One way people often purchase property or a home is through owner financing. This can be very appealing for a variety of reasons, for both the seller and the buyer. This is especially true right not as banks are not approving people for mortgages even when they have good credit and a have a well paying job. But buying property through owner financing must be done carefully. First, if a realtor is not involved it is a good idea to get an attorney to make sure all the legal documents are in order. A few years ago I heard about someone who paid monthly payments for their new home for a year only to be evicted and lose everything because of some little loophole the owner had included in one of the documents. An attorney would have caught it but the buyer never got legal council before signing all the papers. Then he was late on one payment and according to the contract everyone had signed, the seller was able to evict the buyer and keep all the payments that had been made. The buyer lost everything.
Last night on the news I heard about another issue that a person needs to watch out for when buying straight from the owner. A couple bought a mobile home knowing there were back taxes on the home that needed to be paid off. This time an attorney was involved and he promised and later claimed he did pay off all the taxes. So the couple was in shock when they got a letter saying the home was being foreclosed due to back taxes. In this case the couple contacted a local TV station who was able to get the situation resolved. Before buying property with back taxes on it, get proof all those taxes have been paid off. Or at least insist in writing that the back taxes be paid off by a specific date and insist on receiving a copy of the receipt proving it was paid off. Verbal assurance is not enough.
The last warning I want to share is what apparently happened to the widow who is selling the property I am trying to buy. My realtor shared with me that the couple bought the land directly from the previous owner and paid for it by owner financing. They never got a mortgage from a bank and apparently never hired an attorney. Once the couple paid off the property, the previous owner filed the proper papers to change title of the property. Apparently though he only put the title in the husband’s name, not in both the couple’s name. The wife assumed her name was on the title, which it should have been. If her name had been included on the title, she would have owned the property outright upon her husband’s death. Since her name was not on the title, not only did she not own the land, but his children from another marriage actually have legal rights to the land. This one little issue has created a huge mess. Fortunately for me, the children have signed papers relinquishing any claim to the property. Now I am just waiting on the Title Company to finish the Title search and approve the sale of the property.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Property Update and Visit
I thought I would provide an update on the issue with the property. First, last Thursday a friend and I took to the road and drove up to the property. We had planned this trip for over a week and unfortunately it turned out to be the day before the coldest day of the year, the next day the area actually received some rare snow. We spent about 30 minutes walking around the property, measuring the front of the mobile home (plan to build a deck) reminding myself what I had seen on my first visit, checking cell phone reception (no land-line hookup) and of course taking pictures. I had planned to do more on the trip but with the thermometer reading 32F (0C), we both wanted to get back in the car ASAP. I might add that my car (Toyota RAV4) has a really good heater/AC. Within seconds it was warming us back up.
Upon leaving the property we headed to the nearest town, Rocksprings TX. It took some asking, but we finally found the Chamber of Commerce. At least we found City Hall which is the closest thing to a Chamber Rocksprings has. They had a table with some literature on it and I was able to get a telephone book (about ½ centimeter thick and includes 10 towns). After our short visit there we headed back home.
Now for the update, I spoke with my realtor today. As of today it looks like I will be signing the papers for the property before Christmas. Probate for the will should be completed by the end of this week and next week the Title Company should have everything they need to do a final Title search before approving the sale of the property. It there are no more problems, I could possibly be driving up to the realtor’s office by the end of next week. Please keep this in your prayers. I am anxious to get moving.
Upon leaving the property we headed to the nearest town, Rocksprings TX. It took some asking, but we finally found the Chamber of Commerce. At least we found City Hall which is the closest thing to a Chamber Rocksprings has. They had a table with some literature on it and I was able to get a telephone book (about ½ centimeter thick and includes 10 towns). After our short visit there we headed back home.
Now for the update, I spoke with my realtor today. As of today it looks like I will be signing the papers for the property before Christmas. Probate for the will should be completed by the end of this week and next week the Title Company should have everything they need to do a final Title search before approving the sale of the property. It there are no more problems, I could possibly be driving up to the realtor’s office by the end of next week. Please keep this in your prayers. I am anxious to get moving.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Glitch
Last week I got a call from my realtor to inform me a glitch has occurred and we had to change the closing date on the property. It seems the seller’s realtor did not do her job properly. The first inkling there was an issue occurred when I received the Title Report. Apparently the land’s title is in the deceased husband’s name. The mobile home is in both of their names. For some reason the widow decided to put the property on the market before the will was probated. As of this writing it still had not been probated. Why the seller’s realtor did not ask more questions before placing the land on the market is unknown. All I can say is my realtor is mad and so am I. When I made the offer on the land and home, this issue was never disclosed. The seller did ask for an increase in option money from me, but there was no disclosure ever made concerning the issue with the will. In fact all communication pointed to a need to sell the land and home quickly so the widow could buy something else near her son. That constitutes fraud. Until the will is probated, this property should never been placed on the market, let alone agreeing to sell the property and home to me when she legally does not own title.
Last week I agreed to postpone the closing date until December 30. If the will is probated sooner than that, then I will be closing on the property immediately. But if the situation has not changed, then I will have no choice but to walk away. I cannot live in limbo not knowing if or when this issue will be resolved. Since I have already spent over $1800 related to the purchase of this property, I will have to consider taking legal action to recoup that money. Hopefully it won’t come to that. Hopefully the legal issues with the property will be resolved before Christmas. I really do want that property. Please pray God’s will be done in this issue.
Last week I agreed to postpone the closing date until December 30. If the will is probated sooner than that, then I will be closing on the property immediately. But if the situation has not changed, then I will have no choice but to walk away. I cannot live in limbo not knowing if or when this issue will be resolved. Since I have already spent over $1800 related to the purchase of this property, I will have to consider taking legal action to recoup that money. Hopefully it won’t come to that. Hopefully the legal issues with the property will be resolved before Christmas. I really do want that property. Please pray God’s will be done in this issue.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Escrow
It has been a lazily Saturday for me. This morning I listened to Car Talk on the radio. Later I watched The New This Old House and a few cooking shows on TV. In between those activities I have read the latest Communities Journal and looked over yesterday’s mail, which included the Title Report on the property that is in escrow.
When I was a child my mother went to law school. Reading the Title Report reminded me why I never had a desire to attend law school. I am not a detailed oriented person. Even so, this is an important document so I carefully read every word. I do have a few questions that need addressing, but overall it looks okay.
If everything goes as plan, December 1st, at the latest, I will be signing papers on 20 acres of land and a few buildings. Then the real fun begins. Of course the first thing I need to do is move. But the real question is how long will I live on the property alone? I cannot turn 20 acres into a community by myself. It will take a lot of work to turn a rural piece of land into a place where people with MCS can come to live. Over the years I have tried to gather a group to help me make such a place a reality, but usually it seems like everyone is waiting for me to do everything. Well, so far I have done everything myself, but that now has to change.
The property comes with a 3 bedroom double wide mobile home. I am thinking of turning one of the bedrooms into an office. I will take one bedroom for myself. That will leave the third bedroom for someone else. There are also a couple camper trailers, one of which was turned into a cabin that someone could eventually live in. They both need cleaning and some work done to be livable, but once that is done I am sure someone (or a couple) will find it a nice little home. And of course there is plenty of room to pitch a tent, yurt, or another camper.
I need to build a deck on the front of the mobile home, something I am not capable of doing myself. I am also thinking of installing some fencing, planting some fruit and nut trees (peaches and pecans are major cash crops in Texas), planting a garden, maybe getting some goats (to use as lawn mowers) and chickens for meat and eggs. I hope to install a rain water catchment system and dream of one day installing alternative energy sources. I also think the quickest and cheapest way to make the property accessible to folks with MCS and who are currently displaced is to create a campground. That will require bathrooms/showers, and a laundry facility. I am going to need help to accomplish these projects. I also could use help with creating a new web site. The current site is outdated. So people with all types of skills are needed. Money is also needed to accomplish these goals. Since AOCCCI is a 501(c)3 organization, donations are tax deductable.
