I think I've got it down. Beginning in 2008 with the bank, mortgage company, car dealership bail outs which affected the economy nationwide, I started feeling a crunch on my own piano teaching business. It had not seemed an issue before, but suddenly I was having troubles getting piano students. Suddenly teachers with little to no education or musical experience were able to attract the students. I considered charging less money, but the idea was revolting, considering I felt I was charging too little already.
The problem was how to convince people that paying a higher price for piano lessons would be worth it to them. I experimented with different angles, different techniques, several failures, and a few successes. Basically, I had to figure out how to meet with the parents and students and "close the sale."
What it came down to was a strategy where I present to the customer (musician) how my studio is organized and run - what they can expect. I go over my studio policies statement and explain it in detail. This is not anything new. I've used this statement for years. I include my business card and my credentials: B.Music, M.Music, NCTM, MTNA, UFMC. I make sure they know that I have the knowledge behind me to do the job. That is what's different. Previously I hadn't advertised my credentials enough.
Then, and this is a very new part, I sit the potential student at the piano, they play for me what they can, and I critique their performance. I compliment them on what they can do well, and I make sure they know I recognize their efforts in good musicianship. Then, I teach them things they've never heard of before: balance, evenness, steadiness in playing, slurring, voicing, etc. I drop as many performance terms as I think will let them know what I can do for them.
Despite my aversion to salesmen, I have become one myself. The difference between me and the ordinary salesman out there is that I am honest with them. They are always doing something right in their playing, and I always can do something for them.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
"Whispering a Prayer"
This is a piece of music that one of my music history students chose to analyze. I was intrigued by how "vocal" the performer could make that guitar sound. The student must have been intrigued by the guitar as well, but after analyzing it with the elements of music taught in the class, he concluded that the song is not made of much, which conclusion I will have to agree with, as he analyzed it correctly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KUSkGeaUPU
Below is an analysis:
Melody: conjunct moving into disjunct; two motivic-based phrases that form a period
Harmony: Major
Rhythm: Quadruple simple
Texture: predominantly homophonic (melody in lead guitar with accompaniment in other instruments)
Timbre: Keyboard, Lead Guitar - use of techniques: slide, wobble, vibrato, Bass Guitar, 7-string Guitar, Drums, Cymbal
Expression: Slow throughout except a few spots of quickness
Form: Intro, Theme A, Theme A, Theme B, Theme A, Solo, Theme A/Outro
Genre: Progressive Rock ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KUSkGeaUPU
Below is an analysis:
Melody: conjunct moving into disjunct; two motivic-based phrases that form a period
Harmony: Major
Rhythm: Quadruple simple
Texture: predominantly homophonic (melody in lead guitar with accompaniment in other instruments)
Timbre: Keyboard, Lead Guitar - use of techniques: slide, wobble, vibrato, Bass Guitar, 7-string Guitar, Drums, Cymbal
Expression: Slow throughout except a few spots of quickness
Form: Intro, Theme A, Theme A, Theme B, Theme A, Solo, Theme A/Outro
Genre: Progressive Rock ?
Tithing Tales - I
I did my bills the other day, and things were looking okay. My income barely covers my bills with a very little bit of miscellaneous to take care of unexpected things. I even have a new student to add to the income, so I felt pretty good. Then, I found out that three students were not coming in June, which makes sense that a new student would replace a student quitting. That similar scenario has been my lot for six years. I can't seem to increase my student load. My Heavenly Father only gives me what he thinks I can handle because I will always do more than I can handle. A couple days after finding out about these quitting students I was feeling burdened monetarily. As I continued thinking about it, I was reminded by the Holy Ghost that my new student would cover one of those who is quitting. Then, I also was reminded about my piano student at SLCC who I had forgotten to include in the budget done at the beginning of the month. So, all is covered. I need to let go of worrying about my money, once and for all. I have innumerable experiences like this about tithing. As long as I pay it, He will take care of me.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Learned Wisdom by the Things Which She Suffered
My son was getting after his girlfriend for not taking anything to get over a cold besides ibuprofen, and it gave me the opportunity to explain why I do what I do. I use a lot of natural remedies, my primary care doctor is a chiropractor/kinesiologist/nutritionist (not generally recognized by health insurance), and I believe that the body should fight its battles rather than medicine.
I came to these opinions because of several influences:
1) my parents had found relief from ailments using less than conventional means; thus, I didn't discount them.
2) I didn't have health insurance a lot of the time.
3) Medications didn't work.
When I first moved to Salt Lake City, I lived in Sandy, Utah, and I worked at Balkamp, Inc. as the secretary to the General Manager. One of my duties was to take care of the health insurance for all of the employees. By viewing billings and claim forms, I got an idea of who people went to, and I saw that many people chose Dr. Gailey for a dentist. They also chose Dr. McNeilis for a gynecologist. So, I decided to try both of these doctors.
Dr. McNeilis gave birth to two of my children: Krista and Jay. He moved when Brad was born, and then moved back, and then we had completely different insurance for Erin's birth. I don't see his name in the phone book anymore, so I don't know where he has gone. He was a very good doctor. He allowed me to ask him any question I had about what was going on and what I was feeling. I appreciate that in a doctor, one who gives me his time and isn't hurrying me through.
