latahrecoverycenter

This Week at the Latah Recovery Center

December 4, 2017December 4, 2017 by latahrecoverycenter, posted in Uncategorized

Help needed: We are still looking for some help to staff the Alternative Giving Market on Thursday. If you can help at any time during the hours of 3-8:30 let me (Darrell) know.

The latest exercise from our Write for You blog: https://latahrecoverycenter.org/2017/12/04/write-for-you-circles-in-the-sky/

Special this week:
12/4 (That’s today!) Make Your Hobby Pay, 6-7pm. Local entrepreneur Stu Scott is here to answer your questions about starting a business.
12/7 Alternative Giving Market, 4-8pm. Come see our display and support local nonprofits at the 1912 Center.

December at the Latah Recovery Center
Alcoholics Anonymous Every day, noon
Positive Affirmations Mondays, 12-1
Life Skills Mondays, 5-6
Christmas Party!!! Monday, 12/18, 5-8
Make Your Hobby Pay 1st Monday of month, 6-7
What is Trust Based Relational Intervention? 12/11, 6-8
Refuge Recovery 420 E. 2nd St Mondays, 6
Yoga (Hosted by Moscow Yoga Ctr) Tuesdays 12:30-1:30
Chess w/Steve Tues and Thurs 5-6
Narcotics Anonymous Tuesdays and Fridays 6-7
Volunteer Appreciation Potluck and Party Tuesday, 12/12 5:30-7
Domestic Abuse Support Group Tuesdays 6-7
Art w/Alex Tuesdays 7-8
Prescription Addiction Support Group Tuesdays 7-8
FREE Health Vitals Check by Gritman Medical Center Wednesday, 12/13 1:30-4
Positive Affirmations Wednesdays 5-6
Families and Caregivers of Addicts Support Group Wednesdays 6-7
Recovery International: Mental Health Self-Help Wednesdays, 6:30-8
Alternative Giving Market of the Palouse (1912 Ctr) Thursday, 12/7, 4-8
New Volunteer Orientation Thursdays 4-5
LAMI: Family Support Program 2nd Thurs of month 7-8:30
All Recovery Meeting Fridays 5-6
Movie/Games: Check website for listing Fridays 6:30-9
Bingo Saturday, 12/30 4-8
AA Speakers Meeting 3rd Saturday of month, 11-2:30
Learn How to Crochet & Calm Your Mind 4th Sat of month, 10-12
Adult Children of Alcoholics, Women’s Meeting Sundays 6-7:30
Classes and Groups are ALWAYS FREE OR AT COST AND OPEN TO ALL.
RSVP LatahRecoveryCenter@gmail.com Bolded Date=Regular offering. Plain text=Special offering for month.
Need an understanding person to talk to? We have Recovery Peer Volunteers here to help you in recovery from mental health and addiction issues all hours of operation. We are here to help!

Write for You: Circles in the Sky

December 4, 2017 by latahrecoverycenter, posted in Write for You Blog

by Nancy Casey

The work that you will do in your writing practice today is in two parts. In the first part you will do something. In the second part you will write about what it was like to do it. The thing that you will do is an exercise that relaxes your neck and supposedly improves your concentration.

You have probably seen setups where bright spotlights shine up into the sky, making it look like light sabers are scribbling on the clouds and stars. You are going to pretend that you have one of those spotlights shining straight up out of the top of your head.

But first you have to pick a number between 8 and 20. Do that now.

Then sit comfortably, in a position where you will still be comfortable in 10 or 20 minutes. You can sit at a table, in a bed, on the floor, in a chair. Your feet can be high or low, legs straight or crossed. Give your back some support so you don’t have to hold it up all by yourself. You might even want to support your head and neck a little bit as well.

Once you are settled, close your eyes, turn on the spotlight on the top of your head and try to draw a slow even circle of light in the sky. I say “try” because you must do this with the whole rest of your body completely relaxed. So the circle probably won’t be round. It will probably be small. Depending on how much tension you have in your neck and shoulders, the circle you draw might be so small that you only imagine drawing it without moving your head.

Remember that number between 8 and 20 that you picked out? That’s how many circles you will draw. Staying relaxed is the most important thing. Going very slowly is important, too. The shape of the circles isn’t so important. It’s kind of interesting to notice how lumpy they are and how they change.