If you have an interest in helping with this project, whether you just desire to come out and spend a few vacation days, or you would like to live and work long term, please contact me. I would really like to talk to you. For the rest of you, tell others about this blog and the project that is happening in Texas.
When I was a child my mother went to law school. Reading the Title Report reminded me why I never had a desire to attend law school. I am not a detailed oriented person. Even so, this is an important document so I carefully read every word. I do have a few questions that need addressing, but overall it looks okay.
If everything goes as plan, December 1st, at the latest, I will be signing papers on 20 acres of land and a few buildings. Then the real fun begins. Of course the first thing I need to do is move. But the real question is how long will I live on the property alone? I cannot turn 20 acres into a community by myself. It will take a lot of work to turn a rural piece of land into a place where people with MCS can come to live. Over the years I have tried to gather a group to help me make such a place a reality, but usually it seems like everyone is waiting for me to do everything. Well, so far I have done everything myself, but that now has to change.
The property comes with a 3 bedroom double wide mobile home. I am thinking of turning one of the bedrooms into an office. I will take one bedroom for myself. That will leave the third bedroom for someone else. There are also a couple camper trailers, one of which was turned into a cabin that someone could eventually live in. They both need cleaning and some work done to be livable, but once that is done I am sure someone (or a couple) will find it a nice little home. And of course there is plenty of room to pitch a tent, yurt, or another camper.
I need to build a deck on the front of the mobile home, something I am not capable of doing myself. I am also thinking of installing some fencing, planting some fruit and nut trees (peaches and pecans are major cash crops in Texas), planting a garden, maybe getting some goats (to use as lawn mowers) and chickens for meat and eggs. I hope to install a rain water catchment system and dream of one day installing alternative energy sources. I also think the quickest and cheapest way to make the property accessible to folks with MCS and who are currently displaced is to create a campground. That will require bathrooms/showers, and a laundry facility. I am going to need help to accomplish these projects. I also could use help with creating a new web site. The current site is outdated. So people with all types of skills are needed. Money is also needed to accomplish these goals. Since AOCCCI is a 501(c)3 organization, donations are tax deductable.
If you have an interest in helping with this project, whether you just desire to come out and spend a few vacation days, or you would like to live and work long term, please contact me. I would really like to talk to you. For the rest of you, tell others about this blog and the project that is happening in Texas.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Looking For God In The Texas Hill Country
Last time I shared I was getting ready to leave town. Well, bright and early Friday morning I finished packing my car and headed west on IH-10 into the Texas Hill Country. Fortunately I was driving out of town, whereas those commuting to work were going the other direction. So I had little traffic while on the other side of the freeway the traffic was moving at a snail’s pace.
As I shared last time I really did not know where I was supposed to go. I had the general area in mind but as I have joked, God never sent me an email telling me what county to look in. I honestly was prepared to spend five days, sleeping in my car in State Parks and visiting many realtors in many towns. I fully expected to return to San Antonio without finding anything specific but hopefully with a better idea of where God wanted AOCCCI to be located. I did not even bring the checkbook with me that has all the money in it. I just did not expect to need it.
What I expected to happen is not what happened at all. I went looking for God in the Texas Hill Country and I found Him. What occurred last weekend was just plain amazing. Basically, finding a needle in a hay stack would have been less amazing then what I witnessed in a 48 hour period.
When I drove into Kerrville, Texas I had two immediate needs. The first was to buy some window cleaner to clean my outside mirrors. When I saw a store I pulled in, picked up the window cleaner and a brief conversation with the only two employees in the store led me to the Chamber of Commerce, which turned out to be just down the street. Up until their suggestion it had not
occurred to me to visit the Chamber of Commerce. Looking back though it was clear God was aiming His light in the Chamber’s direction and I followed it.
Once in the Chamber I picked up some free items that looked interesting and casually mentioned my need of a realtor. The young woman behind the counter said, “I would use this woman” and grabbed Ricki Eichler Real Estate’s brochure and handed it to me.
Once again God was shining His light and fortunately I followed. It would have been very easy for me to veer off God’s path as finding Ricki’s Eichler’s office was not easy. The woman at the Chamber neglected to tell me the highway her office is on gets a new name every few miles. I only learned this after stopping and asking for help. It took awhile but I finally did locate her office. In the process I spotted several other Real Estate offices but it never once occurred to me to stop at any of them. If I had stopped at a different Real Estate office, I would have missed God and/or wasted a lot of time.
Before walking into Ricki’s Eichler’s office, God clearly was directing my path but I had not yet recognized it. But it did not take me long to see God once I was speaking to Ricki. Most of the time when I tell people about AOCCCI, they think I am talking about people with chemical dependency, that is drug addiction. So I am very use to having to explain to people just what Multiple Chemical Sensitivities is. That did not happen when I shared with Ricki the goal of AOCCCI and what I needed in land. Instead Ricki informed me she had once suffered from severe allergies too and just how sick she had once been. I then told her I too had MCS and that God had healed me. She then responded that God had healed her too. At that moment I knew I had a realtor who understood. When I told her I write a newsletter on the mind/body/spirit connection, she said great. God’s lamp was clearly shinning.
Then it was time to get to business. I already knew finding an appropriate piece of land for AOCCCI was not going to be easy. Off and on during the year I had searched the Internet and had picked up a few Real Estate publications aimed at folks looking for rural property. Not once did I ever see anything that would work for me. Usually the land was either way to expensive and promoting huge luxury homes and/or fantastic views (which means not much usable flat land) or properties without any buildings and advertised for hunting. But one thing nice about using a realtor is they have access to multi listing services and knowledge of web sites I have not found. Ricki quickly accessed such web sites. As expected most of the listings in my price range involved only an acre or two or land without buildings, but several possibilities did show up.
Ricki had previous commitments that prevented her from showing me any properties that weekend, so she enlisted the help of another realtor in the office. Though I was shown a property that afternoon, both of them felt another property looked the most promising and Saturday morning shortly after 7:00 the realtor and I headed off for an hour drive to see the property. The seller’s r
ealtor met us near the property and showed us the way. We drove down a caliches road making several turns before finally arriving at our final location. The property features a double wide mobile home, a cabin (which had been turned into a storage building), and a dusty old camper trailer. With 20 acres of flat land, there is plenty of room for a variety of needs.
As I viewed the property, I did not see any real red flags. The few issues I did see would be easy to resolve. The pluses way outweighed any negatives. And then there was the issue of location. On the drive out to see the property I could not help but notice that just down the highway was property that Lee Grover (co-founder) and I had visited back in the 90’s. Last summer I had sensed God telling me to look in the area that Lee and I had looked at property in the 90’s and now a decade later my realtor was taking me to that same area. Once again God’s lamp seemed to be shinning.
I have no idea what the record is for finding a client their future home, but I am sure I am near the top. Ricki and her team showed me two properties in all and I placed an offer on the second one I looked at. I am now in escrow.
Stay tuned for more of this adventure.
As I shared last time I really did not know where I was supposed to go. I had the general area in mind but as I have joked, God never sent me an email telling me what county to look in. I honestly was prepared to spend five days, sleeping in my car in State Parks and visiting many realtors in many towns. I fully expected to return to San Antonio without finding anything specific but hopefully with a better idea of where God wanted AOCCCI to be located. I did not even bring the checkbook with me that has all the money in it. I just did not expect to need it.What I expected to happen is not what happened at all. I went looking for God in the Texas Hill Country and I found Him. What occurred last weekend was just plain amazing. Basically, finding a needle in a hay stack would have been less amazing then what I witnessed in a 48 hour period.