Dr. Gailey has been my dentist for many years, and all the children have gone to him. He allows me to pay for my treatment in installments. Most doctors and dentists require upfront payment in full, and there is no way that I could ever do that. That one quality alone has kept us going to him. But he is a good dentist as well. He explains the teeth problems thoroughly. He shows me the x-rays, he draws things out, he even writes down the options. So, I know exactly what the problems are, and I choose my treatment, what I can handle, what I can afford. I appreciate that in a dentist/doctor. Sometimes he has prescribed too many medications or wanted to shoot me with too much novacaine, but I usually ask for just one shot, and he's willing to respect my wishes. He's used to me by now.
In Boulder, Colorado, where I grew up my mom had always taken me to a chiropractor as our "primary care" doctor (not that insurance would recognize him that way, but we recognized him as our first choice in health consultation.) So, after moving to Salt Lake/Sandy I contracted some back problems and searched out a chiropractor to alleviate my suffering, and I found the Egberts. They were okay, but the next time I tried out the guy next door (literally on the other side of the office building), Dr. Gunn. I liked him better, and have been going to him ever since.
I had gone to Dr. Gunn for awhile for my back, but one of the first healings actuated in my behalf was when I went to him a few months after I got married to find out if something was wrong with my neck. I couldn't seem to hold it up. He examined me, then took an x-ray, and found that nothing was wrong. That evidence prompted him to look elsewhere. How was my energy level? In the gutter? He had me get the results from a test performed at least five years previous to this from a different doctor - a glucose tolerance test (drinking more than a desireable amount of syrup). The results had indicated hypoglycemia, but the doctor had failed to follow it up with what to do about it. So, Dr. Gunn filled me in on what the results meant and how to manage it with diet. I left there and embarked on a life-changing way of eating, which I follow in varying degrees depending on my need and desire, and lately, time. Now, this many years later, Krista and Brad, because they are related to me and live in this old world, have found occasion to need that same diet, and they extol its benefits.
So, building up immunity is important to maintaining health. With other sicknesses I worked around this same premise. I also encouraged good sleep to overcome the disease. If sleep was hindered, I did what it took to get us back sleeping. Fever is a natural way the body has of fighting off infection - burns it out. As well when you sleep, your body heats up, similar to a fever. When you don't get enough sleep, your body doesn't stay in that "feverish," "heated up" state long enough to fight infections that could be starting up or progressing to an advanced state in your body. For that reason, if you're not getting enough sleep, you could easily get sick. When my children had fevers, I didn't immediately give them ibuprofen or aspirin or Tylenol (acetaminophen). Instead I watched them carefully, (one of the purposes of a stay-at-home mom) took their temperature often, and put cold wet cloths on their foreheads during the day and night to keep the fever down and from advancing up to their brain. When the fever reached 103 degrees, then I gave them something, but I could probably count on half of a hand the number of times that happend. One benefit to a child having a fever and not being medicated for it is that the child feels sick, they are lethargic, they lay around, lay in bed, and they get well. So, while they lay around, you get a break. Another benefit of a fever is that it builds up immunities in the body. While my children were at home sick for a couple days with a fever, and then returned to school never to come down with that again, other children were visited with the same sickness several times during one season.
Again, when Erin was in elementary school, she contracted a rash on her leg. I took her to a skin doctor who gave her a steroid to get rid of the rash. Well, the steroid worked - took the rash away slick as a whistle. However, two weeks later it came right back. This time I took her to Dr. Gunn, who told her that the rash was an indication that her body was too alkaline. So, he prescribed bathing her leg in vinegar, drinking vinegar everyday, and taking a multi-vitamin. It took several weeks (maybe 6), but the rash disappeared and has never returned.
When Jay was older, in junior high, he had an ear infection that burst his eardrum. I took him to the doctor for it because the bursting part scared me. No one had ever had a burst eardrum with their ear infection, so I wasn't sure how to handle it. He was given amoxicillin to kill the infection which would allow for the eardrum to heal. He did that, and about a month later he had another one. This time I gave him nothing but a painkiller, if needed, and let him heal from the infection and the burst eardrum. Again, he never had another one.
As I stated at the beginning, my "primary care" doctor is a chiropractor/kinesiologist/nutritionist. I've already mentioned how I've gone to him for his chiropractic and nutritional expertise. His kinesiological expertise has been the most fascinating road to travel. Applied kinesiology (AK) is an alternative medicine method used for diagnosis and determination of therapy. According to practitioners using Applied Kinesiology techniques, it provides feedback on the functional status of the body. Dr. Gunn has used these techniques on me, and I can say that I probably was skeptical at first, but now, I believe... While I am laying on an examination table, I lift my leg, and Dr. Gunn has me touch certain places on my body that are trouble spots, and then he says, "Resist me." He pushes on my leg, and I resist his push - I push back. If I have trouble pushing, that spot is definitely a trouble spot. He then lays one supplement after another on me, and when I can resist strongly back, that is the supplement that would benefit me the most. I can tell you that there have been a couple times when I could not push back at all, when I felt no strength whatsoever in my leg. In that case, that spot is a big problem.
A couple years ago Dr. Gunn diagnosed me with having a hiatal hernia. I felt symptoms with it, but over the past several months I have not been able to get too much relief from it. The treatment was to take bromelain, a digestive enzyme, and to pull my stomach down everyday. I went to other doctors for it, and they prescribed Prilosec which gives me side effects: headaches, shakiness, etc. And another who performed an endoscopy/colonoscopy. It cost me/my insurance more than $2000 to find out that I have a hiatal hernia. Dr. Gunn diagnosed it for a mere $40.