Count slowly to yourself as you make each circle. If your mind drifts off or you lose count, start over. (That’s the “improves your concentration” part.) When you have drawn all the circles in one direction, reverse course and draw the same number of circles in the opposite direction.

What if you keep losing count and it seems like you’ll never get done? Just say “Oh well” every time you have to start over. If you keep at it for 10 or 20 minutes, that’s certainly enough to say that you gave it a good try and stop. If you only had time to make circles in one direction, draw a couple of circles in the opposite direction before you quit, just so your neck can unwind.

Then write about what that was like. How it felt. Whether it was easy or hard. If you kept forgetting about what you were doing and thinking about something else, write about what you were thinking. You could end up not writing about making circles at all. Whatever you write, give it a title and put the date on your page. Here is an example: http://planetnancy.net/writing-prompts/relax-your-neck/

You can draw these circles in the sky at any time. In the bathroom when you want a few moments of privacy to refresh your mind or calm down. In bed when you can’t sleep. In the morning when you wake up.

Change it up. Experiment with different numbers of circles. Imagine the spotlight is on your nose, or that you have one on each ear.

Anything goes, as long as you make circles, stay relaxed, and cheerfully start over each time you lose count.

Nancy Casey has lived in Latah County for many years. She has taught writing classes at the Recovery Center and will return again in the spring of 2018. You can find more of her work at http://www.PlanetNancy.net. If you would like her help with a writing project, email latahrecoverycenter@gmail.com for more information.

December at the Latah Recovery Center and a request or two…

November 30, 2017 by latahrecoverycenter, posted in Uncategorized

What?!?, you’re saying to yourself. Two notes from the LRC in one week? I know-I try to avoid email clutter. Sorry! But I have three important items:

1. We need some volunteers to help staff our station at the Alternative Giving Market next Thursday. We could use people starting at 3pm. Table open until about 8:30pm. Let me know if you can help!
2. Don’t forget our Computer 101 class tonight, 7pm!
3. December calendar. Please post in your work place if it is appropriate.
December at the Latah Recovery Center
Alcoholics Anonymous Every day, noon
Positive Affirmations Mondays, 12-1
Life Skills Mondays, 5-6
Christmas Party!!! Monday, 12/18, 5-8
Make Your Hobby Pay 1st Monday of month, 6-7
What is Trust Based Relational Intervention? 12/11, 6-8
Refuge Recovery 420 E. 2nd St Mondays, 6
Yoga (Hosted by Moscow Yoga Ctr) Tuesdays 12:30-1:30
Chess w/Steve Tues and Thurs 5-6
Narcotics Anonymous Tuesdays and Fridays 6-7
Volunteer Appreciation Potluck and Party Tuesday, 12/12 5:30-7
Domestic Abuse Support Group Tuesdays 6-7
Art w/Alex Tuesdays 7-8
Prescription Addiction Support Group Tuesdays 7-8
FREE Health Vitals Check by Gritman Medical Center Wednesday, 12/13 1:30-4
Positive Affirmations Wednesdays 5-6
Families and Caregivers of Addicts Support Group Wednesdays 6-7
Recovery International: Mental Health Self-Help Wednesdays, 6:30-8
Alternative Giving Market of the Palouse (1912 Ctr) Thursday, 12/7, 4-8
New Volunteer Orientation Thursdays 4-5
LAMI: Family Support Program 2nd Thurs of month 7-8:30
All Recovery Meeting Fridays 5-6
Movie/Games: Check website for listing Fridays 6:30-9
Bingo Saturday, 12/30 4-8
AA Speakers Meeting 3rd Saturday of month, 11-2:30
Learn How to Crochet & Calm Your Mind 4th Sat of month, 10-12
Adult Children of Alcoholics, Women’s Meeting Sundays 6-7:30
Classes and Groups are ALWAYS FREE OR AT COST AND OPEN TO ALL.

This Week at the Latah Recovery Center

November 27, 2017 by latahrecoverycenter, posted in Uncategorized

A GREAT BIG THANK YOU! Last weeks Thanksgiving Dinner was a resounding success thanks to the generosity of 5 Star Equity, INC., One World Café, several private donors, and LRC staff. Almost 40 members of the recovery community were able to receive a wonderful Thanksgiving Dinner thanks to all of YOU! Thank you for making it happen.

