The End Of An Era - Food Bank Changes - Director Retiring

I shared a few weeks back that the director of the food bank is retiring. She was not ready to go, but some situations happened in life and at the food bank. She chose to change careers after 20 years. She is going to help her daughter full time in her business. 

She and I have been at the food bank for about the same amount of time. We both were instrumental in getting the new building and became fast friends working together over all the years. 

A few weeks before that, another long time employee who started as a volunteer years back and then was hired on was also retired. He worked for such small pay and spent many hours overtime working so hard. During Covid, he actually slept at the food bank to keep it secure. He worked there 24 hours a day making emergency totes for anyone in need! He is such a sweet soul and always asks about my daughters when I see him. 

Today we had a going away lunch for the director, and I ordered a few plaques for them and picked them up on my way to the lunch. I laughed when I went to order them, the trophy store had a trophy that the food bank ordered in 2018 and never picked up. It was to give to the local church that gathered the most donations for the annual food drive. 

My church donated the most to the drive that year and the next two years. So it should have been in my church building for three years. 

This year, due to Covid resurgence and most of the workers at the food bank getting it and closing down for a few weeks, they didn't have the regular food drive. My church lost by a few pounds as it wasn't announced and so I had new labels made for 2019 until this year for the different churches and had them put on the trophy so it could go to the church that won this year. 

When it was over, the retiring director and I took some food, a gift card, the plaque and some treats to the man who retired recently as he wasn't able to come to the luncheon. 

He was so grateful of the food and gifts, and once again, he asked about my girls. We each got good hugs and as I dropped the director off for the last day / time at the food bank, I felt really sad that things will never be the same as I am now the longest person around. Then next is about five years, and after that, 3 years, and the next about 6 months. I am not sure how things will end up, but it will be interesting to see how it goes. 

I don't know how much longer I will be involved, but it has blessed my life more than I can share. I am truly grateful for it! 

Have a blessed day!

My Latest Parasite Update - Fenbendazole - Praziquantel - Moxidectin

I recently finished taking Fenbendazole, Praziquantel and Moxidectin which I had taken over the past six weeks. I made a video about how the medication worked. I share some symptoms I have been experiencing due to the Horsehair Nematomorpha. 

I share new things I plan on trying to help with my parasite issue. My teeth are darkening and I have more black lines in my teeth like I have in my fingernails amongst other things. 

You can see all the symptoms I have with this parasite on my website: horsehairinhumans.com. 

I wish I had funds to pay for some studies on this parasite so they could study what can kill it. I am constantly studying new herbs and ordering things to try. I hope at some point I can find something to get rid of them. I appreciate that people do take the time to share their thoughts and ideas on what may work on my blog, YouTube, and my website. I hope one of the suggestions will work in the end. 

Have a blessed day!

Bit of a Stress Missing Posting

My schedule got messed up over Thanksgiving with my girls being here and working hard in the yard. 

When the girls left, I had a full day, and worked into the night. Knowing I had nothing going on for Thanksgiving day, and not being able to do errands with things being closed, I just figured  I would try and catch up on my sleep. 

However, as usually happens, when you sleep during the day, you end up being up all night and it translated into the next day. I had a rough day getting things done just dragging. 

It is the first time I made a choice not to blog. I had a few challenges this week that came up with the girls sharing feelings about my blog and it threw me off a bit. It seems that over the past few years, some of the girls resent me taking pictures when they are around to use on my blog.  

I just figured it was an easy blog as they are home and I am busy spending time with them, so taking a few photos makes it easy for me to post something. 

With them sharing their feelings, I just lost some heart in wanting to post and in not feeling like I can pull my camera out anymore when they are around. It was hard because they have always wanted me to take photos of them. When they would come home from cheer and drill team, the first thing they would do is look at the photos and video, so I was taken back that several were really angry at me taking pictures recently. 

I know that they are all going through their own things, so I want to respect where they are currently, but it took out my drive to post for a few days. I felt like I needed to hide taking pictures from them while they were here. It takes the fun out of taking photos. 

I visited with them about it, but I can see that some are still struggling with some situations, so I will try and respect their wishes. 

When I went to the store today, I was so happy to find a few coins and when I was checking out, I noticed that the taxes for my purchase was $1.11. It was perfect timing as I was tired and had low energy. 

When I arrived home and was getting my daily totals off my YouTube and blog to put in my journal as I always put my daily totals in my journal, I noticed that my subscribers over the last month were 111. 

