What a productive day!!! I got up early, rowed 9 kms, was at the farm by 9:30 and worked about 3 hrs there (soooooooo much fun!!! i weeded onions!!). Came home, got the kids lunch, settled in around here and got myself organized for the afternoon... out the door again and made nearly all the raw food deliveries, one child to one class, then across town for the other child to another class... several errands thrown in and voila - you have a *VERY* busy but productive day.
If I had to write my horoscope, I'd be amazed at how punctual and productive I can be at times. Things just flowed today, for whatever reason. But behind it all, there was this nagging lurking in the back of my mind: financial woes. dh's cell phone bill last month was over-the-top crazy and I haven't even mentioned it to him b/c our car servicing that's due is also over-the-top crazy, on top of other bills, etc. Poor guy; he works sooooooooo hard to, as he puts it, keep his family (well, wife, lol) in the manner to which (I've) become accustomed... and it seems like we're behind the 8-ball yet again. Sometimes I just want to live a much, much simpler life, *free of debt*. Completely free. grumble grumble grumble
Okay, well, now that that's out of my system, let's recap my healing nutritional intake for the day:
- 2c kombucha
- 2T vega shake-and-go and a banana, blended
- 750ml smoothie from yesterday
- 2c raw vegan pad thai that a friend gifted me
- 8 raw tamari almonds
- 40 some-odd ounces of water
Approximate caloric intake: ~1500 I think. I burned 510 calories rowing and farming for 2 hrs was also beneficial. :) Overall: great day.
Namaste
30 May 2011
29 May 2011
Day 7 and goin' strong...
It's been busy around here, with no time for the computer!
Thursday (day 4) I had an AWESOME day - I got to spend 3 hours on a local organic farm where I'll be volunteering twice a week throughout the summer season in exchange for some produce. I am SOOOOOOOO stoked! :D
Nutritionally, on Thursday I nourished myself with:
- 1L of smoothie from the day before
- 2T Vega shake-and-go and a banana blended
- 2 oz homemade tamari almonds (hmmmmm, *not* the best idea in retrospect, even though they were soooooo good, they just *sat* in my tummy feeling heavy)
- 1L smoothie (8c spinach, 2 bananas, 1T spirulina, 2T hemp seeds, 1t acai powder, a handful of soaked gojis, 2T raw agave, 1T maca, 1t acerola cherry powder, 1 1/2T ground flax, 1/4t kelp powder, 4c frozen berry blend)
- 1t Barlean's vegan swirl oil blend
- about 2L of lovely, healing water
I also rowed 8.5 kms on Thursday, burning about 480 calories. As well, I took in a 90 minute tai chi class in the evening. Between working on the farm, rowing, and tai chi, it was a great, active day! Approximate caloric *intake* for Thursday was 1750 calories.
**************************************
Friiiiiiiiday was *super* busy and I spent sooooo much time driving. Being busy took it's toll on my food intake; my caloric intake was about 750 for the day.
- 800 mL smoothie from the day before
- 4 thin small slices of watermelon and a couple cherries
- 2c kombucha
- 2T vega and a banana, blended
I didn't row, but did teach a 90 min tai chi class that had me sweating profusely! AWESOME class!
**************************************
Saturday was nice. We spent the afternoon/evening over at family's and had a good time catching up and hangin' out. I also got some Zeolite on this raw food order so have started taking it (3 drops, 3x/day) to assist with detox. I am also back to taking Fo-Ti 3x/day. It was doing *amazing* things for my hair when I was taking it regularly about 4 months back.
Saturday I blessed myself with:
- 2T Vega shake-and-go and a banana, blended
- 1L smoothie (8c salad mix, 2 bananas, 4c berries, handful soaked gojis, 1t acai, 2T hemp, 1T spirulina, 600 ml almond milk, 3T agave, 1T maca, 1/4t kelp and 1t acerola) - salad mix doesn't make for the best smoothie. I think it's the peppery arugula in it
- 2c kombucha
- 4c green salad and 2T dressing (which was a wiser choice than eating the pizza everyone else was having) :P
- about 1L water
Rowed 8.5 kms (slow, though: nearly 42.5 mins, but still burned 465 calories)
Overall daily intake: ~1200 calories
************************************
Sunday we stayed at home and cleaned. Did a massive house clean and got some work done around the yard. busy busy busy. Did a set of tai chi in the morning on the deck, but no rowing today.
I delighted in tasting:
- 1L smoothie from yesterday
- 2T vega and a banana
- a few pieces of red pepper and a couple pea pods
- 1L smoothie (1 head red romaine, 2 bananas, 1T maca, 1t acai, 1t acerola, 2T hemp, 1T spirulina, 5 medjools, 1/4t kelp, handful gojis, 5c frozen berries and 3T agave). I didn't like the romaine base, either. Spinach is best, imo, for a smoothie base.
Approximate caloric intake for the day: 1450.
7 days done and I'm down 5 lbs. more than that, i'm resetting my relationship with food onto a more conscious path. It feels right to be doing this. I realize how out-of-touch my food intake had gotten... I was eating twice as many calories every day, mostly raw but not as diligently raw as I am being now. I'm not denying myself solid food completely (like today I had a couple veggie bites), but I do need to eat consciously and that is something new for me. It's kinda weird to have more time to do other things other than food prep or cleaning up after making a meal when you're blending a smoothie. It frees you up for other things, which is... odd because we don't usually have that time.
Anyhow, overall, the weekend was great and I'm looking forward to continuing this for the time being. :)
Namaste
Thursday (day 4) I had an AWESOME day - I got to spend 3 hours on a local organic farm where I'll be volunteering twice a week throughout the summer season in exchange for some produce. I am SOOOOOOOO stoked! :D
Nutritionally, on Thursday I nourished myself with:
- 1L of smoothie from the day before
- 2T Vega shake-and-go and a banana blended
- 2 oz homemade tamari almonds (hmmmmm, *not* the best idea in retrospect, even though they were soooooo good, they just *sat* in my tummy feeling heavy)
- 1L smoothie (8c spinach, 2 bananas, 1T spirulina, 2T hemp seeds, 1t acai powder, a handful of soaked gojis, 2T raw agave, 1T maca, 1t acerola cherry powder, 1 1/2T ground flax, 1/4t kelp powder, 4c frozen berry blend)
- 1t Barlean's vegan swirl oil blend
- about 2L of lovely, healing water
I also rowed 8.5 kms on Thursday, burning about 480 calories. As well, I took in a 90 minute tai chi class in the evening. Between working on the farm, rowing, and tai chi, it was a great, active day! Approximate caloric *intake* for Thursday was 1750 calories.
