Lazy W Marie

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

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slow rainy saturday reading & a bee wish

We were promised a dark and stormy start to the weekend, moody perhaps and perfect for cocooning a little longer than usual. While we did wake up a little late and to a grey sky and well soaked farm, the rain seems to be past us already. Handsome and I enjoyed Hot Tub Summit with roosters and baby peeps providing the soundtrack. Klaus romped with his llama friend. We resisted most reflexes to plan work and projects and more work. (Sometimes it’s really hard to resist.) And now we are inside, continuing the slow easy Saturday pace. How luxurious after a concrete-heavy week. My guy is dealing with a sub-par drone purchase while watching reruns of Rifleman. I am draining another mug of perfect coffee while reading and writing to you. 

It’s Saturday, so how about a list of articles worth exploring?

Bon Appetit magazine always offers great, worthwhile stuff, and this post about fragrance is no exception. In this house we are careful about candles and have recently outlawed melty wax gadgets, so employing natural scents is often the name of the game. Love it. How to Make Your Kitchen Smell Amazing Before Dinner Guests Arrive. Side note? I recently tried simmering warm season herbs and citrus, and it was lovely. Try filling your stock pot with mint, lemon wedges, and basil. Really nice. Clean and cool. 

I love just about everything Ashley Hackshaw does. Her interests are a lot like mine, sure, but it’s more than that. She is indomitable and magnetic. She lives the “Choose Joy” mantra her dad left her, and it’s contagious. She sucks all the marrow out of everything she attempts, big and small, and I think it’s really beautiful. Here is a simple craft that I will be doing here at the farm pronto. Hugs to this big-hearted woman. DIY Embroidery Hoop Loom.

My good friend Rose shared an article that feels like the author is in my head. 10 Things I Want My Daughter to Know When Things Get Real is so much of what I am always thinking about for Jocelyn. Joc will be 21 in a few weeks, a strong and tender age. Terrifying and exciting. She is off on her own in another state, far removed yet so close. She is experiencing life in ways I doubt she expected to when she first left Oklahoma for that little temporary job adventure. I am so proud of her, and I pray for her heart and soul as hard as I do for her physical safety and financial security. Read this, folks. In a culture where we worry so much about structure and convention and what kids should be doing when, this is a balm that lets us pay attention to their deep emotional well-being. Thank you for posting this Rose!

My friend Marci has just sent her oldest to a wonderful residential high school, and she is fairly heartbroken. This is a difficult enough transition for any parent, but she is experiencing it a few years early. That makes it harder, I think. This post about why moms cry when they drop their kids off at college is so perfect. Marci read it and affirmed every word. Grown and Flown.

Okay, switching gears!

Maybe it’s all the mileage I’m racking up, but my body is craving dense, chewy carbs like it hasn’t craved in months. I am okay with that. So what perfect timing for another round of the King Arthur Flour bake-along. First up in this series is a gorgeous braided yeast bread called pane bianco. It has basil, okay, and cheese and roasted tomatoes. Watch my Instagram soon for some carb-heavy loveliness. I will aim for a day preceding another long run, ha. Bake it with me! Then run with me? We will be so happy.

Gardening is so good for us; this should be zero surprise. I loved this article a lot. It’s not even a new article, but I ran across it recently and it’s definitely worth reading. Friends, as summer slows down, get your hands in the dirt. Breath in the fresh air. Let nature heal and inspire you in all kinds of ways. Nature loves you. The Curious Case of the Antidepressant, Anti-Anxiety Backyard Garden.

Constant learners live better lives, and some form of meditation and routine is really smart. Also no surprise, but the breakdown to a five-hour rule is pretty cool. Additionally a string of Ted talks I listened to this week supported the idea that adding an hour of daily study of a particular topic can grow you into an expert in that field within a year. Or something like that, ha. Anyway I am a devoted morning person, and my days always go best when I spend some time getting mentally geared up, ruminating on creative projects and organizing my goals. Coffee and sweat help, too. Fun read by Inc.com.

Okay sweet smart friends, what have you read lately?

Oh- Just for the sake of record keeping, I will share that the photo above is of our swarm hive. It appears to be thriving, the bee population truly exploded and the uppermost frames dripping with honey. But a couple of days ago I discovered a few Small Hive Beetles scurrying around the grass at the base of the hive. This could be nothing if the bees are strong and plentiful enough to ward them off, but a thorough inspection is probably in order. Please wish me luck. Send all of your healthy bee thoughts this way, okay, because I really want this colony to thrive. Thank you!

Happiest of lazy, fun, restorative Saturdays to you!
XOXOXOXO

 

brothers gotta hug

We are enjoying some very special company at the farm this week. Lincoln, one of Klaus’ brothers, has come for a two-night slumber party and all of us here with the possible exception of Natasha the black cat are pretty happy about it.

