The Park

From Me To You...

I can feel it in the air, the weather has finally started to change. In the morning I take my coffee outside while I play with the dogs and I no longer have to brace myself before I step onto the patio. The promise of the balmy days we all love hangs in the air, and even though the thermometer is still upwards of comfortable by mid-afternoon, I know it is coming. Fall.

I always find it amazing that even though the miserable portion of the year is shorter than the beautiful one, it feels like summer is exponentially longer than Fall/Winter/ Spring. And then there is my sweater and boot collection. I have never met a sweater, sweatshirt, jumper or hoodie that I didn’t like. Despite the knowledge that I will only wear a small percentage of them each year, they call my name and I can always justify getting more. Now that we have children who are or have been attending 4 separate universities I have an even better excuse to buy them. After all I can’t show favoritism!

When we lived on the east coast boots and winter coats were something you bought every

year and wore until they were destroyed from water or snow or salt. I spent quite some time in the UK last winter and when I was packing I found that I didn’t own a single pair of waterproof shoes, let alone boots! So off I went on a mission to find the perfect pair. I looked forward to wearing them in the appropriate climate, walking through piles of snow and feeling that delicious crunch as my foot broke through the top layer. So imagine my dismay when Britain had one of the mildest winters on record. Plenty of rain but only a few snowstorms and nothing that left enough snow to even make a snowball.

I guess that means a trip to Flagstaff is in order this winter. Thank goodness we have the option to drive a couple of hours to a colder climate - and this year I have my fingers crossed for a winter wonderland!

Catherine Uretsky

Editor, Estrella Publishing info@estrellapublishing.com 623-398-5541

Quick Tips

Between work, classes, sports teams and clubs, preparing home-cooked meals for your family can be difficult. Just because you’re short on time doesn’t mean you have to default to fast food. Instead, think about how you can plan ahead and have healthy, tasty meal options during the school year. To make things easier on yourself, check out these four tips for eating healthy when you’re short on time.

1. Prep food for the week

Prepping your food on the weekends, especially Sundays, is a great way to save time and ensure you have delicious homemade meals and snacks ready to go, even on your busiest days. Make a list of meals you’d like to cook during the week, gather the ingredients and start chopping!

2. Keep easy meals in the freezer

There will be days when you don’t have the time or energy to make a whole meal. Sometimes you don’t want to order in either. For those occasions, it’s best to keep easy meals in your freezer.

3. Make enough for leftovers

When cooking your meals, it can be a good idea to make enough to have leftovers. That way, you can incorporate parts of that meal into future meals for your family or have ready-made options to include in lunch bags for school or work. Leftovers also make for a quick dinner that you can warm up when you’re short on time and energy. You can even plan a night, say Friday or Saturday, when your family can choose from this week’s leftovers for dinner.

4. Plan a weekly takeout night

Limiting takeout food is a good practice, but let’s face it, sometimes you just need to order in. Make takeout a special treat for you and your family by having a planned, weekly takeout night. To make things easier, make a list of restaurants everyone in the family enjoys and rotate which ones you order from each week. You can even take this opportunity to try out new places. Ordering takeout can be especially nice to have delivered if you’re prepping your meals for the next week.

Be prepared for the busyness of the coming school year by making meal plans ahead of time.

Tool Care

From a simple hammer to the most complex power tools in your garage, it’s vital to practice constant maintenance if you want to use them as long as possible. The good news? It’s not as hard as you think. Following expert advice for storing, cleaning and maintaining your tools will help you use everything safely, for years to come. Exposure to dirt, grease and moisture could lead to rust and corrosion, making them less effective down the road and even leading to damage.

Tools with moving parts that collect dust and debris may not only become less effective but could also be a serious safety hazard. Follow these tips to keep your tools in great working order.

Proper tool storage is not just about being able to find things when you need them (which is a definite plus) - it also helps your tools stay in good working order. Tossing tools haphazardly

on a workbench or inside a toolbox can damage them, as well as leaving them exposed to dust, dirt and the elements, which may lead to clogging, corrosion and rust. For power tools, wind up cords and air lines carefully, checking belts and cords for fraying or breaks.

* Keep tools clean, dry and protected from the elements, especially moisture, extreme heat and extreme cold.

* Make sure toolboxes, carts, shelving or wall racks are neat and clean to keep your tools free of dust, dirt and grease.

* Organize tools to make them easier to maintain, plus easy to see - so you’ll spot when anything needs repair.

