Five Minute Friday: "Touch"

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Though I can grasp concepts using various learning styles, when it comes to making or building something, my best style is tactile learning.  I can watch all the videos, read all the books, and attend all the classes I want, but until I get my hands dirty, I don't fully grasp the concept. 

The best way for me to determine that someone's supposed affection is genuine if the person is willing to touch me.  Hugs, pats on the back, and firm handshakes affirms a lack of fear or the presence of disingenuous politeness.

Some of my favorite touches:

• The soft skin of a baby
• A computer keyboard at the perfect angle
• Smooth stones
• The warm sun on my skin
• The gentle caress of a long shower
• Lotion - this is a twofer; I like the way it feels on my skin, as well as how it smells
• The cool breeze of a fan
• The feel of my favorite pen as it glides across the page.
• Flower petals
• The feel of garden soil in my hands

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Thoughtful Guy: The Simple Woman's Daybook

If you would like to join in and post your own Daybook, please head on over to visit Peggy at The Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today:  Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Note: 

I had to make the executive decision to no longer accept anonymous comments on the blog.  In the past several months, my blog has been spammed excessively with fake anonymous comments.  This needed to stop. 

Looking outside my window …   After having mid 70 degree weather for the past few days, it's snowing and we are now under a blizzard warning.

I am thinking... 

• ...about accountability.  In all the analysis and research on personality types I've read, I understand that I require outward accountability for ultimate success.  I absolutely loathe that about myself.  Almost seems unfair to be the type of person who needs community, but is frequently placed in isolating circumstances.  Although I don't like it, I'm making the conscious decision to embrace this part of my psyche by discovering and creating some outside accountability.  There are too many places where I feel stuck.  Having some help will be a big step towards getting unstuck.
• ... about leadership.  I was introduced to the concepts of leadership 19 years ago when I attended a leadership conference lead by John C. Maxwell.  He simply defined leadership as influence and implied that everyone should be a leader.  He also claimed that leadership wasn't about a position, but about having and impact on another person.  Since then, I've read books, watched videos, attended seminars, taken test after test, and had meetings with various leaders.  After all these years of study and working on it, I've come to determine that I'm NOT a leader.  I don't have to be the big cheese and have my name in lights; I just want to help others who are leaders reach their goals.  My gift isn't leadership; my personality doesn't even accommodate it.  I'm an ESFJ on the Myers-Briggs, an Obliger on Gretchen Rubin's Four Tendencies Model, a Golden Retriever on the animal personality scale, plus another plethora of personality labels (Type B, Melancholy, #2 on the Enneagram...blah, blah, blah).  My gift is the ministry of helps.  Yes, teaching is also one of my spiritual gifts, but even that is a part of helps.  Again, this is something I need to embrace about myself rather than reject it or see it as a lesser gift.  I'll continue to partake of leadership and personal development materials.  However, they will be filtered through the lens of helps--how I can be a better helper; not how to try to be something I'm not.
• ...about recovery.  I'm finishing up my eleventh year of recovery and I've discovered that I still have a way to go.  I thought I was done digging into my past, but as long as past pain still wreaks havoc with present reality, I still need recovery.  After all, recovery isn't needed if there's nothing to recover from.  I'm ready to be well and whole. 
• ... about meditation.  Now, don't worry, I'm not getting into the weird meditation that asks you to empty your mind and do the direct opposite of biblical meditation.  I'm talking about productive, Bible-based meditation.  I feel the need to learn and implement a consistent practice because I have way more anxiety than is healthy or necessary.  It's getting so bad that I'm starting to have physical affects from it.  The problem is, I have a very difficult time sitting still and quiet.  I've tried a guided Scripture meditation several times and failed miserably.  I even tried it while soaking in the tub and still couldn't settle.  I had no idea that there were viable meditative practices that involve movement.  After all, God just instructs us to meditate on His Word;  He didn't say we had to be still while we did it.  Two things I want to try are writing meditation and scriptural stretching/yoga meditation.  We'll see how it goes.

