Author Archives: Maria

Feeding the hungry

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I went to visit the Crazy Tomato Lady for our weekly toddler playdate and after looking at her lettuce, kale and greens I realized that mine are very stunted! They look pretty much the same as they did when I put them in the ground a little over a month ago. So, I went home and sprinkled on some cottonseed meal (for nitrogen) and some liquid mineral fertalizer. I hope that will do the trick. Does anyone know how long it will be before I see results, or what else I should add if I don’t see any results? The under leaves have started turning yellowish and there is very little growth. That’s why my initial reaction was to add nitrogen.

On another note, my business is picking up all of a sudden and it seems to have nothing to do with the Kiplinger’s article. I’ve gotten a emails from people I don’t know wanting to carry my products in their stores, Earthfare is thinking about carrying my products, and tomorrow I have a meeting at our local co-op to figure out which of my products they will carry. I decided that it will make the meeting more memorable if I bring something yummy to munch on while we talk. So, today I made “Cleopatra’s Love Nuggets”, an herbal recipe from Botanica Erotica. It is not my plan to get them horny just to give them a taste of a really yummy herbal treat 🙂 They are delicious!!

    Cleopatra’s Love Nuggets

  • 1 cup of raw sesame tahini
  • 3/4 cup honey
  • 1/2 tsp each of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and aniseed
  • 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1-2 tsp. damiana cordial, vanilla extract, Amaretto, anisette, or rose water (I used a cordial that I made a few years ago that I call “Love Potion #9”)
  • Some optional additions: 1 Tbsp finely chopped mint, 1 Tbsp powdered nettle leaves, 1 drop peppermint essential oil, 2 tsp grated orange peel, 5 drops orange essential oil

In a medium bowl, stir together the tahini and honey. Add powdered herbs and flavorings and combine. Roll mixture into balls and then roll to coat. I divided the batter into thirds and added 5 drops of orange oil to one batch and rolled this in seseme seeds. To the second batch I added 2 drops of peppermint essential oil and rolled it in shredded coconut. To the third batch I added 2 drops of rose geranium essential oil and rolled this in cocoa. They are SOOOO yummy!! You should try it. It’s really simple and quick.

2 Years of Bliss

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2 years ago today, Toby and I got married! The past two years have been wonderful! Kind of like Rocky Road Ice Cream… We’ve had our ups and downs and seen our fair share of nuts, but life has been sweet and creamy and damn, that chocolate tastes good 🙂

I was married once before and wasn’t planning on doing it again. I figured, if my first marriage, that I thought would be forever, could fall apart so completely, why would I want to do it again and risk the same thing happening. I would just stay in a long term relationship and never add the word “marriage” to it and everything would be fine. Rational thinking on my part, eh? So, Toby and I talked about kids, and houses, and all the other stuff, but not really about getting married. Until Christmas day 2002, when Toby popped the question. How did he propose? He sat down next to me on the couch, and instead of presenting me with a ring, he gave me a Vitamix Super 5000 with grain attachment (I guess you could call this my Red Ryder BB Gun). I believe his words were something like “I know you have wanted this for longer than you have wanted me. So, I thought it would be more appropriate than a ring. Will you marry me?” Any man who could know this about me is fit to be wed. So, of course, I said yes 🙂

By now, some of you are counting on your fingers… “ok, so if they have been married 2 years and K is almost 2″… Yes, I went to my wedding barefoot and pregnant! Check out the belly.

Quiet time

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If there is one thing I have figured out about marriage and motherhood, it’s how important it is to make time for yourself, alone! So, Toby and I have started getting up together when K wakes up (it use to be a fight to see who got to sleep in). He gets her breakfast and gets a little K time in while I go for a walk. I tell ya’, these last two mornings have been heaven! The cool, morning air, the quiet road, getting my mind in order… I love it! Since Toby is not a morning person, I consider this a major gift and sacrafice. Toby, I will consider this an early Mother’s Day gift. It even makes up for forgetting about it last year 🙂 So, what day is Mother’s Day again, dear? 😉

Testimonials

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I was just sent a review of one of my herbal products (B’s Balm), but it is in French. Can anyone translate?

