Not Touched

In February 1852, a young woman by the name of Hanna Last Cornaby was baptized in Yarmouth, England.
It was not the quiet, reverent experience most have bust was described by her in these words: "We found the house surrounded by a mob, through which we with difficulty made our way.
... Before we reached the water's edge, the whole horde was upon us; and my husband baptized me amid a shower of stones, and shouts ... and, although the stones whizzed around us thick as hail, not one touched us, and we reached home in safety, thanking God of our miraculous deliverance."

 -Charles W. Dahlquist II -Who's on the Lord's Side? April 2007 General Conference

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

The Secret Set Up

Gotta love it when you try to be sneaky....
And it turns out....you weren't sneaky at all.

So.
My roommate has this guy friend/coworker that she invites over to the apartment whenever she discovers that he hasn't seen a particular movie.

Which I don't mind at all.
Because this guy friend is basically like an Italian Model. lol. Super attractive and sweet. He gives the best hugs.

He's also tall.

Which....
usually makes me think of my sister, Kikay.
Because she's tall too. Taller than me by like a head.
And this guy friend.
He's taller than me by like two heads I feel like sometimes.

And I know that Kikay is looking for a guy taller than her (which are in short supply {haha} around here.)
So to have this attractive tall guy at my place?

I can't help but wonder if Kikay would like him.

Which would mean,
Eventually they would need to meet.
Only....how to do so?

Well, basically I told her that the next time he came over, I would tell her, and she could come up with some excuse to drop by.

Only, recently she's been busy with two jobs. So I haven't wanted to disturb her because she has major deadlines to meet.

But when she found out I wasn't telling her when he was dropping by....
She got mad at me.

So, tonight, when I found out he was coming over again,
I told her.

And after a ton of debate about why she should come over, or if she should come over....because you know, deadlines.
I finally convinced her to drop by. Even though it was late.

And I mentioned to my roomie that Kikay was dropping by.

That's when we apparently got busted.

lol. My roomie is quick to place the pieces together.

That Kikay was coming over to see this "tall dark and handsome" guy.
And that if she liked him enough that we would want to try and set up a date with the two of them.

Of course, my roomie said none of this.
Since tall dark and handsome was around.

but yah. lol
totally got busted.

But. Totally worth it.

To see my sister's eyes light up.
To see her happy and excited.

Totally worth it.

Now...to see how their date goes.... ;)

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Arm Update

It finally came.

Yesterday.
It came.

My Doctor's appointment.

You see, after like three rounds of antibiotics with my doctor to no real change with the swollen lymph nodes on my arm.
I was referred to an infectious disease doctor. To see if they would have any further ideas on treatments I could do.

It sounds bad. Doesn't it?
Infectious disease.
Sounds like I'm a one girl plague or something.
But no. It's not as bad as it sounds.
It's just diseases...that cause infections...that are hard to cure.

In any case....
I was referred to a Doctor in college town.
The problem?
When I called to make the appointment....
They couldn't see me for 5 weeks.
That's over a month!!

I wanted them to move me up.
But being a new patient, and such...they didn't have any openings.
Which....a month ago.
Was more than disappointing.
I had a problem with my arm that wasn't going away and I would go without treatment for over a month?! Who knows what could happen in that month!

But....there wasn't much more to do than wait.
And wait.
and wait.
and wait.

But then....
Like two weeks ago.
I noticed that my lymph nodes appeared to be getting better!
Yay!
Other people didn't seem to notice a difference.
Which only stressed me out more....
But it was a noticeable improvement to me.
To the point where I considered just calling and canceling my appointment.
Because if its getting better....why go to the doctor? What's the point?

Yet, everyone I mentioned this to...told me to not cancel. To go.
Because its better to go and tell me that its getting better, and be able to get in quicker if they end up getting worse.
Then to cancel, have it get worse, but have to wait another month or so to get in with the doctor.


So, yesterday I went.
And saw the Doctor.
About my arm.

It was a good visit. :)
Confirmed a lot of what I was thinking.

The short of it is....since my arm is getting better, the doctor is having me watch the arm for another 3 weeks. If it continues to get better, then yay!
If not.
Then there's the likely hood that they'll do a biopsy to cultivate any bacteria that may be in the nodes.

As the doctor does believe it's a bacteria infection.

And as it was believed by my other doctor....
The type of bacterial infection I have....
Is a slower healing infection.

As the doctor mentioned that if it was a faster dividing bacteria that the multiple rounds of meds I did should have healed my arm quickly.
I shouldn't still have swollen lymph nodes months later.
Because the medications treat the bacteria as they divide. So fast dividing bacteria get nullified fast.

