Fi & Me

Fi & Me

2012

What can I say?

This gal from down under has stolen my heart.

:-)

Big difference, eh?

Bootcamp is coming to a close again - and what I'm struck by the most - being on 'this side' of it as a Coach in Training - it's not the body difference - it's the difference I'm seeing in people's eyes.  It just chokes me up.  In all the before pictures, you just see this despair - this self degradation - and in the afters - it's this confidence - this light - sheer joy!

It's quite a gift to watch it.

She's videotaped practically the entire visit, and as soon as I can get ahold of them, I'll slap them up here.

Here's a teaser:

Gracious - we have been busy. 

You know - when you think you are going to pull off this awesome visit for someone and it all unravels after a few days of no sleep?

Ya.  That's what we've got going on.

I'm starving her half to death - so that when I do feed her - she thinks I'm an awesome cook.

I washed her sheets today and put them back on damp - so they still smell faintly of vinegar from the rinse cycle.  She should love that. 

It's the way we do things in America baby.

We've been camping, yard saling, we went and met the Coach for lunch.

That's all I can remember.

The rest of her time here is booked solid - but I honestly can't even tell you doing what -

that's how tired I am.

:-)

Aaron is working on a way to fit in her suitcase me thinks.

Till soon...

 

The Kiwi Has Landed

She made it here!

By no help from me I might add.

At one point, I thought I was at the airport on the wrong day.

I didn't know the flight #.  I thought I did - but when I asked someone at the airport - I was told there was no such flight.

And then it dawned on me that I'm such a goofball.

I mean - who comes to the airport with no information other than 'I think it's flight 9192 on United'.

Who??

Me.

With absolutely no way to get ahold of her I might add.

It was the makings of a long night.

Can I just talk about me for a sec?

My glasses.

Argh!

I had the no glare put on them, but then they always had this pinky purple cast to them - so I had them take it off - and now I lose my eyeballs in photos.

OK...thanks.

I got a coffee and decided to wait it out.  It's what you do at midnight at O'Hare International Airport.

Me at midnight is not good.

Me at midnight is deer in headlights, and 'you will be lucky to get home alive'.

Amazingly, we found her - and in fact - Aaron got so excited that he ran into a 'DO NOT ENTER' zone and I seriously thought they were going to take him to the ground.

I know we can send a man to the moon - but it STILL amazes me how we can fly around the globe.

Fiona - from New Zealand is sleeping up in my bed right now.

Mind boggling!

On the way to the airport - Aaron and I thought it would be funny to pull in the driveway of this completely abandoned, ramshackle home - and pretend it was my house.  I told him we had to totally go through with it - and actually start getting out of the car.

It was funny - but because it was so pitch black out - the joke was rather lost since she couldn't really see the house - and then I busted out laughing -

We got to bed at 4am.

I'm trying to figure out how long I need to let her sleep to be polite.

I'm thinking she's just about had enough.

I'm thinking it's time to roll the film and open the bedroom door.....

It's All Good.

Lord have mercy on us all.

It's been 12 days since I've blogged.

I'm in the throes of prepping for Fiona's visit.

Yes - she is coming!

Why is it that when someone comes to stay -  I feel the need to do things that have been needing done for years?

That danged obsolete Directv dish on the house had to go.

The dead ivy vines that have been dangling in the breeze for three years...a total priority.

I've been busy loving life and sucking the marrow out of it's bones.

Still living without a list - and dad gum it, I'm loving it.

Today I picked up 10lbs of locally, the way the Good Lord intended beef to be raised beef.  It was a clandestine meeting in a grocery store parking lot. The sweet lady that raised it met me on her way to work.  She was so proud of her beef!  I couldn't help but thinking that it was the only way to get really good food anymore - straight from the source. 

Go to your local farmer's market!

Yesterday I canned some strawberry jam with some berries from the farmer's market - it's been a few years since I've done that, and I enjoyed it so.

If you could take a peek in my head - you'd see a big fat broody hen sitting on a clutch of so many ideas.  Oh, I've got ideas.  I'm laughing at myself as I make them - because I know that my body will never be able to keep up.

Plant 400 blackberry and raspberry bushes and sell organic berries on the road side.

Become a chicken farmer for real.

Write a book.

Teach healthy cooking classes.

Stuff like that there.

It's fun to dream.

I'll leave you with a little story that I typed out on the Leanness Lifestyle forum yesterday.

It's a true story gals.

A Crown Point, Indiana woman reports a near death experience today whilst washing windows in preparation for Fiona Ashford’s visit – credits the Leanness Lifestyle for saving her life.“I was wanting to finish the window washing this morning before the sun came over to the west side of the house. I was feeling strong and sassy, so I went out back and got the 25′ aluminum ladder and carried it up to the house. I didn’t think there was any reason to summon the husband. I surprised myself at how I was able to get the 25′ beast propped on the house and as I was scurrying up the ladder with Windex in hand – I was feeling pretty awesome. All of those french presses had paid off.”

Goffin reports when it was time to move the ladder to the next window – she lost control of the ladder and was unable to leverage it with her 5’8″ frame and tendonitis riddled right arm.“The next thing I know – the ladder is taking me for a ride and I realize that it’s going to come down right on top of me. I didn’t know what else to do, I didn’t want it to crash through a window – I remember saying ‘Sweet Jesus’ and the next thing I know – the ladder is coming down, and it comes down over me – and I slide through one of the rungs. Thank the Lord I fit through the rungs.”