I really felt like God was letting me know to Trust in Him and continue on the path HE has set for me no matter what others thoughts are on the matter. So, I decided to do this make up post and get myself back on track. I haven't let anything throw me off blogging now for over 11 years. Sorry for the late post, but I am glad I was able to talk with my girls and work through those feelings with them, and then my own. 

Have a blessed day!

An Early Christmas - The Girls Working Hard

I had a busy day yesterday. I am exhausted. I had a busy day again today, but Princess Three and her husband helped me SO much in the yard! 

Princess Five went through many boxes of items we had stored from her collection of Loony Tunes over the years and got rid of all of them but four. 

Princess Two helped Princess Five go through her boxes.

Princess Three and her husband finished putting the bark down in the play area I have been working on for weeks. I then had them cut down two of the trees that weren't producing well in the yard. I helped cut up branches for hour and hours until after dark filling garbage cans and stacking wood. 

I then helped make some heating bean bags for one of the girls roommates for Christmas. It was a long day and I am TIRED! 

I am so grateful for the help as all those things were on my "to do" list and to get four done in one day makes me so happy! 

It was a long but fulfilling day! 

Thanks my beautiful girl! 

Have a blessed day!

Oopse I Did It Again - Sleeping In The Chair

Once again, I just keep finding myself with my head hanging so low it hurts as I keep falling asleep and it has been happening all night. I will figure it out and post tomorrow.

Have a blessed Day.

Another Fun Day With The Kids - Jewelry Sort

I am posting an older jewelry video that I never got put online as I want to spend some quality time with my girls. 

When I have several bags of jewelry and make a few videos, sometimes I publish one and then get busy and they don't get posted online. I have quite a few videos that need posting currently, so I thought I would go ahead and post a few as I am enjoying quality time with some beautiful Princesses! 

I hope you are having a great Thanksgiving week!

Time With Family Jewelry Sort Post

I have several of my girls with me for a few days as they all have other plans for Thanksgiving. 

I was able to get a jewelry bag this past week and knew I would be very busy with the girls being home, so I decided to sort the jewelry ahead of time and post the video for my blog for today. 

I also have another one to post tomorrow so I can enjoy my time with the girls. 

Have a blessed day!

Another Day of Service Making Baskets and Delivering

When I dropped off the rest of the made "Thank You" baskets to the food bank yesterday, they asked me if I could make a few more baskets. 

I went to the food bank today and picked up more treats. Someone there got some bad news about a member of their family, and I called a good friend today, and her family has been going through LOTS of trials recently. I posted about her husband getting his nose cut off recently. It is linked HERE.

I bought 9 more baskets between a few stores and spent time filling them up and putting ribbons on, and then I delivered two of the baskets to these to families going through difficulties currently. 

My heart goes out to those suffering with family health issues and their own health issues. Making a taking baskets to them isn't much, but at least they know that someone is thinking about them and adding some sweetness to their world. I also took a treat to the family of a woman who I visited for years who passed away recently They had her funeral while I was out of town, but I wanted to let them know I was thinking of them. 

I will take the rest of the baskets with the "Thank You" notes I wrote over to the food bank tomorrow so I can enjoy time with my family knowing that is done.  

Have a blessed day!  
 

The Dreaded Headache Trauma Again - The Migraine King

I woke with a horrible migraine and took a pill and a sip of coke and promptly returned it out of my body. 

I then took more pills, more coke and tried to eat something, but after one bight of a protein bar, I was on the verge of returning it out of my body as well, so I stopped eating it. 

I had to get the gift baskets out of the back of my car and worried they may melt, so I packed up a stack of grocery sacks in case I had to pull over to throw up, and took some Coke with me hoping it would calm my head some. 

I did some deep breathing and made my way to the food bank to drop off the baskets for the groups that are doing food drives this month, and ran into most of the workers even thought it was just after hours. 

One of them approached me asking if I had extra baskets as they remembered a few more businesses and people that they thought deserved one. I told him that I had miscounted on the baskets as one of the baskets I bought fell apart once I arrived home, so I had an extra "Thank you card" already written as I had planned an extra basket, but he said I could go in tomorrow and get more items for the new baskets. 

I left there feeling a little better as the medication had kicked in, and bought about 8 baskets, two large and 6 smaller ones for individuals who drop items off. I was also able to find a partial roll of tulle for the bows as I have finished about 6 rolls of the ones I had at home doing this baskets for the past few months. 

I will go tomorrow as they are getting a new truck, and then I can get items to make more "Thank You" baskets for the food bank as I don't know how much longer I will be on the board. 

I had a visit with the chairman of the board and he is leaving soon and I just don't know where it will end up with so many new people coming in. It will be interesting to see what happens. 

