Full Text
Let’s Connect! Phone (530)694-1816 May 20, 2020 May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Wear LIME GREEN on FRIDAYS to show that Alpine County cares! Hello Alpine County Family! Memorial Day weekend is on the way and Mother Nature looks like she wants everyone to get outdoors. Fishing season is open and it looks to be a busy weekend in Alpine County. Enjoy all the outside amenities here in our beautiful county. We have so much to choose from! Hike, bike, fish, picnic, camp, drive, walk, raft and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air! Our savvy 50+ members held a Zoom gathering last Thursday and will have a Zoom Bingo Game next month. Stay tuned for more…Behavioral Health is offering 3 “Zoom” yoga classes every week: Mondays 4-5pm and Tuesdays & Thursdays 5:30-7pm.To receive the link to the classes call our office at [PHONE REDACTED] and provide your email address. Dial-A-Ride News: Ron Dobyns is now the full-time driver for Alpine County Dial-A-Ride. Transit hours are Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00am. Reserve your ride by calling [PHONE REDACTED]. Leave your contact information, date of trip and destination. Ron will call you back to confirm the availability and schedule your ride. See attached flyer for more information. ---PAGE BREAK--- This is a fun newsletter to reach out and help you keep your mind healthy and engaged. We will be sending it out weekly on Wednesdays with fun new content. Included in this issue are: 1. Two short videos for you to watch: 2. 2 mysteries to solve: (on following pages) 3. 2 new coloring pages (on following pages) 4. A recipe from Family Night for you to try at home (on following pages) 5. An easy homemade salad dressing recipe (on following pages) 6. A video by our Washoe royalty: Marlaine and Adrian video (double click on names) open with VLC or other media player. Enjoy! 7. Self-care ideas and “Why Men Should Do Yoga” by Rich Harvey (on following pages) 8. A new Dance Song link: 9. A link to A new short meditation: 10. A link to a guided Native American meditation: We hope you enjoy these and we’d love to have you share your creative ideas for keeping busy and having fun! Later this month: Supporting your immune system with what you eat: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” Hippocrates A Wall of Words community-wide virtual activity: “Mental Health to Me is…” “Zoom” High School Hang Out Community member interviews on “Life’s Big Questions” “Did you know…?” An art or craft project Ready- made scavenger hunt clues for a fun family activity Alpine County Rocks Mental Health: Painted Rock hide and seek We’d love to hear what YOU, our Alpine County community members, would like to see in this newsletter. We’d also like to showcase the talents we harbor here in our area. If you would be willing to share a “how to…” lesson, a poem or short story, artwork or something else, contact us! Call or text [PHONE REDACTED], call 694-1816 ext. 246 or email [EMAIL REDACTED] ---PAGE BREAK--- ~Hang out with positive people ~Finish one thing you’ve been putting off ~Walk & look for pretty rocks ~Work in your yard or garden WHY MEN SHOULD “MAN-UP” AND DO YOGA In Alpine County we are very fortunate to have 3 free yoga classes per week. They are provided by our Behavioral Health Services. Two of the local classes are led by a man and the third is led by a woman for the residents of Bear Valley. With the Coronavirus cautions now in place, all 3 classes are now conducted over Zoom and available to everyone. Here’s the thing: Almost all of the participant are women. Why do so few men want to try yoga? I have a few theories. First, I believe many guys think yoga is too complicated and difficult especially if they haven’t ever tried it. Secondly, many men question if they even need yoga. Sure, maybe it’s OK for women, but not for guys. Third, some men may think men yoga is too “woo-woo”. And hey, what guy wants to wear tight yoga pants? I too had some of those same concerns but decided a few years back to give yoga a try. I’m still doing it today for many reasons. So l’ll try to address some of the concerns guys may have. First, the moves might seem challenging the first one or two sessions, but if you stick with it, they get easier and easier. A good yoga teacher will walk you through the moves and point out that all of them are optional. No judgement. Just do what you can do. In other words, only do what is comfortable. Maybe you might not need yoga? But ask yourself these questions: Are you getting less flexible as you get older? Is it harder to get up out of a chair? Are your hips, shoulders, back or neck sore? Is your balance getting a little shaky? Are you getting a little stooped over? Are you feeling tired and stressed out? If the answers are yes, yoga can help with all of those things, and leave you feeling more relaxed and positive. Really! As an MD, I am seeing more and more articles in the medical literature about the benefits of yoga on lowering blood pressure, helping the immune system, and increasing flexibility, balance, and posture. With yoga’s