This weeks Write for You writing activity: https://latahrecoverycenter.org/2017/11/27/write-for-you-continuity/

Write for You: Continuity

November 27, 2017 by latahrecoverycenter, posted in Write for You Blog

by Nancy Casey

Things that stay the same in our lives over time are what give our lives continuity. These things could be situations, such as a job, a support group, or a relationship. The continuous things could be places: a town, a library, a home. Our lives can derive continuity from possessions we have had for a long time: favorite shirts, certain books, that cup, a car.

The funny thing about continuity is that we wouldn’t notice anything about the things that stay the same if there weren’t a whole lot of other things that changed.

On top of that, you can’t really predict ahead of time what’s going to stay with you in your life and what’s going to disappear. You can expect certain things to be the same. You can even try hard to keep them the same. But dishes break, relationships end, and suitcases get lost. Only by looking back can you say for sure what parts of your life, big or small, have stayed the same.

Today in your writing, choose one aspect of your life that’s been continuous for awhile. Big or small. It could be anything from your house or your best friend to your shoes. (You can decide how long “awhile” should be.)

Begin by describing what you have chosen to write about. Tell what it is. What does it look or feel like? What do you notice and appreciate about it? What role does it play in your life now, today?

Then think about the past. Think of a different moment when the “thing” was present. It could be sometime in the past when you wore the shoes, talked to the friend, sat on a certain couch. Describe that moment. How this one thing is still present, even though the surroundings and situation could be entirely different.

You could end up writing a lot about one moment, and explain how something present in your life today was present at a significant moment.

You might find it more interesting to write short descriptions of a string of moments where many things changed, but this one thing you have in mind stayed with you or stayed the same.

Whatever you decide to write, it will be interesting. Because no two lives are the same.

When you have finished give your work a title and write the date on it. There is an example of what a person could write here: http://planetnancy.net/writing-prompts/continuity/

Nancy Casey has lived in Latah County for many years. She has taught writing classes at the Recovery Center and will return again in the spring of 2018. You can find more of her work at http://planetnancy.net/ If you would like her help with a writing project, email latahrecoverycenter@gmail.com for more information.

Alternative Giving Market 12/7

November 15, 2017 by latahrecoverycenter, posted in Uncategorized

AGMP17flyer-2

This Week at the Latah Recovery Center

November 13, 2017 by latahrecoverycenter, posted in Uncategorized

This Weeks Special Activities at The Center:
The Center is hosting “Coffee with a Cop” on 11/15, 7am AND pm. Come have coffee with the MPD Chief, and enjoy a chance to learn more about the PD and the Chief, while getting your questions answered.
Alicia Hu is leading a different discussion on 11/16, 5:30-6:30: Understanding the Bodies Ability to Adjust to a Harsh Environment.

Did you know we are hosting a Thanksgiving Dinner for anyone in Recovery? That’s right! One World Café is the location for the festivities on 11/21, 5-8pm. FREE AND OPEN TO ALL IN RECOVERY. RSVPs are appreciated.

Here’s our entire calendar:

November at the Latah Recovery Center
Alcoholics Anonymous                                                                                      Every day, noon
Life Skills                                                                                                              Mondays, 5-6
Make Your Hobby Pay                                                                                      1st Monday of month, 6-7pm
Refuge Recovery 420 E. 2nd St                                                                         Mondays, 7pm
Yoga (Hosted by Moscow Yoga Ctr)                                                              Tuesdays 12:30-1:30
Chess w/Steve                                                                                                      Tues and Thurs 5-6
Thanksgiving Dinner FREE. OPEN TO ALL IN RECOVERY            Tues. 11/21, 5-8pm One World Cafe
Narcotics Anonymous                                                                                        Tuesdays and Fridays 6-7
Domestic Abuse Support Group                                                                       Tuesdays 6-7
Art w/Alex                                                                                                             Tuesdays 7-8
Prescription Addiction Support Group                                                             Tuesdays 7-8
Coffee With a Cop                                                                                              Wed., 11/15, 7am and 7pm
Positive Affirmations                                                                                          Wednesdays 5-6
Families and Caregivers of Addicts Support Group                                      Wednesdays 6-7
Recovery International: Mental Health Self-Help                                      Wednesdays, 6:30-8
New Volunteer Orientation                                                                                Thursdays 4-5
Embracing the Body’s Natural Defense Strategies                                       Thursday, 11/9 5:30-6:30
Understanding the Body’s Ability to Adjust to a Harsh Environ.              Thursday, 11/16 5:30-6:30
LAMI: Family Support Program                                                                     2nd Thurs of month 7-8:30
Computer 101                                                                                                      Thursday, 11/30, 7-8pm
All Recovery Meeting                                                                                         Fridays 5-6
Movie/Games: Check website for listing                                                       Fridays 6:30-9
Bingo                                                                                                                     Saturday, 11/25 4-8
AA Speakers Meeting                                                                                         3rd Saturday of month, 11-2:30
Learn How to Crochet & Calm Your Mind                                                    4th Sat of month, 10-12
Adult Children of Alcoholics, Women’s Meeting                                          Sundays 6-7:30
Classes and Groups are ALWAYS FREE OR AT COST AND OPEN TO ALL.
RSVP LatahRecoveryCenter@gmail.com Bolded Date=Regular offering. Plain text=Special offering for month.
Need an understanding person to talk to? We have Recovery Peer Volunteers here to help you in recovery from mental health and addiction issues all hours of operation. We are here to help!

