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November 2021 ~ Celebrating 9 Years ~ First Issue Launched March 2012
Tuolumne County Behavioral Health Department
November Newsletter
TUOLUMNE
COUNTY
CRISIS LINE:
209-533-7000
TCBHD
105 Hospital Road
Sonora, CA 95370
Tel: 209-533-6245
Fax: 209-588-9563
Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday through Friday
Closed on Holidays
Enrichment Center
101 Hospital Road
Sonora, CA 95370
Tel: 209-533-7114
Open 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Monday through Friday
Closed on Holidays
Tuolumne County Behavioral
Health Department’s mission
is to provide respectful, cul-
turally sensitive and strength-
based behavioral health ser-
vices which provide wellness,
self-sufficiency and recovery
from mental illness and/or
addiction.
Visit us online at:
tuolumne.networkofcare.org/mh/
www.tuolumnecounty.ca.gov
Organization Tips for Beginners By Jenn (House) Guhl
MHSA Program Specialist
Organizing is one of my greatest loves and top strengths. I love donating things I no longer use or need and passing it on to the next person. One of my favorite things about where I work is that I can bring all of my donations to the Enrichment Center where others have the opportunity of winning them as bingo prizes on Fri-
See Tips … page 3
A s we approach another holiday season with COVID-19 still very much present in our
daily lives, the message here isn’t to only live life with a grateful heart, which is quite
powerful on its own, but to live with an intentional one. If you say that you are grateful for
family, friends, pets (also family), coworkers, your home, job or car or whatever it may be, ful-
ly engage in truly appreciating these blessings by being intentional. What I mean is, show
them you care while you focus directly on them. Take your parents out to lunch or bring them
dinner. Surprise a friend with a coffee or flowers to brighten their day. Make someone laugh
when you know they are struggling. Take your dog out for an extra walk and strengthen your
bond. Give more cuddles to your cat. And do this without multi-tasking or being distracted,
but truly appreciate being in the moment with them. Be in the now, cherish the time you have
with your loved ones and take in everything that is good in this world. Because there still is.
“Our lives are the sum of the choices we have made.” ~ Wayne Dyer
https://www.businessinsider.com/5-organization-tips-for-
people-who-hate-organizing-2018-5
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N ovember celebrates and honors:
November 1-2: Dia de los Muertos. A
time of remem-
brance for dead
ancestors and a
celebration of the
continuity of life.
November 1 is
All Saints Day.
All Saints Day
celebrates the lives of all Christians who
have died in a state of grace.
November 4 marks the beginning of
Diwali (the festival of lights), celebrated
by Sikhs, Hindus, and Jains. The holi-
day is observed with decorating homes
with lights and candles, setting off fire-
works, and distributing sweets and
gifts.
November 11 is Veterans Day, an an-
nual U.S. federal holiday honoring mili-
tary veterans. The date is also celebrat-
ed as Armistice Day or Remembrance
Day in other parts of the world and
commemorates the ending of the first
World War in 1918.
November 20 is Transgender Day of
Remembrance,
established in
1998 to memori-
alize those who
have been killed
as a result of
transphobia and raise awareness of the
continued violence endured by the
transgender community.
November 21 is Feast of Christ the
King, the last holy Sunday in the west-
ern liturgical calendar. This day is ob-
served by the Roman Catholic Church,
as well as many Anglicans, Lutherans,
and other mainline Protestants.
November 25 is Thanksgiving. Thanks-
giving is a national holiday celebrated
on various dates in places including the
United States, Canada, Brazil, Grenada,
Saint Lucia. It began as a day of giving
thanks and sacrifice for the blessing of
the harvest and of the preceding year.
Diversity Calendar
Ingredients 2 small heads cauliflower, cut into florets 2 Tablespoons salted butter 1 Tablespoon minced garlic 3 Tablespoons all purpose flour 2 cups milk 2 ounces cream cheese softened 1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar, divided Salt and pepper to taste 6 slices applewood smoked bacon, cooked and crumbled 1/4 cup chopped green onions Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and light-
ly grease a 13 X 9 inch baking dish 2. Boil cauliflower florets in salted boil-
ing water for about 3 minutes 3. Drain all water from the cauliflower
and dump into prepared dish 4. Melt butter in a large skillet over me-
dium heat and cook garlic until fra-grant (1 minute)
5. Add flour and stir for 2 minutes 6. Add milk 1/2 cup at a time and bring
to simmer 7. Add cream cheese and whisk to com-
bine 8. Remove from heat and add 1 cup of
the sharp cheddar; stir until melted 9. Season with salt and pepper 10. Pour cheese sauce over cauliflower
and stir to evenly coat 11. Set aside 1 Tablespoon each of
cooked bacon and green onions, then stir the rest into the cauliflower
12. Top with remaining cheese, bacon and green onions
13. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted completely
Source: https://kitchenfunwithmy3sons.com/loaded-cauliflower-bake/
~ FROM OUR KITCHEN TO YOURS ~ Loaded Cauliflower Bake
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Tips: Conquer One Box at a Time
days. It’s a win-win.