Almost exactly four hours after taking the pain medication, the headache hit hard again. It never went away completely, but I was functional. I stopped and bought more Coke and have been chugging it down. I have been in a migraine brain fog most of the day hearing my heart in my ear, and just wanting to crawl into bed. I got nothing off my list, and the house is worse than ever, so today was a waste. 

I hope I wake feeling better tomorrow. I did get to watch some "Tiger King" season two while fighting off the headache to distract myself from the pain. It makes me feel like my life isn't all that bad! 

Have a blessed day!

A Day of Delivery - Gratitude Baskets

I have been having a busy week so far. 

I can't seem to get much done, but am working non-stop. I really want my house to be clean for the holidays, so I have been listing things and trying to get them out of the house. 

I had a table full of gratitude baskets and needed to get them delivered so I spent most of my day visiting businesses and people delivering them with thank you notes. I also called a friend who was having a sad day and visited with her. 

I also visited some women in my church congregation who I have visited almost every month for many years. I will be changing over to visit some other people. I just wanted to visit with them one last time in their homes.

Without fail when leaving after dropping off a gift basket, I could hear the people commenting to each other about how nice it was to get a basket. 

I do have a few more to drop off tomorrow and a few other errands, but then I hope I can get working on getting my home ready for the holidays. I also hope I can get some sleep as I am still soooo Tired. 

Have a Blessed Day!

My Little Puzzle Superman

I had so much fun spending times with grandchildren. I think I have shared in the past about my "Grandma Boxes" where I take activities when I go to visit my grandchildren. 

This time I included a wooden map of the United States. I pulled it out the first day as it was sitting on the top of the boxes I took up so it was one of the first things out. 

My Grandson struggled the first time he was doing the puzzle, but after finishing it the first time, he did it over and over and then began learning the names of the states and got the placement down so that he was putting it together in minutes. 

He LOVED the puzzle and asked for me to leave it but his mom doesn't like toys that have many pieces as they lose them. 

He was so cute, he would clean it up and then come and pull it back out and then clean it up and did that OVER and OVER. It was so cute! 

I also bought him a "superman" jacket. He wore it every day! He was so cute flying through the house! 

I am still really tired. I hope I can get some sleep. 

Have a blessed day! 

Had a Great Visit With Princess One's Family

 

I am tired and hope that I can sleep well. I have had a great weekend with Princess One's family and got to spend lots of time with the grandchildren! 

I love watching them grow. All three are great readers and the youngest at three is starting to read. He knows all the letters and sounds by sight, and now is putting it all together. His older brother is five and read me a Dr. Seuss book this morning only struggling on a few word sounds. 

My grand-daughter is 7 and reads all the time. She finished two books while I was here. I love that they are so well read and their father still reads to them every night if he is home. He has read them many of the classics. 

Their mom is doing a great job showing them classic books made into movies. Last week they watched "Little Lord Fauntleroy" the 1940's version. They watched the original "Annie" and "Little Rascals" while I was here giving them pedicures. I was surprised how many references to things they picked up on that I didn't think they would understand. 

I took several totes of activities and we made gingerbread cookies that they could eat with their struggles with allergies, I was grateful their mom and dad were able to find ingredients to be able to make them. The kids devoured them and I wish I had doubled the batch. 

I was sad to leave as always, but relish the time I get to spend with them when I can! 

Have a blessed day!

Long Night Making Gratitude Baskets For the Food Bank

I shared in yesterday's post how I was doing food bank stuff all day. It started with a board meeting before lunch and there are some situations happening that have caused, and are causing, issues there and I don't know now much longer I can be involved if things continue on as they are headed. 

With those things happening, everyone is a bit concerned. Since I am the person that has been involved the longest, most of the workers are coming to me with their concerns. 

I was trying to type up the minutes for the board meeting, and had many pages of notes, but people kept coming in and visiting with me talking about the issues that are happening, and the waves that they are causing throughout the organization. 

I know that the current director of the board is leaving to go on a service mission with his wife and that announcement at the meeting caused much stress as things are now up in the air. 

I brought up bonus's for the workers, and making" thank you" baskets for all the regular donors and businesses and groups that have supported the food bank through the year. 

I asked all the workers who they thought should get a basket, and I suggested a gift card for a worker who recently retired as they wanted a plaque and basket, but I know he is diabetic and thought a grocery gift card would probably help him as he has some health and finance issues. 

After talking to everyone, I had a list of 18 people or groups to make baskets for to be delivered. With that, I went to two different stores looking for any container that was inexpensive that I could use to fill with treats for the different sizes of baskets we would need! We needed some individual ones for a woman who brings in pasta every week as she grocery shops, she buys a few extra bags and drops them off. 

