New Life

I love Spring.  It is my most favorite season.  It is refreshing and new and vibrant.  It reminds me of how precious life is and also how beautiful.  Spring brings a special connection to God and his blessings.

They that wait upon the Lord Shall renew their strength.  They shall mount up with wings.  --Isaiah 40:31

Race Day

I woke up early full of jitters and nervousness. So much so that I could only eat a few bites of my banana, 1/2 a cup of coffee and some water. I knew I needed to eat more but I just could not stomach it. My husband encouraged me, the kids encouraged me and we set off for the start line. It was a cool morning. I could not wait for the race to start so I could warm up and start running off the butterflies.


I lined up in the middle of the pack and tried to keep what little I did have for breakfast down. After several long, excruciating minutes we were off. Although my brain was telling me not start out too quickly, my legs did not listen. I went out fast and caught up with the leaders of the pack in a few short minutes. My butterflies disappeared and I was full of energy. I was on a runners high and feeling pretty good. That was very short lived.

I passed by several watering stations. I could not be bothered by stopping and tried to rationalize that I was saving time and did not need to stop. By mile 10, I was really struggling. I was hot and thirsty and just ran by the last water station. I told myself that there were only a few more miles and it was no big deal. By mile 12, my pace dropped by half, my left hamstring was injured and my whole body felt like it was literally being hammered into the ground. My body was screaming to stop but my stubbornness stupidity would not let me.


I kept running the best I could which was painful and much slower than before. I saw the 13 mile mark and became ecstatic until I realized that I still had .2 of a mile to go. That seemed like another 10 miles at the time. I might have started walking or crying if it was not for the *Kirch kirch kirch kirch* sound I heard behind me. For the most part, I had been running alone. Occasionally another runner would pass but they were few and far between. This runner was different. I was almost to the finish line and she was on my heels.

She helped give me the extra adrenaline I needed to finish. I did not want someone to pass me so close to the end. I sped up to where I thought she would not be able to edge past me and then made the mistake of slowing down slightly right before the finish line. She fought her way past me and beat me for second place in the women's division.

By ONE second. One. Uno. 1. 01. I finished in 1:50:58

I came in 3rd in the Women's division and 16'th overall. I also came out of the half-marathon with a pretty bad hamstring injury and feeling like I was beat with a bat. I was lucky to have finished at all, let alone place. I did not train like I should have and let my pride get in the way.

As usual, God watched over me and would use this experience to teach me a lesson in pride, grace and wisdom. The winner of the marathon was wearing a T-shirt that proclaimed: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13. That has always stuck with me and I have used that verse and the meaning behind it to become a better runner and a better person.



I am proud of that race but not because of my standings or the trophy I went home with. I am proud because it helped to guide me back to God and a personal relationship with him. From then on, my running turned into my prayer time. It became a time to set goals, reflect on my life and try to find the person that God so graciously sees me to be. He has used my running time to love me, shape me and provide more grace than I could ever hope to deserve. I am not anywhere close to being a good Christian or a good example of one. But I'll keep running until God is done with me. This might take a while.

Part 2: Training or Lack Therof

After being sufficiently nauseated at the realization of committing to run a half marathon, I threw up, broke into hives and jumped into training. Okay, okay, I did not throw up or break out into hives but I sure did feel like it.

I started training at a local park 5 days a week. Running the same loop over and over again. Sometimes I switched directions but it was pretty much the same thing every day. I started out running 2 miles then 3 and after several exhausting attempts, I finally made it to four. Getting up to the four mile mark was the most difficult part for me. As long as I could run past four miles, I could just keep going and going.

I was the only runner at the park each morning. Oh, there were lots of elderly people speed walking but no runners. I would pass the same man on my loop many times each morning. He would always smile and ask me how many loops I'd run, then chuckle to himself when I told him. I liked to think he was sufficiently impressed by my endurance but he was probably laughing at how foolish I looked running in circles like a dog chasing its tail.

