The Paths Jesus Walked

"We discover he is more than the babe in Bethlehem, more than the carpenter’s son, more than the greatest teacher ever to live. We come to know him as the Son of God. He never fashioned a statue, painted a picture, wrote a poem, or led an army. He never wore a crown or held a scepter or threw around his shoulder a purple robe. His forgiveness was unbounded, his patience inexhaustible, his courage without limit. Jesus changed men. He changed their habits, their opinions, their ambitions. He changed their tempers, their dispositions, their natures. He changed men’s hearts."

Thomas S Monson, "The Paths Jesus Walked", May 1974 Ensign

3 Nephi 11:10–11


I Believe in Christ, Hymn #134

Self Reliance Tip # 12 It's SO Easy being Cheesey!!

If you reached your goal for this month (water storage) - shoot me an email and I'll have a treat for you on Sunday!!!
I'm sure you've heard the term:


IT AIN'T EASY BEIN' CHEEZY...well, I'm about to change that....for good!


Cheese is on the top of my list. Always has been. Always will be. I have made attempts at making my own cheese (other than powdered milk ricotta cheese YIPPIE!), but until I get that down, there are a few options that we have for storing and rotating cheese.


#1) Get a cow, milk it, make cheese :)


#2) Bottle cheese - I've done this and it works. The only problem I ran into is the temperature in our house got to a certain point and all my jars opened. DOH! But if you can keep them in a basement. This is how I did it.
Canning hard cheeses:

You can, can any hard cheese this way. In jelly/ or pint jars, in a pan of water (put jars in water), put cheese in jars(slice into small pieces or grate) , allow to melt down to 1 in. from top, then put lids on and hot water bath 40 min. for both pints and jelly jars.The longer it sit on shelf the sharp it gets. The can cheese will last 2 plus years in a cool dark place.
Source:http://jordansfarm.wordpress.com/recipes/


#3) Preserve it in cheese wax. Did your Aunt Cherri ever send you those really cool cheeses wrapped in a red wax at Christmas time? Well, you can preserve any hard cheese this way. A few precautions: If you do not have a cool place to keep it, and your home gets above 80F, then this option may not be the best for you. Thank you to Sister Emily H. for reminding me about this option!!


You will find website after website saying that waxing cheese is not safe. How did the Italians preserve cheese without refrigeration? I love how this author debunks the "botulism" myths associated with waxing/ preserving cheese. I can't wait to give it a go! To be honest...I dreamed about it all night last night...


http://www.preparednesspro.com/blog/settling-the-cheese-wax-controversy/

You can get the cheese wax here:
http://www.cheesemaking.com/RedCheeseWax.html

You can get the cheese wax brush here:

http://www.cheesemaking.com/store/p/51-Cheese-Wax-Brush.html

#4) Freeze dried cheese: If you're not up to messing with canning, waxing or milking your own cow, this is an excellent option. This company has had BY FAR the best tasting freeze dried foods. They even have recipes. All you do is add water to rehydrate, drain it off and sprinkle inside enchiladas, quesadillas, ham and broccoli casserole...the possibilities are ENDLESS!!!
http://www.shelfreliance.com/catalogsearch/result/?order=relevance&dir=desc&q=cheese&x=0&y=0

You might be thinking: That is one expensive #10 can...but remember this, how much fresh cheese would it take to fill that can?


And another thing...
Now that I've been rotating my food storage more, I have about [20] #10 cans in my kitchen...what to do with them? You can remove the ring and reseal them. But sometimes they don't reseal right.


Here are some other ideas to reuse and recycle these precious #10 cans:
http://foodstoragemadeeasy. net/2009/06/04/what-to-do- with-extra-10-food-storage- cans/

Cleaning Our Building

We need volunteers to help clean our building. June is our month. If you are available to help clean on Saturday, June 4, please call Mike Spafford 428-1576.


When the temple cleaning sign up went around, Mike signed up for every Saturday the whole time it has been our turn to help clean the temple. What an AWESOME example! Thanks Mike!!

*** Warning ***

Hi Ladies,
As some of you may already know, the towns of Safford and Thatcher have been experiencing multiple vehicle break-ins. We have had some occur out here by our house and I know of some in town as well. These people are looking for unlocked vehicles so keep those cars locked at all times! Also please do not leave your purses, wallets and vauables in the car to tempt them even if your car is locked. Just wanted to make you all aware:).

Self Reliance tip # 11 Alternative Showers

Well, since the end of the world didn't come this weekend...whew! We've got some more time!

