Friends & 514 points of stress. {not both at once!}

Last night I had an absolutely lovely visit with my roomie from college. We ate dinner {recipe below}, watched The Office, and played Sequence. I love that game, and we had {so much} fun playing it - probably because Melissa & I won 4 out of the 5 games we played! It was so nice to visit with Melissa and Drew. It's good for the soul to spend time with good people. :) I heart you, MK!

The chicken turned out to be pretty good. I think next time I'm giong to shred it and make it with black beans, corn, rice, and tortillas. The sauce was really tasty.

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup salsa
1/2 package taco seasoning
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream


Add chicken to slow cooker. Sprinkle taco seasoning over chicken. Pour salsa and soup over chicken. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Remove from heat, take out the chicken and stir in sour cream. Combine again, and serve with rice. {We had it with brown rice and sweet corn...and chocolate chip cookies, of course!}

Chicken and salsa sauce before adding the sour cream - it smelled so good!

With the sour cream {I didn't snap a pic. of it plated, but it looked more appetizing on a plate!}

* * *

On a completely different topic - I found this article on a blog I read that lists common items that cause stress in life, and you're supposed to tally the points you have if you experienced that particular stressor. It says if your total is over 300 you should take warning because you've experienced high amounts of stress. Um, what if my total is over 500? Yeah, I'm not kidding! Guess life has been a bit stressful with all the changes we've faced. Interesting!

The author of the blog said: "We all have these seasons in life. They ebb and flow as the wind changes. And when you’re in one of these unique circumstances that will inevitably end (even if that end is unseen at the moment), grace is the only way you’ll plow through...Grace means knowing where you stand in life. Whose you are...Are you in one of those challenging seasons of life? If so, are you giving yourself grace?" {Well said.}

Think Your Life Is Stressful? See If You're Right



This test, based on the work of mental health experts Thomas H. Holmes and Richard H. Rahe, helps you identify the sources and amount of stress you encounter in your life. The following is a list of stress inducing events, in the order of their Life Change Unit (LCU), from high to low. Note all the items that apply to events you have experienced during the last year and add up their LCUs. Then take a look at what you can do about your stress level. Life Event LCU


1. Death of spouse 100
2. Divorce 73
3. Marital Separation 65
4. Jail Term 63
5. Death of a close family member 63
6. Personal injury or illness 53
7. Marriage 50
8. Being Fired from work 47
9. Reconciliation with spouse 45
10. Retirement 45
11. Change in health of family member 44
12. Pregnancy 40
13. Sexual difficulties 39
14. Addition of family member 39
15. Major business readjustment 39
16. Major change in financial state 38
17. Death of a close friend 37
18. Changing to a different line of work 36
19. Change in frequency of arguments with spouse 35
20. Mortgage for loan or major purchase over $ 15,000 31
21. Foreclosure on a mortgage or loan 30
22. Major change in responsibilities at work 29
23. Children leaving home 29
24. Trouble with in-laws 29
25. Outstanding personal achievement 28
26. Spouse begins or stops work 26
27. Starting or ending school 26
28. Change in living conditions 25
29. Revision of personal habits (dress, manners, associations) 24
30. Trouble with boss 23
31. Change in work hours, conditions 20
32. Change in residence 20
33. Change in school 20
34. Change in recreational activities 19
35. Change in church activities 19
36. Change in social activities 18
37. Mortgage or loan under $15,000 17
38. Change in sleeping habits 16
39. Change in number of family gatherings 15
40. Change in eating habits 15
41. Vacation 13
42. Christmas 12
43. Minor violation of the law 11


If your total is 0-150:
Congratulations! At the moment, your stress level is low. Your chance of illness or accident related to your stress within two years is low. Any change can lead to stress, even enjoyable activities, such as vacations or new forms of recreation. Want to see what to do to keep your stress low? Learn about methods for dealing with stress.


If your total is 150-300:
Take care of yourself now. You have borderline high stress. Your chance of accident or illness related to your stress within two years is moderate. Recommendation: To reduce your stress, try some of these methods.


If your total is over 300:
Warning: You have a high stress level. Your chance of accident or illness related to your stress during the next two years is great. Stress intervention techniques are strongly urged. Click here to learn more about stress.


http://health.discovery.com/centers/stress/balancing/stress/assessment.html

That actually made me feel better because I feel like it's been a pretty great year, despite all the hurdles!

xoxo,

Jane