Ready...or not...here it all comes!

Sometimes do you ever wonder, "Things just aren't working out the way we thought they were."? Sure, we all do at some point in life. Sometimes we wonder that, and know that we just need to pull through and learn what we know we need to learn. Then, sometimes, you have this glorious epiphany, realizing that maybe the reason why things aren't working out quite as they seem like they should is because you are, in fact, doing the wrong thing!

After Isaac and I were married, we spent a couple of blissful weeks in our quaint, but large mobile home in Yucaipa California. We loved every single moment there. I loved being a little wife and learning all about my husband and how to best suit his needs and wants. Then, unexpectedly, the mobile home was sold, escrow was much shorter than we had ever planned, and we were begrudgingly moving into Isaac's parent's home. We have been here the past few months. Although they are the kindest, most hospitable people we know, it is not the easiest thing to live in someone else's kingdom, when you so desperately want to learn about, experience, and expand your own.

After a few weeks, we found a couple who were seeking renters to move into their home, make it look nice, and help sell it. We thought it would be a great idea, so we agreed. But, as time wore on, the tenents who lived there refused to move out and those poor owners were faced with legal issues, which are still ongoing today. As we saw that this plan was being postponed, we began looking for a new venue. It presented itself to us in the form of Isaac's best friend's (Kenny) parents, who are on a mission as Mission President in Peru. Their children are living in their home in Highland California, but were looking to move near the beginning of September. They asked us if we would like to move in and stay there for a year until they returned from the mission field. We happily accepted! We began making plans and waited. And waited. The children who live there currently seemed to be having difficulties in moving to their new home, which was a "short sale", which consequently doesn't necessarily mean that the waiting period is generally "short". Meanwhile, Isaac signed up for premed classes at Crafton Hills College. For some reason, all of the classes, save Spanish, fell through because of various reasons, so now we were postponing his education and career. We looked and looked for housing here, but no luck found us.

Finally, we decided that we should try something different. Issac applied to BYU. It was a long shot, but every time we talked about BYU and Provo, we both got excited. As he was applying, we were looking for housing, and were pleasantly surprised at how inexpensive the prices were in Utah compared to California. We came upon Wymount Terrace, which is Family / Married housing on the BYU campus. It was the best deal we had found yet! We tried to apply for a vacancy, but were immediately shot down. One of us had to be a registered, full-time BYU student to be even considered to live there. We called the Admissions Office at BYU and asked them when his application would be reviewed. They informed us that all applications are reviewed at the same time, and that we would be receiving the results at the end of October. How could we argue with that?

We called Wymount Terrace and asked them if there was anything that we could do. They told us to write an email to the housing board, petitioning a plea to move in earlier, since there was a pretty good chance that Isaac would be accepted anyway, since he was a returning student. We waited a few days, and today, Monday, the 19th of September we received a response. They told us that they could not accommodate us. We were shot down, once again. Why wasn't anything working out? Also, we knew that even though Isaac had been promoted to a supervising position at UPS, they would not transfer us, so we would have to look for a new job. Things were looking pretty grim in that department. We did not want to wait any longer to put off Isaac's education and eventual carreer, and we also wanted to move out as soon as possible. With a baby on the way, we wanted to get settled in as well.

Later on this evening (still Monday), we received a phone call from Sheldon, Isaac's brother in law, who lives in Orem. He was wondering if we would like to rent their home, as they are looking to live somewhere else. The price was a bit too steep for us, so we declined. After thanking him and hanging up, Isaac noticed that he had received a CES email. we quickly opened it. Lo and behold! It was his acceptance letter! We could not believe it!! We were so happy! How could this have happened! We immediately set that up, and then applied for the apartment that we had our eyes on at Wymount Terrace. Much to our extreme surprise, we were accepted immediately and signed the contract, and we are moving in on October 12th, in just 3 weeks.

If there could be one more sign that this path is the one we should take, it would be that Isaac would find a job before, or soon after, we move. We are so grateful that everything is falling into place at this time in our lives. We are excited for the coming changes, especially the new little one on the way. (It is a boy named Mary, as I say, since we don't know its gender yet).

I will never look back on these past months in California as a waste either. we both learned so much. Isaac was called to be a ward financial clerk in a branch where he did not understand, let alone speak, the language, I was called as primary president, which has tested my faith and abilities in ways that I never thought possible. I got to know Isaac's family, which I probably would not have been able to do otherwise. I also discovered that I think that I would rather live somewhere with seasons. Leaves that fall off of the trees one at a time, all throughout the year just don't do, for me. :-) I will always have a place in my heart for California. I hope to come back and visit many times!

