Green Acres: When the Well Runs Dry

We had a bit of a scare today. When we turned on the faucet, no water came out.

We live in the country and our block doesn't have access to city water. We depend on an underground spring for our water supply. We've got 2 water pumps in the front yard and 1 depends on the other for water. 

Apparently, from what our neighbors have told us - the block sits on rock so getting a reliable water supply is kind of a big deal. 

When you turn on the faucet and no water comes out - of course the worst case scenario comes to mind...  

The Truth about Honesty

Under the thumbnail of my picture for this blog I have a quote:

"Even if you sugarcoat shit... it's still shit"

I believe that; with every ounce of my being. 

By nature I'm a truth seeker. I don't believe the paint is wet, I don't believe shit stinks, I don't believe it's raining... these are things I have to find out for myself. Plus a multitude of other less trivial things that occur in my life. 

It's not that I don't trust people - I just need to know I've gotten the full truth so I can validate the statement. I could save myself some time if I believed people at their word.

It's a Lifestyle: Better than Mom's Cooking!

We went to NY this past weekend for our Niece's wedding. It was so much fun to go and enjoy family time. 

The trip was short but well worth it!

We took lots of pictures with our new #selfiestick. 

We really had a lot of fun! 

*****

Part of the requisite of visiting home is to indulge on phenomenal food. 

We spent more time in the car than we did visiting and doing stuff - but, we did eat!!

1. I had a slice of Pizza and an Eggplant Parmesan hero
2. I had Zeppoles
3. I had Rice & Beans with Steak
4. I had an Empenada
5. I had Fried Chicken Wings
6. I had a Leggios Hero
7. I had a Cinnamon & Raisin Bagel w/ Cream Cheese 
8. I had a couple hunks of Italian Bread
9. Not to mention, Subway and Zaxby's on the ride up. 

I weighed myself today...

I lost 2 lbs this week. 

Since January we drastically changed our eating habits - but going home is a treat and we definitely "treated" ourselves to some awesome food. We stuck with our #Advocare regimen while we traveled and got right back on the meal plan wagon when we got home (I did have some leftover Rice & Beans for lunch on Monday tongue emoticon ).

Green Acres: Spring is near!

Every year I put together a mental list of major purchases for things I would like to have. Sometimes I'm due for some new electronic devices. Sometimes I have plans for a large kitchen appliance. Maybe a new furniture set or TV.

One of my major purchase plans for this year was to pick up a rototiller. I would prefer to have a donkey and a plow, but given the age we live in and some of the conveniences that are available - at this point a rototiller is more practical and less time consuming.

Not to mention - WE (get it? WE!!!) only plan on tilling a maximum of 100 feet to garden - for this year <insert devilish chuckle here>.

The weather is starting to break and the growing season starts a little earlier in North Carolina than it does in New York (my Grandfather would not plant anything until just before Memorial Day). 

I plan on getting stuff in the ground by the end of April. 

But, one does not just put stuff in the ground!  Not if you're a seasoned farmer, like me!!

NOOO!!! I have to fertilize the soil. It has to be tilled a couple times and then fertilized again. Then WE till it some more!!

And when I say fertilizer... I don't mean some chemicals you buy in a bag... I mean with shit. Lots of shit! Horse shit, cow shit, llama shit... plus the compost that we've been building all winter long. In case you missed it, WE till the soil - I fertilize the soil. Aboy don't fuck with the shit. 

Yessir! We are going to have a garden of abundance this year!!

Tonight I scratched Tiller off the major purchase list. 

I went to the Tractor Supply in Rural Hall. 

Now you KNOW I live in the country if I have to go to a store in a town called Rural Hall! Oh and the 2010 census has the population of Rural Hall listed at 2,937 residents. Pretty rural considering it's only 10 minutes out of Winston Salem!

I walked around a little bit and eyed some chicks. They weren't sexed yet and my Aunt Lori told me I don't want to buy chicks that aren't sexed because I could end up with a bunch of roosters... but that's more for a later post!

So yeah, back to the Tiller... isn't she a beaut?

I'm not sure what this means - but apparently (according to the sales guy), "it's got good horses for the money!" He also told me to "put Hi-Test Petrol in it"... 

I just widened my eyes and watched his lips move to make sure I was hearing him correctly. His southern drawl was a little thick. 

Just think "Bubba". 

I have to tell you though - the fucking thing is heavy as a shitload of bricks! It wasn't so bad getting it loaded on the back of the truck because "Bubba" did most of the heavy lifting and pushing.

I was "Bubba" when I got to the house.

My hours at the gym are paying off though and I didn't drop it... and only cursed a couple times - out loud. I did get dirty... which is some bullshit because I wasn't in my "get dirty" clothes.

So, I got her off the truck and this is where she'll sit until Aboy comes home so WE can start with the flower beds!

Have a good night Yaw'll!! 

Time for me to fetch some vittles!

It's a Lifestyle: Is that Bacon?

If you've been following along, you know that we did the Advocare 24 Day Challenge that began on January 7th. 