I tried to only increase my distance by 15% each week in the beginning but my ambition got the better of me and I increased my mileage too quickly. Also, running was the only exercise I was doing. No cross training or weight lifting. I made many mistakes in training for my first race but not cross training or doing any strength training were the worst. More on that later.

After 5 weeks, I worked my way up to 10 miles. I felt ready to run the race but was so nervous that I was queasy most of the last week. I slept fitfully the night before the race and woke up full of jitters. Had I only known how the race would go, I would be much more nauseous and might have just stayed in bed.

My Running addiction: The beginning

I started running about 10 years ago. I met this incredible woman with 5 kids who ran marathons. Running that far sounded like a physical impossibility to me. So, of course I had to start running just to see if I could do it. I'm pretty stubborn like that. I do not like being told what to do and I don't like thinking that something is impossible for me to accomplish. What started out as prideful ambition has turned into a rich blessing in my life.

The first 2 years of my running routine was spent getting my fitness level up. I just had my second child a few months earlier and was thankful just to make it around the block two times. I had very young children and found it difficult to get into a good running routine. I fit it in when I could but it was not consistent at all.


We moved a short while after I started running and that completely halted my ambitions for a long while. The stress of moving along with difficult circumstances prevented me from even thinking about running. During this time, I had increasingly more problems with my heart that became a little scary. I have always had bouts of unexplained fibrillation but they were few and far between. The doctors could not catch them on a monitor so there was not a whole lot they could do for a while. During our first year after the move, the occurrences of fibrillation increased and so did the symptoms. My heart would beat over 500 bpm, I would shake like a washing machine and become dizzy. Finally, after almost passing out after an episode, I went back to the doctor.

The Cardiologist decided to do an EP study. They inserted two catheters into each femoral artery and threaded the catheters to my heart. Once there, they shocked different areas of the heart and observed the reactions. The diagnosis? Atrial Fibrillation. Basically, the upper chamber of the heart sends a signal to the bottom but the bottom chamber does not receive the signal. As a result, the heart goes into fibrillation and blood can pool in the upper chamber. The risk of this happening is that blood may clot which in turn could cause a stroke. The good news is that there are medications that can thin the blood to minimize this risk. Since I was weaning my son at the time, the doctor decided that asprin would be sufficient for the time being but as soon as I weaned the baby, I needed to get on coumadin. My heart issue is a story in itself. The short of it is that I have seen different cardiologists and they all disagree with each other and the results of the EP study. 7 years after the study, I still don't have a diagnoses the doc.'s agree on.


After the EP procedure, I grew a new appreciation for life, God and family. I realized how fragile life is and started to hold it in a new and precious light. I appreciated more. I valued more. I took my health a lot more seriously and wanted to start running again. The doctors saw no reason why I could not run or exercise. Exercise did not trigger episodes and would contribute to my overall health, so they gave me the green light.
Next, I did the only logical thing, signed up for the Mountain Home Half Marathon for Kenya. Oh, and it was only 6 weeks away. Wait. Did I say logical? Maybe overly-ambitious or crazy would be more appropriate. Did I mention how stubborn I am?

To be continued.....

Leaving my house makes me grumpy....

That is all.

Going Broody

$

The kidlets and I had high hopes for our incubating project. Maybe a bit too high.

We built an incubator from scratch. We excitedly went to the store to purchase everything we needed:

A large styrofoam cooler

A small fan

Thermometer

Light bulb socket

Bulb

Extension cord

Electrical tape

Glass from a picture frame

The process was pretty simple and fun to do.

First, we cut a hole a bit smaller than the picture frame glass then attached the glass for a window.

Next, we had to cut several holes in the lid and on the sides of the cooler for ventilation.

After that we added a fan in the corner, a thermometer on the back wall, and a small bowl of water for humidity. Last, we had to cut a hole in the lid large enough for the socket to fit through for the light bulb. We used a 25 watt bulb to regulate the heat.

Pretty easy right?

Not.

Ugh...turns out I am a horrible mother hen. Really, I am. I thought everything was perfect.