**************************************
Friiiiiiiiday was *super* busy and I spent sooooo much time driving. Being busy took it's toll on my food intake; my caloric intake was about 750 for the day.
- 800 mL smoothie from the day before
- 4 thin small slices of watermelon and a couple cherries
- 2c kombucha
- 2T vega and a banana, blended
I didn't row, but did teach a 90 min tai chi class that had me sweating profusely! AWESOME class!
**************************************
Saturday was nice. We spent the afternoon/evening over at family's and had a good time catching up and hangin' out. I also got some Zeolite on this raw food order so have started taking it (3 drops, 3x/day) to assist with detox. I am also back to taking Fo-Ti 3x/day. It was doing *amazing* things for my hair when I was taking it regularly about 4 months back.
Saturday I blessed myself with:
- 2T Vega shake-and-go and a banana, blended
- 1L smoothie (8c salad mix, 2 bananas, 4c berries, handful soaked gojis, 1t acai, 2T hemp, 1T spirulina, 600 ml almond milk, 3T agave, 1T maca, 1/4t kelp and 1t acerola) - salad mix doesn't make for the best smoothie. I think it's the peppery arugula in it
- 2c kombucha
- 4c green salad and 2T dressing (which was a wiser choice than eating the pizza everyone else was having) :P
- about 1L water
Rowed 8.5 kms (slow, though: nearly 42.5 mins, but still burned 465 calories)
Overall daily intake: ~1200 calories
************************************
Sunday we stayed at home and cleaned. Did a massive house clean and got some work done around the yard. busy busy busy. Did a set of tai chi in the morning on the deck, but no rowing today.
I delighted in tasting:
- 1L smoothie from yesterday
- 2T vega and a banana
- a few pieces of red pepper and a couple pea pods
- 1L smoothie (1 head red romaine, 2 bananas, 1T maca, 1t acai, 1t acerola, 2T hemp, 1T spirulina, 5 medjools, 1/4t kelp, handful gojis, 5c frozen berries and 3T agave). I didn't like the romaine base, either. Spinach is best, imo, for a smoothie base.
Approximate caloric intake for the day: 1450.
7 days done and I'm down 5 lbs. more than that, i'm resetting my relationship with food onto a more conscious path. It feels right to be doing this. I realize how out-of-touch my food intake had gotten... I was eating twice as many calories every day, mostly raw but not as diligently raw as I am being now. I'm not denying myself solid food completely (like today I had a couple veggie bites), but I do need to eat consciously and that is something new for me. It's kinda weird to have more time to do other things other than food prep or cleaning up after making a meal when you're blending a smoothie. It frees you up for other things, which is... odd because we don't usually have that time.
Anyhow, overall, the weekend was great and I'm looking forward to continuing this for the time being. :)
Namaste
25 May 2011
Day 3 update
Well, I got my rowing in today: 8.5 kms in just over 40 minutes, burning 477 calories. :) Not my fastest row, but it was later in the afternoon (while dinner for the family was cooking). Working out is easiest in the late morning/early afternoon (somewhere between 10 & 2). Any earlier and I'm still half-asleep and too late and it just doesn't feel right. Call me Goldilocks. :P
Today I've gifted myself with:
- multivitamins and calcium supplements
- 2T of berry Vega shake-and-go and a banana and 1/4 of a pineapple blended
- 2T of berry Vega shake-and-go and a banana (I know, a tad repetitive, but I was in a rush to get out the door but didn't want to leave with an empty stomach)
- about 5 12-oz glasses of water
- 2c of kombucha
- 1L of smoothie (this made 2L, which I'm saving a litre/quart for morning: 4c romaine lettuce, 2 bananas, 2T hulled hemp seed, 1T spirulina, 2c frozen berry blend, 1 quart/litre raw almond milk (using 1/2c soaked almonds I make 2L of milk, so 1L is the equivalent, imo, of 1/4c of almonds), 1.5T of ground golden flaxseed, 1tsp acai berry powder, 1 tsp acerola cherry powder, 1/4 tsp kelp flakes, 1T maca powder, 3T raw agave and a handful of soaked goji berries. I've calculated on www.myfitnesspal.com that 2L of smoothie with these ingredients is around 1300 calories, so 1L would be about 650 calories.)
Overall approximate caloric intake for the day: ~1250
Today I've gifted myself with:
- multivitamins and calcium supplements
- 2T of berry Vega shake-and-go and a banana and 1/4 of a pineapple blended
- 2T of berry Vega shake-and-go and a banana (I know, a tad repetitive, but I was in a rush to get out the door but didn't want to leave with an empty stomach)
- about 5 12-oz glasses of water
- 2c of kombucha
- 1L of smoothie (this made 2L, which I'm saving a litre/quart for morning: 4c romaine lettuce, 2 bananas, 2T hulled hemp seed, 1T spirulina, 2c frozen berry blend, 1 quart/litre raw almond milk (using 1/2c soaked almonds I make 2L of milk, so 1L is the equivalent, imo, of 1/4c of almonds), 1.5T of ground golden flaxseed, 1tsp acai berry powder, 1 tsp acerola cherry powder, 1/4 tsp kelp flakes, 1T maca powder, 3T raw agave and a handful of soaked goji berries. I've calculated on www.myfitnesspal.com that 2L of smoothie with these ingredients is around 1300 calories, so 1L would be about 650 calories.)