Goffin reports that the near 100lbs she’s lost with the Leanness Lifestyle in the past 16 months indeed may have saved her life, or at least prevented severe blubber impingement, contusions, sprains and various injuries. “My shoulder is toast. It’s been bothering me for a year now – and today I think I finished it off.”

Goffin reports that after bursting into tears and running in the house and asking her husband for help, she finished all the windows without awfulizing the situation, ingesting chocolate or being ungrateful for having to wash 27 windows in a 140yr old farmhouse. “We LL’rs are stubborn cusses” said Goffin, smiling like a fool.”

Checkin' In

Just a little check in.

I'm quite surprised at how busy I've been.

I keep thinking 'oh, tomorrow will be a light day' - and then it comes and it's filled plum full.

I've started working out in the morning with my neighbor again - and then the next thing you know it's supper time, and then bed time.

I haven't even had much swing time lately - but it's all SO incredibly good and wonderful.

I'm ENJOYING my busyness at the moment, and not feeling enslaved by it.

I'm still list-less, but not listless!

Started making the Bootcamp rug, like I did last year - all the Bootcampers sent me jeans that are too big for them - and I'm making the Coach a rug - I've forever thankful to my friend Jaimie for coming and helping me warp the beast of a loom!

It spurred me on to think about my own jeans - the ones that I'm saving for posterity to remind myself of how far I've come.

Size 26 y'all.

I'm in an 8 now - and will probably be in a 6 before all is said and done.

I'm just a few pounds away from my Fiona goal -

So much to tell you guys, and no time to tell it!

I'll be back when it rains!

Aaron is doing fantastic.

He may have his GED as early as July.

The boy is focused.

Driven.

Determined.

I'm so proud of him!

Alrighty - I'll be back as soon as I can - but for now I've got to get in the beehives while the weather is perfect for it.

Thinking of you all - have a happy day!

A Pointless Post

I'm a grown woman with what I always considered a lot of common sense - wise beyond her years some say -

Except when it comes to Toxicodendron radicans - aka -

Poison Ivy.

When it comes to poison ivy I laugh at it, and roll in it naked - or at least at this moment it appears as if I did.  I knew full well that I was wrangling poison ivy, a nice mature vine to boot - all tangled up in my weigelas.  I had shorts and a tank top on - and garden gloves.  I really thought those gloves would protect me.

Apparently I touched every inch of my body while wearing the poison ivy oil soaked gloves.

I'll spare you the pictures.

I'm just interspersing pictures in this post that make me happy and take my mind off of my scabbed flesh.

I'm covered and I do mean covered, head to toe - most of my torso has been spared, thank the Lord.

The oozing blisters have dried up - but I'm itching like a, like...well - there is no analogy that would do it justice.

Thankfully the weather is mild enough that I can wear long sleeves and pants, cause nobody needs to see the mess that I am.

This is not what this post is about at all - actually, there is no point to this post - it's just drivel.

My list-less honeymoon continues - yet along with my poison ivy itch this morning, I awoke with another itch.

The 'make a list' itch - the 'I gotta lotta things to do today list'.

The itch that 'well, that was a nice break from reality - but let's get back to it'.

The itch that is really nothing more than a habit.

Kinda like my every day bacon habit of yesteryear.

I loved this comment so much I want to marry it:

Kate said -

Yes! Lists... After years of following and feeling guilty when not following them I had a Mom Moment. My dear, nearly 80 year old mother who is European, quirky and blunt, looked at my Binder so crammed with schedules and lists, flipped through the endless reminders and to-do's all broken down into hours, days, weeks, months, etc... and she said, very calmly, "Um, sweetie? When do you fart?"
Huh?
"Yes, when did you schedule time to fart? This is insanity in a three ring binder. It's called a BINDER for a reason. Now throw this thing away and live your life, honey. Don't schedule it!"
LOL!
Now, I do have a very simple calendar and a mental to-do list, but nothing more detailed than that. You know what? It has never been so freeing to toss out the stupid binder!
Hugs to you on your Freedom Journey!
~Kate

How easy it is to fall back into our old habits.  My old habit of list making is trying to tell me that the cat will never be fed today, my teeth will never see a brushing, and that dinner won't make it to the table unless I make a detailed list today.  If I made a list today it would include 'teach the ducks to fly'.  I'm starting to think it's high time those fowl took flight - but I think they are too obese.  I actually picked one up and threw it in the air - it didn't end well.  I also threw one (now when I say 'throw' - I do mean 'assisted with gentleness') into the pond - where it promptly jumped out and ran as fast as it's obese body and webbed feet would allow it - right back to the pen.

They are eating me out of house and home.

Have you ever heard of neuroplasticity?

I wish I had the time right now to tell you all about it - but I really don't.

I'm speaking at a Garden Club tonight about making herbal vinegars and oils - and you see - I'm not entirely sure where the meeting is, or what time it is, nor do I have my handouts typed or printed out, and it's 7:26am and I'm still in my pajamas scratching myself.

Neuroplasticity can be your best friend (as it is mine) or your worst enemy (as it is mine).

Do you know that thoughts are things?

Do you know that by thinking things you make pathways in your brain?

It's utterly fascinating, and if you've got time, Google it.

I'm reading a book right now called 'You Are Not Your Brain'.

Really interesting stuff.

I do hope to talk more about it soon - but for right now - I have got to not make a list and do a bunch of things. 

:-)

Y'all rock my world.