Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Thursday, September 1, 2011

During and After Irene!

 One of the first things that happened during the morning was our neighbors Locust Tree cracked off at the top... we were taking the dog out and we heard a strange sound like plastic rolling across pavement, turns out it was the tree cracking!
 Next.. out the kitchen window I notice my beautiful double blossom Rose of Sharon is prone to the ground.. WAH..
 the RAIN starts
 Bored I work on and complete a ribbon scarf I had started!
 A large maple branch has broken .. it's hanging in this photo to the left of our little stage!
 Between the two climbing toys is a new oak, its top was bent in the winter by a large tree nearby, the oak is trying to retain its stamina.. when IRENE turns it around and now it's growing in a different direction!
 The Next Morning we venture out for a walk.. this is looking south on Hope St.
 Dinner the first night.. NO POWER..
 The Second day no power I decide to teach myself a new stitch!  YEAH it's exaggerated but it worked!
 some of the debris in front
 Dinner the second night! No Power again
 The second day it's safer to drive..this is the entrance to our local state park, the trees are broken everywhere!
 My camera card is full these are the last two photos i could fit, and with no power I couldn't recharge! These are two gorgeous sailboats brushed up onto the shore wall.. they are laying on their sides.
And Finally debris on the road that washed up and over this sea wall!  Well it was interesting but I'd rather not do it all again
SO KATIA.. GO AWAY!

Saturday, August 27, 2011

BEFORE Irene

I Love my Trees.....    I know they are subject to some really harsh winds for a long time (up to 18 hours they are saying)   
So to honor them I have taken their pictures.. here they all are BEFORE Irene!

I noticed they have a purple glow... very interesting... 

 WAY back there are the OAKS
 Sure tomorrow this grass will be LEAVE covered  that fence is 6 feet.. so those OAKS are HUGE
 The River Birch and Maple
 Looking into the garden.. the leaf less dwarf flowering crab-apple that was infested with Winter Moth last fall 
 This rain barrel was EMPTY this morning!
The Koi

Lastly the Garden.. BEFORE IRENE
I'll post more of these area AFTER IRENE passes..

Friday, August 5, 2011

The Challenges have Ended

So For the last Month or so I accepted a challenge (Thanks Deanna) and challenged myself
To No Flour
and To No Processed Foods

Overall in the 5 weeks 
I lost 8.5 lbs
Feel Better 
and 
I Have learned a lot of things about myself
1- I do have self control
2- If I wait long enough this to shall pass
3- Being miserable helps no one
4- Walking is one of the BEST changes I ever made in my life
5- Learning to "Give it up!" to whatever higher powers will listen to me HELPS

I am nearly finished with a book

What's Gotten into Us?: Staying Healthy in a Toxic World

by Mckay Jenkins

This book is a HUGE EYE OPENER to all aspects of our lives

IF YOU CARE about your life, your family and or your planet

I DARE YOU TO READ THIS BOOK!

 Let's get back to basics

Think about using mason jars to store your foods instead of the endless leaching of plastics with or without BPA  (reality, BPA is only one of hundreds of thousands of leaching plastic chemicals )

USE foil instead of plastic wrap

USE baking soda and vinegar instead of Caustic Chemicals (um, which are all the ones in the grocery store aisle)

USE more fruits and vegetable raw in your daily meals

TAKE OFF  your shoes before entering your home

I really hate living a doomsday life

and I do feel I have some chance to make a differenence

for myself, my children, my grand-daughters and their children!

Anyone got a new challenge for me?

 

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

5 Day No Processed Food Challenge! Day two

SO .. How did DAY 2 Go anyway?

As you can see it was a pensive day
 
Green Juice for breakfast
Never ending Oatmeal bowl with craisins, chopped raw almonds and pecans
 
THEN
 My husband and I did some volunteer work from 2-5:30 and on the way home stopped at the Green Grocer, a nice local healthy store for all your healthier needs.. 
I wanted some fresh produce to munch on, but there wasn't really anything that caught my eye.
We were both so hungry
We had taken our water bottles it was hot and humid and we were tired
YOU KNOW WHERE THAT LEADS YOU
TO
DESPAIR
So at my suggestion.. and believe me my husband doesn't need any more than a suggestion
I called PIZZA CALDO and ordered TWO fish and chips
but the best part .. 
WE sat in the local State Park and ate by the water side
The storm clouds in Connecticut were AMAZING..   
It looked as though there were a huge funnel cloud .. the sun was hidden by these amazing clouds all over, and then the sky broke the sun came pouring out and just made life BREATHTAKING
you've got to love those moments
   For those of you following me
The first picture I am in Cranston RI about five years old.. 
The second picture I am in Bad Kissingen Germany pulling my brother I am almost 13
and this last picture I am in my bedroom in my sleigh bed my grandfather made for me with my cousin Patricia who by the way tortured me throughout my childhood!
That little red thing was a phonograph that had a mirror in the center, and pictures on the records so it made cute little images on the mirror as the records played.
GRAND MEMORIES
precious


So I do not think I veered to much off the non processed.. cept maybe the evil batter on the fish

Sunday, July 31, 2011

5 Day No Processed Food Challenge!

 
Yep.. you read it right  I am continuing on a healthy advantage challenge, from No Flour to Nothing Processed 

This clearly present many challenges

So.. milk is not processed yet it comes in a container.. so in some way it is processed.
  Eggs come in a carton, yet they clearly have gone through no processing.
Cheeses are tricky, I bought one that was made by the woman I bought it from, a goats milk.
Found that at the farmer's market a good place to make good choices.


I will consider things of that nature to be Not Processed.. although clearly I would consider Velvetta or such Brands to be processed.




Taking only 5 Days to begin will allow me to ease myself into a complete de-toxification of things that I snack on which are mostly unhealthy! (Not always but sometimes)

So the task is to eat as much pure foods as possible
Today the day began with a green drink Something that looked like this... it had zucchini, collards, celery, arugula, watercress and grapefruit (2) and I added equal amounts of filtered water and chia seeds.
 Lunch was a mild hand made goat cheese with almonds and nuts dehydrated with herbs and honey, and a pear
Dinner was shitaki mushrooms sauteed with left over frozen peas (kinda processed?) and fresh summer squash with a baked potato, NO margarine NO extras


 After Dinner we took the dog for a walk in our local park and while walking I foraged lovely and delicious blackberries and red raspberries.. YUMMY and FREE



So Remember Boys and Girls to Eat your Fruits and Veggies like your Mother told you to!