Make a habit of cleaning tools immediately after each use before storing them. This prevents dirt, grime or debris from hardening on your tools, potentially damaging or clogging them over time. In addition to your regular cleaning routing, doing a deeper clean on a seasonal basis can make a huge difference, especially for tools with moving parts. Beyond wiping tools clean with a cloth, tackle tough-to-clean areas using oiled cotton swabs or soft brushes. You can also use a can of compressed air to remove dirt from areas inside tools that are hard to reach. Especially for power tools, make sure to follow your manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning and maintenance.

Many tools require regular oiling and/or sharpening of parts to keep them in top shape. Gather useful cleaning and oiling equipment including rags, all-purpose oil, rust remover and linseed oil (for wood), plus files and sharpening stones. Use safety gear like heavy gloves and safety goggles as you work, and make sure you have sufficient space and a sturdy table to complete your maintenance. Try designating a seasonal or semi-annual weekend for tool maintenance.

As you clean and maintain tools, look for signs of damage or wear that could require repair - or any signs that your tool needs to be replaced.

Autism Awareness

We have all witnessed what appears to be an individual having a meltdown. The individual is stressed, and the caregiver or person providing support feels overwhelmed. As a bystander and well-meaning person, you may want to offer a helping hand. But there may be more to the situation than meets the eye. For an individual with autism, things like sensory overload, audience or the environment may further impact their behavior. Knowing these few tips can mean the difference between helping or making an already stressful situation worse.

Don’t approach the situation unless asked. This is likely not the first time a meltdown situation has presented itself. A caregiver or person providing support to an individual with autism needs your understanding, not judgment. Approaching a caregiver or person providing support with comments can make them and the individual feel inadequate, uncomfortable, embarrassed, or even increase anxiety. These caregivers are adept at knowing their reactions to certain situations and will know how to calm the individual when episodes occur. They will know

the individual best and how to support them.

Don’t stare. Some caregivers or persons providing support and the individual may be self-conscious about their behaviors and can be embarrassed by your reactions. The individual may notice your stares and feel blamed for them. Be a gentle presence that doesn’t judge. This is the best way to offer support.

Stop. Look. Listen. Individuals with autism thrive in calm, familiar, and supportive environments. If you come upon a situation where you are wondering if you should help, do the following: Stop: don’t feel the need to comment and only assist if asked. Look: see if the caregiver or person providing support is signaling for assistance. If so, be helpful and take action by following their instructions.

Listen: pay attention and take action if the caregiver asks you to assist in some way.

More information about autism, diagnosis, and treatment is available at https://www.sbhservices. org/southwest-autism-center

Psychological Abuse in Relationships

Outside of some of the more obvious sins against a relationship, such as physical abuse, sexual coercion and infidelity, there are other forms of abuse that may not be so obvious to some. These include forms of psychological abuse.

Here’s a list of some psychologically abusive things your significant other should never do or say to you. It is by no means comprehensive.

• Demean, belittle or insult you.

• Make you the butt of their jokes, in public or private.

• Call you ugly or rude names.

• Tell you that you’re unworthy of their love or make you do ridiculous things to gain their affection.

• Tell you that you’re stupid, worthless or a piece of crap.

• Tell you that you’re ugly, fat or attack any other

aspect of your physical appearance or tell you that you need plastic surgery.

• Tell you that everything that goes bad in the relationship is your fault.

• Tell you that you’re crazy or otherwise try to use your mental health issues against you.

• Tell you that you are overreacting when they obviously did something wrong, illegal, immoral, unethical or otherwise inappropriate.

• Deflect when you try to address an issue or concern by pointing out something you do that bothers or upsets them, never really addressing your concern or owning their mistakes.

• Default to telling you that the reason you two disagree or fight is that you’re just too emotional.

• Blame you for their drinking/drug use/ excessive spending/reckless driving/infidelity or otherwise inappropriate behavior.

• Gaslight you when you try to address an issue with them, turning it around on you or misrepresenting your words.

If you’re reading this and you have to ask yourself if what you’re experiencing in your relationship qualifies as psychological abuse, it probably does. If so, you don’t have to be a victim. Set your boundaries, stand up for yourself. Get help if you don’t know how. You deserve better, and no one is going to do it for you.

DISCLAIMER: Material is for informational purposes only and not intended to be a substitute for evaluation or treatment by a licensed professional. Material is copyrighted and may only be reproduced with written permission of Dr. Bellingrodt.

Submitted by Jennifer Bellingrodt, Psy.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist. For the full article and more, visit www. doctorbellingrodt.com. Check out free and paid psychoeducational training options at https:// thepsychoeducationacademy.thinkific.com/ collections.

