Feeling Better. Book of Mormon

Today Bob and I woke up way too early. Bob has a bit of a cough and it is pretty bad in the morning. We both got up for about an hour and then went back to bed. When I woke up for the day, (way too late!), I felt so much better than yesterday! Yippee!

About 25 years ago I decided to read all the scriptures. I started when President Kimball asked us to read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. I just kept going. Then I decided I wanted to have read all the standard works. It took a few years, but I did it. I noticed that, while reading the Old Testament, I didn't feel the spirit as strongly as when I read the other scriptures. So I had to read the Book of Mormon at the same time. That helped a lot.

I know this sounds methodical, but if you read 3 columns of the Book of Mormon everyday, you will make it through the book in one year. I have done that for the past 25 years. I love reading the Book of Mormon. Some years I will read 3 pages a day and make it through twice. Several times I have read it in 2 months. Once I read it in one month, but that was a little too much for me! The past 2 years I spent reading it in Spanish. (Sometimes it was very spiritual.)

I started again today. I read about the witnesses. They never denied their testimony of the book. The Book of Mormon is amazing! I didn't find the church until I was 21 and I LOVE having the Book of Mormon in my life! Reading it gives me great direction for my life.

I love the gospel! My life most certainly has been VERY blessed because of the gospel and my knowledge of a loving Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. I love Them!

In a funk.

Days like today really bother me. I am in a funk. That was my father-in-law's term for feeling down.

The reason these kinds of days bother me is that I have no particular reason to be in a funk today. It is true that a few things bugged me last night and this morning, but to waste an entire day in a funk is a real bummer.

Yesterday morning I woke up feeling so fine and happy. It was a great feeling day. No particular reason for it. I just felt good all day.

Not today. I didn't sleep well and I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. It is hard to move when I am this way.

I come from a long line of people who spent a lot of time in funks. I suppose I should be happy that my funks don't last that long. On the roller coaster of life my dips are frequent but short. Rarely do they go on and on. It is really a bummer when they last longer than a day.

The problem with my funks is that I don't see the light at the end of the tunnel while I am in one. I only see doom and gloom.

Judy has talked me through many, many a funk. I try to remember the things she has told me before and at least now I realize I won't be in this funk forever. That is a vast improvement over my previous funks.

I wish these funks weren't so paralyzing. I start feeling worse and worse....just because I am feeling in a funk. I start imagining that NO ONE ELSE does this. Then I remembered Anaise's blogs. Sometimes she is in a funk (usually with a dang good reason) and she and the girls will have a movie day. You know what? Just remembering her blogs made me start to perk up and feel better! Even though I have no good reason to be in a funk, I feel a little better now. Thanks for being open!

Savior of the World

Every year at the little theater in the Conference Center there is a play, Savior of the World, that runs for about six weeks. For the past, I think it is five years, they have asked interpreters to come on one or two of the performances to interpret into American Sign Language for Deaf people. Also, blind people are invited and Deaf-blind are invited. They have special accommodations for the blind people to be able to hear what is happening on the stage.

Two years ago I was asked to be one of the four interpreters for this production. It is thrilling to interpret such a marvelous, touching play. Again last year I was able to interpret the production and again this year I have this great opportunity. Our evening is next week and the four of us are really excited!

I love Christmas time, especially the Christmas music. Going to this play and watching the recreation of the birth of Jesus, His death and resurrection, really adds a measure of the Spirit to the season. I am so glad to be a part of it!

What a blessing has been mine to be able to be associated with Deaf people all these years. The opportunities I have had are countless...and marvelous. The spiritual experiences I have received have kept me going. Heavenly Father knows me and knows my needs and He has put me in a place where I can always depend on Him for His help!

End of the Semester

Awww. Today is the end of the semester. I am happy as a lark about it, but I will miss the people I have been working with. It has been a great semester! I am learning leaps and bounds about Deaf people, ASL and interpreting. I already have some fun things to look forward to next semester so I don't feel too sad to finish this one.

BTW, I have the new perm and it is pretty cool. A bit wild, but cool just the same. No story to tell.

New Hair

Well, I am going for it! I have NEVER had a good perm in my life and I am going to try again. Yep! Today I am getting a "natural-looking, loose perm." They say they will use large rods. I am tired of flat headed hair (Utah dryness.)

I remember the first time I got a perm as an adult. I told the stylist, "I don't want to look like old women over 70 with the bubble head. I just want some body and loose curls." Another patron, over 70, was getting her hair permed. When they removed the rollers, her hair was in the bubble head style. Then they removed my curlers. I looked EXACTLY like the other woman. I wanted to die! I went to the mall and anyone over 70 looked like me! I cried for 6 months.

The next perm I got was when I went to get my hair trimmed. I had long, quite pretty, hair that I had to blow dry everyday to have it lie right. It looked really, really good. The same stylist said to me, "I can give you a straight perm. You won't have to blow dry your hair everyday." Yippee! I was so excited. OK! Well, when they took the straightener out of my hair, my hair bounced up into its normal curly self. I stared at the mirror. I asked, "What is this?" "Well," the stylist announced, "you do have to blow it dry straight." Huh? So, I blew my hair dry and it frizzed out like a long-haired bubble head. The perm not only DIDN'T work, it also destroyed my hair. I had to chop it all off and then had a short style again. I haven't been able to have a long hair style again.

So, last night, when I announced I was getting a perm today, Kelli said, "You haven't learned your lesson yet?" and Bob said, "Well, I am sure it will make for a good story."

Either I will have a cute style or I will cry for 6 months and have a good story to tell. (In person these stories are much more lively.)

At least I am using a different stylist.

Feeling Good

I have always been tired. My whole life I am tired. I have complained to doctors. They never did anything to help me. I blamed it on Thalasemia Minor, a chronic anemia I inherited from my Italian heritage. Maybe that is part of it. But I recently realized that I have a mild to moderate sleep apnea.

I found a dentist that makes mouth appliances for sleep apnea and for TMJ. I have both. So two weeks ago I got my appliance and I immediately began sleeping better. I am feeling better all ready. Today at the check up visit the dentist told me that the real energy comes back in three to four months. I am so excited!!!

I am looking forward to finally having energy.

About a year ago, when I was complaining to a friend about my lack of energy, she suggested I pray and Heavenly Father would give me help to improve my situation. I mulled over the idea and thought about it and prayed (a little) about it. I am so glad that Heavenly Father answered my feeble prayer! (My prayer needed more energy!)

The TMJ takes about four months to improve. It actually gets worse temporarily. I am looking forward to THAT improving, too!