Ok, so I've found some really cool stuff, so I'm just going to get down to business.


So, why shouldn’t we store plastic water barrels on concrete? The following statement is from preparedness lecturer, Kenneth Moravec:


“Concrete attracts fluids and ‘bleeds’. Anything that has been on or in that concrete will find its way into your plastic water barrel. This includes the lime in the concrete, any hazardous materials (i.e. gasoline, oils, kerosene, or anything a contractor used in construction), algae, etc. Usually, it is not enough to make the water toxic, but it will taint the water enough to make the taste unbearable. And no amount of pouring it from container to container will take that taste away.”


This is also the reason why we are cautioned about placing plastic food storage buckets directly onto concrete.


Using 2x4’s or plywood under barrel and buckets is an easy solution to the leaching problem.


Water stored in plastic containers should not be stored near gasoline, kerosene, pesticides, or similar substances. Vapors from these substances could permeate the plastic and affect the water.


Empty, clean-disinfect, and refill large water storage containers at least once a year.


Keep water containers away from heat sources and direct sunlight.


I found this on :
http://gottawannaneedagettaprepared.blogspot.com/search/label/Water%20Storage

Until today, that is something that I didn't know. Also, a place of water storage that you may not be aware of is in your hot water heater.


I also found a less expensive alternative to the Berkey water filter. I received this link from my friend Glen in Indiana.
http://www.cheaperthandirt. com/CAMP352-1.html


What are your thoughts on a solar shower?


There are showers like this at Walmart. Something like $7.



We've used them and they are ok. I have two problems with them. The first is that they can be hard to click closed and shut off the water, thus you waste water. My husband had no problem. My kids and myself did. Maybe I had too much soap on my hands...who knows. The second is that they don't hold very much water.


A shower that works better for us is attached to the end of this email - we bought it from a family who makes them. They would be really easy to make....I bet if you bat your eyelashes at your husband/father/son/ local handyman, he'd make one for you...it might involve food though :). In the pictures there is a fuel priming bulb that you step on that pumps the water. If you don't need anymore water, you stop pumping. No water is wasted. You can heat the water in the sun or over your preferred heat source and walah! A shower!


If your handyman needs a closer look, he is welcome to come by and look at ours to figure out the details.


And another thing...
I found this video and wanted to share it. This Sister lived in Tonga for three years (even had a baby under third world country circumstances)


She has a lot of wisdom to share. Don't miss out!
http://www.sugardoodle.net/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6255&Itemid=200049

One piece at a time..

"The truth is, those who diligently seek to learn of Christ eventually will come to know Him. They will personally receive a divine portrait of the Master, although it most often comes in the form of a puzzle—one piece at a time. Each individual piece may not be easily recognizable by itself; it may not be clear how it relates to the whole. Each piece helps us to see the big picture a little more clearly. Eventually, after enough pieces have been put together, we recognize the grand beauty of it all. Then, looking back on our experience, we see that the Savior had indeed come to be with us—not all at once but quietly, gently, almost unnoticed."

--Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Waiting on the Road to Damascus", April 2011 General Conference

2 Corinthians 4:5


Precious Savior, Dear Redeemer, Hymn #103

Self Reliance Tip # 10 -- Purify --

Hello! Welcome to this week's tip!


I wanted to share a quote with you that I have found that gives me great hope!


"God saved for the final inning some of His strongest children who will help bear off the Kingdom triumphantly. For you are the generation that must be prepared to meet your God. There has never been more expected of the faithful in such a short time, a short period, as it is of us."
- President Ezra Taft Benson (BYU Fireside March 4, 1979)


You might say, "...hope? I was thinking more like pressure...you know, like a pressure canner :) ."


I say "hope" because we have been saved for this inning because He trusts us. The more we trust Him the more He trusts us. I think that's SO AWESOME and AMAZING! Sometimes all of the responsibilities that we have as wives, mothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers, and last but not least...all the single ladies :) - we can feel that there is TOO much expected of us. We are supposed to prepare for the worst, but live in the now and expect the best! Keep going and walk with your heads high because YOU CAN DO IT!


Ok, so in keeping with our water theme for this month, I wanted to share some ideas on purifying water. Right now, our water is treated with chemicals and other stuff to keep bacteria and other greasy grimy things from making us sick. But what if....


Have any of you read the "Great and the Terrible" series? If not, there is a character named Bono who drinks contaminated water because he is in a hurry and what happens later, is something I never want to experience...ever...not even for a second...or two. Morning sickness has nothin' on contaminated water. That's how bad it is :). Here are a few ideas to keep us from making Bono's mistake.


