Hurrah! I've made it to Friday without too much stress and no trauma-and I'll get back to this in a bit. The week started like true spring, but winter told us it was not ready to be done. That cold and damp combination is almost worse that a 24 inch snow storm for my muscles and bones. I do like a good spring rain though-it starts to clean through nature the leftover dirt and grunge. The beauty of those first few snow falls are ruined quite quickly through snow plowing and road sweeping, pollution and nasty people letting their garbage get strewn about. On Fridays, I just let my mind and fingers wander and purge what is in my head onto the computer screen.
Dry Beans and Instapot
Last month I bought both black and navy beans, but have done nothing with either yet. I have good intentions of switching to dry rather than canned as both cost and nutrition (less salt and other additives). I am publicly proclaiming, this is the weekend I master the damn Instapot that I've had for three plus years. I will watch several YouTube videos, and learn from others I know I can just cook them on the stove, then store in recipe size portions, but I don't want my stove on for hours and hours. I'm really hungry for a bean, tomato, and corn salsa/salad and it was supposed to be on last night s menu, but I will switch to Saturday so I can make with cooked formerly, dry beans. If I master these, then I'll move on to other things. If I fail, I'm officially passing on the pot to my daughter. I found this recipe for a grillable black bean and rice burger. I may give these a try and make up some for my lunches and if a win, for summer grilling. I've yet to make the masala I wanted last weekend for lunches and now thinking about it, I'm really craving it!. I'm inserting a video from one of the YouTube channels I watch a lot with my daughter where she walks through how t make the best bean via her Instantpot. She cook 100% plant based with her husband, went through an incredible year of wiping out debt and saving enough to get into a house at the end of 2021. I believe she is originally from Minnesota, and I like her no nonsense approach to food as fuel.
Stress and Trauma
I spent yesterday and day two is today, in training on Trauma Informed Care-broadly defined, and it was quite thought provoking. Really understanding that every human has had different life events, different histories, that may result in a different response to stress, hardship, or their ability to build resiliency. While others may not agree, the legacy of generational and historical trauma is real, and sets up really harmful situations for children today. For those of us in charge of developing programs and policies, understanding potential unintended results is key. Making sure the people, children in my case, that are most intended to be beneficiaries might actually be harmed with a decision is critical. I try to let a guiding principle in my work be, children should not be made to hurt because of poor actions or decisions of adults. Nothing pisses me off more than when I hear or read flippant comments about social safety nets that help a child's well being marginalized by "they should have thought about that before they had kids." Great, that might be true, but the child is now here, is a member of society, of planet earth. I have more tolerance for people that just are anti-tax if they don't throw the children into their argument. Feel free to disagree with the actions and decision of the adult in the child's life. But, I'm sorry; it's just crappy to ignore the real consequences a child, who through no actions or decision of their own, face. I've stepped off my soap box now.
Other Illnesses
I had a vertigo then headache nausea moment this week. Yesterday, I woke with another bad headache and a bit of a tummy issue. I worked, but commented to someone I was staying off camera as I was a little green. Right away she went..."Did you test positive for Covid?" I wonder when that will no longer be a first thought, or top of mind thought? ( I just had Covid in January) Cases were down, but I hear they are growing again, but like the last variant, this newish version seems to elicit more mild symptoms at least for those vaccinated. I had just an old fashioned headache, and likely that and tummy issue was from having a large seltzer at Trivia, but not enough water before I went to bed. (Dumb on my part). The ongoing stress of the pandemic, or endemic if you've already declared it part of life as we know it going forward, might be my source of headaches and tummy troubles. I wonder how life moved forward after the flu pandemic known as Spanish flu? I suppose people just slowly got on with life while those directly impacted tried to clean up what they could of the mess made in their lives- as do we now.
This is my mind dump this week and I hope you have a way to purge your own. Feel free in the comments to continue a discussion on my free for all, but start your own thread. I hope you enjoy your Friday and the weekend ahead.
March is such a crazy weather month. It's been a bit chilly here this week with a few days of rain but also a number of sunny warmish days.
ReplyDeleteThe winds howled like October yesterday and overnight. Quite a change from Sunday.
Delete"Nothing pisses me off more than when I hear or read flippant comments about social safety nets that help a child's well being"
ReplyDeleteB-b-b-ut the children, Sam, the children! UGH! I took it upon myself to deal with a commenter on our levy issue who said that public schools only serve one of three groups 1) those with kids 2) those with school age kids, and 3) those who won't send their kids to public schools or homeschool. All this from the supporters of a (lost) board candidate whose slogan was "It's about the Children." Seriously, my tolerance for idiots is gone. The idea that a well educated population benefits all of society is lost on these people.