We added 12 Maran Chicken eggs and 3 Mallard Duck eggs.

I checked the heat every other hour to make sure the temperature was regulated. I gingerly turned my eggs six times a day. I added water twice a day. I candled them to check on their progress. (probably way too much) We saw veins. We saw embryos. We counted down the days. Then something started to stink. We had a bad egg. It was hard to narrow down which one it was. It was left in the incubator a few days until we could single it out. Another time I went to check on the eggs in the middle of the night. I have to unplug the light in order to see the temperature (because both the bulb and temperature gauge are red) I forgot to plug the bator back in. It sat for several hours and was brought down to room temperature by the time I woke up and realized what I had done. Soon after that, I realized my little chicken babies stopped growing. Day by day I cracked open the non-viable eggs with growing despair. They were all in various stages of the growth cycle. I killed each and every one.

Poor little babies.

I don't know if it was the bad egg, messing with them too much or the temperature mishap. We are going to try again. I am going to do my best to be a better mother hen. Geez, if a chicken can sit on an egg, move them around and leave them alone to go eat and still hatch a bunch of chicks, I can too.

Right?

Right?

Sigh.........

I won't hatch!

Oh! I am a chickie who lives in an egg,

But I will not hatch, I will not hatch.

The hens they all cackle, the roosters all beg,

But I will not hatch, I will not hatch.

For I hear all the talk of pollution and war

As the people all shout and the airplanes roar,

So I'm staying in here where it's safe and it's warm

And I WILL NOT HATCH! ---Shel Silverstein

Various musings

     We had a really nice week. I was really happy to find a local granary very close to my house on Friday. I was able to purchase freshly ground Whole Wheat Flour, Wheat Germ, 7 grain cereal (think oatmeal with lots of good grains) Wheat Gluten, Yeast, Raw Honey, Hydroponic Greens, Amish Butter, Farm Fresh Eggs, and Goat Milk Soap. I was in heaven. This is a sought after granary by the whole state of Alabama as well as around the world. Just down the road. I'm a happy camper! Aren't those just the most beautiful eggs you've ever seen? We had some for breakfast this morning along with some whole wheat walnut pancakes. The eggs were so creamy and yummy! 

In case your interested, they have a website and will ship their products via UPS.  It is www.oakviewfarms.com  

     I am also going to try to make all our bread from scratch. The only problem I have had so far is the fact that our house stays pretty cool. Usually 55-65. Lately it has been closer to 55. That is just not warm enough to rise the bread. I am going to try a few tricks from an expert bread maker. She suggested to put the dough on top of the oven (with the oven on) and place a box over the bowl. This should trap the heat and help the yeast to do its job. The other suggestion she had was to run the dryer to warm it up, then place the bowl in there to let it rise. The thing I worry about with the second method is the fragrance from the essential oil I use on dryer sheets may contaminate the dough. There is no way to get the fragrance out of the dryer so I don't feel comfortable with that option. BTW..I am the worlds WORST bread maker ever. I have not had much success. Usually, I make really good hockey pucks or loaves suitable for the dog to gnaw on. I am going to start over and make sure I get it this time! It is frustrating b/c I consider myself a pretty good cook but have always struggled with bread. I'll keep you updated.

     The plants in my greenhouse have sprouted.  It is so nice to see green plants this time of year.  I am getting our cold weather veggies going for our garden.  They include: Radishes, cabbage, broccoli, carrots and spinach.  So far anyway.  I need to plant much more.  I have some flowers/bulbs started as well.  We are getting my garden plot ready but it is taking some time. We need to finish clearing out the massive tree we cut down.  We also need to till, fence it off, fertilize, and build the rectangular mounds.  So, yeah..pretty much everything needs to be done.  : )  It should not take too long though.  That is a project that should only take a few weekends. 

