are smaller and smaller and are sorted by color and every bag is red, blue, silver, gold, or misc junk. So if she isn't sorting, the jewelry is miraculously sorting itself into bags! ;-)

I happened to go to the store about 10 minutes before closing and there was no one around. There haven't been jewelry bags for a few weeks again and I had to chase down an employee to open the locked cabinet. They happened to call her. She said, "There is nothing of value in those bags." I immediately was suspicious of her behavior. I told her, "It is fun to look anyway." and within 10 seconds of picking the bag up, I could see all the gold was hidden on the backside of the bag and there was for sure gold in the bag. 

I pulled out my loop and magnet and and it was clearly a thicker gold chain in 14 Karat gold. I figured there must be more as when I said, "I'll take this bag!" she slumped down and I started looking at the other bag and commented on how you can look at a bag for 10 minutes and still see new things. She then said very snippy, "You should just buy it and take it home and lay it out!" as I could tell she was upset. 

Twice in the past she has told me that "meth heads" take the jewelry to the pawn shop and make money off the jewelry. I always thought it was weird that she would say that but I really wonder if she is just taking it to the pawn shop herself. I think I may go in and show him a photo of her. See if he says anything. 

I got home and made a jewelry sorting video and found two gold necklaces and two sets of earrings all in 14 Karat gold. I got a few other things that I liked in the bag as well. I later weighed the gold to see how much she could make on that one bag, and the gold was over $500! 

The site I used takes into consideration the amount of pure gold in the 14 K and how much that would weigh and calculates it on how much gold would sell for today! 

I am not sure how to figure out how to get more options of buying the gold and silver, but I hope this assistant manager doesn't stay around long. None of the regulars feel that she is approachable and the items at the store are marked so high that they don't sell and the shelves are full and nothing moves and in a few weeks they take them down and ship them off. 

I tried to get them to mark down two $5 books that have been there for over a month each, one was even longer, and they wouldn't mark them down to $3 each saying that they will ship them to another store to sell! I can't imagine that for the $4 they would have lost on the sell, that it is worth paying an employee to take the book down, ship it with the cost of gas and to have another employee at another store put it up. It is so crazy! 

I just have to be grateful that I get any of the bags and see it all as a positive in the end. I am blessed! 

Have a blessed day!

Do I Trust The Covid Antibody Test - Questionable Results

Today I went in and had a Covid antibody test. I didn't go in to get tested when I was sick for a few reasons. 

One, I didn't feel like leaving the house. Two, I don't have insurance and the last time I got tested being sick last year, it cost about $187 for the test. Three, I figured going in to have the test may infect someone else. 

I figured if I waited a few weeks to get the antibody test, I would have ample antibodies for the test. I went to an after hours to a clinic tonight and had the test. It was nice that I ran into a woman who used to live near me and we had a little catch up visit. 

I then paid the $25 for the antibody test, waited 1/2 hour to get in, had the finger prick, waited five minutes to get the results, and it said I had no antibodies. The person giving the test said she has only ever seen a few positive but nearly all the tests she performs are negative. 

I am still dealing with lung issues and being tired and can't imagine that I don't have any antibodies. The woman helping me said that she donated blood to get the antibody test and said it showed she had antibodies and perhaps I should go donate blood to see if I had any antibodies. 

When I arrived home, I checked online to see if there is a difference in the antibody tests and if there are false negatives. I was really surprised by how many false negative antibody tests there are. It also depends on what type of antibody test you have done. If it is a prick test verses a blood test. 

I may donate blood to see if I have any antibodies as they promote you getting an antibody test to get you to donate. I wish I had saved myself some money as several Dr.'s videos on YouTube say that the tests are really unreliable and to not waste your money. I should have done more research before getting the test done. 

One study says that only 60% of people that tested positive for Covid with all the symptoms ended up testing for antibodies after having the illness. Another study says that older people develop less antibodies than younger people. 

I have been less diligent wearing my face mask lately, but after the test today, I think I will be wearing it more even though I feel faint when wearing it for long now. I just need to keep my distance. 

I hope I can stay well and not get sick. I want to feel good and it has been a very long time since I felt good.

Have a blessed day!

I Finally Bought Home Security Cameras

I have had some issues in the past with someone breaking in. It hasn't been often, but has happened. 

My girls have offered to get me cameras for awhile now, but I finally just decided my peace of mind was worth the money it would cost to get them. 

I don't want to post pictures of where they are obviously, but I am just grateful that this technology is available now. 

I don't travel often and really like to be home, but I also like that in an emergency my girls can access the cameras to see if I am OK, and I can access it when I am away as well. 

It is amazing to me how inexpensive these cameras have gotten and how small they are so that people don't even know they are there. It makes you want to be on your best behavior wherever you are as you really could be being videotaped wherever you are! 

Have a blessed day!!

Cleaning The Car - Delivering Food Is a Messy Affair

Last week I delivered food for two days. On one day, I had three car loads of food in cardboard boxes. I would take the food around and let people shop around the car. 