—

J’ADORE!!!!!!
Je m’en doutais avant d’essayer mais l. vraiment c’est le pied. Le baume tient bien toute la journ?e, la peau du ventre ne tire plus, la poitrine est bien hydrat?e! M^me ma Lola de 2 ans se fait des massages de ventre avec!
En plus l’odeur me rappelle celle du petit d?j’ aux Etats Unis… les flocons d’avoine…
Le pot m’a dur? . peu pr?s 3/4 semaines en l’utilisant chaque matin. Du coup, j’en ai recommand? 3 pour stocker… 😉
—

I tried using Google’s Language Tools for translation, but this is what I got 🙂

—

I ADORE!!!!!! I suspected it before testing but there really it is the foot. The balsam holds well all the day, the skin of the belly does not draw more, the chest is well hydrated! M^me my Lola 2 years is made massages of belly with! In more the odor that of small the d?j’ in the United States recalls me… the rolled oats… The pot lasted me about 3/4 weeks by using it each morning. Blow, I recommended 3 of them to store…;)
—

I don’t think that is what she meant 🙂 🙂

Cleanse, one final note

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OK, so I measured my body fat before I did the cleanse and after and I lost 4.2% body fat!! And 3.25 inches from my abdomen, 1.5 in. from my hips and .5 in from each arm! WOW! What a great side benefit to a cleanse! I lost ~8 lbs. but that will go up a little as the food gets into my system again.

Now I am off for a weekend of camping and fun! (I’ll have to watch the ‘smores intake though:-)

How’s my hair doing?

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Some of you may be wondering how my ‘no shampooing’ is going. I think it’s been almost 2 months… It got to a point where it just felt sticky and heavy. Not oily anymore, but certainly not good either. Everyone said it looked fine, but I really didn’t like the feel. I got some soapwort and made this great sounding herbal “shampoo” with nettles, horsetail, calendula, cherry bark, and henna. I added some Lavender essential oil, of course, and it smelled great. How did it turn out? Like crap! My hair was heavy and greasy, the “shampoo” had no lather and certainly didn’t feel like it was clean. I ended up dumping a whole bunch of baking soda on my head to try to get the grease out. Then, I had to wash it again to get the baking soda out!! SO, I give up. So much for not buying shampoo anymore; making what I need, living sustainably. I know there are people out there who don’t use shampoo and can get away with it. But, I’m tired of checking in the mirror everytime I’m about to leave the house to make sure I don’t have a huge grease cowlick sticking out of the back of my head and I would like to be able brush my hair without looking like one of those girls from that Robert Palmer video. Slick! So, I went to the health food store and found a shampoo that is made with lots of herbs and no chemical crap. Maybe one day I will be able to replicate it, but for now I will pay up.

Vege Garden Update

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A few people have been asking for pictures of the garden. So, here you are. It’s doing pretty good. I’m hoping that the warm weather we are having will get my greens going. Here is what the whole thing looks like right now. Everything is still very small. (If we ever use all the mulch in the huge pile, I am going to have to find another spot for taking garden pictures 🙂

This is bed 1: white clover as a ground cover, corn, squash, pumpkin, aster, and radish

This is bed 2: potato, beans(black, cannelini, and toungue of fire), zinnea, parsley, cilantro, and sorrel

Bed 3: nasturtium, canteloupe, watermelon, radish

Bed 4: green onions, red onions, carrots, beets, chard, cosmos, blanket flower, calendula, peppers, and soon eggplant and a blackeyed susan.

Bed 5: nasturtium, cucumber, marigold, zucchini, sweet alyssum, nigella

Bed6: lettuce (3 types), spinach, kale, arugula, basil, tomatoes, and soon borage

I know this sounds very professional. But, all I did was get a book on companion planting and do what she said. This is the first time I have done this, so we’ll see how it all turns out and if the bugs really do stay away.

Lavender – The Ultimate Plant!

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I love all my herbs, but I have to admit that lavender is probably my all time favorite. I first ‘met’ lavender when I was studying midwifery in Ireland 9 years ago. I was staying in the nurses quarters in a room about 5′ x 8′ and wanted something to liven up the room. So, I went to the corner store and got some Lavender Essential Oil (all the little stores had essential oil displays at the check out counter). It smelled nice, but I had never used it before. So, every evening I would light my infuser, put in a few drops of lavender, and relax into dreamland. Since then, I have learned so much more about lavender and it is rare that I ever go any where without it. The plant is in my garden, I use the flowers in so many herbal recipes, and I have a bottle of the essential oil in almost every room. So, what’s it good for? Everything! No, really!! It can be used for sore throats, gas, colic, restlessness, headaches, fever, acne, insomnia, healing sores and burns, antibacterial, massage, in food preparation, the list just goes on and on. Why do I mention lavender today? Well, I was cooking my first real meal off my fast, a delicious rice/bean/veggie stew and got what I thought was going to be a pretty bad steam burn across my hand and fingers. But, I grabbed my bottle of lavender essential oil, which I keep right over the stove, and rubbed some oil into my hand. Immediate relief! I can still see where the burn was, it’s a little red, but no blisters or swelling! It’s amazing! You should all get some! Especially if you have children in the house!

