You are what you eat....Update!!!

My juicer came in the mail today!!!  (was borrowing my sisters)  I am so excited!  I considered a Breville Ikon, but decided on an Omega.  We also got a cheaper, Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juicer for the cabin. 

Having a great week, staying on task pretty well.  I am juicing twice per day, eating 1 normal meal and snacking with the juice.  A little tough this weekend with the holiday, but did pretty well overall.  My appetite is decreased and I am getting fuller faster.

I GOT MY CHOLESTEROL BACK!!!!  I realize I care about these numbers more than most, but remember I see sick people for a living so I know what they lead to.  I am so excited because for the first time ever, I am in a normal cholesterol range!! 

                                 2004              Feb, 2011         Now

Total Cholesterol:       278                 236                  167
LDL (bad)                      190                 140                   102
HDL                                   42                     71                    52
Triglycerides              160                  124                   70

I am not sure how much you know about cholesterol, but these numbers are remarkable.  First of all, the 2005 numbers are really bad, especially for a girl in her 20s (bad genes, bad diet!)  I have prescribed cholesterol medicines for many many people over the past 9 years and have NEVER seen a reduction like this!!  Diet makes a difference!!!  If I can correct something with diet, why would I take a drug?  I am pumped!!!  Start eating your fruits and vegetables!  Put down that junk!!!  Love!!

Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.  ~Doug Larson

LAST DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well it is so late now on day 7 that I have totally forgotten everything about yesterday!  It is now dinner time on day 7 and I think it is safe to say MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!  Yesterday was smoothie for breakfast and juice for lunch as usual.  I rewarded myself with a new snazzy haircut last night but thought I would eat my arms off during the process.  Came home a bit grumpy, had some pear juice and slept off the hunger.  Today business as usual: smoothie, juice, nuts.  I am now sitting at Panera enjoying a Greek salad with no dressing, no feta, an apple and an unsweet tea.  It is done! 

I plan to have my cholesterol checked in the morning and will share those numbers once they are in.  The weight is now 138.2, down 5.5 lbs.  I feel good.  I feel accomplished.  I feel a bit thinner ; )  I think I have been calmer and again, have slept really well.  I am not sure I stressed before how much I love food.  I truly thought this would be HARD.  Much to my surprise it has been a breeze.  I have missed the social aspect of eating more than the food itself.  I have only been hungry a few times and never terribly so. 

With that being said, I feel like I cannot sabotage my spot in the 130's (it has been a really long time since I have been there), so I plan to juice for breakfast and lunch tomorrow and then eat a light dinner tomorrow night.  I think my stomach has shrunk to the size of a walnut by now.  8 oz of juice and I am now stuffed!  We are headed to the lake tomorrow night which typically means grabbing something quick.  We are planning on a Blue Coast Burrito run.  I am getting my usual: peasant plate with beans, rice, salad and guacamole with soft corn tortillas.  Can't wait!  I have been craving beans all week!  I am also planning for some Pad Thai and sushi in the coming days.  I will give you one more update with the cholesterol numbers next week.....  Thanks for tuning in.  This has been a lot of talk about juice!  Thanks Thanks Thanks for all of the support! 

I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor. Henry David Thoreau

Day 5, on the downhill slope...

Day 5

140.4lbs WOOT WOOT!!!

A good easy day, in spite of some obstacles. 

Morning was smoothie as usual, then juiced the capple zing again (cuz it was so delicious the day before).  I just added a little kale: carrots, apples, kale, ginger, lemon.  I juiced about 20 oz and downed every drop by noon and had a banana around 1:30. 

I was back with my family for the afternoon and started feeling the hunger pains around 4.  I had nothing to eat/drink!  AND, I was going to spend the afternoon with my grandmother.  She is the greatest cook on earth PLUS, that is where I always cheat!  Luckily she wasn't really cooking a big meal.  She had BBQ sandwiches, chips and potato salad.  I knew what I was in for so on the way to her house, I stopped at Publix.  I did not know what I was going to get but I knew it had to be good to minimize the temptations at gmas.  So, I am wandering around Publix through the deli and produce sections.  I decide on an organic nectarine and a salad.  The pre-made salads all had cheese, so I requested a custom order.  Who knew what a tall order that was.  The poor lady had to keep going out on the floor to pull vegetables and olives to make the salad.   I felt a little bad, but you gotta do what you gotta do, right?  The salad had lettuce, tomatoes, onions, banana peppers and olives.  It was big and delicioso!  My grandmother tried to force some Reeses Peanut Butter cups on me for "dessert".  "They are sugar free, Don't you want just one".  I told her to stop sabotaging me ; ) 

We finished out our visit with a walk to the pear tree, me, my grandmother and my dad.  It was cute and pretty funny.  We were all throwing rotten pears at each other and jumping up to get the good high ones.  I left with a BIG sackful of pears.  I got home last night around 8:30 and Cary and I juiced pure, delicious, grandma grown pears.  The juice was amazing.  It was a highlight from the week.  I am getting close now!  Today is actually day 6, that means tomorrow is day 7 and you know what that means!!!

