Hey Guys, I know I missed Monday again, sorry. It was a really busy day, but a good one. We spent the whole evening trying to help our neighbor find his dog. Luckily, Blue was found and returned home. We think he got out and got hit by a car, then found a place to hide out and just stayed there. His injuries don't seem life threatening though, so that's good.
I had started to write my post for this week belly aching about how much I spent at the store this week and how hard it is to try to feed all of us a healthy, varied diet, but after spending the evening trying to comfort someone, help someone who was really having a hard time, the desire kind of left me to finish that post. So I scrapped it. Instead, you are getting an encouraging post haha!
After hearing all the goings on in the news last week, I told my kids they are living in a bizarre time. They don't really remember a whole lot about how life was before the pandemic. Back then, I remember thinking that the huge life disruptions would be temporary. Well, the pandemic part was temporary, but the strangeness of the world hasn't left. Crazy news stories, random things you can't find at the store, the quality of fresh food and milk going down, the cost of pretty much everything going up. Politics, relations with neighbors, UNCERTAINTY, the drought my area is in and the changes we have had to make in our water usage, all these things are like open tabs in my brain, running in the background, and it is exhausting!
And last night, right before we got ready to eat dinner, if you would have asked me to take on one more thing, I would have said I just couldn't do it. I didn't think I could possibly take on one more task or thought. But then my neighbor came over so upset about his dog that we all, without thinking, sprang into action. There was something that came over us seeing another person in distress, that gave me a jolt of energy I didn't know I had and we got busy. Once we were all home and getting ready for bed I was thinking about that. Like, where did that energy come from? So what does anyone do when they have questions? Turn to the internet of course! On a site called unity.org I found this;
It feels good to do good. Here’s the science to explain why: When people perform good deeds or do something generous, brain scans show that neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin are released, making the do-gooder feel happy and fulfilled.
Those responses help us in more ways than just brightening our afternoon, though. The body’s physiological response to those positive neurotransmitters helps lower blood pressure, improves mood, and decreases stress. In fact, studies have shown that helping others helps reduces feeling of depression, increases longevity, and improves vitality.
Serotonin is a brain chemical that helps regulate mood. Dopamine is the chemical that gives a person a sense of pleasure, and Oxytocin, which also gets released when you help someone, is the chemical that gives the sense of connection with others. So helping someone, especially if it is something urgent like a lost dog, releases a little adrenaline that gets you moving, then, when you are done, your brain is washed in these chemicals that make you feel good. I will say, after we all got back home, everyone was laughing and talking, being a little silly and loving towards each other. We were all riding those feel good chemicals in our brains. It was the jolt I needed to get out of my funk, not that I wished anything bad would happen to Roger the dog of course, but that feel good chemical bath for my brain did wonders for me and my attitude. So, if you are stuck in a negative headspace, maybe finding a way to do something for someone else will help.
This week, inspired by an old blog post, I did a big crockpot full of pinto beans for the week that I plan to use a couple different ways. I hope you all are doing ok and finding your way. Have a good week!
Monday-
- Breakfast- Leftover pancakes, banana
- Lunch- PB&J sandwiches, crackers, grapes
- Dinner- Burrito bowls- rice, refried beans, salsa, lettuce, sour cream and corn on the side
Tuesday-
- Breakfast- Egg, toast, banana
- Lunch- Homemade lunchables, cucumber slices, carrots
- Dinner- Cole slaw and Bean and rice chimichangas- Fill tortillas with a mixture
of refried beans, cream cheese, rice and taco seasoning (they mix better
warm in a pot on the stove), divide among flour tortillas, tuck in
sides, and roll up each tortilla, lay seam side down on a greased pan,
spread melted margarine or butter over tops
Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, or until browned how you like
Wednesday-
- Breakfast- Oatmeal, banana
- Lunch- PB&J sandwiches, crackers, grapes
- Dinner- Tuna Noodle Casserole, peas, biscuits
Thursday-
- Breakfast- Eggs, toast, banana
- Lunch- Homemade lunchables, cucumber slices, carrots
- Dinner- Chili made with pinto beans, garlic toast
Friday-
- Breakfast- Oatmeal, banana
- Lunch- PB&J Sandwiches, crackers, grapes
- Dinner- Leftover chili topped baked potatoes, roasted broccoli, jiffy corn bread muffins
. Saturday-
- Breakfast- Fried egg and cheese sandwiches, applesauce
- Lunch- Leftover chimichangas, chips and salsa
- Dinner- Roasted Chicken Legs, pasta salad making extra for lunch tomorrow, green beans, biscuits
Sunday-
- Breakfast- Oatmeal Pancakes , homemade pancake syrup, scrambled eggs
- Lunch- Leftover pasta salad, deviled eggs, apple
- Dinner- Cheesy Pinto Beans (using a potato masher instead of blender), rice, Mexican Street Corn Salad using parmesan cheese as a substitute since my local doesn't carry cotija cheese
Have a good week!
~ Sarah
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