This Week at the Latah Recovery Center

November 7, 2017 by latahrecoverycenter, posted in Uncategorized

This weeks Write for You blog: https://latahrecoverycenter.org/2017/11/07/write-for-you-soon-also-and-then/

Upcoming Special Activities at The Center:
Alicia Hu will be leading a discussion on Embracing the Bodies Natural Defense Strategies November 9, 5:30-6:30.
The Center is hosting “Coffee with a Cop” on 11/15, 7am AND pm. Come have coffee with the MPD Chief, and enjoy a chance to learn more about the PD and the Chief, while getting your questions answered.
Alicia Hu is leading a different discussion on 11/16, 5:30-6:30: Understanding the Bodies Ability to Adjust to a Harsh Environment.

Did you know we are hosting a Thanksgiving Dinner for anyone in Recovery? That’s right! One World Café is the location for the festivities on 11/21, 5-8pm. FREE AND OPEN TO ALL IN RECOVERY.

Here’s our entire calendar:

Write for You: Soon, Also and Then

November 7, 2017 by latahrecoverycenter, posted in Uncategorized, Write for You Blog

by Nancy Casey

Today in your writing practice, you are going to write about the future. Any part of the whole imaginary future that could be ahead. You could write about your plans for the rest of this day. Or you could fast-forward to a time when you have super-powers and understand what to do in every situation. You can write about any point in the future, near or far, as long as you can imagine it somehow.

Before you do that, stand up on your feet. Shift your weight gently to the left and to the right for a bit. Try to get a sense of a gentle rocking motion. Don’t try to be particularly athletic or stretch. Let your arms feel relaxed.

While you do this, let your mind wander through some ideas about your imagined future. If you catch yourself thinking about the past, say, “Oops, I’m trying to imagine the future.”

Keep shifting your weight back and forth, and turn your head a little to the left and right. Raise your arms if that feels good. You can put them on your belly or cross them so they make an ‘X’ on your chest. You can even put them on top of your head if that’s not too much of a stretch. All the while, rock gently, look to the left and right, and imagine what might lie in your future.

Then sit down to write. Write about whatever comes to you mind about your imagined future, it doesn’t necessarily have to be what you thought up while you were standing. That might have gotten the ideas flowing so that new ideas come to you now. Write your page like this:
1. Begin the first line with “Soon” and write about something that will happen to you soon.
2. Begin the second line with “Also” and write about what will also happen.
3. Begin the third line with “And then…” and tell what will happen next.
Keep going, always writing about something you imagine in your future. As you continue, start every line with either “Soon…,” “Also…,” or “And then…” You don’t have to keep using those three words in that order, and it’s okay to use the same one over and over. Just be sure that each line begins with one of those words.

However you zip around in your future is up to you. You don’t have to explain anything to anybody else. Just write what makes sense to you.

When you have finished, give you page a title. Put the date on it as well. You can find an example of the kind of thing someone might write here: http://planetnancy.net/writing-prompts/writing-about-the-future/

This is a good exercise to do several times during the week. You could start to notice that your future looks different to you at different times.