The Seeds of Domesticity

I grew up in a home where I was taught to cook, sew, clean, love, nurture, and even knit.  I enjoyed every moment of my upbringing, and I look back on it in fondness.  I am so grateful for all that my wonderful parents did to give me the best education and teach me how to truly live.

THEN I moved away to go to school at George Wythe University.  I loved my new life, albeit in a different way than I loved my life at home.  I had a lot of freedom.  I could explore new things.  I could stay out as late as I wanted to.  Of course I never did anything bad, because of the virtue that was instilled in me in youth, but I was able to stretch the line a bit.  I had never really hung out with boys who were older than me at institute dances, and having men over at our house was a new thing too.  But I didn't do very much of that either.  Rather, something in me diminished in a way.  That something was my sense of pure domesticity.

At George Wythe University, I studied many long hours.  I also worked a lot at the school as the receptionist.  I was rarely at home, and when I was - it was only to get a wink of sleep, or a quick, simple, easy bite to eat - then I was headed off to an institute counsel meeting, or class.

I went shopping once every two weeks or so, and skipped meals many times.  I knew how to cook, but good money was scarce and, frankly, so was time. Those few times when there was extra money, we would usually go out to eat at the Pastry Pub, and get a Crunchy Italian Salad - my favorite!

A couple years went by.  I was still always known as the Little Domestic Goddess, since I was the one who always ironed her clothes, liked health food, kept her spaces clean, etc....  But I still was not as domestically inclined as I really truly could be.

I met Isaac, my husband, and we had a good time falling in love.  Once we got engaged, everything started sinking in.  I would have to cook multiple meals - EVERY DAY!  I was not looking forward to that!  I couldn't even think of ten good, wholesome meals in my head, let alone hundreds - for years and years!  I admit, I was slightly afraid.  Looking back, I know that was unnecessary - because I had it in me all along.

As soon as we got married and got back from our wonderful honeymoon, I was in our kitchen.  What was I to do?  Would he like what I made?  I don't know enough about spices!  Will he eat it? Will it be too spicy?  Too runny?  Too bland?  I was paralyzed by fear.

The first week or two, I kept making excuses for the meals I made. "Oh, I am sorry about this", "I am sorry about that", "I know this meal is too (insert ridiculous excuse), but I hope you like it" - they go on. After a while, I realized that I loved cooking.  It was so satisfying and incredibly fun to cook for my husband. I started to say, "This was and experiment of mine, and we are going to have so much fun trying it out!" and we did! Sometimes, on rare occasions, like when I made a Jamaican chicken dish, the meal wasn't the best, but we ate it anyways, laughed, and had a good time in our conversation, and then pushed our empty dishes aside to play a game of phase ten.

That first month was especially fun, because we didn't have an oven, so I was able to be creative with the meals.  I discovered that I have a knack with spices - I think my mother did a pretty good job with me - and I never even knew it!

Sometimes it is fun to make meals, like breakfast, extra special by dimming the lights, and lighting a candle, while we read out of The Book of Mormon, between bites.  Now, I am cooking healthy meals that I learned to love, living at home in Idaho - and guess what?  He loves them too!

It is amazing what we can do and how much we can learn about ourselves, when we eliminate our fears.

Stuffy Nose? No Problem!

While touring Balboa Island with my mother, younger sisters, and grandmother, I discovered an amazing tool  - Cayenne. Grandma had a runny/stuffy nose and watery eyes. My mother told her to sniff some cayenne. After a while, her nose was cleared up! Surprisingly, a few days later, allergies started appearing for me. One of my nostrils was stuffed, so I put about 20 or so grains of cayenne pepper grains on my hand, plugged the side that was clear, and sniffed the grains on the stuffy side. At first, nothing happened. Then, it started to burn. All of a sudden, that nose started to run, so I blew it, and it was clear!

