Lazy W Marie

Carpeing all the diems in semi-rural Oklahoma...xoxo

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Archives for 2016

almost wordless wednesday: my heart goes where she goes

This is the view from a peak called Twin Sisters in magical Colorado. Jocelyn, Justin, and Bridget climbed this yesterday and sent me a slew of gorgeous photos just like this.

I can’t help but think of how often when she and her own sister were small, people thought for a moment they might be twins.

view from twin sisters june 2016

Although I miss her terribly, seeing the world as she sees it transports me, and feeling her joy through the miles is a gift for which I am unendingly grateful.

Oh man I miss those mountains and crave a good, long hike.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

“He does not need opium.
He has the gift of reverie.”
~Anais Nin
XOXOXO

 

 

 

motivation monday: sustainable fitness, marathon training, & florzilla quips

Hello friends! How long has it been since I shared anything fitness or health related? Several such posts sit here in draft form, but over and over again I feel like my thoughts are either repetitive or useless. But today! Today I feel a small, welcome personal epiphany and also have cause to mark the calendar, so let’s chat.

First, the calendar. As of today I have exactly one month before marathon training begins for the November Route 66 race. This will be my first time running in the hills of Tulsa, and I am already excited!

RSS-0134_2015_Course_Map_Layout_M

One month means… Four weeks to tighten up my eating habits. (So that I’m not dieting but fueling for energy the way my own body likes it.) Four weeks to enjoy the freedom and flexibility of running when I want, for however much I want, at any pace my legs see fit, or just for fun. Four weeks of spending workout time and energy on other pursuits, if I groove to. This past spring while regaining fitness from that ankle sprain (it is still swollen actually) I fell in love with hiking and barre. Yoga has proven to be much more than stretching, too. Plus we have been extremely busy at the farm, which burns both time and calories. So when my weekly mileage is low, it’s because I have been indulging in these other wonderful activities.

Okay. The idea of sustainable fitness is what’s been the small but welcome epiphany for me.

The other day I was wallowing in a custom blend of self-pity and frustration, all about how in five months I have not lost more weight. Five months of watching my food intake, running between 10-21 miles per week, dabbling in strength, etcetera… And my gosh drinking so much water!! I don’t even put sugar in my coffee anymore, haha! (Cue pitiful violins.) So I looked at myself that particular day and freaked out, thinking why hasn’t all this effort paid off better? The answer came almost instantly. Your effort has been medium at best. In addition to all of those great habits (and they are habits by now, truly) I have also enjoyed heaps of popcorn while watching movies, said yes to pizza and greasy Reuben sandwiches and ice cream with friends, eaten salty chips and salsa for lunch more often than I want to admit, and generally allowed myself more easy days than not. So, okay. Honesty with yourself is good. Maybe a touch of acclimation in there, too. Our bodies get used to the status quo.

More importantly, though? In the midst of those healthy-not healthy habits, in the midst of that balance, these four things are very new to me, and this is my proof that I have finally found some sustainable fitness:

  1. I feel comfortable enough with myself to take a fun Hula-Tahitian dance class with strangers or go swimming at a public pool or run in shorts out in public, etcetera, without worrying one bit. Just have fun. Way less self-conscious, way less annoying.
  2. I know that I can keep all of this up indefinitely, that this is my easy-effort baseline even among a hectic schedule, and it’s all fun! I am eating and moving in ways that make me feel really great, whether or not any of it fits a certain plan. The confidence that I can keep myself healthy no matter what is going on in life and without being obsessive in the kitchen is a wonderful gift.
  3. These months of experimenting with different eating habits and exercise options have taught me a lot about my own mind and body. So much. I believe more strongly than ever that each of us has a unique chemistry that asks for a unique blend of diet and exercise and that maybe women especially have fluctuating needs week to week (the moon affects more than the garden!). For this reason I have dropped out of all 90-day challenges. I resist all those cute graphics on Pinterest. You know what I’m talking about. Calories and macros are- ehh- well the jury is out and aggravated. On a related note, I have been weeding out social media accounts that exude any negative or confusing vibes about health and happiness. I still have goals, but knowing what methods work best for me is wonderful!
  4. The things we do to promote our health should be our servants, not our masters. Unless we are in a health crisis, or once we have a grip on things, they should be negotiable parts of our schedule that support a life well lived, not roadblocks to living fully. Does that makes sense? I’m not suggesting that we make excuses to be lazy; only that sometimes we seek a broader view of the world and of how we live in it.

