A challenge, in and of itself

What u talkin bout?

posted by Melissa Baumgart
How's the running going, everyone?

I ran today, and I kicked up the speed a notch.  Yep, that's right, I ran my fastest mile yet.  I made it under eight and a half minutes at 8:27, a speed of 7.1 mph.  That is a 2.89% increase (I challenge you to check my math to see if it is correct.) over my previous best of 6.9 mph.

I have to admit, though, that I did not run yesterday.  I let all those excuses I mentioned in my previous post get the best of me.  I flopped my body on the couch for the entire second half of the day and watched television.  I really missed that during Homesteading month.

I have said it before, and I'll say it again: Living up to my own expectations is one of the hardest parts of this blog.  One one hand, I completely agree that being OK with having a down day is acceptable and can even be inspiring for another person to read about.  It might make it more real and less like I am some perfect Super-Mom (totally am not!) that does everything I set out to do.  Within that framework, other people may find solace and comfort in knowing we all fall short sometimes.  And that we can pick ourselves up and start all over again, maybe even faster and better.

On the other hand, I hate not following through with a challenge.  I want to be someone that does what I said I would do, no matter how tired I am, no matter how many things stack up against me.  No one gets anywhere in life sitting on the couch for 8 hours a day watching TV!

That's life.  It's a dichotomy, a puzzle, a challenge in and of itself.  It seems it can be so hard to find our own inner voice without falling prey to the negative self talk.  That voice can be so seductive.  So pervasive.  Maybe that should be a month for the blog; journaling the internal negative voice, and burning every last scrap of those papers.

But I do believe that there is a future for us all, in which we are humble enough to acknowledge that everyone has these vulnerabilities and yet, self-possesed enough to know where to draw the line between our true selves and the false assumption that there is a part of us that is never good enough.  Maybe it comes with age, maybe it comes with self exploration.  Or maybe it just is there, always waiting for us to witness it.

peace,
Melissa

The 3 Hour Challenge

posted by Melissa
I Have Worms!

Worms and worm poop.

"So, when your worms reproduce and you have too many, do you just go to your friends and say, I have worms?"

This was one of the questions Amy asked at our worm bin workshop we attended last night.  It got quite a few laughs.  The other good one was when Tallulah asked if she could have the green plastic piece that popped out of the bin after drilling.  I think people were expecting some cute little kid question about worms.

Just drillin' in the park.

It was a great workshop, and Amy gave all the details on her last post.  She was the first to volunteer when the drill was offered up to make the drain holes in the bottom of the top bin.  They do this so you can collect worm tea, which is a liquid (basically liquid worm poop, Tallulah loved that) densely packed with nutrients for your plants.  The Seattle Tilth volunteer said you can mix 1 tablespoon of the worm tea with 1 gallon of water and use it to spray your plants, indoors and outside.

The only bummer about the class was the timing, and only because as a new homesteader (I want to scream, "Faker!  I am a faker!") I am not used to the amount of planning that is required.  If you take on a challenge like this, it would behoove you to be organized and prepared for each day.  So, the class was at dinner time, and I had not planned a dinner.  I was originally hoping to try my hand at pasta making again.  Now, I wouldn't be home to do so.

The Oddity of Food Choices
I texted Jamie, who was with the older kids at soccer practice.  "There is no dinner, get something to eat for you and the kids."

I figured I would just make due with what was on hand, maybe some lettuce and a little quinoa from lunch.  I stopped by Big Mario's to get Tallulah a slice.  That was hard, standing in front of all that pizza, smelling it, almost tasting it.  Then watching her eat it, NOT finish it and leave it lying there, tempting me for the rest of the evening.

Taking some control over my situation, I made my own pizza.  I used the bread I made that morning, got a tomato from out back in Amy's garden, some basil from the front garden and some cheese from dinner the other night.  I have to admit, it was pretty good, and looking at them side by side, mine "looked" better and healthier, more fresh.  But I still longed to have the slice from Big Mario's instead.  WHY?  What the hell is wrong with me?

What would be your choice?  Do you also crave "junk" food?  Do you find that the more you eat it, the more you crave it?  That reminds me of that movie, Supersize Me.  And believe me, if I don't get a handle on this, I will be supersizing myself in no time.

Choice #1

Choice #2

Jamie got home with the other two kids with a family meal from Ezell's fried chicken for dinner, and promptly announced, "I won't be going to yoga, I am eating chicken instead."  Really?  Are you kidding me?  I don't know why, but I wanted it all, the whole bucket of chicken, the fake mashed potatoes, the bad coleslaw.  I think that sometimes when I go to one extreme (no processed foods), I desperately want to swing back to the other.

Perhaps another thing to throw out of my-life-is-junk drawer?  Wait, I thought I dealt with this the other day at lunch?  OK, starting again, healthy food choices, actually homesteading and less screen time...for the next three hours. 

Is there something you want to change? A behavior, a thought pattern?  Could you do it for three hours?  Let me know...share your ideas or commitments on our Facebook page.

-Melissa