Overall approximate caloric intake for the day: ~1250
Day 3
It's raining this morning - plip plop - after yesterday's beeeeautiful 16C sunshine, which felt so *seasonal*. The rain's not really depressing - it means I don't have to go out and water the garden or hanging baskets by hand and they'll probably get a more thorough watering from the rain than from me. But I do really enjoy watching the sun on the trees throughout the day - in the morning, coming from the East as the first rays touch the tops of the tall tall trees, and slowly, as the sun rises, the sunlight comes down lower and lower until it's all the way on the ground... and then throughout the day, as the sun moves across the sky, how it looks on the leaves of the alder trees, dappled and the leaves turn this brilliant light green, contrasting with the conifer's dark green needles surrounding. Then into the evening, towards sunset, the sunlight coming through the heavily forested west side of our property. I was at the kitchen window the other day watching the sunlight come through the trees in the west as I washed the dishes after dinner. It was beautiful, catching the golden glimpses reflecting off the firs and cedars. *beautiful*
Today is Day 3 of the smoothie-feast. Yesterday went alright... I got my 8.5 kms of rowing in and also taught a 1.5 hr tai chi class (which you might not *think* is very aerobic, but let me tell you, i sweat (sorry, perspire) something wicked during a good tai chi class. LOL So I was pretty happy with how active I was yesterday. For nutrition, I blessed myself with two protein shakes - I had 2T of Vega Shake-and-Go (chocolate) and a banana blended at 8 a.m. (before tai chi) and another 2T of vanilla flavour and another banana at 1:00 (before rowing). Boy, do those vega shakes stave off hunger! They've got ~11g of protein in each serving. Around noon I had 1/2 L of smoothie from Day 1 and throughout the day about 5 12oz glasses of water (or 6?). I also enjoyed 2c of kombucha in the evening, multivitamins and calcium and a few nibblies (a couple small pieces of watermelon and a few snap pea pods) as it was book club night at my house and I was lamenting not getting around to making a smoothie. I figure my caloric intake was around 1000 calories, so rather low. (I sure enjoyed having my friends over for book club, though! We were discussing Vladimir Megre's Anastasia of the Ringing Cedar Series)
Today I'll have time to make 2L of smoothie, which will hopefully keep me going for most of the day (at ~1300 cal/2L). And I'm intending on rowing this morning.
The dog's snoring over on her bed. She's all curled up like she's still in the womb, despite being a big gangly 2 yr old now. I don't know how that position could possibly be comfortable, but it must be. ;)
Today is Day 3 of the smoothie-feast. Yesterday went alright... I got my 8.5 kms of rowing in and also taught a 1.5 hr tai chi class (which you might not *think* is very aerobic, but let me tell you, i sweat (sorry, perspire) something wicked during a good tai chi class. LOL So I was pretty happy with how active I was yesterday. For nutrition, I blessed myself with two protein shakes - I had 2T of Vega Shake-and-Go (chocolate) and a banana blended at 8 a.m. (before tai chi) and another 2T of vanilla flavour and another banana at 1:00 (before rowing). Boy, do those vega shakes stave off hunger! They've got ~11g of protein in each serving. Around noon I had 1/2 L of smoothie from Day 1 and throughout the day about 5 12oz glasses of water (or 6?). I also enjoyed 2c of kombucha in the evening, multivitamins and calcium and a few nibblies (a couple small pieces of watermelon and a few snap pea pods) as it was book club night at my house and I was lamenting not getting around to making a smoothie. I figure my caloric intake was around 1000 calories, so rather low. (I sure enjoyed having my friends over for book club, though! We were discussing Vladimir Megre's Anastasia of the Ringing Cedar Series)
Today I'll have time to make 2L of smoothie, which will hopefully keep me going for most of the day (at ~1300 cal/2L). And I'm intending on rowing this morning.
The dog's snoring over on her bed. She's all curled up like she's still in the womb, despite being a big gangly 2 yr old now. I don't know how that position could possibly be comfortable, but it must be. ;)
23 May 2011
Day 1 of smoothie-fast
Phew! Day 1 is *done*. I always seem to build up such anxiety surrounding the first couple days of a fast/feast. Always the same, despite me successfully navigating the first few days several times now in various fasts.
Today went (surprisingly?) well. It was a beautiful sunny spring day. I got an 8.5 km row in (39 mins) and according to the rowing machine, burned 491 calories doing that. :P
Today I gifted myself with:
- Garden of Life's Vitamin Code for Women (a 'serving' of multivitamins) & 2 calcium-magnesium (666 mg of calcium & 333 of magnesium)
- 12 oz of *love* water (rather pathetically low water intake, i know). Love water is based on Dr Emoto's research on water... I have several (6?) glass gallon jars which I fill with tap water. On the jars are written positive messages like "Love" and "Healing, healthy water" and "peace"... Dr Emoto's research shows that molecules in the water absorb the message on the bottle... so a positive message goes a long way to healing the water and thereby healing *me*, the ingestor of the healing, blessed water. Seriously, what have you got to lose?! Try it!
- 480 ml of kombucha
- 2T of Vega's Shake & Go, the water & meat of one young coconut, and a mango, all blended together.
- 1.5L of green smoothie: 6c of spinach, 2 bananas, 4c of frozen berry blend, 1/4tsp kelp, 1T maca powder, 1T spirulina, 3T agave nectar, a handful of soaked goji berries, a handful of raw cacao nibs, 1 tsp acai berry powder, 3T hulled hemp seeds.
Near as I can tell, my caloric intake for the day was ~1400 calories, so that's pretty good. I'd be aiming for 1500 calories or thereabouts. I have to acknowledge that I went to a birthday party today and didn't nibble a thing the whole afternoon. Also went grocery shopping later on, and also didn't fall into the trap of buying things I shouldn't. Truthfully, this is easier earlier on in a fast rather than later on, when I mentally try to talk myself out of continuing a fast... I just realized I have enough ingredients to continue with smoothies for probably the next 2 to 3 *weeks* if I wanted to. What a gift that would be to my Self, but still, even one day is a gift! :D
Namaste'
Today went (surprisingly?) well. It was a beautiful sunny spring day. I got an 8.5 km row in (39 mins) and according to the rowing machine, burned 491 calories doing that. :P
Today I gifted myself with:
- Garden of Life's Vitamin Code for Women (a 'serving' of multivitamins) & 2 calcium-magnesium (666 mg of calcium & 333 of magnesium)
- 12 oz of *love* water (rather pathetically low water intake, i know). Love water is based on Dr Emoto's research on water... I have several (6?) glass gallon jars which I fill with tap water. On the jars are written positive messages like "Love" and "Healing, healthy water" and "peace"... Dr Emoto's research shows that molecules in the water absorb the message on the bottle... so a positive message goes a long way to healing the water and thereby healing *me*, the ingestor of the healing, blessed water. Seriously, what have you got to lose?! Try it!
