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Winter Travel Kits

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Last week was yet another two hour delay for Milton Freewater School District. Because of all the bad weather, it has begun to be a ritual every morning to check several apps on my phone for the latest weather conditions.  It has been a challenging winter for those who live in Eastern Oregon. A few weeks ago nearly all schools in eastern Washington and Oregon were closed.  More bad weather is expected in the future. While looking through my favorite apps to see just how bad the road were, I saw the suggestion of carrying winter travel kit. Since much of the nation is suffering from what I would term as wintergeddon, I thought I would look into what is listed as an official winter travel kit.

When I was first married I lived in central Idaho. There was a lot of wind in Atomic City (a tiny town whose population hovered around 20 people) and very little snow which amounted to a large number of huge snow drift. Extremely cold temperatures was constant as well. My mom gave me a few tips on what to put in my car for emergencies. She called upon the knowledge she had gleaned while living in Canada and North Dakota. She had advised me to carry winter gear such as an extra winter coat, gloves and boots. Over the years, the list of items I have carried has grown and I thought I would compare it to the list I have found online.

The website I used to research this information is from the Washington Department of transportation. Once again I am going to shamelessly cut and paste:

Winter Driving – Emergency Car Kit

What to carry on winter trips:

Winter Driving Supply Checklist (pdf 214kb)

  • Keep a basic winter survival kit in your vehicle: flashlight, batteries, blanket, snacks, water, gloves, boots, first-aid kit.
  • Load your car with winter travel gear : tire chains, ice scraper/snowbrush, jumper cables, road flares.
  • See more winter preparedness tips at Take Winter By Storm website.

I decided my list was pretty close to the official one. I have a flashlight, snacks, bottled water, jumper cables, winter coat, boots and gloves. Instead of a blanket, I keep a sleeping bag in my car year round. During the summer months it is a great place to store extra frozen water bottles by sliding them between the folds of the rolled up bag. You can also wrap it around milk and other perishables during the summer to prevent spoilage on the way home from the grocery store. It is also nice to have a sleeping bag to have a picnics on or just to stretch out while taking a break on long trip. If you don’t want to spend a lot of money on a sleeping bag, I would take a look at eBay or craigslist. I would also throw in a couple of space blanket. They are super small, easy to carry and provide an extra layer of warmth. I would include hand warmers, they too are inexpensive and don’t take up much room.

As for snacks, I would suggest carrying high protein foods such as jerky and peanuts. Plain crackers such as Wheat Thins and Triscuits are also good to store in your kit. Animal crackers, graham crackers, granola bars and cold cereal might be an option if you have children. Dried fruit and hard candy are also excellent items to add to your emergency kit. Even if you are not a big fan of hard candy, studies have shown it  provides a person with emotional comfort and a good way to get rid of those extra candy canes still hanging around from Christmas. Place these items in a bag or a hard plastic container to prevent items from being squished. During the winter months you should put fresh water bottles in your car each time you travel. If you leave them in the car all the time, they will become frozen and useless. I would also bring a thermos with hot chocolate or coffee to drink if you are stranded. These items are just suggestions and you should pick whatever ones work best for your family. Providing them with their favorite snacks is a good way to relieve anxiety if for whatever reason you’re stranded.

Medication is another item to add to your list. If you take medication on a regular basis (hopefully not five times a day like I do!). Most pharmacies stock tiny Ziploc bags that make it easy to put it in your glove compartment. To provide extra traction when things are icy, carry a couple pounds of kitty litter. Make sure it is the non-clumping type because that will dissolve and  actually make things worse. The flashlight I would recommend is the Nebo workbrite. My brother William gave one to my husband Scott a few Christmases ago. It has become our favorite flashlight. Not only is it compact, it also has a number of different settings, a hook to hang it with and magnetized feet to attach to metal. My favorite part about this light is you can recharge it using a USB port even in your car. You can also purchase a fold-able snow shovel to keep in your car. The one I have listed below is rated number one on Amazon.