So. I have not lost a million pounds since January. So what. Maybe that was unnecessary anyway. I might have changed measurements but don’t really know because I have been focused on other priorities, which is the best part of a hiatus. What is certain is that I am a bit stronger and way more flexible than I was when I sprained my ankle and had to halt marathon training before it really began. I feel sleeker overall (same weight, more muscle) and more energetic for sure. Having worn a Fit-bit for a few months, I know what times of day I am most tempted to be lazy; and by tracking my food scrupulously I know when I am most likely to eat junk and what that junk is (it rhymes with Florzilla Quips.)

yoga with klaus

With all this glorious perspective, that custom blend of self-pity and frustration is so silly and unwelcome. The progress I have made is more emotional than physical, anyway; so maybe it will be more long-lasting. I wish the same for you, if you need it.

Okay! Happiest possible Monday to you. Thanks for listening, and I hope your goals and methods are serving you really well, with so much love.

“I really don’t think I need buns of steel.
I’d be happy with buns of cinnamon.”
~Ellen DeGeneres
XOXOXOXO

48 hour countdown to members tour

As I sit here typing and drinking lots of very strong, delicious coffee, it is Tuesday morning.  Not the discount home store but a mark on the calendar. On Thursday morning, just 48 hours from now, we will open the farm to almost 90 local Master Gardeners. The Lazy W was invited to participate in this year’s members’ tour, the theme being countryside homes and eclectic or offbeat styles. **PERFECT** right? So I am pretty excited. Quite. I love gardening and I love having people here. The morning will pass quickly with two separate tour buses loaded with about 44 people each, and I am having fun deciding what refreshments to serve.

Handsome and I try to keep things spiffy around here just for our own pleasure, and to entertain friends and family, but welcoming accomplished gardeners with cameras means that we are kicking it up a notch or two. We will be pretty busy between now and Thursday morning, getting beds cleaned and weeds pulled. Trees trimmed and lawns watered. Etcetera, etcetera. Maybe one or two extra flower pots?

flower bed work may 2016
My husband snapped this photo of me in early May. You would not believe how much this flower bed has exploded with color and foliage since then! All our rain and easy temps in Oklahoma have been wonderful.

Please send your good, happy vibes! Send your spare energy and mental high fives, too. We love them all.

I’ll be posting updates on Instagram and Snapchat, so feel free to join the conversations there. I would love that. Until next time, happy gardening!

 

“Won’t you come into my garden?
I would like my roses to see you.”
~Richard Sheridan 
18th century Irish playwright
XOXOXOXO

friday 5 at the farm: watermelon edition

Hello friends, and happy Friday! How has your week been? Mine has been great. Truly. Another brilliant mix of work and play, exercise and gardening, writing and listening to excellent Ted talks, eating beautiful meals but trying to avoid mindless snacking. You know. And so I catch my breath for a moment, satisfied and grateful. Lots of blessings to count.

We are all busy with all the good things, so this afternoon I thought we’d just real quick have a good old fashioned Friday 5 at the Farm, Watermelon Edition. It is June, after all, so peak-season watermelons will be soon making their way into the grocery aisles and farmers markets, and eventually onto our butcher blocks and picnic tables. Let’s celebrate early. Okay? Okay.

5 Useful & Not Useful Watermelon Facts

Super Food!! According to this article and many others, watermelon is considered more than a sweet, hydrating refreshment; it can also aid in heart health and blood pressure regulation, asthma control, inflammation and muscle soreness, and digestion. Not to mention it is so packed with vitamins that eating watermelon will benefit your complexion. Small wonder why runners are so attached to this fruit straight from heaven.

Scented Vines. Seriously. I walked out to our watermelon patch this morning and thinned one row of hills that had grown too thick. Just the small bouquet of greenery you see in the photo below smelled like a freshly sliced watermelon! The green parts! My mouth watered. Not even one blossom has sprouted yet, but already the vines are scenting the earth nearby, too. Amazing. So if you want your dirt to smell better, just grow watermelons.

watermelon bouquet C

Iron-rich Seeds. Are you a seed spitter? You might consider becoming a seed chomper instead. Apparently those slippery black-spotted little babies are packed with iron, an important nutrient for female athletes especially, and they delicious! My running-blogging friend Lora from Austin suggests roasting your watermelon seeds, like you would pumpkin seeds. I haven’t tried that yet, because I like them raw. But I am sure she’s right!

I love eating (or drinking) watermelon before a workout, and if it's loaded with seeds, all the better!
I love eating (or drinking) ice cold watermelon before or after a workout, and if it’s loaded with seeds, all the better!