When I drove into Kerrville, Texas I had two immediate needs. The first was to buy some window cleaner to clean my outside mirrors. When I saw a store I pulled in, picked up the window cleaner and a brief conversation with the only two employees in the store led me to the Chamber of Commerce, which turned out to be just down the street. Up until their suggestion it had not
occurred to me to visit the Chamber of Commerce. Looking back though it was clear God was aiming His light in the Chamber’s direction and I followed it.Once in the Chamber I picked up some free items that looked interesting and casually mentioned my need of a realtor. The young woman behind the counter said, “I would use this woman” and grabbed Ricki Eichler Real Estate’s brochure and handed it to me.
Once again God was shining His light and fortunately I followed. It would have been very easy for me to veer off God’s path as finding Ricki’s Eichler’s office was not easy. The woman at the Chamber neglected to tell me the highway her office is on gets a new name every few miles. I only learned this after stopping and asking for help. It took awhile but I finally did locate her office. In the process I spotted several other Real Estate offices but it never once occurred to me to stop at any of them. If I had stopped at a different Real Estate office, I would have missed God and/or wasted a lot of time.
Before walking into Ricki’s Eichler’s office, God clearly was directing my path but I had not yet recognized it. But it did not take me long to see God once I was speaking to Ricki. Most of the time when I tell people about AOCCCI, they think I am talking about people with chemical dependency, that is drug addiction. So I am very use to having to explain to people just what Multiple Chemical Sensitivities is. That did not happen when I shared with Ricki the goal of AOCCCI and what I needed in land. Instead Ricki informed me she had once suffered from severe allergies too and just how sick she had once been. I then told her I too had MCS and that God had healed me. She then responded that God had healed her too. At that moment I knew I had a realtor who understood. When I told her I write a newsletter on the mind/body/spirit connection, she said great. God’s lamp was clearly shinning.
Then it was time to get to business. I already knew finding an appropriate piece of land for AOCCCI was not going to be easy. Off and on during the year I had searched the Internet and had picked up a few Real Estate publications aimed at folks looking for rural property. Not once did I ever see anything that would work for me. Usually the land was either way to expensive and promoting huge luxury homes and/or fantastic views (which means not much usable flat land) or properties without any buildings and advertised for hunting. But one thing nice about using a realtor is they have access to multi listing services and knowledge of web sites I have not found. Ricki quickly accessed such web sites. As expected most of the listings in my price range involved only an acre or two or land without buildings, but several possibilities did show up.
Ricki had previous commitments that prevented her from showing me any properties that weekend, so she enlisted the help of another realtor in the office. Though I was shown a property that afternoon, both of them felt another property looked the most promising and Saturday morning shortly after 7:00 the realtor and I headed off for an hour drive to see the property. The seller’s r
ealtor met us near the property and showed us the way. We drove down a caliches road making several turns before finally arriving at our final location. The property features a double wide mobile home, a cabin (which had been turned into a storage building), and a dusty old camper trailer. With 20 acres of flat land, there is plenty of room for a variety of needs.As I viewed the property, I did not see any real red flags. The few issues I did see would be easy to resolve. The pluses way outweighed any negatives. And then there was the issue of location. On the drive out to see the property I could not help but notice that just down the highway was property that Lee Grover (co-founder) and I had visited back in the 90’s. Last summer I had sensed God telling me to look in the area that Lee and I had looked at property in the 90’s and now a decade later my realtor was taking me to that same area. Once again God’s lamp seemed to be shinning.
I have no idea what the record is for finding a client their future home, but I am sure I am near the top. Ricki and her team showed me two properties in all and I placed an offer on the second one I looked at. I am now in escrow.
Stay tuned for more of this adventure.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Following God's Lamp
It is 7:00 in the morning as I sit down at my computer to write. I have two loads in the dryer, my camera battery is charging, I am thinking about what I need to do today as I prepare for leaving town, possibly tomorrow. There is a lot I must get done before I can even think of taking off.
Before I purchased my car I had to take the bus everywhere or depend on others to take me where I needed to go. Both modes of transportation are slow. Both modes of transportation require waiting on others. So I thought once I got a car I would be able to get a lot more done in a much shorter amount of time, leaving me with more time at home to get work done. That has proven to be a fallacy. The truth is I seem to be even busier then I was before. Now some of the activities that are taking up more of my time are by choice. I am now able to attend the Tuesday night prayer meeting at church which I was unable to attend before due to lack of transportation. And the past two Tuesday’s I have picked up a gentleman who is unable to drive due to a stroke he had years ago. But most of my car trips are doing stuff that before I would have just put off until someone could take me. So I really am getting a lot more done, just not on the computer.
I went to bed pretty early last night and so I have been awake for several hours. As I laid in bed this morning thinking and praying, I remembered the first few years of my life with AOCCCI. The first year Lee Grover was in charge. In fact when I first met Lee and learned about this project he had in mind, I really was not interested. I occasionally gave him some female advice when he asked, but that was the extent of my involvement and I liked it like that. Then in April 1996 the Lord began to speak to my heart. Keep in mind I was still very ill with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS) at the time, and this ministry did not even have a name yet. But there was no mistaking what the Lord was saying to me. Not in words, but to my spirit. Only weeks earlier Lee had come to the conclusion that his idea would have to be a Christian ministry, and now the Lord was telling me He wanted me to be a part of it.
The first 10 months of my involvement were a difficult time. During those months both Lee and I learned about the mind/body/spirit connection and I was healed of MCS. Before my healing I could only work a few hours a day, mostly typing. We occasionally took road trips, where Lee had to keep in mind my fragile health. We also talked on the phone a lot, as Lee lived in the Texas Hill Country, an hour drive north of me. Once God healed me of MCS a lot changed. I suddenly could do things I had never been able to do before, mainly because I now had energy and was not reacting to everything in my environment. I think the change in me was difficult for Lee to get use to. Anyway, I was healed around October of 1996 and after that our conflicts became even greater.
I will never forget the February day I received a letter in the mail from Lee. My mother was visiting me that week and I was living in a very small apartment at the time. The only private space in my apartment was the bathroom, where I suddenly spent a lot of time in prayer. The letter Lee sent me basically said God told him to resign from AOCCCI and at my convenience he would bring all the files and other information he had gathered. Though we had been in a lot of conflict, I was not prepared for this letter. I immediately went into panic mode. Since Lee and I were the only people working on this ministry, by default his resignation left me the one in charge. Lee had filed the paper work with the state, but had barely begun the work required to apply for non-profit status with the IRS. There was a ton of work to do and I had no idea how to do any of it. I had never taken a business or legal class in my life (unless you count sitting in on my mother’s law school classes whenever she didn’t have a babysitter for me). I had no idea what to do or even where to begin. On top of that, my mother, who was not a Christian and therefore never prayed, was visiting me. I could not share anything I was going through with her, she would not have understood. So, I started taking very long showers (private place where I could pray). My mom got tired a lot and needed naps, so I would go into the bathroom and pray during her naps. During the week my mother visited me I spent a lot of time in the bathroom praying. There literally was nowhere else I could go and close the door for privacy.
During that week of panic praying, asking God for help, Psalm 119:105 came to my mind.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”
The Lord would light my path one step at a time. First He gave me peace. He was still in control. I do not remember the very first direction He gave me, but it was enough to let me know exactly what my first step was to be. The rest of the week that my mom was with me was a time of calm. There was not much I could do until she left, so I just relaxed. As soon as my mother was out of town, I contacted Lee and in a few days he delivered several cardboard boxes of files to me. In the days, weeks, months, and years to come I would continue to seek the Lord for guidance and He provided me with all the support I needed to learn how to do what I needed to do. With the help of a pro bono attorney, I got the 501(c)3 papers submitted to the IRS just in time. Along with all the other legal papers that needed to be completed. God is good!
I have changed and grown a lot since 1997 when the Lord put me in charge of AOCCCI. In many ways I am a totally different person having grown spiritually in ways I could never have imagined. But I am still having to learn to follow God’s lamp as He directs my path one step at a time.