Becoming an Herb Ninja

All my life, I have known that there was something out there better than "the solution". I am speaking of medicine. I never liked the fact that if a person had a headache, or a stomach ache, you could just pop a pill in your mouth and be better. I just can't see THAT as the ultimate solution for every problem. I have complete trust in medicine as an emergency tool, or to use in surgery, etc., but I think that we rely on modern medicine too much. I set out to learn about becoming an herbalist.....then got too overwhelmed. I let that little dream rest for a season, then picked it back up. I decided that I would start small. What about the herbs and spices that I use in the kitchen? What can I learn about what I use every day? What I found surprised me, and since then, have been using regular kitchen spices, herbs, and foods to improve my health and the health of those around me. Here are a few of my findings:

Four Symptom Areas

·         Cold and Flu

·         Digestive Issues

·         First Aid

·         Stress

Three Sections of the Market

·         Produce Department:

o   Garlic

§  Powerful against infection

§  Inhibits viruses, bacteria, fungi, and even MRSA

§  For infection fighting, use raw

§  It is healthy for heart health

·         Blood thinning

·         Normalizes Cholesterol

·         For heart health, garlic can be cooked

§  Garlic Oil:

·         Mince up five cloves

·         Put in small bowl

·         Cover with olive oil

·         Let sit for about an hour

·         Make really small batches

o   Uses for garlic oil

§  on feet for coughs (put a sock on) while you are sleeping.

§  Ear infections

§  Dip bread in it! Yum.

§  Use with pesto and hummus recipes.

o   Onion

§  Has anti-microbial properties, similar to garlic.

§  Onion Cough Syrup:

·         Chop onions, put in jar.

·         Cover with sugar

·         Turns into syrup

·         Put in fridge

·         Do in small batches, always.

o   Children love to help make this, and watch it turn into syrup.

o   Ginger

§  Promotes digestion

§  Nausea (Even motion sickness, making it great for car trips, ginger candy will work)

§  Bloating

§  Gas

§  For colds and flus

·         A great time to use ginger while you have a cold is when you actually feel cold.

·         Congestion

·         Foggy head

·         Sore throat

§  Antimicrobial

§  Pain relief

·         Headaches

·         Arthritis

·         Muscle Soreness

§  Muscle Cramps

·         Menstrual cramps

·         Leg cramps

§  Ginger Lemon Honey Tea:

·         Grate half inch of fresh ginger. Put in mug.

·         Fill mug with boiling water. Cover for 15-20 minutes.

·         A dash of lemon juice.

·         Honey to taste (a tsp. or tbsp.)

o   A good idea is to make a bunch and put it in a thermos, to drink it throughout the day.

§  Wrinkly ginger is a bad sign. It won’t be as potent, and it is older and not as fresh.

o   Cabbage

§  Topical inflammations

·         ie. Mastitis

o   Just crush a little apply by slipping it inside the bra.

§  You will even find that soon after you apply the cabbage, if you take it out, it will be very hot! It just sucks up the heat really well. Throw it away and keep doing it – cabbage is very inexpensive.

·         Can cover a large area, and you can put clothes over it. It is very cooling, especially right after you take it out of the refrigerator.

§  Sauerkraut! (All it is is cabbage and salt.) Plus… probiotics! – because it’s fermented. Free recipe on LearningHerbs.com

o   Yoghurt

§  If your stomach is feeling off, just have some plain yoghurt.

o   Potato

§  Potato for minor burns:

·         Peel and grate.

·         Carefully apply to affected area.

·         Repeat as needed.

·         Keep in place with sterile dressing.

o   If you are ever unsure of applying anything and feel uncomfortable, for heaven’s sake, don’t rely on the home remedy, go see a doctor! It may be more serious than you know. But if it seems like something you can handle, by all means, go the home remedy route.

·         You can also use honey for minor burns.

o   Cranberry Juice

§  Unsweetened – make sure to check it is 100% unsweetened. You can probably only find it in health food stores.

§  Rich in Vitamin C and other anti-oxidants

§  Urinary Tract Infections

o   Oats

§  Great for skin

§  Chicken pox

§  Rashes

§  Nourishing Oat Bath

§  Stress

§  Relaxing

·         The Tea Aisle

o   Peppermint Tea

§  Use it internally AND externally

§  Settles the stomach

§  Clears congestion (while sipping the tea, breathe in the steam)

§  Relieves pain internally

·         Headaches

·         Stomach pain

§  Relieves pain externally

·         Neuropathy (i.e. People with diabetes)

·         Rashes, insect bites (Itching and Inflammation)

o   Soak a washcloth, and apply to area

o   Chamomile Tea

§  Effective herb that is gentle enough for children

·         Teething, colic, restlessness, and even whining

§  Pink eye (You can get great herbs bulk on iwantherbs.com)

·         Make a strong chamomile tea, take a cotton ball and swab the eyes liberally with the tea. Throw the cotton balls away because they are very contagious.

§  Good for any eye issues.