If you were traveling in an area where you think you may need tire chains, purchase them from a tire store and have one of the bay workers show you how to use them properly. My husband and I watch a show on Netflix called “Highway Through Hell” where people often get stranded in the snow. Many times an individual will purchase chain and carry them around in their trunk but have no idea how to use them. I would also review YouTube videos before you go to remind yourself how to properly install chains.

I would pick a good weather app for your phone. I use My EO which links me to “Trip Check Road Conditions ”. I have found that app to be extremely accurate and they can provide you with road closure information further in advance then your local weatherman.

I hope this blog has been helpful and if you have any ideas of what else should be included in a travel kit please leave a comment.  Watch my blogs so you can catch the one about what to do in an emergency situation while traveling in the winter.

Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Emergency kit:  http://www.wsdot.com/winter/emergencykit.htm

WSDOT Checklist: http://www.wsdot.com/winter/files/winterchecklist.pdf

Best ever flashlight:  https://www.amazon.com/Nebo-Workbrite-COB-Work-Light/dp/B012HLI0T2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485263004&sr=8-1&keywords=nebo+flashlight+workbrite
Foldable snow shovel on Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/AAA-4004-Aluminum-Utility-Shovel/dp/B002SIR91A/ref=sr_1_1/163-6668688-7670132?ie=UTF8&qid=1484789846&sr=8-1&keywords=foldable+snow+shovel

Birthday Reminders and SAD

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There are three dates marked on my calendar for the month of December. Of course there is Christmas on the 25th, most “Christian” have that date marked as well. I also put on my calendar my sister Cindy’s birthday. For years I would call her on the 27th when real date was the 29th. We would laugh about it but after a few years we decided to make it a tradition. Why would you want to call a few days early? Well, here’s how the chain of events used to go. On the 27th, I would call Cindy to have a little chat and wish her happy birthday. After she hung up, she would go find her husband and tell him that I called two days early again to wish her a happy birthday. This is a subtle way to remind someone when your birthday is without being obvious! Oops, caught myself chasing a squirrel… Again!

The final date I look forward to is December 22nd which marks the day after the winter solstice. Don’t freak out, I’m not going all pagan on you. However I do find it interesting how the birth of Christ landed in December although biblical records indicate this event to be in the spring. The pagan rituals Saturnalia and Natalis Invicti celebrate “true light of the world” which makes sense because Christians believe Christ is literally “the everlasting light”. According to quick search on my lds scripture app (cool to use even if you’re not Mormon), the phrase “everlasting light” is found in 118 places in scriptures. The phrase “light of the world” is found another 249 times.

Ok, now that I have wondered way off track, let’s get back on topic. The 22nd of December is the day when the amount of sunlight slightly increases. Those of us who are affected by winter seasonal affective disorder (SAD) know how important sunlight is.

According to the Mayo clinic, the symptoms of SAD usually begins in late fall and lasts during the entire winter. However some people may be affected during the spring and summer months.  Looking for signs of depression is important, although an increase of suicide around the holidays is a myth according to the Center of Disease Control (CDC).  It is unfortunate however that the CDC reports 36,000 people commit suicide each year. Another 374,000 self-inflicted wounds are treated in emergency rooms has also been reported. I know you all agree, these numbers are way too high.

The list of symptoms from the Mayo Clinic website is extremely long. Hence I will be shamelessly cutting and pasting the next section.

“Major depression:

Seasonal affective disorder is a subtype of major depression that comes and goes based on seasons. So symptoms of major depression may be part of SAD, such as:

  • Feeling depressed most of the day, nearly every day
  • Feeling hopeless or worthless
  • Having low energy
  • Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed
  • Having problems with sleeping
  • Experiencing changes in your appetite or weight
  • Feeling sluggish or agitated
  • Having difficulty concentrating
  • Having frequent thoughts of death or suicide

Fall and winter SAD

Symptoms specific to winter-onset SAD, sometimes called winter depression, may include:

  • Irritability
  • Tiredness or low energy
  • Problems getting along with other people
  • Hypersensitivity to rejection
  • Heavy, “leaden” feeling in the arms or legs
  • Oversleeping
  • Appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates
  • Weight gain

Spring and summer SAD

Symptoms specific to summer-onset seasonal affective disorder, sometimes called summer depression, may include:

  • Depression
  • Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
  • Weight loss
  • Poor appetite
  • Agitation or anxiety”

 

Those with bipolar conditions also are susceptible to spring and summer SAD. The onset of longer days and more sunlight can often trigger mania in some bipolar patients. Late fall and winter are when depression sets in.

