Plant your pumpkins

There are three things I’ve learned never to discuss with people: politics, religion and the great pumpkin.

*Charlie Brown

It’s time! I poured a lot into this blog over the years. I began with Wordpress which had a beautiful community of people. Then I found out about SquareSpace, it seemed to have less ads but this also came with a price. I purchased my own domain and began to create a new blog. Unfortunately, I got caught up in social media. Specifically Instagram. I started to use my iPhone as my primary picture taker and memory maker and posted all my memories and ordinary moments on I.G. I didn’t seem to have time to sit in front of an actual computer at a desk and reflect on the beauty of my days.

I used to go out into our world, more specifically my little community and take pictures with my DSLR. I didn’t seem to mind carrying that big camera around, much like a purse, always with me. This goes back to when I was a teenager and often would have my real film camera slung over my shoulder.

I’m making a mindful choice to step back in time. I know it may sound silly but I long for simpler days. I don’t like how I have allowed my smart phone and social media to take hold of my precious time.

I have decided to give up I.G.and spend more time writing my blog posts and speaking my podcast under the same name, “Life in the Wylde West”. I’m still using technology however I’m using it in a different more mindful way. I remember a decade ago when I would go through my days with my eyes wide open. I would take pictures of ordinary, extraordinary moments and sit with a hot cup of coffee in front of my computer and write about the blessings in my day. I would often share a picture with my words or even a video. I have decided to bring it back!

A couple weeks ago I was inspired to buy a bag of pumpkin seeds. I threw them in the old washtub we have in the back yard. This morning when I took my cup of coffee to the backyard to do some grounding, I noticed some leaf’s had popped their heads out above the earths surface!!! I was instantly filled with JOY. Planting seeds brings such HOPE. It has always been a visual reminder to me that when we plant seeds, water, nurture, give them plenty of sun and room to grow, they will indeed GROW!

Here is to the beginning of taking myself back to simpler times. I truly want to spend time connecting with people, finding time for creativity and making mindful nourishing choices.

CHEERS, HUZZAH!

She did it

Abbie our littlest and only girl has graduated high school! We are very proud of her. High School wasn’t so easy for this one. Her first two years of public school came with it’s challenges. Without sharing too much and telling the story that is her story to tell, I will just say that she learned early on that not everyone will like you and sometimes people we look up to can hurt and disappoint us. With these challenges Abbie grew into a strong young woman who can now express empathy for others who have experienced a similar path. The second half of high school was the complete opposite of the first. We were very apprehensive to try the at home program and unconventional school process, however after a small adjustment period, Abbie proved to us it was the best solution for her. Abbie graduated on June 21st from IQ Academy - California Los Angeles. She had to be independent, self starting and diligent to complete the program. Little did we know ALL the students of the world would be finishing this school year on-line. To say the least she is happy to be DONE

If you are considering or have any questions about the K12 state of California school program, send me an email or message and I will be glad to give you our experience and opinion of how it worked for Abbie. I don’t think it’s for every kid but it worked for Abbie. She is a leader and very independent. She was happy to have Disneyland days after a short day of school and she put her faith first and made it a priority to attend her youth group every week, winter camps, summer camp and time just hanging out with her friends she had met at church. She leaned into God the last two years and made the choice to be baptized on March 3rd 2019 just days before her 17th birthday. I’m not saying she is a prefect angel but her life took a sharp turn for the better once we changed her environment.

A future success story

I’m a big fan of success stories.  I hope I can be one of those stories and that this picture will change. 

somebody loves red and stripes!!

Hello anyone who wants to read about what I’ve been up to.  Some of you have followed my journey either in person or in the virtual world but if you have followed for some time you will see that I try, I try and I try to often fail, fail, fail.  I don’t mean to but it seems this health journey isn’t exactly the easiest thing to do on this planet.  I have tried often on my own and for many years. I have noticed rather than lose weight and feel healthy I somehow have gained with each passing year and feel worse and worse as the days go along.  I feel tired more than I should, I lack motivation to even get out and take in the fresh air, a little depression, lots of stiffness, and always that anxiety and itchy itchy skin. I’m tired of living this quality of life and in my heart I know I’m responsible. 

I decided to pay a professional and get educated on what I may have been doing wrong all along.  I knew in my heart upon meeting my holistic health coach that I most likely had a sugar addiction.  I knew I consumed entirely too much sugar in many different forms.  Yet I didn’t really want to stop.  The more I ate the more I wanted.  I wanted a dessert after every meal and the in between meals too.  I’ve watched a few documentaries on sugar and I’m completely convinced it’s a drug.  A drug I’m addicted to.  I have no prejudice, I eat all foods, really good and really crappy.  I’m open to it all but because of my constant need for sugar this journey has been very difficult.  

I have seen first hand tremendous results in other people, like my cousin Miss Moonspinner who gave it up and has been successful for some time now.  I can tell you this, she radiates!  Her body has found it’s natural weight and she is gorgeous.  My sister she also glows, she has bright eyes and has healed her health issues with food.  My holistic health coach, Maritza is also another example of what healthy looks like.  There is just something plain different about them.  When I use words like glow and radiate it’s no joke, they just look fresh, bright and alert!  They have learned the art of taking very good care of their human temples.  I admire them as I daily fail.  I’m tired of beating myself up.  Of thinking I can’t do it because it’s too hard.  What if I fail yet again?

But I will never know unless I try.  I’m always up for a try.  Always. I’m on day 15 today without refined sugar, without gluten, without soy, without dairy, without caffeine and eggs too.  While it doesn’t mean I have given it all up for good, it’s the first steps as Maritza says for healing my gut and fighting the bad stuff off.  I do know I don’t want to abuse sugar like I did.  So if it means being really, really strict for a while then I should try.  

It helped that she gave me a lot of new recipes to try when she could tell I was teetering on the edge. I spent last Saturday making my own coconut yogurt, sauerkraut, a flavorful quinoa with black beans, peppers, onions and spices I don’t normally use, like turmeric, curry, cayenne pepper, nutritional yeast etc.  I made this really yummy purple potato salad with a flavorful cashew dressing and I couldn’t find he nettles so I used dill and it tasted terrific.  I made my own bread out of plantains, (that takes some getting used to but it’s actually growing on me.) I made green tea lemon zest gummies and cashew/garlic/dill cheese.  In my entire life I had never made any of these new things.  Of course I’m still waiting on the sauerkraut, that takes 2 to 6 weeks.  There is this satisfaction knowing that I can make these things by myself and in most cases save money rather than buying these healthy things pre-made and then I also know exactly what I have put into them. 

I believe it takes a few things.  

1. A mindset.  This is so important.  If your mind isn’t right then it will not work.  
2. A willingness to try new things.
3. Parting with a few dollars and especially in the beginning while you build your healthy staples.   Better to spend it now on good health choices than later for medications and doctors bills. 
4. A community.  It’s important to have support, lots of support.  

I am yet AGAIN,  trying.  I say things to myself like one step at a time, literally while on walks I will sing that song, put one foot in front of the other and soon you’ll be walking cross the floor, remember that song from “Santa Claus is Coming to Town?”  It gets all whirled up in my head.  my new mantra is just keep swimming, taken from my most favorite fish Dory.