But slow dividing bacteria?
Harder to treat.

Apparently there are special bacteria out there. Mitabacteria or something like that.
He kept mentioning them in combination with Tuberculosis.
Though, lol, he was sure to stress that what I have isn't TB.
But of a similar family.
A family of crazies apparently.
Where it's the 'odd ball' category of bacteria. With basically the common factor being that these mitabacteria are slow dividing.
If I understand it correctly.
They're the 'we don't fit in other categories cus we're weird' bacteria category.

In any case.
Because the bacteria is slow to divide.
It's slow to heal.
Slow to get rid of.
Takes forever to treat. Like 3-6 months of medications to treat it.
If.
IF
its this type of bacteria.

Which we would know via a biopsy.
But if it IS the type of bacteria the doctor believes it to be.
Then doing the biopsy, cultivating the bacteria to see what type it is....could take up to a month to grow and identify.

And if my arm is already healing on its own....
There is a chance that by the time the biopsy came back....my arm would already be fully healed to the point where its rather....pointless to do the biopsy.

So for now.
I'm just to watch my arm.
Like I've already been doing for the past month.
If it continues to get better. Great!
If it doesn't...then we'll do the biopsy, test it out, and go from there.

So...
Here's to my arm continuing to get better!

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

April 2009 General Conference -Sunday Afternoon

Dallin H. Oaks -Unselfish Service

• He who lives only unto himself withers and dies, while he who forgets himself in the service of others grows and blossoms in this life and in eternity.
• We do not serve our Savior well if we fear man more than God.
• We cannot walk as other men, or talk as other men, or do as other men, for we have a different destiny, obligation, and responsibility placed upon us, and we must fit ourselves [to it.]
• You can't be a life saver if you look like all the other swimmers on the beach.
• A selfish person is more interested in pleasing man--especially himself--than in pleasing God. He looks only to his own needs and desires. He walks "in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world." Such a person becomes disconnected from the covenant promises of God and from the mortal friendship and assistance we all need in these tumultuous times. In contrast, if we love and serve one another as the Savior taught, we remain connected to our covenants and to our associates.
• We live in a time when sacrifice is definitely out of fashion, when the outside forces that taught our ancestors the need for unselfish cooperative service have diminished. Someone has called this the "me" generation--a selfish time when everyone seems to be asking, what's in it for me? Even some who should know better seem to be straining to win the praise of those who mock and scoff from the "great and spacious building" identified in vision as the price of the world.
• Entitlement is generally selfish. It demands much, and gives little or nothing. Its very concept causes us to seek to elevate ourselves above those around us. This separates us from the divine, evenhanded standard of reward that when anyone obtains any blessing from God, it is by obedience to the law on which the blessing is predicated.
• "We can do no great things," Mother Teresa maintained, "only small things with great love."
• In short, I go to church each week with the intent of being active, not passive, and making a positive difference in people's lives. Consequently, my attendance at Church meetings is so much more enjoyable and fulfilling.
• We are happier and more fulfilled when we act and serve for what we give, not for what we get.

David A. Bednar -Honorably Hold a Name and Standing

• By partaking of the emblems of the sacrament, "we do not witness that we take upon us the name of Jesus Christ. [Rather], we witness that we are willing to do so. The fact that we only witness to our willingness suggests that something else must happen before we actually take that sacred name upon us in the [ultimate, and] most important sense." The baptismal covenant clearly contemplates a future event or events and looks forward to the temple.
• "I will not suffer that [mine enemies] shall destroy my work; yea, I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil."
• We should not be surprised by Satan's efforts to thwart or discredit temple worship and work. The devil despises the purity in and the power of the Lord's house. And the protection available to each of us in and through temple ordinances and covenants stands as a great obstacle to the evil designs of Lucifer.

Gary E. Stevenson -Sacred Homes, Sacred Temples

• You are never lost when you can see the temple. The temple will provide direction for you and your family in a world filled with chaos. It is an eternal guidepost which will help you from getting lost in the "mist of darkness." It is the house of the Lord. It is a place where covenants are made and eternal ordinances are performed.
• "As we touch the temple, the temple will touch us."
• "You are never lost when you can see the temple."

Jose A. Teixeira -Gifts to Help Us Navigate Our Life

• Our choices have the undeniable power of transforming our lives. This gift is an extraordinary sign of trust in us and simultaneously a cherished personal responsibility to use wisely. our Father in Heaven respects our freedom to choose and will never force us to do what is right, nor will He impede us from making mediocre choices. His invitation, however, concerning this important and vital gift is clearly expressed in the scriptures. "But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually' wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to o good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God."
• Choices have consequences attached, which may or may not be manifested immediately after our decisions. Using the spiritual gifts we have been given is paramount in order to remain on the right course.
• WE too have within us a "GPS" allowing us to know at all times what is right and what is wrong, as well as assisting us in making correct choices.