Day 4... Juice on!!!

Yesterday was Day 4: all in all another good/easier than expected day.  I am officially in the zone : ) I am over the hump!
weight 141- another disappointment, but hanging in there

I am always writing these the next morning.  It is hard not to impose today's mood on yesterday's blog...  Yesterday was a little tough, today I feel amazing!  But, I will tell you more about that tomorrow. 

So, yesterday (day 4)...

Breakfast as usual.  Good as always.  I actually used to hate smoothies but have really grown to love them.  Cary is the official smoothie maker.  Every morning around 7am he makes breakfast while I am juicing for lunch.  This morning I woke up a bit late and was only working til lunchtime, so I did not juice.  I asked him to make a little extra smoothie so I could have a mid morning snack. 

At work, we have lunch catered everyday (now you understand the weight issues).  Lunches in general have become a challenge.  I usually bring my own lunch but have historically been tempted by the brownies and cakes they bring for dessert.  It is a pretty rare day and a huge score for me when something is brought that I can/will actual eat.  I have long gotten over the temptation of fried chicken and lasagna.  The crazy unhealthy stuff does not appeal so much to me anymore.  Yesterday though, we had greek food: pitas, hummus, salad, grilled chicken, greek yogurt, rice....  Any other time, this would have been MY day, food I could actual eat and feel good about.  BUT, not yesterday.  Even though it was pretty healthy stuff, it did not meet my criteria.  I got out my smoothie and made a small salad with lettuce, red pepper, olives, tomatoes, cucumber and onion.  I was focused.  I was satisfied.  I was fine.  I added greek food to the things I will eat next week ; )

I got home and Cary had juiced 8 carrots, 2 apples, ginger and lime "capple zing" in our book.  I had drank/eaten my lunch just about 1 hr before so I truly was not hungry.  We left to go to Nashville at about 3:30 and I took my capple zing on the road.  It was really really delicious!  By 7 pm I was getting hungry!  My dad was there and he ate fried chicken and chocolate chip cookies while I nibbled on some carrots, tomatoes, grapes and a 1/2banana : (  We got home around 9pm.  I was still hungry but opted to sleep it off.  I am not used to going to bed hungry, but I knew I would survive.  I have plenty of extra fat stored for just these occasions and I was thinking this might just help me break 141lbs.  (you know I am in a good mood today, stay tuned.....)

I like that juicing can be so mobile.  It takes some prep, but not nearly as much a cooking/preparing healthy meals.  I seem to always be in a hurry and on the go and juicing is working for that.  Another positive, I have slept like a baby, which is really unusual for me.  I have not been stressed or grumpy, which I can be at times.  I got to talk to some old friends/neighbors, Ed and Bev, about juicing.  They have been juicing for ~20 years.  Ed even turned a little orange one time ; )  They are in their 70's and look exactly the same as they did when I was a kid.  Ed expressed how juicing makes him feel so much better and more energetic.  He has been juicing twice daily "and I guess I always will".  Bev offered the "tape" that got them started so long ago.  Too bad I don't have an 8 track player!!  (love you Bev)  I am also getting some feedback/messages from friends who have juiced, plan to juice, want to juice, have questions and concerns about juicing....  It is all motivating.  "Juicers" aren't always who you think they would be, just people who want to be health conscious.  Thank you all!!!  I am feeling strong today, mentally and physically. 

Day3...

This is why I don't blog more often!  Who has the time?  So, this one will be quick.

Day 3: 141lbs, GAINED!!  What a disappointment!  I suppose the beer and olives got to me.  I felt a little sluggish and had no appetite yesterday, again, maybe the beer and olives ; ) 

Anyway, breakfast was a smoothie as usual.  I started on my smoothie early and sipped on it while watching a Sunday morning movie.  It was 11 before I got it all in.  Cary was coming home for lunch at noon, so I juiced for him to have some for lunch.  I was not feeling it and got in less than 4 oz of tomato, orange and carrot juice.  Not the best combo, but not as bad as day 1.  Nibbled on a few bites of nuts and dried cranberries until I read the cranberry ingredients: organic dried cranberries, organic cane sugar, organic oil!  I probably ate a total of 5 cranberries.  Call it a cheat if you want.  It was not intentional!  It would have been more like chocolate cake if it were intentional!