Opening all those boxes in my car left a trail of tiny cardboard bits and I hadn't vacuumed it since the last time I delivered boxes two weeks prior. My car was so dusty and looked horrible. 

Having some of my girls home for the past two weekends has been fun but I was embarrassed having the girls ride in my car. It was so dusty and I usually don't allow it to get so messy but with the Covid nightmare and being so tired after, I just didn't have the energy.

After I got home last night after serving my sister and niece, I still had a bit of energy left so I vacuumed and washed my car. It feels so good to have my car clean. When I got in it to run errands today, it was wonderful to open the door and see it clean. 

I have decided that in the future when I am delivering food, I will put down a blanket so I can just shake it off after and not have to vacuum it. I have delivered so much in the past few months that my back seats are constantly folded down. 

I am so grateful for my car. I am grateful for my dad and his wife for helping me get a car that is exactly what I need! I am truly blessed! 

Have a blessed day!

Service Always Seems to Benifit Me More Than Those I Serve

I called my sister about some things this morning and she sounded sick. She told me that she got a head cold and wasn't feeling great. I asked if I could do something for her as she said her daughter that is living with her was going into labor. 

I hung up and was feeling like I need to help her. I said a little prayer and had the thought that I should take over my ozone machine for my sister along with some iodine for her. 

I had the thought to take over some essential oils and to rub my nieces feet to help her labor along, and to take some other oils to rub my sisters feet. I also felt like they both could use some healthy food so I cut up fresh watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, bananas, and mandarins.

I went over and rubbed both of their feet for about 2 hours combined. I was glad I could do that for them as my sister is always so willing to help me out when needed. She seemed to be feeling better after so that was nice. 

My niece was having contractions but they weren't regular, but she said that my rubbing her feet was helping. She has had some preterm labor and some blood pressure problems recently so we are so grateful she has made it to a point where she can be safe having the baby. She is very ready to have her baby! It was fun seeing her daughter play today. She is the cutest thing and reminds me of her as a baby. It is wonderful to see my nephews and nieces having families of their own. 

While I was rubbing their feet, her twins were making french fries in her Electric Fryer. I have heard of electric fryers but have never seen one used or tasted anything made in them. They let me taste a fry and I LOVED IT! I can't eat fried food due to my fatty liver / no gallbladder symptoms. So, for me, it was a revelation! 

I told them I needed to look at buying one, and my niece said her mom had a smaller one she saved to give her, but they ended up getting one so she thought that maybe I could have the one her mom saved for her that was a bit smaller. 

It is perfect as I only need a small one and so I brought it home and put some fries in it. The first batch I made I just it the "fries" picture on the preset, but they were almost burned. I remembered at that point that my sister said she doesn't leave them in the entire time as they over cook. I put in another batch and did them for 15 minutes and they were just barely overcooked so I think next time I will put them in for about 13 minutes. It is like new and was easy to figure out! I am very happy about having this!

It has been about six years since I was able to eat fries and I used to LOVE eating shakes with fries. I had some ice cream I purchased when the girls were home this last weekend and I ate the ice cream using the fries as a scoop and was almost giddy with the flavor / texture / salty mix. I LOVED it. It took me back to the summer I graduated high school when we would get shakes and fries all the time. 

It always seems to happen that when I go somewhere thinking I am doing service, I end up getting more than I give! I appreciate that God always does this for me. I feel very blessed! \

I am glad I had the time and felt well enough to help them both today. I am excited to meet my nieces son and pray he arrives safely. I also hope my sister feels better soon so she can enjoy her new grandson! 

Have a Blessed day!

Fun Weekend With Princess Three and Four and A New Friend

Lucky me, I got to see Princess Two with one of her roommates last weekend. This weekend, Princess Four was going to come down with her new boyfriend so I could meet him. 

When Princess Three found out she was coming, she asked if she could tag along as she had some things she needed to go through at home. The three of them could only come for 24 hours but due to a promotion to her friends job, he is going to be working every weekend after this one, so they decided it was now or never to come meet me as Princess Four works weekdays and he works weekends now, so I was glad they were able to come down. 

We were able to go to the dairy, played several games, attended church, they got in a nap while Princess Three and I went through some things, and we were able to enjoy some good food. 

The girls really liked when we played Swashbuckled on their last trip down, so they wanted to play that when given the options of picking a game. Princess Four won the first game, and her boyfriends won the second game. It was just fun to be able to spend the 24 hours together. 

Princess Three and I were also able to visit my sister and her family while she was here as she hasn't seen my sisters new home. We had a good visit. 

As they were leaving, they said a prayer for safety for the trip home, and I stood on the porch feeling very grateful for such amazing daughters. I am very blessed and am grateful they were willing to drive the long distance for such a short visit. 

I enjoyed meeting Princess Four's friend. He is very sweet and gentle with her. As a mother, that is always something you want to see! 

I loved this weekend, last weekend and look forward to next weekend! 

Have a blessed day!