F. Michael Watson -His Servants, the Prophets

• Sometimes we may not always be able to immediately find the desired way before us, but the wisdom of those who have gone before, coupled with the wisdom of those who are with us still, will be our guide if we let them have the reins.

L. Tom Perry -"Bring Souls unto Me"

• As members of the Church, sometimes we seem to be missing in action.
• "There is ... no substitute for a member-oriented proselyting program. Tracting will not substitute for it. Golden questions will not substitute for it. A member-oriented program is the key to success, and it works wherever we try it."
• If you and I did more of the finding for the full-time missionaries and freed them up to spend more time teaching the people we find, great things would begin to happen. We're missing a golden opportunity to grow the Church when we wait for our full-time missionaries to warn our neighbors instead of doing it ourselves.

Thomas S. Monson -Until We Meet Again

• To you parents, express your love to your children. Pray for them that they may be able to withstand the evils of the world. Pray that they may grow in faith and testimony. Pray that they may pursue lives of goodness and of service to others.
• Children, let your parents know you love them. Let them know how much you appreciate all they have done and continue to do for you.
• Now, a word of caution to all--both young and old, both male and female. We live at a time when the adversary is using every means possible to ensnare us in his web of deceit, trying desperately to take us down with him. There are many pathways along which he entices us to go-pathways that can lead to our destruction. Advances in many areas that can be used for goo can also be used to speed us along those heinous pathways.
• Be strong. Be clean.

General Young Women's Conference

Ann M. Dibb -Be Thou an Example of the Believers

• If you 'pass' classes and 'fail' character by being dishonest you have not learned the meaning of truth.
• Be positive. Don't whine.
• Show respect and refuse to mock others.
• Express gratitude, especially to those closet to me.

Mary N. Cook -A Virtuous Life--Step by Step

• Some of these mists of darkness, or temptations that Stan uses to obscure the path to eternal life, are specifically directed at women. He makes chastity and moral purity appear old-fashioned. He has made motherhood seem less important. He has been successful in confusing women about their roles in the Lord's divine plan.
• Young women, we must be united in righteousness so that we may stand strong when others mock our actions and beliefs.
• Stay away from situations where you are likely to be tempted, mocked, and scorned.
• You may be mocked, you may have fingers pointed at you, you may have to stand alone, but please have the courage to withstand these temptations.
• You must remember that you are not alone on this journey.

Elaine S. Dalton -Come Let Us Go Up to the Mountain of the Lord

• Virtuous young men are attracted to virtuous young women.
• Virtue is purity.
• Never before has there been a greater need for virtue and purity in the world.
• You are not common. You are not ordinary. You are daughters of God.
• A woman should be queen of her own body.
• If we don't stand for virtue, who will?
• Stay high on the mountain.  You are God's precious daughters! Because of the knowledge of our divine identity, everything must be different for us: our dress, our language, our priorities, and our focus. We must not seek guidance from the world, and if our true identity has been clouded by mistakes or sins, we can change. We can turn around and repent and return to virtue.
• To every man [and young woman] there comes ... that special moment when [they are] figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a special thing unique to [them]. ... What a tragedy if that moments finds [them] unprepared or unqualified for [that] which [could have been their] finest hour."
• I truly believe that one virtuous young woman, led by the Spirit, can change the world.

Thomas S. Monson -May You Have Courage

• I would venture to say that there are young women around you who, because of your unkind comments and criticism, are often left out. It seems to be the pattern, particularly at this time in your lives, to avoid or to be unkind to those who might be judged different, those who don't fit the mold of what we or others thing they should be.
• The Savior said: "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another. .... By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
• "If you judge people, you have no time to love them."
• True love can alter human lives and change human nature.
• My precious young sisters, I plead with you to have the courage to refrain from judging and criticizing those around you, as well as the courage to make certain everyone is included and feels loved and valued.
• The commandments of our Heavenly Father are not negotiable!
• "What Moses brought down from Mt. Sinai were not the Ten Suggestions, they are Commandments. Are, not were."
• My sweet young sisters, maintain an eternal perspective. Be alert to anything that you rob you of the blessings of eternity.
• "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

Until you next see these words;

I'll be watching the leaves.

Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Creation

There is something relaxing about creating.

Doing something different than it's been done before.

Or even creating the same thing again and again.

There's just....a relaxing quality about creating.

Today,

After having to escape back to an empty apartment, after the energies of the people around me became too much.

