STOP! SAVE THE TURKEY BONES

By the time Thanksgiving dinner is over, everyone is in a hurry to clean the mess in the kitchen. There are so many pots, pans, and serving dishes piled up in the sink, that it’s almost overwhelming. First thing most of us do is get rid of the turkey carcass–clean off any remaining meat, then dump it in the trash. Stop! Save the turkey bones and simmer them for a delicious soup broth or nutritious bone broth. Both are great for your health.

First break up the carcass into a big pot and cover with about a gallon of water. Add a hunk of carrot, stalk of celery, some onion slices. Throw in a couple of bay leaves and maybe some thyme. Cover, Turn on the heat, and simmer for about an hour. Now you have the beginnings of turkey noodle soup. Strain everything through a colander and save the broth. Pick the meat off the turkey bones to put in the soup. At this point, you can discard the bones—unless you want to take it one step further and make turkey bone broth. In which case, you will keep simmering the turkey bones on low heat for at least four hours. Some recipes call for an eight hour cooking time, but others say four is enough.

After awhile, the broth will begin to turn a pale gold color, and the bones will break up, along with the shredded meat. You don’t have to do anything while this is going on. Just smell the delicious fragrance of turkey broth filling the kitchen. When you’re ready, strain everything through a colander. The meat and bones can be discarded, because now, you’ve extracted all the vitamins and minerals from the carcass.

If you’re tired from hosting Thanksgiving dinner, treat yourself to a cup of miraculous bone broth while it’s still hot. . The simmering helps the bones to release healing compounds like proline, glycine, glutamine and collagen. Suddenly, you’re feeling stronger. A study at the University pf Nebraska Medical Center found that the amino acids produced when making chicken stock reduced inflammation in the respiratory system and improved digestion.

Let the bone broth cool in the refrigerator, and skim off the top layer of fat. Store the broth however you like. I prefer Tupperware containers. You can keep it in the frig for a day or so, but it’s best to store most in the freezer. One day this winter, when you’re feeling kind of puny, warm some bone broth in a saucepan, add some noodles, carrots and celery, and you’ve got yourself a super soup that will help relieve the misery.

Stop! Save the turkey bones.

November 21, 2022November 21, 2022

CHILDLESS SHOULDN’T JUDGE PARENTS

Thanksgiving is coming! Soon, everyone will gather at Grandma’s house for dinner. Or, perhaps one of the siblings will do the hosting. There will probably be some kids running around the table, and maybe a baby in diapers. While the parents are showing off their adorable offspring, there may be guests who don’t have any children. Consequently, they might be critical of your parenting skills. Why do you let your kids run wild? Or let the baby scream at the top of her lungs? There are lots of reasons that parents aren’t perfect. But childless relatives shouldn’t judge parents of little kids.

Recently, there was a fire in a neighboring city, where two children perished in a trailer fire. The media said they were home alone. Turned out, they weren’t quite so alone as it sounded. The mom had run to the trailer next door after the kids were asleep. Within minutes, a fire exploded in her trailer, making it impossible to rescue the children. Naturally, everyone began blaming the parents. Especially people who don’t have any children. But then again, some of us weren’t so quick to judge. The Dad was at work on the night shift. Maybe the woman just ran next door to borrow a cup of sugar. Or needed to talk to someone about a problem. Living in a trailer, there’s not a lot of extra money floating around for therapists. And if you were making a birthday cake and needed some sugar, running to the grocery store wasn’t an option.

I don’t know why that mother went to the trailer next door, and I probably never will. All I know is that she had two children under the age of three, and her husband had to work nights. Maybe she worked days. And when you’re raising two kids in a trailer, it’s not quite as easy as if you live in a middle class home with a good furnace and no overdue bills.

Back to Thanksgiving dinner. Why does your sister-in-law let her baby scream? Possibly , she was up all night with the child, and is so exhausted that she doesn’t even hear it. Why does your cousin let her boys run around the living room? Maybe she’s hoping that by dinner they’ll have burned off some of their energy. Or, it doesn’t really bother her, as long as they’re not pulling each other’s hair. A person who’s never raised a child will never quite understand how challenging it is to be a parent. It’s a 24/7 job, with no sick days allowed. According to a recent study, parents were worse off in countries where parents receive fewer subsidies and lack family friendly policies. And the United States was at the top of that list.

If you feel annoyed by little children on Thanksgiving day, take a deep breath and bite your tongue. After all, you’ll soon be walking out the door to enjoy your peace and quiet. But for parents, the beat goes on. Childless people shouldn’t judge those with kids.