Unless something comes up to change my plans, I intend to leave bright and early tomorrow morning where I will head towards Kerrville, Junction, and who knows where. My purpose is to go property hunting. I do not have enough cash to buy property outright but it is time to start looking. Through prayer, I know this is the direction I am to go. Before Lee resigned, the two of us took many trips in this direction and even considered two pieces of rural property which we were unable to purchase at the time. One piece of property was in Real County. The other was in Kimble County. This summer when I started asking the Lord where I should began my search for land, these two sites came to mind. I am convinced that somewhere in that direction, basically west of San Antonio off Interstate 10, is the property the Lord has waiting for me to discover. I have no idea if this property will be revealed to me on this trip or on another trip I take a year or more from now. All I can do is follow God’s lamp as it lights each step I take.
Please keep me in your prayers. Thanks.
Before I purchased my car I had to take the bus everywhere or depend on others to take me where I needed to go. Both modes of transportation are slow. Both modes of transportation require waiting on others. So I thought once I got a car I would be able to get a lot more done in a much shorter amount of time, leaving me with more time at home to get work done. That has proven to be a fallacy. The truth is I seem to be even busier then I was before. Now some of the activities that are taking up more of my time are by choice. I am now able to attend the Tuesday night prayer meeting at church which I was unable to attend before due to lack of transportation. And the past two Tuesday’s I have picked up a gentleman who is unable to drive due to a stroke he had years ago. But most of my car trips are doing stuff that before I would have just put off until someone could take me. So I really am getting a lot more done, just not on the computer.
I went to bed pretty early last night and so I have been awake for several hours. As I laid in bed this morning thinking and praying, I remembered the first few years of my life with AOCCCI. The first year Lee Grover was in charge. In fact when I first met Lee and learned about this project he had in mind, I really was not interested. I occasionally gave him some female advice when he asked, but that was the extent of my involvement and I liked it like that. Then in April 1996 the Lord began to speak to my heart. Keep in mind I was still very ill with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS) at the time, and this ministry did not even have a name yet. But there was no mistaking what the Lord was saying to me. Not in words, but to my spirit. Only weeks earlier Lee had come to the conclusion that his idea would have to be a Christian ministry, and now the Lord was telling me He wanted me to be a part of it.
The first 10 months of my involvement were a difficult time. During those months both Lee and I learned about the mind/body/spirit connection and I was healed of MCS. Before my healing I could only work a few hours a day, mostly typing. We occasionally took road trips, where Lee had to keep in mind my fragile health. We also talked on the phone a lot, as Lee lived in the Texas Hill Country, an hour drive north of me. Once God healed me of MCS a lot changed. I suddenly could do things I had never been able to do before, mainly because I now had energy and was not reacting to everything in my environment. I think the change in me was difficult for Lee to get use to. Anyway, I was healed around October of 1996 and after that our conflicts became even greater.
I will never forget the February day I received a letter in the mail from Lee. My mother was visiting me that week and I was living in a very small apartment at the time. The only private space in my apartment was the bathroom, where I suddenly spent a lot of time in prayer. The letter Lee sent me basically said God told him to resign from AOCCCI and at my convenience he would bring all the files and other information he had gathered. Though we had been in a lot of conflict, I was not prepared for this letter. I immediately went into panic mode. Since Lee and I were the only people working on this ministry, by default his resignation left me the one in charge. Lee had filed the paper work with the state, but had barely begun the work required to apply for non-profit status with the IRS. There was a ton of work to do and I had no idea how to do any of it. I had never taken a business or legal class in my life (unless you count sitting in on my mother’s law school classes whenever she didn’t have a babysitter for me). I had no idea what to do or even where to begin. On top of that, my mother, who was not a Christian and therefore never prayed, was visiting me. I could not share anything I was going through with her, she would not have understood. So, I started taking very long showers (private place where I could pray). My mom got tired a lot and needed naps, so I would go into the bathroom and pray during her naps. During the week my mother visited me I spent a lot of time in the bathroom praying. There literally was nowhere else I could go and close the door for privacy.
During that week of panic praying, asking God for help, Psalm 119:105 came to my mind.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”
The Lord would light my path one step at a time. First He gave me peace. He was still in control. I do not remember the very first direction He gave me, but it was enough to let me know exactly what my first step was to be. The rest of the week that my mom was with me was a time of calm. There was not much I could do until she left, so I just relaxed. As soon as my mother was out of town, I contacted Lee and in a few days he delivered several cardboard boxes of files to me. In the days, weeks, months, and years to come I would continue to seek the Lord for guidance and He provided me with all the support I needed to learn how to do what I needed to do. With the help of a pro bono attorney, I got the 501(c)3 papers submitted to the IRS just in time. Along with all the other legal papers that needed to be completed. God is good!
I have changed and grown a lot since 1997 when the Lord put me in charge of AOCCCI. In many ways I am a totally different person having grown spiritually in ways I could never have imagined. But I am still having to learn to follow God’s lamp as He directs my path one step at a time.
Unless something comes up to change my plans, I intend to leave bright and early tomorrow morning where I will head towards Kerrville, Junction, and who knows where. My purpose is to go property hunting. I do not have enough cash to buy property outright but it is time to start looking. Through prayer, I know this is the direction I am to go. Before Lee resigned, the two of us took many trips in this direction and even considered two pieces of rural property which we were unable to purchase at the time. One piece of property was in Real County. The other was in Kimble County. This summer when I started asking the Lord where I should began my search for land, these two sites came to mind. I am convinced that somewhere in that direction, basically west of San Antonio off Interstate 10, is the property the Lord has waiting for me to discover. I have no idea if this property will be revealed to me on this trip or on another trip I take a year or more from now. All I can do is follow God’s lamp as it lights each step I take.
Please keep me in your prayers. Thanks.
Monday, September 28, 2009
My First Car Trip
I took my first real trip in my new car this weekend. I had taken a few trips to Boerne (pronounced burn-ie), TX to see a doctor, but that is just a short 30 minute drive over the county line. Saturday a friend and I drove to Fredericksburg, TX and spent the night in a motel. The purpose of the trip was to attend the Renewable Energy Roundup and Green Living Fair. I had attended the fair one time 8 or 9 years ago, but my friend had never even heard of it before. Since the school she teaches gardening at just got a grant to install a rainwater harvesting catchment system, she wanted to go in hopes of learning anything she could on the subject. I wanted information on all sorts of issues concerning green living.
I cannot recommend the motel we stayed in but I can heartily recommend the fair. It would have been better if we could have attended on Saturday but I was not able to leave town until late afternoon.
9:00 am Saturday morning I had to run over to church and pick up my Angel Food order. If you are not familiar with Angel Food Ministries, it is a way to buy lots of meat and other food items at about half the price it would cost at the store. Today as I write, my freezer is full of chicken, turkey burgers, beef and pork. I also have a number of bags of frozen vegetables, plus a bag of potatoes and onions. I have been ordering Angel Food off and on for about a year now. Unless you are on a very specialized diet such as vegetarian or all organic, I highly recommend you check them out. If there is a participating church near you, buying a box of Angel Food can really save you a bundle.
As soon as had loaded all the food in my freezer, I threw my bags into the car and headed over to my friend Polly’s house. From there we carpooled out to the town of Garden Ridge where the Church Librarian lives for the annual Librarian Appreciation Luncheon. Polly and I have been volunteering in our church library for years now. Polly is 89 years old and has many limitations, but she is still a vital part of the librarian team. We work together and she is a close friend of mine. I have divided the work up between us so she does what she can physically do and I do the rest. It works out great. It is not often the Library team can get together as one group so when we do have meetings or special events, I always like to attend. It is often the only time I hear what other volunteers are doing, since we all work in the library at different times. Our meal was catered from the Olive Garden (yum yum) and it was a wonderful time of socializing and sharing. I must say I loved the gift all of us volunteers were given, a coffee cup that reads “Library Volunteers are the Greatest”.