I chose to once again make my Tacozanga.

It's nice to say that making it again,

The motions have gotten more familiar.

The methods used to cook my different things at once, more smoother.

I didn't even have to double check my blog post about the first Tacozanga to ensure I was getting everything in the right order.

No.

I just got to make.

And create.

And design.

Admittedly, I don't think I make my Tacozanga the same way twice in a row. lol.

But that's the fun of Tacozanga.

I can choose to layer things different.

Try different combinations of which ingredients go where.

And in the end.

It still tastes delicious! :)

Today I chose to try spreading the salsa in two different areas. On top of the rice and on top of the beef.

I also grated a bunch of Colby Jack and Pepper Jack cheese onto a plate. (As my dad had given me a ton of cheese last time I was up and I needed to use it. :) )

And spread that out through multiple different layers.

Mmmmm

So delicious.

Creating.

Making.

then of course. Eating!! ^^

Eating is the best part.

As Tacozanga tastes as good as it smells.

And I always love making Tacozanga so I can share it with my friends and family.

See their enjoyment.

See them wanting more.

Yes.

I love creating my Tacozanga.

So much fun.

Relaxing.

And what I needed to today. :)

I need to create more things....

Until you next read these words;

I'll be watching the leaves.

Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Loading Please Stand By

It's interesting. The twists and turns that life takes.

I've noticed recently that people seem to be...progressing further than I am.

In life.

Like, they're getting married, getting homes, graduating with Masters, Traveling the World, becoming internet famous.

Life (from the outside) looks to be going just swimmingly for them. (I'm aware that the grass isn't as green as it appears.)

It's weird to see all these progressions....
And have me not progressing along with them.

I mean, I'm having my own successes and such.

It's just that I feel like I've reached a....standby point.
Where I'm good where I'm at, but I'm not progressing.
It's like the game of my life has been put on pause, or there's some quest I haven't gotten enough points gathered yet to complete in order to move onto the next stage.

It's crazy how we all have things that come to us easier than others.
For some, it's easy to find their future spouse.
For others, it's easier to become internet famous.

And in other areas....we're still in that 'questing' mode.

Lol.
Honestly I'm so confused as to why everyone seems to be able to find a girlfriend/boyfriend/fiancée/spouse
While I can't. *shrugs*

I'm missing something obviously lol.
*shrugs*
What it is...who knows.
I'll have to figure it out eventually.

Yet, it's weird.
To watch everyone else passing me by, in many different regards....
I've begun to think I'm just not ready yet.
There are still side quests I have to complete before I can finish the main quests.
*shrugs*

Guess that's why it's called life huh? :)

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

A Pick Me Up

It's been a rough week for me.

Honestly, I feel like 2016 is doing great for the title of "Year of Tears" as honestly I've probably shed more tears in the last four months than I have in the last four years.

Things are just....I don't know. Spiraling.

This week in particular just has been one well of negativity after another.
I suppose that's not too surprising as it's the week after General Conference.
It follows that super highs are followed by super lows. *sighs* Wish it wasn't so though.

In any case.
I reached a breaking point today.
Like literally if I had time to stop and slow down and think, I would quickly be in tears.
Work is rough. Roommates are rough. The lymphnode arm situation is still basically rough.

Once again it's just piled to the point where I felt like I was a plane without wings, spiraling through the air without any indication of if I would actually land safely or crash into a big ball of flames.

Seriously.
Not the best day for me.

But
it wasn't all bad....towards the end of my work shift I had some of my favorite regular customers come in and they have a great positive energy to them.

And
When I got home.
One of my roommates had left me a present on my bed. :) (I'd posted on facebook that I wasn't doing great, and she'd noticed.)

She left me two packages of Goldfish Crackers, a package of chocolate truffles, and a Coca Cola Cherry Soda.

Her reasoning? Goldfish have smiles and it seemed like I could use some. lol.

It was a total random assortment of gifts.
I mean, I haven't had goldfish crackers in ages, nor do I usually drink Cherry Coke (Dr. Pepper is my preferred one.)

But.
It was the thought that counted for me.
To know that someone knew I needed help.
That they paid attention enough to know that I like getting random things out of the blue. :)

Plus, it made great survival fare for me, as after I took a long shower to wash away all the negativity I camped out in my room eating crackers and drinking the soda until later in the evening when that same roommate invited me to go out to dinner with her and another roommate. :)

So what started out as a.....well bad day.
Ended on a pretty good note.
That gave me enough of a jump to get me back in a positive energy set up.
Where I feel like I've finally made it out of that 'low battery' stage that I've been stuck in this past week.

Hopefully I can keep it up....we'll see. :)

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi