Garden 2009!

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Yes, it's time again! I feel confident bragging about my garden finally, because almost everything has survived the 40 degree weather we had in late May and early June, and it looks like it might actually produce some produce.

We're trying a few new things this year, broccoli being one; lemon cucumbers, which sound really odd - I'll have to let you know on that one; and butternut squash, which is supposed to grow well in this climate. We also found bush pickles again (small cukes), and are planning to make - you guessed it - lots of pickles! We have a box full of peppers, and one of tomatoes - yay, fresh salsa! Too bad I can't grow limes here....

My hubby completed a huge project for me - we took down the gulag (the 6 foot high deer fence around the three garden boxes) and he built frames around each box individually, with doors on either side to lift up. They're covered with chicken wire, to keep out deer, small animals and all the robins and grackle that have decided our yard is their buffet. Now I have to come up with something to filter out the cottonwood...there's a blanket of what looks like snow across the yard, the plants, the boxes, the sandbox, the swingset....

Watch this space for more recipes - I'll post our pickles when it's time to make them, as well as my curry salsa when it's perfected. And I'll let you all know how the lemon cucumbers turn out!

News from Dietsville - My clothes are starting to fit!!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

It's official - my continuing journey is yielding some encouraging results. My "fat jeans" - the size 14s - are baggy enough to be uncomfortable, because I have to keep pulling them up. I even ripped one of the belt loops on one side, from constantly grabbing my pants and yanking them up!

My black jeans - the ones that were supposed to be fat jeans but shrunk a size - fit well, with no need to suck in my tummy before zipping!

I won't make my goal of 40 pounds off before my birthday, but it's really ok. Part of this process is also not to get discouraged because it's not happening fast enough, or you don't see the results on the scale. I've only lost 10 pounds, but my body is redistributing the fat and muscle as I work at it. My face no longer looks like I swallowed a puffer fish, and my clothes are a lot easier to wear.

So I take the small victories as inspiration, and do some more aerobic dance with my 4 year old.

Here's to health!