Once our luncheon was over with, Polly and I headed back to her house. From there I immediately headed to my friend Margaret’s place where the two of us headed for Fredericksburg, TX. We took my car, more cargo room in the back and Margaret is a plant lover. We shared the driving duties. We arrived in Fredericksburg quicker than we thought we would, found our motel and then headed to down town (which was not that far since Fredericksburg is a small town. We snooped in shops and found a wonderful place to eat dinner, The Buffalo Nickel Bar and Grill, where we shared a wonderful salad (Pocahontas) and possibly the best burger I have ever had. It was not on a hamburger bun but special bread that made all the difference. I highly recommend this restaurant, especially if you are adventurous and want to try buffalo meat, which I did spot on the menu.
I won’t bother to mention where we stayed the night as I do not recommend this motel, but I will say I have been in worse. At least it was a safe place to spend the night. Early Sunday morning we visited a wonderful little church in town for worship and then headed to the fair. We spent the morning visiting booths, buying stuff, taking free information, and attended part of one workshop. For lunch, we bought an expensive hamburger at the fair. Margaret and I both are in agreement that we have had enough hamburgers for awhile. In the afternoon we attended a workshop titled Sustainable Rainwater harvesting Systems. He had some good information but we both want the book he mentioned at the beginning. We were unable to stay for the entire presentation and so I am now trying to track down the presenter, who lives near Boerne.
We left the fair a little before 2pm and headed to the Wild Seeds Farms. They raise wild flower seeds and much more there. They have a butterfly exhibit and Margaret was in paradise. We both spent money there and the back end of my car was filled with plants blocking the rear view window. If you are ever in the area the Wild Seeds Farm is a must stop. It is a wonderful place to visit and they do sell sandwhiches. We just got something to drink.
In October they will be tagging Monarch Butterflies which pass by on their migration path to Mexico and Margaret plans on trying to plan a Saturday field trip for her young students (pre-K through 5th grade).
After we left the Wild Seed Farms, we headed back to San Antonio. It was a quick trip, but educational and fun.
I cannot recommend the motel we stayed in but I can heartily recommend the fair. It would have been better if we could have attended on Saturday but I was not able to leave town until late afternoon.
9:00 am Saturday morning I had to run over to church and pick up my Angel Food order. If you are not familiar with Angel Food Ministries, it is a way to buy lots of meat and other food items at about half the price it would cost at the store. Today as I write, my freezer is full of chicken, turkey burgers, beef and pork. I also have a number of bags of frozen vegetables, plus a bag of potatoes and onions. I have been ordering Angel Food off and on for about a year now. Unless you are on a very specialized diet such as vegetarian or all organic, I highly recommend you check them out. If there is a participating church near you, buying a box of Angel Food can really save you a bundle.
As soon as had loaded all the food in my freezer, I threw my bags into the car and headed over to my friend Polly’s house. From there we carpooled out to the town of Garden Ridge where the Church Librarian lives for the annual Librarian Appreciation Luncheon. Polly and I have been volunteering in our church library for years now. Polly is 89 years old and has many limitations, but she is still a vital part of the librarian team. We work together and she is a close friend of mine. I have divided the work up between us so she does what she can physically do and I do the rest. It works out great. It is not often the Library team can get together as one group so when we do have meetings or special events, I always like to attend. It is often the only time I hear what other volunteers are doing, since we all work in the library at different times. Our meal was catered from the Olive Garden (yum yum) and it was a wonderful time of socializing and sharing. I must say I loved the gift all of us volunteers were given, a coffee cup that reads “Library Volunteers are the Greatest”.
Once our luncheon was over with, Polly and I headed back to her house. From there I immediately headed to my friend Margaret’s place where the two of us headed for Fredericksburg, TX. We took my car, more cargo room in the back and Margaret is a plant lover. We shared the driving duties. We arrived in Fredericksburg quicker than we thought we would, found our motel and then headed to down town (which was not that far since Fredericksburg is a small town. We snooped in shops and found a wonderful place to eat dinner, The Buffalo Nickel Bar and Grill, where we shared a wonderful salad (Pocahontas) and possibly the best burger I have ever had. It was not on a hamburger bun but special bread that made all the difference. I highly recommend this restaurant, especially if you are adventurous and want to try buffalo meat, which I did spot on the menu.
I won’t bother to mention where we stayed the night as I do not recommend this motel, but I will say I have been in worse. At least it was a safe place to spend the night. Early Sunday morning we visited a wonderful little church in town for worship and then headed to the fair. We spent the morning visiting booths, buying stuff, taking free information, and attended part of one workshop. For lunch, we bought an expensive hamburger at the fair. Margaret and I both are in agreement that we have had enough hamburgers for awhile. In the afternoon we attended a workshop titled Sustainable Rainwater harvesting Systems. He had some good information but we both want the book he mentioned at the beginning. We were unable to stay for the entire presentation and so I am now trying to track down the presenter, who lives near Boerne.
We left the fair a little before 2pm and headed to the Wild Seeds Farms. They raise wild flower seeds and much more there. They have a butterfly exhibit and Margaret was in paradise. We both spent money there and the back end of my car was filled with plants blocking the rear view window. If you are ever in the area the Wild Seeds Farm is a must stop. It is a wonderful place to visit and they do sell sandwhiches. We just got something to drink.
In October they will be tagging Monarch Butterflies which pass by on their migration path to Mexico and Margaret plans on trying to plan a Saturday field trip for her young students (pre-K through 5th grade).
After we left the Wild Seed Farms, we headed back to San Antonio. It was a quick trip, but educational and fun.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
My New Wheels
I have been pretty busy the past few weeks. There have been the typical projects, such as getting a newsletter out, my church library volunteer work, prayer meetings, etc. But on Thursday, September 3 a new chapter of my life began, I bought a car-like SUV.
For my entire adult like I have used alternative transportation. During my college years and pretty much through the 1980’s my main form of transportation was my bicycle. It was good exercise, got me most places I needed go, and was reliable. The rest of the time I either carpooled or took the bus. When I moved to Texas I found myself sick with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities and unable to work. By the time I was awarded disability I was too sick to even care about a car. In 1996 God healed me but my economic situation was such that a car was just not a financial possibility. Though San Antonio Texas has a good bus system, it is not perfect and does not go many places. When I broke my foot last year the situation became even more difficult for me. I now was unable to walk to bus stops, which made getting around very difficult. Thankfully, my church came to my rescue and several folks started providing me transportation to church, the store, and other places I needed to get too. They were really a blessing.
Recently my economic situation has changed and I am now able to afford a car. So this past summer I started researching exactly what type of car I should get. If God had never called me to AOCCCI, my automotive needs would be totally different, but God did call me to this work and eventually I will no longer be living in one of the largest cities in the country. With that in mind I wanted a vehicle with good ground clearance and space inside. At the same time I did not want a vehicle that was so large it would be more car then I could handle, would be a gas guzzler, would be unsafe and/or break down often, or a color that would create a solar oven affect. So I spent a lot of time studying the different choices and praying. I went out and checked the possibilities for blind spots. Several friends told me I was wise for doing that and if they had done the same thing they would not have purchased the car they now owned because of the blind spots. So for anyone considering buying a car—do not forget to check for blind spots. You need to be able to see out of it when driving.
Another prayer request I had was for help. This was the first car I have ever purchased and I knew I needed some help or it would be easy for a car salesman to take advantage of me.
God answered both of my prayers. My friend’s husband has the gift of car buying. He has purchased many cars in his life and knows how to play the game well. He is a godly man and we prayed for God’s guidance in the car I should get. He also knew what to look for. Larry saw things I never even noticed. He also knew information I was ignorant of such as one dealership I had looked at also ran a car rental agency. He suspected the car I had looked at had been a rental and when he asked, the salesman confirmed it had been. In the end, with Larry’s help, I bought at very good price a 2006 Toyota Rav4. I do not believe I could have gotten a better car at a better price. Larry talked them down to $18,500 out the door (includes the TTL).