·         You can even just dunk the tea bag in hot/warm water and apply it to the eye.

§  Colds and flus

·         Fever

·         Sore throat

·         Restlessness, makes more comfortable

§  Promotes digestion

·         Bloating

·         Nausea

·         Intestinal spasms

·         Heartburn

·         Anti-inflammatory for chronic bowel issues

§  Relieves pain

·         Muscle pain

·         Menstrual cramps

§  ....And it tastes great!

§  When you are on the road, coffee shops like Starbucks always carry chamomile tea.

·         At Starbucks:

o   REFRESH is the peppermint tea

o   CALM is the Chamomile tea

§  Get both! They make a great combination tea. Cover for ten/fifteen minutes, and enjoy.

§  Soothing nerves

§  Promotes sleep

§  Chamomile Popsicles:

·         3 c. chamomile tea

·         2 c. plain yogurt

·         1 tbs. Lemon juice

·         Honey/sugar to taste

o   Blend thoroughly

o   Pour into molds, and insert popsicle stick

o   Eat within two weeks, or they will begin to have freezer burn.

·         The Spice Rack

o   Salt

§  Gargle in warm water for sore throat

§  Replace electrolytes by adding a pinch of salt, a squirt of lemon juice, and a touch of honey to warm water.

·         Natural Gatorade!

o   Cinnamon

§  Promotes circulation

·         Cold hands and feet

§  Eases digestive woes

§  Fevers where the person feels cold, but is perspiring.

§  Normalizes blood sugar

§  Relieves pain

·         Toothaches

·         Menstrual cramps

·         Arthritis

§  Affinity for teeth

·         Take cinnamon powder and put it on your toothbrush, and brush. It will make your teeth feel so clean, and supposedly it is a whitener, that might be, but it definitely feels great!

§  Cinnamon tea

§  Cinnamon Milk:

·         1 c. milk

·         Bring to almost a boil

·         1 cinnamon stick (or 1 tsp. of powder)

·         Cover with plate

·         Let sit 10 minutes

·         Honey to taste

o   Keeps warm

o   Drink for trouble with sleeping

o   Even helps with diarrhea

o   Clove Oil

§  For Toothache Relief

·         Perhaps mix it with another oil to dilute it for teething babies

§  Antiseptic and other qualities

o   Thyme

§  Antimicrobial

·         Antimicrobials help preserve food.

§  Coughs

§  Sore throats

§  Congestion

§  Promotes digestion

·         Which is something that you see with many kitchen herbs

§  Thyme Tea

§  Use for cleaning (Thyme for Cleaning)

·         1 Quart of White Vinegar

·         1 C. Thyme leaf

·         Essential oils like lavender and Sage

o   Infuse the thyme in the vinegar for 24 hours

o   Strain

o   Add 20 Drops of essential oil

§  Put in Spray bottle

·         Fabulous for cleaning grease, windows, all-purpose cleaner.

o   Sage

§  Antimicrobial

§  Great for mouth sores

§  Sore throat

§  Digestion

§  Sage Honey

·         Mince fresh sage leaves

·         Place in jar

·         Cover with honey

·         Ready in a couple of hours, or when the honey appears to be more syrpy.

o   For sore throat, reduces inflammation and swelling

o   Oregano

§  Promotes digestion

§  Anti-microbial

·         Coughs

·         Sore throat

§  For fevers

§  Strengthens immune system

§  Effective against fungal infection

§  Oregano Infusion

·         Fill a quart jar with 1/3 oregano leaves

·         Pour boiling water into the jar and cover with a lid (never metal)

·         Let sit for four-eight hours, then strain

o   Use for an external wash for fungal infections. Very effective.

§  Fact: Oregano, Sage, and Thyme are related, They are all in the mint family.

o   Turmeric

§  Hugely used in India as their digestive herb

§  Strong anti-inflammatory

§  Relieves pain

§  Heals wounds (Small)

·         When taken internally, it thins the blood, but when taken externally, it stops the blood.

§  Inflammation and digestion

·         Add liberally to food. It tastes great and goes well with many types of foods.

o   Food is your medicine, so cooking with these herbs and spices are very beneficial. We live in a culture that has many inflamed conditions, so this is great to do!

o   For digestion:

§  Fennel seeds

§  Dill seeds

·         Just chew

o   At Indian restaurants, you will often find fennel seeds in a bowl or something as you walk out of the restaurant.

§  When you buy sushi, there are little bits of ginger and wasabi there. Those are also plants.