Lazy W Marie

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

links & ideas, Jan 2021

We interrupt this happy stream of wedding remembrance to take stock of worthwhile media consumption lately. Forgive me in advance: This month is light on actual, real, solid reading. My attention span in just suffering, haha, and I crave more quiet down time and focus. More of that in February!

READ:
Boom Town by Sam Anderson: I am chipping slowly away at this fascinating and creatively written two-fold history of Oklahoma City (it tells about both the Landrun days and the founding of our beloved OKC Thunder, plus everything in between). I will post a full review in a couple of weeks, but if it’s at all on our radar I do recommend diving in!

This Womens Running article about how to be best prepared for the covid vaccine caught my attention. Sure seems like a good night’s sleep and a quick run are the answers to all my needs.

This Greatist article about ankle mobility helped me “unlock” some things, ha. (I think people often mistake some lower limb problems for plantar faccistis.)

Still loving my new daily devotional by Bob Goff.

WATCH:
Fight Club! I watched this on the treadmill recently and got so into it that I dance-air punched-wiggled too much and fell smack down while the treadmill kept going, immediately skinning black spandex deeply into my left kneecap. It hurt, but it was also kind of perfect. My front teeth are fine, though, which is all that matters really.

The Crown Handsome and I binged this all month long and loved it, which was kind of a surprise. Between this series and a couple of other period documentaries, I have developed a soft spot for Queen Elizabeth, despite her reputation for chilliness. (We could not get into Bridgerton though. We tried, really, and neither of us liked it at all.)

Hillbilly Elegy. Whew!! Amazing acting from Glenn Close, Amy Adams, and more, but wow. Ouch. Watch at your own risk. It is an emotionally heavy memoir-made-film, no matter what your background. Be sure to watch to the epilogue. Have you seen it?

Witches: This was a welcome palate cleanser. Really cute and imaginative. All hail Roald Dahl, Octavia Spencer, and Anne Hathaway.

LISTEN:
Brene Brown’s conversation with Melinda Gates was such a breath of fresh air. I now want to read Gates’ book The Moment of Lift even more. She told lots of personal stories but mostly left me thinking about how nobody is empty handed. And her team-building anecdotes got me reflecting on my husband’s career (I am so proud).

The Gardenangelists podcast, especially the episode about sunflowers. Dee is one of my favorite gardeners anyway, but her chemistry with Carol is just too sweet, and they are both informative and inspiring. Did you know that 2021 is The Year of the Sunflower? Let’s grow them all!

sunflowers on Jessica’s 20th birthday

The Splendid Table podcast. Love it.

Okay, that about sums up my media consumption lately. What are you reading and watching? What podcasts can I absolutely not miss?

Today I finally sat down and ordered a bunch of seeds for the garden, not a week too soon for some grow light action. So let’s finally chat gardens soon, and please check back in for a few more wedding posts. So many good stories to share.

Your mind is your garden,
Your thoughts are your seeds.
You can grow flowers
or you can grow weeds.
XOXOXOXO

daughter dreams, blackberries, & wellness habits

Last night I dreamt that Jocelyn came home. It was a happy, lighthearted dream. Bridget was with her, and everything felt natural and smooth. Fearless. Complete. It was so seamless with reality that waking up required a few minutes of unraveling. Sometimes when I have dreamed about the girls during a long separation, I am emotionally wrecked for a while, at least for the day. This time, all day today, I have felt a new kind of buoyancy. I believe in my bones that the right time is fast approaching for us to reunite in a meaningful way. As exciting as that is, I am in no hurry. I most of all want it to be right for her.

At one minute past 6 a.m., Klaus and I slipped outside to watch the morning take hold. Though cloudless at that hour, the sky was visibly dome like, its pastel spread dazzling and saturated with humidity. We launched into the front field, taking every curve of the new Enchanted Path. The mown-flat walkway was dewy, the ground both hard and spongy, yielding, the feathery native grasses as high as my shoulders now, begging to be touched. Wildflowers continue their bloom display, and I am ready to scatter more seeds.

The moon hung on the southwest corner of the farm, waning by almost a quarter on this 117th day of quarantine. It drew me over to the horses, who arrived yawning and snuffling for breakfast. They will need extra fly spray today.

The squash blossoms were already awake, riotous, trembling with dozens of industrious honeybees. No monster vegetables to harvest yet this morning, but having unburdened the vines this week, and having fed and watered them, we will find more soon.