- 480 ml of kombucha
- 2T of Vega's Shake & Go, the water & meat of one young coconut, and a mango, all blended together.
- 1.5L of green smoothie: 6c of spinach, 2 bananas, 4c of frozen berry blend, 1/4tsp kelp, 1T maca powder, 1T spirulina, 3T agave nectar, a handful of soaked goji berries, a handful of raw cacao nibs, 1 tsp acai berry powder, 3T hulled hemp seeds.
Near as I can tell, my caloric intake for the day was ~1400 calories, so that's pretty good. I'd be aiming for 1500 calories or thereabouts. I have to acknowledge that I went to a birthday party today and didn't nibble a thing the whole afternoon. Also went grocery shopping later on, and also didn't fall into the trap of buying things I shouldn't. Truthfully, this is easier earlier on in a fast rather than later on, when I mentally try to talk myself out of continuing a fast... I just realized I have enough ingredients to continue with smoothies for probably the next 2 to 3 *weeks* if I wanted to. What a gift that would be to my Self, but still, even one day is a gift! :D
Namaste'
22 May 2011
life is gooooooooood
Spent many hours today outside in the sunshine gardening. Our herb garden was looking rather unkempt and needed some lovin'. So I weeded and top-dressed with an entire compost bin of finished compost (10 cu ft). We planted the dwarf nectarine and top-dressed the fruit trees in the "orchard" (does 4 trees make an orchard, lol?). Also made up the hanging baskets and cleaned up the ceramic pots around the front of the house. I can't believe what a difference it all makes. It looks great! I have a few empty spots in the herb garden for the annual herbs like basil and borage, cilantro and calendula, and for things that didn't make it through the winter (my lovely rosemary bush! boo hoo hooooooo it was *huge*, too!!!! and the stevia plants and lavender)...
At the moment the herb garden contains: sage, hens-and-chicks, nasturtiums, lavender, marjoram, jerusalem artichokes, sorrel, oregano, parsley, chives, mint, two blueberry bushes, rue, lovage, yarrow, comfrey, a desert king fig tree, dwarf plum nectarine, an artichoke, several chamomile plants, several lemon balm plants, a thriving border of forget-me-nots and violas. The hanging baskets have trailing lobelia and nasturtiums in them. The fig tree (and persimmon tree) are both just starting to bud; the cherry tree is in full bloom, and the apple tree and plum tree are leafing. Everything's coming along great!
Rowed 8.5 kms today. Took yesterday off rowing but we did go for a short bike ride through the nearby provincial campground. Last week it was 5 days of rowing, 2 tai chi classes, and the short bike ride. I'm starting to (*gasp*) kind of look forward to daily exercise. I even remarked to dh a few days ago that I could probably get into the habit of rowing in the mornings and then managing a second workout in the evenings sometimes! When I rowed competitively (a lifetime ago it seems!) we did 6 mornings and 5 evenings a week. Intense, but awesome. I'm realizing lately that exercising is something I'm going to have to continue *daily* for the rest of my life. No escaping it, so I'd better find things that I enjoy doing. I'd *love* to take kayak lessons and get out on the local water, cycle more, even get back into running. Maybe one day I could even do a mini-triathlon, but I realize I'm nowhere near that right now. Something to work towards anyways.
At the farmer's market yesterday I spoke with a local farmer who's just had her second child about 3 months ago and is trying to farm with a baby in a sling and a preschooler scampering about! I'm going to volunteer on the farm, a few hours each week, in exchange for some veggies. WAHOO!!!! What a deal! I can't wait. AND the beauty part is that if I need to bring my kids along with me, it shouldn't be a big deal. (not to mention my 11 yo is probably mature enough to babysit the preschooler (as in, keep him happily playing & out of mom's hair for a little while). I'm so stoked about this opportunity. We already get a farm box from another local farm, but more local organic veggies is great! And I'll be gaining valuable farming experience, which I feel I'm sorely lacking, and will come in handy when we really start farming the acreage in earnest. (fencing is the priority over there at the moment)
Other than getting my hands dirty, I'm planning on doing a green smoothie feast for a few days at least. I had 2L today (lunch & dinner) and am hoping to go a whole day tomorrow... Maybe a week total. I need to create some mental space around my relationship towards food right now and experience a little healing.
Namaste'
At the moment the herb garden contains: sage, hens-and-chicks, nasturtiums, lavender, marjoram, jerusalem artichokes, sorrel, oregano, parsley, chives, mint, two blueberry bushes, rue, lovage, yarrow, comfrey, a desert king fig tree, dwarf plum nectarine, an artichoke, several chamomile plants, several lemon balm plants, a thriving border of forget-me-nots and violas. The hanging baskets have trailing lobelia and nasturtiums in them. The fig tree (and persimmon tree) are both just starting to bud; the cherry tree is in full bloom, and the apple tree and plum tree are leafing. Everything's coming along great!
Rowed 8.5 kms today. Took yesterday off rowing but we did go for a short bike ride through the nearby provincial campground. Last week it was 5 days of rowing, 2 tai chi classes, and the short bike ride. I'm starting to (*gasp*) kind of look forward to daily exercise. I even remarked to dh a few days ago that I could probably get into the habit of rowing in the mornings and then managing a second workout in the evenings sometimes! When I rowed competitively (a lifetime ago it seems!) we did 6 mornings and 5 evenings a week. Intense, but awesome. I'm realizing lately that exercising is something I'm going to have to continue *daily* for the rest of my life. No escaping it, so I'd better find things that I enjoy doing. I'd *love* to take kayak lessons and get out on the local water, cycle more, even get back into running. Maybe one day I could even do a mini-triathlon, but I realize I'm nowhere near that right now. Something to work towards anyways.
At the farmer's market yesterday I spoke with a local farmer who's just had her second child about 3 months ago and is trying to farm with a baby in a sling and a preschooler scampering about! I'm going to volunteer on the farm, a few hours each week, in exchange for some veggies. WAHOO!!!! What a deal! I can't wait. AND the beauty part is that if I need to bring my kids along with me, it shouldn't be a big deal. (not to mention my 11 yo is probably mature enough to babysit the preschooler (as in, keep him happily playing & out of mom's hair for a little while). I'm so stoked about this opportunity. We already get a farm box from another local farm, but more local organic veggies is great! And I'll be gaining valuable farming experience, which I feel I'm sorely lacking, and will come in handy when we really start farming the acreage in earnest. (fencing is the priority over there at the moment)
Other than getting my hands dirty, I'm planning on doing a green smoothie feast for a few days at least. I had 2L today (lunch & dinner) and am hoping to go a whole day tomorrow... Maybe a week total. I need to create some mental space around my relationship towards food right now and experience a little healing.