At 5, we took the juicer on the road for a little juice party with some friends in Franklin.  We made our 2 best recipes for our friends.  The first was oranges, carrots, lime, broccoli, kale, mint and the second was apples, romaine, carrot, lemon, pineapple.  My appetite was back and they were good!  Kevin and Julie liked the second recipe better than the first but thought they were both pretty good.  We snacked on watermelon, grapes, olives, and guacamole again. 

Overall, felt a little crummy all day, but not hungry.  I will still say this is easier than expected!  I am still quite motivated but starting to daydream about what I am going to eat on Friday!  We stopped by Whole Foods and it smelled SO good in there!  I am thinking about Blue Coast Burrito or Pad Thai!!  I will definitely let you know ; )

Stay tuned....

Day 2 of the Juice

Weight 140.6, down 3 lbs

Not bad for 1 day!  That is motivating in and of itself.  Woke up a little more energetic that normal.  Maybe it was just the excitement, but I was up and at em'.  Had my smoothie for breakfast...business as usual:  strawberries, blueberries, mango, banana, almond mild, orange juice, flax seed.  I had to work and it was crazy busy.  I juiced before leaving: 4 oranges, 4 carrots, 1 lime, broccoli and kale.  I had to chug the juice between patients because there was simply no time.  I was a bit hungry but it was just because I did not have time to eat or drink more.  I had taken an apple, nuts and carrots but did not get a chance to eat them.  I had juiced less, since I felt that I had overdone it the day before.  I only had about 10 oz of juice.  It was really really good, probably our best yet.  I wished that I had more!  I left work in a hurry because we were planning for a house full of people last night.  I stopped by the grocery and bought some bananas, so I had one of those in the car on the way home. 

I came home and started food prep for the party.  I intended to juice before everyone arrived, but again I was rushed and did not have the time. I made homemade guacamole and hummus, chocolate chip cookies and a baked a baguette of bread.  It all smelled really really good.  The cookies certainly had my attention, but I stayed firm.  I ate some guacamole.  It was legit: avocado, lime, tomato, red onion and jalapeno.  It was GOOD!!  I have never eaten guacamole without chips but I was hungry and it was amazing!  Our party spread was superb...I prepared a butcher block with bread, cheeses, olives, carrots, grapes, almonds and walnuts.  We had the hummus and guac with pita and tortilla chips.  My guests brought beer and butter braised clams, a beautiful vegetable platter with  a cream cheese spread, strawberries and kiwi and another block of cheese and crackers.  The block of blue cheese had to have been my greatest temptation.  I did not expect that.  Blue cheese is strong and the smell was incredibly tempting.  I did not eat the blue cheese.  I had a plate of veggies and nuts and olives.  I ate a lot.  But it was all withing my rules. 

 I drank a bit too, of course.  The day was quite easy.  I stayed so busy I had no time to consider cheating.  While there were tempting foods at party, we had a lot of good food that I could enjoy.  I had some hungry moments throughout the day but that was more of a lack of time than lack of food.  Overall, I felt quite satisfied at the end of the day.  I don't feel that I was as clean as day 1. Even though I did not cheat, I feel a bit as though I did with all those olives and guacamole and beer! So, tomorrow is another day, day 3 to be exact.  Staying strong!

You are what you eat....

                                                         
A little background.....

You may know I have been on quite a journey with my weight and health over the past 10 years or so.  When I gradutaed from Vanderbilt in 2002 I probably weighed 170-180 lbs.  I continued to gain over the next 1-2 years and topped out in the 190s.  I am 5'2".  I never felt 190.  It happened so gradually that I truly did not realize what had happened.  It literally snuck up on me.  I wore a size 14.  My diet was typical, I suppose.  I didn't think much of it really.  I mostly ate for taste and my tastebuds seemed to like all the wrong things!

Shortly after graduating I was diagnosed with high cholesterol and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).  At age 25, my cholesterol was worse than the worst of most of my patients.  My total cholesterol was 280 (should be less than 200)  my LDL was 190 (should be less that 130) and my HDL was ok at around 40.  Did I say I was 25?!?  On paper I looked like a 400 lb truck driver.  I started a cholesterol medicine at 25 and faithfully took my pill daily.  PCOS is an endocrine and hormone disorder that causes a multitude of symptoms including facial hair, hair loss, increased risk for diabetes and fertility issues.  I will never forget having a nightmare that I looked like my dad.  Now you know how much I adore that man, but bald and bearded was not the look I was after.  PCOS is associated with obesity.  The more I studied, the more I learned that the number one treatment for  PCOS is weight loss, not pills, not surgery, weight loss.  With weight loss, all symptoms would resolve or improve.  This was the catalyst for me taking control of my weight and health.  It has been a journey and continues to evolve to this day. 