On Our Cover

TheShop@CLP offers resale items, gently used furniture and household goods, nick-nacks, clothing, and seasonal items in support of The Church at Litchfield Park and its many ministries and missions. The Shop now occupies several rooms in its current location – the former parsonage – on the northwest corner of the church property. The Shop is open to the community every Saturday morning from 8am until 12noon. Donations are accepted every Friday between 8am and 11am, when volunteers gather to prepare items for sale days.

After the founding of Litchfield Park in 1916, many migrant workers were employed by the Goodyear Farms which grew the long-fiber Pima cotton needed for tires manufactured by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. Since its inception in 1938, The Church at Litchfield Park has committed to be of service to the surrounding community. The early women’s missionary society of the church was involved as early as 1940 in raising funds through bazaars to purchase needed items for the church, the community, and world missions. The women’s guild later made baby gowns and quilts, blankets, and scrapbooks for children. Throughout the years the church women also supported migrant families in the area. In the 1960s they organized the Women’s Christian Service Fellowship, which was intended to support small groups of women who share

common interests, needs, philanthropies, and fellowship.

The first Thrift Shop was started in 1966 by WCSF to raise funds to help migrant farm workers, provide funds for the church, and encourage fellowship, purpose, and Christian opportunities for women. The Thrift Shop was held outdoors in a cotton gin at first, moved into the church fellowship hall (known as Zieske Hall) in 1969 one day each month, and then into the enclosed carport of the parsonage in 1991 after a formal request from WCSF for permanent space. In 2003 additional space was added to the Thrift Shop, enabling them to accept furniture and larger items for sale.

By early 2020, the women of The Church at Litchfield Park had collected and sold nearly $500,000 of goods and given thousands of hours as volunteers at the Thrift Shop. TheShop@CLP is currently operated by the church and its many volunteers who are standing on the shoulders of the women who saw the need and responded.

Location: NW corner of church property –300 North Old Litchfield Road

Donations: Fridays from 8am until 11am Sale Days: Saturdays from 8am until 12pm Information: church office at 623-935-3411 info@clp.church www.clp.church

Life Insurance

If you’re in your 20s and 30s, life insurance may not seem necessary, but it’s a useful tool to have at any age. Check out these three reasons provided by State Farm why life insurance should be a priority for young adults.

1. The best time to get coverage

Since you’re young and likely healthy, you’ll typically qualify for more affordable premiums. Because you have a relatively long life expectancy, insurers see you as less risk than older individuals. You don’t have to apply for an expensive, comprehensive policy, you can always expand your coverage throughout your life.

2. Planning life and expanding coverage

When you experience a life change, like marriage or kids, you should evaluate and expand your coverage as needed. By the time you’re in your 30s, you may have children and a mortgage,

which makes the financial protection offered by life insurance more important than ever. For example, life insurance coverage can help cover your children’s education costs if tragedy hits and you are no longer there to provide for them.

3. Security and peace of mind

It’s not pleasant to think about you or a family member passing. Still, should the unexpected happen, you’ll want to be covered. According to the Life Insurance Marketing and Research Association, too many families are at risk of financial insecurity should their primary wage earner pass away.

A life insurance policy provides your family with security in the event of your passing and provides you with peace of mind knowing they’ll be covered after you’re gone. These are just three reasons why you should invest in a life insurance policy while you’re young and can qualify for lower premiums..

Protect of Train Our Future Workforce

Yes for Agua Fria Override Agua Fria Bond Litchfield Override

Vote YES on High School Override:

It includes funding for additional safety personnel and security improvements at all five high schools (Agua Fria, Canyon View, Desert Edge, Millennium, and Verrado) The override continuation will:

Expand career and technical education

Attract and retain quality teachers

Maintain class sizes

Vote YES on the High School Bond:

The bond will keep our students safe and ensure that our high schools can keep up with our rapid growth The bond will make improvements at all five high schools and:

Fund safety & security improvements

Make critical repairs & renovations

Build an additional high school

Vote YES on the Litchfield Elementary District Override: The award winning Litchfield Elementary School District is widely recognized for educational excellence The override continuation will:

Recruit and retain effective teachers

Maintain a nurse in each school

Support physical education, music, band, and art

Maintain student support services

Yum Yum

We are moving into the “pies and presents” season of the year ~ so many memories are associated with certain aromas and recipes ~ and this one is no different. As a young child I remember my mother mixing up this dough by hand with a wooden spoon ~ the recipe dates back more than 200 years, and if you want to be “authentic” to the time period, you could use lard instead of vegetable shortening!

As with many recipes, time and personal interpretation find their way ~ I use a stand mixer these days and a cookie scoop for consistent sizing, and I also often add in some fresh grated ginger or finely minced candied

ginger plus a ½ tsp of cardamom to my version ~ the recipe here reflects as it was originally written.