Namaste'
20 May 2011
a loooooooooong weekend
Oh what a GLORIOUS day! Not only was the sun shining but there was a beautiful (albeit strong) wind, too. Great day for flying kites!
Took the kids to the local dance studio's performance company showcase tonight. omG were the dancers ever good! *SO* impressed. These kids can DANCE - amazingly well. Very inspiring.
I've been working out for 7 full weeks now... 5 times a week, for an average of about 30 minutes daily... I started at 5 kms/day and each week have added 500m so now I'm at 8 kms/day. It's good. Manageable. Do-able. And while it feels great to make the commitment to my health through regular exercise, I must admit I'm *damn* frustrated that I haven't lost any weight. *so* frustrated. So instead I keep focusing on what benefits my body's getting from daily exercise. *must*keep*focused*. My metabolism must be in the dumps or something. I don't know, but it seems a little weird that after 7 wks of regular exercise nothing's happened on the scale. Granted, I guess I'm toning up a bit. Anyhoo....
Tai chi is going great. I was asked to take on a new teaching assignment with the continuing/ongoing class and was soooooooo honoured to be asked. The instruction committee met and discussed the options at length and it is a real privilege to give back to the society through instructing. I feel very blessed to be able to share tai chi; I've seen such amazing benefits personally from practising. I've made a commitment to go on a week-long training intensive this summer, so am thinking of a plan to get myself there financially and physically. It'll be great; I'm so stoked. And I know I'll be able to bring back what I learn there to the class I'm instructing, so the benefits will have a ripple effect...
Another raw food order's going in on Monday - http://rawfoodsooke.blogspot.com
That's about it for now... :)
Took the kids to the local dance studio's performance company showcase tonight. omG were the dancers ever good! *SO* impressed. These kids can DANCE - amazingly well. Very inspiring.
I've been working out for 7 full weeks now... 5 times a week, for an average of about 30 minutes daily... I started at 5 kms/day and each week have added 500m so now I'm at 8 kms/day. It's good. Manageable. Do-able. And while it feels great to make the commitment to my health through regular exercise, I must admit I'm *damn* frustrated that I haven't lost any weight. *so* frustrated. So instead I keep focusing on what benefits my body's getting from daily exercise. *must*keep*focused*. My metabolism must be in the dumps or something. I don't know, but it seems a little weird that after 7 wks of regular exercise nothing's happened on the scale. Granted, I guess I'm toning up a bit. Anyhoo....
Tai chi is going great. I was asked to take on a new teaching assignment with the continuing/ongoing class and was soooooooo honoured to be asked. The instruction committee met and discussed the options at length and it is a real privilege to give back to the society through instructing. I feel very blessed to be able to share tai chi; I've seen such amazing benefits personally from practising. I've made a commitment to go on a week-long training intensive this summer, so am thinking of a plan to get myself there financially and physically. It'll be great; I'm so stoked. And I know I'll be able to bring back what I learn there to the class I'm instructing, so the benefits will have a ripple effect...
Another raw food order's going in on Monday - http://rawfoodsooke.blogspot.com
That's about it for now... :)
12 May 2011
pOsiTiVe tHinKiNg
I came across a bunch of LOA stuff, how what we put out into the world (yes, even those unverbalized thoughts) ends up manifesting into reality. Then I re-read the last post and began to wonder why I'm *creating* this for myself.
I'm still trying to hold on to the LOA thinking as I mentally decompress after what was a rather exacberating morning. We went through multiple road construction areas on a morning when I had to be at an appointment. I hadn't planned on having to stop quite so many times and was kinda stressed getting there in a timely manner. I had previously agreed to meet up with my parents 30 mins after my appointment (I'd booked the appointment what I thought was early enough to make both timings nicely). My mother phones 20 mins early and wants to bump up the timing, because it fit her schedule better. It didn't really work for me to fit her in earlier than we'd planned. So while I was in at my appointment, they came by, exchanged pleasantries with the children, and were gone before I finished my appointment! I never did see them! Granted, the practitioner I was seeing was 40 mins behind schedule, which yes, made *me* 10 mins late for our appointed meeting time, but *still*, my parents are ReTiReD - doesn't that mean they have 10 mins to spare in their day? Apparently not. grumble grumble grumble I *did* mention to the practitioner that waiting that long wasn't so fantastic, and he did apologize, but that didn't negate the fact that it all ended up inconveniently botched. And *why* did I create that for myself?!? :P
Oh well. We're home. It's sunny. The kids are blowing bubbles and jumping on the trampoline. The laundry's on the line. The chickens are all sunning themselves around the yard. The dog's having a nap and snoring softly. Everything *in this moment* is right with the world. :D
I came across this awesome woodland house site. I flitted around the site last night and spent time pondering what the new age will bring... how the economy and our lives must change for us to make the transition into the next era. What things can we hold onto? What must we let go of?
It's a fascinating time we live in. This is where my thoughts are on it right now... I think it would be awesome for people to have access to land, to be able to grow a lot of their own foods organically (grains, legumes, veggies, fruits), have the skills to produce any meat they wish to consume, if any at all (fishing, raising animals for meat), being able to provide for their own energy consumption (sustainable harvesting from a woodlot, solar energy, wind energy, geothermal, or microhydro), living in communion with nature (rainwater harvesting, grey water systems, composting toilets and composting in general, solar hot water, line drying clothes, etc., etc., etc.). Yes, obviously, building your own home and growing your own food - taking ultimate responsibility for meeting your own needs as much as is possible - means *time* and that means you'll have less time for your mainstream job as it exists right now. I don't think this is necessarly a bad thing - I think Western society will change drastically in the next century. We'll probably work at meaningful employment as much as is necessary only to meet our sparing financial needs, not because being wealthy will be the motivator, but because freedom to do as we choose with our lives will be the motivator. LoVe will be the motivator. Love of life, love of nature, love of choice and each other. Having the time to learn together, to play together, will trump any desire to have the newest technological gadget or the fastest, newest car or the biggest house or what have you.