Around 2004, I began exercising and dieting and lost a total of 65 pounds.  I started by making changes to my diet (no matter how small).  I still have the size 4 jeans that I wore at 127lbs (my all time low).  I did not stay at 127 long.  I crept up a bit and have leveled off staying within 3-4 lbs over the past 5 years.  My mantra was always make a better choice than I would have before.  This meant if I were at McDonalds and typically would have ordered a double cheeseburger and large fries then maybe I would get a single and small fries instead.  Rather than order a large coke, I would get diet coke.  Now, a single burger, small fries and diet coke is a horrible meal choice all the way around, but at that time it was an improvement, a step in the right direction.  I knew that small changes built on small changes would eventually yeild into something much larger, and boy has it ever!  I have continued to build on that principle and slowly but surely my diet has evolved into something I am rather proud of.  I have not eaten a meal at McDonalds in 4-5 years nor at any fast food restaurant for more than a year. 

During this evolution, I have become incredibly interested in diet and health.  My profession dictates that I see and treat people with a multitude of medical conditions.  I write prescriptions all day, everyday.  There truly is a pill for most everything.  Not only that, people expect to get a pill for everything.  We have lost the notion that so much of our health lies in our own hands.  We choose what we eat.  We choose whether we exercise.  We choose what chemicals we put on or in our bodies.  I am totally convinvced that to a large degree we choose the future of our health.  I began reading every book I could get my hands on about diet as illness prevention and learned (what seems so basic) that fruits and vegetables provide micronutrients and are essential in health and in reducing our risk for obesity, heart disease, diabetes... There is also a library of data suggesting that diets high in animal protein increase our risk for these diseases.  (organic grassfed meat is tremendously better for health than conventional if you must ; )

So, starting last year, we began making a dramatic shift towards less animal products and more fruits and vegetables.  I am not a vegetarian.  I am not an animal rights activist.  I do love a good greasy cheeseburger just as much as the next gal, but I limit my intake because I know that the health benefits for me far outweight the flavor of that burger.  Currently we buy no meat in our home.  No meat, no milk, no eggs.  Cheese, well, maybe for special occasions ; )  When we are out, we are a little more flexible.  I often order fish in restaurants and go with the flow if something is cooked with meat.  I had a burger for my birthday in May and BBQ for the 4th of July.  Overall, reducing meat has been easy.  I am quite satisfied.  My cholesterol is much better.  But, I have not lost any more weight??? 

I am by no means perfect.  The meat was easy, but...the desserts!  We get desserts and snacks at work on a daily basis.  Yesterday it was eggs, bacon, muffins, cookies and chocolate cake.  There are times I cannot resist.  I am a strong girl.  I have achieved most everything I have ever set out to do.  I have a good husband, a good job, a good house, a good car, I can run 13 miles, run a business etc, BUT this relationship with food is tricky.  It is the one thing that I deam most important that is the hardest to conquer.  I believe with all of my heart that I am what I eat, yet still, there is that rare occasion that I find myself with my hand in a potato chip bag.  I am talking about plain old Lays potato chips, laden with chemicals and grease and yellow #6 and disdium inosinate????  What is that?  I am pretty good most of the time.  I know the importance and make it my goal to eat a REAL diet, not processed, a diet with ingredients I can recognize, without chemicals, without additives.   BUT, I still struggle because there is no doubt that bad food tastes good. 

Stay with me, this is going somewhere...

I write this with a little apprehension.  Telling you commits me to this crazy plan I have layed out for myself.  This all started about a week ago when Cary watched a documentary on juice fasting called Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.  He came home talking about the health benefits of juicing.  We had some discussion with friends about the matter over the weekend and all left deciding we would buy juicers and give it a whirl.  I planned to start after Labor Day but upon further thought decided there is no time like the present!  I borrowed my sisters juicer on Thursday and yesterday I started a 7 day "juice"  in hopes to capitalize on the excitement of this idea while it is still fresh and maybe to lose 5 lbs for the boat next weekend too ; )  I have been known to be a bit radical.  You may think I am a lunatic.  I cannot entirely disagree.  BUT, juicing is good for you.  Raw fruits and vegetables are exponentially more nutrient dense than are cooked, especially when juiced.  You get the nutrients of a whole plate of raw fruits and vegetables in 1 glass.  This week, I may be going without chewing, but I will not be going without.  No doubt, I will consume more nutrients this week than I likely have in the past month!