Lexy enjoys letting the goats out to play during our lunch break.  She really loves the baby, Sassy.  Sassy decided she wanted a taste of Lexy's hair.  I guess her beautiful golden hair somewhat resembles hay. Oh well, off to trim her hair.  : )

It was such a beautiful week our cat, Jamie even went outside to enjoy it.  I guess she thought she'd wait by the birdhouse and see what flew by. I just hope she does not bring me another "present".  1/2 of a bird and feathers all over the place is not my idea of a gift. 

Companion Garden

Well, Spring will be here before we know it. I am especially excited to get started on my flower and vegetable gardens this year. I have my greenhouse set up and have my cold weather veggies started. My wonderful DH cut down an old tree and is clearing the land for my garden plot.

I am going to try planting a companion garden this year. I discovered this concept while researching different gardening methods. It utilizes a common sense approach to gardening using natural methods to enhance flavors, offer pest protection and produce a higher yield and growth.

Many plants have natural substances in their roots, flowers, leaves etc. that can alternately repel (anti-feedents) and/or attract insects depending on your needs. In some situations they can also help enhance the growth rate and flavor of other varieties. Experience shows us that using companion planting through out the landscape is an important part of integrated pest management. In essence companion planting helps bring a balanced eco-system to your landscape, allowing nature to do its' job. Nature integrates a diversity of plants, animals, and other organisms into every ecosystem so there is no waste. The death of one organism can create food for another, meaning symbiotic relationships all around.

By using companion planting, many gardeners can discourage harmful pests without losing the beneficial allies. Below is some basic information about what plants grow best together and what benefits they may have.

Plant Companion(s) and Effects

Asparagus, Tomatoes, parsley, basil

Basil, Tomatoes (improves growth & flavor); said to dislike rue; repels flies & mosquitoes

Beans ,Potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, cauliflower, cabbage, summer savory, most other veggies & herbs

Bean ,(bush) Sunflowers ,(beans like partial shade, unless you live up north, sunflowers attract birds & bees for pollination), cucumbers (combination of heavy and light feeders), potatoes, corn, celery, summer savory

Bee Balm, Tomatoes (improves growth & flavor).

Beets, Onions, kohlrabi

Borage ,Tomatoes (attracts bees, deters tomato worm, improves growth & flavor), squash, strawberries

Cabbage Family (broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi) Potatoes, celery, dill, chamomile, sage, thyme, mint, pennyroyal, rosemary, lavender, beets, onions; aromatic plants deter cabbage worms

Caraway, Loosens soil; plant here and there

Carrots, Peas, lettuce, chives, onions, leeks, rosemary, sage, tomatoes

Catnip, Plant in borders; protects against flea beetles

Celery, Leeks, tomatoes, bush beans, cauliflower, cabbage

Chamomile, Cabbage, onions

Chervil ,Radishes (improves growth & flavor).

Chives, Carrots; plant around base of fruit trees to discourage insects from climbing trunk

Corn ,Potatoes, peas, beans, cucumbers, pumpkin, squash

Cucumber, Beans, corn, peas, radishes, sunflowers

Dead Nettle, Potatoes (deters potato bugs)

Dill ,Cabbage (improves growth & health), carrots

Eggplant, Beans

Fennel ,Most plants are supposed to dislike it.

Flax, Carrots, potatoes

Garlic, Roses & raspberries (deters Japanese beetle); with herbs to enhance their production of essential oils; plant liberally throughout garden to deter pests

Horseradish ,Potatoes (deters potato beetle); around plum trees to discourage curculios

Hyssop, Cabbage (deters cabbage moths), grapes; keep away from radishes

Lamb's Quarters ,Nutritious edible weeds; allow to grow in modest amounts in the corn

Leek, Onions, celery, carrots

Lemon Balm Here and there in the garden

Marigold The workhorse of pest deterrents; keeps soil free of nematodes; discourages many insects; plant freely throughout the garden.

