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I rather like to think of myself as a gardener. I thoroughly enjoy planning flower beds and going to plant nurseries to see what wonderful specimens that I have never seen before. I like reading gardening books and browsing web sites for the perfect plant companions and thinking about where they could go in my own flower beds. I have a list of plants and trees in my head that I will own one day when I have more room. I enjoy walking through the local arboretum and trying to name the plants without looking at their markers. Yeah, I know how to have a good time.

And while I have learned a lot about gardening in general, I have so much more to learn. I want to know more about the soil and how to best prepare it to grow organic flowers and veggies. I want to know the best time to plant and harvest. I want to learn more about native plants, rain gardens and sustainable gardening. This is why I applied for and was thankfully selected to participate in the Master Gardener program with the Fayette County Extension office. Tomorrow I will attend the orientation class and then, starting September 9th, I will begin the regular class that goes a few hours a day, two days a week for ten weeks.  Completing the course does not automatically make me a master of all things in the garden. I have to take a final exam and then volunteer for up to 40 hours to get that prestigious title.

The process to get in the program was competitive and I wasn’t sure that I would make the cut considering I’m more of a computer geek with no formal training at all in things of nature. I’m glad that they gave me a break though and am excited to start the classes. I have to admit, I haven’t done a great job of keeping my flower beds in shape this summer. I guess I can always offer up a place to do weed identification if that is needed.

Side note: Whenever I think of myself as a Master Gardener, Star Wars pops in my head and I chuckle. This explains the title of this post and also warns everyone that I will refer to myself as Jedi Master Gardener when the time comes.

Yummy Vegan Apple Crisp^^

So let’s have a little update on the lifestyle changes shall we? Yes let’s.

As you may remember, I started following a plant-based diet in January of this year. Now it is eight months later and I am still going strong. A lot of people assume that vegans can only eat fruits, veggies, tofu and beans but did you know that frito corn chips and oreos are vegan? Yeah, me either. I spent the first few months eating vegan but not necessarily healthy until I found an online workshop called Vegan Hope. The Vegan Hope workshop came along at the perfect time for me.

Not only did I change up my diet but I also joined a gym and started working out with a trainer. The training was going fabulous until a couple months in and then it seemed like I was moving backwards. I soon discovered that I had a medical issue that would halt the workouts for about six weeks. Everything is fine now but let’s just file the medical issue under the category of lady troubles and leave it at that.

This six weeks hiatus from doing anything physical could have meant a huge set back for the weight loss and general move in the healthy direction but this is where the Vegan Hope Workshop came in. I spent the entire month of July learning about food and food combinations and refining my diet even more. I started eliminating unhealthy things like sugar, oils and processed foods and learned how to cook fresh, healthy meals. I stopped craving sweets and oils and I started to really taste veggies and fruits like I can only assume they were meant to be tasted. Now I reach for an apple or frozen grapes when I want something sweet and it almost always does the trick.

At the end of the six weeks, I hopped on the scale with much anxiety and discovered that I had lost 10 pounds! That is 10 pounds without exercise or tracking calories at all! That made me even more excited to call up Trainer Rob and get back to work. I am now two weeks into the new training plan and have more energy than ever. I am also happy to report that I am officially 20 pounds lighter from when I began this little journey back in January.

The difference this time around than the other times I have dieted and lost weight is that I look at food differently now. I think of it as fuel and in many ways medicine to heal my body rather than putting things in there that cause stress and disease. I also REALLY enjoy fresh foods now. I like how they taste and how they make me feel. This lifestyle feels right for me and has been surprisingly easy so far. It feels good to listen to my body for a change and take things as they come.

This video is so inspiring:

I’m currently reading the book “Life is a Verb: 37 Days to Wake Up, Be Mindful, and Live Intentionally” by Patti Digh and it is loaded with inspirational stories and yummy bits to think about. It is one part short stories and one part journaling prompts. It is the perfect read for me right now.

I learned today: Tall Garden Phlox smells super sweet and Quinoa elbow pasta with whole tomatoes is good healthy southern comfort food.

This past weekend I attended the second ever Barefoot Works book club meeting and we discussed “Hip Tranquil Chick: A Guide to Life On and Off the Yoga Mat“. I really enjoyed the book and gained a lot of great information and things to think about but more than anything I enjoyed the two hours of hanging out with other smart, funny women, talking about self-care, getting the most out of our yoga practices and how to find balance in this crazy world.

One of the topics the book covers is how to dress and show your own style, by using a few great articles of clothing, while also learning to shop mindfully and only purchase things that work well for you and that enhance your wardrobe. She also suggests, for every item you purchase, choosing an item in your closet to give away. I love the idea of this but that is something that I will have to work on! I really don’t shop a lot but I always think that I may need the old items later. I rarely ever do.