If you know me well, you know that I even started a home-based professional or-ganizing business back in the day. Yes, it’s true. Shocking I know! I invested in black and white chic business cards em-bellished with “House Organiz-er” to emphasize not only my pas-sion and maiden name, but the amusement of the combination.
Organization comes as easily to me as making coffee. I simply thrive on it. I mean, it’s almost ridiculous. So ridiculous that if I were to die in the file folder section at Staples, I would die a very happy woman.
Organizing isn’t about just moving stuff around and shov-ing it in a corner or dealing with the same pile tomorrow just in a different place. It’s about strengthening your deci-sion-making and problem-solving skills, and letting go of the past and items that no long-er serve you. It’s empowering. That is, if you choose to look at the process in a positive light.
Here are some fun tips to help you get started on your own organizing adventure.
Organization prep: Get three boxes or bins to stay focused. One box is for dona-tions, one is for things to toss out, and the other can be for items to sell (if you choose). You can always make a fourth box and put items in there that you know family and friends would enjoy.
Write it down
What are your organizational goals? Are you concentrating on one room, several rooms or the whole house? It’s best to set reasonable and achievable timelines when you write your goals. Otherwise, you risk be-
ing let down if you can’t meet them and it’ll deplete all of your motivation and desire to continue. Make it easy on yourself and do one drawer, one box or one room at a time. Go at your own steady pace.
Tackle your closets
One of the best ways to help others during the holidays is to first begin with what you have stored in your closets. This goes for shoes, belts, hats, scarves, gloves, sweaters, jackets and coats as well as the basic T-shirts and jeans. If
you haven’t worn certain clothes in a long time especial-ly if some are too small or big, consider donating them to an organization that is in need. Check with them first by call-ing to see if they are accepting donations at this time. Also, toys and household items that are cleaned prior to donating may be accepted.
Give yourself kudos
Some may find the organiza-tional process difficult, emo-tional, draining or even over-whelming. Remember to take breaks and give yourself a pat on the back when you’ve de-cided to part with an item that holds memories, good or bad. Just because you’ve kept it for years doesn’t mean you need to keep it. You are not obligat-ed. And it doesn’t mean you need to toss it if you’re not ready to or if it brings you angst. Embracing the organiz-ing process means also em-bracing the emotions that come with it.
Keep what you love
If you keep holding on to the old creepy angel with weird eyes that you were gifted years ago by a family member you no longer connect with, it’s probably best to toss it. If you look at every trinket and gadg-et that you have, and you no-tice ill feelings surfacing, toss it regardless of who gave it to you. But, keep the bright red
cozy scarf from your grandma if it comforts you and brings you joy.
Have fun with it
Put on some fun music, watch a Hallmark movie or listen to your favorite podcast. Have your go-to coffee or tea on hand and be inspired to get things done.
Ask for help
When you begin this pro-cess, sometimes it’s easier to go through it with a family member or close friend. Not only will it make it much more tolerable but perhaps they will have insight to certain items that you may not.
Needle(s) in the haystack
Once in a blue moon, you’ll find a trinket that may bring you a small fortune. If you stumble upon any collectibles, go online and research if any collectors are willing to buy and for how much! eBay is always a great start as well as Facebook Marketplace, Nextdoor, OfferUp and Posh-mark depending on the items’ condition and/or quality.
Messy, collecting or
hoarding?
There’s a huge range from being messy to collecting or to hoarding stuff. Messy and col-lecting are not hoarding. Hoarding is a very real and debilitating disorder that may be related to mental illness. According to the American Psychiatric Association, “the overall prevalence of hoarding disorder is approximately 2.6%, with higher rates for people over 60 years old and people with other psychiatric diagnoses, especially anxiety and depression.” Please reach out to a mental health profes-sional or support groups to help learn about your behavior and for resources on hoarding.
Being organized can ease anxiety and reduce stress, strengthen your self-discipline, and add precious time back into your life.
Continued from Page 1 …
National Months
Honored in November
N ovember celebrates the following na-
tional months:
Adopt a Senior Pet Smart
Aviation History Month
Diabetic Eye Disease Month
Epilepsy Awareness Month
Gluten-Free Diet Awareness Month
Lung Cancer Awareness Month
MADD’s Tie One On for Safety Holiday
Campaign (November 16-December 31)
Military Family Month
National Adoption Month
National Alzheimer’s Disease Month
National Career Development Month
National COPD Month
National Diabetes Month
National Gratitude Month
National Home Care & Hospice Month
National Inspirational Role Models
Month
National Native American Heritage
Month
National Family Literacy Month
National Pet Cancer Awareness Month
National PPSI AIDS Awareness Month
Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month
PTA Healthy Lifestyles Month
Stomach Cancer Awareness Month
For all the celebrations, visit https://
nationaldaycalendar.com/november-monthly-
observations/