Stoning Ourselves - Sometimes We Are Our Own Worst Enemy

I was sitting in church today when I got a feeling that I should share some things that I have been working on recently. After church, I outlined a video and recorded the video sharing things I have done, and am still working on improving about myself, and how I talk to myself. 

In the video, I suggest that we throw stones at ourselves regularly by the things we think and those words we say out loud about ourselves. 

I share ideas on how to be kind to ourselves, and stop negative self talk and behaviors. I share how we would never say things to others that we tell ourselves daily. We don't treat ourselves like we would a friend or our family. 

We are often more kind to others than we are to ourselves. I make several suggestions about how I have been working on talking kinder to myself, putting up reminder notes through my day so that I can break the cycle of negative talk. 

I start my day by singing some positive "songs" while I get ready and have noticed since I have been doing that, I do less self talk and have been laughing more throughout my day! 

It is a path and I am working on accepting myself how I am, rather than judging myself as I have judged myself in the past. It is nice to be happier with myself. 

At the end of the video, I share a song written by Michael McClain called "Gentle" and I link the video here as I think you will enjoy hearing it. 

Here are the lyrics to GENTLE:

Like a gentle wind can blow the clouds from the sky,
Like a gentle touch can ease the pain of goodbye,
Like a gentle smile embraces empty souls in lonely places,
We should be more gentle with ourselves.

[Verse 2]

Like the friend who gently builds us up when we're down,
Like a gentle kiss can turn our world all around,
We've been hurt by others often,
We've forgiven and forgotten,
We should be more gentle with ourselves.

[Bridge]

Life can be hard but
we need not be so hard
on ourselves,
If we will see

[Verse 3]

Like the Shepherd leads his flock with gentle commands.
With his gentle voice that only hearts understand.
One thing we can know for certain, He has borne the awful burden
so we can be more gentle with ourselves.

Have a blessed day!

You Can't Judge a Tote By an Outside Photo - Or a Book By It's Cover

I don't look at what is for sale on the online local yard sale sites very often. I also don't buy anything off them if I do look at the sites. I find that not having funds, and being in a mind set of wanting to clean out my house, makes me look at things differently than other people. I think some things are "Cool" or I think that maybe I could use that item, but at those times, I think if that item would be used enough to change my life, verses having to store it and finding a place for it for the those few times I would use the item.

Being in the situation I am currently, 9 out of 10 times when looking at buying something, I choose to not get the item as it would not help me more than it would just be stored, which in turn, causes more clutter and stress. 

However, this past week, I saw a post where someone was giving away "broken glass" in five totes. In my head I thought, "I love those flip top totes and they are about $5 each to buy. Maybe I will just take the glass and throw it out if no one else has taken it and keep the totes to use." I contacted the lady and she said she still had the glass and they had moved and so it was helpful for me to take the glass. 

I met her husband at the home they were moving from and got the totes loaded into my car as they were heavy. On the way to their home, which was about a 10 min drive, I thought maybe my niece would be interested in using the glass for her pottery or art. I have posted many times about my talented niece who is an amazing artist. No matter what she touches, she turns it into art. Here is a post about her art and there are a few links in it about her amazingly talented family.

I called my sister, who talked to her daughter, and was told she was excited about the glass. I don't think they had any idea of how much glass their was. I didn't look at the glass when I picked it up, as when I arrived, they were literally waiting outside with the totes to load them in my car for me as they were heavy large totes. Instead of taking the totes home, I took them to my sisters, who lived 10 minutes in the other direction, and dropped off all the stuff at her home. She gave me two empty totes in trade and my niece got excited when we opened the first tote and it was all lavender antique glass pieces! 

When we opened the other totes, it was clear green glass, clear blue glass, clear yellow and orange glass, and one full of pottery, china, porcelain etc. There were two full totes full of whitish crystal and one was full of pink clear glass.  The last little container was broken blue and white pottery / dishes that are that antique blue plate.

