Screen Free Week

April 30th - May 6th

Read about it here

See ya next week!

Be blessed!

Crockpot Chicken Florentine

I just wanted to share a super easy, super delicious recipe with you today.

A break from all the 'mind talk'.

I love my crock pot.

I want to marry it.

It gives me plenty of time to sit and do nothing for 10 minutes.

(Which was SO much easier today!)

I'd like to get a new one - a pretty, shiny one with a digital display.

Instead I have one with ivy leaves all over it, a clear indication that I was a new bride in the 1980's.

I'm on a bit of a mission to use it as often as possible and make healthy, tasty meals.

Last night's mission was a bit of a fail - chicken breasts, black beans and salsa, cooked on

 low all day.

It was edible, but a bit paste like.

I just had a moment, and it spurred this blog post.  I spent the morning perusing at JoAnn Fabrics -I have an idea for some felted embroidery projects and I needed supplies - I just came in the back door - the house was quiet and in order, and I could smell dinner in the crock pot. 

 Now, I don't know about you - but on a happy scale of one to ten - that's pert near a 9.5.

Let me know if you try it - and how you like it.

I kinda made it up.

:-)

Now, of course there are other recipes on line that sound decadent and wonderful, but they are full of the devil dairy - which I'm allergic too, and if I indulge I forget to wear a bra, comb my hair and look like I'm ready for the maternity ward.  This recipe helps me fit in my size 8 jeans, and feel like a million bucks.

If you have any tweaks or additions - let me know!

Crock Pot Chicken Florentine

1 lb of chicken breasts, boneless, skinless

Garlic salt

Red Bell Pepper - 1

Large Onion - 1

Chopped Frozen Spinach - 1 lb bag

32 oz jar of Spaghetti Sauce

Liberally sprinkle garlic salt on the chicken breasts.

Place in bottom of crock pot.

Slice peppers and onions and place on top of chicken.

Dump spinach on top of chicken, peppers and onions.

Pour spaghetti sauce over the whole deal.

Turn crock pot on low - cover.

Go to JoAnn Fabrics, or some other wonderland of your choice.

Come back in 8 hours and eat.

I make gluten free brown rice pasta to go with this - and serve it over that.

The Hardest Danged Thing I Ever Did Done

It was the hardest ding danged thing I ever done did.

Lose over a hundred pounds?

Nope.

Sit still for 10 minutes and do nothing.

Now, I'm a world class sitter if I've got some needles in my hands, heck, even a cup of hot tea - but nothing?

That was my therapy homework this week.

I met my 'real' therapist - Susan.  I like her.

She was drinking a Starbucks Iced Coffee.

She almost got punched in the face for that - since I was in the throes of caffeine withdrawal - and I mean the throes, like my head was inside out - but I didn't think that I should punch my therapist in the face as soon as I met her.

I was figuring that kind of behavior would really lengthen my treatment and all.

So I had to sit in a chair and do absolutely nothing for 10 whole minutes.

No TV, no laptop, no nail clippers, no stitchery, no cup of tea, no nothin'.

I'm telling you a truth when I say I was short of breath at minute three.

Short of breath - doing nothing.

That's how antsy it made me.

I had no cuticles left at minute six.

In my head I was singing 'You Make Me Feel' and dancing like a fool.

I could have done my nails in that time!

I coulda, I shoulda - I woulda....

Minute eight, I heard myself snort.

I'm not supposed to fall asleep.

But I made it.

And I have to do it every stinking day til I see her again and 'report' to her how it made me feel.

Oh she's gettin' an earful.

I have a 'treatment plan'.  Things I have to work on - and report back to her every other week.

Learning to assert myself and say 'no'.  Establish healthy boundaries.  Learn relaxation and breathing techniques, and a few others, that I can't quite remember right now.  Learn to finish things that I start was another one, me thinks...

Susan did make me feel good though - she said she was really impressed that I would choose to see a therapist for a mental health tune up - to live my best life.

I think we are going to have a good relationship-as long as I don't see another danged iced coffee on her desk next week!