emphasis on deep breathing and being in the present moment, stress relief is a big plus too. That’s not woo- woo. That’s just smart. So, guys, why not “man up “and give yoga a try. You’ll feel younger, stand taller, and have more energy. No fancy yoga outfit needed either. Shorts and a T shirt are just fine. For information on class times contact Amy Broadhurst: [EMAIL REDACTED] Or phone (530) 694-1816 Rich Harvey ---PAGE BREAK--- Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon Ingredients 5 slices bacon finely chopped 3 lbs. boneless beef chuck cut to 1 inch cubes 1 cup red cooking wine 2 cups beef bone broth 1/2 cup tomato sauce 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce 1/4 cup flour 3 garlic cloves finely chopped 2 Tablespoons thyme finely chopped 5 medium Carrots sliced 1 pound baby potatoes I used tri color 8 ounce fresh mushrooms sliced fresh chopped parsley for garnish Instructions 1. In a large skillet cook bacon over medium high heat until crisp. Put bacon in slow cooker. Salt and pepper the beef and add to the skillet and sear on each side for 2-3 minutes. Transfer beef to the slow cooker. 2. Add the red wine to the skillet scraping down the brown bits on the side. Allow it to simmer and reduce and slowly add chicken broth, and tomato sauce, and soy sauce. Slowly whisk in the flour. Add the sauce to the slow cooker. 3. Add garlic, thyme, carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms to the slow cooker. Give it a good stir and cook on low until beef is tender for 8-10 hours or high for 6 Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with mashed potatoes/cauliflower if desired. ---PAGE BREAK--- Easy One-Jar Lemon Salad Dressing A simple salad dressing that you can make in one jar in under 5 minutes. Tasty, tart, and sweet. The perfect combination for a spring salad with none of the store bought garbage ingredients. Prep Time: 5 mins Total Time: 5 mins Yield: 4 to 6 servings Ingredients 1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice 1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 cup white wine vinegar 3 or 4 tablespoons raw honey (add 4th tbsp. if you like it a little sweeter) 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper Instructions 1. Add all ingredients to a jar or bowl. 2. Shake or mix together until fully combined. 3. Add to salad of choice and enjoy! Nutrition Calories: 173 Sugar: 9 g Sodium: 75 mg Fat: 16 g Saturated Fat: 2 g Unsaturated Fat: 12 g Carbohydrates: 9 g ---PAGE BREAK--- Food Scraps That Magically Regrow Celery Cut off the bottom half of your celery plant (the part that would be thrown away anyway). Place it in a bowl of warm water, and keep the plant in direct sunlight. As soon as you notice the thickening of the celery stem, you can move the recycled plant into some soil, or keep in in water. Lettuce Don’t throw away those leftover leaves! Place the leftover leaves in a bowl in an area with lots of sunlight. Simply mist the leaves with water a few times a week. You will begin to notice roots forming on the lettuce leaves, as soon as this happens you can transfer the lettuce to soil and you will have a new plant in no time at all. Avocado Avocados can be expensive when they are not in season, so you can combat the expense by re-growing avocados. Wash the avocado pit and use toothpicks to suspend the pit over warm water. Be sure that the water covers an inch or two of the lower half of the pit. Keep the pit in a warm environment and keep in mind that it can take up to 6 weeks to see sprouts forming. Once long enough, you can move it to direct soil. Potatoes To regrow potatoes, all you need to do is allow the peelings to dry overnight and then plant (with the sprout facing up) in four inches of soil. Sweet Potatoes Cut the sweet potato in half, and suspend with toothpicks above some warm water. Roots and sprouts will begin to appear after just a few days. Once the sprouts reach about four inches, twist them off. When the roots on the sprouts reach one inch long, you can plant the sprouts. . Ginger Looking for nature’s cure-all for stomach woes? Try ginger roots! Ginger roots are extremely easy to go, so you will never run out once started. Plant a piece of ginger root in potting soil, making sure the buds are facing upwards, keep the area moist and you will begin to notice new growth. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pineapple Cut the top off your pineapple and suspend it above warm water. Make sure that the water reaches the base. Keep in direct sunlight. You should begin to notice sprouts in about a week, and then you can transfer the pineapple into the potting soil. If you live in a cooler environment, it is best that you grow your pineapple indoors. It takes a while, but you should have a new pineapple in a few years. Onions To regrow onions, cut the root (leaving about 1 inch of the onion) and cover with soil. Place in a warm, sunny area and keep the soil moist for a few weeks. Pumpkins This growing process is as simple as recycling your old jack o lantern. On November 1st, place your old jack o lantern in a hole in your garden