When I saw the glass, I thought, "Dang, I should have looked at it first" as it is valuable glass. In my head, the way the lady put the add on the yard sale site, I thought it was modern broken dishes. I guess the mother had died and she had been collecting the glass in her life and used it to make paving stones. They even threw in the mold and plaster for making the paving stones! 

I think the glass could be used to make some cool stained glass windows as the patterns on the clear glass are really fun! The woman seriously had to have collected her entire life to amass such a large amount of that antique glass! 

It was cold and dark when I dropped off the totes, and I forgot to take some photos, so I asked my niece to send me some pictures. She sent photos of the top totes as they are heavy and she didn't want to get to the bottom totes, so the photos are of the lavender and blue / green totes and the little tote of blue plate. 

In the pottery / porcelain tote, there was Aztec pottery as well. It is so interesting to see and visualize all the things that could be made out of the glass. I told my niece about an artist I saw at a craft festival who used those pieces of colored glass to make "windows" and how beautiful they are. I also think that ground into fun shapes and laced with silver, they would be beautiful pieces of jewelry. 

I looked online, and bags of this type of broken glass sell for about $17 a bag! I also thought back to when we were cleaning out my mothers home. She was an artist and she had boxes of broken and ground colored glass. Since we were on a time crunch, we threw it all out instead of giving it to someone who could have used it. I have always felt guilty about trashing that glass as it represented years of her life. I remember a piece of art she made of an underwater scene using the crushed glass as the water using different hews to make it look in areas that the sun was coming through the water, or shadows with the darker colored glass. I remember always being fascinated how she put little real dried sea horses swimming in the glass and little sand dollars and other sea creatures in the glass "water." 

I felt like today I was getting a "redo" on that moment as I saved all this beautiful glass from being thrown in the trash and am giving it a chance to be used for something beautiful. I shared with my sister that they could also donated the glass to a glass blowing / stained glass window studio if they decided not to use the glass, as there are people who would value that glass. 

I found it interesting that people judged the "Totes" of broken glass as not having value because the woman didn't show what was inside the tote. If she had taken pictures of the inside of the totes and show the glass, I know there would have been many people that would have wanted the totes. However, since she just posted, "broken glass for mosaics" I think people pictured modern dishes as I did. 

It made me ponder on how in life we judge others on how someone "labels" them, or on outside visual looks rather than looking deeper and finding out for ourselves what the value of that person is inside. We take the "label" that others give the person or thing, and accept their judgements and beliefs rather than being open to different views and opinions, or just accepting the value that person has just for being a child of God, or for what they may have done and contributed, verse the judgement of outside looks. 

It was at this point in my thoughts that I texted my niece and had her take some pictures of the glass so I could do a blog post about the glass as it brought up these things that made me ponder. I wish she had used a flash so you could see the beautiful colors of the glass, but just know that there are some beautiful patterns and fun writing on the glass and the colors are beautiful! 

So, I am grateful for the little adventure I had today saving the glass from the dumpster, and also learning that little lesson again, to not judge a book by its cover, or more appropriately, not judging a tote by what it looks like on the outside and how others label them!                          

Have a blessed 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!  

Be The Sunshine

 I shared yesterday how I was asked to give a little update to our church congregation on Sunday and wasn't sure I would be in town. I contacted the man who asked me to do the update and told him I could be in town. 

I get a text back saying there are only two people speaking for the hour and I should plan on 15 minutes and look up a talk on how to be a good missionary and share what I find. I felt a bit "played" in the situation as he KNOWS I have been super busy and crazy for a few weeks and really I don't have time to study that talk he wants me to share about. 

