186 - Nit Pic'ing

Same old, same old, so here are some pics.

That's why they call them the Smokies.

Geese flying in a straight line.

Like little ants marching into the trees

Magnolia tree

What I did today.

 

A storm was moving in just as I finished mowing the back yard. I was almost finished when I saw lightning striking in the distance and I could hear thunder. Just wanted to finish up before it started raining but was also at the point that if I'd had any more to do I was going to pack it in because the temperature dropped, the wind picked up and with the booming and striking I figured I'd better get indoors.

So I did.

I put the lawnmower away, came upstairs and was literally stepping into the shower - hadn't closed the curtain yet - when I heard an extremely loud crack and saw a orange-yellow flash through the bathroom window... in the back yard where I had been only 3-5 mins before.

So I *think* this is where it struck. That limb has looked like that since we've been here and I can't tell if it's charred or just darker from the rain, but that's kind of the area I thought it hit and I don't see anything else. I just know it scared me when it happened and then again when I thought about how close I was to being out there. So I learned my lesson. Don't get so focused on finishing something that you ignore what's going on around you. Which is funny really... dad and I just had that conversation a couple of days ago.

But I'm alive and kicking and around to enjoy this sunset. As crappy as my luck is, I guess I still had some in reserve.

The garden. I now think what I thought was pepper cress might be... ARUGULA!!! It went from plump round leaves to a more spinachy look but I tasted it and it was peppery like arugula. So I'm pretty much drooling. And I have another potential lavender plant that popped up.

This is kind of cool. It's a sort of double reflection of a tree and clouds and another tree in a window. Looks like it's encased in a big cocoon.

So that's it. I'm worn out. I've finally started losing weight, and I can't prove it but it started happening when I added the lemon essential oil to my water and started drinking four of five glasses of that. I haven't yet cut the soda out and none of my other habits have changed (I was already drinking 4-5 glasses of plain water). Yes I'm mowing the lawn but I've been doing that for three or four weeks now and still couldn't get under a certain number. Now I've lost four pounds, about a pound a day. My theory is two-fold... lemon is a detoxifier, so it goes into the fat cells and pulls the gunk out, which helps you lose weight. Lemon also puts your body into an alkaline state, which means yeast can't live there. And since I've thought Mike and I both have issues with systemic yeast, it seems likely this is true. In any case, four pounds down and a lot more to go but at least I'm seeing progress and that is motivating. I guess I'll know when Mike gets home and he starts drinking it.

185 - New Family Member

Today we got a dog. More specifically Mike FINALLY got a dog. His name is Bo, and he found his way into the doggie foster care system when a breeder decided he wasn't gaining weight fast enough and decided to put him down. The vet tech saved him, which is really profound if you think about it. One moment can change a life.

So, meet Bo.

I can't wait to meet him, he looks like a happy dog and a great addition to the family. Not sure Gracie is going to agree, but hopefully they'll be pals someday.

Today I officially enrolled with doTerra. It's a scary step because there is no guarantee of success, but I'm also excited. I'd done my homework before I contacted them, but I got to smell and touch products I otherwise wouldn't have been able to experience. My favorite was lime EO. I put a drop into a glass of water and decided I have found my soda replacement. I have two 12-packs of Wild Cherry Pepsi and when they're gone, they're gone. I was writing a blog about the experience and decided to calculate the cost comparison and calorie savings... it was pretty eye opening. I don't think I've actually seen it laid out that way before and if I had it might have had more impact on whether or not I drank it. The money savings is one thing, but three cans a day for thirty days is 14,400 calories that I can cut out of my diet. Just wow.

I also put up my shelving unit. Somehow all the hardware for the shelving unit, dining room table, and sleigh bed were all packed away... somewhere... but we haven't found them yet. I decided that yes, that hardware that came with it was less unsightly, but basically it was screws and nuts, and I could find those at Walmart. So I did. And I erected the shelves, which looks much better than shelves sitting in a bunch on the floor. Makes me feel like we actually live here. I just ignore the fact that our actual master bedroom is a repository for unopened boxes... yep. We're allllllll moved in...

I buy red and green leaf lettuce and tear all the leaves up to put into my Salad Spinner to use for the week. Salad Spinner - one of the single greatest creations ever... spins the water off the leaves and lettuce lasts for at least a week, nice and crisp in the fridge. So I let the last few leaves stay attached to the root, and then I put them in a small bowl with a little water, just enough for the bottom to be immersed. And... they regrow. Someday I will have lettuce. For free. In the meantime, it's kind of nice to have greenery in the kitchen, and I like the way Mike arranged them on the window, so I keep adding to it. This is my substitute garden picture since I didn't remember to take a picture of the garden and it's now dark out.

Poor thing, she has no idea what's coming her way. So calm and relaxed...

Chandelier in the dining room. We both think it's neato. It's old school but classy.

184 - I'm Still Standing

I've been working on the new website. I did find out how to create a subscribe by email feature, so now people can sign up to any or all of the blogs that interest them... And I have been blogging my ass off so I can put the blogs on Pinterest and Tasty Kitchen to hopefully get some traffic to my site.

The doTerra rep is also going to come to the house tomorrow, so hopefully I'll be able to start selling soon.

Other than that, not much going on around here. It's been kinda rainy so I haven't gone outside much except to grab stuff out of the RV. I did crack a couple of eggs open, put the insides into a ziploc in the freezer for later, and blend the shells with some water because my tomato and pepper plants are a little yellow. So I stepped outside to do that... I'll take a pic of the garden tomorrow. The pepper cress and cilantro have started to grow. The rest... they are still underground somewhere. I know some take a while to germinate so I'll just wait and see what happens but... I WANT MY ARUGULA NOW!!! *cough*

As for TCA, the boys have been cooking up new ways to expand the business, and Mike and I discussed a couple more this afternoon. They want to start making concrete benches if there is some free time between jobs, and we hope to sell them through local hardware stores and advertise online through the website, Etsy and some barter sites on Facebook. We've also come up with smaller concrete items that they can create to sell in the same manner, but those items could be shipped out so that our reach extends beyond Alabama and Tennessee. Key words these days: Alternative revenue streams... find as many ways to make money as you possibly can... and boy are we trying.

So tomorrow... big day... Walmart for groceries, and then doTerra after lunch. Can I get a woohoo? As far as I know... that's it. I manage to keep busy and not go insane, so yea for me - because sometimes it is difficult to do!