Basically what the challenge does is it acts as a "Lifestyle Adjustment Tool". 

IT IS NOT A DIET. Like, I can't reiterate that enough. We are NOT ON A DIET. 

Change is derived from the word chaLLEnge (in Terri-Town) and we took the 24 Day Challenge to start the path for a lifestyle change. The food, tools and supplements that you use during the challenge prepare you for living a healthier lifestyle; to prepare your body to accept the nutrients you receive from real food. There are supplements to help keep you on the path. Think of them as tools to help build your foundation. 

Make sense?

++++++

We were almost 2 weeks into the challenge. Literally the no dairy, no unhealthy fats, and definitely no bacon part of the challenge. We were on our Saturday shopping trip to Trader Joe's and then to Whole Foods to pick up our weekly food supplies. 

Trader Joe's went great. We picked up our fresh fruits and vegetables. Aboy picked up organic coconut water and some healthy chips and other things for the road. I like their Brown Rice Pasta selection and also picked up some frozen fish.

On to Whole Foods. 

So, before I take you through that experience... let me set the stage a little clearer. We usually go on our shopping adventure right after we leave the gym. We have a piece of fruit or a healthy snack before shopping so we don't go in the store "starved"... and then have a nice lunch when we get back from shopping. 

Well, it was a Saturday morning and Whole Foods parking lot was jam packed. The Whole Foods we go to has an extensive deli type setting with seating and food to order. We walked in and were overcome by the smell of bacon. Like yummy, fuck the challenge - smell of bacon!! And the closer we walked to the restaurant area - the stronger the smell. 

We needed some coconut milk and yogurt - so, that brought us to the perimeter of the restaurant area. 

I wish I could show you the look on Aboy's face as we got closer to the smells perpetuating through the air. I have to admit - it was very enticing! 

We could have succumbed to the pressure, but to that point had really stuck to meal plan and decided once we got through with the challenge we could have some bacon as a treat.

So, we won that challenge!

++++++

In the world of nutrition and daily eating, bacon will be our treat. It tastes great but offers very little in the way of nutritional value. 

North Carolina is famous for it's bacon. We will always eat bacon. 

We just choose to use it as a treat and not a staple in our meal plan. 

Journal Entry: Zumba - Aye Carumba!

Some of yous may have forgotten (or maybe yous didn't even know)... I took dance lessons with Ms. Kay and Mrs. Cousins from Kindergarten until 9th grade. My specialty was Tap Dancing and then later, I started doing Tap, Ballet and tried Toe Dancing, too.

I'm also married to a black man. That means there is a lot of pressure on me to show my rhythmic side. Every major family event (BBQ's, Reunions, etc...) includes some form of music and alcohol, which we all know = get up and dance!

My hey-day of the club scene was in the 80's. We did a lot of drinking and a lot of dancing in the 80's. I enjoyed every bit of it. We had great dance music and a bevvy of styles to choose from.

And here we are today. 

Now, I Zumba.

They offer Zumba classes at the YMCA I go to. I mostly make the Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday classes because of my work schedule. It's a lot of fun and it's really helping me with my general overall body toning.

I laugh a lot. I make up my own moves when they do shit I physically can't do (remember the trick hip?). I've made some "gym friends". It's a great time. I guess you could call it the modern day club scene for middle-aged women!

******

The other night, we had a substitute instructor.

Have you ever watched the movie "Bring it on"? Basically, it's about 2 cheerleading squads. One squad has been stealing the other's routine for years and once it has been brought to the attention of the Captain that their routine was stolen, she goes out and hires a consultant to help them construct a new routine.

It's a Teeny-Bopper type movie - but, if you're bored, it's cute.

So anyways, the consultant tells them to use Spirit Fingers throughout the entire routine and SMILE!

The squad gets to Nationals and realizes this consultant has been instructing other squads with the same exact routine.

I told you that to tell you this.....

I mentioned the other night we had a substitute instructor. I swear on all things holy - she is the Consultant from Bring it On.

I am compelled throughout the entire Zumba work out to use my spirit fingers. None of her routines flow - so we all look like we're doing our own thing. She smiles and stares into space as if she's making the shit up as she goes along.

I just do a lot of this:

I'm not being mean because it is a great class in the fact there is a lot of jumping around, my heart rate stays elevated and I sweat... but I cannot for the life of me get the Spirit Fingers image out of my head!

I really wish I could have worn a body camera. Everyone at different points ended up doing what came natural. 

*****

On a serious note - if you are looking for a way to get out of the house, move your body and make new friends - find a Zumba class. You don't necessarily need rhythm - you just have to have a good sense of humor!

And my Latino/a friends and family will be proud of how I hold us down with my Merenque, Salsa, Rumba and Mambo moves!!! 

Andale, Andale! Arriba, Arriba! 

Life is good, in Turtle's world

Many of you are already familiar with Turtle. 

He is our 80+ lb African Sulcata Tortoise that we've had for over 10 years now. 