I almost wanted to tell him I couldn't make it and let someone else read the update Princess Five sent, but I would hate to have to get people to speak every week so I figured I could handle 15 minutes. So that is the "played" part In the GIF above, 

I have a few family members who don't know how negative they are and I had to pull away from them in the past due to how they made me feel when I would be around them or talk to them. It seems like every so often I "try" to be open to being around them more at family gatherings and so I had been making efforts and in one short text, post, mail, or conversation it is amazing to me how people can shut you down. I KNOW they don't realize they are doing it, but I believe it has to do with them not wanting to have to help, or feeling guilty they aren't doing as much or "measuring" up in some way in their own eyes. 

I have some distant relatives whose father was very negative and they don't have much to do with him, however, they are just like him. They come into a space where people are happy and content and they stir the pot just to stir the pot. Many family members have shared that they just don't follow them but are afraid to unfriend them. I have had that thought many times when I see how they take a situation where people are content, and stir it up and ruin things for everyone else just to make a point that really didn't need to be made. I have found that being around, or in contact with these types of people leaves me feeling dirty and stressed. I feel like I need to decontaminate my mind and spirit after even texting sometimes. 

I really enjoy when I can go home to my peaceful house and recharge and I have decided, I am going to choose to not associate with those people. I shouldn't have to put up walls and defend myself, my opinions or thoughts. I want to be a ray of sunshine in peoples world so they feel better after leaving and having seen me. 

I need to work on it more and more, and I am aware of where I am at in the process. I really feel sad for those people who need to have that type of contention and negativity in their world. I was blessed with a mother who used to sing us, "You are my Sunshine" and would always teach us to see the other side of situations when we would judge. I pray for those who are stuck in the negative as it must be a really unhappy place. Until they are ready to shift into some light, I will be taking a different path. 

Have a SUNSHINNY Blessed Day!  Be the SUNSHINE! 

Some Good, Some Bad, Some Sad - Mixed Emotions Day

You never know how a day will turn out. One moment you hear wonderful news and are joyful. The next moment you hear tragic news and are sad for loss of life and then in another instant in the same day, you hear some news that makes you profoundly sad. 

It amazes me how one call, one sentence, one picture, one second, can change your outlook on the world. Today I got up and attended church and it was looking to be a wonderful day. I got a picture from a nephew with the news that he and his adorable wife had their first baby a few weeks early. Everything went well and everyone is healthy! Joyous news! 

While visiting with a friend today, she said, "I guess I should tell you that a few months ago, I found a lump and it has spread. It doesn't look good" Within a second, I went from joking with her to profoundly sad. I can't express the sadness her words have brought to my heart. I think losing my mother was hard, but she was old and sick and it was her time to go. This friend looks healthy and better than she has in years. She is close to my age and the thought of her passing is such a blow to me. I have been very close to her for many years, and I pray she can overcome this, but the thought of her having to deal with this all again in a more serious way is just devastating. 

I visited with her for a bit of time today, and it made me look at my own mortality. She is, and looks, so healthy in how she eats, exercise and outlook on life. I have yellow eyes, health problems, damaged lungs, and I think people would think I would pass away before she would. It is all so unreal. 

Another very close friend, in fact, on of my longest friends since I moved west, had her mother pass away this week. I went to the viewing today and was able to visit with her sisters and children as well as nephews and nieces. It was a sad way to get to visit with them al,l but I did enjoy catching up with everyone. I have helped them move several times, paint homes, and I used to run a boutique for many years with her. so I know her family well. 

I am amazed by the emotions of a day! I can't really post any pictures of any of these events, so I will just post a jewelry sorting video. I am so grateful for my friends and family. Days like today, with a birth, and a death, and a bit of sadness in between, make you realize that each day is a gift. 

Have a Blessed day! 

In God We Trust Update - It's Been Over a Year

It has been over a year since I counted up my "found money" as it was in November 2017 that I added it all up last.

If you haven't seen my original post about that, check it out here. I have never made a video before about why I pick up coins off the ground, but figured that may make a good video so those that are subscribers to my youtube videos can understand my references to coins. I find that many people that watch my youtube channel are not blog readers. 