I am thankful...  

• ...for the gentleman who let me know one of my taillights was out.
• ...for the guy at Advanced Auto Parts who replaced the bulb for me when I couldn't figure out how to do it myself.  Sorry, YouTube can't fix everything.
• ... for new friends and reconnecting with old ones.
• ... for grocery store flowers.
• ... for my local library.
• ... for Pilot G2 Bold pens.

From the Workshop...

Wheels on the Bus Cuddle Quilt:  I never get tired of making these.

From Auntie's Test Kitchen:  I completed letter J in my A-Z challenge since the last Daybook.

I am reading...

• The Word in the Wilderness by Malcolm Guite
• Self Matters by Dr. Phillip C. McGraw
• Courage and Calling by Gordon T. Smith
• Jesus, the Open Door by Kenneth Hagin, Sr.

Books I've finished since my last Daybook: 

• The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron.
• Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown.
• Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan.
• Outer Order, Inner Calm by Gretchen Rubin.
• The Journey That Saved Curious George by Louise Borden.

Favorite quote(s) of the week:

Rhett - "...I recently upped the douche factor in my life..."

Link - "I didn't know you had any more margin."
Ear Biscuits, 03/17/19

"I've never seen my family tree, and I think this is because someone chopped it down and built a bar with it." - Jim Gaffigan, Dad is Fat, p. 227

"The glory of God is the human person fully alive." - Irenaeus, quoted in Courage and Calling by Gordon T. Smith, p. 19

"I believe in every trial, there is a gain God wants us to receive.  But that requires us to trust Him at levels we might not have before.  It requires us to open our hearts to new ways of looking at our circumstances.  It requires us to pass through the pain knowing an even stronger faith is on the other side." - Christine Caine, Unshakeable, p. 42.

“Accepting oneself does not preclude an attempt to become better.” - Flannery O'Connor, quoted by Gretchen Rubin, Outer Order, Inner Calm, p. 131.

I am looking forward to... 

• This weekend, I'm going to visit a friend in Grand Junction, Colorado.
• Being off for Good Friday and celebrating Easter.
• My upcoming summer stay-cation in May and celebrating my 47th birthday.

My Mythical Year: Part two of my "I Do Science" Mythical Merit Badge is here.

And Now For Something Totally Different:

Five Minute Friday Word of the Week:  I know I haven't posted a Five Minute Friday word in a while.  However, the prompts lately have taken my mind and keyboard to sad places that, quite frankly, I didn't want to go.  I want to focus more on the positive, rather than the prompt pointing out what I'm not or I don't have.  Maybe something better will pop up soon...or not.

I Do Science: Experiment #2: Mixed Nuts [My Mythical Year] [101 in 1001 v. 2]



See my post here for more information on My Mythical Year.

For this badge, I decided to conduct two experiments.  This is the second.  For experiment #1, click here.

Though I grew up in a very racially charged, ethnically segregated Southern town, I had the benefit of living near a military base.  Children who've experienced the military life usually came from or experienced various cultures and they were an integral part of our schools.  Sharing in that helped me love what a beautiful kaleidoscope diversity and acceptance truly are.

I've known since I understood the concept of race, that I was of mixed heritage.  Our family has traditionally believed that we were part African American and part Native American.  No one really knew.  Though we could trace my mom's side of the family back for several generations, for various reasons we couldn't do the same for my father's side.  Since there was no DNA technology at the time, we simply took what we were told on face value.

Years ago, when DNA testing became accessible to the public, rather than just some hocus-pocus from the O. J. trial, I considered purchasing a kit.  However, I was listening to a podcast about it and the host made it a shaming pawn.  Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one interpreting it that way.  I really don't understand how or why someone would take such a wonderful thing and turn it into hatred or derision for other races to make people feel ashamed of what they are.

Anyway...

Someone who knew I was interested in having this test done bought me an Ancestry DNA kit as an early birthday present.  Usually, it takes 6-8 weeks to receive the results.  However, my "Mutt Report" was ready in less than a month.