The only medication that has worked, and lest you think I won't do medications at all, I had this experience. Jay has had eye allergies forever. He gets really red, itchy eyes during the months of February through November. Note: that's most of the year. I first tried a homeopathic allergy medicine on him, but it didn't do anything. I tried other things on him as well, including a visit to an eye doctor who recommended I put warm washcloths on his eyes, but nothing helped. Finally, I decided to pray for his eye problems in the temple. Upon returning home from the temple, I took out the phone book and called several eye doctors. No one was available until a certain pediatric eye specialist at the Moran Eye Center answered the phone. I made an appointment with them. In fact, they were able to see him the very next day. After hanging up with them, I realized they were in the same building as the other eye doctor I had taken Jay to with no good results at all. Oh, I didn't want to go there again. I dialed the number of the place with whom I had just made an appointment in order to cancel it, but I couldn't get through. I tried again and again, but could not get through. Finally, I decided I would just go. The next day at the appointment it was discovered that Jay had limbal vernal conjunctivitis - bumps on his eyelids that cause his eyes to be red during the summer months. In other words, he had a seasonal allergy that affected his eyes during the months of February through November. The doctor prescribed eyedrops, Alocril, and a steroid for the eye called Alrex. Those medications relieved the problem. Over the years he has grown out of the problem. Usually it's not bad unless he is outside a lot in grasses. In fact, in doing research on the condition on the internet, it mentioned that he would probably grow out of it, but it might develop into asthma. He has been on track and cross country teams, so I don't think asthma has been a problem, but he has had pneumonia twice. I don't like that he had to use a steroid, but it was only administered topically. And I know that I was led by my Heavenly Father to that doctor to diagnosis and prescribe the treatment.
Jay has also had a runny nose for years. He snuffs and snorts incessantly. Because of the eye problems, I had always thought it was allergy related. Eye problems/nose problems - very related. I remember going to a doctor when he was younger, maybe in 2004 to get some help with it. The doctor thought it was allergies and sent me home with a bagful of medications to try. I couldn't get Jay to take anything. The doctor also took some x-rays and a CT scan (very costly) to see if that could give us any clues. Nothing... Jay had suffered with this problem for several years already, and he continued to suffer until he was 17 when he expressed a desire to finally find out because it was annoying to his family, his friends, and now to him to be snuffing/snorting incessantly. He was now willing to do whatever it took, but he confided that he didn't want to be taking pills all of his life. I was sure that he would be taking an allergy something forever, Benadryl perhaps? But I took him to Dr. Gunn first. Dr. Gunn applied his kinesiology to Jay, who had never had this done to him before, and discovered that he had a parasite. Well, I was skeptical, but we bought the ParaCleanse pills, and Jay took them and got over it. I couldn't believe it, and Jay was thrilled. Wow! Now we sit next to Jay, and he is quiet. The snort is gone. How many years had he and we suffered with that problem? Dr. Gunn, however, was not surprised. He has total faith in this method and all of its ramifications. I don't know why I go to anyone else. How much did that cost to diagnose Jay? $40!!
So, what I have seen in dealing with the health of my family has been that we have been better off concentrating on building up the strength of the body to fight off disease rather than to use an outside source to kill off the bacteria causing the disease or to cover up the symptoms. I was told the other day that doctors now prescribe antibiotics for an entire month (rather than the 10 days that I remember) because the bacterias have developed a resistance to the medications. So, again, rather than making the body stronger, we have made the bacterias/infections stronger. The medical field is focusing on the wrong thing.
I came to these opinions because of several influences:
1) my parents had found relief from ailments using less than conventional means; thus, I didn't discount them.
2) I didn't have health insurance a lot of the time.
3) Medications didn't work.
When I first moved to Salt Lake City, I lived in Sandy, Utah, and I worked at Balkamp, Inc. as the secretary to the General Manager. One of my duties was to take care of the health insurance for all of the employees. By viewing billings and claim forms, I got an idea of who people went to, and I saw that many people chose Dr. Gailey for a dentist. They also chose Dr. McNeilis for a gynecologist. So, I decided to try both of these doctors.
Dr. McNeilis gave birth to two of my children: Krista and Jay. He moved when Brad was born, and then moved back, and then we had completely different insurance for Erin's birth. I don't see his name in the phone book anymore, so I don't know where he has gone. He was a very good doctor. He allowed me to ask him any question I had about what was going on and what I was feeling. I appreciate that in a doctor, one who gives me his time and isn't hurrying me through.
Dr. Gailey has been my dentist for many years, and all the children have gone to him. He allows me to pay for my treatment in installments. Most doctors and dentists require upfront payment in full, and there is no way that I could ever do that. That one quality alone has kept us going to him. But he is a good dentist as well. He explains the teeth problems thoroughly. He shows me the x-rays, he draws things out, he even writes down the options. So, I know exactly what the problems are, and I choose my treatment, what I can handle, what I can afford. I appreciate that in a dentist/doctor. Sometimes he has prescribed too many medications or wanted to shoot me with too much novacaine, but I usually ask for just one shot, and he's willing to respect my wishes. He's used to me by now.
In Boulder, Colorado, where I grew up my mom had always taken me to a chiropractor as our "primary care" doctor (not that insurance would recognize him that way, but we recognized him as our first choice in health consultation.) So, after moving to Salt Lake/Sandy I contracted some back problems and searched out a chiropractor to alleviate my suffering, and I found the Egberts. They were okay, but the next time I tried out the guy next door (literally on the other side of the office building), Dr. Gunn. I liked him better, and have been going to him ever since.