Happy Thanksgiving.

November 15, 2022

MANAGING A MINI MELTDOWN

It probably happens to everyone: a series of mishaps in a short period of time that overwhelms your nervous system. I’m not talking about a car crash, house fire, or tornado. Those are major events with life changing outcomes. But sometimes, it’s a bunch of little things that drive you to the brink. Managing a mini meltdown with the help of alternative therapies such as mindfulness, meditation and tai chi can help.

But still, it was a tough weekend for me. Friday was the first anniversary of the death of a loved one.. Heading into the weekend, my husband’s fragile health condition took a turn for the worse, and we had to decide whether he should call the doctor. (Who isn’t available on weekends) The next afternoon, I lost my credit card at the grocery store. Later that day, had an unexpected visitor who we really didn’t want to see. When the mail came, I found two letters chiding me for overdue payments that I had already made through online banking.

And to top it all off, the 2022 election has turned out to be a nail biter. . I can remember when we knew the winners of all races on election night. Now, the counting goes on for weeks, with thousands of mysterious mail in ballots cropping up from out of nowhere to turn everything around. And when the person running for governor in Arizona is also in charge of the election, you lose faith in the entire electoral process. It’s disturbing to realize that our nation could be run by people who weren’t elected legitimately.

By Sunday night, my stomach was churning and I wondered how I could even fix dinner. Turned out I didn’t have to, because my husband only wanted a fruit smoothie, which suited me just fine. Then, I sat in the recliner, closed my eyes, and took a few deep breaths. Mindfulness has taught me to accept my feelings, thoughts, and body sensations, without being overwhelmed by them. Concentrated on my breathing, meditated, then did some tai chi.

Breathe in. breathe out. My husband made it through the weekend without having to go to the ER. More deep breaths. The people who sent the deadbeat letters admitted they hadn’t gotten around to posting payments for over a month . Feeling calmer, Put my credit card on hold. Think I’ll become one of those little old ladies who write checks at the grocery store. Went swimming on Monday, and felt the gloom begin to lift. I can’t control the election process, so we’ll have to live with whatever happens.

The next time you have a mini meltdown, remind yourself that nothing lasts forever. With the help of meditation, mindfulness, controlled breathing, and other calming techniques, you can mange to come out on the other side. .

November 10, 2022November 10, 2022

PASSIVE AGGRESSION RULED 2022 ELECTION

At last, the phone has stopped ringing at dinner time. The pollsters and politicians have quit dialing random numbers in an effort to influence our vote. But most of them got it wrong. In the spring, they predicted a red wave washing over the country. Then, after The Dobbs decision in August, it seemed Abortion Rights would be a game changer. Looked like there would be a blue wave come November. And yet, a week before the election, Vegas odds, some pollsters, and politicians proclaimed a red tsunami was coming on Nov. 8. Didn’t happen. Here’s what I think did happen. A lot of people who usually vote, didn’t. They did not like their preferred parties’ policies or candidates. And yet they couldn’t bring themselves to vote for the other party. Instead, they just stayed home. Passive Aggression ruled the 2022 Election.

Why do I believe this? Because, over the years, I’ve known activists in both parties. After awhile, I found it best to not express my opinion about politics while in their presence. Some were passionate about either Obama or Trump. They went door to door trying to get out the vote for their president of choice. They blamed every problem in this country on their party of dislike, and attributed any victories to their own party affiliation. . This year, I didn’t hear much at all from these folks. They no longer tried to engage in political discussions at family gatherings and social occasions. And then, on November 8, these same people admitted that they had not voted at all in the mid terms.

As an independent, I was happy to vote in the midterms, and split my vote pretty much down the middle. Local candidates who’ve done a good job got my vote, regardless of their party affiliation. On a state level, there’s a tendency to vote for the party, not the person, if you don’t know much about the candidate. However, the choice was pretty clear, because the Republicans shot themselves in the foot by denying women reproductive rights.

In the state of Indiana, pollsters found that 69% of all voters in either party were pro choice. Physicians were aghast that party hacks with no medical background were able to get involved in an issue that should be determined by a woman and her doctor. And yet, the legislature did not listen to their constituents and decided to outlaw abortion in the State of Indiana. So what would you do if you were a dedicated conservative? Vote for a Democrat? That would stick in the craw. Easier just to stay home and not vote at all.

