This is last night's moon. I'm surprised the photo turned out so nice because I used my phone! So far with all of my efforts, I've been anxiety attack-free going on three days. I don't want to start counting, because that will add pressure to me I'm sure, go figure, my mind and body do what they want sometimes! So far my efforts are working! What relaxes me the most is a 20-minute meditation before dinner. I'm developing a good routine and I'm so happy it's helping me!
Speaking of dinner, this is a familiar sight, Chicken Cesar Salad. We love this meal, but sometimes I wish I had better ideas for salads. It's hard to eat salad in the winter what with the produce so expensive and icky-looking, so we only have it a few times a month and it's always the same meal. I downloaded a few salad cookbooks to try to move beyond the Chicken Cesar! It'll be more cost-effective in the summer to eat more fresh lettuce and vegetables so I have time to prepare!
Two more pizzas are in the freezer! I made bacon and cheese pizzas yesterday. So far I've only made basic pizzas for the freezer, but the last time we had them, we both liked them better than fresh. I think it's because the dough ends up cooking crispier. I have a nice fig and prosciutto pizza planned and a four cheese for next week...maybe I'll try freezing them and seeing how they hold up!
The dogs are all eating bones and I'm going to get back to my anti-anxiety routine! Are you a creature of habit like me or do you need to be more spontaneous?
You are a goat. I am too. Our caprine friends are hard core creatures of habit. Hence the stink eyes I got this morning when I was late to feed cause I , gasp, slept in until almost seven in the AM. I know life changes and I do try to accommodate that but please pencil that in before it happens. I need time to get used to the possibility of change then it is a bit easier. Just like my goaties every thing has a place and a time so advance notice or better yet don't dink with it please.
ReplyDeleteI do believe I am a goat too Goatldi :) It's funny because I wasn't when I was younger, but now if one thing I have planned goes awry, I don't feel very well. If I'm organized, I'm good, and I'm keeping it that way!
DeleteSo glad to hear you've been feeling much better the last few days. Now stay that way!! ;o]
ReplyDeleteI am definitely a person who thrives on routine and I'm much more comfortable knowing what's going to happen. Don't ever plan any kind of a surprise for me 'cause it won't go over well. I don't think I could be classified as a control freak, but as Goatldi above said, I do need time to get used to the possibility of change before it happens. I CAN change, but I'm not spontaneous. Is this a bad thing?
Mama Pea are you too totally offended by DST? I have permanent self imposed jet lag from end of March until it rights itself.sigh
DeleteThanks Mama Pea! I continue to do better with all of the effort I'm putting in! I just have to keep it up and not fall into the trap I did last time that I'm okay now, so I don't have to do all the prevention.
DeleteWell, I think about it sometimes, maybe I am what people label a "control freak", but it's not about the need to control everything around me, it's just the need to have things in order, planned and then it's easier for me to accomplish them. I don't think it's a bad thing not to be spontaneous, though some spontaneous people might think so lol...I can change and really have a lot over the years, but I'm in a good place now so if change needs to happen, I'll roll with it grudgingly at first, then accept it!
Lol Goatldi, about DST. I look forward to it mainly because I need light to feel good!
DeleteI think personally we dink with our bodies and minds way to much . Just before DST started the sun was setting here at 6:30. Dark by 7 pm and for my liking that is fine. Having livestock especially dairy animals it totally screws up their rhythmn. I understand your issue and am delighted (no pun intended) that you benefit. When we mess constantly with natural body rhythmns I think we create problems. What amuses me is the number of people who are totally convinced that with DST they have "more time" as in somehow it magically adds more hours to the day. No folks you still have 24 it is simply rearranging deck chairs.
DeleteIt's funny you say that because when I was (much) younger and a bit of a bar-fly, DST was "awesome" because it meant one more hour for a last call..."more time to imbibe!" and more time to be sick the next day lol...I see what you mean about the livestock though. In fact, we see the difference with our pets, they have a hard time adjusting to the meal times changing so drastically, for them an hour is drastic. So we ease them into it over a few days so they don't get squirrelly wondering where dinner is.
DeleteMy simple salad go-to - baby spinach, strawberries, feta cheese, and a protein of some kind - chicken is good, large shrimp even better. ;) I like balsamic dressing on it but really any dressing will work. It reminds me of my favourite salad in a restaurant which is the pear and berry salad at Bubba Gump. ;)
ReplyDeleteHi Snoskred! :) Your salad sounds really nice. I love Feta and shrimp! Good juicy sweet strawberries don't exist here yet though, but I need to prepare a list of a nice variety of salads for us, for when the produce is delicious again.