I had gone to Dr. Gunn for awhile for my back, but one of the first healings actuated in my behalf was when I went to him a few months after I got married to find out if something was wrong with my neck. I couldn't seem to hold it up. He examined me, then took an x-ray, and found that nothing was wrong. That evidence prompted him to look elsewhere. How was my energy level? In the gutter? He had me get the results from a test performed at least five years previous to this from a different doctor - a glucose tolerance test (drinking more than a desireable amount of syrup). The results had indicated hypoglycemia, but the doctor had failed to follow it up with what to do about it. So, Dr. Gunn filled me in on what the results meant and how to manage it with diet. I left there and embarked on a life-changing way of eating, which I follow in varying degrees depending on my need and desire, and lately, time. Now, this many years later, Krista and Brad, because they are related to me and live in this old world, have found occasion to need that same diet, and they extol its benefits.
This is what Krista says about it:
After I had my precious little Lizzy, I went nuts. I had absolutely horrifying thoughts of harming myself, Lizzy and Michael. I couldn’t function properly around people. I wanted nothing to do with anyone, because I couldn’t imagine the horror of someone finding out how much I hated myself. I couldn’t communicate effectively with anyone. Instead of feeling grateful for all the help everyone was giving me, I felt judged by those who were simply showing me how to be a mom. I felt myself becoming the one person in this world that I did not want to be, an abusive parent who thinks only of themselves. I had worked so hard for the past four years trying to be the good person that I wanted to be, and within an instant, I was incapable of even coming close to being that person.
I suffered this way for seven months, hating myself because I couldn’t seem to control my actions. It was as if there were two people living inside of me. One person so desperately wanted to be a happy mother and wife, while the other person did absolutely everything possible to keep that from happening. I would think and feel one thing, and act and say the exact opposite. People didn’t understand me, because I was just flat out mean, when I wanted nothing more than to be their friend and love them. I did not go to my doctor about this, because I just knew I would be diagnosed with post partum depression (PPD), and I did not want to start taking medicine for that.
In January 2011, I went to Dr. Gunn to get some adjustments. I told him how I thought I had PPD. He said that I didn’t, and explained that my brain was lacking the nutrients to function properly. He gave me a diet which is designed to keep a steady flow of nutrients to the brain throughout the entire day. It took me about a week to get used to, but I had the best month of my life. I was happier than I have ever been. I had enough energy to play with Lizzy, and do laundry, dishes and cook. I felt calm and at peace. The other person that had been trying to control my life had no influence on me. I was in control again, and it felt absolutely wonderful.
Brad was having problems with depression on his mission, but I was completely unaware until my stake president called to relay a request from Brad's mission president that I consider giving permission for him to take Prozac. "What in the heck for?" The only indication I had had was that shortly before this he had mentioned he tired easily. I quickly picked up on that, however, because he kind of had had issues with it previous to the mission, and I sent him the diet. Needless to say, through email we discussed his health quite a bit for several weeks. He is using the Prozac, with all of its side effects, because the spirit gave me the distinct impression it would be okay. A doctor also gave him a diagnosis of ADHD, a condition I had always suspected he had. When he gets home, I will feed him better. Hypoglycemia has the symptom of depression, which can be treated with proper diet.
As the kids were growing up, they were sick every now and then - Brad more than the others. I didn't go many places his first year because he was always with a cold, fever, or croup. He contracted many ear infections, which usually were accompanied by a fever and eventual croup. His crib was fixed with a tent over it and a cool mist humidifier (very expensive but wonderful) beside it. I gave him the usual amoxicillin, followed by augmentin, followed by cephalosporin - each one more potent. I gave him these and he would invariably come back with another ear infection soon thereafter. Obviously, his body was not building up an immunity to the infections. Finally, his doctor prescribed a 1/2 teaspoon of medication everyday for three months. When he, and he was about two then, immediately came back with another ear infection, I said, "Stop, this isn't working." Fortunately, the Lord put someone in my path who could tell me the next step I should take. A young girl (she had older kids, but I was older because I married later) in my ward told me about E-3 Oil - a mixture of olive oil, lobelia, and some other things. I used one drop in Brad's ear with a teeny bit of cotton to keep the oil in. I did this three times a day for six weeks. He did not have another ear infection until he was six.
Leah was conceived shortly after starting the diet, and I haven’t been able to fully commit to it since, but I still implement what I learned from it. When she is born, I will go back on this diet, so that I can be happy, and so that I can have a happy family. Heavenly Father has asked us to take care of our bodies, and I know now that that is to protect us from Satan, who will do everything in his power to try to control us.
Brad was having problems with depression on his mission, but I was completely unaware until my stake president called to relay a request from Brad's mission president that I consider giving permission for him to take Prozac. "What in the heck for?" The only indication I had had was that shortly before this he had mentioned he tired easily. I quickly picked up on that, however, because he kind of had had issues with it previous to the mission, and I sent him the diet. Needless to say, through email we discussed his health quite a bit for several weeks. He is using the Prozac, with all of its side effects, because the spirit gave me the distinct impression it would be okay. A doctor also gave him a diagnosis of ADHD, a condition I had always suspected he had. When he gets home, I will feed him better. Hypoglycemia has the symptom of depression, which can be treated with proper diet.