I needed some ground rules and since it is my "juice", the rules were conveniently at my discretion : )

First and foremost...coffee is ok
2.  I can juice or eat raw fruits or vegetables, as many as I can stomach
3.  I can eat nuts
4.  I can drink unsweet tea
5.  Considering we already have a brewing party scheduled for tonight, beer is ok, at least for 1 night
6.  I will document daily weights and intake
7.  I will blog about the experience

So, here goes...

Day 1, Friday August 26th:  143.6lbs, BMI 26.2 (overweight by health/medical standards)
Total cholesterol 236, LDL 140 HDL 71, Triglycerides 124 (better, but still bad)

fruit smoothie: strawberries, banana, peach, mango, blueberries, organic OJ, coconut milk, ground flax, ice- DELICIOUS!!  This is what we always have for breakfast, so reality has not really set in...


breakfast, lunch and snack, day 1



I arrived at work to a smorgasbord of food (as seen above).  The chocolate cake was a killer, but a good test for day 1.  I passed.  I was worried about getting hungry so I snacked on nuts through the morning and sipped on my vegetable juice: tomatoes, carrots, celery, bell pepper, broccoli, lime, spinach and sprouts.  The first drink was pretty good, kind of like V8.  I was a little over zealous and juiced 20 oz for my intake at work (again, worried about hunger).  About 8 oz in, I thought it was going to start coming back up.  I will not lie, it was rough!  I took a break at lunch and ordered a salad that had lettuce, oranges and sugar snap peas, that's it!  No dressing, no cheese, no nothing!  I had a banana for dessert and then snacked on an orange and ~ 4oz more of the juice through the afternoon.  I fully expected to be hungry, grouchy, tired, shaky, but none of that was the case.  I did not get hungry.  In fact I felt full all day.  I did feel like I was having to force it in at times, but never felt hungry.  I took a break until Cary got home at 7 and then we juiced again for "dinner".  This time: romaine, 2 apples, 1 carrot, 1 lemon and a good piece of pineapple.  This was GOOD!  I am pleasantly surprised after day 1.  It was not amazing, but easier than I expected.  I can do this! 

I finished off the evening by watching Cary's documentary, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.  It was a good way to inspire my journey ( I may have to watch it again come day 3 or 4...).  It is an incredible documentary that follows a couple of men on there journey for better health through juicing. I highly recommend it.  It is truly an inspiration.

My goals are to increase my nutrients, have 1 week completely free of processed food, saturated fat or cholesterol, lose a few pounds, prove to myself that I can do this and not embarass myself on the lake next weekend (probably should have started earlier).  I will have to get to 136 lbs to be in the "normal weight category" per the BMI chart.  That is a stretch for 1 week, but I can certainly get started!   I had to get 1 day under my belt to prove to myself that I can really do this. I cannot wait to share my daily weights, "meals" and my cholesterol levels at the end of this week.  Day 1 was easier than I expected.  I did not cheat once. I feel good.  I feel ready. 

Stay tuned for daily updates.  I am using you as my accountability.  I hope you might be inspired to start making changes to your diet (no matter how small).  We truly are what we eat and I, for one, don't want to be yellow #6 or disodium inosinate.... 

The Local Table

This blog comes on the heels of the most amazing meal I may have ever been a part of.  As I write, my belly and my mind are full and content with amazing food, friendship and goodness from the earth.  We are at Dale Hollow Lake this weekend.  In my garden I have an abundance of ripe zucchini and squash, potatoes, green tomatoes, cucumbers and an herb garden with basil, oregano, dill, rosemary and sage.  We have been enjoying squash and zucchini for a while now, but I have not had the time to really enjoy the fruits of my garden.  We spent the day working, a nap and then some time in the hammock, tucked in the shade of the wood's edge, with my new book, Tender, a Cook and his Vegetable Patch.  I have always considered myself a good cook, and, well, you know about my vegetable patch... This book was my favorite birthday present.  It is beautiful, the kind of book you might just sit out for looking pretty.  It is illustrated with amazing pictures of vegetables and recipes for vegetables throughout the garden.  I found my inspiration.

                                                

Our longest, dear friends, the Sanders, have a home across the road at the lake.  Julie and I set out to the garden to harvest what would soon become our dinner.  Who knew the potential these veggies held?  We picked cucumbers, squash, zucchini, potatoes, lettuce, dill and basil.  In addition to our harvest,  Julie had an avocado, I had baby portabella mushrooms and wild salmon.  Our gather was complete, and so we began. 

