The Press-Dispatch
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C-6 Wednesday, December 26, 2018 The Press-Dispatch HOME LIFE TO ADVERTISE: Call: 812-354-8500 Email: ads@pressdispatch.net Visit: 820 E. Poplar Street, Petersburg Deadline: 5 p.m. on Monday Youth First Today by Youth First, Inc. Don't ignore 'unhappy' holidays Katiedid vs... by Katiedid Langrock The truth about Santa Depression: it happens, especially this time of year with the hustle and bustle of the holidays. If you already battle some depression, it's the most important time of year to learn to take care of yourself. Depression doesn't look the same for every person, and it happens for many different reasons. There can be genetic factors like family history or other risks like traumatic experienc- es, financial strain, relationship prob- lems, or substance abuse. Depression is more than just having a bad day or going through ups and downs. We all have setbacks and strug- gles, but true depression is much more serious and needs to be dealt with be- fore it causes major life struggles. Most people don't just snap out of a depression. It is an actual clinical dis- order that requires treatment with the help of health professionals, therapeu- tic interventions and often medication management to get to a healthier place. Depression can range from mild to moderate to severe, which sometimes includes thoughts of suicide. It's im- portant to put and keep the proper in- terventions in place even when symp- toms are less intense. I always say it's just like finishing out an antibiotic even though you're starting to feel better. If you think you might struggle with depression, share your concerns with a mental health professional, who will assess the symptoms and recommend a treatment plan. Here are some other tips for man- aging depression from mental- healthamerica.net: • Reach out. If you feel lonely or iso- lated, seek out community, religious or other social events. They can offer sup- port and companionship. Volunteering your time to help others is also a good way to lift your spirits and broaden your friendships. • Be realistic. The holidays don't have to be perfect or just like last year. As families change and grow, tradi- tions and rituals often change as well. Choose a few to hold on to, and be open to creating new ones. • Set aside differences. Try to ac- cept family members and friends as they are, even if they don't live up to all of your expectations. Set aside griev- ances until a more appropriate time for discussion, and be understanding if others get upset or distressed when something goes awry. • Stick to a budget. Before you go gift and food shopping, decide how much money you can afford to spend. Then stick to your budget. Don't try to buy happiness with an avalanche of gifts. • Learn to say no. Saying yes when you should say no can leave you feeling resentful and overwhelmed. • Don't abandon healthy habits. Don't let the holidays become a free- for-all. Overindulgence only adds to your stress and guilt. Continue to get plenty of sleep and physical activity. • Take a breather. Make some time for yourself. Spending just 15 min- utes alone, without distractions, may refresh you enough to handle every- thing you need to do. • Make the call. Anyone dealing with a suicidal crisis or emotional dis- tress can also get help by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800 -273-TALK (8255). This column is written by Youth First, Inc., a local nonprofit dedicat- ed to strengthening youth and families. Youth First provides 54 Master's level so- cial workers to 75 schools in 10 Indiana counties. Over 38,000 youth and fami- lies per year have access to Youth First's school social work and after-school pro- grams that prevent substance abuse, pro- mote healthy behaviors, and maximize student success. SOUTHWEST SPANAKOPITA BITES MEALS IN Monica's MINUTES Share your favorite recipe! www.facebook.com/mealsinminutes Monica's Meals in Minutes PO Box 68, Petersburg, IN 47567 mealsinminutes@pressdispatch.net FACEBOOK MAIL EMAIL By Monica Sinclair Are you having New Year's Eve party or attending one? If so, you may be trying to figure out what you want to make. So, this week, I went in search of a perfect and fun dish for New Year's Eve. Usually, my husband and I just stay in, but we try to get a few appetizers to munch on while we wait for the ball to drop. I found a recipe that we will both love and will take less than an hour to prepare. Have a safe and Happy New year and I'll see you in 2019! Enjoy! INGREDIENTS • 2 tablespoons finely chopped sweet red pepper • 1 green onion, finely chopped • 1 teaspoon canola oil • 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry • 3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese or Mexican cheese blend • 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed • 1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained • 1 tablespoon chopped seeded jalapeno pepper • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder • 1/4 teaspoon salt • 8 sheets phyllo dough (14x9 inches) • Butter-flavored cooking spray SAUCE: • 1/3 cup cubed avocado • 1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise • 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream • 1-1/2 teaspoons white vinegar DIRECTIONS 1. In a small skillet, sauté red pepper and onion in oil until tender. Transfer to a large bowl; stir in 1/2 cup spinach (save the rest for another use). Stir in the cheese, corn, beans, jalapeno, cumin, chi- li powder and salt. 2. Place one sheet of phyllo dough on a work sur- face with a short end facing you. (Keep remain- ing phyllo covered with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out). Spray sheet with butter-flavored spray; cut into three 14x3-in. strips. 