As far as transportation, I forsee bicycles, horses (and my experience there is embarassingly limited), public transportation - use of these alternatives as much as possible to the single family vehicle... Supporting the local economy (trading skills, bartering, and local currencies, among other alternatives... I admit, I'm not very well-read on alternative economic systems just yet)... These are the ways I can see society headed in the next century. It's not that we'll shun our current reliance on technology, I don't think. But I think we (as a society) have to move away from this mindless conumeristic attitude - the having to have the newest gadget to be cool thinking.
I am worthy and loveable, even if I'm wearing an old, stained organic cotton and bamboo t-shirt and sweatpants that are equally well-worn (I don't need the latest fashions to be worthy). I am loveable even though my hair's not coloured and I don't wear make-up (Natural beauty is incomparable to a false image). I am loveable even though I don't have the latest cell phone or the largest TV availble or even though I'm on dial-up internet and even though I don't have bottles of soda pop and processed packaged foods or brand name much of *anything* in my home. I don't need those things to be worthy of being loved.
Until we, as a society, can wake up from the "excess" we're so attached to, well, it might be a harder transition for us if we can't let go.
Let go and Let God/Goddess.
I'm still trying to hold on to the LOA thinking as I mentally decompress after what was a rather exacberating morning. We went through multiple road construction areas on a morning when I had to be at an appointment. I hadn't planned on having to stop quite so many times and was kinda stressed getting there in a timely manner. I had previously agreed to meet up with my parents 30 mins after my appointment (I'd booked the appointment what I thought was early enough to make both timings nicely). My mother phones 20 mins early and wants to bump up the timing, because it fit her schedule better. It didn't really work for me to fit her in earlier than we'd planned. So while I was in at my appointment, they came by, exchanged pleasantries with the children, and were gone before I finished my appointment! I never did see them! Granted, the practitioner I was seeing was 40 mins behind schedule, which yes, made *me* 10 mins late for our appointed meeting time, but *still*, my parents are ReTiReD - doesn't that mean they have 10 mins to spare in their day? Apparently not. grumble grumble grumble I *did* mention to the practitioner that waiting that long wasn't so fantastic, and he did apologize, but that didn't negate the fact that it all ended up inconveniently botched. And *why* did I create that for myself?!? :P
Oh well. We're home. It's sunny. The kids are blowing bubbles and jumping on the trampoline. The laundry's on the line. The chickens are all sunning themselves around the yard. The dog's having a nap and snoring softly. Everything *in this moment* is right with the world. :D
I came across this awesome woodland house site. I flitted around the site last night and spent time pondering what the new age will bring... how the economy and our lives must change for us to make the transition into the next era. What things can we hold onto? What must we let go of?
It's a fascinating time we live in. This is where my thoughts are on it right now... I think it would be awesome for people to have access to land, to be able to grow a lot of their own foods organically (grains, legumes, veggies, fruits), have the skills to produce any meat they wish to consume, if any at all (fishing, raising animals for meat), being able to provide for their own energy consumption (sustainable harvesting from a woodlot, solar energy, wind energy, geothermal, or microhydro), living in communion with nature (rainwater harvesting, grey water systems, composting toilets and composting in general, solar hot water, line drying clothes, etc., etc., etc.). Yes, obviously, building your own home and growing your own food - taking ultimate responsibility for meeting your own needs as much as is possible - means *time* and that means you'll have less time for your mainstream job as it exists right now. I don't think this is necessarly a bad thing - I think Western society will change drastically in the next century. We'll probably work at meaningful employment as much as is necessary only to meet our sparing financial needs, not because being wealthy will be the motivator, but because freedom to do as we choose with our lives will be the motivator. LoVe will be the motivator. Love of life, love of nature, love of choice and each other. Having the time to learn together, to play together, will trump any desire to have the newest technological gadget or the fastest, newest car or the biggest house or what have you.
As far as transportation, I forsee bicycles, horses (and my experience there is embarassingly limited), public transportation - use of these alternatives as much as possible to the single family vehicle... Supporting the local economy (trading skills, bartering, and local currencies, among other alternatives... I admit, I'm not very well-read on alternative economic systems just yet)... These are the ways I can see society headed in the next century. It's not that we'll shun our current reliance on technology, I don't think. But I think we (as a society) have to move away from this mindless conumeristic attitude - the having to have the newest gadget to be cool thinking.
I am worthy and loveable, even if I'm wearing an old, stained organic cotton and bamboo t-shirt and sweatpants that are equally well-worn (I don't need the latest fashions to be worthy). I am loveable even though my hair's not coloured and I don't wear make-up (Natural beauty is incomparable to a false image). I am loveable even though I don't have the latest cell phone or the largest TV availble or even though I'm on dial-up internet and even though I don't have bottles of soda pop and processed packaged foods or brand name much of *anything* in my home. I don't need those things to be worthy of being loved.
Until we, as a society, can wake up from the "excess" we're so attached to, well, it might be a harder transition for us if we can't let go.
Let go and Let God/Goddess.
10 May 2011
Falling Apart
Wow, what is it with 36?! I've only been 36 for a little over 3 months here and already I've had to get orthotics (plantar fasciitis & bone spur in my heel - OUCH!), have to wear my glasses for reading (astigmatism in one eye), and now this last week my jaw locks up (TMJ)! Not to mention the grey hair that's coming on strong and the obscenely slow metabolism and excess weight. I feel like... I'm falling apart.
I'm taking on a new teaching assignment with tai chi - starting next class I'll be instructing the continuing class. I am feeling slightly overwhelmed at the thought of it - going from a beginner class of 10 or 15 students to a continuing class of twice as many, but I keep telling myself that if the Instruction Committee has faith that I can handle it, that I should have the self-confidence in myself.
After tai chi, I toodled off to the workshop and dh and I helped ds build 13 mason bee houses to fill the orders he got at the spring craft fair last month. After doing that, we went off to dd's ballet class (and left her dance bag in dad's car - oops - but being the awesome dad he is, he realized this shortly after we'd left, and even though it made him late for floor hockey, he went in the opposite direction that he needed to go, and came and dropped her dance bag off *in time* for class, so dd was so extra-specially pleased to have her proper dance attire on before the class started. What an awesome dad!) DD had her RAD Primary ballet exam on the weekend, so I guess we'll maybe get results in the mail later. Now the class is focusing on the year-end dance (the ugly duckling) so that'll be the focus of the remaining classes.