We fed the front coop flock and collected seven heavy eggs, three of them so recently produced they were still hot to the touch. By the time we meandered back around the house to feed Romulus and his fleecy companion, Handsome had stepped outside. The workday was about to begin in earnest. Every bird, both wild and domestic, was roused and singing.

On my run a few hours later (mostly trails, very sweaty, supremely refreshing), I saw the local high school Cross Country team warming up. This always reminds me of Jocelyn and the one year she was able to run for McGuinness. She is such a talented runner, a natural athlete. I wonder if she knows that a big part of why I started running was to feel modestly connected to her during our longest separation.

Also on my run, I saw a middle aged woman (younger than me but not my much) and a teenaged boy. They had stopped running, both leaning over, hands on knees. I had the distinct impression of either a recent or an impending vomit event. I slipped an earbud out of my greasy right ear and asked the pair, because I couldn’t really tell who was suffering more, “Are you ok?” The woman answered with a weak but warm smile, “We’re just having a pep talk.” We nodded briefly at each other, and I ran on. I wondered actively for the next 3 miles who was giving and who was receiving said pep talk. Mostly I was happy they had each other. My own pep talks are always just between me and myself and it can make me feel crazy.

This big bowl of sweet, ripe, perfect black berries is poised and ready for either a cobbler or a syrup recipe or maybe some jelly. What would you do with them? I am amazed by the productivity of my two little vines this year. And I eat them constantly while gardening! This is just what actually made it to the fridge.

I have been thinking lots about a “Wellness Toolbox” concept, and I hope that soon you will join me in a long conversation about that. Today, though, in case you need it, I want to share a list of fundamentals offered by Steve Magness, author of both Peak Performance (which I have purchased but not yet read) and The Passion Paradox, which I devoured this past winter alongside Atomic Habits (different author). Magness imparts some very adaptable wisdom that has been especially useful to me during this weird and shifting pandemic season. Here are notes from my journal:

Take what you want, leave what you don’t. But I believe that most of us can benefit from these fundamental habits, no matter what the unknowns are:

  1. Focus on what you can control.
  2. Move your body regularly.
  3. Spend time in nature.
  4. Lower expectations.
  5. Create a routine.
  6. Practice optimism grounded in reality.
  7. Mood follows action.

Friends, thank you for your tomato recipe ideas yesterday! I shared a few pounds of especially pretty ones with our new neighbors, and I am excited to dive into some for our own pleasure, too.

Happy Thursday night!!

I want to remain all my life
a devout lover of reality
while seeking Spirit
XOXOXOXO

BE ULTRA podcast

Friends!

I recently had the most luscious opportunity to chat with my extraordinary friend Shanna, and our recorded conversation became an episode on her podcast, Be Ultra.

Shanna and I met by chance just a little over a year ago at the inaugural meeting for a new local running club, a club which, it bears mentioning, neither of us joined. But we have been running together, just us!

We enjoyed an instant connection. It has been one of those rare friendships where we only cross paths once in a blue moon, but when we do the time is well spent. We dive deep and fast, and (because we are running friends) the sweat is a great conductor of good vibes.

Something I love about Shanna is how genuinely interested she is in other people’s stories. It’s her vocation, sure, being a suicide prevention therapist, but clearly it is also her nature. And she shares as well as she listens, which is why I think you’ll love this podcast episode. It is less of a Q & A about me and much more an authentic exchange between two people just living life and grappling with the universal stuff.

I hope you’ll give it a listen, friends!

We talk about this farm and our evolving purpose here, a little bit of our history. We also cover family life and raising daughters, trauma, spiritual guidance and discerning God’s voice and finding peace day to day, running injuries, human resiliency, the Law of Attraction and Mitt Romney and contradicting energies, the healing power of nature, and more. Toward the end, we begin assembling a recommended reading list, but it’s incomplete. You can look for that to be shared here soon!

Shanna is so fun to just be near (at a safe distance this time, ha!), I wish you could feel her personal energy. Ok. If you listen let us know what you think. And we will talk again soon!

Shanna, I know we will run together again, eventually. And I really hope that once the covid-19 quarantine is winding down you will visit the farm for an especially long dinner and bonfire and many more hours of deep conversation. You and her husband and your kiddos will fit in here so perfectly!