According to the results, I am approximately 2/3 African, and 1/3 European Caucasian  with about 1% Native American thrown in.  The findings also reveal that my African American ancestry is part of the Early Virginia Community--most likely slaves brought from Africa to Virginia. 

Hey, I've always joked that I was a white woman trapped in a black woman's body.  Well, according to the findings, that's kind of true.

So how do I feel about this?  The same as I felt before I got the results--great!  The one thing about myself of which I never felt shame was my multiracial heritage.  This test changes none of that.  It felt great to finally know something concrete about myself.  It felt freeing to be proud of all the parts of me.  So, if you're white, I got you.  If you're black, I got you.  If you're pretty much anything else, I got you.  I AM every woman.

J is for Jambalaya [A-Z Blog Challenge 2015]

Experiments From Auntie's Test Kitchen

Intro  A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Conclusion



                                                                                                                    

J is for Jambalaya 

Years ago, Alabama's Calhoun County was home to a tiny family-owned restaurant called Li'l Cajuns.  As the name suggests, this eating establishment specialized in Cajun and Creole food.  I had the privilege (and budget) to only eat there once, but what I ate was fantastic.  The problem is, it's been so long  (more than 15 years ago) that I had that one dish, I can't remember what it was. Also, the restaurant doesn't exist anymore.  I either had etouffee or jambalaya.  I only know it wasn't gumbo because I'd rather be pelted with an aluminum folding chair than eat boiled okra.  Since the shrimp and tomato base are similar to both dishes and I've already done an E entry, I chose Jambalaya.  The recipe is as follows:

Easy Cajun Jambalaya

by Lauren Miyashiro

Original recipe is here.

My adaptations are in parenthesis.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 bell peppers, chopped (it didn't say what color, so I used green ones)
• Kosher salt (I used regular salt)
• Freshly ground black pepper (I used regular McCormick's black pepper)
• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
• 1 tsp. dried oregano (I used Italian seasoning that had oregano as part of the mix)
• 6 oz. Andouille sausage, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 c. low-sodium chicken stock (I used 1 can of regular chicken broth, which is a little less than 2 cups--close enough)
• 1 (15-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 c. long grain rice (used one bag of Success boil-in-bag brown rice)
• 2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
• 1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used 12 oz of deveined, precooked salad shrimp because I know NOTHING about peeling and deveining shrimp)
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced (I didn't use these at all)

Directions

• In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and bell peppers and season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes, then stir in chicken and season with salt, pepper, and oregano. Cook until the chicken is golden, about 5 minutes (the chicken does not get golden, but it does get done, and it takes longer than 5 minutes), then stir in Andouille sausage, garlic, and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more (I cooked it longer than this, about 5 minutes).
• Add chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, rice (I opened the boil-in-bag rice and added it), and Old Bay. Reduce heat to medium low, cover with a tight fitting lid, and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is almost absorbed, about 20 minutes (if the rice is parboiled like mine, 20 minutes works.  If you start with uncooked rice, there's no way it will be ready in 20 minutes).
• Add the shrimp and cook until pink, 3 to 5 minutes (that's enough time to heat the precooked shrimp).
• Stir in green onions just before serving (didn't use).

The verdict

I made this for my lunch this week, but forgot that it's got shrimp in it.  I'm not putting my co-workers through the stench of reheating a dish with seafood in it in the communal microwave. 

Sometimes I wonder if there's not something wrong with my taste buds.  Honestly, I don't know what I think of this concoction.  When I smell it, I am completely turned off by it, but when I add a little salt to and consume it, I can endure it.  The spiciness isn't overwhelming and I like the things that are in the dish.  I guess if I must endure it rather then enjoy it and I can't bring myself to eat any more of it, I've answered the question of whether it's a success or not.  It's been in my refrigerator long enough; I need to chose to either freeze it, eat it, or dump it. 

Well, back to the drawing board.  I still have a few letters left to create something enjoyably edible.  **facepalm**