Lumberjacks

Makes approx 3 dozen cookies

1 C granulated sugar (and extra for dipping)

1 C vegetable shortening or lard

1 C molasses

2 eggs

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp ginger

4 C flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the sugar and shortening; add molasses and the eggs. Sift together dry ingredients and mix into wet ingredients until dough forms. Roll into walnut-size balls and dip in granulated sugar.

Arrange on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 12 minutes. Let cool on rack.

This dough keeps well in the refrigerator, so you can easily bake these to order throughout the week (if they last that long!) Wonderful with a glass of cold milk or a cup of hot tea!

Submitted by Maureen Woods

Bug Guy

Well, it’s that time of year again where our Arizona summer is coming to a close! October brings cooler weather inviting us to get back outside. What are your plans for this fall?

Spending time outside with friends and family? Have a BBQ, picnic, or get together with friends and enjoy a football game? Whatever your plans are, make the most of them by reconnecting with your friends, family, and neighbors, now that its not to hot outside.

As the cooler weather invites us to get back outside, it also increases number of bugs that want to enjoy these temperatures, both flying and crawling. It is important for us to have food, shelter, and safety while we are experiencing the outdoors. Those same necessities are equally important to bugs. So, if we think like a bug and look around the yard what do we see? Hmmm… plants low to the ground or touching the ground. From a bug’s eye view that means two things shelter and safety.

We can also see food and water. Standing or running water in the yard is most often found

around irrigation lines. Be cognizant of these areas as water in the desert means life, or an oasis. Water will attract both herbivores and insectivores for the same reasons.

There are many different species of bugs in the desert, most of them we never see. Those we commonly see and hear are crickets. Spiders are also out in the fall, and we see their work in the form of webs, sometimes in the most incongruous locations. The only spider we have here that is a cause for concern is the black widow. They generally do not like it in the house and are very docile. If you see one, it may have been brought in on furniture that was left outside in a low traffic area. The black widows preferred location is along the foundation wall of a house.

What can you do about these bugs? You can keep your foliage trimmed and off the ground. Minimize the amount of ground water. Think about ways you can continue to make the environment around your home less desirable to these unwanted pests. Keep thinking like a bug!

Submitted by Larry Cash, of Estrella Mountain Pest Control

Check Your Meds

Do you have expired medications or duplicate prescriptions you no longer need? National Check Your Meds Day is Oct. 21, a good time to take an annual inventory of your family’s prescription medications. It is also a good time to organize a list of the medications in your family’s medicine cabinet in case there’s a medical emergency, according to Char Comfort, a pharmacy manager at Abrazo.

National Check Your Meds Day is particularly important for those with multiple health conditions taking multiple drugs from several providers. Your local pharmacist or primary care physician can review that your prescription drugs are correct, the dosage is correct, you are taking the drug correctly, and the medication has not expired. They can also check your supplements, vitamins, and other over-the-counter medications you are taking, and answer any questions.

“Medication lists are important to have, because not having this information may cause a delay in care, as paramedics or hospital staff try to confirm current medications before providing that information to the physician. A lack of up-todate medical information may lead to avoidable medication errors or adverse drug reactions,” said Comfort.

“You may prefer to document your medications

on paper, but you can keep a list on your phone as well,” said Comfort. “Keep a historical record. This applies to you, along with your spouse and children, and it’s a good idea to ask your parents to do the same, especially if you may be called to assist them with a health crisis.”

Some of the important things to keep track of for emergencies and doctor visits include:

· Medications, including name, dosage and whether it was completed or is ongoing.

· Medical history. This may include chronic conditions or recent illnesses.

· Allergies to medications and foods and the type of reaction.

· Vitamins, supplements, and other overthe-counter items, and dosage.

· Other pertinent health information, including immunizations.

“Update the list when changes occur. It may sound cumbersome, but it’s important to keep your list current. Even the slightest change, such as adding a vitamin supplement, should be noted,” said Comfort.

Each time you make a change, note the date. Ask your pharmacy (or pharmacies) to print out a list of medications filled in the last year. And make sure someone in your family or circle of friends knows where you keep your medications list. Time is precious, and in an emergency, minutes matter,” said Comfort.

Submitted by Keith Jones of Abrazo West.

Samurai Sudoku

This samurai sudoku puzzle is a great way to engage the brain and help develop logic skills. To solve this Samurai puzzle use standard sudoku rules for every 9x9 grid: each digit from 1 to 9 can only appear once in every row, column and 3x3 box.

Good Luck!

Solutions are on our website www.EstrellaPublishing.com

Difficulty: Evil Thursday, 15th September 2022