So, I’m back on regular foods. I’m having to really hold myself back and not eat everything in site, just for the taste! But, I feel great! I’ve noticed that the tendonitis in my wrists is gone! I don’t know yet about the allergies or asthma. We’ll see as time goes on. Mary asked me if I would do it again. Probably. Now that it is over, it’s easy to say that. But, really, I do feel good and doing this once a year for a spring cleanse would be a good way to get rid of the winter blahs and prepare my body for spring.

Cleanse Day 7 and after

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Yesterday was great! I felt light and energetic and was in a pretty good mood! My toungue was also pink again, instead of coated with a white film which is a sign that you are expressing toxins. No major happenings… I guess I thought there would be like, some thing where I could say “Now, Now, I am cleansed!” But everything was fairly low-key. So, today I am drinking freshly squeezed OJ to get my digestive system ready to accept food again. I can’t wait!!

I went to my gym to get all my measurements and see if this cleanse does actually pull the toxins from fat and mucous and not just break down protein/muscle. Unfortunately, the machine that tells your body fat was broken, so I will report on that later…

Cleanse Day 6 – The Final Countdown

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Que the Final Countdown music!

Today actually felt different. I didn’t have the intense desire to eat, and somehow, my body felt different. I had pretty good energy and felt great mentally. Maybe it’s just that I know I only have one day left of the cleanse. But, it felt pretty good.

I tested my limits, too. One of my herb teachers had a “Wild Edibles” workshop at her house today. A group of us walked around her garden and woods talking about and harvesting the wild edible herbs/foods. Then we made a beautiful wild salad with lots of flowers, a pesto with Nettles and Chickweed, a casserole with nettles (rice and goat cheese, too) and lots of other divine yummies!! I watched, helped, and smelled but didn’t eat any!! I did take some home in a tupperware to taste on Tuesday, along with all the recipes to make next week too 🙂

K did pretty good today. She just fussed a little when I wasn’t eating breakfast with her. Hopefully things will be all back to normal soon!

Cleanse Day 5 and other stuff

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I woke up to K starting her day off in a funk again! She cried through most of breakfast, which consisted of a little yogurt, cereal, egg, prune, and a bread stick. Then more cereal, rice milk and herb tea!! She must be going through a growth spurt!! But, I think her mood is a combination of things. One, I think the weaning thing is finally hitting her ’cause she has been asking for “boobie” lately. But, it looks as if my once plump breastfeeding boobs have started to shrivel up and die! So, even if I wanted to give her a boob, it would probably just frustrate her that there is no milk. At least they are not feeling so engorged anymore. But, also, I think my cleanse is effecting her. This morning, during her breakfast, she kept trying to get me to eat with her, “mommy eat cereal” “mommy drink sippy” and she would start crying all over again when I said no thanks. We’ve been eating our meals together for her whole life, so this must seem like a very major change. Hopefully things will get better soon. She did great the rest of the day.

And I’m doing fine. A little tired and hungry. But the urge to eat just to eat isn’t as strong today. I’m just tired of drinking my meals. But, I really want to make it to day 7. That is supposed to be how long it takes for your body to make a major dump of toxins. I thought I was being handed a double whammy this morning when I started my period, too!! (Which usually makes me a little cranky and physically tired.) But, I have done fine today. Plus, it seems only fitting that I start my period a little early. I am cleansing in every other way, when not mentrually too?

On the home front, I’ve decided to stop using my dryer and start hanging the clothes on a line. I figure it is one simple step to getting off the power grid. It was nice standing out in the sun and wind, putting the clothes on the line. We’ll see how it works in winter:-)

Fairy Princess

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In my cleansing stupor, I am got a little creative urge today and decided to make K a “fairy princess skirt”. I just got some ribbon in all different colors and tied it on a pretty rope and voila.