He's a simple fellow. 

Sleep, eat, poop, repeat. 

Every once in a while he'll break loose, but we give him a pretty good life and he knows where home is. 

Since he's getting so big - we needed a better plan than what we've had in the past. When we lived in Texas, we'd let him stay in the garage under a heater. 

I'd fix him up with a "condo" - to hold the heat in a little area for him and he'd pretty much hibernate for the winter. 

So, this year - with all of our pallet ideas, we repurposed some pallets and made him a house. It has a sun roof and everything!

He loves his house.

We'll continue to improve his house and living arrangements, but this winter has turned out to be great for Turtle. 

He's not remanded to be inside everyday. 

On nice days (when the temps are above 50) we open his house up and let him get some exercise. 

In years past, we would have to carry him outside to get some fresh air on nice days and hurry up and get him before he burrowed in for the night under a bush. 

Now after he's been outside and he's ready to call it a night - he just goes back in his house and let's us know he's done for the day. 

We did start to build a greenhouse to protect his area. 

Weather and time were not on our side. 

This will be helpful in the summer to give him some shade. 

Next winter - we've got the structure ready to complete the greenhouse. 

We're also going to put wheels on his pen and house so we can move him around the yard for an endless supply of grass!

The end.

Indoor Crafts: Loom Knit Hat & Scarf

Many of you that know me personally or if you have been following along with my blog understand that I have a need to stay busy. I multi-task for a living. It is my nature to have multiple things going on at one time.

"Idle time is the devil's play." - Mark Dayton

So, I keep busy. 

All the time. 

Something else that I have discovered about myself over the years - I have an equal Left and Right Brain. This just means that I have an analytic side and a creative side... equally. I can write technical manuals, but then I can illustrate them and add visual content. I don't know if it's a gift, genetic or learned - but, I embrace it. A lot of people are either one or the other. 

+++++

It's winter. The house usually stays pretty clean (because I'm in it all day long)... but, I need other things to do, too. 

Over the vacation - Michaels had a great sale on yarn. 

I picked up A LOT of yarn.

+++++

I am from New York. I don't talk to strangers. I was taught that from a very young age. 

I live in North Carolina. Southerners are social people. They will just spark up a conversation about the most random shit, just because. 

So, while I was in the yarn aisle (MINDING MY BUSINESS)... a native sparked up a conversation about the yarn. 

In my head, I had my own internal conversation:

"Oh boy! Here we go!... She's probably going to end up asking me what church I go to."

I nipped on the bait and my external voice participated. During the conversation, she mentioned that her church loom knits hats for cancer patients and that is why she was filling up her "buggy" (that's what southerners call a "cart") with yarn. A very noble cause, to say the least. 

Then... she asked me "What church do you go to?" 

I changed the subject back to yarn and asked her how to loom knit. 

She pointed out the looms she uses and said YouTube had a lot of videos and it was so easy to just follow along. 

I had a 50% off coupon for any regularly priced item and picked up the loom kit. 

This is my latest creation:

Pretty cool, right?

Hopefully I can crank out some more hats before summer gets here!

Look what Frank (Shady) dragged in!

I'm in the midst of my morning rituals, the dogs wanted to go outside a second time. I let them out and got back to my normal routine. 

Ed started barking at the door, he was ready to come in. Weeshy was sitting there with him so I had to call Frank to come in the house. 

Frank came barreling in (as usual) and Weeshy started chasing him around the living room. He jumped on my chair and I could see something hanging out of his mouth... a very long tail!

OMG! OMG! OMG!  

Naturally, I started screaming as that is my instinctive reaction to rodents and snakes. I scared the shit out of Frank and he dropped it. It landed on the floor by my side of the sofa. Weeshy tried to grab it - so between the screams, I chased the dogs away. 

Now, Nuisance got a wiff of it and wanted to get it too.

Frank was scared shitless (from the screams), so he ran in my office. Weeshy was perched on Aboy's side of the sofa and I had to pick up Nuisance because he went into predator mode. 

First thought (after all that)... how the fuck am I supposed to get this nasty shit out of here?

Conversation with myself:

"You can pick it up with a C-Town Bag... EWWW!!!"
"Get a shovel!... Yeah, Yeah - a shovel!"

I am still holding Nuisance. Frank is still in freaked-out mode in my office and I chased Weeshy away. I walked outside to get a shovel (Nuisance under my arm), come back in the house and Weeshy has the fucking thing on my side of the sofa!  

Instincts kick in, so I start screaming again.

Weeshy got freaked out and ran.

I knocked the nasty fucker on the floor with the shovel (Nuisance is still under my arm). I then did a quick rendition of the heebie-jeebie dance. 

I put Nuisance down and scooped up the mouse, got it outside and put it in the trash (so no one else gets the temptation to bring it back inside). 

I sprayed everything within a 10 foot radius with disinfectant.

I guess after breakfast I'll put on my hazard gear and sanitize the entire living area because of the contamination!

This can't possibly be what life on a farm is supposed to be like!