a little bit of skiing

I went skiing at Lost Trail for the second time this year; first time skiing in about 12 years! And I gotta say, I did a pretty good job. I'm not as scared as I used to be. But there are a lot of things I'm not as afraid of anymore. Maybe I'm growing up a little.

It was a little foggy this time around. You can see the mountain just peaking through the fog.

Two kiddos that came with us; their first time skiing off the bunny hill. They did great!

These next few pictures are from the first time I went; as you can see, the sun was out.

Enjoying a bit of sun...

Don't you just love my awesome 80's snow outfit. Got it out of my grandpa's closet!

Beating the Winterland Blues

I was perusing through my Natural Health Magazine that I get for free somehow because of my wonderful (sometimes) brother who is always getting stuff for free... and came across an interesting little article called "win over winter" and they had some little tips for keeping the wintertime blues at bay. The article said they were tips from Scandinavian culture. Norman E. Rosenthal, M.D. ways that "prevention is better than any cure", and I SO agree! Eating a healthy diet full of nutrients is better than popping a vitamin pill.

1. Go for a morning walk - I know it's cold, but even a few minutes of AM mild aerobic activity and sunlight can brighten your mood for the whole day and keep you healthy and full of Vitamin D3.
I have read that if there is any pill that you should take, Vitamin D3 is one of them. Vitamin D3 is not the same vitamin D that you get out of milk or in a Calcium pill. It's what you get from sunlight. I've read that Doctors say 1000 iu's is a safe dosage for everyone, but some people need more; you doctor can tell you if you need more.
click to read more on algaecal.com: a whole food source powered by marine algae.

click here to take you to Amazon.com to buy Vitamin D3

2. "During the winter, Swedish cafes set out colorful blankets and pillows to help customers feel at home." (Natural Health mag). It is a coping technique for wintertime called mysig; which basically means cozy. 

Here are some pictures that look mysig to me..

 I would love to cuddle up in this chair with a nice book and a cup o joe.

15house cozy chair

To have your own mysig cafe you could set up your living room with a bunch of colorful pillows and candles. Invite some friends over for a mysig date. Play games or watch movies and wrap up in cozy colorful blankets.

   ....

Here's an interesting video on a Swedish Light Cafe...

click to go to Amazon.com

3. Be a waterbaby - get a quick blast of hot to cold. Like we used to do as kids, get in the hot tub and then jump out and roll around in the snow and jump back in. I guess there was something to all that, we just didn't know! You can get the same thing by alternating hot and cold water in your shower. (Be careful if you're pregnant or have a heart condition!)

4. Use Candles. They create a warm and welcoming environment. Some Sweeds even eat breakfast by candlelight. Sounds welcoming.

..

and of course...

Eat More Kale! - this didn't come from this particular article about winter blues... I just think it's great advice.

out for a stroll

There is a privacy about it which no other season gives you.... In spring, summer and fall people sort of have an open season on each other; only in the winter, in the country, can you have longer, quiet stretches when you can savor belonging to yourself.  ~Ruth Stout~

I found these in my grandpa's garage and went for a little walk on the day of our first big snow in the Bitterroot Valley - Montana. It was a lot of fun, my first time snowshoeing... but I was so sore when I got home!

Every mile is two in winter.  ~George Herbert~

Pretty trees I found along my walk

More cool trees covered in snow.

Winter came down to our home one night
Quietly pirouetting in on silvery-toed slippers of snow,
And we, we were children once again.

~Bill Morgan, Jr.

Brew me a cup for a winter's night.
For the wind howls loud and the furies fight;
Spice it with love and stir it with care,
And I'll toast our bright eyes,
my sweetheart fair.

~Minna Thomas Antrim

Cruel and cold is the judgment of man, Cruel as winter, and cold as the snow; But by-and-by will the deed and the plan Be judged by the motive that lieth below.

Lewis J. Bates

Kale Madness

Kale is a baddass vegetable! It is known as the Queen of Greens & the "healthiest vegetable on the planet". According to webmd: "One cup of kale contains 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and 15% of the daily requirement of calcium and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), 40% of magnesium, 180% of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C, and 1,020% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus."

My Mother introduced me to Kale Smoothies

• several leaves of fresh kale
• 1 1/2 banana (frozen works really well because it's like banana ice)
• 1 1/2 cup apple juice or more
• cloves and allspice for an extra kick of flavor

They really just taste like banana and don't have a very strong kale taste. Banana covers up everything. You could even add an apple in there if you liked. This is a fabulous breakfast smoothie. Just what you need for that extra kick of energy in the AM.

Here's a guy that makes tshirts about kale - EatMoreKale.com. He prints his shirts one at a time so you know it's been individually made.

