A year without Dad...

My Dad and Me

One year ago today, I lost my dad.  He was killed tragically in a freak car accident.  He was 60 years old and healthy as an ox.  It was the first time in my life that I had lost someone in such a shocking, unexpected way.  My grandmother had died 3 years before from cancer and I was actually there when she died, but she was sick before and we had time to adjust to the fact that she wasn't going to make it.  There was no warning, no preparation with dad.  He was here one minute and gone the next.

My dad was often described as being bigger than life.  Over 1,000 people tied in by phone or attended his funeral and he had impacted every single one of their lives.  He was generous and kind.  He was the king of the catch phrase and he had a nickname for everyone, at least if he liked you.  He always brought me fruit in the summer, his favorite being strawberries for strawberry shortcake.  In the winter, it was pilau (pronounced per-low), a rice dish with chicken, sausage and bacon.  He loved it with soy sauce. 

Have you ever heard that song by Tracy Lawrence called "Find Out Who Your Friends Are"? (video)
That song describes my dad to a tee!  I can't begin to tell you the number of times he jumped in his truck to go rescue someone on the side of the road or to help someone get into their car after locking their keys inside.  He was the guy to call because people knew that he would not hesitate to help out.  He also volunteered much time in helping people learn about the Bible and on building projects like the Orangeburg Assembly Hall.  He was the Food Overseer and was known far and wide for the fun and laughter he brought to anything he was involved in.

Papaw and his favorite grandson

I miss my dad.  I firmly believe in the Bible's promise that the dead will live again, right here on this earth, and that death will be no more. (John 5:28,29; Revelation 21:3,4)   I do.  That's what keeps me going.  But it still hurts.  I still think about all that he is missing now.  9 grandkids, 6 of which he saw almost daily, are growing a little each day and he is missing it.  His "favorite", as in only, grandson grew 6 inches in the past year.  He's starting to become a man and Papaw is missing it!  He would be so proud of all of them.  

There were so many times in the past year when I wished I could have just one minute with my dad.  Or a DeLorean.  Wasn't that what the car in "Back to the Future" was called?  If I could just go back and tell him not to take that road.  If only someone had distracted him for 5 minutes or not distracted him.  Any little variance in the events of that day and my dad would be here.  It is truly as the Bible says, "Time and unforeseen occurrence befall us all." (Ecclesiastes 9:11)  We definitely did not foresee this happening.  Quite frankly, on the road is the last way I would have envisioned losing my dad.  He was a professional driver.  He had even driven straight through to California from the east coast at one point.  He'd been hauling trailers since he was a teenager working on the carnival.  That he would die in a car accident, unfathomable.  Yet, it happened and we can't go back, we can't have a minute and we can't change anything that happened that day.

I have lived in a bubble the past year.  I did okay at first.  I think the shock kind of envelops and protects you for a while.  Then I just lost interest in life.  Not in living, I wasn't suicidal or anything.  I just didn't care whether I was part of my life or not.  It was easier to bury my head in a book and read about other people's lives than to live my own.  I guess that is a form of depression.  I wasn't sad or crying all the time.  I just didn't have any motivation to do anything.  Couple this with serious health problems and it just leads to a lot of time in bed and a messy house!  My husband was quite patient through it all though he had his moments.  My kids were really a big help, more than they know.  And my mom, she has been the glue that has held us all together.  She, who lost her husband of 39 years.  I know she's had it worst of all but she keeps moving forward, keeps busy and keeps focused on the Bible's hope for the future.

Anyways, I'm back.  We had our district convention this past weekend.  It was another milestone in a year of milestones.  First convention without dad with the 1 year anniversary of his death just 4 days later.  The convention was so upbuilding though and the drama Friday was our life this past year.  It really helped me to refocus and I came back feeling like a weight I didn't even know I'd been carrying had been lifted off my shoulders.

One year.  It took me a whole year to get here.  I'm sure to have days now and again but I feel like I've turned a corner.  With the continued support of my family and lots of prayer, things will only continue to get better.  We'll be giving Dad/Papaw hugs and kisses before we know it!  We'll look back at these dark days and be happy that we made it through to enjoy the wonderful blessings Jehovah had in store for us!
 

