After two weeks of processed shit entering my body in form of "food" I have had enough...I woke up this morning feeling like garbage and spent the previous day with no energy or motivation....I have had enough...sure the jello shots, cupcakes and Nacho Cheese Dorito's were tasty but my body was done with it all... So I started the morning off with some just picked peas and a sliced up cucumber....both homegrown! Added in a cup of locally roasted coffee and real cream...not the coffee creamer crap that I grew up with and love...
For lunch I made some rice, beans & mixed in organic cilantro...with some organic & bpa free tomato paste & cumin for flavor. simple but delicious and took less time then hitting up taco bell...
And for dinner we had breakfast... We dined on homegrown eggs mixed with just picked garlic & hot peppers & some minced up basil (all from our garden!) with some store bought (still local) Chevre thrown on top...wish I could convince the beau that we need..seriously need...a goat...one day..le sigh. We ate that with some delicious ham steaks from our 1/2 pig we bought from Taylor Made Farms.....and guess what?!!? Just in one day I feel my focus coming back (even accomplished some work..ha), I don't feel sluggish or like just vegging in front of the tv. More importantly the pride I feel feeding the love of my life (and myself of course) food that I planted from seed is freaking awesome. Can't buy that feeling.
Sorry Nacho Cheese & frosting you just ain't cutting it for me anymore...
Cherries & Life.
Today was the funeral of a friend's son whom passed this past week. I had known her son and will miss him greatly but even harder for me is to see my good friend in such pain and heartache. I wish I could comfort her and make it all go away but there are not words to heal right now or enough hugs to erase the pain she is feeling...only time and constant love for quite a while will dull it and while I am sure she will always miss and grieve her hilarious, loving, caring, witty son until eternity I was left today with a sense of powerlessness and grief. Grief makes you realize how fleeting life is, how precious and sacred. How each day is truly a gift and each day we spend with a loved one is an even better. When death is present all the pity shit just fades into the background...all the fights over laundry, the stress of day-to-day life, etc just don't matter. at. all.
Grief is such a horrible emotion because there is nothing you can do. I just kept wanting to do something.....anything.....I had all these feelings of thankfulness, and sadness and really didn't know how to cope and handle this influx of emotions...
So I preserved.
There is something about creating and following steps I know my great grandmothers followed, and millions of other woman before me have sorted their emotions standing, and sweating, over their stoves creating something for their families & loved ones..something they will pull out during the middle of cold, wet, black winter to remind them of the sun, warmth and fruit that will come. There is nothing complex about it. There is history, order, and love in preserving. It doesn't have to be fancy, or hip just shove fruit, sugar and pectin in a jar. done. It is unlike life...you get to know the outcome, there is no grey areas and doesn't require tough phone calls or moments of tears...well unless you are like me and burn the shit out of your finger...
So tonight I celebrated my friend by recalling his amazing wit, I processed his funeral that had people in both tears and laughter and connected with all the strength of past female souls' who have overcome much and focused on what is important: capturing the moment, taking a beautiful fruit at its peak and will use it this winter so when I can no longer see the tan on my skin, am having a hard time even recalling how the sun felt on my skin to remember that no matter how dark it seems there is hope and salvation in the future.
Made: Maraschino Cherries
and with the leftover juice I adapted this: Cherry Almond Jelly
Hug those around you fiercely and make sure they know you love them.
Lacy
Grief is such a horrible emotion because there is nothing you can do. I just kept wanting to do something.....anything.....I had all these feelings of thankfulness, and sadness and really didn't know how to cope and handle this influx of emotions...
So I preserved.
There is something about creating and following steps I know my great grandmothers followed, and millions of other woman before me have sorted their emotions standing, and sweating, over their stoves creating something for their families & loved ones..something they will pull out during the middle of cold, wet, black winter to remind them of the sun, warmth and fruit that will come. There is nothing complex about it. There is history, order, and love in preserving. It doesn't have to be fancy, or hip just shove fruit, sugar and pectin in a jar. done. It is unlike life...you get to know the outcome, there is no grey areas and doesn't require tough phone calls or moments of tears...well unless you are like me and burn the shit out of your finger...
So tonight I celebrated my friend by recalling his amazing wit, I processed his funeral that had people in both tears and laughter and connected with all the strength of past female souls' who have overcome much and focused on what is important: capturing the moment, taking a beautiful fruit at its peak and will use it this winter so when I can no longer see the tan on my skin, am having a hard time even recalling how the sun felt on my skin to remember that no matter how dark it seems there is hope and salvation in the future.
Made: Maraschino Cherries
and with the leftover juice I adapted this: Cherry Almond Jelly
Hug those around you fiercely and make sure they know you love them.
Lacy
Garden and Yard as of today.
So mostly pictures but this is the first year where I just started shoving stuff in places...in past years I made sure everything had a "area" and it was all organized and such..this year (mostly because of my addiction to buying plants) I am shoving stuff anywhere it will fit. So here it is right now:
The tiffany blue inspired Apiary, the bees are SUPER busy right now but moving fast I can't really capture them...we really enjoy having them around and that third box on top means there will be honey...just don't know how much yet.
One of the three raised beds we have...this one is partial shade so lettuce (and mustard greens as you can see) live here...
Just got this whiskey barrel and am going to attempt to grow cucumbers up the metal fencing in the back...anyone done this before? Do I tie it to it or just slowly train it to go up??
The last bed is full of peas, some bush beans, more cucumbers, some eggplant and ......
The chicken coop under some shade...sadly no chickens would pose as they used this opportunity to escape and are now meandering around the yard evading capture...oy. Thankfully I know they can be lured by avocado leftovers....eventually this will be painted to match the apiary...was a great find off of craigslist.
