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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/

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