Ditto for devout Democrats. Do all of them agree with open borders, shutting down pipelines, and increased spending that’s led to inflation? I don’t think so. And yet, they really couldn’t stomach the thought of voting Republican. Once again, it was easier to abstain from voting at all.

In our county, voter turnout this year was 27%, compared to 60% in 2018. That ought to tell you something. Passive aggression ruled the 2022 Election.

November 4, 2022November 3, 2022

FEELING THOSE PRE ELECTION JITTERS

Ever since I voted for the first time–60 some years ago–I’ve had a case of the jitters leading up to November 8. Some years, I’ve been ecstatic when my candidates of choice won. Other years, it felt like the bottom fell out of the world when they lost. And yet, life went on and the United States of America is still standing as a nation. Now, it seems obvious that what I really feared was change. Things are never quite as they were after election day. I can remember when Medicare was a hot issue. Being young at the time, it didn’t influence my vote one way or the other. But now, we’re enjoying the benefits of what was then considered a blow to American conservatives, who called it nothing but socialism. This week, we’re all feeling those pre-election jitters.

The polls build up the tension, and the media is part of the problem. Conservative newspapers and television stations tout their favorite pollsters, who predict a Republican sweep. On the other hand, liberal media gives an entirely opposite report. This morning, as I scrolled through the news feed on my i-phone, , I saw wildly different headlines. “So and So predicts a Republican sweep.” “ Democrats surging in the polls.” Back and forth across all social media. Who to believe?

The US is more divided than ever. We know that the winners will leave 50% of the voters angry. There will be charges of voter fraud, re counts, court cases and delayed results. It may be months before we know who’s really running the country.

How to calm the pre election jitters? First, turn off the television during the daytime. Don’t discuss politics at work. Start an indoor garden by planting some amaryllis bulbs. Perform random acts of kindness. Do something nice for yourself. Listen to music. Take a walk in the park. Read a good book. Meditate.

What ever happens, have faith in your fellow Americans. We’re a nation of immigrants. Resilience is in our DNA, We wouldn’t be here if our ancestors hadn’t taken the risk to leave home. . And you know what? On November 9^th, we’ll still be our same old selves. We’ll have our family and friends and life will go on, just as it has for the past 247 years or so. .

November 1, 2022October 31, 2022

WHO IS STASHING ALL THE CASH?

Thanks to Covid, inflation, and the uncertainly in our world, lots of folks are hanging on to cash. They’re not putting it in the bank or spending it on the grandkids. It’s piling up under a mattress or in their underwear drawer. How do we know that? Because 100 dollar bills are disappearing from circulation, and the government has had to print more of them just to keep up. One out of five people are now stashing cash at home. As a middle aged parent with three kids, saving cash would not have been possible for me. Although I avoided credit card debt, we lived very frugally. Some years, even going with out a/c in the summertime. And now, many parents are struggling just to put food on the table. But somewhere out there are people with extra money. The question is, who is stashing all the cash?

It began with the Covid stimulus deal. A lot of middle income people of all ages received money they really didn’t need. Not everyone lost their jobs, and well educated people were often able to work from home. Although many seniors are living on nothing but social security, some aren’t. Those who have pensions, 401ks, and mortgage free homes saw their bank statements grow larger during the pandemic. They were spending less because they weren’t going much of anywhere, buying new clothes, or eating out. And now, those same people, are getting scared about what’s happening in the world.

Putin is threating nuclear war. People don’t feel safe anymore, due to increased crime, political upheaval, climate change. Life isn’t as simple as it used to be. The reality is that nature, itself, can upend our lives with flooding and tornadoes. You could be stuck in a situation where the banks are closed, and there’s nothing much in the freezer. Right now, my cupboards are bulging with canned goods. . At the beginning of the pandemic, I began buying two of everything instead of one. Two cans of tomatoes and green beans. Two packs of rice, maybe three. It wasn’t a conscious effort, instead just something instinctive.

And now, with the midterm elections, people are feeling scared. The war in Ukraine could result in WWIII. Will inflation get worse? Maybe, maybe not. Can they count on a change of political parties to make our lives better? The solution, for some, is cash. It’s solid and unchanging. You can see it, feel it, smell it, and use it to buy things. Conventional wisdom tells us that hoarding cash is a bad idea. Due to inflation, it’s rapidly losing it’s value. It could be stolen, or lost in a fire. Thieves could rob you. And yet, money is still disappearing from circulation. Who is stashing all the cash?