Cleanse Day 4

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Woke up early again today, but just a little crampy. I went back to sleep easily, but K woke up crying about crackers. This is the second day in a row that she woke up early and famished! You’d think she was the one not eating solid foods. I mean, she was crying so hard she was doing that can’t-take-a-breath- thing 🙁 It was so sad. So, Toby and I both got up and fed her cereal, raisins, yogurt and two eggs!! She must be going through a growth spurt!!

Today has been just like the rest except that I started getting weak feeling after 4pm. I drank more of the lemon mix, but I desperately want to eat solids! I may just do this for 3 more days. I’m feeling fairly cleansed right now, anyway!! Really, I am!!! Besides, we have a big weekend bash coming up the weekend of the 22nd and I would like to be done before that… just so that I don’t have to do all this when I am away from home. So, if Sunday is my 7th and last day, I will have time to go through the “post cleanse” stuff before the weekend. That should be good enough, right?? OK, three more days! I’m over half way through then! Yup… three… more… days….

K’s first herb books

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I just got these fantastic herb books for K! I know she is barely 2, but I couldn’t pass them by. I’m hoping to home school, so these can be used as part of her science education. They are “A Kid’s Herb Book” by Lesley Tierra and “Walking the World in Wonder – A Children’s Herbal” by Ellen Evert Hopman, and they are both fabulous! Lesley Tierra and her husband are both amazing herbalists and writters. This book has great projects, songs, crafts, education, recipes, and more about herbs!! I can’t wait to use it! The other book by Hopman is more simple, but a great suppliment to the first since it has big pictures and also a short description of the Wheel of the Year and corrisponding festivals.

Yay me!!

Cleanse Day 3

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Feeling OK. I still really want to eat though. Carbs the most (bread, crackers…), followed by cheese or yogurt. It’s hard since K is eating all the time and I am so use to snacking with her. This morning I was up at 3 am with that diarrhea crap again (pun intended)! I was sitting there thinking, “ok, this has got to end! If I weren’t waking up so early with gurgling stomach cramps, this cleanse would be a breeze!” Then I started thinking about how I was going to be in the papers “31 year old mom dies of a massive heart attack due to ‘cleansing’ her body”. Then I realized it was 3am and I should go back to bed. Really, I think it would be much easier if the weather weren’t so lousy, and K weren’t a crank today, and my boobs weren’t still sore, blah, blah! But, I can do this. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and warmer. And I stopped drinking that other tea I made, with the fennel and fenugreek, you know, the ones that stimulate milk production!! Yeah, good idea on that one, stupid!

Also, I was curious how many calories I am consuming with this cleanse and I calculated that the maple syrup and lemon add up to about 650 calories a day!! That just seems way too low to still be functioning! I am going to really have to watch and make sure I don’t lose too much weight too fast. I may have to up the amount of “mommy’s spicy drink” (as K calls it) that I consume each day.

Cleanse Day 2 – kinda graphic

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Yesterday really wasn’t so bad, except that I was pretty tired. But, that might have been because I woke up at 5:30 with gas and diarrhea (mostly mucous). I know that’s disgusting, but it relates a lot to the conditions that I have. Allergies, asthma and deQuervain’s Tendonitis (from pregnancy) are all conditions related to inflammation and mucous in the body. So, in saying that the cayenne is working to pull the mucous out of my body… well, that’s good news! Otherwise, I’m not really hungry, but I still really want food for the taste and the habit of it. I like getting this perspective on what my food rituals are! Oh, and I realized that I had misscalculated my drink on day 1 and only had 48 oz of water instead of 64. So, todays drink was much more pleasant, actually yummy!

Cleanse Day 1

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Things went smoothly today. I wasn’t ever starving and if I did get a little hungry, I would just drink my ‘lemonade’. The biggest hurdle was the desire to eat food even though I wasn’t hungry. Toby is being so sensitive and has tried to eat and cook away from me, but I still have K to feed and man those tortilla chips looked good. Just a little lick of the salt, please!!! And when she had some yogurt before going to bed… mmmmm, it smelled good. And those extra cereal pieces she left on the table this morning would have been so easy to snatch up and munch! I never realized how much of a habit it has become to just eat food when I see it, or when I’m bored, or when K has left overs… instead of just when I am hungry! I hope I can break this habit and keep it broken! The other hurdle that I thought was going to be pretty rough, was the fact that I put just a little bit too much cayenne in my lemonade mix and it was pretty rough getting it down. I’m not a spicy food person. But, I figured out that I could drink it with a straw and it seemed to bypass the ‘spicy’ receptors on my tounge. Problem solved.