Also, can we all pause briefly to celebrate this magical weather in Oklahoma? Summery but not Dante’s-Inferno summery? Yes. Love it. Perfect for playing outside.

This is second time Lincoln has been here. The first was for the pups’ one-year birthday party this past spring. This is also the second time they have stayed overnight with each other since being adopted to different homes. The first for that was when Klaus stayed at Lincoln’s house while Handsome and I were out of town for a few nights.

By all accounts and evidence, these two are best buddies. As I type this fun update, they both are napping. Fully exhausted. They have been awake since dark-thirty playing super hard. Chasing butterflies, supervising chickens and geese, digging mud holes, swimming, twisting me in a leash trick that appeared to be accidental but I have my doubts, trading threadbare toys, wrestling with and without teeth, and getting (somewhat) groomed. They have crashed happily on the cold tile floor of our front entry, having decided the plush couch with a chenille coverlet was just not the thing for summertime brother adventurers. A few minutes ago Lincoln did silently approach the bench when I woke them both up with a snappy fly-swatting (it must have been concerning), but now he is asleep again.

This is a lot like having highly energetic toddlers napping in the afternoon: I don’t want to break the spell. Like, I want to refill my iced coffee, but do I dare stand up and walk in the kitchen? No. Also, I guess it’s a lucky day to be a fly in this house.

Lincoln on the left and our sweet boy Klaus on the right. They fairly dominate a couch. xoxo

 

Just for fun, here are some differences and similarities between these two gorgeous German Shepherds:

Same:

  • They both love face cuddles and lots of physical contact.
  • They both love to eat. Perhaps especially dry salty popcorn.
  • They both are enraptured by butterflies.
  • Neither of them understands why Natasha the black cat is so adverse to being sniffed intimately.
  • While relaxing, Klaus tends to crook his front left paw under at a sharp angle, and so does Lincoln! Like, exactly the same way.
  • Both pups dismount a couch with the same long-and-lean back leg stretch, like they are preparing for an Olympic high dive.
  • Brushing? Yes please! Times two.
  • Their stranger-danger bossy barking voices are so similar it’s hard to tell them apart, except that Klaus can take his up to a bit of a screech, and that’s pretty unmistakable, ha.
  • Mud hole digging is a common hobby. But our daughter’s pup Bridget could teach them a thing or two about it.
  • Both of these magnificent dogs love rides in our farm truck. 

Different:

  • Klaus likes to either charge ahead or walk directly behind me outdoors, shepherding hard. Lincoln is mostly an against-your-thigh kinda guy, and he alternates between his companion’s left and right sides.
  • Klaus wants to kill the chickens, although he doesn’t know it’s killing. So far Lincoln is still trying to figure them out.
  • Klaus is bigger in stature and Lincoln has bigger eyes.
  • Lincoln is still curious enough about Pacino to poke his substantial snout into the parrot cage, whereas Klaus learned that lesson months ago. Respectable distance is the name of their game.
  • You all know that Klaus loves Meh the llama, right? Well it’s hard to say exactly what Lincoln thinks of this creature, but I can tell you that Meh is actively campaigning to intimidate our guest. Of course, Meh has been copping the same attitude with the horses lately, so. Who knows.
  • Lincoln saw fresh water going into the plastic wading pool over in the dog pen and immediately hopped in for a leisurely soak. Klaus was utterly confused and delighted by this, because to him that’s drinking water. He prefers to swim in the big chlorinated pool. 

Okay in the last few minutes these sweet dogs have stealthily relocated to continue their very important nap beneath the dining room table, curtained to the floor with a heavy tablecloth. This is where I am seated, typing to you fine people. It’s like they are in a very secret  fort. And they both are making sure to touch my feet, which I don’t hate. They are breathing out little puffs of air just like kids and groaning gently when they adjust and re-cuddle each other. I am basically in heaven. 

XOXOXOXO

 

 

marathon monday week four: wellness is about your whole self

This past week was the fourth of an eighteen week cycle for preparing for a late November marathon, and overall I am feeling fantastic. I went into week four knowing it was Shark Week for me (sorry guys, if you don’t know what that means, I bet you’re guessing correctly now), in addition to a heavy little season for me personally. Just had some personal stuff going on. I knew it all would be happening at the same time, the intense emotions and the hormones and the attendant physical exhaustion. No doubt, I was grateful to have the freedom to run and tend to my well-being in the midst of it all. So grateful. Knowing how to care for yourself and being free to do so is the best feeling. Running covers all the bases, you know? Emotional, hormonal, muscular, aerobic, imaginative. Everything feels better after a good run. After a few days of good running? Well, that’s partly why it’s addictive. 