If you would like to learn more about the Bible's hope for the dead, click here: www.jw.org

Saying goodbye to an old friend

See that cute little guy right there?  That little guy is, well, was, Buddy.  Buddy came to us back in 2002.  It's actually kind of a funny story.  My neighbor found him running around in the middle of a busy street.  He stopped, picked him up and brought him home.  Problem was, my neigbor had 2 female dogs and the little guy he brought home wasn't fixed.  So everyday, looking out my office window (I worked from home), I would see the little Yorkie just sitting in the backyard.  I began to feel sorry for the little guy and one day, after my neighbor had left for work, I snuck over and got him and brought him back to my house.  I gave him a bath (he was pretty stinky) and observed how he interacted with the kids.  We called him "Little Buddy".  Then in the afternoon, before my neighbor returned home, I would sneak back over and put him back.  This went on for some time but then the little guy began sitting at the fence, staring straight into my office window, barking for me to come get him...EVERY night.   They would call him to come in and he would pretend he didn't hear them.  I knew my gig was about to be up, so I got up my nerve and went to call on the neighbors.  I told them that the kids loved him and that we would be happy to give him a home.  They happily gave him into our care and that is where he stayed until this past August.  I asked what they were calling him and they said, "We were just calling him Buddy."  So, Buddy it was.  A couple winters ago (the winter of the big snow), we started noticing that maybe Buddy was losing his mind a little.  He would bark for us to come get him upstairs (he liked to be upstairs where it was quiet but had fallen coming down the stairs and refused to come down on his own now), we would let him out and then he would stand there on the front porch, sometimes for 10 minutes, like he couldn't remember why he wanted to go out.  It was when he started going to the bathroom in the house that we knew it was time.  He had NEVER pottied in the house and you could just tell that it really bothered him when it happened (we didn't fuss at him because we knew he couldn't help it).  So, I set a date and I did it.  He was 13 years old (actually the vet estimated his age as 3-5 when we got him so he was 12-14, we always just went with the middle).  It was a rainy, miserable day, but all the better to hide my tears, right?  We went to the vet's office and then we brought him home in his little bed and buried him in the woods behind our house.  I still see him sometimes (no, I don't believe in ghosts, just my mind seeing what it's used to seeing).  I'll turn the corner of our driveway and think I see his little self trucking it down the road.  I still hesitate before I put the recliner down, because we accidentally shut him in it once.  It's hard.  These little lives become a part of ours and even though you know it's for the best and that they can't live forever, you just don't want to say goodbye.

Wednesday, my mom had had to take Kaylee in for the same reason.  Kaylee was my grandmother's dog.  My grandmother passed away 2 years ago this past July.  My mom and I promised my grandmother that we would take good care of Kaylee.  She began having some bathroom issues months ago but we just chalked it up to stress, because my mom leaves on weekends to work on a volunteer building project, and my sister was keeping her.  But recently, she started getting that look in her eye, like she didn't know where she was or what was going on.  Sometimes, she wouldn't respond to her name.  Wednesday, she lay in her bed unresponsive, after having just gone to the bathroom in her bed.   So, it was time.  It wasn't fair to keep her around just because she was the last living memory of Grandma.  So Mom took her in, and now she lays in the woods next to Buddy.  She was 13 years old.

We are so thankful for the joy they brought to our lives, the silly things they did to make us laugh, the times they lay beside us and licked our tears and the companionship they gave so willingly when we needed it most.  We will miss them but they will live on in our memories and the pictures and stories we tell.

Natural remedy for diarrhea or constipation (the 2 for 1 remedy)

Recently, one of my kids (the goat kind) had a bout of diarrhea (he got into the chicken food).  There was no bloating, so no baking soda this time.  I called my goat mentor and she suggested Pepto and advised me to look at Fiasco Farm's website for the dosage.  While browsing there, I read that she uses slippery elm instead of Pepto.  I had some on hand and decided to give it a try.  Sure enough, it cleared up after 1 dose!  I've since used it on my human kids for diarrhea and constipation and it works great for either condition.

I mixed up a little with some water and shot it in his mouth like a dewormer.  I mixed about 1 tablespoon with enough water to make it liquid enough to be drawn up in the syringe and then gave him about 4 syringe fulls.  I did this twice, about 4 hours apart.  With the children, I mixed up a tablespoon or so with some banana and just made them eat it (I tried this with the goat but he wouldn't even think about eating it!).  They all agreed it wasn't the worst thing they had ever put in their mouths before but they didn't LOVE it. 

I would definitely advise looking at the Fiasco Farm site (http://fiascofarm.com/goats/medications-2.htm) and get some slippery elm.  I purchased the powder from Herbalcom.com but you could just as easily buy it in pill form and empty the capsules.