Do I think people ought to think long and hard before having kids? Yes. Do I resent having to see my school age kids deal with policies in place addressed to help at-risk families, while doing nothing, in fact impeding at times, my own childrens' educational experience. Yes. Am I beleaguered by the ever-increasing property taxes to the point that I will not vote for continuation of a levy due to fidicuiary mismanagement? Also yes. (Which is why I refuse to entertain nonsensical naysayers who say crap like "vote no because but sex ed, because CRT." Fucking idiots, but I digress.) Is it better for all in society to see our youth fed, safely housed, and well-educated? You betcha', and I will not sit idly by while there are those in my community who do not have this luxury, even if, I would have counseled several parents to NOT HAVE KIDS IN THE FIRST PLACE. George Carlin said it best when he said with a certain group, "If you're pre-born, you're fine, if you're pre-school, you're fucked."
We had a group run with a slogan that was supposedly anti-political, but in reality was as political as it gets.
DeleteI’m sorry you had a headache no tummy troubles. I hope you’re feeling better today. I wonder about the COVID thing too. I was clearing my throat yesterday and had the same thought. 😂
ReplyDeletePlease let us know your results with your Instant Pot. I love mine and use it regularly to cook beans as I don’t have to babysit them on the stove. I saved the lady’s video to watch later. It sounds right up my alley.
Generational Trauma is very real. Bailey and I have been talking about, reading up on and working on that topic for the last two years or so. You’re right, it isn’t the child’s fault and they are here now and we need to do what we can to help them and educate everyone on these issues. Kudos to you and your crew for what you are doing to make positive changes in children’s lives.
People get it with rescue dogs but dismiss with humans. It's a tough place for kids.
DeleteI bought an Instapot, used it a few times and sold it. I just get the hang of it and it was just a dust collector in the cabinet. I know others love it and use it all the time. I'm sure you'll be able to master it.
ReplyDeleteI won't get on my soap box about children but know that my feelings are similar to yours. Unless the children receive the necessary care, nothing else in our society works.
I hope you're feeling better with no recurrence. Have a great weekend!
I just felt lousy, nothing specific last night. I worry I'm building into a depressed state. Feeling poorly precedes those periods sometimes.
DeleteI am a big fan of my pressure cooker which is nothing but, a simple stove top instapot. My grandma and my mom always had two or three pressure cookers to save time and gas. I soak my beans at night with a spoon of baking soda and cook them the next day. It usually takes between 15-25 minutes depending on the product you have. I usually open it after 15 minutes, try one and decide whether it should cook further. My pressure cooker is not fancy. No dials or different settings. Just the very basic type. I am sure you will love your instapot once you get the gist of it. Happy cooking!
ReplyDeleteI feel I'd use it once I got the hang of it. I'll keep you all posted.
DeleteI have to admit that my daughter bought me an insta pot two years ago Christmas and I have never used it. Yikes! How bad is that? My Aunt that is 87 had a very trying childhood and she is still affected by it, so I do understand how this is so important. I do believe that every child has some form of trauma growing up, but some kids just don't get a chance at all. Thos are the ones we are after. Those are the situations that need to be found and fixed or helped. Generations depend on those fixes. So you go girl. Sorry about the vertigo, nausea thing. I get that sometimes no fun. If I was close I would run you over dinner.
ReplyDeleteMine (instant pot) was a gift too. Maybe we can master together. I just need a day with covers over my head!
DeleteI have had an instapot for a few years that I need to learn how to use & I also want to try the dried beans - adding this to my to do list :). totally agree with you about the kids
ReplyDeleteThe versatility of dry bean over can is useful, but a bother sometimes. I'd like to use the pot.
DeleteI know a man who rents to what was Section 8 clients. He gets government funds which subsidize rent for low-income people. I met a woman who lived in one of his rental homes. He refused to fix things because her kind and her four kids would just tear it up again. She said she had four small children and some of the things he refused to fix were hazardous. He said it was not his fault she had four kids, she should have thought about all that before she had them. Well, I liked him and did business with him. I have lost all respect for the man. Of course, I have to smile in his face when I talk with him. However, I no longer have any business dealings with him. He makes me ill just thinking about how he treated this woman.
ReplyDeleteI was utterly sick of people on my blog urging me to be tested this last two years! I will start being sick with allergies again now that it is spring. I never have headaches, but I do have runny nose, sneezing and coughing regularly. Mama said I sneezed when I was newborn and never quit.
I decided today to cook some navy beans. I love navy beans so much.
I feel I don't have to be nice to human beings treating others like vermin so I'd not even pretend to smile. Not sure what you mean by business dealings, but your smart to walk away. I do understand people's comments in your blog;the last two years had a lot of people with Covid spreading needlessly. No harm in getting tested. I also don't go out of my house when I have severe allergies either. This is what change Covid has made for me. Spreading germs is spreading germs if I'm coughing or sneezing.
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