Looking at the previous three weeks, I saw a nine mile total deficit. I had been feeling pretty good and was mentally satisfied because running was consistently in balance with the rest of life. But the nine mile deficit was eventually bugging me so last Sunday night I had this bright idea to “use” those extra nine miles in the coming week to battle emotional and physical fatigue. It’s funny how this actually works, the relationship between exertion and relaxation, the therapy of sweat. I am crazy for it.

Well, haha, that most optimistic intention was great for exactly three days. I tacked on extra miles Monday through Wednesday and was feeling spectacular. By Thursday my tune had changed, so I was even happier to have run ahead of schedule early in the week.

EARBUDS LOL

Monday: Six miles on the treadmill, easy pace. I actually was so sad and distracted that morning that I had to run three, take a break for water and a handful of grapes (somehow this helped me collect my thoughts), then finish with three more. I felt completely better by the end of the hour. Ready to really start the week’s various work.

Tuesday: Eight extremely sweaty miles at the Harrah loop. Very happy. Decent pace. Stayed busy at the farm the rest of the day.

Wednesday: Six miles at home again, this time around the back field, nice and early in the morning. We had an electrician appointment set for mid-morning, so that motivated me to lace up immediately after morning chores and be showered and dressed before my own breakfast. After the repairs I worked around the house and on writing projects all day, which was restful and productive, then Handsome and I met friends for an early dinner. I overindulged a little with chips and quesadillas but probably burned it all off laughing. We love our friends! Good people are good for the soul. They might not know what I was dealing with emotionally in those days, but laughing with them was so helpful.

Thursday: My energy plummeted on Thursday and I was hurting a lot. I skipped a workout in order to funnel all of my energy to the house, farm, and errands in town. All of that kept me busy enough. I honestly had to make a huge effort just to get through the day. Later I amazed myself by falling asleep before sunset, ha. Sometimes it cannot be helped, and on these days I try to talk to myself the way I would talk to one of my daughters in the same condition. No reprimanding, just compassion and encouragement. These days are rare. Life goes on.

Friday: Rest day. I had a gardeners’ meeting in OKC Friday morning, too early to squeeze in a run first, then Handsome and I went on a lunch date together and on a short series of errands on the way back to the farm. I had already planned on this being a rest day, complete with shampooed hair (kind of a big deal for me); I just hadn’t planned on it being the week’s second consecutive rest day. So I was beginning to feel twitchy and guilty about straying from my “extra miles” plan. Oh well. The day was happy and our food was delicious then we rested at home together with lots of love. Win.

Saturday: I woke up well before sunrise to get caffeinated and dressed for a long run, drove to the Harrah loop, and thoroughly enjoyed eleven miles. It felt so great to be in the cool air, watch a slow, colorful daybreak, and build up that deep inner heat for a long time. I was feeling like myself again, magically, which is just the way Shark Week works. I got home with a bag of donuts for Handsome and was on cloud nine to be “reset.” We enjoyed the rest of the day together. So much. xoxo

Sunday: I ended up staying un-sweaty and hung out with my guy for a long day of walking around the zoo, which was so beautiful. We hadn’t toured the zoo in warm weather for years! For some reason we have been visiting only in January, really ever since we bought this farm. It’s weird. After the zoo we lingered over lunch at Hollie’s Flat Iron Grill. I had a most excellent hamburger loaded with smoked hatch peppers and was happy.  Afterwards we stopped at a local Mexican market where I found a bunch of delicious treasures. Have you seen the mini watermelons? My nutrition by Sunday night was pretty excellent. 

Then on Monday morning the chickens ate breakfast out of the tiny watermelon rinds.

Weekly total: 31, my exact mileage plan. Had I not tacked on extra miles Monday through Wednesday, I would have missed the mark by a lot and been more frustrated. More importantly, I might have felt even worse on Thursday and Friday or not coped well with those difficult emotions earlier in the week. In the scheme of things, this was all a pretty mild fare to pay for being a healthy woman of child bearing age. Ha. Also, it bears mentioning, yoga is so helpful. Do yoga, friends. Eat well, run a lot, and do yoga. 

I am so happy and grateful to be on a roll, to be building this momentum finally. As I type this, week five has already started great. How are you doing? What habits do you keep in your life to stay feeling good and cope in healthy ways with hard emotions?

“Eliminating the things you love is not wellness.
Wellness feeds your soul and makes you feel good.”
~Iman
XOXOXOXO

 

 

 

 

zinnias reminding me that sometimes one effort is everything

This past week I spent a full afternoon nibbling away at a some animal chores and gardening tasks then decided kind of spur of the moment to thin the zinnias growing wild in our east facing flower bed. If you grow zinnias in full sun and give them a few drops of water with even a passing glance of affection, they will progress from a tasteful ruffle of happy color to a Jumanji-esque no-man’s land that is, for all its cheerfulness, impossible to honestly call “tame.” Even our concrete-pooping geese have recently grown troubled by the not hostile but still complete zinnia takeover. The east facing flower bed has been vaulting up flowers four feet tall in stands almost as thick. While generally I believe that more is  more, a thinning was in order.