Of course after I signed the last piece of paper and wrote a check for the full price of the car, I had to follow Larry home to his house, in the dark, in my new car. Both of us would have been in a lot of trouble if we didn’t show the car to my friend (Larry’s wife
). When she saw it she promptly said, “I want one”, which Larry replied, “she what trouble you have caused”.
Now that I have wheels, I am not stuck here in San Antonio anymore. Though money is still being raised for property, I can now start the process of looking. AOCCCI does need donations before property can be purchased, but we also need your prayers. Like buying a car, I have never purchased or even seriously looked for property. So your prayers are very important.
For my entire adult like I have used alternative transportation. During my college years and pretty much through the 1980’s my main form of transportation was my bicycle. It was good exercise, got me most places I needed go, and was reliable. The rest of the time I either carpooled or took the bus. When I moved to Texas I found myself sick with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities and unable to work. By the time I was awarded disability I was too sick to even care about a car. In 1996 God healed me but my economic situation was such that a car was just not a financial possibility. Though San Antonio Texas has a good bus system, it is not perfect and does not go many places. When I broke my foot last year the situation became even more difficult for me. I now was unable to walk to bus stops, which made getting around very difficult. Thankfully, my church came to my rescue and several folks started providing me transportation to church, the store, and other places I needed to get too. They were really a blessing.
Recently my economic situation has changed and I am now able to afford a car. So this past summer I started researching exactly what type of car I should get. If God had never called me to AOCCCI, my automotive needs would be totally different, but God did call me to this work and eventually I will no longer be living in one of the largest cities in the country. With that in mind I wanted a vehicle with good ground clearance and space inside. At the same time I did not want a vehicle that was so large it would be more car then I could handle, would be a gas guzzler, would be unsafe and/or break down often, or a color that would create a solar oven affect. So I spent a lot of time studying the different choices and praying. I went out and checked the possibilities for blind spots. Several friends told me I was wise for doing that and if they had done the same thing they would not have purchased the car they now owned because of the blind spots. So for anyone considering buying a car—do not forget to check for blind spots. You need to be able to see out of it when driving.
Another prayer request I had was for help. This was the first car I have ever purchased and I knew I needed some help or it would be easy for a car salesman to take advantage of me.
God answered both of my prayers. My friend’s husband has the gift of car buying. He has purchased many cars in his life and knows how to play the game well. He is a godly man and we prayed for God’s guidance in the car I should get. He also knew what to look for. Larry saw things I never even noticed. He also knew information I was ignorant of such as one dealership I had looked at also ran a car rental agency. He suspected the car I had looked at had been a rental and when he asked, the salesman confirmed it had been. In the end, with Larry’s help, I bought at very good price a 2006 Toyota Rav4. I do not believe I could have gotten a better car at a better price. Larry talked them down to $18,500 out the door (includes the TTL).
Of course after I signed the last piece of paper and wrote a check for the full price of the car, I had to follow Larry home to his house, in the dark, in my new car. Both of us would have been in a lot of trouble if we didn’t show the car to my friend (Larry’s wife
). When she saw it she promptly said, “I want one”, which Larry replied, “she what trouble you have caused”.Now that I have wheels, I am not stuck here in San Antonio anymore. Though money is still being raised for property, I can now start the process of looking. AOCCCI does need donations before property can be purchased, but we also need your prayers. Like buying a car, I have never purchased or even seriously looked for property. So your prayers are very important.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Nation's Banking Crisis Hits AOCCCI
We have all heard about the banking crises in our nation. Big banks have had to be bailed out. Smaller banks have been taken over by the FDIC and turned over to more profitable banks. I never thought the banking crisis would affect me personally, but it now has.
I didn’t think I would be affected by a bank closer because my personal finances are with a small credit union. Credit Unions are different then banks in that the members of a credit union are the owners. Every year I get a ballot in the mail so I can vote for next year’s trustees. Though there are many similarities between banks and credit unions, there are differences. And a major difference is credit unions are less likely to fail because some idiot or idiots are in charge.
I am not just responsible for my own finances though. I also manage the finances of Alpha Omega Christian Communities For The Chemically Injured (AOCCCI). This is not a job I want to keep and have been praying for years that God will send me a bookkeeper or accountant, but so far that prayer has not been answered.
Years ago I opened a Non-Profit checking account at Guaranty Bank here in San Antonio. It was the best deal at the time. Most business checking accounts come with lots of fees. The non-profit checking account has much lower fees and none if a balance of $200 (at the time) was kept. A really good deal.
I first heard that Guaranty Bank was having problems last month when it was mentioned on the news that the bank was looking for a buyer. Well, over the weekend BBVA Compass Bank. The only thing I know about Compass bank is they have branches around the city. I did look at their web site and do not see any special checking accounts for non-profits. Hopefully they will honor the terms of the non-profit account. If they do not, well I will deal with that issue when it arrives.
If you subscribe to Healing God’s Way, AOCCCI’s free online newsletter, you should have received a newsletter last week in your email box. If you did not, please let me know. I know one person did not because it bounced. Fortunately I am in contact with this person and have her current email address. So I was able to go correct the address in the newsletter mailing list. But most folks who change their email address I never hear from again. If your email becomes no good, and you do nothing about it, you will stop receiving Healing God’s Way. Please let me know you are changing your email address if and I can make a change to the mailing list. Or at the bottom of the newsletter is a link that will allow you to make the change yourself.
If you are not receiving Healing God’s Way, you can sign up on the web site. It is free.
I never did solve the problem I am having but I did figure out the problem is with a specific template. So I started over in developing a new template. Not happy with what I created last week but I got a newsletter out, which was most important to me.
Update on my car shopping. I have test drove a few vehicles and am close to making my decision. I have been praying a lot about what exactly God wants me to buy. I expect to buy something in September.
I didn’t think I would be affected by a bank closer because my personal finances are with a small credit union. Credit Unions are different then banks in that the members of a credit union are the owners. Every year I get a ballot in the mail so I can vote for next year’s trustees. Though there are many similarities between banks and credit unions, there are differences. And a major difference is credit unions are less likely to fail because some idiot or idiots are in charge.
I am not just responsible for my own finances though. I also manage the finances of Alpha Omega Christian Communities For The Chemically Injured (AOCCCI). This is not a job I want to keep and have been praying for years that God will send me a bookkeeper or accountant, but so far that prayer has not been answered.
Years ago I opened a Non-Profit checking account at Guaranty Bank here in San Antonio. It was the best deal at the time. Most business checking accounts come with lots of fees. The non-profit checking account has much lower fees and none if a balance of $200 (at the time) was kept. A really good deal.
I first heard that Guaranty Bank was having problems last month when it was mentioned on the news that the bank was looking for a buyer. Well, over the weekend BBVA Compass Bank. The only thing I know about Compass bank is they have branches around the city. I did look at their web site and do not see any special checking accounts for non-profits. Hopefully they will honor the terms of the non-profit account. If they do not, well I will deal with that issue when it arrives.
If you subscribe to Healing God’s Way, AOCCCI’s free online newsletter, you should have received a newsletter last week in your email box. If you did not, please let me know. I know one person did not because it bounced. Fortunately I am in contact with this person and have her current email address. So I was able to go correct the address in the newsletter mailing list. But most folks who change their email address I never hear from again. If your email becomes no good, and you do nothing about it, you will stop receiving Healing God’s Way. Please let me know you are changing your email address if and I can make a change to the mailing list. Or at the bottom of the newsletter is a link that will allow you to make the change yourself.
If you are not receiving Healing God’s Way, you can sign up on the web site. It is free.
I never did solve the problem I am having but I did figure out the problem is with a specific template. So I started over in developing a new template. Not happy with what I created last week but I got a newsletter out, which was most important to me.