Off to make more yummy lemonade for tomorrow!

Beetle

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I’ve found this beetle in my garden and I’ve never seen anything like this. I thought I had a bunch of honey bees around already, but when I looked closer, it was a brown beetle. It would fly around, land on the garden soil or straw and burrow a little way in, then fly out again. Maybe it is laying eggs? It is similar in size and shape to a June Bug, but it’s back is almost like brown camoflage. Anyone know what this is?

My own soap opera

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So, I was talking to a friend of mine today and she mentioned that she has started reading my blog regularly. She said “I love reading about other people’s private lives”. When I originally started my blog it wasn’t intended to be so personal. But, when I sit down to type, that’s what comes out, and it has been very cathartic. So, I guess I have my own personal soap opera of my life. So, then I got to thinking about the names of soap operas: All My Children (aka AMC) or General Hospital (aka GH). So, what would my aka be? Dirt Under My Nails (aka DUMN! Oh yeah! That’s just great!!)

Weekend in review

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Well, while I was away, I journaled all of my thoughts and feelings with the intention on blogging them. But, I think I would end up losing all of my readers if I bored you with that. (Plus, when I was just typing this, I misstyped and wrote “…with the intentions of flogging them…”)

Anyway, in synopsis, Earthaven is a wonderful place with some great people who are trying to make a difference in the world by living off the grid and as sustainably as possible. They have created an intentional community, but it felt lonely to me. They get so many ‘tourists’ that I’m sure they get tired of catering to all the questions. Plus, everyone is working very hard at making the community function, that many just don’t have time to socialize. But, those who did were gracious and kind. The grounds there were bursting with herbs and wild greens. So, I didn’t have a problem with my pre-cleanse diet. Plus, the food that was cooked where I was staying was almost always something I could eat. I think the main thing I took away from the weekend was that I am ready to make that leap to selling our comfortable, typical american home and buying land to build a sustainable, off the grid place. I am tired of paying a mortgage that will end up costing us twice as much because of interest!

I missed K desperately while I was gone! Sometimes I just felt like crying it was so lonely without her at my side. But, I know if was good for her and Toby. He said that he really felt like they had some bonding time.

Well, I am off to make my cleansing lemonade for tomorrow…Day 1 of the cleanse!

Cleanse Prep Day 1

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Ok, I’m not even fasting yet and I am starving! I keep walking in to the kitchen and looking at the bread and cheese and yogurt and thinking “just one little bite” 🙂 I love eating fruits and veggies, but my system is so use to more than that. This morning when I was fixing K’s breakfast, I kept wanting to toss pieces in my mouth. I’m so use to eating my food and part of her’s. It’s amazing how I have gotten into such a food routine! (With having a child and through my whole like, always munching) I’m surprised that I don’t actually have a more significant weight problem. Hmmm…

Off for the weekend, I’ll touch base soon. OH, and I may be able to pick up our bees on the way home from Earthaven!! Pictures coming soon…

Cleansing

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OK, well it looks like the weaning is official. K woke up this morning and didn’t even mention nursing. My little girl is all grown up! So, I decided to start the cleanse tomorrow. I will try to post each day how things are going and what I am doing. I will be gone this weekend to Earthaven for a little time away, and won’t have a computer. But, I will post when I get back.

Why am I doing a cleanse? A bunch of reasons: all the daily pollutants I encounter that my liver has had to deal with processing over the years, feeling sluggish after being indoors all winter, desire to lose those last pregnancy pounds, decrease my allergies and asthma, break the cycle of overeating due to needing more calories while nursing (and really enjoying food), and I’m sure there are more reasons I am just not thinking of right now.