UBUNTU:
I am because we are.
XOXOXOXO

motivation monday: why I’m not waiting until January

I sat down last night and typed out a little summary of how things are going in my pursuit of health and skinny-ness, and it felt super redundant. I even asked my husband his thoughts on my sharing it, and he thought I was weird for even asking. Then Facebook showed that “On This Day” exactly a year ago I had shared almost the exact same thoughts on my blog. I mean, you guys, the seasonal stuff does tend to repeat itself, but you would be laughing right along with me to see how similar these two posts are.

Anyway. So last year I wrote this and last night I wrote almost the exact same thing. No need to share them both. Instead, here is what was on my mind this morning during my run:

Why I am not waiting for a New Year’s Resolution to focus on my health:

5 reasons I'm Not Waiting till Jan

What are your thoughts on this? Is any part of wellness on your radar right now, or in the back of your mind is it something you’ll take care of later, or in January, or eventually when the stars align? What is it about your goal that makes you think t’s better to wait?

Thank you for posting this Dorothy Beal! http://www.mile-posts.com/
Thank you for posting this Dorothy Beal! http://www.mile-posts.com/

Just some food for thought, friends. I finally know for myself that treating my body really really well affects a lot more than how I look in jeans and bikinis. It affects my mood, my outlook on life, relationships, mental acuity, everything. We are not meant to live separate from our bodies, after all, and accepting that the body and spirit are deeply intertwined has allowed everything to make so much sense for me. This understanding makes the short term payoffs of diet and exercise much more valuable, so that the continued effort can bring those long term results, you know?

Anyway. Above are my five reasons for starting now. Here are my five strategies for December:

  1. Run more and with greater variety in my workouts (30 miles per week, add some speed work).
  2. Adding strength exercises a few times each week.
  3. Watch junk food, obviously. But focus on eating all the vegetables I can find!
  4. Sleep, water, and vitamins. I keep a gallon jug of water in my fridge and make a point to drink it empty by bedtime.
  5. Yoga or deep stretching once a week. Three cheers for YouTube!

I’ll be checking in here every Monday this month to make notes of how these five guidelines are serving me. Rumor has it that Monica may be hosting a fitness challenge this month again, so that may be fun too. In November her motivation helped me run most of the 100 miles I promised, despite a hectic farm and family schedule.

Do you have some ideas for wellness in December? I would love it if you checked in with me here on Mondays, just to encourage each other.

“He who takes medicine
and neglects to diet
wastes the skill of his doctors. 
~Chinese Proverb
XOXOXOXO

 

healthy recipes lately

Hello, Happy Tuesday! The farm is blazing hot because, Oklahoma in July. I am not complaining, though, not one bit. I adore the heat and the abundant sunshine, even the glorious humidity. It feels like Florida or New Orleans this year. My mind and body are equal parts stimulated and at rest in this exact kind of weather.

I love the seductive pace of summer, too. In the afternoon and evening hours, we do as much swimming and deck lounging as possible, and for me this means so many books and naps and near misses with sunburns. By about 3 pm, the time we reach a thousand and a half degrees, all the day’s important work is done and we can relax a little. Or a lot. So basically, heaven.

By “we” of course, I mean Klaussen and me. : ) But yes, Handsome joins us as soon as his office work allows. haha…xoxo

I've started keeping pots of fresh herbs on a wooden table adjacent to the grill, which is adjacent to the new deck. I love the convenience for cooking our meals and the beautiful-ness for just enjoying.
I’ve started keeping pots of fresh herbs on a wooden table adjacent to the grill, which is adjacent to the new deck. I love the convenience for cooking our meals and the beautiful-ness for just enjoying.

 

It’s Tuesday, so the kitchen is on my mind. Today how about we chat over healthy eating? If you checked in here yesterday then you know I am happily refocused on weight loss and well being, and of course food has a lot to do with that. Like, a whole lot.

Let’s begin.