So, building up immunity is important to maintaining health. With other sicknesses I worked around this same premise. I also encouraged good sleep to overcome the disease. If sleep was hindered, I did what it took to get us back sleeping. Fever is a natural way the body has of fighting off infection - burns it out. As well when you sleep, your body heats up, similar to a fever. When you don't get enough sleep, your body doesn't stay in that "feverish," "heated up" state long enough to fight infections that could be starting up or progressing to an advanced state in your body. For that reason, if you're not getting enough sleep, you could easily get sick. When my children had fevers, I didn't immediately give them ibuprofen or aspirin or Tylenol (acetaminophen). Instead I watched them carefully, (one of the purposes of a stay-at-home mom) took their temperature often, and put cold wet cloths on their foreheads during the day and night to keep the fever down and from advancing up to their brain. When the fever reached 103 degrees, then I gave them something, but I could probably count on half of a hand the number of times that happend. One benefit to a child having a fever and not being medicated for it is that the child feels sick, they are lethargic, they lay around, lay in bed, and they get well. So, while they lay around, you get a break. Another benefit of a fever is that it builds up immunities in the body. While my children were at home sick for a couple days with a fever, and then returned to school never to come down with that again, other children were visited with the same sickness several times during one season.
Again, when Erin was in elementary school, she contracted a rash on her leg. I took her to a skin doctor who gave her a steroid to get rid of the rash. Well, the steroid worked - took the rash away slick as a whistle. However, two weeks later it came right back. This time I took her to Dr. Gunn, who told her that the rash was an indication that her body was too alkaline. So, he prescribed bathing her leg in vinegar, drinking vinegar everyday, and taking a multi-vitamin. It took several weeks (maybe 6), but the rash disappeared and has never returned.
When Jay was older, in junior high, he had an ear infection that burst his eardrum. I took him to the doctor for it because the bursting part scared me. No one had ever had a burst eardrum with their ear infection, so I wasn't sure how to handle it. He was given amoxicillin to kill the infection which would allow for the eardrum to heal. He did that, and about a month later he had another one. This time I gave him nothing but a painkiller, if needed, and let him heal from the infection and the burst eardrum. Again, he never had another one.
As I stated at the beginning, my "primary care" doctor is a chiropractor/kinesiologist/nutritionist. I've already mentioned how I've gone to him for his chiropractic and nutritional expertise. His kinesiological expertise has been the most fascinating road to travel. Applied kinesiology (AK) is an alternative medicine method used for diagnosis and determination of therapy. According to practitioners using Applied Kinesiology techniques, it provides feedback on the functional status of the body. Dr. Gunn has used these techniques on me, and I can say that I probably was skeptical at first, but now, I believe... While I am laying on an examination table, I lift my leg, and Dr. Gunn has me touch certain places on my body that are trouble spots, and then he says, "Resist me." He pushes on my leg, and I resist his push - I push back. If I have trouble pushing, that spot is definitely a trouble spot. He then lays one supplement after another on me, and when I can resist strongly back, that is the supplement that would benefit me the most. I can tell you that there have been a couple times when I could not push back at all, when I felt no strength whatsoever in my leg. In that case, that spot is a big problem.
A couple years ago Dr. Gunn diagnosed me with having a hiatal hernia. I felt symptoms with it, but over the past several months I have not been able to get too much relief from it. The treatment was to take bromelain, a digestive enzyme, and to pull my stomach down everyday. I went to other doctors for it, and they prescribed Prilosec which gives me side effects: headaches, shakiness, etc. And another who performed an endoscopy/colonoscopy. It cost me/my insurance more than $2000 to find out that I have a hiatal hernia. Dr. Gunn diagnosed it for a mere $40.
The only medication that has worked, and lest you think I won't do medications at all, I had this experience. Jay has had eye allergies forever. He gets really red, itchy eyes during the months of February through November. Note: that's most of the year. I first tried a homeopathic allergy medicine on him, but it didn't do anything. I tried other things on him as well, including a visit to an eye doctor who recommended I put warm washcloths on his eyes, but nothing helped. Finally, I decided to pray for his eye problems in the temple. Upon returning home from the temple, I took out the phone book and called several eye doctors. No one was available until a certain pediatric eye specialist at the Moran Eye Center answered the phone. I made an appointment with them. In fact, they were able to see him the very next day. After hanging up with them, I realized they were in the same building as the other eye doctor I had taken Jay to with no good results at all. Oh, I didn't want to go there again. I dialed the number of the place with whom I had just made an appointment in order to cancel it, but I couldn't get through. I tried again and again, but could not get through. Finally, I decided I would just go. The next day at the appointment it was discovered that Jay had limbal vernal conjunctivitis - bumps on his eyelids that cause his eyes to be red during the summer months. In other words, he had a seasonal allergy that affected his eyes during the months of February through November. The doctor prescribed eyedrops, Alocril, and a steroid for the eye called Alrex. Those medications relieved the problem. Over the years he has grown out of the problem. Usually it's not bad unless he is outside a lot in grasses. In fact, in doing research on the condition on the internet, it mentioned that he would probably grow out of it, but it might develop into asthma. He has been on track and cross country teams, so I don't think asthma has been a problem, but he has had pneumonia twice. I don't like that he had to use a steroid, but it was only administered topically. And I know that I was led by my Heavenly Father to that doctor to diagnosis and prescribe the treatment.