So, here is the schedule:

Preparation Days

  • for three days before beginning the cleanse, drop all spicy foods, cheese/dairy, fatty/greasy foods, all meat, sugar, caffeine, alcohol and salt. (Basially you are eating fresh fruits and veggies, raw salads, boiled/steamed veggies, and whole foods)
  • Drink at least 10 glasses of water/herb teas per day
  • Make a pact with yourself to see it through the cleanse
  • Confirm why you are doing it
    Cleansing Days

  • Begin every morning and end every day with a 10 oz cup of laxative tea. I am using Get Regular by Yogi Tea. It’s a good formula. Since you won’t have any fiber in your diet, this will help your bowels move the toxins out of your body.
  • Throughout the day drink 6-12 10oz cups of cleansing lemon/limeade. (If you are trying to take off a little weight, drink 6-8 cups.)
  • Lemon/Limeade Recipe (Here is the recipe per cup and per 6 cups or half gallon)
    Organic Lemon or Lime Juice – 2 Tbsps(/cup) 3/4 cup (for a half gallon)
    Grade B Organic Mapple Syrup – 2 Tbsps(/cup) 3/4 cup (for a half gallon)
    Cayenne – 1/10 tsp(/cup) 1/2 tsp (or a little more for a half gallon)
    Water – 10 oz or 1/2 gallon (or 6- 10oz cups)

Lemons and limes are very rich in minerals and vitamins. Maple Syrup is a balanced form of sugar and shouldn’t make your blood sugar bounce. It is also rich in vitamins and minerals and will help give you energy (grade B is richer in vitamins and minerals than the other forms). Cayenne helps pull out the mucous and toxin build up in the body. Water helps keep the toxins flowing out.

  • During the day I will also drink lots of water and herb teas (without any sweetener). I also plan to use the following cleansing formula: 1 tsp each of Flax Seed, Fennel Seed, Fenugreek Seed gently simmered for ~15 minutes in 2 cups of water. Take off heat and add 1 tsp of Spearmint.
  • Before bed, I will also take 60 drops of Milk Thistle Tincture to help my liver cleanse

I’m not sure yet how long I will do this. Maybe 7-10 days. We have a big anniversary party weekend coming up the 22-24th. So, I don’t want to be fasting then. But, I could be coming off of my fast. That way, I can join in on the eating, but only good, healthy foods. Also, each day of this whole process I will either take a nice fast walk, or go to the gym.

Breaking The Cleanse

  • Day 1 – Freshly squeezed organic Orange Juice all day! This helps prepare the digestive system to begin assimilating food
  • Day 2 – Breakfast – OJ, after that I will add freshly juiced veggies and maybe a gently veggie soup
  • Day 3 – Breakfast – OJ, then raw fruits and veggies and soups
  • Day 4 – Normal (healthy) meals

So, now, what to do with that bag of chocolate chips in the cabinet. I don’t want to be tempted during the cleanse. I’d better go eat them!!

Deer Control 2

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Well, the deer have found the garden! I don’t think they know there is stuff growing there, just that there is a fence around it. I found a huge rip in the fencing where I think a deer got caught. But, there was no sign of a struggle, or tracks. So, I think they took off as soon as they got free. So, this morning I pulled out all the stops! I tied pie pans to some of the fence posts to make noise in the wind. I tied a bar of Irish Spring (which I hear deer hate) to each post as a deterant, and I wove red and silver “bird flash tape” through the fencing to make sure the deer saw it and didn’t try to run right through it! I hope that works! Everything is starting to take off with the warm weather we had this week. So, I don’t want the deer to try again and find a smorgusborg(sp?). I checked the 10 day forcast and there are no freezing temperatures in sight. So, since April 15th is the average last frost date and the lowest predicted temp in the next 10 days in in the 40’s, I planted some summer squash, pumpkin, zucchini, and cucumber seedlings and also some corn, bean, aster, zinnea, and radish seeds. Wish me luck!

For dinner tonight we had a salad with fresh greens, chard, arugula, and parsley from the garden (there weren’t many to harvest, but enough to say “we had fresh greens, chard, arugula, and parsley from the garden”). I also added some chickweed, violet leaves and flowers from the yard. Non-home-grown stuff added was spinach, tomato, strawberries, kalamata olives, walnuts, feta cheese, sprouts, and broccoli. I have to say, it was very yummy!

Now, I am sipping on some sage tea to help dry up my milk. I’m not really engorged, but I can feel a fullness. K didn’t ask for ‘boobie’ all day and I am doing pretty good mentally. I have heard that there are certain astrological signs that are easier to wean under. Do any of you know about this?