In thinking about clothing that I love and feel like matches my  personal style, I always think about this great etsy store called Treehouse 28 that I discovered last year. I don’t personally own anything from this store…. yet…. BUT I will once I reach a certain milestone on my fitness journey. The clothing isn’t cheap but it isn’t unreasonable either, especially since the items are made specifically for you. You have to send in your measurements when you order. They are also very versatile and so beautiful. I’m in love with them.

Here are a couple of my favorites:

3/4 SLEEVE TOP

ARMSLEEVES

Is there anything more perfect than a small jelly jar with cut flowers from your garden sitting on the kitchen table? I can’t express how much I am enjoying the fruits of my labor from last summer and fall. The flower beds that were new and small last year are tall and grown together this year. Perfect.

I spent this last weekend visiting my family. It is always nice to go home for a few days. The pace changes and everything slows down. My mom cooks special foods for me and my lovely sister makes me a surprise vegan birthday cake.

I stand next to one sister or the other, doing dishes, and we chat. I have long talks with my dad about his dogs he is training or the latest things he has been into.

My mom and I talk flowers and she almost always sends me home with a couple of new plants for my flower beds. I sometimes can give her a few tips from things I have learned from reading one gardening book or another but usually she teaches me a thing or two.

I take naps and they watch my doggy and sneak him extra snacks and he adores them more than anything. Telling Merlin that we are going to PeePaws house puts him in a frenzy.

The photo above is my dad with my sister’s dog, Maggie. They are looking for squirrels. Dad and Maggie are partners in crime. She helps him do the chores and then they snuggle up for a nap. If he is gone for a day, she pouts. I love their relationship.

Tonight I attended my first yoga class in some time. For several months now I have been dealing with a sore lower back and it didn’t seem to be getting better. I have been going to a chiropractor the entire time, at least twice a week and sometimes more, and it would feel somewhat better but then would start hurting again. I finally went for an x-ray and discovered that I have a touch of arthritis in my spine. I’m happy to know this because I was afraid it was a pulled muscle that I may be hurting more by doing things like yoga and now I know that is not the case. As a matter of fact, yoga is suggested for what I have and now I am free to do it. I’m glad because I missed it a lot.

I have been doing yoga for a couple of years now. Actually, this month makes exactly two years. I contribute it with many positive changes in my life. I’m learning how to better listen to my body, to become more mindful and live in the moment, to deal with stress better and to just breath.

Something interesting happened while I was on the mat tonight though that I don’t often experience. I got very emotional, as in tears streaming down my face emotional. Tracy, our fabulous teacher tonight, put together a nice flow that included some om chanting and wonderful breathing. She also had us ask some questions of ourselves like “what do you want?” and “what is my purpose?” as we worked through the poses. I was so connected and aware of myself that at one point I looked down a my feet and suddenly realized how much they looked like my Grandma Shepherd’s feet. She passed away many years ago and yet, for a minute, I remembered what she smelled like and what her hands felt like. It was beautiful and amazing.

I felt completely connected to myself, my family, the women in my family and the process of carrying on after them. I felt love, gratitude and strength. It is nice to be reminded that when we look inside and take care of ourself, we often find the things that connect us all.

I have been home a few days from SXSW and have been processing what I thought about everything this year. I have to admit, this wasn’t my favorite year. I sat through some interesting sessions and brought home some good information but the overall experience didn’t compare to the last two years.

The event this year was much larger than in the past and, in some time slots, I was almost overwhelmed with which talk to attend. This could be a good problem to have except sometimes the choices still didn’t excite me. I still think it is a great conference and well worth attending but I’m interested to see how it will evolve. I have to make a disclaimer here that I managed to catch the SXSW Scurvy early on in the conference and spent a large part of it with medicine hangover, feeling tired and not particularly interested in socializing.

OK now to sum up the fitness/food situation while traveling, it was a challenge to say the least. I did not exercise at all other than walking around the conference and downtown to get some food. I blame this on the scurvy. I did not have the energy to do anything and I couldn’t even imagine a workout with my stuffed up head. I’m just now getting back on track with that.

Austin itself had a ton of options for interesting vegan friendly food but most of it was not within walking distance, well walking distance for someone that felt sickly and pathetic. I ended up eating Starbuck’s oatmeal and a soy chai latte almost every day for breakfast and then a veggie burger most nights from the restaurant in the hotel.

I did visit Pita Pit a few times for their hummus and falafal pita, not exactly the healthiest choices but not the worst either. SXSW had a few decent vegan selections as well at the conference center and I appreciate that.

This traveling experience wasn’t the best for the new lifestyle choices and I have to learn how to plan better for future trips. I may even pack a small bag of acceptable food next time that would serve as a back up for when I can’t find food that fits the bill.

Now I need to get back on track and into my new/old routine and I’m actually pretty excited about that.