Jay has also had a runny nose for years. He snuffs and snorts incessantly. Because of the eye problems, I had always thought it was allergy related. Eye problems/nose problems - very related. I remember going to a doctor when he was younger, maybe in 2004 to get some help with it. The doctor thought it was allergies and sent me home with a bagful of medications to try. I couldn't get Jay to take anything. The doctor also took some x-rays and a CT scan (very costly) to see if that could give us any clues. Nothing... Jay had suffered with this problem for several years already, and he continued to suffer until he was 17 when he expressed a desire to finally find out because it was annoying to his family, his friends, and now to him to be snuffing/snorting incessantly. He was now willing to do whatever it took, but he confided that he didn't want to be taking pills all of his life. I was sure that he would be taking an allergy something forever, Benadryl perhaps? But I took him to Dr. Gunn first. Dr. Gunn applied his kinesiology to Jay, who had never had this done to him before, and discovered that he had a parasite. Well, I was skeptical, but we bought the ParaCleanse pills, and Jay took them and got over it. I couldn't believe it, and Jay was thrilled. Wow! Now we sit next to Jay, and he is quiet. The snort is gone. How many years had he and we suffered with that problem? Dr. Gunn, however, was not surprised. He has total faith in this method and all of its ramifications. I don't know why I go to anyone else. How much did that cost to diagnose Jay? $40!!
So, what I have seen in dealing with the health of my family has been that we have been better off concentrating on building up the strength of the body to fight off disease rather than to use an outside source to kill off the bacteria causing the disease or to cover up the symptoms. I was told the other day that doctors now prescribe antibiotics for an entire month (rather than the 10 days that I remember) because the bacterias have developed a resistance to the medications. So, again, rather than making the body stronger, we have made the bacterias/infections stronger. The medical field is focusing on the wrong thing.
"Yours, Mine and Ours" - an oldie with Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda
Before you decide to shove all of those latinos out, make sure that you know the facts. These are scriptures that I have found by studying the Book of Mormon in preparation to teach my Gospel Doctrine class (which I have found is a veritable discourse on immigration) as well as scriptures shared by friends and acquaintances.
A friend pointed out this scripture to me: 3 Nephi 20:15-16.
And I guess this makes it even clearer:
3 Nephi 16 -
6 And blessed are the Gentiles, because of their belief in me, in and of the Holy Ghost, which witnesses unto them of me and of the Father.
7 Behold, because of their belief in me, saith the Father, and because of the unbelief of you, O house of Israel, in the latter day shall the truth come unto the Gentiles, that the fulness of these things shall be made known unto them.
8 But wo, saith the Father, unto the unbelieving of the Gentiles—for notwithstanding they have come forth upon the face of this land, and have scattered my people who are of the house of Israel; and my people who are of the house of Israel have been cast out from among them, and have been trodden under feet by them;
9 And because of the mercies of the Father unto the Gentiles, and also the judgments of the Father upon my people who are of the house of Israel, verily, verily, I say unto you, that after all this, and I have caused my people who are of the house of Israel to be smitten, and to be afflicted, and to be slain, and to be cast out from among them, and to become hated by them, and to become a hiss and a byword among them—
10 And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you: At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel (rejecting the voice of the people and overturning the voting of Proposition 8; legalizing abortion; not keeping holy the Sabbath day; ), and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations (is this why Obama was apologizing for us?), and above all the people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret abominations (these things are reported weekly); and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fulness of my gospel from among them.
11 And then will I remember my covenant which I have made unto my people, O house of Israel, and I will bring my gospel unto them.
12 And I will show unto thee, O house of Israel, that the Gentiles (US will not have power over the Lamanites) shall not have power over you; but I will remember my covenant unto you, O house of Israel, and ye shall come unto the knowledge of the fulness of my gospel.
13 But if the Gentiles will repent and return unto me, saith the Father, behold they shall be numbered among my people (hope, mercy), O house of Israel.
1 Nephi 13:30 - Nevertheless, thou beholdest that the Gentiles who have gone forth out of captivity (Europe - why was it considered captivity? Because they didn't have freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and many other freedoms.), and have been lifted up by the power of God above all other nations, (no need to apologize about it. The power of God made it this way) upon the face of the land which is choice above all other lands (United States), which is the land that the Lord God hath covenanted with thy father (Lehi) that his seed (Lamanites) should have for the land of their inheritance; wherefore, thou seest that the Lord God will not suffer that the Gentiles will utterly destroy the mixture (see Alma 45:13-14 below) of thy seed, which are among thy brethren (the Lamanites).
31 Neither will he suffer that the Gentiles shall destroy (they still live in the US and have been given many government benefits) the seed of thy brethren (the Lamanites).
2 Nephi 10:18 - Wherefore, my beloved brethren, thus saith our God: I will afflict thy seed (Lamanites) by the hand of the Gentiles; nevertheless, I will soften the hearts of the Gentiles, that they shall be like unto a father to them (Gentiles became leaders of the LDS church; Indian placement program); wherefore, the Gentiles shall be blessed and numbered among the house of Israel (the Gentiles have been baptized into the LDS Church; the Gentiles founded/organized the LDS Church).
19 Wherefore, I will consecrate this land unto thy seed (Lamanites), and them who shall be numbered among thy seed (the Spanish mixed with the Lamanites), forever (forever), for the land of their inheritance (it belongs to them); for it is a choice land, saith God unto me, above all other lands, wherefore I will have all men that dwell thereon that they shall worship me, saith God.
Alma 45:13 - And when that great day cometh, behold, the time very soon cometh that those who are now, or the seed of those who are now numbered among the people of Nephi, shall ano more be numbered among the people of Nephi.