It is time to see your doctor when the winter blues turns into depression. If you are no longer interested in doing activities you like or having problems with sleeping, these are indications of when you need professional help. Also monitor weight changes and whether or not you a have normal appetite. Other indications such as turning to alcohol for comfort, feeling helpless, and thoughts of suicide should be taken seriously.

I believe the old adage “better safe than sorry” would apply here.  Overly safeguarding your emotional health is better than allowing yourself to spin out of control. In my opinion it is also important to monitor the behavior of friends and family in order to provide support when needed.

According to the Mayo Clinic, some of the treatments for SAD include psychotherapy, medication, and light therapy (phototherapy). Although the first two has worked for me, the phototherapy wasn’t that helpful. I tried a number of different light therapies without notable success. I personally enjoy a once a week visit to a tanning salon during the winter months. Full spectrum tanning imitates exposure to sunlight. After a session I feel like I’ve been relaxing on the beach for 10 minutes. You should talk to the manager of the tanning salons to make sure their beds provides full spectrum bulbs. Not all tanning salons furnish this type of bulb because they are expensive. This is not a doctor recommended treatment, but it’s something I have found to be helpful. Be sure to check with your doctor and pharmacist to be certain medications you may be taking  does not make you sensitive to sunlight or tanning beds.

I hope you have enjoyed today’s blog. If you have any other helpful treatments for SAD, please include them in your comments.

Thanks and have an awesome day!

 

Center of Disease Control:  https://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/suicide/holiday.html

Mayo Clinic:  http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/basics/definition/con-20021047

Winter solstice traditions:  https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/december-solstice-customs.html
LDS Websight: https://www.lds.org/?lang=eng

Homemade Pancakes

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For some reason or another you find yourself wandering through kitchen in search of something to make for dinner. It’s 6 o’clock and everyone is hangry including you. Hangry (Hungry and angry) is a new word describing your state of mind. Tempted to pull out the cold cereal and call it good? But you played that card already last night. Sigh….

The purpose of this blog and others following, are to share cooking short cuts I have found that works for me. Today we will be discussing index cards. I know it sounds old fashioned but I believe we are too involved with electronics (a rant I will save for another day) and index cards remind me of my growing up years when we actually wrote things down. Infact, I have my grandmother’s recipe box stuffed with her recipes she had accumulated over the years. Great recipes and a connection to my grandma.

Recipe cards are stored in various forms from fancy holders and boxes to shower curtain rings holding cards with holes punched in it. This particular stack is held together by a rubber band and lives somewhere near the stove. On it is written in large letters are the names of dishes your family likes. One simple dish per card. Our’s hold thing like macaroni and cheese, pancakes, spaghetti, and egg chowder. Make these cards as a group or with each individual person who lives in the house. Now each person is invested in what’s for dinner. Small children love it when they see you have picked a card they have written.

So how does that help you now? Flip through the cards until you have found something with ingredients in your pantry. Don’t forget to include breakfast for dinner meals. My family was always on the run in the mornings so a nice breakfast was saved for Saturday when we had more time. Hence a “good” breakfast for dinner can be a great treat.

One of our favorites are pancakes and don’t feel guilty about serving them at other time besides breakfast. According to my mom’s cookbook, pancakes were originally called hearth cakes and were the first form of baking. Dutch settlers brought the pancake to America and German immigrants in Pennsylvania severed them with all their meals. So there should be no guilt in serving them at dinner time. Thinner pancakes can be used as crapes and can be topped with all kinds of things. One of my sons favorite topping was chili, cheese, and an over easy egg.

You can use pancake mixes or make them from scratch. Here is a recipe I have used for years. It originated from my mom’s cookbook but greatly modified.You will need the following ingredients so gather them up first. Flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, eggs, cooking oil, and milk.

