Taking a Break

Happy Monday!  To remind, you can leave comments or questions on this thread.  Scroll to the bottom to see where. 

This week has been pretty heart-wrenching, to say the least. I’m not going to get into it here since I’ve already posted enough on Instagram.  I appreciate everyone who reached out to check in and see how we were doing. Not well, is the answer, but we gain strength through the love and support from our friends, this community, and others. So please know how impactful your kindness and love has been for me. Thank you.

I was so upset this week that I had random physical aches and pains in my body. As in, my despair caused me physical pain.  That’s not good.  If this is all too much, or the next time you endure a period of stress, please don’t forget to take care of yourself. You are of no help to anyone when you are not well.  Here are some things that have helped me this week:

*take breaks from the news and social media;

*stay off certain social media platforms completely like X (formerly known as Twitter) and Tiktok, where hate and misinformation is disseminated at lightning speed;

*do not engage or argue with people you do not know on social media and try to avoid commenting on large platforms. These bots and lunatics will spew so much hate in your direction and it is really unsettling;

*get your news and information from credible sources, not from random influencers with an opinion;

*BREATHE, meditate, pray for peace

*take extra vitamins and supplements for additional support. Stress fans inflammation.  Calm it down.

*find like-minded people and share a cup of tea or lunch and some hugs;

*please check in with your loved ones who are Jewish, Palestinian, or who know someone who has been abducted/injured/killed, and just tell them you care about them and you are here for them.

I made some comfort food this week:

Baked ziti: this is something I ate once a week growing up and it equals comfort for me.  Combine 1 pound cooked ziti with one 15-ounce container of ricotta and about 2 cups marinara sauce plus shredded mozzarella (my mom used to cube up a block of cheese) and a handful or Parmesan.  I cover the bottom of 13 X 9 with a bit of sauce then pour the mixture on top, cover with another thin layer of sauce, more mozzarella (just eyeball it) and sprinkle with a handful of parm.  Cover and refrigerate all day OR bake UNCOVERED at 350 until bubbling and cheese is melted, about 30-35 minutes.  Watch this IG video if you have Instagram.

Chicken soup with rice and vegetables: I made homemade chicken stock and seasoned it with salt, added cooked rice, leftover roasted chicken and frozen carrots and heated it all up. Dill would have been nice too.

Chicken Soup with Dumplings: we made this on Instagram live and then we made it again. So easy and good. I used the same homemade chicken stock and cooked Trader Joe’s frozen chicken dumplings in the stock and added spinach.  In each bowl, doctored up the broth with a splash of tamari, a drop of toasted sesame oil, a spoonful of chili crunch. I added fresh cilantro too.  

A breakfast sandwich with eggs, spinach, cheese and sauteed tomatoes: toasted sourdough with scrambled eggs, a pinch of cheddar, + leftover sauteed spinach and sauteed cherry tomatoes.  That one felt good.

Some superficial updates, but I promised:

*I am still loving the Madison Reed Root Perfection Root Touch Up Kit. This has changed my life.

*I also still love the powder dip manicure I got when I visited my mom 2 weeks ago.  I think I’ll need a refresh after 3 weeks.

*I was the last to know about Midday Squares bars.  I took your advice and tried the Cookie Dough flavor.  Awesome.  Brownie Batter still my fave.  Use the discount code PAMELA for 15% off if you want to try with this link. 

And, in more fun news, I am currently in Paris!  I am visiting a couple friends for a few days and then I am joining a group invited by Staub.  We will go to the Staub factory outside of Paris and I am looking forward to it. It will be a nice, temporary distraction. Follow along on Instagram.  Yes, I will be sharing both types of content this week as I see fit.  I will play it by ear.  Sending you all love and peace.

xxPamela