It is so interesting to me how times have changed. It is amazing how quickly things change now, from electronics, to how we get information, and how we communicate. Things are just moving so fast that it is interesting to me to see how much things have changed in the world in the last 100 years. Even more in the last fifty year, and I wonder where things will be when my children are fifty. 

I took some time today to count up my "found money" and shared on my video how I was talking to my sister yesterday. We were talking about how much time all the family history has, and is, taking up in my life. I keep finding myself overwhelmed and avoiding all the things of my mom's that I need to do, as it sucks the joy out of my world.

It is the sheer volume of things she saved, and has that are overwhelming. Even with that, her mother was a secretary and had many thing organized, but it was nothing compared to the pallets of boxes we have had to sort and the thousands of tapes and movies, pictures, and documents I have had to scan and transfer to video. 

I really wonder if I am wasting my time organizing it and sorting it. I know many other families just throw everything out with hoarders, but I can't seem to do that with the historical papers, pictures, recordings, and documents. I just wish my seven siblings would spend a week and come help me get this finished and get through the last of her estate stuff so I can move forward and let go of it all. 

I was sharing this with my sister, and she told me she wished that God would be able to give me a sign or let me know somehow that it does matter and that all the stuff I am doing is important and just after she said that, I looked down and saw the dirtiest dime I have ever picked up. I questioned if it was even a dime it was that dirty. We had been standing in that spot talking for half an hour and neither of us noticed it. 

She said, "there is you sign~ a penny!" I said, "it's a dime" and she said, "There you go, what you are doing is ten times more important, He just let you know sending you a sign!" 

Later, I pondered on what she was saying. I realized that in a clean shiny dime and that dirty, scratched condition dime have the exact same value! No one wants the dirty penny, they want the shiny, new looking coins but what I do, and have always done, is take the dirty coin, (item, dresser, etc) and make it new again, polishing, cleaning, sewing, whatever it takes to make it valuable and wanted again. Funny thing is, after I make it nice and new looking, people want it! 

No one wants the broken trophy, the falling apart frame, the dresser with the drawer falling off, the radio table that needed refinishing, the 180 8mm films, the thousands of pictures in six pallets of papers and junk mail, finding and transferring hours of family recordings, some over 60 years old. etc. However, when I get it all finished and looking good, everyone wants it.

I realize that I have a gift for taking unwanted and discarded items and transforming them into something useful and beautiful! I can take chaos and make order. I can take overwhelm and make it functional! It isn't to say that I want to do it, but I can do it. I take old t-shirts and make a comfy quilt, and that I do enjoy doing. I think it is because it is on a limited scale. There can only be a certain amount of items on a quilt, so I know I am dealing with a specific pile. 

The other items have been huge and daunting amounts but even with that, even though I still have totes, piles, boxes and bins of stuff to finish, when I look back at the amount of stuff I have done, I have come a long way with what I am working on, but when I look at how much I still have to do, I do get overwhelmed. I need to just focus on one task at a time. 

I know there is value in what I am doing and I know that everyone in my family wants the information once it is in a tidy package. Hopefully, I live long enough to finish this all up and get working on my own family videos and scanning pictures as I don't want to leave my girls with any thing to work on, just give them something they can enjoy. 

I added another bit of cash to my "Found Money" today and hope I am continually blessed to be reminded regularly to "Trust in God" in my daily travels. 

Have a Blessed and coin filled life!

Teaching Idea on Talents in a Group Setting - Makes You Feel Good

I had a friend teach a class in Sunday School at our church and she did this fun idea for her class. It was an adult class, but we all really enjoyed it and felt so good about ourselves after the class that I thought I would share the idea with you. 

She gave everyone a paper and pencil and asked them to write down their talents that they feel God gave them when they were born. Things that were easy for them or that they felt they did well or were just something effortless that others may struggle with. 

Some people numbered their lists, I found that I rarely number my lists as I usually just make lists of things I need to do and they aren't in any order of when or how they need to be done, they just all need to be done so I may do the fifth thing on the list first so I rarely number my lists and found that many of the others in the room did number theirs. It was just an interesting observation on my part showing how different people think...