Pancakes serves 4 to 6 people:

In a bowl combine

2 cups of flour

1 Tablespoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of salt

1 Tablespoon of sugar

Using a stiff whisk or a large spoon mix the above ingredients. It is extremely important or you will get a clump of something unpleasant tasting in your pancake.

In the center of your dry ingredients, make a “well” which means use your whisk to dig a hole in the middle. Drop the following ingredients into the well.

2 eggs (you can use only 1 egg if you like, just increase the milk by 2 Tablespoons)

⅓ cup of oil

Lightly whisk the egg and oil until the yolks are broken without mixing in the flour. Then slowly add:

1 ¼ to 1 ¾ cups of milk

Mix the ingredients but don’t over stir. Whenever you use baking soda it is known as a “quick” bread and should be lightly blended. You can even leave small, pea size lumps in it. Make sure you have combined everything. Sometimes flour will hide out in the corners of your bowl. Set batter aside while you heat your griddle or frying pan. Giving your batter time to “rest” is an important step. I usually set my griddle to 300 – 325 degrees or medium heat on your stove if you are using a frying pan on the stove. Spray on a light coat of cooking oil and pour out your batter onto your griddle. When I first started cooking pancakes I would do a mini one about 2 inches across so I could check the temperature of the pan. You will know if the temperature is correct when very few bubbles come to the top and pop. The bottom should be golden brown at this point so you can go ahead and flip them over. If you want to cook your pancakes faster or you would like them thinner just add more milk, but no more than 2 cups.

Leftover pancakes? You can put cooled pancakes in a ziplock bag and pop them into the refrigerator. They microwave well or I like to make my pancakes small enough to fit in the toaster. Freezing them is easy too. Place wax paper on a cookie sheet and lay out the pancakes in a single layer. Freeze until solid and transfer them into gallon size ziplock freezer bags.

I hope you have enjoyed this blog and I plan on posting more about cooking and other thing. Have an awesome day!

 

 

 

First blog post

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Me in a nutshell

First, let me introduce myself and give you a little information about me. I am 52 and happily married to Scott Spendlove, probably the only man in the world who would put up with me. We have a blended family of my two children Jake and Jessica (both with the last name of Bishop) plus Scott’s three sons named Nathan, Jacob, and Bryce. We married when most of our children were nearly grown so we didn’t have the struggles many people have with stepchildren getting along. All of our children are in their twenties so basically we are empty nesters except for Bryce who still lives with us.

I have always considered myself to be a hard worker and often bite into more than I can chew. This has lead me to a variety of interesting experiences, many of which I would like to share with you.

My “knowledge” base comes from a year and a half at BYU Idaho (formerly known as Ricks) plus the same amount of time at Snow College. After ten years, I finally I got my associates degree but took a few side roads along the way. I got married, had two children and bounced between Idaho, Oregon, and Utah too many times to count.

After Snow College I continued on to BYU in Provo for another year and a half and was awarded a Bachelor’s Degree in math education. I was in the first class to graduate without a minor, which was replaced with master level classes. Yes, I got to the point I was reciting formulas in my sleep!  I taught in Utah for over 11 years then decided since I was divorced I would move to Oregon in order to be closer to my family.

Oregon treated me like a new teacher and I had to get my masters degree. Since all my education requirements had been filled by my bachelors, I was free to choose whatever I wanted to study. Hence I chose psychology and completed my masters in (you guest it) 18 months. I was working as a full time teacher so that was a challenge I wouldn’t recommend to others.

Some people would describe me as being religious, but I am not a fanatic by any definition. Although I am firmly rooted in my faith, I like learning about other religions. I prefer discussing about what we have in common rather than arguing about what is different.

But over time I gained experience with being a working mom, working while going to school, being divorced, being single at 40, getting remarried, teaching teenagers (lots of them) and all the stresses that goes with these life experiences. Many people my age collect things like classic cars, I collect health problems. It started with a low thyroid and progressed to autoimmune disorders such as Crohn’s, a form Sjögren’s and Fibromyalgia (my biggest challenge by far). The icing on the cake is sleep apnea and chronic insomnia accompanied by their friends anxiety and depression.

Needles to say I have a lot to talk about and look forward to sharing with you some of my thought and opinions with you!