Watermelons are Drought Tolerant. Weird, right? For a fruit containing the word “water’ to not need much water? But they flourish here in Oklahoma, benefiting from a warm, rainy summer but then that one hot, dry blast of furnace heat we all know and love as “August.” I got this info straight from our Oklahoma Department of Agriculture representative Don Molnar at a recent beekeeping event. He said to allow the vines to dry out a bit at the end of summer then water them once more right before harvest. I am so excited to try this! Our springtime has been luxuriously wet so far, and the vines out front are doing great, growing up from seed in about three dozen rows and hills. Fingers crossed. Oh! to back up what Don said, read this history offered by the National Watermelon Board. They explain that the fruit is native to the deserts of South Africa, where it still grows wild today. Very cool.

watermelon heart w caption

Seedless is a Misnomer. You will find “seedless” watermelons all over the place, and lots of people prefer them because they don’t want to deal with the seeds. Hopefully now you will try eating the seeds for an iron boost and to feel cool and good about yourself (you can impress young kids by eating strange things, for example). Also, some people assert that the seeded fruits are better tasting. Okay. I actually think there is no such thing as seedless watermelon, but rather, that farmers just pick those fruits earlier, before the new round of seeds has had time to form inside the flesh. This would explain why seeded fruits are sweeter: They have been on the vine and in the sun longer. This actually might not be true. I made it up, but it makes sense, right? Feel free to share it as definite fact and if people question you just say, “I read that somewhere.” Because that much is true, for sure. Then give them some ice cold watermelon and tell them to stop arguing with you.

********************

Okay, that’s it from me today! Do you love watermelon? Do you eat the seeds? Do you have a theory about the whole seedless question? Have you ever tried growing watermelon? If you’re local to the farm, stay tuned. Our watermelon-pumpkin patch is going to be amazing fun in a few months. Events planned!

Happy weekend, friends!
Carpe those Diems.
XOXOXO

 

 

 

last day of may, photos & good wishes for june

What a fun weekend, filled with a little bit of everything!

may 2016 xoxo

Last week capped a truly intense month for us here at the Lazy W, thirty-one days of May packed with emotional roller coasters and the extremes of stress, labor, worry, joy, and relief.

So Handsome and I spent this long weekend in a wonderful mix of all the things that refresh us. We cuddled on puffy recliners in our concrete-floor TV room, a cool, crisp respite from the humidity, watching bad movies and great basketball. We went on a leisurely 300-mile cruise along Route 66 with fun car friends (both the friends and the cars are fun). We worked around the farm, continuing little improvements and loving our animals, happy to see the opening of pool season and soon the Master Gardeners Members’ Tour. I grabbed a couple of sweaty workouts. And we hosted local family for a spontaneous Memorial Day cookout and play day at the farm. (That was really a sweet memory maker.)

After all of that wonderful stuff, I showered late Sunday evening, during the Thunder playoff halftime actually, and went to bed with my cute boy totally satisfied. Life is good. Despite all the stressors, worries, burdens, and NBA losses, life is incredibly beautiful.

Here are a few snapshots and captions for posterity. While I catch my breath.

 

Natasha, Barn Cat Extraordinaire, killer of mice and tormentor of German Shepherds.
Natasha, Barn Cat Extraordinaire, killer of mice and tormentor of German Shepherds.

 

The east facing flower bed is gradually filling in with new colors. I am smitten all over again.
The east facing flower bed is gradually filling in with new colors. I am smitten all over again.

 

 

may 2016 group cars lucilles
David & Ashley, Brad & Mer, and me & Handsome. At the original Lucille’s in western Oklahoma, along Route 66. What a drop dead gorgeous day for a cruise! The folks who snapped this photo for us were on a coast-to-coast drive along 66 themselves and were having so much fun!
Our cars, respectively. Handsome drives the Bandit...xoxo For car shows we have a vintage wedding dress to display, an homage to Sally Fields.
Our cars, respectively. Handsome drives the Bandit…xoxo For car shows we have a vintage wedding dress to display, an homage to Sally Fields.
Two nieces and a nephew making the most of our red dirt pond, just like our girls once did...xoxo
Two nieces and a nephew making the most of our red dirt pond, just like our girls once did…xoxo

 

Klaus was in heaven playing with these kids! They wore him out.
Klaus was in heaven playing with these kids! They wore him out.

 

Kiddos collecting liquid chickens. There was much giggling.
Kiddos collecting liquid chickens. There was much giggling.

 

 

Here we have Halee, carrying our due-in-November new family member, me, my sweet Mom, Grandpa Rex, sister #1 Angela, and baby brother Phil. It's so rare to have the whole giant crew together, so we celebrate when even a slice of us can gather for a hug and a photo!
Here we have Halee, carrying our due-in-November new family member, me, my sweet Mom, Grandpa Rex, sister #1 Angela, and baby brother Phil. It’s so rare to have the whole giant crew together, so we celebrate when even a slice of us can gather for a hug and a photo!

 

Five-going-on-thirteen-year-old nephew Greg is seriously considering the Dark Side.

Five-going-on-thirteen-year-old nephew Greg is seriously considering the Dark Side.

Happy Tuesday, friends! I hope your month is ending with more joy than grief and just enough rest to reward all your hard work but not so much rest that you lose all that fabulous momentum. I hope you are so busy counting your blessings that you don’t have time to whine and complain. Let’s start June 2016 with some seriously happy energy!

Carpe the Heck out of this Diem!
XOXOXOXO