Please do try this at home, and tell me how you did.

Cause crazy likes company!

PS - Audrey and Jill - thanks so much for the book recommendation!

I bought it!

75 cents!

A Check Up from the Neck Up

It was an important day.

I could feel it from the moment I got up and finally started getting ready to go.

I chose to wear my $5 resale shop Kenneth Cole trouser jeans.

Such jeans are reserved for important days.

Heels were involved.

I really wanted to clarify something.

Perhaps, some things.

Do I think I'm crazy?

Absolutely not.

Quirky? Yes.

Hyper at times?  You got it.

Crazy?  No.

Mentally ill?  No.

Do I think that there is ANY thing wrong with me?

No ma'am's.

Do I need, or plan on taking medication?

No way.

Do I like me?

Yep Yep.

Do I even need to pursue this path?

Nope.

Well then, you ask - why the sam hill are you?

Cause I want to.

Cause I want to have a 'mental check up', just as I had a physical exam last fall.

If we are so concerned about our blood pressure, cholesterol readings and the like - why don't we place the same - nay, MORE concern in the place of checking our attitudes?  Our thought patterns?  Behaviors that don't serve us well?

I personally think that they are just as important, if not more important to our health.

This might take a while.

Get comfy.

I'm going to throw in some of my favorite pictures to hold your interest.

It was a gloomy, rainy, cool Friday morning and I was dressed up.

I was talking myself out of this appointment for a week, but realizing that cancelling it, for me, was quite a symptom of the ADHD, I forced myself to go.

I'll explain more about that in just a minute.

I drove there - and it just felt important. It felt mature.

I parked and walked to the entrance - and even as my heels were clicking on the pavement - and I saw the words 'Mental Health Center' - I wanted to turn around and walk back to the car.

"I'm not crazy".

What stigmas we put on mental health.

How we defend our sanity!  (Or at least I do!)

I kept reminding myself that this was about living my best life.

My first thought when I walked in:
"I want to work here".

It was beautiful!  It was this lobby that was just filled with an incredible peace - and there was this atrium garden that I could have sat and looked at all day.

Filled with neon colored azaleas, that the gloominess of the day really illuminated.

I really wish I had taken some photos.

I found out that they are hiring gardeners for the summer.

Oh, yes I did.

favorite picture of my garden

I was then brought into a business office where I gave them all the insurance information, and then whisked up to the second floor where the therapist would see me.

As I sat there - again, I thought "I want to work here."

I watched the interaction of the co-workers.

It made me miss working.

It made me miss paperclips, staplers and memos.

I missed wearing heels daily, and chatting with co-workers.

I've always enjoyed office work.

Mainly, I miss a paycheck.

:-)

Selah.

Then I thought - "heck, I should be a therapist!  How cool would that be - digging around in people's brains - and then on my lunch hour, I could tend the gardens."

I sat, and waited, and fidgeted, and thought a hundred times why I didn't really need to be here, and I could just go up to the counter now, and say 'I changed m'mind George'.

But I had my Kenneth Cole jeans on, and my heels, and by God I was staying.

Then I started taking pictures of my feet with my phone, and thought 'eh, maybe I need to be here.'

:-)

A lovely, kind faced woman called me in.

I was informed that I'd be given an 'initial diagnosis' that day - but in order to have an 'official' diagnosis, I'd have to see a psychiatrist, psychologist, or be involved in 'talk therapy' for some time.  I had to get an initial diagnosis to move forward, however.

I was asked a million questions.

I couldn't help but feel such gratitude as I was answering them.

I've been quite fortunate in this life.

Never abused, never addicted to anything besides cupcakes.

I remember we laughed alot.

I showed her this list - off their very own website -

Symptoms of Adult ADHD

We went over them, one by one - and I told her how I had each and every one of them, except for the anger outbursts, and I felt that it was holding me back from my best life.