I found this Ensign article that made me laugh as well as think a bit:


http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=120&sourceId=e074615b01a6b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

This website has a calculator for how many drops of chlorine per gallon that you need to sanitize the water.
http://www.csgnetwork.com/h2oemergencypurifycalc.html

I personally don't like the taste or physical effects of bleach in my drinking water. If it is all I had, that is what I would use. However, there are many options available right now that would be alternatives to using bleach.

You can boil the water. This kills all pathogens. Boil for at least one minute.
A water filter that will filter chemicals, and pathogens. I personally am saving for one like this. It is the one that the US military uses. http://doultonusa.com/HTML%20pages/portable_systems.htm

There is also Berkey water filters http://www.berkeyfilters.com/

If you have a solar oven, you can pasteurize water in it. A WAPI will let you know when it has reached pasteurization. What is a WAPI? http://www.solarcookers.org/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=WAPI&osCsid=d5f046fa7e9787bc16117641c0d31904&x=0
Hopefully these tips will help you on your journey to becoming water queens!


And another thing....
How many of you use Cream of Stuff soups in your recipes? I've been a label reader for a few years now and frankly "stuff" could be substituted for many other nasty words. There's so much junk in it! How would you feel if you knew how EASY it was to make your own Cream of Whateva-The-Hecka-You-Feel-Like soups!


You can substitute the milk for almond milk or rice milk or sheep milk (Sorry Randi, I had to throw that in). There is a power in having control over the ingredients... mightier than the pen or the sword!


Sister Emily C sent this to me and I thought it was worth its weight for 200 cans of Cream of Stuff soup...maybe 300! That's more than gold babee!

http://www.milehimama.com/2010/08/23/how-to-make-cream-of-chicken-soup/

Self Reliance Tip # 9 May Flowers

Well, if April showers bring May flowers...we know how important rain is to us. SHOW ME THE RAIN!!! *weep*.


With all of the wind we have been experiencing, many things can become dehydrated very, very quickly: people, plants, animals...little birdies who feed on alligators teeth... (ask Brother Ellsworth about that one...) Again, water is so important for our little desert valley.


Since our goal this month is to get a 55 gallon drum of water, I thought I'd share some ways to get that water out of that precious drum. Pumps are available to pump the water out by hand. It works, but can add undue stress to a situation that may already be frustrating. You may need to solicit the help of a carpenter you may know, but that can always be solved with a bribe of good food :).


[ In self reliance tip # 8 is a picture of] two water barrels in special made shelves. The benefit of having them on their side is that gravity is used to get the water out instead of having to pump it by hand or battery powered pump. (The battery powered ones can be found here: http://www.amazon.com/TERAPUMP-TRHA01-Battery-Operated-Transfer/dp/B003VVOF0Q )


Another way you can use gravity without making a special harness is to have a hose fitting attached right on the side of the barrel fairly close to the bottom. If you get it too close to the ground, you might have a problem getting the water into a container. :)


If a 55 gallon drum is too much at this time, it is good advice to start small...but start. I was talking with Sister Randi several months ago and she said she had begun her water storage in the gallon bottles you can get from Wal-mart- you know, with water already in them. Months went by with no problem. Until she found a flood in her closet. I'm guessing it was not a happy day. Unless you're an alligator...


Sister Randi would have been better served getting some of the following:
the clear blue five gallon containers (like the Sparkletts guy uses - available at Wal-Mart by the refrigerator cookies and Home Depot)
The dark blue 5 gallon containers (most of the time can be found in the emergency supply isle at Walleth Marteth), because of the flat sides, they save more space than the round clear blue ones.
Thick juice bottles (like the gallon Hawaiian punch jugs - they work great!)
Rinsed out gallon vinegar bottles
Also, just an FYI, if you're looking for buckets, Lee's Rite Way also carries buckets in many sizes, gamma lids (the cool screwy kind), and I've been told...bulk grains.
And another thing....


During WWII my husband's grandfather was a POW. They were forced on a three month long march called the German Death March (If you're bored someday, you should get acquainted with this part of history - this is different than the Bataan).


When they were marching from town to town, there were some items that had the highest trade value of the things they carried with them. They would trade these items with locals (if they could bribe a German officer to look the other way for a minute) for food and other items. The big three were:

• cigarettes
• chocolate bars
• toilet paper

I don't think I have to explain the CHOCOLATE (which was most popular among the female traders...hmmm). I don't plan on buying cigarettes (though, I heard once that tobacco is good for bruises, stings and sick cattle :) ). But toilet paper is something that often slips the minds of those actively preparing as something THAT important. I mean right up there next to CHOCOLATE? Sister Leann would say toilet paper is MORE important.