Aske and ye shall receive

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Why am I up blogging at 7am? I’m trying to keep my self occupied so I don’t go off in a corner and cry! See, after blogging about how I need a break away and might take a trip by myself once K weans, she decided to cut back on nursing. One day, she just didn’t ask for her afternoon or evening nursing. So, I didn’t offer. I figured we’d see what happened. Well, she never asked again. So, we are down to one long morning nurse when she wakes up. Then, I decided that I would go on a trip and see if we couldn’t wean all together. She’s nursed for almost two years and I need some time on my own, right? So, this morning, I went out to the couch before she woke up and let Toby get her when she got up. She cried for a minute and then wanted to get up and get some cereal. She is so flexible and easy to adjust. Not me! I laid on the couch and cried. All I could think about was that yesterday was the last time that I will ever have my baby at my breast. Nuzzled up in my arms, finding comfort, rolling her fingers through her hair while she nurses. So, what do you do when the baby is fine with no longer nursing but mom is not? My heart hurts! I know she can’t nurse forever, but it is so hard to let go!!

Back home

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We’ve been gone for a few days…
We joined some other couples-with-babies friends of ours for a trip to eastern NC. We stayed one night at a B&B and then hopped in some canoes and paddled down a river. We stopped for the night to camp on a platform in the middle of a marsh. Then paddled out the next day! K absolutely loved it. She is normally a happy child, but she couldn’t wipe the smile off of her face the whole weekend! It was a blast! Toby and I have made a promise to try to go camping at least once a month (even if it is just camping out on our land). When we were in the marsh, there were so many Barred owls that I couldn’t sleep. One or two would ‘hoo’ and then the whole lot of them would sound off (courting, I guess). It sounded like a pack of orangutans!! Seriously! At one point, K woke up and in her sleepy stupor said “hoo-hoo. Cock-a-doo” and then fell back to sleep. 🙂

Feelin’ Groovy!

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So, I had a massage tonight (a gift from a friend) and I am feelin’ great! I’ve only had 4 or 5 professional massages in my life, and this one was awesome! She even used hot stones, essential oils, and everything! What a treat for a mama in need of a little pampering! So for all of you local readers, I just found out that she is giving massages for only $33 (for an hour!) through April! You can’t beat that. Think – early mother’s day gift to yourself! And tell her Maria sent ya! —-Asha Gleason 919-593-4628—you won’t regret it! I think I am going to send Toby for a massage… I wonder if she does massages for babies? 🙂

Drinking my own urine!

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* Many years ago I heard about Urine Therapy and was pretty grossed out. Why would you drink your own urine if your body is trying to get rid of it and the toxins it carries. But, the more I read about it, the more it makes sense! If your urine carries some of the toxins that your body is battling with, why not use your urine, in small doses, to homeopathically remedy yourself? I think I will try it and see if I can’t get rid of my asthma, or allergies. In fact, while I’m at it, maybe I’ll try a little of my feces too! Hell, why not go for the gusto!

*This post is dedicated to my mother, whom I love dearly. But, who openly, and sometimes with a bit of a hand-on-the-hip-finger-shaking air about her, disagrees with some of the decisions I make in my life/lifestyle and forgets sometimes that I am a big girl who does a lot of thinking/meditating/researching of issues before making decisions. And though she has said she is not going to read my blog anymore, “Hi Mom! No, I will not use shampoo on my hair! I can still get it clean and healthy without shampoo. If I die from lack of ‘shampoo hygeine’, you can stand over my grave and say ‘I told you so’ as loud as you like!” Oh, and don’t worry, I still think Urine therapy is gross and I certainly don’t intend on eating my poo. Just thought I would ruffle moms feathers a little 🙂

My first harvest

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I harvested my first vermicompost today! As some of you may remember, one of my first postings to this blog was about my new worm bin. Well, I finally got in there and dug out some of the compost. I wasn’t expecting much. I’ve been dumping all of our food scraps in there since last July and the pile never seems to grow. So, I assume the worms are eating it up. But, I just never see much going on in there. I see all kinds of other bugs and the occasional mouse, but I thought there would be more worm action. Well, I figured out today that I just wasn’t looking hard enough before. ‘Cause, when I dug down to the bottom, there was a ton of compost and lots of worms. I started off with ~2 1/2 pounds of red worms (Eisenia foetida), and I must have pulled at least that much out of the compost that I sorted, which was only ~1/4 of the bin!! Plus, there were lots and lots of baby worms and eggs, too. I ended up with ~15 pounds of compost, nice and black!! I put in some fresh bedding for the worms into the bin and tossed them back in to the side that still has all the food.

Other happenings today: Puddle jumping (or as K likes to call it “Walk on water!”) and bread making!