Can Do!

Life has a way of being monotonous at times.  It is true that those quiet times are good for us, but also true that too much monotony can lead to stagnation.  When I think of the word "stagnation" I think of something green and moldy and gross.  Green moldy and gross?  No thank you!  Time for me to break out of my monotony and refresh my mind, hopefully the body will follow!

I'd like to make a bit of a case for shaking up the routine a bit and how it can lift one's spirit.  I now present our Yorkie, Percy.  She spends most of her days laying on the sofa in the same spot stressed out and chewing on her paws.  The only time that she gets excited about anything is when it's time to eat.  I recently discovered that she enjoys going for little drives.  Her sad and slumping demeanor quickly turned to excitement when she sat in the passenger seat.  She sat upright the entire drive, looking out the window with great curiosity.  I glanced over at her and noticed that she was actually smiling.  I snapped a photo of her for evidence. Seeing her photo reminds me of how important a change of scenery can be for a soul, whether they be animal or human. 

So, other than riding around town with my Yorkie, how have I been changing up my scenery lately?

• List making:  writing down every little thing that I need or want to accomplish.  I find this way it's out of my head which frees me from being stressed.  I accomplish things as I feel up to them, crossing them off the list along the way.  What a great way to feel accomplished, even if it's something small.  I call this my "I can do list". 
• Vitamin B-12 shots (Let me start with a little disclaimer by saying that I'm not a doctor and can only share what I'm doing to help myself.  I suggest you seek a doctors opinion or do some research to decide what is best for you).  With that being said, I went for a Vitamin B-12 shot over the weekend.  I also take a B-12 supplement.  The Vitamin B-12 seems to help ward of my dreaded "stupor". 
• Echinacea and ginseng supplements which help to promote the immune system.
• New sundresses for summer!  Easy to throw on and oh so lovely!
• Eating lots of vegetables, and trying some new vegetable creations  (I'll post a photo and recipe below).
• Sitting and chatting with a dear friend for a couple of hours.....such good medicine for me. 
• Going to the gym for 30 minutes.  That's it...just 30 minutes.  I have to be very disciplined in this because I have tended in the past to push my body too far, only to regret it the next day.
• Weekly chiropractor visits.  My back is thanking me!
• Painting Adirondack chairs on my porch a lovely cottage blue (it cheers me every time I see them). 
• Spending $12 on two hanging baskets of flowers for the front of my house, again it cheers me to see them.

Little changes can have the effect of lifting my spirit and helping me to push through those achy, wheezy days....those days where I'd rather be sitting on my sofa stressfully chewing my paws alongside my Yorkie.  Some days that just can't be helped, but my handy little "can do list" is always full of at least one thing that I can cross off regardless of how I'm feeling that day. 

Vegetable tostada w/ fried egg and cheese

Tostada shells
Cheddar cheese
Taco seasoning
Cauliflower
Yellow Squash
Onion
Egg

Chop or grind the vegetable up pretty small ( I use my Ninja)  Fry them up in a little bit of olive oil.  Add taco seasoning and water per seasoning directions.  Add to a tostada shell, top with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese and a fried egg.

Meets veggie and protein requirements and the yum factor for my picky eaters!


Blessings!
Alicia