Update on my car shopping. I have test drove a few vehicles and am close to making my decision. I have been praying a lot about what exactly God wants me to buy. I expect to buy something in September.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Newsletter Problems
The Apostle Paul suffered a lot during his earthly life, but there is one hardship he never experienced, the hassles of dealing with tech support. I discovered several months ago for some unknown reason I suddenly could not save anything when trying to put a newsletter together. I never had this problem before so I was stumped. I use a web based service to create my newsletters. When I discovered the problem online chat was closed for the day so I sent an email. Several days later I received an email asking me what browser I used and I promptly responded. It took a week to get a response from them, but basically nothing was happening. So I finally contacted them using the online chat support. After an hour chatting, the tech said he would look into my problem and email me. I never got an email. So today I once again logged on and clicked on chat support. I spent one and half hours with chat support. This tech discovered my template had a bunch of extra codes, but never gave me an answer as to what caused the problem in the first place. I was able to save items in the template a few months ago and now suddenly I cannot. Why? In the end he said he and others needed to clean it up and he promised to email me later. Well, as I write this the chat support is closed for the day and I still have not received any emails from them. I went and tested my template and it still will not let me save. Needless to say, I am very frustrated. Believe me; I want to send out a newsletter. But until this problem is solved I cannot create newsletters.
On March 13, 2008, while walking to a bus stop, I twisted my left foot on a broken brick. An MRI would reveal I broke my navicular bone. A year and a half later I still suffer residual problems from that injury. I have always been baffled how I could fracture my foot just walking. Well, this past Saturday after praying with a friend I hung up the phone, got up out of my chair, and walked towards the kitchen. I have no idea what happened but somehow my right toes caught on something and I am now lying on the couch with my foot propped up on pillows. It is swollen and very colorful. I went to an emergency walk-in orthopedic clinic today. The doctor said he did not see anything on the x-rays but said sometimes a hairline fracture will not show up for a few weeks. I have a follow-up appointment with the doctor who treated my left foot last year. Hopefully by then all the prayers being said for me will be answered with significant healing.
I really do not have time for all these problems. I am in the market to buy a vehicle. I have been researching exactly what I want to purchase. Last week I spent several days visiting used car lots with one purpose in mind. I wanted to narrow down my list by sitting in vehicles to check for blind spots. I have driven a few cars over the years belonging to my friends. They had no trouble seeing out the windows, but I did. Of course, in every case the friend was much taller than me. I did cross several vehicles off my list, some for a variety of reasons. Hopefully by the time I finish my online research and am ready to start test driving, my toes will be much improved. Somehow I don’t think a dealership would want someone wearing a medical shoe and on crutches test driving their cars.
On March 13, 2008, while walking to a bus stop, I twisted my left foot on a broken brick. An MRI would reveal I broke my navicular bone. A year and a half later I still suffer residual problems from that injury. I have always been baffled how I could fracture my foot just walking. Well, this past Saturday after praying with a friend I hung up the phone, got up out of my chair, and walked towards the kitchen. I have no idea what happened but somehow my right toes caught on something and I am now lying on the couch with my foot propped up on pillows. It is swollen and very colorful. I went to an emergency walk-in orthopedic clinic today. The doctor said he did not see anything on the x-rays but said sometimes a hairline fracture will not show up for a few weeks. I have a follow-up appointment with the doctor who treated my left foot last year. Hopefully by then all the prayers being said for me will be answered with significant healing.
I really do not have time for all these problems. I am in the market to buy a vehicle. I have been researching exactly what I want to purchase. Last week I spent several days visiting used car lots with one purpose in mind. I wanted to narrow down my list by sitting in vehicles to check for blind spots. I have driven a few cars over the years belonging to my friends. They had no trouble seeing out the windows, but I did. Of course, in every case the friend was much taller than me. I did cross several vehicles off my list, some for a variety of reasons. Hopefully by the time I finish my online research and am ready to start test driving, my toes will be much improved. Somehow I don’t think a dealership would want someone wearing a medical shoe and on crutches test driving their cars.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Frustrations
Life is full of frustrations and mine is no different. For the past year I have been dealing with computer issues. I finally broke down and got a new computer earlier this year, which I thought would be the end of my problems. I was wrong. This computer uses Vista, which means the software I used to use to create web sites not only will not work on this computer but is not even made. At this point in time I have no idea what software I should buy. To be honest, I would prefer someone who loves to make web sites volunteer to take over that job. I really don’t have the time or energy to learn new software and redo the web site from scratch.
If you have any advice on what software I should consider, I would appreciate hearing from you.
But that is not the only frustration I have had to deal with. I have been using an online service that provides me with everything I need to put together a newsletter and send it out. I have been having problems with the site. The latest issue occurred just the other day when I tried to put a newsletter together. When it is time to put a newsletter together I have a template I use to cut and paste the different sections into the newsletter. For some reason when I hit the save button, what I had just pasted into the newsletter disappeared. This kept happening so I finally gave up and emailed the company. This newest problem has yet to be resolved but I sure hope it is soon.
If you regularly watch the weather reports you might have heard Texas is in a major drought and experiencing record heat. Well, I presently live in San Antonio Texas and I can assure you it has been one of the hottest summers I have ever lived through. How hot? Well, yesterday marked the 30th day this year we have hit 100F (38C) or higher. In fact we had a record of 102F (39C). In 1998 we hit 100F (38C) or higher 36 times which is the all time record. Honestly, I will be surprised if we do not break that record as there is no relief from these hot temperatures. One reason it is so hot is the soil is done dry. This drought is said to be worse than the five year drought Texas had in the 1950’s. We have had very little rain in the past 23 months.
So if you are one of those people living in the Northeast part of the United States where summer appears to be passing you by, come to San Antonio, Texas the tourist capital of Texas. There is plenty of stuff to do on vacation here and there is plenty of hot weather for you to enjoy.
If you have any advice on what software I should consider, I would appreciate hearing from you.
But that is not the only frustration I have had to deal with. I have been using an online service that provides me with everything I need to put together a newsletter and send it out. I have been having problems with the site. The latest issue occurred just the other day when I tried to put a newsletter together. When it is time to put a newsletter together I have a template I use to cut and paste the different sections into the newsletter. For some reason when I hit the save button, what I had just pasted into the newsletter disappeared. This kept happening so I finally gave up and emailed the company. This newest problem has yet to be resolved but I sure hope it is soon.
If you regularly watch the weather reports you might have heard Texas is in a major drought and experiencing record heat. Well, I presently live in San Antonio Texas and I can assure you it has been one of the hottest summers I have ever lived through. How hot? Well, yesterday marked the 30th day this year we have hit 100F (38C) or higher. In fact we had a record of 102F (39C). In 1998 we hit 100F (38C) or higher 36 times which is the all time record. Honestly, I will be surprised if we do not break that record as there is no relief from these hot temperatures. One reason it is so hot is the soil is done dry. This drought is said to be worse than the five year drought Texas had in the 1950’s. We have had very little rain in the past 23 months.
So if you are one of those people living in the Northeast part of the United States where summer appears to be passing you by, come to San Antonio, Texas the tourist capital of Texas. There is plenty of stuff to do on vacation here and there is plenty of hot weather for you to enjoy.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Test Results
I am happy to report I do not have Diabetes Insipidus (water diabetes). I had an MRI of my pituitary gland which showed no problems. The water deprivation test revealed nothing to worry about either. I honestly did not think DI was my problem, but it is nice to know for sure.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Water Deprivation Test
If you have read the past few posts you then know I have had a few difficult years. In earlier posts I have shared my unexpected move, broken foot, and computer problems. What I have not shared is the health mystery I have been struggling with for years. I have gone to many doctors and done lots of praying, but as of this writing I am still living with a mystery, which is getting worse. I had seen an endocrinologist in 2006 who said I did not have an endocrine problem, but decided it was time for a second opinion earlier this year. Hopefully this doctor will have some answers for me soon.