Marjoram, Here and there in the garden

Mint, Cabbage family; tomatoes; deters cabbage moth

Nasturtium ,Tomatoes, radish, cabbage, cucumbers; plant under fruit trees; deters aphids & pests of curcurbits

Onion ,Beets, strawberries, tomato, lettuce (protects against slugs), beans (protects against ants), summer savory

Parsley ,Tomato, asparagus

Pea ,Squash (when squash follows peas up trellis), plus grows well with almost any vegetable; adds nitrogen to the soil

Petunia Protects beans; beneficial throughout garden

Potato, Horseradish, beans, corn, cabbage, marigold, limas, eggplant (as a trap crop for potato beetle)

Pot Marigold Helps tomato, but plant throughout garden as deterrent to asparagus beetle, tomato worm & many other garden pests

Pumpkin Corn

Radish ,,Peas, nasturtium, lettuce, cucumbers; a general aid in repelling insects

Rosemary Carrots, beans, cabbage, sage; deters cabbage moth, bean beetles & carrot fly

Rue Roses & raspberries; deters Japanese beetle; keep away from basil

Sage ,Rosemary, carrots, cabbage, peas, beans; deters some insects

Soybean Grows with anything; helps everything

Spinach Strawberries

Squash, Nasturtium, corn

Strawberry, Bush beans, spinach, borage, lettuce (as a border)

Summer Savory, Beans, onions; deters bean beetles

Sunflower Cucumber

Tansy,Plant under fruit trees; deters pests of roses & raspberries; deters flying insects, also Japanese beetles, striped cucumber beetles, squash bugs; deters ants

Tarragon Good throughout garden

Thyme Here and there in garden; deters cabbage worm

Tomato,Chives, onion, parsley, asparagus, marigold, nasturtium, carrot, limas

Valerian Good anywhere in garden

Wormwood As a border, keeps animals from the garden

Yarrow, Plant along borders, near paths, near aromatic herbs; enhances essential oil production of herbs

Resource: The Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening, J.I. Rodale (editor) .

I am also learning about year-round gardening. It is possible to have a year round garden with lots planning and care.

I can't wait to get my hands in the dirt. I'll keep you updated on how it goes.

New School Room

I finally have our school room presentable enough to share some pictures. (still needs some organizing) It took me longer to settle in after this move than any of the others. Completing a full DITY across almost 5,000 miles, moving at the start of the school year, buying a house and sheer exhaustion contributed just a little bit. : )

I wanted a more comfortable school room than we had previously. I wanted it to be a place warm and inviting. Not too traditional or sterile. I used many of the kids projects to decorate. Lexy's insect collection is now in a shadow box with her hornet nest displayed close by. I framed some precious flowers the kids picked for me when they were little and hung them on the back wall. They are the first things I see each morning upon entering and it just puts joy in my heart. Their rock and crystal collection is displayed alongside their microscope and nature keepsakes. A stained glass butterfly (the first stained glass piece I ever made) is floating above the table. There are just a few bookcases (yep, 4 is just a few for me, lol) in the home school room. These hold just the kids reading books and binders with their finished work in them. The bulk of their curriculum and resources are stored in bookcases in my office.

I'm happy with how the room turned out. The kids are comfortable and not distracted. The muted tones and soft light really help us all keep calm and relaxed. Now I just need to stop buying so many books before I run out of room.

Composting...

What better way to learn about microorganisms and decomposition than composting?  Plus I get free kid labor to  further the health of my garden. (lol)  Lee was kind enough to make a bin for us with left over wood from some crates he built.  We started by adding a thick layer of oak and pine on the bottom.  Then we layered the compost with "green" and "brown" plant material to get it started.  We have been saving and dumping all kitchen scraps (minus fatty foods or meat) to the compost almost daily. I turn it over every two weeks to speed up the process.  It has been about a month now and we can see that everything is breaking down and turning into a nice healthy fertilizer that will benefit our flowers and vegetables greatly.  We found the process of decomposition very interesting, especially the tiny microorganisms that do most of the work.

