Tea with Black

While attending BYU, I was taking a Botany class to fill my general requirements. It was taught by a dull, monotone man, who tried to impress the class by constantly using words and definitions that made the subject more like a foriegn language requirement. One day, my world changed...It was the day that a Professor Black taught the class...

He had an energy, and charisma, that was like a big bolt of energy had come and electrocuted everyone there. I had many, many class instructions during my stay at BYU, and it is amazing to me that this is one of my most readily recalled lectures...amongst my more liberal pursuits of art history, french language, and humanities comparasions.

His lecture all started with talk about that famous, English dog-trainer?..she was an older woman, with silver-white hair, and I have vague recollections of seeing her once or twice on TV during my childhood, running and commanding different types of canine. This immediately peeked my attention, in that it did not thave the requisite "oomycote" or some other form of the "botanical" language of fungus or flora...

He told of in her later years, that she had been diagnosed with Diabetes, and had started to deteriorate from its vices...She had gone legally blind, had sores on her extremeties from bad circulation, and had to turn to insulin to try to keep her blood sugars and body under control. For some reason, she decided to retire to the jungles of South America, with its dense rainforests, and tropical climate. I was now closer to the edge of my seat, for this was either going to get interesting, or it was going to turn into an allegory about spores...

While there, the natives gave her a special tea made out of neighboring jungle foliage...This "tea" is where the botany and miracle stepped in...By this special concoction, this dog-trainer from England, with her silver-white hair, had something amazing happen...SHE WAS CURED! Her eyesight came back, her wounds healed, and her dependency on insulin shots became obsolete.

I sat next to my sister (who took the class with me, and shares the diabetic "curse" with me) and we were both STUNNED...My heart was racing, and my eyes teary...Could this be? Was I really hearing correctly?!

The next part of the story still makes me sick to my stomach...

The Professor began to explain how this woman decided to return home, and tell of her experience...Of the hope that this could bring to so many...

Before she could get the aid required to research this discovery, it was GONE...

The jungle area containing this mystery "foliage" had been destroyed...mowed down...wiped off the earth...

I'm sure there are many reasons or answers for why this would happened...or maybe it was just an honest "accident," but when I look at the pin-pricks on my finger tips from monitoring my blood-sugar...the glucometer, shots, insulin and glucagon emergency kit I carry with me everywhere I go...the damage done to the body and spirit... it makes me angry, and unsatisfied with any offered answer. (Not to mention the MILLIONS of dollars that Lifescan and Lilly make off of me and others each month to "keep me managed..." Sound like a "conspiracy theory?" You KNOW I think so...)

So many times I hear/say, "At least it's manageable." But what consolation is that? It's like telling someone "At least you can go on dialysis." We have heated debates about stem-cells and morality, about "cures" verses "unfertilized eggs"...Would these opinions change if a loved one, or they themselves had the disease? Are we at a continual stand-still on progress until another Christopher Reeves or Michael J Fox is affected? Where is the "morality" when big-companies are making millions off of the afflicted, when there is a probable cure? Would they really give it all up, for the common good?

Tea, anyone?

I'm not SAD anymore!

Among the MANY medical and chemical anomalies I own, I can add another to my list...SAD...or..."Seasonal Affective Disorder"...Basically, I'm "bluer" in the dark winter months, than I am in the "sunnier" spring and summer. I've always thought this might be an issue with me, but since the time change, and the nicer weather, it is VERY apparent that this belongs to me!

Some of the reasons I am not SAD anymore:

1) The morning light does not make me nauseated.
2) I am dressed ( with hair and makeup ) before I have to think about what I am making for dinner.
3) My laundry gets done...Although folding is still optional...
4) I answer my phone.
5) My kids aren't constantly telling me that "they hope I feel better, soon..."
6) I don't re-play things I did in my mind a million times to see how I "should of" done it"...Now it's only a thousand times...
7) I have energy not related to Sonic Diet-Vanilla Coke and Excedrin..,
8) Sex is a good thing.
9)I don't cry at commercials (as much...) or at nothing at all...
10)I "see" more of the many blessings I have.