We have a few people like that, so I made some small individual baskets, some group baskets for smaller companies / groups like the 4-H offices who did a food drive last month bringing in over 7000 lbs of food! 

Then there are the larger businesses in town that have many employees like banks, who donate to our cause that needed larger baskets. I had to go to two different stores to get enough baskets and then pick up a $50 gift card as well. 

I had to head back to the food bank after closing to pick up treats to fill the baskets and the treats for that many baskets filled up the back of my car! You would be surprised at how many treats it takes to fill a large basket as you want some fillers in the bottom so you can stack the larger items up higher in the basket so it looks nice and they can see all the treats on a tiered system. 

I then got home and finished off four rolls of my tulle putting bows on the baskets. I also spent MANY hours opening the boxes and walking around the table putting one or two of each box in each basket for the smaller ones, and four or five of each in the larger baskets. 

My kitchen kept getting smaller and smaller as I emptied the larger boxes and then opened smaller boxes to take out the treats from the individual boxed items, like granola bars that have the case box and then the smaller individual boxes. 

Once I had all the items distributed into baskets, it took hours to stack them into the baskets in a cute order with the bigger items in the back on top of something and then down to the smaller items in the front and sides with a few treats on top of it all. 

It was after midnight by the time I had all the baskets made. I ran out of  baskets as a few I purchased were falling apart and I didn't notice when I bought them. 

I had to finish a few so someone could deliver them out of town on their way out of town today, so I wrote those "Thank You" notes, but will get the rest of them written this weekend and deliver the rest next week. 

I did deliver one today as it was to a company who had donated car parts to someone in need. They had also done me a great service when my youngest had her serious car accident a few years back, so I asked if I could deliver that basket to thank them personally. 

You can clearly see the joy on this guys face when I dropped off the basket to their office today! He really appreciated the gratitude, probably more than the treats. I think people appreciate when you share your gratitude with them! Thus, the name of my blog, because I KNOW that the secret is GRATITUDE! 

I did nothing yesterday other than things for the food bank, and went to bed really late after finishing those baskets, I still had to blog and reply to all the comments on my five platforms. 

I am super tired today having to get up early and having a busy day. It is now midnight as I finish writing this. I am really looking forward to sleeping and hope I get a good night sleep. 

Have a blessed day!

Full Day At The Food Bank

It is after 3 a.m. I started at the food bank board meeting at 11 a.m. and didn't get home until after dark. 

I spent the entire day working on food bank things and didn't finish until after midnight. I don't have it in me to spend much time on my computer so I am just going to share a few photos of the food bank today and tomorrow will post more but I need sleep. 

Have a blessed day!

Blessings and Miracles - I Have Good Friends - Feeling Loved

I had a surprise from my friend and her husband this week. They asked if they could come over to visit me. 

They showed up with a gift box. She was crying before she even said anything, and her husband was wide eyed and he wasn’t looking at me trying not to cry. I started crying as she told me that her family gives money to different people or groups every year and they each take turns deciding who to give it to. 

They decided this year that they would like to give it to me because "I am always thinking of others, and I am always serving and choosing to be positive and dealing with the parasites etc." She said it made them sad I couldn’t afford the gold earrings for my ears, and they wanted me to use the money on myself and not give it away, but to do something for me. 

I opened the box and there was $500 fanned out and candy in the bottom of the box. I thank them and then the box shifted, and I realized there was $1000. I was really overwhelmed as I hate taking their hard-earned money. I was so overwhelmed as it is so generous. 

I hugged them both and started crying as they left. I stood sobbing behind the closed door. I gathered myself and went to the mailbox and there was a credit card cash back bonus check for $556 for the year. I looked on the check letter and just before the check rips off, there was a number with a 111.Here is a link to what 111 means to me. 

I then realized that I paid tithing to my church after putting all the bills in my checkbook the other night. I pay ten percent of my income each month to my church. The tithing was the last entry into my checkbook, and I paid $155 dollars in tithing. I got $1556 within 2 days of me paying that tithing. 

It was such an amazing thing! I got 10 times what I paid in tithing. I got enough to survive through this month. I feel so very blessed to have such a wonderful bunch of friends and family who care about me and show me in ways I couldn't imagine! 

Have a blessed day!

Life & Parasite Updates & information on Larval Cyathostomosis & encysted strongyles

I didn't have enough jewelry to do individual video on Jewelry. I also don't have much to share in a life update, so I combined all of that into a Parasite update video. 

The first few minutes are me sharing some jewelry finds and life updates, and then I share some symptoms I have been experiencing due to the Horsehair Nematomorpha. 