Fun in the Sun with Green Tea

Last year my children spent extensive amounts of time in the pool.  We put it up in June and it was used just about every day through September.  The pool is a summer life saver.  What amazed me last summer, though, was that they would often get out the door without sunscreen and yet they were not getting burned.  (I know this sounds very lackadaisical, but I have always been very vigilant about sunscreen due to having been burned as a child.  My kids can count on one hand the number of times they've been even pink.  At least they could before this summer!  I was less vigilant because they weren't getting burned.)  I couldn't understand it.  I knew that the reason for this had to be something they were eating or drinking, but I never really gave it more thought than that.  Fast forward to this year...same kids, same pool, same summer sun but this year,  those little munchkins were coming in sun-kissed and pink.  I was flabbergasted.  I racked my brain but I just couldn't think of what we were doing differently.  Then one day, I read something and it hit me, green tea.  We have been big green tea drinkers for some time but lately I haven't felt like making the kind you brew (which is what the rest of the family drinks) so I've just been drinking my powdered green tea.  Also of interest is the fact that in the last 2 months, we've been hit with 2 separate illnesses (after a long spell with no illness, which is no small feat with 6 kids, 4 of which are mine, around here) neither of which effected me like it did the rest of the family.  Again, green tea is the only difference.  So, I decided to delve a little further into the whole green tea vs. UV rays subject and here's what I found.

Per the website, www.freewebs.com/herbal_remedies/sunburn.html, "Preliminary studies suggest that certain green tea polyphenols may help prevent skin cancer if they are applied directly to the skin," says Steven Bratman, M.D., an integrative physician and author of The Natural Pharmacist (Prima, 2000). "In addition, there is some evidence that green tea constituents might help protect the skin from sun damage and sunburn," he adds. In a recent study, six volunteers received applications of green tea extract on their skin prior to being exposed to UV radiation, which would normally produce redness. Those who received the highest concentration of green tea extract (10%) were almost completely protected from burning. Even a low-dose solution (2.5%) provided significant protection. Drinking green tea by the cup is also a good idea. It contains a powerful antioxidant known as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Researchers at Rutgers University, Piscataway, N.J., tested green tea both topically and orally on mice. They concluded that drinking green tea for two weeks before and during UV exposure diminished both sunburn and skin cancers. The stronger the tea and the more the mice drank, the less severe their sunburns.

Our experience certainly substantiates this research.  We were conducting our own little field test without even realizing it.  We normally endeavor to drink 5-6 cups of green tea a day.  We drink it cold, sweetened with a little honey and/or stevia.  I also use the green tea powder, which I buy from herbalcom.com, to make sure I'm getting as much as I need for all the health benefits.  You can google "benefits of green tea" and you'll be surprised at all the things green tea is good for.  One website listed 15 different things.  I know I have seen a substantial difference in my metabolism while drinking green tea, increased immunity, and, of course, sun protection. 

Also, a note on sunscreen, the one I use is from Dr. Ben Kim.  Every ingredient in it is good for you, unlike the ones you'll find at the local Superstore, and it even has green tea in it.  Unfortunately, the shipping charges on his site are outrageous so unless I can find other like-minded individuals who want to go in on an order and split the shipping, I may have to find another alternative.  Dr. Kim has many informative articles on his website, and he outlines the dangers of commercial sunscreens and natural measures you can take to protect your skin.  Check out his website for great recipes (he's Korean) and helpful articles.  The sunscreen can be found here:
(www.drbenkim.com/sunshop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=96)

As for green tea, drink up and enjoy all the benefits it has to offer.

MMS...water purifier and so much more

A few years ago, a story posted in my Raw Food World newsletter mentioned a product I'd never heard of (www.therawfoodworld.com/blog/?p=568 & www.therawfoodworld.com/blog/?p=564).  However, after reading Matt Monarch's experience with it, I quickly became convinced that it was something I needed to have.  The product is called MMS (formerly Miracle Mineral Supplement, now Master Mineral Supplement).  This product has been used for years as a water purifier and considering that the human body is more than 60% water, well, enough said.

There has been some controversy surrounding this product and because of this, I am only going to say, do your own research and make your own decision about whether or not it is for you.  It has helped us through many a rough patch.  I've used it on all of my family, dogs and chickens.  A friend recently had much success bathing her dog in it.  He didn't seem to make any great strides toward recovery until she gave him an MMS bath.  I have had the same success bathing myself, kids, dogs and chickens in it (we've also all taken it internally).  For bathing, you use 30 drops of MMS to 150 drops of citric acid (10%) or 30 drops citric acid (50%).  Again, you can google this info to find exact info on mixing. 

Anyways, I just wanted to throw this out there.  If you have experienced issues for which you have had no resolution, this may be something that would interest you.  Google it and see what you find, but remember to read both sides of the story.  Jim Humble's websites are infomative as is the CureZone website.

NOTE:  Older articles you read may mention taking numerous amount of drops (like 15 or 30).  This is no longer recommended.  The new protocol does not exceed 3 drops per any one dose.  It is recommended that you take smaller (no more than 3 drops) doses more frequently (up to every hour, I usually do every two).  Using smaller doses decreases the likelihood of nausea, which results from pathogens dying off more quickly than your liver can dispose of them.