DeleteThe picture of the moon is gorgeous. It turned out very nice :)
ReplyDeleteI like to plan things ahead of time. I love when I wake up in the morning and know what the day will bring. BUT just lately I realized that exactly that...the need to plan and organize is what stresses me out. It doesn't work in this living situation. Things change 5 times after we planned something. Kids, animals, family ... noone wants to go by my plans ;) I think changes all of them is harder than me trying to adjust to their unorganized chaos...hahah I am learning to be more spontaneous, improvise more and enjoy every minute of it. So does everyone else ;)
Your pizza looks delicious like always.
I love salads and I am always very spontanious wen it comes to creating a salad. I love different cheeses in my salads, nuts, seeds, raw veggies,dried fruit, tuna etc etc...the possibilities are endless.
Glad your routine is making a change :)
Thanks Nik :) I just realized there is a "burst" mode on my Android!! Did you know you have that? I think we have the same phones. It makes photography more interesting, but I don't want to forget about my nice Canon!
DeleteAlex and I are picky eaters, not out of taste, but we have so many digestive issues with fresh fruits and veggies. I have to be careful what I put into the salads or we'll be in pain...it always makes me wonder if it's the chemicals and pesticides used...last year when we ate fresh lettuce that our neighbour traded us for some trout, we had zero issues...but we both had trouble with the Romaine lettuce for dinner - bought at the supermarket. I can't wait to be more self-sufficient!
I think that if you have a plan, but are open to changing it, that could work for you. Even if (when?) I have some farm animals, I know I'm going to need some kind of strict routine for myself or I'll get too overwhelmed. And thanks, everything is working very well so far with the routine!
Hi Rain! What a great shot of the moon! I can never capture her good on my phone and that's the only camera I have. My husband has a better one but it has too many buttons and gadgets that I just don't have the patience to sit through a lecture on how to use it. I want to point and shoot my pictures.
ReplyDeleteI have to have a plan. I need to be organized or my life seems out of control. If my plan goes awry I don't like it one bit :) I like structure. That's my OCD shining through!
So glad you have been doing well with your anxiety. Don't count, just enjoy the time that you are having anxiety-free! Its the little things :)
Have you considered growing your own lettuce in the winter? Just getting a small pot and starting seeds? That might help with the ridiculous cost of what they charge us for lettuce. Here we run anywhere from $1.99 to $2.50 depending on where you shop. Its a rip off no matter what! I also do alot of sprouting of seeds in the winter. Anything from chick peas to broccoli. And its ready in about 3 days. We love sprouts of any kind!
Happy Monday!
Dianna
Thanks Dianna! :) I do have a Canon that Alex got me a few years ago, but I get so lazy with it, and I need to stop relying on my phone...it's just too easy with the phone isn't it? I have no clue what half the settings do on my Canon but it slowly I'm learning new things.
DeleteSo far, things are really good and for 3 dinners now, no food has gotten stuck. For me, that is the proof that I'm managing the anxiety disorder! I'm with you about the organization and plans. Structure gives me peace of mind. One of the biggest crutches I have is boredom. I find that if I don't have a list of things to do, I putter around the house and get more bored as the minutes tick away - which turns into a motivation-killer...I need to keep busy, which is a challenge in the winter, but I've been relatively successful. When we have our property/homestead in a few years, I know it'll be good for me, I won't ever get bored I suspect! :)
Yes! I have considered winter crops...actually I'm reading a book called Four Season Harvest right now, and I ordered one called Year Round Vegetable Gardening. One of my end of summer/fall projects will be to build a type of cold frame using old windows, if we can find them, build a raised bed and set up some greens and lettuces for winter harvesting. The book I'm reading goes into a lot of detail on how to be successful, the author is Eliot Coleman who lives in Maine, so the winters are similar, I'm hoping I'm successful, I've heard lots of people trying and it not working out for them. I bought the lettuce for our Cesar salad at the local grocery store for, ready? $3.59!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RIP OFF. It was tiny and I had to remove most of the outer leaves for the compost bin due to rust and slime, ick...I have to look into sprouts more. We used to eat a lot of alfalfa sprouts, but got turned off by how the grocery stores don't seem to have any fresh ones.
Happy Monday to you too! :)
Highway robbery for the lettuce! How dare they charge that!?!?!?! Check out Mumm's sprouting seeds. They have a website and are located in Saskatchewan. They are my go to. Best thing I ever did was start sprouting. And making beet kvass. Two things!! :)
DeleteI know..it's insane and what's more insane? I bought the damn thing! I was out getting milk and we had a hankering for salad. Never again though, that's Provigo by the way, same company as Loblaws but different name in Quebec. I'm going to check out Mumm's thanks for the reference. We need to change things, mediocre food is too expensive and then organic food is too expensive...grow you own and that's all there is to it. And I guess if we crave a Cesar salad...we'll have to improvise with winter greens or just wait and eat it all summer long. And I just saw Kvass on wellnessmama.com, I'm going to look into that too, never heard of it!