Since my first visit to my current endocrinologist in March, I have had three 24 hour urine tests, lots of peeing in cups, to many to count blood draw’s (think I have given a gallon or kg of blood to that lab) and a trip to the hospital.
I was admitted to Christus Santa Rosa Hospital on April 20 for a Water Deprivation Test, which is used to determine if the patient has Diabetes Insipidus, also called Water Diabetes. It has nothing to do with the more common sugar diabetes (Diabetes Mellitus). Diabetes Insipidus is usually caused by a problem with the pituitary gland (injury or tumor), resulting in a lack of antidiuretic hormone being secreted. This hormone tells the kidneys to conserve water by concentrating the urine. A person with Diabetes Insipidus will continue to urinate no matter how dehydrated they may become. I have a lot of symptoms, but one of my most serious symptoms is chronic thirst. I am drinking two to three gallons of water daily (1 US gallon is equal to 3.79 liters).
The first thing I learned is just how rare this test is. When I told the nurse why I was in the hospital, her response was “what’s that”. After reading the doctor’s orders, she returned to say I was right but she had never heard of the test and was going to have to call my doctor to get more detailed instructions. During my 48 hour stay, every shift of nurses, lab techs, etc. said the same thing to me. They had never heard of this test before, let alone had to do the test on a patient. As I waited for my friend to pick me up when I was released, it became obvious to me I had been the talk of the floor because of my unique test.
So, what happens during a Water Deprivation Test? Basically, nothing by mouth for at least 24 hours and round the clock urine tests, blood tests, and weight measurements. I had my last drink of water around 1:30pm on Monday afternoon. I was not allowed to drink or eat anything until about 7pm Tuesday night. During that time they took a urine sample and weighed me every hour around the clock. Every two hours several vials of blood was taken. Having to get out of bed every hour for over 24 hours also meant I got very little sleep. Around noon on Tuesday my doctor visited me and decided my labs said it was time for a shot of antidiuretic hormone, formally referred to as vasopressin. After the shot I had 4 more hours of urine samples, getting out of bed to stand on the scale, and blood draws. Once I was given food and water, I no longer got weighed but the lab tests continued. I think I was told three times this was the last blood test, before they finally stopped poking me. My last blood test was around 3:30am on Wednesday. I would be released around 1 pm that afternoon. My friend got me back home around 2pm.
I still do not know the results from the Water Deprivation Test or the MRI of my pituitary gland I had a week later. I see my doctor next Tuesday and hopefully I will have some answers then.
I share this for one simple reason. Before going into the hospital I was unable to find any web site that told me what to expect from the test. The Diabetes Insipidus Foundation web site does have information for doctors but I found nothing for the lay person. If you are a patient reading this post, I would love for you to share your experience. It may help someone else facing this same test.
Since my first visit to my current endocrinologist in March, I have had three 24 hour urine tests, lots of peeing in cups, to many to count blood draw’s (think I have given a gallon or kg of blood to that lab) and a trip to the hospital.
I was admitted to Christus Santa Rosa Hospital on April 20 for a Water Deprivation Test, which is used to determine if the patient has Diabetes Insipidus, also called Water Diabetes. It has nothing to do with the more common sugar diabetes (Diabetes Mellitus). Diabetes Insipidus is usually caused by a problem with the pituitary gland (injury or tumor), resulting in a lack of antidiuretic hormone being secreted. This hormone tells the kidneys to conserve water by concentrating the urine. A person with Diabetes Insipidus will continue to urinate no matter how dehydrated they may become. I have a lot of symptoms, but one of my most serious symptoms is chronic thirst. I am drinking two to three gallons of water daily (1 US gallon is equal to 3.79 liters).
The first thing I learned is just how rare this test is. When I told the nurse why I was in the hospital, her response was “what’s that”. After reading the doctor’s orders, she returned to say I was right but she had never heard of the test and was going to have to call my doctor to get more detailed instructions. During my 48 hour stay, every shift of nurses, lab techs, etc. said the same thing to me. They had never heard of this test before, let alone had to do the test on a patient. As I waited for my friend to pick me up when I was released, it became obvious to me I had been the talk of the floor because of my unique test.
So, what happens during a Water Deprivation Test? Basically, nothing by mouth for at least 24 hours and round the clock urine tests, blood tests, and weight measurements. I had my last drink of water around 1:30pm on Monday afternoon. I was not allowed to drink or eat anything until about 7pm Tuesday night. During that time they took a urine sample and weighed me every hour around the clock. Every two hours several vials of blood was taken. Having to get out of bed every hour for over 24 hours also meant I got very little sleep. Around noon on Tuesday my doctor visited me and decided my labs said it was time for a shot of antidiuretic hormone, formally referred to as vasopressin. After the shot I had 4 more hours of urine samples, getting out of bed to stand on the scale, and blood draws. Once I was given food and water, I no longer got weighed but the lab tests continued. I think I was told three times this was the last blood test, before they finally stopped poking me. My last blood test was around 3:30am on Wednesday. I would be released around 1 pm that afternoon. My friend got me back home around 2pm.
I still do not know the results from the Water Deprivation Test or the MRI of my pituitary gland I had a week later. I see my doctor next Tuesday and hopefully I will have some answers then.
I share this for one simple reason. Before going into the hospital I was unable to find any web site that told me what to expect from the test. The Diabetes Insipidus Foundation web site does have information for doctors but I found nothing for the lay person. If you are a patient reading this post, I would love for you to share your experience. It may help someone else facing this same test.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Computer Problems
It is a little late but Happy New Year. I pray 2009 so far has been good to you. It has been busy for me,
Last year, 2008, was a year filled with trials for me. I spent the entire year dealing with computer problems, which began in January when my hard drive failed. With very little notice I was forced to move due to toxic mold spreading throughout the entire apartment building. Then I broke my foot and spent several months in a wheelchair. And then as my last post reveals, after a very long illness my mother passed away.
As 2009 arrived I still had computer problems hanging over my head. So in early January I reinstalled all the software on a new hard drive hoping that would solve my problems, but new ones surfaced. Basically I could no longer safely get on the Internet. I was using Windows 2000 and a lot of expensive old software and could no longer obtain security software to protect the computer from viruses, etc. I basically had no choice but to use the old computer for certain purposes such as bookkeeping and get a new computer with more up to date software. Thanks to some generous donors who wish to remain anonymous, I was able to purchase a lap top to use for Internet purposes.
If you are someone who loves to create web sites and would enjoy assisting me with this major task, I would welcome the help. At the moment I don’t even have software with which to work on the website, let alone the time to do so. So anyone who would like to volunteer to help out on the web site, please contact me.
And for everyone else, I hope 2009 so far is treating you well.
Last year, 2008, was a year filled with trials for me. I spent the entire year dealing with computer problems, which began in January when my hard drive failed. With very little notice I was forced to move due to toxic mold spreading throughout the entire apartment building. Then I broke my foot and spent several months in a wheelchair. And then as my last post reveals, after a very long illness my mother passed away.
As 2009 arrived I still had computer problems hanging over my head. So in early January I reinstalled all the software on a new hard drive hoping that would solve my problems, but new ones surfaced. Basically I could no longer safely get on the Internet. I was using Windows 2000 and a lot of expensive old software and could no longer obtain security software to protect the computer from viruses, etc. I basically had no choice but to use the old computer for certain purposes such as bookkeeping and get a new computer with more up to date software. Thanks to some generous donors who wish to remain anonymous, I was able to purchase a lap top to use for Internet purposes.
If you are someone who loves to create web sites and would enjoy assisting me with this major task, I would welcome the help. At the moment I don’t even have software with which to work on the website, let alone the time to do so. So anyone who would like to volunteer to help out on the web site, please contact me.
And for everyone else, I hope 2009 so far is treating you well.
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