I share new things I have researched and am trying to help with my parasite issue. I found some research talking about small strongyloides and how they become encysted strongyles and can be in a cyst form for up to 3 years. It is called Larval Cyathostomosis and they embed themselves in the intestines. 

They somehow sense when the live strogyloides are killed off, and they are then triggered to come out of the cyst form / hatch and take over where the dead ones left off. 

The expert on the parasite shared that there are only a few medications that kill off the parasites in the cyst form. I got the medications and am currently in the middle of a one and off every two weeks for three times. 

So far, they don't seem to be working. I am going to continue to take them for the full three cycles but I am not holding much hope as I haven't noticed anything with combining the three different medications. 

I will do an update after I finish the three cycles. I am taking fenbendazole, praziquantel, and moxidectin. I have taken them individually, but the expert said you need to do a combination. So, I am trying the combo and pray that something works. 

Have a blessed day!

Another Two Deaths This Week in My World

I am not sure what is going on, but there were two neighbors this week who passed away. One was the husband of one of the girls teachers, is a neighbor, and her husband was a wonderful wood worker who helped me recently cutting down a frame for some original art I bought. 

He got sepsis and passed away unexpectedly. It was a very sad situation. His wife called me and asked if I could lead the music at his funeral. I went to visit and take over some treats as I knew she would have family over. 

I asked about her neighbor who is a woman I visited monthly for many years. She moved out of state with her daughter and recently moved back into her home with her daughter as she got a bit of alzheirmer's this past year. 

She told me that this woman passed away that morning! The family isn't doing a funeral for neighbors, just for family, so I will drop something over this week. 

That is six deaths in a month and a half! It is so crazy! It makes me wonder if God needs an army as in the past six months, or so, there have been 11 deaths in my world. These past six have been rough. I hope that things calm down as I would like to be able to focus on other things. 

I hope you are having a better month! Have a blessed day!

I Finally Gave Up on The Daith Piercing - Ears Are Still Infected

I feel like I gave the daith piercing a fair try. I had them in for over 2 months and fought infection and irritation for months. 

It helped with the headaches at first, but then over time, they came back and with every storm I had a headache. I threw up just as much with them as without them. 

They felt good for a few days after getting them and then they got irritated and infected. I ordered supposedly silver earrings off Etsy but they came and irritated my ear more than the original stainless steel ones. My tongue swelled up and got sores on it and I could taste metal all the time. When I contacted the "Maker" of them, he didn't say a word about why they would react so badly to supposedly silver earrings, not to mention it took weeks for me to get them. 

In the mean time, my niece put in some homemade silver rings from silver jewelry wire but they had marks and scratches on them from the tools and kept sawing up my ears and the infection cleared somewhat from the fake silver earrings, but with the homemade earrings cutting up my ears with micro-slices and the infection getting into the cracks, it didn't get healed all the way. 

I got so frustrated after throwing up last week with a migraine from a storm and the infection that I just pulled the earrings out. 

I regretted it as they were still infected and oozing and hot and red. At least with an earring in, I could get the antibiotic ointment and oils I was using to keep the infection down. I went to the only store in town that may have daith earrings, and the guy working had all sorts of piercings and he told me that every piercing he has gotten, he has had to replace the original earring they pierced it with as they always irritated him. He would just get stainless earrings and put them in and they worked fine. 

I talked to another girl who said plastic was the only thing that she could have in certain piercings to keep them from getting irritated, and yet another who has to take medication from the Dr. every day to keep her piercings from getting infected or irritated by the metals in the earrings. 

I wish I had just purchased a daith gold earring but the cost verses the benefits I was getting weren't worth it as reading online, many jewelers use lesser metals to bond with the gold or silver which causes the irritation in some people. I found titanium online after the fact which may have worked for me but at this point, I am now on antibiotics for the infection in my ears as I still have reddish purple and sore . ears! 

I think it also caused some other infections as I had them infected for almost 3 months and my body has been fighting it for so long it is worn out! I have been taking stuff and it would seem to get better and then another bought of infections would come. I figure the headaches were back and it did seem to help with the smaller daily headaches, but the storm headaches / migraines were just as bad as they had been after about a month so why go through it all? 

Anyway, I pray to be done with it all after this bought of antibiotics! I don't know that I would recommend it to anyone as I had such a hard time. Maybe if they bought several different types of earrings right off so they could trade out if the ones didn't work. I think if I had changed them out right at the beginning, I may have had a chance. I will never know now but thought I would post as a warning for others so they could try the plastic, titanium or gold / silver as that may have made a difference. 

Have a blessed day!