My friend Katie blogs at Dishin and Dishes, and back in January she provided the most perfect recipe for roasted garbanzo beans (aka chick peas). I LOVE it! And I have been making these periodically ever since. Click here to see the instructions for yourself. Bottom line: she suggests some flavorful heat, and she gives us good technique advice to keep the little treasures from burning. Try it. Here is one of my batches. Makes my mouth water just looking at the photo:

spicy roasted garbanzo beans
spicy roasted garbanzo beans

I’ve been looking for higher-protein and higher-fiber alternatives for side dishes, and lentils came to mind. I don’t know why but in my mind a veil of mystery has always surrounded this particular food, so it took me all these years to finally try it. Realizing how quickly and easily lentils cook was a huge, silly relief. One day recently I cooked them in some rich, flavorful chicken stock instead of water then to the lentils added chopped mushrooms, some steamed broccoli, and about a cup of slow cooked, shredded chicken. All of this made a hugely satisfying meal. Really good. Quite healthy. So yummy. And lentils are so inexpensive! I will be doing this a lot more often. So good and versatile. This link was helpful. Last night I used cooked lentils as an alternative to both a starchy side dish and salad dressing, and I wasn’t sorry. It was filling, salty, yummy, and just moist enough to make the lemony kale really really good. Try it!

Just boil a quarter cup of dry lentils in either a broth of your choice or salted water. Simmer until tender, maybe ten minutes? Then drain. So good. Cheap and simple, really nutritious too. Completely eliminates the need for heavy salad dressings and filling enough to also replace potatoes or rice as a side dish.
Just boil a quarter cup of dry lentils in either a broth of your choice or salted water. Simmer until tender, maybe ten minutes? Then drain. So good. Cheap and simple, really nutritious too. Completely eliminates the need for heavy salad dressings and filling enough to also replace potatoes or rice as a side dish.

As a delicious main dish idea, perhaps an occasional sub for red meat? I want to encourage you to try making chicken-zucchini poppers. They are basically just baked meatballs made with ground chicken and bound together with nothing more than shredded zucchini. Talk about a lot of protein for very little calories or fat! And super flavorful. Different. Refreshing. I have made a hundred variations of this recipe since first trying it back in June, and in fact this was my dinner again tonight. (I make these for myself when steak is on the menu for Handsome. Tonight he got a nice ribeye.) Chicken-zucchini poppers are just so versatile. One Lovely Life provided the inspiration, so thank you Emily! Here is her recipe. Below is one of my first attempts. This particular incarnation had chopped mushrooms in it, too, and I ate just a few of the poppers on top of a big green salad with a hard boiled egg. VERY filling.

chicken zucchini poppers on a big salad
chicken zucchini poppers on a great big, beautiful salad

So, trying to eat healthfully does not mean we never have a sweet tooth, but thankfully the internet is full of smart chefs who are more than willing to share their recipe modifications with us. Below are a few “cookie” ideas that were big hits with me for different reasons. Sorry I don’t have any photos of these experiments. Just take that as evidence for how devour-able they all are.

  • Healthy Oatmeal Apple Raisin Cookies Really good. Moist, chunky if that’s your jam, and made with whole ingredients, most notably diced raw apples. The only downside is that they do not really “firm up” much, you know? They absorb humidity like mushy little beasts, so you might want to plan to serve them all at once. I don’t know. But they taste a lot like apple pie and are crazy nutritious, so I’ll keep this in my pocket for those kinds of cravings.
  • Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies SO GOOD. On the complexity scale, this recipe is exactly the middle of these three. Visit her website for a few fun seasonal variations.
  • Two-Ingredient Cookie For real you guys. Two ingredients is all you need, bananas and oats, which are not risky for your diet! Add stuff if you must, then enjoy. Please try these. Kids and adults all love them. I am about to hit publish then go make a batch of these with pecans and craisins. This recipe actually does keep really well, so I like having a batch of them available throughout the week. Excellent afternoon snack or dessert with some ice cold almond milk.

Soon I will share a post all about healthy food basics I keep on hand every week to prevent or cope with those inevitable hunger emergencies. Spoiler alert: hard boiled eggs, salad, and fresh fruit.

hard boiled eggs, fresh fruit, and a crisp green salad

 

Okay, that’s it for tonight! I would be so happy if you shared a link to some healthy recipes you’ve tried recently. Or tell me something you like to serve yourself or your family that is really nourishing. Something satisfying and good for you. Something genius,okay?

Happy summering, Oklahoma. You’re gorgeous and steamy. Happy eating everyone. Thanks for checking in, friends.

“Healthy is not an accident, a gift, or a rabbit’s foot. It is a HABIT.
It is a habit that will shape the bodies that we were born with,
a habit that will support the genetic makeup we got from our parents.”
~Cameron Diaz, The Body Book
XOXOXOXO