... wind wind come again...go away another day...oh wait, I said that backwards....

Motherhood

"Motherhood is the one thing in all the world which most truly exemplifies the God-given virtues of creating and sacrificing. The mother who, in compliance with eternal law, brings into the world an immortal spirit occupies first rank in the realm of creation."

--David O Mckay, "Respect for Mothers and Their Divine Role", Gospel Ideals, Improvement Era



Alma 57:21

Love is Spoken in Here, The Children's Songbook #190



Happy Mother's Day to all of the Moms and future Moms we love you!

Self Reliance Tip # 8 Water, Water in the Drum

Tip-o-the mornin' to ya!


May's Goal: Get [1] 50 gallon drum for water storage.


Sometimes water storage can seem to be at the bottom of the list of things to do. In an emergency, it is the #1 most needed item. If you have dehydrated food...it doesn't work out so well to have no water. Chewing on that dehydrated stuff might make your lips suck in...you know like you've eaten a lemon :).


Our family goes "self reliance" camping about every three months or so. We bring enough of our food storage stuff to eat and prepare as though we were living in a worst case scenario. We do this for about 5 days. The number one thing we continue to learn is BRING MORE WATER! For our family we easily use 30 gallons (not including laundry). Sometimes with kids it is wasted...so you have to keep an eye on that.


On the http://gottawannaneedagettaprepared.blogspot.com/ site, the author shares some tips on what she learned with her water shut off for about 24 hours. Check it out, I learned some great stuff!


If you met the goal for last month (getting a hand crank wheat ginder), shoot me an email. I will have a treat for you on Sunday :).


And another thing....
We've talked a little bit about Heavenly Father's medicine cabinet in the lesson given in RS a few months ago. I would like to highlight once a month a special plant from his cabinet.


Please note: I am not trying to diagnose or cure anyone or any particular ailment. I'm just passionately curious and have discovered some cool stuff in my days :).


This months herb: Lavender


Even though Sister Emily C. would love to smack me (she hates the smell of lavender :) ), lavender has so many awesome qualities. Lavender is calming and healing.


About a year ago my son Austin jumped off of the dirt-bike that my husband had just taken him a ride on. His "knee pit" landed right on the exhaust pipe. Within seconds we had a second degree burn on our hands. In about that same time he was screaming his head off. My intuition kicked in and this is what I did. I put a few inches of cool water in the bathtub to help cool it down. Then I mixed about 2 T aloe vera gel (the real stuff, I bought it at Lee's), 2 T raw honey (raw honey can be purchased at NCE security - grocery store honey has been cooked and all the healing properties have been killed) and about 4 drops of lavender essential oil and mixed it good.


I got a piece of fabric poured a little bit of my mixture on it and wrapped the burn and then took an ace bandage and wrapped the whole mess. Within a minute or two, he calmed down and took a nap. I did this about 4 or 5 more times the rest of the day. The next morning, it didn't even hurt. I still wrapped it like this for a few more days. It never scarred.


Lavender is a bug repellent (Emily knows why) and works great for mosquito bites. My kids will ask for it. It takes the itch away for about 2 to 3 hours.


Once our family went on a walk (at the wrong time of evening) during the monsoon season. We were bit by mosquitos all the way there. We visited a friend on our walk. She made a mixture of a few drops of lavender essential oil and a few drops of peppermint essential oil in a spray bottle with about 1/2 full of water. She sprayed it on us before we walked out the door. My husband couldn't believe it. A few buzzed around our ears, but no more bites. We've used this little remedy a bazillion times since then.


Have a grandiose day!

Gardening at ACE

Organic Gardening Seminar
Areas that will be covered by Bryan ________ the “Plant Whisperer” of Sweet Corn Organic Nursery:
• Amending Arizona soil to get a bountiful harvest
• Organic gardening vs. regular gardening…the key differences
• Chemicals vs. naturally-occurring alternatives for fertilizing
• The difference between heirloom, certified-organic, open-pollinated & GMO seeds
• Growing tips
• Ways to extend your season
• Question and answer session
Where & When:
Saturday May 14, 2011 at 1:00 pm
Safford Builders Supply/Ace Hardware Garden Shop
707 S 6th Ave
Safford, AZ
928.428.1033

May Gardening tips in the Gila Valley

Although this is the “May” newsletter article, I must confess that it is being written on April 18. I can’t procrastinate my article writings much beyond the middle of the month before it is due to the newsletter editors. Anyway, my point in telling you this is to allow me to “brag” by telling you that I ate the first tomato out of my garden yesterday. It was a delicious cherry tomato. And it looks like I’ll have a few more by the end of the week. Of course it came from a plant I had started in my little greenhouse back at Christmas time. Sorry to “rub-it-in.”