I wrote down things that I feel I do well but didn't feel that I do any one of these things better than another so maybe that is why I didn't number them either as maybe in my mind that was giving more importance to one talent over another. 

Once everyone had their talents listed, she then had each person in the room list off two of their strongest talents. Then she had others in the room share what talents we thought that person had. I had something to share about each individual as I have known many of them for 20 years. It was interesting that they listed off things that we may have not known about them and we shared things we thought were talents that they hadn't thought of.... 

Of course, some of the compliments make people blush as in our society it isn't polite to just tell people what we love about them in a public setting unless someone is getting an award or something. I found that after we shared what we thought were there talents, they would ponder on it and then nod their head in agreement but usually with a "I hadn't thought of that" look on their faces 

We were running out of time when I got my turn as we all shared on each person so I just read off the top two things on my list and we moved to the last guy and just before the closing prayer, a woman jumped in and came back to me and said, "You have raised such wonderful girls, they are so kind to others, always looking for ways to help those in need and they are so non-judgmental, you have done a good job and being a good mom is one of your talents. 

I thanked her and the meeting ended, but I noticed that everyone left the meeting with a smile on their faces. I think sometimes we just need to hear positive, and what we are doing right, as so many times people focus on what we aren't doing right. It was a self esteem building exercise and made us all feel good and let us know how others see us in interactions. It was nice. 

I thought it would be a great lesson for girl scouts, boy scouts - bears, wolf, cub groups especially. Also young men and women's groups, church youth groups, school groups and primary aged groups and any class where the people know each other well. Maybe even in prison groups as they really could use some positives in their lives. Prisoners would probably really enjoy this exercise. 

I am grateful to my friend that felt inspired to use this for the lesson as it was such a positive for all involved. 

Have a Blessed and Talent Filled Day! 

Every Needful Thing - God is Good

I had a rough day still feeling sick and found out that my daughter that was home for the weekend, also got this and said she has fought it with everything and is still having a hard time.

We must have gotten exposed together while she was home and weird that we both got hit so hard. She is working and I hope that she can knock it out and feel better as there is no one there to take care of her if she gets worse.

I felt a bit better mid day and mowed the back yard and currently am having a really hard time breathing. I must have some allergens in the yard as I was doing better earlier but think the mowing stirred it all up for me.

While I was feeling better, I went to a meeting tonight and it finished after ten p.m. I had been thinking earlier in the day about Fathers Day and how I have a hard time getting things for my dad. He is super grumpy about gifts saying he doesn't need them but I think 9 out of 10 gifts I have given him, he does use and I actually pointed that out to him last time he was grumpy about it.

I gave them a super soft Minky blanket for Christmas, well, actually it wasn't for him but when my Step-Mom (name only for clarification as I love her like a mother) was using it, he reached over and felt how soft it was and then I think he has been using it as she said he "really liked" it and was taking it over....

Later, he told me on his own that he "really liked the blanket I gave them at Christmas as it was super soft." To get that kind of comment out of him is SUPER hard. So, I thought I wanted to give him one for Fathers Day so that they could each enjoy their own as they have two chairs, not always sitting together, so I figure that would be a good gift. Also, they could maybe use it in their motor home if they didn't want two in the family room.

If you have never felt or used a Minky blanket, you can visit their site here. They have lots of cute styles and we love them!

I have SO much going on right now. Princess Four is coming home from Japan in a week from today. I have a reunion a week from tomorrow where I am making 100 frames with pictures and stories, pottery and a brand on leather. I have 100 people coming for dinner next Sunday to hear Princess Four report on her mission to Japan and then she leaves that night for another town to work for the summer. On top of that, I am trying to get the yard and house fixed up from a year of stress and neglect.