Cary and Julie chopped 3 medium cucumbers, julienne style while I covered medium Yukon potatoes with olive oil and minced garlic for roasting.  We chopped lettuce and mushrooms, squashes and avocado.  I marinated the salmon in olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, and salt.  The julienned cucumbers were tossed with diced avocado, honey, red wine vinegar, dill and a pinch of cumin.  The squashes were cut lengthwise, salted and cooked in olive oil on high heat on a griddle until they were golden brown along the edges.  The mushrooms were sauteed with olive oil and garlic and then the salmon in the same pan. 

When the potatoes were golden, slightly crisp and fork tender, they were placed on a platter, firmly pressed with the back of a spoon and covered with more olive oil, sea salt, dill, asiago and a light drizzle of dijon mustard.  Read that again, this was definitely a favorite!!  By now, the squashes were browning and the salmon's edges crisping.  The squashes were topped with rough chopped basil, the cucumber and avocado salad served over Julie's fresh lettuce and the salmon sprinkled with fresh dill. 

My favorite way to serve a great meal is with all dishes beautifully arranged on one large platter.  The platter read, left to right: cucumber and avocado salad over fresh lettuce, wild salmon with dill, sauteed mushrooms, roasted pressed potatoes with olive oil ,sea salt, garlic, dijon, dill and asiago, and golden browned squash and zucchini served with fresh chopped basil.  We lit a candle, gathered around the table and served the meal with Cary's dark, smooth porter brewed (in our garage) with organic barley and hops. 

This meal was perfect on every single level.  The only room for improvement could have been fresh caught fish from Dale Hollow Lake or had we been brave enough to cook the wild mushrooms growing in the woods.  I love good food.  I especially love good, guilt-free food.  This meal was amazing and healthy from start to finish.  It was good for my body and good for my spirit.  I wish I had time to consider and prepare my food this way everyday.  Tonight was tender.  We ate well.  We ate with friends.  We ate local.  And...we ate with intention.  It was about a cook and her vegetable patch.

Back to my roots....

Well I haven’t blogged in a while but it is never because I am not pondering or pursuing, or having predicaments for that matter.  Sometimes it just takes some time for the right moment and the clarity to sit and write.  We are going to the farm today and it brings me such peace.  I never fully appreciated this place as a child.  In fact, my mother always made me promise that when I grew up I would move away from the farm.  It was the worst and the best advice she ever gave me.   Cary and I lived there for our first 2 years of marriage, but left 10 years ago and have been chasing our careers since.  I needed 10 years away.  I needed to experience new things and new people.  I now have really great friends who live across the country, and even in Japan.  They are from different cultures and backgrounds and standards and religions and diets.  It is through understanding their experiences that I have evolved into the person I am.  We have traveled to many states and a few different countries.  I love experiencing other cultures.  It is truly profound to me to consider all of the immense differences and yet the very basic similarities of the world.  I think and I hope that these experiences have made me more tolerant and more temperate towards others.  They have certainly changed the person that I am. 

We have, on a couple of occasions, considered moving to another state.  I suppose we could go anywhere on earth we wanted.   I can’t imagine so fully immersing myself in another culture this way.  I know that southerners aren’t always respected in other places.  I wonder how I would be accepted.  Would people ridicule my accent?  Would they appreciate me as a person, or just assume I were an ignorant country girl?   How would I fit in?  How much would I miss Tennessee’s rolling hills and green grass and my family and… my roots?

My granddad relays the story his grandmother told of her family’s voyage here from Ireland when she was a small girl.  They landed in Charleston, SC, floated on a raft down the river, got off in Memphis and walked back towards the east to finally settle just a few miles from the family farm today.  I am so lucky to still have my grandparents to share these stories.   My grandparents still own the farms where they were raised in addition to the farm they bought when they were married.  On my grandmothers family’s farm, there still stands the old hand hewn log house that was built by her great grandfather.  The house is old and very dilapidated now.  We were able to use some of these logs in the construction of our cabin.  It is special to me to have something so authentic.  It was hewn by the hands of my ancestors and now is a part of our home.  There is the old white farmhouse that Cary and I lived in when we got married on my grandfather’s family farm.  These are such invaluable gems to me.

While I will always have a spirit for experiencing new cultures, at the end of the day my roots are firm and strong.  I am a southern girl.  I love my heritage and I have a deep yearning to get closer to that from whence I came.  While I think we have certainly made amazing strides as a civilization, some we should not be so proud of.  Some things were better before we went and messed them up.   Some things I would prefer to do the old fashioned way.  It is why I love gardening and patty pan squash ; )  It is why I am committed to organics. 

 It is why we are now planning to move back to the farm.  Our plan is to try to move in the spring 2 years from now.  The land is beyond beautiful with fields of green grass, rolling hills and woods of tall oak and maple trees.  The pace is slower.  The work is more physical.  The people are honest.  There is a goodness that I want to come home to. 