(You'll see on the list 'trouble with following through with promises and commitments - I can say that I am good with my promises, unless I just forget - which I do often, but it's not on purpose - but commitments - well, that's an issue.  I plan way too much, and I'm excited about the plans when I make them, and then I lose interest, or just feel too busy, and 9 times out of 10, I wish I didn't have the plans when it comes time to act on the plans.  Can I get an amen?  I'm notorious for cancelling.)

one of my favorite pics of Aaron : -)

I told her how I live with a sense of frustration all the time, and constantly feel like an underachiever.

Did you spit your coffee out?

I know.

See - this is what I want to address girls.

Why in the sam hill - after getting up at 5am - being busy and productive until bedtime, would I possibly feel like I'd underachieved?

I tell myself - "Jayme girl - you accomplish a lot." 

But then there's that voice that tells me 'coulda done more, shoulda done more.

I don't get it either.

And let me just say I don't feel like I have to 'prove anything' to anyone - and I don't feel driven to achieve in order to increase my self esteem or any such thing.

no caption needed

And then we talked about my OCD tendencies.

I for one think they are good.

Who doesn't like a tidy environment?

Martha Stewart HAS to be OCD, so I'm in good company.

She gave me an initial diagnosis of Adult ADHD and mild OCD.

We talked about anxiety - because he said that anxiety and ADHD are very close in their symptoms.

I told her how I'd read a lot on both topics, because I too thought that it was anxiety - but after reading - I don't think so.  Anxiety is fearful thoughts.  Uncontrollable fearful, foreboding thoughts, I don't have those, at all - in fact, it might behoove me if I did actually worry about the future a tad more than I do!

My plan is to have a few sessions of talk therapy.

I'd like to get some techniques that could help me go to bed at night with the thought of  'good job girl, you honored yourself, you spent your time wisely, and you are quite fabulous', instead of 'why didn't you do this, or that?  Why didn't you push yourself harder when you worked out?  Why, you should have gotten to that perennial bed on the east side of the house - there are no excuses!'

 Shoulda, coulda, woulda.

I think what I want out of this journey is just some accountability.

I want to be aware of the behaviors and tendencies I have toward ADHD that interfere with my best life.  I want to stop overbooking myself, I want to stop expecting so much from myself.  I want to stop dreading plans I've made, I want to stop feeling like an underachiever.  I want to stop working on eight projects at a time, and start finishing things fortheloveofGod.

I have an incredible green bean recipe to share with you - soon!

I see myself talking to the therapist once a month and saying 'ok - this worked - I kept a calendar - I didn't overbook myself - I honored my commitments to myself and others - I watched my thought processes, etc'.  Or - 'ok that technique didn't work so good for me - what else ya got?'

Thank you for being a part of this journey with me!

I plan on sharing every little thing with y'all about this, I think it's important.

I hope that it might motivate you to choose to live your best life.

Please realize one thing today -

Your life is your choice.

You can choose to feel a victim of your thought processes, your cravings, etc.  You can choose to feel tossed by the wind, out of control -

or

you can choose to grab life by the testicles and make it what you want it to be.  You don't have to be overweight, out of shape, sad, overwhelmed, and living in a mess.

I don't know about you - but I'm grabbin' the balls baby.

The Great Mental Probing of 2012

I have absolutely no business blogging right now - so this will be one of the shortest posts you ever did read.

I'm going to share a journey with you - a journey of epic proportions -

we are calling it -

"The Great Mental Probing of 2012"

(you have to say that like a TV announcer)

I have an appointment in 54 minutes with a therapist to discuss Adult ADHD.

I'm not dressed, I haven't eaten,  the chickens aren't tended and my bed isn't made.

Like I said, I shouldn't be here.

But I am.

Cause I have ADHD.

:-D

The 'eh' has lifted, and once again my stomach is a flutter with all of the excitement that life offers.

I think it was a lunar thing.

Wish me luck.

Two hours of probing commences in now - 52 minutes.

I can't wait to share this journey with you.

What ever will they find?

I think if they did a PET scan of my brain - they would see images of zinnias, baby chicks, butterflies and other happy images frolicking about.