After picking up our CSA box at the farm we came home and after dinner (1L of smoothie), my jaw was soooooo sore I just couldn't muster up the motivation to row for 35 mins, which i'd intended to do today. But tomorrow morning I'm not cutting myself any slack! I *will* row!!!
To compound things, we haven't slept well in 3 days. The kids have been sleeping outside in the tent and waking with the birds at dawn. Last night one of the children wanted to come in at 1:30 in the morning, so sleep was disrupted even further. I realized I'm clenching my jaw during sleep, so that's not good.
My mom had terrible TMJ when I was a kid. She still wears a dental appliance to bed every night. And my sister had jaw surgery as a teen, so I guess there's a propensity towards hereditary jaw problems... I'm not about to leave this long without having *someone* look at it. I was thinking of going for acupuncture. That, and maybe more 'stress reduction techniques'. I was wondering about the emotional connection to one's jaw - and I think maybe part of it is things-left-unsaid. But I've also heard people who wear scarves are protecting their willpower and personal voice (throat) so i wonder about the jaw connection.
I'm going to go make the kids some popcorn for a snack.
Namaste'
I'm taking on a new teaching assignment with tai chi - starting next class I'll be instructing the continuing class. I am feeling slightly overwhelmed at the thought of it - going from a beginner class of 10 or 15 students to a continuing class of twice as many, but I keep telling myself that if the Instruction Committee has faith that I can handle it, that I should have the self-confidence in myself.
After tai chi, I toodled off to the workshop and dh and I helped ds build 13 mason bee houses to fill the orders he got at the spring craft fair last month. After doing that, we went off to dd's ballet class (and left her dance bag in dad's car - oops - but being the awesome dad he is, he realized this shortly after we'd left, and even though it made him late for floor hockey, he went in the opposite direction that he needed to go, and came and dropped her dance bag off *in time* for class, so dd was so extra-specially pleased to have her proper dance attire on before the class started. What an awesome dad!) DD had her RAD Primary ballet exam on the weekend, so I guess we'll maybe get results in the mail later. Now the class is focusing on the year-end dance (the ugly duckling) so that'll be the focus of the remaining classes.
After picking up our CSA box at the farm we came home and after dinner (1L of smoothie), my jaw was soooooo sore I just couldn't muster up the motivation to row for 35 mins, which i'd intended to do today. But tomorrow morning I'm not cutting myself any slack! I *will* row!!!
To compound things, we haven't slept well in 3 days. The kids have been sleeping outside in the tent and waking with the birds at dawn. Last night one of the children wanted to come in at 1:30 in the morning, so sleep was disrupted even further. I realized I'm clenching my jaw during sleep, so that's not good.
My mom had terrible TMJ when I was a kid. She still wears a dental appliance to bed every night. And my sister had jaw surgery as a teen, so I guess there's a propensity towards hereditary jaw problems... I'm not about to leave this long without having *someone* look at it. I was thinking of going for acupuncture. That, and maybe more 'stress reduction techniques'. I was wondering about the emotional connection to one's jaw - and I think maybe part of it is things-left-unsaid. But I've also heard people who wear scarves are protecting their willpower and personal voice (throat) so i wonder about the jaw connection.
I'm going to go make the kids some popcorn for a snack.
Namaste'
06 May 2011
TGIF
hi! just wanted to check in...
i got up early today and after tending to the animals i did a set of tai chi outside in the early morning. it was *really* nice. then i got down to business and got my 35 mins of cardio done (7 kms rowing) and then got on with the rest of our day. it was really nice, i have to admit, to get the day started like that, although i am one who really does enjoy waking up on my own (without the alarm clock). the alarm woke me up in the middle of a dream, too, which was completely lousy. i am very blessed to not have to wake up to that thing every day.
This is week 5 of exercising regularly. i am trying to reframe my disappointment that i'm not springing back into shape the way i'd hoped. it's taking a little (ok, a lot) more effort than i'd anticipated. i guess part of me wants that quick fix. the energy it's taking to put my health first is... a blessing. it's requiring me to be more mindful, more focused, more committed to my health than i have been as of late, which is why i'm here now, right? i've created a situation that requests me to be all that i aspire to be: mindful. (i'm working on it) to my credit, i have done really well the past 5 weeks with the exercising: 5 or 6 days each week i get at least half an hour of solid, sweaty cardio in, and an additional 2 to 4 days a week i get a tai chi class in. (and with the cardio i'm *drenched* in sweat by the end of it, and that's *got* to be a good sign, right? LOL) toxins out... toxins out...
a friend of mine gave me samples of a couple soaps and deoderants she's making. they really are the cat's meow. i *love* that they are all-natural and you can understand all the ingredients in them and that they're made with love and positive intentions. they'll likely be on the rawfoodsooke list soon.
today was the may day celebration for the homeschoolers. overcast and cloudy, the skies didn't start sprinkling until about 4 hrs into the celebrations, so that was great! the boys had a rousing game of soccer going on, dd danced in the maypole dance (and all the girls who danced did TERRIFICALLY well!), and the potluck (we took organic salad with avocado and mango and citrus poppy seed dressing) and pocketlady and crafts and blessing and performances were awesome. such a great amount of planning and coordination goes into making this event run smoothly and it always does! an annual event not to be missed. and i love that my son chatted the whole way home about interpersonal dynamics and observations he had about the nature of play as he gets older. what amazing insight and depth that kid has!
that's all for now. i'll maybe add more later... ;)
i got up early today and after tending to the animals i did a set of tai chi outside in the early morning. it was *really* nice. then i got down to business and got my 35 mins of cardio done (7 kms rowing) and then got on with the rest of our day. it was really nice, i have to admit, to get the day started like that, although i am one who really does enjoy waking up on my own (without the alarm clock). the alarm woke me up in the middle of a dream, too, which was completely lousy. i am very blessed to not have to wake up to that thing every day.