God KNOWS that I am not feeling well and have one week to get it all done. He KNOWS, I am doing all I can to get the house ready for everyone to sleep here, finish the reunion project, finish the house and yard and still remember my father on Fathers Day as he does so much for me and my family. (See this post about him helping me get a car)

I went to my meeting tonight and one of the prizes at the meeting was..... You guessed it..... A Minky Blanket! I lost getting the first choice of prizes on the last round of the last round. I figured there was no way I would get the blanket. Guess what.... The grand prize winner took two hot pads as her prize and I ended up getting the blanket! No one knew I wanted that prize except God. He is ever aware of our needs and wants.

This may seem like a little thing to some, but as I got into the car I was giving gratitude to my Father in Heaven for His constant awareness of my needs and my wants. I know people think I am crazy to think like this but it happens OVER and OVER.

As I am giving gratitude, I felt like I should go to the store. It was after 10 p.m. and I had no need for anything at the store. I thought I could get a few bananas but I already had one at home and could go tomorrow and it was late. I still felt like I should go. I went to a different store than I normally go to and when I pulled in and parked, I got out and noticed a couple with their hood up. I asked if I could help them. The woman spoke no English and the man spoke some and they had a boy about 8 with them. I asked if they had jumper cables as they had left their lights on and they did. I had thought about putting some in my car recently but had forgotten to do it.

They had some, so I pulled around and put the cables on the cars. The man immediately kept trying over and over to turn the car over but had the door open, the dome lights on and probably his head lights on. My car was overheating so I had to get his attention and share that he needed to close the doors, give the car a second to charge and be patient. His cables were really skimpy so I had to rev my engine but after a minute or two I got his attention and told him to try it. It started right up.

I told him he would need to drive the car around for a few minutes to allow the battery to charge up or it may not start in the morning. He seemed super grateful as I could tell when he was trying to start it up, he thought something else was wrong. Sometimes we have the knowledge to help others and the ability even though they probably would have figure something else out. I know I helped them with a stressful situation. The boy thanked me over and over with a huge smile on his face.

What I did for them was not anything great, but it meant lots to them. What God did for me tonight wasn't great and mighty, but it meant a lot to me. God doesn't always have to work in great and mighty ways to be involved in our lives. It can be a gentle "nudge" to go to a store late at night, or to make a call to someone when you think of them. I truly KNOW that GOD is aware of every needful thing and wants to make my life better even in small ways.

I am grateful that I KNOW that HE is in my life and am also grateful that I can "feel" those gentle nudges and follow them so that I can answer others prayers. At some point, we are all answering another persons prayers.

Don't let my dad know what I am getting him for Fathers Day if you see him. He may not enjoy it but I think my Step-Mother may enjoy him having his own "comfy" blanket.

Have a Minky soft and Blessed Day!

Link Between Low Iodine States - Suicide Rates - Lung Damage - Leukemia - Horsehair Nematomorpha Parasite

A few months back, my chiropractor sent me a link to a video on youtube that talked about the iodine problem in the world. Here is a link to that video. 

The Dr. mentions that the RDA amount of iodine isn't being met and needs to be raised. He showed a map of the draft in 1918 for the first world war. In that map (I show at the top) it shows that the states in black and that have black lines shows that those states have low iodine in the soil and the soldiers had high incidences of goiters....   I saw something that triggered me to do more research as I recognized that the states shown were similar to the suicide statistical map of the U.S.

I have been doing some research for the past few weeks on the connection between having low iodine in the soil of certain states and the increase of suicide in those same states as well as the possibility of those states having the parasites which causes its host to commit suicide.

I have said many times that I think the solution to killing this parasite off is going to be something to do with iron, iodine, zinc, copper and other minerals. I really think that the lack of those minerals in the soil cause a depletion in our systems which then allows this parasite to do well as we don't have those things that would kill them off. 

In doing my research, I came across some other interesting facts. Farmers who deal with soil no matter what country, have a higher suicide rate than any other occupation. The top suicide jobs all have to do with soil as well as the second highest group. 