Ain't nothin' wrong with that.

Had another bee swarm last night, caught the renegades and put them in lock down in another hive.

And then there were four.

Hives that is.

OK, I REALLY gotta go.

Being late is a BIG symptom of ADHD.

And so is butterflies frolicking in your head.

FYI.

10:41am amendment:

You guys are a balm to my soul.

Just got back, and on my way to clean the house I clean on Friday's.

Initial diagnosis - moderate ADHD, mild OCD.

Don't laugh.

No, go ahead.

I did.

: -D

Switched Off

Sorry.

I've been busy.

Nursing ducks.

It's not as painful as it sounds.

:-)

I bought these rascals a couple of weeks ago, and they are getting so big already -

Spinner and Paddlefoot.

They like watching TV with me.

I'm determined to have an unnatural relationship with these ducks.

I want them to think I'm mom, follow me around, wait by the back door for breakfast and the like.

I'm sure in some way, I'm upsetting the balance of nature, and doing something that's actually harmful to the ducks.

I'll think about that tomorrow.

I've lost me bloggin' mojo.

There's been a flurry of activity around here - things that used to seem so blog-worthy (like baby ducks) that just now leave me with an 'eh' feeling.

I got a box full of baby chicks to raise for meat.

Should I blog about that?

"Eh".

My bees swarmed last week, and I caught them.

Blog about it?

"Eh."

I'm 2 lbs away from my goal weight - and my bee suit is five times too big.

Newsworthy?

Eh.

See how apathetic I'm becoming?  I didn't even enclose that 'eh' in quotation marks!

Should we be worried?

Surely, you'd want to know that the McDonald's cheeseburger that was bought on Jan. 6th 2012 is still the same.

It seems that this is how my brain works....and at the moment I'm switched off.

Me thinks I'm tired.

I should be.

I must take my leave now and make dinner.

Almond garlic chicken and Brussels sprouts.

"eh".

And the Winner Is......

Is it Monday yet?

I have no idea where this week is going....

And the winner is:

Jodi!

Please send me your address at

jayme.goffin@yahoo.com!

Be back just as soon as I can.



Easter

I was a bit too lazy to move the rocks from my Caveman Cooking Club -

so I made a tomb.

:-)

This is it with the stone still in place.

The stone rolled away....

And here is up close - with the empty grave cloth.

Four years ago on Easter - I started blogging.

I can't believe it's been that long.

I feel that I've been through my own Crucifixion, death and resurrection here.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking around, cheering me on and becoming dear friends.

The Happiest of Easter's to you all!

(Still not to late to leave a comment to win the book - winner announced on Monday)

A Poultry Book Giveaway!

Good mmmmmooorrrnnnninnnng!

I had no intentions of blogging today.

I just couldn't hep m'self.

Life is too glorious!

 

I'm in high gear today. I pity the dustball that gets my way, I pity the weeds in the garden, and I do be pitying my elliptical machine - it's gonna get one heck of a workout.

You know why?

It's almost time for me to be unwell.

If you don't remember what that means, it means 'that time of the month'.

Now is the time that I make grand plans that my body couldn't carry out if it were half my age.

Oh yes.

I get like this right before.

I can barely breathe I have so much energy.

It's a blessing - it's a curse.

A sod cutter is being reserved today.

I'm tearing up the lawn and making more garden space.

I really want to take you with me every step of the way - so many of you have asked about my gardens.

So I was cleaning my desk off but good, and I came across this book -

The publisher had sent it to me some time ago to review.

A pox upon me for not doing it sooner.

It's a great book for the dead on beginner.

Don't know if you want chickens or ostriches?

Want a better method of raising your birds than

'well they died, so I must've done something wrong.'?

SO - if'n that's you - just leave me a comment to enter.

No hoops to jump through folks - I know you are busy - and I am too.  I haven't the time nor the inclination to double check to see if you tweeted about this nonsense!

I must take my leave of you now!

Aaron is learning all about Economics today, and I have many shenanigans and much tom foolery planned for the day.

Til soon.