DeleteThank you for your comments on my blog. I love your paintings, they're so full of love and that's detail enough :D
ReplyDeleteI love my salads too, but when I grew my own a few years back, I gorged all summer long and was ready to have the whole winter off! I hope you can get some salads growing in your garden soon. Can you start them off in pots or trays? We're just coming into nettle season here, which I guess is similar to collards maybe. They're free and grow everywhere so we eat a lot of nettle soup and curry and then we're ready to wait another 12 months for the next lot!!!
You look so sweet in the snow with your dog, is that Charlie? I'm off to note down some more of your recipes, we're eating well because of you, so thank you.xxx
Hi Yarrow :)) Thank you! :) The photo in the snow is me and Jack. He's a mamma's boy and always needs to be with me. I guess it goes both ways :) I have to think about this lettuce situation...my big problem is space and sun. I have one window only that I can use that gets sun all day long, all the others are too accessible to the cats. I don't have the budget for grow lamps...is that the right word? But I'm definitely going to try the sprouts and setting up a winter garden for greens. Paying $3.49 for a nasty head of lettuce the other day just made me feel wrong. And you're welcome!!! I'm so glad you like my recipes! But beware...we've gained weight because of those recipes lol...I don't believe in "fat free" anything! :))
DeleteHmm, I think that setting up grow lamps would outweight any savings you make by growing your own! I'm lucky that we have a little greengrocer within walking distance, but this time of year, all their food comes from Europe and is a bit icky! The supermarkets have better produce, but I'm trying to stay away from them as they cost so much. I hope you can find a balance.x
DeleteThanks, I'm working on that balance! I wish I had a nice market close by, the closest one that I trust is a 45 minute drive on the highway...I may have to add one trip in between my once-a-month grocery shopping, just for the produce. Sigh...nothing is perfect! :)
DeleteI think I am more of the spontaneous type. That may be because my life is so...chaotic. Sort of a self-defense tactic. I am of two minds - does a nice, sturdy routine make one feel more secure and keep anxiety away? Or does a more spontaneous lifestyle keep you flexible and train you to roll with the changes? Maybe some of both? I just love your dog pics. Jack is adorable with that big bone/chewy. I do know from experience that the combination of exercise and meditation do really help lower anxiety levels. Sounds like you're headed in the right direction. As far as Rescue Remedy, I've only used it with my dogs. I use L-tryptophan and a lactose-based natural product (the name of which escapes me at the moment) and find both very helpful.
ReplyDeleteHi Susan :)) You make a really good point...I downloaded some PDF books on anxiety and cognitive therapy, just to refresh as I did CT for 9 years during the burnout time. I do remember a strong suggestion being to train yourself in situations that you fear in order to try to conquer or manage them better. I have tried the spontaneous route, and it used to make me terribly nervous, but I decided one time to just pack up all my stuff and move from Quebec to Prince Edward Island. The decision was made and done in 3 months. I only brought what I could fit in the car and my 2 dogs at the time, now THAT was spontaneous! It made me uncomfortable but it was good for me. Now though, I choose the more structured route! I use Rescue Remedy for Marlene when the thunderstorms happen, and it helps a little. The passionflower tincture I take twice a day seems to compliment the exercise, meditation, vitamin, supplement and journaling routine I have set up!
DeleteYour moon picture is beautiful. I have a camera and I can't get any good pictures of it....well, it's not a great camera....obviously not as good as your phone! LOL! I think routines are healthy....since I live alone and rarely see anyone my 'girls' and I are happy with our 'routines' especially in the morning. Animals have routines and I think much of the stress in people's lives today is caused by a lack of it and the feeling they have no control over their own lives. I pay little attention to DST unless I have an appointment which is only about twice a year otherwise the girls and I live according to our own biological clock! LOL! Animals have their own built in clock and they are so accurate it's amazing! Feeding time, grazing time, nap time and definitely 'treat' time! They're also very patient like yesterday when I had work men here for the roof and supper was about 1 1/2 hours late! I've also learned to do stretches in the morning before I get going....I learned that from my girls. They never just hop up in the morning...they stretch and roll over before they go out. I've learned a lot from my animal companions.....they listen to their bodies, their own unique rhythms and instinct and we would be better off if we did too, I think. Keep up the great work with your meditation and routine....you'll find your way out of the anxiety...I am just sure of it! Hugs to you and thank you for your explanation of anxiety and panic attacks. It must be awful but I will pray you will rid yourself of them just like a bad demon! You go girl!
ReplyDeleteHi Sam :)) Thank you for the support! You know, we've said the same things, every time one of the pets gets up from lying down or from a nap, they always stretch...in fact we say "big streeeeeetch" to them every time and my Jack can now stretch on demand lol...I do that too, when I get up, a little stretching and toe touching to wake me up gently. Animals are such creatures of habit and I have to say, I kind of relate to them more than I can with people...however odd that may sound :) I can't believe you made them wait 1 1/2 hours! They must have been staring at you in disbelief lol...I hope you got your roof fixed before the storms started!
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