All living things need WATER!

When I got up yesterday morning the room swayed, my head spun and I nearly fell. I had to grab the closest thing twice more before I made it to the bathroom! I didn't know what to think, it felt like when I was hypoglycemic and didn't eat. But I did eat and I no longer have low blood sugar. We had been working out with the trainer the day before and my legs were killing me. He had us do three different exercises that targeted the front of the thighs and believe me, I felt the burn. Could that be causing my vertigo? Was I having my blood blocked? I had just read about the symptoms of women having heart attacks (as opposed to men), and I think I have most of them all the time. That is the biggest problem with women's health. So many of the things that would be really dangerous if it happened to a man, we deal with every month. Could I be having a heart attack? We did our normal walk, and ran a few errands. I went fabric shopping with a friend. But through it all, every time I changed position I nearly passed out. I even sat in a recliner and tried to sleep. My head was spinning even more with my eyes closed. I saw weird colors and patterns behind my eyelids.
It felt like a bad reaction to a drug, or fainting when pregnant. Mostly it felt like when you were a little kid and spinning, spinning, spinning on a merry-go-round. Then when you get off your head still spins and you have to sit down until it passes. Only, this isn't passing!
This morning, still spinning, sweet C looked it up for me on the internet. There were three possibilities, low blood pressure, an inner ear infection, or dehydration.
Dehydration sort of feels right. I forget to drink. So I started guzzling water. So far, though I am hardly back to normal, it does feel a bit better. (If it isn't all the way better by tomorrow I will call the doctor, this is just weird!!!)
So now I have another thought. My mother suffered with vertigo for years. It seemed to start after a heart surgery when her eyesight never came back into focus. Now I have to wonder if she was simply dehydrated for years. She almost never drank anything. I always worried about that, but didn't think about it causing the dizzyness.
Oh, for the days when I didn't have just one medical concern after another!!!!

Oh, remember, remember

I am doing the same job that I did 10 years ago. Every day I am reminded of things I did before that I had forgotten. I do learn a few new things, as we are doing some things differently this time around, but mostly it is a matter of remembering.
It makes me think about how often the scriptures ask us to remember, remember - usually repeated twice. When one stops going to church, or stops living the gospel as they know it, for whatever reason - they quickly begin to forget those things they knew or believed. Very quickly after choosing to ignore God and His ways we no longer remember what those ways were and it becomes easier to ignore more, which makes us forget more. Eventually we can drown out even the basic conscience that belongs to all men. God will do for us those things that we cannot do for ourselves, but we must do those things that we can, such as be good, be kind, follow the commandments, obey God's law. He that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, it is sin. That's a misquote but I'm not looking in my scriptures right now. I feel like I am seeing so much more immorality in the world than I used to. Those of us trying to follow the teachings of Christ must become better in order to keep the balance in the world.
I propose an experiment. Look up in the scriptures how many things we are told to remember. Maybe we can learn something we need from these things?

Having a happy holiday

My daughter was able, at nearly the last minute, come with hubby and baby to visit us for Christmas. So brother from California and his girlfriend came to be sure to see the baby and the two boys in SLC made it down as well. They may be coming to see baby but I got to see them too!! We were rather snowed in, it has snowed many inches many times in the past few days, but we made a fire, shoveled snow and visited a lot. Drank a lot of hot chocolate. We should probably have played more games but talking seems to take up all our time. Watched a few movies, played with my grandpuppy and a grandkitty too. Mostly it was a quiet Christmas as I am toning down the santa stuff and putting up more nativities instead. We sang hymns and read scriptures and ate a lot. One son and his girlfriend made a huge snowman which then proceeded to tilt over the next few days till it finally hit the ground. Hilarious! It was a good time and the only thing that would have made it better would have been if my oldest son and his family could have come. Maybe next time?