It also makes me happy that I don't live in Alaska, or I would be totally screwed! Plus, there are too many CUTE spring SHOES out there to be depressed!

Now...I heard that we are supposedly going to get snow next week...after the past two weeks of flip-flop paradise...

(We all know what I will be fasting for on Sunday...)

Look Closely...

Funny Videos

My Sister, "PUNK"

Please welcome my wonderful sister, "Punk" to our blogging family!! She's AWESOME!!
Please leave her a comment, so she will post...: )

(And don't take the name literally...she is so NOT a "punk!"...Especially in comparasion to her older sis...)

Good Intentions

We arrived to church today ON TIME!! This is a MONUMENTAL achievement, in that no matter what time church begins, there's a 50/50 chance that we will be late.

As we entered the chapel, there was a gentleman at the podium, speaking about faith. While we sat down in our row, I thought, "Oh...This is neat...The Bishop is having people bear their testimonies before Sacrament meeting begins..." This was followed by the thought, "Boy...This guy is REALLY thorough...He even has scriptural references..."

As I gave my husband the "Am I missing something?" look, our friends in back of us tapped us on the shoulder and said, "This is the concluding speaker...Today is "Daylight Savings!"

Good Intentions...Hopefully God will understand!

Girl Day!

My daughter has been home the past three days with a bad cold. We finally got her on an antibiotic, which has allowed for a complete turn-around. Today was to be her last day home (I wanted to make sure she had a complete 48 hours on the medicine, before going back--I like her teacher too much to risk a classroom full of sick kids!) so I decided it was to be...

"Girl Day!"

After little brother was at preschool, we took off for our adventure! It was BEAUTIFUL today, and that only made the day better! I let her choose the music, and it was a blend of Kelly Clarkston, No Doubt, and other girlie fav's. We drove up, and with purses properly poised on our shoulders, we headed in to the Mall for some "serious" shopping. We tried on shoes (the BEST was when she told me all the reasons why I should buy her the pair of high-heeled, hot pink, "Candies" sandals...she's EIGHT!) looked at earrings ( I am AMAZED that my entire 80's wardrobe has returned--from "jelly shoes" to big, plastic hoops and beads in bright neon colors!!) and dined on pretzel bites...It was DIVINE!! We went in the Kiddie Kandids to get our picture taken, but their was a wait (supposedly) of four hours ( which was interesting, because there were two picture-areas vacant, and three staff members talking about dates...mmmm...) But, despite our lack of photo-documentation, our day so far was a success!

After baby brother and big brother came home from school, we were off to Activity Days, where we made cute little totes for scriptures, or whatever else tickled one's fancy. After an hour and a half with eleven LOUD, sugar-infested 8 and 9 year olds, my "girlie day" had met it's match!! New satchel in hand, with a new pair of bright-pink, plastic hoops in her ears, we headed for home.

I have fond memories of my mom pulling me and my sisters out of school every year in elementary, to hit the clearance sales for next year's shoes...I always felt a scandalous "high," knowing that while my classmates were sitting at their desks, we were out, trying on shoes (which I enjoyed even at this young age) and enjoying the joy of a condoned "hookey."

Tomorrow we will be back into the swing of things...Kids in school...Me doing laundry (maybe)...and E will be wearing a pair of new, bright-pink, plastic hoop earrings, with hopefully a memory that she will recall when she is having "Girl Day" with her own daughter.

Amazing Mr. Gruffudd

My husband and I went on a movie date last Thursday night...We went and saw "Amazing Grace"...

If you are looking for a fast paced, action-packed, special effects, extravaganza...then this movie is NOT for you...

BUT...

If you are looking for a lucid, inspiring, intelligent, thought-provoking, true story, of sacrifice, redemption, hope, salvation, and grace...

Go see "Amazing Grace"

It truly made an impression on me...


(And there is no man that looks finer in a pair of knickers than Ioan Gruffudd...)