KALE CHIPS

tear/chop up your kale 

put it in a big bowl and toss with olive oil, paprika, garlic salt, 

add chili powder if you like it spicy

I like to also toss up some minced garlic as well

lay it out flat on a pan and toast it on 350 for 10 minutes

You can leave them in a little longer if you like them extra crispy.

Just take one out and test it.

I like to sprinkle mine with lemon or lime juice. It just adds an extra somethin'-somethin'.

You could even sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on there if you wanted. I'll bet that would be fabulous.

Well I hope you enjoyed this post. It's been fun!

Remember...

EAT MORE KALE!

Welcome 2012

It's my first post of two-thousand-and-twelve!

I have nothing to add right now, but if you'd like, please check out my Pinterest Page. There's always new and exciting stuff on Pinterest!

Merry Christmas! thoughts and thanks

Merry Christmas everyone! I just finished a long day of work and am feeling a bit sentimental and it's been a few weeks so I thought I'd get on here and write a few words.

I want to talk about some things that I'm Thankful for.

Family. I have a wonderful family. I really enjoy the time that is spent with them. All families have their own special quirks. One of my family's quirks is that we are often very quiet and first glance... but just like my own personality, once you get behind the curtain you find that we're all pretty rowdy and some of us have big mouths :) I won't say who ... It seems to me that every member of my family is on the whole very kind and loving. I've been surrounded by this my whole life and it's been a big influence on my life; the loving nature of my family.

I'm Thankful for the aunt Julie and my grandma Gladys. Both have passed away. How is it that we often seem to lose the best of us so early? Both were incredible strong women and I am better for having them in my life, let alone my family. They were such great examples for what a life of giving should look like. I hope I can be more like them. They are dearly missed.

I am grateful for my job. I can finally say that. I can finally settle down and enjoy my work; knowing that I don't have plans for leaving in a year or so. That's been my life for the past 4-5 years... take the job but know you're leaving. Now I plan to stay. Sure I may not stay here forever, but it also might be forever! I work at a Youth Home and believe in the work there. I enjoy it immensely. The kids are a lot of fun; at times very tiring and mentally exhausting, but enjoyable. In the end they are all just kids who are having troubles at home. Some of the don't have homes or a family. I know that in the overall scheme of their lives I am not making a difference, but if I can give them some enjoyable days and help teach some lessons then I will be happy. I just want to spread some love...

I am grateful for good friends and coworkers. I have a pretty interesting array of coworkers. I have a few jobs; both of which employ relief staff so there's quite a large pool of people. It's been pretty neat getting to know everyone over the past year. I am lucky to work with awesome people; all of whom want to help make lives better. As for my friends... I don't see enough of them as I would like. It's hard this time in our lives. We're all so busy and I live an hour from Missoula where several of them live; so it's hard to get together for a coffee or lunch or something. It really only happens when I drive to zootown... But it's still nice to have good friends that make an effort :)

Lastly listed but certainly not least is my relationship with Jesus and my church. He has been big in my life lately and I know that He has helped me with some pretty big issues. I was baptized November 26, 2011. My church family has been very special. They've taken me in and helped me feel welcome. Of course they know my whole family and that helps, but they are welcoming me as an individual and not as a Johnson. I look forward to being more involved and helping out a lot more this next year. We have a new pastor and I just think he's the bee's knees. Him and his family are pretty great. He likes to talk about all the things that I like to talk about and learn about when it comes to God and religion. It's gonna be a good year.

Thanks for reading & Merry Christmas!

For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.

Matthew 18:20 

NPR's Anatomy of a Tantrum

The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently.
Friedrich Nietzsche

This is interesting.

It seems that people have said this before... that when a child is having a tantrum the best thing to do is to leave them alone. But now scientists have been researching the sounds a child makes when they're having a tantrum. They say that all tantrums follow the same pattern and caution parents against falling into the "anger trap". This includes asking questions during a tantrum; it prolongs it and therefore you have to deal with the tantrum longer.

NPR has a video, audio and written version of this story. If you are curious or have young children I highly suggest checking it out.

I go to school the youth to learn the future.
Robert Frost

I've also been watching a PESI training on dealing with tantrums and out of control behaviors in youth by Dr. Nancy S. Buck. It's very interesting. She says that the best part of the training is the beginning and I have to agree because that first part is the part that's stuck with me the most. She refers to Bruce Lipton's description of a cell and that a cell can either be open to change, or closed in protection. It's the same with a child....

A YOUTH CAN EITHER BE OPEN TO CHANGE OR CLOSED IN PROTECTION.

While googling Dr. Buck I came across a few of her websites: Peaceful Parenting ... and here's another!
Again, if you're a parent or work with youth I suggest checking her out.

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Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. ( 1 Timothy 4:12 )