14 But whosoever remaineth, and is not destroyed in that great and dreadful day, shall be anumbered among the bLamanites, and shall become like unto them, all, save it be a few who shall be called the disciples of the Lord; and them shall the Lamanites pursue even cuntil they shall become extinct (Moroni being the last one). And now, because of iniquity, this prophecy shall be fulfilled.
A friend pointed out this scripture to me: 3 Nephi 20:15-16.
15 And I say unto you, that if the Gentiles do not arepent after the bblessing (being led to a choice and free land where the Gospel will be restored) which they shall receive, after they have scattered my people—
16 Then shall ye (speaking to the Lamanites and Nephites), who are a aremnant (of Ephraim and Manasseh) of the house of Jacob, go forth among them; and ye shall be in the midst of them who shall be many; and ye shall be among them as a lion (Lamanites) among the beasts of the forest (Gentiles), and as a young blion (Lamanites) among the flocks of sheep (Gentiles), who, if he goeth through both ctreadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.
I will continue: 3 Nephi 20 -
18 And I will agather my people (House of Israel - a select group of Christians) together as a man gathereth his sheaves into the floor.
19 For I will make my apeople with whom the Father hath covenanted, yea, I will make thy bhorn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass. And thou shalt cbeat in pieces many people; and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth. And behold, I am he who doeth it.
20 And it shall come to pass, saith the Father, that the asword of my justice shall hang over them at that day; and except they repent it shall fall upon them, saith the Father, yea, even upon all the nations of the Gentiles (Europe and US).
And I guess this makes it even clearer:
3 Nephi 16 -
6 And blessed are the Gentiles, because of their belief in me, in and of the Holy Ghost, which witnesses unto them of me and of the Father.
7 Behold, because of their belief in me, saith the Father, and because of the unbelief of you, O house of Israel, in the latter day shall the truth come unto the Gentiles, that the fulness of these things shall be made known unto them.
8 But wo, saith the Father, unto the unbelieving of the Gentiles—for notwithstanding they have come forth upon the face of this land, and have scattered my people who are of the house of Israel; and my people who are of the house of Israel have been cast out from among them, and have been trodden under feet by them;
9 And because of the mercies of the Father unto the Gentiles, and also the judgments of the Father upon my people who are of the house of Israel, verily, verily, I say unto you, that after all this, and I have caused my people who are of the house of Israel to be smitten, and to be afflicted, and to be slain, and to be cast out from among them, and to become hated by them, and to become a hiss and a byword among them—
10 And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you: At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel (rejecting the voice of the people and overturning the voting of Proposition 8; legalizing abortion; not keeping holy the Sabbath day; ), and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations (is this why Obama was apologizing for us?), and above all the people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret abominations (these things are reported weekly); and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fulness of my gospel from among them.
11 And then will I remember my covenant which I have made unto my people, O house of Israel, and I will bring my gospel unto them.
12 And I will show unto thee, O house of Israel, that the Gentiles (US will not have power over the Lamanites) shall not have power over you; but I will remember my covenant unto you, O house of Israel, and ye shall come unto the knowledge of the fulness of my gospel.
13 But if the Gentiles will repent and return unto me, saith the Father, behold they shall be numbered among my people (hope, mercy), O house of Israel.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
"By Their Books Ye Shall Know Them"
My daughter keeps a list of books read and my mother has recently done the same (a great reader of books), so I thought I would do the same. Here goes my list, a work in progress:
Religious Books
Bible
Book of Mormon
Doctrine & Covenants
Pearl of Great Price
Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage
A Marvelous Work and a Wonder by LeGrand Richards
The Messiah by Bruce R. McConkie (bits and pieces)
Cleansing of America by Cleon Skousen
The First 2000 Years by Cleon Skousen
The 3rd Thousand Years by Cleon Skousen
The 4th Thousand Years by Cleon Skousen
The Miracle of Forgiveness by Spencer W. Kimball
Historical, Biographical
Emma and Joseph: Their Divine Mission by Gracia N. Jones
The World of George Washington by Richard M. Ketchum
The Biography of Doris Day
The Rothschilds
The 5000 Year Leap
The Biography of Spencer W. Kimball
The Biography of Ezra Taft Benson
The Biography of Howard W. Hunter
The Biography of Gordon B. Hinckley
To The Rescue: The Biography of Thomas S. Monson
Charles and Diana by Martin
"Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption" by Laura Hillenbrand
Hillary's America by Dinesh D'Souza
Killing the Rising Sun by Bill O'Reilly
Ameritopia by Mark Levin
Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly
Fiction and Historical Fiction
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Little House on the Prairie
On the Banks of Plum Creek
By the Shores of Silver Lake
The Long Winter
Little Town on the Prairie
These Happy Golden Years
The First Four Years
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Anne of Avonlea by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Anne of the Island by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Anne of Windy Poplars by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Anne's House of Dreams by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Anne of Ingleside by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (I didn't like it)
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
the two sequels to Pride and Prejudice
Emma by Jane Austen
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Children's Books
Amelia Bedelia and series
The Polar Express
Goodnight, Moon
Dr. Seuss books
The Foot Book
Oh, the Places You'll Go
I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
The Cat in the Hat
The Cat in the Hat Comes Back
Do you Like My Hat?
Are you my Mother?
10 Apples Up on Top
Dr. Seuss's ABC
The Tooth Book
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
The Lorax
Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?
Hop on Pop
Green Eggs and Ham
Yertle the Turtle
Horton Hears a Who
The Sneetches
Sleep Book
If I Ran the Zoo
If I Ran the Circus
There's a Wocket in my Pocket
Horton Hatches the Egg
Fox in Socks
Happy Birthday to You
I Had Trouble Getting to Solla Sollew
The Butter Battle Book
Wacky Wednesday
Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?