How the bed started back in May of this year.
How the bed started back in May of this year. Tasteful, right? Ha. Not for long.

The tender-woody stalks pulled up from the ground pretty easily, with just a little muscle, and because zinnias are so friendly and good spirited in general, the exiting roots did no discernible damage to the remaining plants. Classy move, zinnias, very classy. I quickly amassed a thick, weightless heap of confetti-dotted flower stalks, all still buzzing with bumblebees and vibrating with butterflies, their root balls shaken free of most of their dirt but still crumbling down more. I started collecting seed heads for a future garden and made a mental note to feed the rest to our chickens. 

Really the size of the stack of stalks was stunning. (Sorry.) Even after having cut dozens of flower bouquets from this exact area all summer, in a few minutes I had pulled up hundreds of new blooms. Wow. How many zinnia stalks could be here?

To satisfy my curiosity, I separated the pulled up stalks neatly and counted them. All of that fluffy, velvety, life-giving plant material had grown from just nine rootballs, which were the products of only nine skinny little seeds. A few months ago nine inexpensive seeds found purchase in fairly average soil, germinated in the Oklahoma sun and rain, and grew pair after pair of perfect leaf sets. Then those taller and taller stalks yielded dozens of colorful, striped and spotted, pollen-shedding flowers for weeks. Months! They just seemed to grow bigger and badder every week. We can see them from inside the living room too, a vibrant wall of color and wildlife.

And, yeah, I get that plenty of seeds might have been scattered that did not germinate and grow into a gorgeous, wild garden, but look how few it took to get here! It makes me so deeply happy.

pile of zinnias

This is how the stack of harvested zinnias looked about three days later. Crispy and faded, still amazing me that all this and more happened from just nine little seeds. These are now headed to the chicken coop along with some fresh herbs for the nesting boxes. 

I know there are too many times in life when we feel so discouraged and defeated that we never want to try anything new again. Or we are so done persevering with even normal, easy stuff because something always seems to go wrong. Giving that One Amazing Worthwhile Thing another ounce of our valuable energy sounds like the most painful, wasteful idea. 

Thank goodness zinnias are here to remind us that even small, average efforts, cheap seeds planted in unamended soil, can yield incredible, ongoing beauty.

How are your gardens looking mid-August? Are you beginning to thin some areas a little, or are you glancing forward to fall? Are you just trying to keep everything hydrated, haha?

How is the condition of your heart, your willingness to keep trying and maintaining faith that sometimes small, average efforts are what will make all the difference in your life? Keep up all the good work you are doing, friends. Keep living those daily and seasonal routines that you know will flower later. Keep planting seeds of kindness in relationships, and trust that you are not required to work miracles yourself. We aren’t actually the ones who sprout the seeds, right?

XOXOXOXO

 

 

 

 

 

midweek gratitude for the small things that are really quite big

If ever I feel a wave of ordinariness, I need only take a look at the snapshots on my phone to remember how richly textured my life is. Yours too, I would bet my favorite apron.

 

new watremelon

Handsome surprised me with this oblong beauty the same day I hinted (not subtly) on Facebook about my cravings. His coworker and our friend Dennis gets partial credit for this joy, since he actually alerted my husband to both my FB post and the roadside watermelon stand near their office. 

klaus swim cuddle

This has been a glorious summer for swimming, and Klaus has made great strides with his enthusiasm and dexterity in the water. My reading list might be suffering a bit, but for good reasons. No complaints. No regrets.

Goonies

A small group of friends gathered at the farm last weekend for an outdoor showing of Goonies. We also swam with kids and dragonflies, counted stars, played chicken fight and Marco Polo in the pool, and ate so much popcorn plus barbecued meats. Suddenly barbecued meats, that is, because just as the party got started our freezer blinked out hard and we discovered about half a month’s worth of previously frozen meat thawing rapidly. 

sunflowers august 2016

Follow the sun, okay? xoxo

batman baby

My favorite batman making friends with a little baby boy named Hudson, named for the river with eyes to match.
This was taken at a recent charity event in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

joc jess b & w babies

And of course my two favorite girls in this entire universe. Nineteen years ago my first baby became a big sister and my heart doubled in capacity with intense love for my second and final baby. This actual glossy photo is on my nightstand, and whenever I see it I have to pick it up. I can smell their velvety ears and cheeks.I  can feel the bendiness of Jessica’s infant backbone and the tautness of her milk-filled belly. I can remember how fine Jocelyn’s hair was, how much she loved to wrap her legs around me for a hug.

The days are long but the years are short. That never ends. Let’s soak up every detail, friends.

XOXOXOXO