Cooking is Good for My Spirit

 

Cooking is very therapeutic for me.  It is one of the things that I enjoy doing and my skills have grown and improved a great deal over the years.  Much like listening to Christmas music, which is also something that I do to relieve stress, cooking relaxes me.  It gives me a sense of purpose and makes me feel like I have accomplished something.  Which I have because I have made something to eat LOL

My stress levels have been pretty high lately.  With all of the chaos in the country over the election and with my recent health concerns I have had to work really hard to keep myself in a calmer state of mind. Cooking helps me with that.  However, I have not been doing a whole lot of cooking lately like I used to.  I have done some things here and there but have just been lazy.  I need to work on that one and I intend to do just that.

It's Saturday and I am working this afternoon.  This is not my norm but one of our regular weekend CSR's asked for today off and I am happy to fill in.  So, as a result, Sunday is my only weekend day off.  While it should be a day of rest, for me it is going to be a day of cooking.  At least part of the day.  I have selected several new recipes to make, which is always fun for me. I am excited about it.  It's been a while since I have cooked a Sunday lunch.  And after that, I can spend the rest of the day relaxing.

Cooking is very grounding for me.  It connects me with Mom and Grandmother.  It is an artform that I am good at and I love doing. I can focus on that for a few hours and forget the troubles of the world.  I appreciate having the opportunity for that escape right now.  It's good for my soul. 

I will let you know how the new recipes go!

Be Thou My Vision

This is another favorite hymn of mine. The Tabernacle Choir does a wonderful job of singing this arrangement.  Enjoy!

Recipe of the Week - Pinot Grigio Mojito

 I do love my pinot grigio!  Several months ago, I wanted to find something else to do with my wine and searched the internet for a fun wine cocktail.  I found this mojito and thought it sounded good.  I like regular mojitos anyway, so why not try this.  It's very tasty and a perfect drink to sip and relax!

Pinot Grigio Mojito

5 Mint Leaves

Lime Juice

Simple Syrup

Ice

Pinot Grigio

Lime for garnish

Muddle the mint leaves in the bottom of your glass.  Add 1 oz of lime juice and 1 oz of simple syrup.*  Add ice and pour a generous amount of Pinot over ice.  Stir will and garnish with a slice of lime.

*Adjust these amounts for your personal preference.

Enjoy!

Student Adventures - The Next Step

 My last class ended several weeks ago. I'm proud to say that I got an "A" in the class and have maintained my 4.0 while in grad school.  I never thought that would happen LOL  But, I really did enjoy this class so I would have been happy with any passing grade. So now it's time to think about my upcoming capstone project.  One of my professors held an information session on our capstone projects which I was not able to attend, so I need to go back and watch the session and read the material.

I am going to take the next few months to give myself several options.  I have the option of doing something at work or do some kind of internship.  Both have their pros and cons.  While I don't necessarily want to take seven weeks off from work and go without a paycheck, the idea of going into some other establishment and doing hands on learning is pretty exciting.  I want to talk to some folks who have gone out and done internships and see what their experience has been like.  One of the places that I am looking into is The Corporation of Guardianship.  That kind of work interests me, so we shall see.  I would also love to work at some kind of senior resource center or find something to do with dementia.  

If I do something at work, it will have to be something that I don't currently do or have not done before.  Working in resident relations, that can be tricky.  Having worked in housekeeping and dining, that pretty much leaves our art of living well department.  While I have done some things for that department, it gives a wider spectrum of options for this kind of project, I believe. I am thinking of some kind of mental health project because that is not as addressed as often as it should be. Again, we shall see.

I have several months to figure this all out.  Now that I am done with classes for a while, I will have time to figure this out.  If you have any suggestions, I will welcome them. But I definitely will take all of the good energy you can send me!

Going Through the Kitchen Cabinets

 

Now that Jason has moved in, I am finding that the kitchen is getting pretty crowded.  That's not necessarily a bad thing as we are combining two kitchens basically.  But I need to pack up some stuff and reorganize in there. So, I am going to start with the cabinets and go through them.  See what I use and what I can pack up or give away.  It's always cleansing when I get myself better organized.  

I like for the kitchen to be the heart of the home.  It needs to be comfortable and functional.  I spend a lot of time in there.  Getting it back into better shape is my goal here.  I don't mind having a lot of stuff in there.  As you know, I love my stuff.  But I don't want it to feel cramped and crowded.  This is an achievable goal.  It is simply a matter of making it happen.

That is all. 

Owning Handbells - A Dream

I've decided that if I ever win the lottery, I am going to buy myself a set of handbells.  Of course, I'll have to buy a house that has a room big enough to put them in.  But if I win the lottery that will not be a problem LOL  I have always wanted to have my own set of bells.  Ever since I was a toddler.  I remember my Mom looked and looked for a set of bells for me for Christmas and finally found one.  I believe I was in kindergarten or first grade when she got them.  Or when Santa brough them to me. Good memories.

I would just like to have a full set one day and form a choir just for the fun of it.  But let me tell you they are expensive.  Even looking at listings on Ebay, they are expensive. I did find a five-octave set along with tables, pads, cases and music for a mere $14,500.  Pocket change LOL  Maybe one day!!

I was always surprised that UNCG never had a bell choir considering how many church musicians it turned out of its music department.  Ah, well.  Still, I would love to get people together just to make music like that.  I think it would be fun. Until then, hopefully I can find a choir to join in the area.  Still, it's nice to have a dream.

Thought of the Day

 I believe that if people spent as much time and energy in lifting other people up as they do in putting others down, then this world would be a much better place. With politics and social media at the forefront of our culture these days, it is not only easy to be mean and disparaging, but also often encouraged and promoted. I believe people are inherently better than that.  I want to believe that.  I must believe that. We need to stop giving negativity such power in our lives because it will destroy us.  Find something good today to promote.  Lift someone up.  Lift yourself up.  Create a cloud of positivity that surrounds you and those you love.

That is all.