and fill the inside of the pumpkin with soil. Next autumn you will have a garden full of pumpkins. It’s just that simple! Peppers Growing your own peppers is easy, as they require little to no care, simply plant the seeds in soil and place in direct sunlight. That’s it! Tomatoes To regrow, simply save the seeds that you were likely going to throw out anyway. Allow the seeds to dry out, and plant in rich potting soil. Keep the plant indoors until you notice growth, and then you can transfer the plant outdoors. Basil Basil is one of the easiest herbs to regrow. Leave a stem (about 4 inches high) in water, make sure that the leaves are above the waterline. Leave the glass of water in a well lit area but not in direct sunlight. Roots will form quickly, and then you can transfer the basil outdoors. Cilantro Put fresh cilantro cuttings in a few inches of water. Wait for roots to form and then move outdoors. ---PAGE BREAK--- Turnips Root plants (such as turnips, beets, or parsnips) can be easily regrown. Keep the tops of the turnips and place in some water. You will start to notice new green tops after a few days. Make sure that you allow the root to fully form before transplanting. Cherries While this is an extremely long process, it can be a one. Save your cherry pits in cold storage for approximately twelve weeks. Simply clean the pit and place in a lidded container. Move outdoors after the twelve weeks is up. Lemons You can actually grow indoor dwarf lemon plants! It does take a few years for the tree to bear fruit. Be sure to clean the seeds before planting, and plant in a soil rich with nutrients. Carrots Use carrot tops to regrow healthy greens. Place the carrot tops in a bowl of water, make sure that the top is only half covered. Once the tops have grown sprouts, you can transfer the carrots outdoors. Lemongrass Cut off the tops off of lemongrass and place the stalks in water. Change the water every couple of days and you should begin to see sprouts after a few weeks. It is important to remember that lemongrass needs to be kept warm all year long.. Fennel All you need to regrow fennel is a small portion of the base of the plant. Place the root in a cup of water and place it in direct sunlight. Once you begin to see green sprouts, it is time to move the plant outside. Bean Sprouts Soak a tablespoon of beans in a jar of water. Leave overnight. In the morning drain the water, and set the beans in an empty container. Repeat this process for a few days. ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- Mental Health Awareness Month Cameron Katie, Dawn, Nani, Gail, Amy & Christine Janel, Dirk and Sharon M A Y ---PAGE BREAK--- This week’s “Shout Outs” Who’s are the rock stars in Alpine County this week? Thanks to Alpine County Employees for Rockin’ the Lime Green on Fridays! Kudos to Alpine County residents Jeanne Reuter and Becky Thornburg along with BHS’s Teri McAlpin for solving last week’s mysteries! ---PAGE BREAK--- Last week’s answer: When the trains meet, they are in the same spot, so they are both the same distance from NYC. The man takes the chicken across the river. He goes back and brings the fox across and picks up the chicken again taking it back to the first side. The man then brings the corn across, leaving the chicken alone. He goes back and gets the chicken. This week’s Puzzles Send your answers to Dawn by phone or email for a shout out in the next issue. Call [PHONE REDACTED] or email [EMAIL REDACTED] What is unusual about the following words: revive, banana, grammar, voodoo, assess, potato, dresser, uneven? Two boxers are in a match scheduled for 12 rounds. (Pure boxing only - no kicking, UFC takedowns, or anything else). One of the boxers gets knocked out after only six rounds, yet no man throws a punch. How is this possible? Send your answers to Dawn by phone or email for a “shout out” in the next issue. Call [PHONE REDACTED] or email [EMAIL REDACTED] ---PAGE BREAK--- If you need help with your mental health contact Alpine County Behavioral Health Services Phone: (530)-694-1816 or 24/7 Crisis Line (800)-318-8212 Website: www.alpinecountyca.gov Other resources for mental health help: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for free 24/7 support Crisis Text Line: Text MHFA to 741741 for free 24/7 crisis counseling Lifeline Crisis Chat: Visit crisischat.org to talk online with crisis centers around the United States The Trevor Project: Call [PHONE REDACTED] or text “START” to 678678 for mental health support specialized for the community ---PAGE BREAK--- We want to know what Mental Health means to you! We’re creating a virtual (and printed) “Wall of Words” for Mental Health Awareness Month. Please send an email to [EMAIL REDACTED] or call me at [PHONE REDACTED] to tell us what Mental Health means to you. It can be short. It can be long. It can be a poem. It can be a song. You get the idea. You can have your name on it. Or not. Just join our Mental Health “Wall of Words”. We want your input. We miss you and this activity will help us connect with each other! There is space below to write if that helps. ---PAGE BREAK---