I think that there is a genetically modified pesticide that used horsehair nematmorpha parasites to kill off the grasshoppers that would eat the crops. I think that the farmers that sprayed it then got the parasites and we as consumers eating the crops also got infected. There are studies which show that certain pesticides are linked to higher suicide rates. I don't think that they put the pesticide with the suicide rates at first as it took some time for the parasites to "set up and do their worst" in the farmers, maybe even a few years down the road as mine took years to get to this point. 

I also was able to find a correlation between the cause of deaths in states and those with low iodine had a higher death rate of lung disorders. I believe the parasite which has destroyed my lung has been causing all the people in the low iodine states to have lung damage. I found it interesting that so many of the high "Lung death" states are states that have low amounts of smokers in them. There is no reason those states should have such a high incidence of lung issues. 

Along with that, I found that Leukemia rates are also mostly following along those same upper states. My mother had leukemia but never smoked, drank alcohol, no coffee, tea, and took care of 8 children. She worked super hard and had no reason to have lung damage or leukemia. 

When I kept going to the Dr for three years trying to figure out what was causing my lung damage, all three Dr.'s offices said that I had a high white blood count but couldn't tell me why.... Interestingly enough, one of the main things a parasite infection does, is cause a high white count..... Thus, I believe that my mothers leukemia was due to a huge parasite infection as her lungs were damaged and she was on oxygen for years. 

All the maps shown here show that the same states that have low iodine in the soil also have lung damage, leukemia, suicides, etc. I hope that someone will take notice of this issue and help us figure this out. 

This is a link to the CDC report on Death by occupation. Farmer, Forestry Workers, and Fishermen are the highest. All outside jobs dealing with soil and water.... Lowest suicide jobs, library, training, and education.

The Second Highest group of suicides by job was Construction and Extraction, also dealing with soil incidentally.

States of the study include: Alaska, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Statements below in Newsweek show that the problem is huge with farmers. "The problem isn’t exclusive to the U.S. Farmers in France, China, India and the United Kingdom are dying by suicide at higher rates than the general public as well, according to news and government reports.

The suicide rate for young male military veterans is higher than previously thought, according to a new report from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). But it’s lower in some states than the suicide rate for farmers, based on an unrelated report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)"

There was a woman listed whose husband was a farmer who committed suicide as a farmer at 55 and told her he "couldn't sleep or think clearly....." That information just resonated with me as I have shared that those were some symptoms I have shared in the past that have caused me problems. 

One last thing, I believe that this parasite is causing the loss of the honey bee population. While on a trip, I saw some type of a bee dive into a puddle, die and this horsehair parasite came out. I blogged about it here. 

I also blogged last October about how I think the parasites are causing the suicides here. Click here for that post. 

Basically, I think they will find..... Low iodine (all minerals basically) states have higher parasite infestations, more lung damage, more incidences of leukemia, more suicides, depression, anxiety, more obesity, infertility, autism, etc. Someone needs to look at this on a national and international level.... 

Even if they don't think the iodine is the issue, the suicide state clusters just may have worse parasite clusters which will continue to grow and spread if we can't figure this out. 

I watched a show on youtube describing that you need to take some minerals and vitamins while taking iodine in order to assimilate it and detoxify the body. I wasn't taking all those years ago when I was taking the iodine. They suggest Nascent iodine and what you need to take with it to make it work.... The pharmacist on the show gave great information and it explained why when I have been taking the iodine, n - acetyl cysteine, selenium and vitamin C together, I have been feeling so much better for the past few weeks. He mentions ALL of them! Well worth taking the time to research. 

A girl from our local high school shot and killed herself last week.... It shouldn't have happened..... 

I can't share this with everyone, please share this information with anyone that will listen as we are losing loved ones at an alarming rate to suicide and depression / anxiety. 

I hope we all do what we can to make sure that EVERYONE has a BLESSED DAY!