Over veg-ing

I am so out of practice at working full time! I get the work done fine, maybe even a little too much (my tendency is to fill out my time card and then later study something I need to, do e-mail to my boss, sort things for the next day. I swore I wouldn't 'give' time away this time but I do that just the same), However, I am having trouble keeping up with my housework. I am tired when I get home. I don't want to start a new cleaning project or renovating project. I will get better as I get used to work (I keep promising myself!), but right now I just want to sit and knit - crochet, and watch Christmas specials. At least I don't have to worry about doing any chores outside. It is too cold, too snowy and I did most of what I needed to in the yard before it became too cold and snowy. I would have liked to move some strawberry plants, but they will wait til next year. No, it is the renovating that needs my time and attention and is just not getting it. I WILL DO BETTER, I WILL DO BETTER. Think affirmations really work?

My word is my bond!

I have gone back to work full time. I'm very torn between wanting to stay home and do all the work that I need to do around here, (I still have move in stuff to do, cleaning stuff to do, and renovating stuff to do) and wanting to work and get out of debt. Renovating was my idea, but my timing was awful. Now I worry every time I hear a new message about preparedness. We had a member of the stake presidency speak to us again last Sunday. I owe money and I want not to!
So, I am back working for the US Census Bureau. I'm recruiting for individuals to work on the 16 operations we will have leading up to and taking the decennial census. Anyone who is interested in temporary work, (some part time, some full time) please call 1-866-861-2010. They will tell you where to apply in your area.

Another reason that I am feeling especially the need to get out of debt is that I have just heard a story of the latest loss of integrity in the world. The newest thing is to buy a new house while you are still in the old one. Prices have fallen so you might find a bargain. Then, after having obtained the new house, you stop making payments on the old one. It is foreclosed upon, your credit is ruined, but you have a house already so you don't care. This is fraud! It is stealing! It is conspiracy to commit fraud! It is totally illegal and completely immoral, yet people are getting away with it. There are too many of these crimes for them to be prosecuted.
Guess who will end up paying for this crime? All of us who want to buy houses in the future. All of us whose hard earned money is going to bail out companies who borrowed their entire working capital. All of us who want to use a bank that used poor business sense and lent to people without checking to see if they would pay back.
Lack of integrity in the world affects all of us. Stealing effects us all. (Obviously I don't know which of those words is correct.) However, I, for one, will pay everything that I have contracted to pay! My integrity is more important to me than any loss of value. (Hey, if I thought it was worth what I paid for it why should what is going on in the market effect my belief?)

Some basic respect, please, for other people and their things.

Spent the day at my husband's place of working doing lunch for them. I saw a lovely rusty orange microfiber sofa that I would love to have, or give to one of my children. It was contemporary, very pretty and warm feeling.
Just happened to notice while I was there that one of the customers had taken off her children's shoes and was letting them jump on the mattresses! These are mattresses that belong to the retail establishment in which she is shopping. Same customer had earlier been letting her children push strollers around into furniture and appliances.
I read an article years ago called "Those Poor People and Their Poor Ways". I'm sure I have bored people to death with discussing parts of that article, but really, how can a person treat anyones property that way? How would you like to be the person who bought a mattress that someone else's children had been playing on? How can you justify treating your own property so poorly that you break it down as soon as you have it?
My church used to have a maxim: "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without." In spite of some recent evidence to the contrary, I do agree with that maxim. We have too many products that cannot be repaired if they break down. We have too many poorly made things. And we treat our property with such casual disregard that things have to be replaced much too often.
I love the clearance store because I love a bargain and can't help but love the idea of buying a leather couch that is brand new for 1/2 off because someone didn't like a little scratch in it. It was going to get a scratch within minutes of being in the house anyway.
However, it wasn't going to get the scratch from the way I treat it. I take care of my things. (and I vow here and now to take better care of my things in the future.)

Family History work

We had a follow up fireside last night regarding the regional conference and temple week we had in September. Some amazing promises were made to us by our Stake President and we heard reports of some of the experiences members of our stake had in trying to follow the word of our priesthood leader. Too sacred to tell, but just let me say, when you are told to do something, and you follow through, fabulous things happen.
Get out of debt. Get food and other emergency storage. Get a financial storage (ie: save money!!!!) and most of all, attend the temple. Be spiritually prepared for the things that may come in the future. Do as the Lord says and trust in Him, and things will be ok.