Nancy Casey has lived in Latah County for many years. She has taught writing classes at the Recovery Center and will return again in the spring of 2018. You can find more of her work at http://planetnancy.net/ If you would like her help with a writing project, email latahrecoverycenter@gmail.com for more information.

November at the Latah Recovery Center

October 31, 2017October 31, 2017 by latahrecoverycenter, posted in Uncategorized

Consistent readers will recall I was away at the Multiple Pathways to Recovery conference last week. Great conference. One resource I learned about is http://www.intherooms.com. It is a bit like Facebook for those in recovery from addictions. Hundreds of online meetings of most of the major 12 step groups, recovery chat, etc. Nothing can replace real face to face interaction, but this looks like a nice supplement. I encourage you to check it out. I know we will be looking at how to use it here at the Latah Recovery Center. If you have any ideas of how we might use this resource at The Center, shoot me an email.

The latest Write for You blog: https://latahrecoverycenter.org/2017/10/31/write-for-you-a-special-friend/

Special Offerings for November:
Coffee With a Cop Wed., 11/15, 7am and 7pm. Come for an informal visit with the Chief. Get any of your questions answered. Let the police know your concerns, and learn about his. The public is strongly encouraged to attend this event.
Embracing the Body’s Natural Defense Strategies Thursday, 11/9 5:30-6:30 led by Alicia Hu.
Understanding the Body’s Ability to Adjust to a Harsh Environ. Thursday, 11/16 5:30-6:30 led by Alicia Hu.
Thanksgiving Dinner. 11/21, 5-8pm at One World Café. Free and open to all in Recovery. RSVPs appreciated.
Computer 101 Thursday, 11/30, 7-8pm led by Katylynn Miller. Katylynn leads an open class answering your questions about most popular Microsoft programs.
Bingo Saturday, 11/25 4-8. The name says it all. Come and have some fun!

November Calendar:
November at the Latah Recovery Center
Alcoholics Anonymous                                                                                      Every day, noon
Make Your Hobby Pay                                                                                      1st Monday of month, 6-7pm
Refuge Recovery 420 E. 2nd St                                                                         Mondays, 7pm
Yoga (Hosted by Moscow Yoga Ctr)                                                              Tuesdays 12:30-1:30
Life Skills                                                                                                              Tuesdays 5-6
Chess w/Steve                                                                                                      Tues and Thurs 5-6
Thanksgiving Dinner FREE. OPEN TO ALL IN RECOVERY            Tues. 11/21, 5-8pm One World Cafe
Narcotics Anonymous                                                                                        Tuesdays and Fridays 6-7
Domestic Abuse Support Group                                                                       Tuesdays 6-7
Art w/Alex                                                                                                             Tuesdays 7-8
Prescription Addiction Support Group                                                             Tuesdays 7-8
Coffee With a Cop                                                                                              Wed., 11/15, 7am and 7pm
Positive Affirmations                                                                                          Wednesdays 5-6
Families and Caregivers of Addicts Support Group                                      Wednesdays 6-7
Recovery International: Mental Health Self-Help                                      Wednesdays, 6:30-8
New Volunteer Orientation                                                                                Thursdays 4-5
Embracing the Body’s Natural Defense Strategies                                       Thursday, 11/9 5:30-6:30
Understanding the Body’s Ability to Adjust to a Harsh Environ.              Thursday, 11/16 5:30-6:30
LAMI: Family Support Program                                                                     2nd Thurs of month 7-8:30
Computer 101                                                                                                      Thursday, 11/30, 7-8pm
All Recovery Meeting                                                                                         Fridays 5-6
Movie/Games: Check website for listing                                                       Fridays 6:30-9
Bingo                                                                                                                     Saturday, 11/25 4-8
AA Speakers Meeting                                                                                         3rd Saturday of month, 11-2:30
Learn How to Crochet & Calm Your Mind                                                    4th Sat of month, 10-12
Adult Children of Alcoholics, Women’s Meeting                                          Sundays 6-7:30
Classes and Groups are ALWAYS FREE OR AT COST AND OPEN TO ALL.
RSVP LatahRecoveryCenter@gmail.com Bolded Date=Regular offering. Plain text=Special offering for month.
Need an understanding person to talk to? We have Recovery Peer Volunteers here to help you in recovery from mental health and addiction issues all hours of operation. We are here to help!