I hope things have been going well in your garden. I had all of my crops planted by the end of April. Most of my plants were started in the greenhouse, then transplanted into the garden. I have been harvesting carrots by the wheelbarrow full, along with broccoli, lettuce, onions, and radishes, and asparagus since the first week of April. Jack Frost cooperated this year and stayed away after the third week of March, however most plants don’t really start growing well until the nighttime temps. stay above 60 degrees. So the last week of April was really when “primetime” arrived for our garden vegetables!

As promised, this month I have some tips for “side-dressing” and adding soil supplements to your garden. We need to begin with an important caution about adding supplements or “fertilizers” to your garden: YOU ARE BETTER OFF TO NOT ADD ANYTHING TO THE GARDEN THAN TO ADD TOO MUCH!

The main time to talk about fertilizing your garden is when preparing your soil for planting. Working organic material into the soil prior to planting is the most important thing you can do to improve the “health” of your garden soil. Adding a little balanced commercial fertilizer to the soil just prior to planting is also not a bad idea. This is where caution comes into play. First, if you want a totally “organic” garden, forget the commercial fertilizer altogether and just rely on compost, composted manure and other organic material to “fertilize” your plants. However, if you choose to use a commercial fertilizer, you want to choose one that has a good balance of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium, determined by a listing of numbers on the container of fertilizer. The three numbers correspond respectively to these nutrients listed above. A 5-10-10, 6-8-8, or a 10-10-10 fertilizer would meet the definition of a well “balanced” fertilizer for general use in the garden. Broadcasting 3 to 4 pounds of such a fertilizer per 100 square feet of garden would be about the right amount to use.

Most vegetables don’t like a big serving of fertilizer at planting time. They prefer to take their plant food from the soil a little at a time. Once you have planted and your crops are up and well on their way, it is best to use a “side-dressing” procedure if you wish to add a commercial fertilizer. And remember, if you have added a good amount of organic material to the soil prior to planting, it is doubtful any side-dressing is even necessary. When plants begin to blossom, this is the time when it is best to use side-dressing if you have chosen to use this way to give your plants a little boost and thus boost your potential harvest. Adding fertilizer before a plant begins to set blossoms, which signals that the plant has completed it’s growing cycle, can actually delay the plant producing “fruits” for harvest, as it will cause the plant to continue putting all it’s efforts into growing more leaves and roots rather than beginning to concentrate its efforts on producing fruit. Thus this will only potentially delay the start of your harvest.

You don’t have to use commercial fertilizers to use the side-dressing procedure. Here are some substitute equivalents for using organic materials: 1 tablespoon of a complete balanced commercial fertilizer equals: 1) two handfuls of good compost, or 2) 2 handfuls of dehydrated manure/composted manure blend, or 3) 1 to 2 tablespoons of alfalfa meal.

Use a tablespoon or teaspoon to measure your commercial fertilizer when you side-dress. A general rule would be to apply no more than one tablespoon per plant. Here are three ways to side-dress a crop:
1. Circle the Plants. Dig a shallow circular furrow around each plant and sprinkle the fertilizer in evenly around the plant and then cover the fertilizer with soil. Your furrow should be 5 to 6 inches from the plant stem. With large plants, try to locate your furrow directly under the “drip line” of the outer leaves.
2. Band the Plant. Make a straight line furrow 1 to 2 inches deep next to a row of plants. Keep the furrow 5 to 6 inches from the plant stems. Put the fertilizer in the furrow and then cover with soil.
3. Top-Dress. Sprinkle the fertilizer on top of the soil 5 to 6 inches from the plant, then “scratch-in” the fertilizer using a garden tool, then water thoroughly as soon as possible afterward.

Good luck with your garden. Remember that May is just around the corner from a bountiful garden harvest here in the Gila Valley, so you have my permission to start getting anxious for the awesome taste of your first tomato from your own garden

Temple Trip

A friendly reminder, we will be attending the Temple on May 5th at 11:00a.m.
Hope you can join us!!