Go, Dog, Go!
And to Think that I Saw it on Mulberry Street
Bartholomew and the Oobleck
Daisy-Head Mayzie
The Five Hundred Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins
Great Day For Up!
Hunches in Bunches
I Am Not Going to Get Up Today!
I Can Read With my Eyes Shut!
McElligot's Pool
Marvin K. Mooney, Will You Please Go Now
Oh, Say Can You Say?
Oh! The Thinks you Can Think!
Thidwick, the Big-Hearted Moose (my favorite!!!)
There are a few that I missed, but not many, and as I read them to my children, I realized that Dr. Seuss was a remarkable man. Click on the link below and read how he came to write children's books. His real name is Theodor Geisel, but I've also heard him go by Theodor LeSieg, which is Geisel backwards. What a character!
http://www.catinthehat.org/history.htm
Religious Books
Bible
Book of Mormon
Doctrine & Covenants
Pearl of Great Price
Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage
A Marvelous Work and a Wonder by LeGrand Richards
The Messiah by Bruce R. McConkie (bits and pieces)
Cleansing of America by Cleon Skousen
The First 2000 Years by Cleon Skousen
The 3rd Thousand Years by Cleon Skousen
The 4th Thousand Years by Cleon Skousen
The Miracle of Forgiveness by Spencer W. Kimball
Historical, Biographical
Emma and Joseph: Their Divine Mission by Gracia N. Jones
The World of George Washington by Richard M. Ketchum
The Biography of Doris Day
The Rothschilds
The 5000 Year Leap
The Biography of Spencer W. Kimball
The Biography of Ezra Taft Benson
The Biography of Howard W. Hunter
The Biography of Gordon B. Hinckley
To The Rescue: The Biography of Thomas S. Monson
Charles and Diana by Martin
"Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption" by Laura Hillenbrand
Hillary's America by Dinesh D'Souza
Killing the Rising Sun by Bill O'Reilly
Ameritopia by Mark Levin
Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly
Fiction and Historical Fiction
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Little House on the Prairie
On the Banks of Plum Creek
By the Shores of Silver Lake
The Long Winter
Little Town on the Prairie
These Happy Golden Years
The First Four Years
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Anne of Avonlea by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Anne of the Island by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Anne of Windy Poplars by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Anne's House of Dreams by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Anne of Ingleside by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (I didn't like it)
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
the two sequels to Pride and Prejudice
Emma by Jane Austen
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Children's Books
Amelia Bedelia and series
The Polar Express
Goodnight, Moon
Dr. Seuss books
The Foot Book
Oh, the Places You'll Go
I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
The Cat in the Hat
The Cat in the Hat Comes Back
Do you Like My Hat?
Are you my Mother?
10 Apples Up on Top
Dr. Seuss's ABC
The Tooth Book
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
The Lorax
Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?
Hop on Pop
Green Eggs and Ham
Yertle the Turtle
Horton Hears a Who
The Sneetches
Sleep Book
If I Ran the Zoo
If I Ran the Circus
There's a Wocket in my Pocket
Horton Hatches the Egg
Fox in Socks
Happy Birthday to You
I Had Trouble Getting to Solla Sollew
The Butter Battle Book
Wacky Wednesday
Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?
Go, Dog, Go!
And to Think that I Saw it on Mulberry Street
Bartholomew and the Oobleck
Daisy-Head Mayzie
The Five Hundred Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins
Great Day For Up!
Hunches in Bunches
I Am Not Going to Get Up Today!
I Can Read With my Eyes Shut!
McElligot's Pool
Marvin K. Mooney, Will You Please Go Now
Oh, Say Can You Say?
Oh! The Thinks you Can Think!
Thidwick, the Big-Hearted Moose (my favorite!!!)
There are a few that I missed, but not many, and as I read them to my children, I realized that Dr. Seuss was a remarkable man. Click on the link below and read how he came to write children's books. His real name is Theodor Geisel, but I've also heard him go by Theodor LeSieg, which is Geisel backwards. What a character!
"The Pursuit of Happyness"
This is a song one of my SLCC students introduced to me. It's called "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica. Metallica is a heavy metal band, but this music represents a departure from that style. My dad would have loved the orchestra in this song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAsA00-5KoI
I don't know specifically what the author had in mind by the words, but I can interpret the title for myself. Even though I would like my kids to be involved in things like music lessons, dance lessons, sports, etc., making sure they are faithful members of the church is what is important, and Nothing Else Matters.
The lyrics are as follows:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAsA00-5KoI
I don't know specifically what the author had in mind by the words, but I can interpret the title for myself. Even though I would like my kids to be involved in things like music lessons, dance lessons, sports, etc., making sure they are faithful members of the church is what is important, and Nothing Else Matters.
The lyrics are as follows:
So close no matter how far
couldn’t be much more from the heart
forever trust who we are
and nothing else matters.
never opened myself this way
life is ours, we live it our way
all these words I don’t just say
and nothing else matters
trust I seek and I find in you
every day for us something new
open mind for a different view
and nothing else matters
never cared for what they say
never cared for games they play
never cared for what they do
never cared for what they know
and I know
Monday, January 2, 2012
"First Time" - the name of the first "Scarecrow and Mrs. King" episode
To introduce, this blog will be the recipient of music and personal musings.
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