Between the rows I planted onions.....not a smart choice...between me stepping on them, the dogs and chickens they aren't doing so good....prob won't do that again next year. Hopefully some turn it around.
Won't win any awards for beauty but gonna use what you have laying around...
Still my favorite place in the garden...it is where I go to "supervise".....
Now gonna go hit the streets and ride the ol' bike around! We are lucky enough to have the Portland Parkways this sunday! Great weather to go out and see all the neighbors! Next week I will show some pictures of our newest "garden" space & the front yard.
When we moved here 3 years ago there was really nothing but dead grass and the arborvitae, it is a slow process but getting there.
I love doing laundry surrounded by roses...better than being inside!
Corn....I have never grown it but we shall see how it does. Sadly don't think it will be knee high by July..
Boscoe checking out the rhubarb and some flowers.
The tiffany blue inspired Apiary, the bees are SUPER busy right now but moving fast I can't really capture them...we really enjoy having them around and that third box on top means there will be honey...just don't know how much yet.
One of the three raised beds we have...this one is partial shade so lettuce (and mustard greens as you can see) live here...
Please let it be noted I have re-planted the lettuce 3 times because of some very adventurous chickens...who might be soup soon....
Middle bed is full of tomatoes, some beets and half dead basil...I just can't get that stuff to grow...any tips? Also would love if they made wall of waters that fit around the larger cages..my solution was to just wrap plastic wrap around them...seems to have worked.
Just got this whiskey barrel and am going to attempt to grow cucumbers up the metal fencing in the back...anyone done this before? Do I tie it to it or just slowly train it to go up??
The last bed is full of peas, some bush beans, more cucumbers, some eggplant and ......
Bell Peppers!!! This one plant has four on already! None of my other plants have much of anything...soo excited. They eventually (fingers crossed) will turn purple...
Next to the chicken coop we have potatoes planted...I am experimenting with cages I made of stuff laying around the house (left over chicken wire and the weed blocker that never worked for us). I also have some buried in the ground so we shall see which is more efficient.
Between the rows I planted onions.....not a smart choice...between me stepping on them, the dogs and chickens they aren't doing so good....prob won't do that again next year. Hopefully some turn it around.
Now gonna go hit the streets and ride the ol' bike around! We are lucky enough to have the Portland Parkways this sunday! Great weather to go out and see all the neighbors! Next week I will show some pictures of our newest "garden" space & the front yard.
TG-I-FREAKIN-F
Dear NY,
Thank you for being so awesome.
Sincerely,
Lacy
PS I swear I didn't tear up...until I looked over this photo:
Seriously...Look at those happy, surprised faces. I love all the love in this photo!!
So hug those around you, and lets work on the next state....
Lacy
photo from: boingboing....go check them all out!
Thank you for being so awesome.
Sincerely,
Lacy
PS I swear I didn't tear up...until I looked over this photo:
Seriously...Look at those happy, surprised faces. I love all the love in this photo!!
So hug those around you, and lets work on the next state....
Lacy
photo from: boingboing....go check them all out!
Surprises.
So I bought 3 roses at Fred Meyers on the super cheap because they didn't have a tag on them....hence when I bought them I had no idea what they would look like...and then a couple of days ago I got this from one of the plants:
Sometimes I love surprises.....
BLAH.
So I have started a "cleanse" of sorts and honestly this has shown me what a wuss I am! My "cleanse" is pretty lax compared to everyone else's but it has been a rough couple of days....
So I have given up processed sugar, gluten, dairy, soy, CAFFEINE, and red meat.
Now I knew when I started that caffeine would be ROUGH...but it has really kicked my ass. I honestly can't remember a time when I haven't had coffee....like in the past 28 years of my life...so the first day was painful. like nauseous, kill me painful. Honestly questioned if it was even worth it but decided if something is causing me that much "withdrawals" within one day then I needed to reduce the hold it has on me. I am now completing day 3 and while the headaches have gone (mostly) and I have actually started to feel thirsty occasionally (which I used to never) & my energy is GONE. For example today I sat down after work and what felt like one blink of an eye it was 2 hours later and I still felt exhausted...and I am not a nap person.
While the detox from caffeine has been about 500,000 times worse than I thought the other things I am not eating I haven't really missed at all. While I enjoy sugar, I have been eating fruit and can use raw honey so haven't even craved it at all. Also when you just cut out bread it makes it easy to say "no thanks" and again I haven't missed it.......yet.........
So originally I was gonna do this for 10 days but I might keep it up a bit longer as long as it has shown me that my body is a bit too dependent on certain things........
hopefully I start feeling the "good" affects of this whole thing...
wish me luck!
So I have given up processed sugar, gluten, dairy, soy, CAFFEINE, and red meat.
Now I knew when I started that caffeine would be ROUGH...but it has really kicked my ass. I honestly can't remember a time when I haven't had coffee....like in the past 28 years of my life...so the first day was painful. like nauseous, kill me painful. Honestly questioned if it was even worth it but decided if something is causing me that much "withdrawals" within one day then I needed to reduce the hold it has on me. I am now completing day 3 and while the headaches have gone (mostly) and I have actually started to feel thirsty occasionally (which I used to never) & my energy is GONE. For example today I sat down after work and what felt like one blink of an eye it was 2 hours later and I still felt exhausted...and I am not a nap person.
While the detox from caffeine has been about 500,000 times worse than I thought the other things I am not eating I haven't really missed at all. While I enjoy sugar, I have been eating fruit and can use raw honey so haven't even craved it at all. Also when you just cut out bread it makes it easy to say "no thanks" and again I haven't missed it.......yet.........
So originally I was gonna do this for 10 days but I might keep it up a bit longer as long as it has shown me that my body is a bit too dependent on certain things........
hopefully I start feeling the "good" affects of this whole thing...
wish me luck!