This is week 5 of exercising regularly. i am trying to reframe my disappointment that i'm not springing back into shape the way i'd hoped. it's taking a little (ok, a lot) more effort than i'd anticipated. i guess part of me wants that quick fix. the energy it's taking to put my health first is... a blessing. it's requiring me to be more mindful, more focused, more committed to my health than i have been as of late, which is why i'm here now, right? i've created a situation that requests me to be all that i aspire to be: mindful. (i'm working on it) to my credit, i have done really well the past 5 weeks with the exercising: 5 or 6 days each week i get at least half an hour of solid, sweaty cardio in, and an additional 2 to 4 days a week i get a tai chi class in. (and with the cardio i'm *drenched* in sweat by the end of it, and that's *got* to be a good sign, right? LOL) toxins out... toxins out...
a friend of mine gave me samples of a couple soaps and deoderants she's making. they really are the cat's meow. i *love* that they are all-natural and you can understand all the ingredients in them and that they're made with love and positive intentions. they'll likely be on the rawfoodsooke list soon.
today was the may day celebration for the homeschoolers. overcast and cloudy, the skies didn't start sprinkling until about 4 hrs into the celebrations, so that was great! the boys had a rousing game of soccer going on, dd danced in the maypole dance (and all the girls who danced did TERRIFICALLY well!), and the potluck (we took organic salad with avocado and mango and citrus poppy seed dressing) and pocketlady and crafts and blessing and performances were awesome. such a great amount of planning and coordination goes into making this event run smoothly and it always does! an annual event not to be missed. and i love that my son chatted the whole way home about interpersonal dynamics and observations he had about the nature of play as he gets older. what amazing insight and depth that kid has!
that's all for now. i'll maybe add more later... ;)
02 May 2011
Love those May flowers!
I saw the most beautiful boulevards and traffic circles filled with flowers today as we drove through the City of Flowers. Just beautiful all the colours!! Must've been all those April showers we had! :P Today it rained, too, so no laundry got done. This is a tricky time of year to get laundry done and have it line-dried. I should really set up some kind of drying system under the deck outside, but I think the high humidity when it's raining would inhibit drying, even if it were out of the rain but still outside.
It's been a very busy few days, going right into the city each day for the past four. I took yesterday off rowing, but did instruct tai chi for 2 hrs. Today I rowed 7 kms, despite nearly leaving it too late (we had to leave about 2 mins after I finished rowing).
Today I listened to the news in the car, being as unplugged with the media as I usually am, to catch up on current events:
It was the federal election in Canada today. The Prime Minister is the incumbent Steven Harper. Locally we saw the first Green MP in Canada get elected in the nearby Saanich-Gulf Islands area with the election of Green party leader Elizabeth May. It was very interesting to listen to the live election results coverage and the kids (especially the older one) were quite interested in what was going on. I always take the kids into the polling station with me and explain the process. I've never had a problem taking them in there with me and today was no exception. I think role-modelling is a way of underscoring the importance of voting.
In today's news the other very much talked about piece of news was the death of Osama Bin Laden, nearly 10 years after 9/11.
And it was also tax-deadline day in Canada. Typically it's midnight on April 30th, but because that fell on a weekend this year, it was extended to May 2nd at midnight for netfiled returns but paper returns still had to be postmarked April 30th.
When we were at the petting zoo in town the other day we saw the pygmy goat kids named Will and Kate. They were sooooooo cute (okay, all babies of any species are cute). There was another goat mama who had had quadruplets (!!!) and the two boys were named Henrik and Daniel (after the Sedin twins from the Vancouver Canucks). Very cute, but someone was buying one boy and one girl from that litter, and personally, I thought it was just wrong to split those boys up. They ought to have gone to the same home. I couldn't believe Will and Kate weren't sold yet and really had to restrain myself from putting a deposit down on them. That being said, do I really *need* pygmy goats around here?! I haven't even got a barn built for them (although we certainly have the space for goats), and even though they don't come home for 3 months, it's still insane to take any more animal critters on at this time. See? I can show common sense and restraint... at times. LOL :P (oh, and btw, if i haven't mentioned it, i really enjoyed listening to and reading about the royal wedding. i listened to the highlights on bbc radio on friday and just loved that the speech by the priest sounded like he'd read the Anastasia series. i kept hearing references to the series in his words.)
Well, that's about all the news from here. I've got some great books calling my name right now, so I must end my ramblings here.
Namaste'
It's been a very busy few days, going right into the city each day for the past four. I took yesterday off rowing, but did instruct tai chi for 2 hrs. Today I rowed 7 kms, despite nearly leaving it too late (we had to leave about 2 mins after I finished rowing).
Today I listened to the news in the car, being as unplugged with the media as I usually am, to catch up on current events:
It was the federal election in Canada today. The Prime Minister is the incumbent Steven Harper. Locally we saw the first Green MP in Canada get elected in the nearby Saanich-Gulf Islands area with the election of Green party leader Elizabeth May. It was very interesting to listen to the live election results coverage and the kids (especially the older one) were quite interested in what was going on. I always take the kids into the polling station with me and explain the process. I've never had a problem taking them in there with me and today was no exception. I think role-modelling is a way of underscoring the importance of voting.
In today's news the other very much talked about piece of news was the death of Osama Bin Laden, nearly 10 years after 9/11.
And it was also tax-deadline day in Canada. Typically it's midnight on April 30th, but because that fell on a weekend this year, it was extended to May 2nd at midnight for netfiled returns but paper returns still had to be postmarked April 30th.
When we were at the petting zoo in town the other day we saw the pygmy goat kids named Will and Kate. They were sooooooo cute (okay, all babies of any species are cute). There was another goat mama who had had quadruplets (!!!) and the two boys were named Henrik and Daniel (after the Sedin twins from the Vancouver Canucks). Very cute, but someone was buying one boy and one girl from that litter, and personally, I thought it was just wrong to split those boys up. They ought to have gone to the same home. I couldn't believe Will and Kate weren't sold yet and really had to restrain myself from putting a deposit down on them. That being said, do I really *need* pygmy goats around here?! I haven't even got a barn built for them (although we certainly have the space for goats), and even though they don't come home for 3 months, it's still insane to take any more animal critters on at this time. See? I can show common sense and restraint... at times. LOL :P (oh, and btw, if i haven't mentioned it, i really enjoyed listening to and reading about the royal wedding. i listened to the highlights on bbc radio on friday and just loved that the speech by the priest sounded like he'd read the Anastasia series. i kept hearing references to the series in his words.)
Well, that's about all the news from here. I've got some great books calling my name right now, so I must end my ramblings here.
Namaste'
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