I know that in many ways I am idealizing life on the farm.  I have seen my dad work many hard and long hours in the baking sun.  The commute will be grueling.  We have certainly grown accustomed to the conveniences of living in town.  But, I cannot wait!  We are visiting more frequently these days.  We are hearing old stories and taking tours around the farm and eating grandmothers cooking and sitting on the front porch and dreaming…. And it all has a deeper meaning than I have ever known before.           


                    

I know that I am not the same girl who left there 10 years ago.  I have gotten faster and tougher and more jaded, but I have also gotten more compassionate, more respectful and more mature.  I am more educated, less religious and have taken on some new-fangled ways.  And now, I am wondering how I will be accepted.   Will people make fun of my ways?  Will they appreciate me as a person or just assume I am an ignorant city girl?  Cary says I am Jerry Sullivan’s daughter and that is all the credibility I need.  While I can't wait to find out, I am sure hoping he is right…

Today is my 12 year anniversary.  12 years.  That sounds like an eternity.  It is hard to believe how it has flown by.  Cary and I met when I was only fifteen, so we have actually been together for 17 years.  That is over half of my life.  I am 100% certain that I could not have been wise enough at that age to know what I had.  It was luck.  Pure dumb luck.  But, somehow I landed my perfect partner before I could even drive a car.

For those of you who don’t know the story….We met in downtown Nashville at a Beta Club convention.  There was a mixer for students from all of the local schools and we met there.  I honestly don’t remember being swept away at that point.  I was staying there with 4 girlfriends and he was there with 4 guys.  The story really began with a group meet up later.  As fate would have it, we were all staying at the same hotel, Days Inn (very swanky).  We were invited to come hang out in the guy's hotel room.  3 of us girls went to hang out for a while and proceeded to chat until the wee hours of the morning.  Something must have tipped off their teacher because he came tapping on the door at 2am.  We (the girls) ran into the hotel bathroom and hid in the shower while he was there.  We were terrified!  We were good girls!  This was bad!  We could see Mr. Larkin through the mirror from the tiny crack between the shower curtain and the wall.  I think we held our breath the entire time he was in there.  Somehow, we went undetected.  He left the room and taped the door shut from the outside to make sure the guys did not leave and that no visitors could get in (or out!)  We were stuck!  There was no way out!  There was only 1 thing to do.…we spent the night.  Cary and I spent the night together on the very first day we met.   4 people slept in 1 hotel double bed that night.  We were too innocent and wedged too tightly in that bed to do anything (if you know what I mean ; )), but we spent the night together none the less.   The next morning, we woke to the sound of tape being ripped from the door.  Again, we held our breath hoping Mr. Larkin was not coming in.  When he moved along, we quickly grabbed our things and scurried out of there, but not before exchanging numbers with the boys from McEwen. 

Cary was a little more straight laced than my usual interests.  If I am being honest, he looked a little dorky (I love you babe!) He had braces and glasses and he wore his hair swept over to the side.  The morning we left, he had on jeans and a white (dorky) Guess sweatshirt.  I was smitten.  I cannot explain it, but I was completely smitten. 

We dated for a full 5 years with only 2 short breakups…1 for 3 days, 1 for 6 months.  The 6 month break up was the test.  It was during my sophomore year in college.  My chance to see what else was out there before committing to this guy for life.  Of course you know where this story is going…we got back together and were quickly engaged after that.  We got engaged my junior year and married with 1 semester left in my senior year.  We were YOUNG!  We were POOR!  We were IN LOVE!!!  We went to Gatlinburg on our honeymoon and had to come home 2 days early because we ran out of money.  I have no idea what we were thinking, but we were HAPPY!  

We lived our first 3 years of marriage in my great-grandparents old farmhouse, built in 1937.  We rented it from my grandparents for $250 per month.  We were both in school and both working.  Cary worked nights as a nurse and I worked as a waitress.  I am proud to say, we made it on our own.  From the day we married, it was understood that we were responsible for ourselves.  To this day, we have worked for everything we have had and paid our own way.  Back then, we had a very tight budget.  Our blow fund (going out money) was $25 per month!  WHAT!  The house was OLD.  The winters were so cold that we could see our breath upon wakening in the mornings.   We paid $600 in November to fill the gas tank for the winter and it was empty by the end of December.  It was a COLD January and February.   We lived on Hamburger Helper and grandmother’s cooking since she was just a few miles away.  In the summer, we woke to the sound of these huge hornets that made their way through the window AC unit into our bedroom.  We drove an hour each way to our classes at Vanderbilt and shared one enormous desk top computer for writing all of our papers.  And the worst part, farmhouses have mice, lots of mice!  They were the worst of times and looking back they were the best!  I loathed that house until we started packing to move and then the tears could not be held back.  It was where all of our memories were.  I still look back so fondly on all of the hours we spent studying and quizzing each other, wrapped up in blankets on the rockers on the front porch.  I am getting a little nostalgic now….