In the process of composting, microorganisms break down organic matter and produce carbon dioxide, water, heat, and humus, the relatively stable organic end product. Under optimal conditions, composting proceeds through three phases: 1) the mesophilic, or moderate-temperature phase, which lasts for a couple of days, 2) the thermophilic, or high-temperature phase, which can last from a few days to several months, and finally, 3) a several-month cooling and maturation phase.

Initial decomposition is carried out by mesophilic microorganisms, which rapidly break down the soluble, readily degradable compounds. The heat they produce causes the compost temperature to rapidly rise.As the temperature rises above about 40°C, the mesophilic microorganisms become less competitive and are replaced by others that are thermophilic, or heat-loving. At temperatures of 55°C and above, many microorganisms that are human or plant pathogens are destroyed. Because temperatures over about 65°C kill many forms of microbes and limit the rate of decomposition, compost managers use aeration and mixing to keep the temperature below this point.

During the thermophilic phase, high temperatures accelerate the breakdown of proteins, fats, and complex carboydrates like cellulose and hemicellulose, the major structural molecules in plants. As the supply of these high-energy compounds becomes exhausted, the compost temperature gradually decreases and mesophilic microorganisms once again take over for the final phase of "curing" or maturation of the remaining organic matter.

Bacteria

Bacteria are the smallest living organisms and the most numerous in compost; they make up 80 to 90% of the billions of microorganisms typically found in a gram of compost. Bacteria are responsible for most of the decomposition and heat generation in compost. They are the most nutritionally diverse group of compost organisms, using a broad range of enzymes to chemically break down a variety of organic materials.

Bacteria are single-celled and structured as either rod-shaped bacilli, sphere-shaped cocci or spiral-shaped spirilla. Many are motile, meaning that they have the ability to move under their own power. At the beginning of the composting process (0-40°C), mesophilic bacteria predominate. Most of these are forms that can also be found in topsoil.

As the compost heats up above 40°C, thermophilic bacteria take over. The microbial populations during this phase are dominated by members of the genus Bacillus. The diversity of bacilli species is fairly high at temperatures from 50-55°C but decreases dramatically at 60°C or above. When conditions become unfavorable, bacilli survive by forming endospores, thick-walled spores that are highly resistant to heat, cold, dryness, or lack of food. They are ubiquitous in nature and become active whenever environmental conditions are favorable.Once the compost cools down, mesophilic bacteria again predominate. The numbers and types of mesophilic microbes that recolonize compost as it matures depend on what spores and organisms are present in the compost as well as in the immediate environment. In general, the longer the curing or maturation phase, the more diverse the microbial community it supports.Actinomycetes

The characteristic earthy smell of soil is caused by actinomycetes, organisms that resemble fungi but actually are filamentous bacteria. Like other bacteria, they lack nuclei, but they grow multicellular filaments like fungi. In composting they play an important role in degrading complex organics such as cellulose, lignin, chitin, and proteins.Fungi

Fungi include molds and yeasts, and collectively they are responsible for the decomposition of many complex plant polymers in soil and compost. In compost, fungi are important because they break down tough debris, enabling bacteria to continue the decomposition process once most of the cellulose has been exhausted.Protozoa

Protozoa are one-celled microscopic animals. They are found in water droplets in compost but play a relatively minor role in decomposition. Protozoa obtain their food from organic matter in the same way as bacteria do but also act as secondary consumers ingesting bacteria and fungi.

Rotifers

Rotifers are microscopic multicellular organisms also found in films of water in the compost. They feed on organic matter and also ingest bacteria and fungi.

We used Cornell as a source for our project and information for this topic. It was very thorough and helpful.

http://www.css.cornell.edu/compost/microorg.html

Frog guts.....

I do not know of any other girl who would ask for a dissection kit for Christmas. I think she is such a neat kid. (I am just a little partial) She dissected her frog on Monday and did a great job!
The frog was a female and was just filled with eggs. She was just about ready to lay them when she was caught. (Poor thing) Lex went step by step and learned about each organ and function and how they worked together. What a neat project! We still have a fish, worm and crawdad to dissect. I'm sure they all will be as fun as the frog.