3. Place a scant tablespoon of filling on lower corner of each strip. Fold dough over filling, forming a triangle. Fold triangle up, then over, forming an- other triangle. Continue folding, like a flag, until you come to the end of the strip. 4. Spritz end of dough with spray and press onto triangle to seal. Turn triangle and spritz top with spray. Repeat with remaining phyllo and filling. 5. Place triangles on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 10 -12 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, mash avocado with the mayonnaise, sour cream and vinegar. Serve with warm appetizers. Source: tasteof home.com A new year is making the rounds, and we hope it brings you endless blessings! Thanks for all you've done to help make our year a happy and prosperous one. Your support and friendship are greatly appreciated! Happy New Year From Our Whole Team! MIDWEST REALTY 1704 E. National Hwy., Washington 812-254-3918 midwestrealty47501@gmail.com 1011 N. Hwy. 257, Otwell • 812-354-2197 www.dutchtown-homes.com Many thanks to all our customers for a wonderful 2018! From Shawn, Megan, Deb & Joe Happy New Year Johny Ray Dimmett • Auctioneer/ Owner Lic.# AU10800006 Call Johny Ray Today 812-598-3936 R O F M O C . P I Z N O I T C U A T I S I V S E T A D P U & S O T O H P 3 7 7 8 1 # D I R E E N O I T C U A SATURDAY , November 22nd @ 10 AM CST 1416 Hwy 57 Oakland City In 47660 4 Bedroom 2 Bath on 5 +/- Acres This property could sell prior to auction. Showing Sunday November 9th 2-4 Furniture, Glassware, Household Items, Costume Jewelry, Tools & More May the days and months to come in this new year treat you as kindly as you have treated all of us. The pleasure has been all our's this past year and we look forward to continuing our friendship with you. HAPPY NEW YEAR! Is there such a thing as Santa Claus? I, like most kids who celebrated Dec. 25, wondered with keen curios- ity whether the magical man with a belly full of jelly was real. I would use my best 6 -year-old Holmesian detec- tive skills to deduce whether reindeer really could fly and a fat man could fit through a chimney. But the red-nosed truth consisted of many layers, and my Harriet the Spy backpack of spy gear just didn't provide the answers I sought. Some years, there was no doubting good ol' Santa. When I was 7, I was determined to stay awake and catch either Big Red or my lying, sniveling parents in the act. I curled my body around the base of the tree and lay awake with a book and a flashlight. When I awoke Christmas morning, I was surrounded by presents. There's no way my klutzy parents could've ele- gantly tiptoed past their sleeping babe. Proof! And I went on believing. But then, there were other things about Santa that didn't quite make sense. For one, he used the same wrap- ping paper as my parents. And worse, he was very inconsistent. Sure, pre- sents from jolly old St. Nick showed up under my tree every year, but the per- centage always changed. Some Christ- mases, I would wake up to find a treas- ure-trove of gifts under the tree that were primarily from my parents. Just a dinky gift or two from the man in red. Other years, it felt as if my parents had forgotten all about me. Thank good- ness Kriss Kringle had pulled through, or there would have been nothing un- der the Christmas tree! I still remember the year my dad didn't buy me a single Christmas gift. I was dev- astated. My dad pointed out that Santa had bought me a charm necklace that said "Daddy's Little Girl" and a mug with a picture of my dad's and my face on it. "Santa thinks I'm your little girl, but you don't! " I screamed. "Santa cares about me more than my own daddy." I cried. And my dad, lips pursed tightly together, looked as if he might cry, too. A few years later, the time had come to ask the question no child wants an- swered. "Mom, is Santa real? " "What do you think? " "I dunno," I said. "I think you just write Santa's name on a bunch of pre- sents you bought." "Well, Santa is a magical being you can choose to believe in or not," my mom said. Then, in complete honesty, she added, "Let's put it this way: Yes, I write Santa's name on some presents, but every year, you and your brother unwrap a few presents from Santa that I don't remember buying. Maybe it's St. Nick." I continued to get presents from "Santa," but now that I was in on the big secret, I got to watch my mom sign Santa's name on the gifts for my lit- tle brother. I quickly understood why the percentage of Santa gifts was al- ways in flux. My mom would buy pre- sents year-round, wrap them imme- diately and without rhyme or reason, and sign each gift from Mommy, Dad- dy or Santa (a Christmas tra- dition I perpetuate today). Some years, she would for- get to sign gifts from Santa. Some years, she would for- get to sign gifts from Mom- my and Daddy. Some years, she would forget to write an- ything at all. Come Christmas Day, I would ask my mom which gifts signed by Santa she didn't re- member buying. There was always at least one. And this let me hold on to the hope. Hold on to the magic. When I was a kid, I thought being an adult at Christmastime would be fun because you would get to know all the Santa secrets. You would know where to hide the presents. (Guest room clos- et.) You would know what time to put the presents from Santa under the tree. (As soon as the kids fall asleep.) You would get all the milk and cookies. (Delicious!) But most importantly, I believed that the biggest perk of be- ing an adult at Christmastime would be knowing definitively, once and for all, whether Santa Claus exists. But I was wrong. Even the adults don't know for sure. Let me put it this way: This year, I signed a lot of gifts for my son from Santa. But there were two gifts from Santa under that tree that I don't re- member buying. Like Katiedid Langrock on Facebook, at http://www.facebook.com/katiedid- humor.