We graduated and took our first jobs together in McMinnville, TN.  We moved to Murfreesboro and our income grew exponentially overnight.  Our first purchase was a Nissan Xterra that Cary still drives today.  (I am feeling a little bad about this as I am typing since I got the new Mercedes last year).  The job was awful but we gained much needed experience and took better jobs in Nashville 6 months later.  5 years into marriage we bought our first house in Franklin.  It was perfect!  At least it was perfect until we both took jobs in Murfreesboro.  We decided to move again and have been here since. 

We have had many adventures…..I am always full of ideas.  I always have a project lined up, a trip to be planned, a remodel, a puppy, a garden, a 1/2 marathon …. and on and on, and Cary is always by my side.  I once thought I could do some plumbing in the upstairs bathroom and flooded the ceiling downstairs so badly that the wallboard fell in.  I was soaking wet with mascara running down my cheeks from the water spraying me in the face.  Cary did not kill me.  He did not even scream.   We have completed grad school together, moved 4 times, changed jobs, flipped a house (successfully), opened a business (not so successfully), and most recently have built 2 houses within 1 year.  I am a total glutton for hard work and self torture and Cary is always always good for a go. 

Cary is the truest person I have ever known.  He is genuine and dependable and honest and caring and offers a constant stability and support that words cannot quantify.  He lets me do most everything, act most anyway and say most anything, but knows how to gently reel me back in when I have gone too far.  He is interesting and brilliant and humble and strong.  He is my guy : )  I love him and he loves me and that makes me the luckiest girl in the world!
               

We spent this weekend like most, at the cabin.  We just built a twin sized swinging bed on our screened porch and attempted to sleep in it last night in honor of our anniversary.  It was pretty chilly and reminiscent of the first night we spent together wedged in that tiny bed.  The twin bed is definitely better for napping!  The dogs started growling at something at around 4am so we moved inside and slept in this morning.  We went to Sunset Marina for a late breakfast and had a lazy day.  Every year we reflect on the highs and lows of our journey....all in all it has been amazing!

                                                   

Raised Bed Gardening 101

    

     Here it is by request...  I have so enjoyed my raised bed gardening.  I want to share a few pointers for those of you getting started.  This is only my 3rd year, so I am by no means a pro, but have learned a few things along the road.  I hope to inspire you and I hope to share some things that I have learned the hard way.

     I am organic all the way, I think you should be too!   I could write an entire blog about why we choose organic.  I hear people say it is overrated or who don't want to try it for fear that the food won't taste good???  For those skeptics, it is just fruits and vegetables minus the chemicals.  Some things taste the same, some much better.  These chemicals are strong enough to kill insects and weeds.  It is not out of the question to think that overtime, as we consume more and more of these chemicals, that they may damage our health as well.  Given the choice, wouldn't we choose not to eat pesticides?  No one in their right mind would eat a spoonful of 7 dust or roundup???  And the best part, we don't have to.  I also hear, "Organics cost too much, most people can't afford the extra cost:"  Well...there is no extra cost when you grow at home.  If you have a choice (and you do), choose organic.  Organic vegetables have been proven to be higher in nutrients and antioxidants and they are delicious.  You officially have no excuse ; )

     Okay okay, let's get back on track.  I am a little late on this, but there is still plenty of time.  The first thing you should know is that anyone can do this.  You need very little space and very little tools.  The primary ingredients are good soil, seeds, water and sun.  You will want to find the right spot that is level and gets at least 8 hours of sunshine daily.  Building the beds is really quite easy and the options are endless.  The recommended size for a raised be is 4 X 8.  4 feet wide is the width that most people can reach across (2 feet from each side).  The length is really your preference.  I am not a rule follower, so I built my beds 5 x 8.  If 4 is good 5 is better right??  WRONG.  I have short arms and it is quite a stretch.  I have made plenty of mistakes that I hope you can learn from.  The depth should be 6-8".  You can use stones, landscape blocks, wood etc for the beds.  It is best to use untreated wood (we are trying to minimize the chemicals, right?)  Cedar will last longer, but is a bit more costly.  The easiest bed is 4 pieces of wood with brackets at the corners.   Once you have your bed set and leveled, you are ready for soil. 
     The cornerstone of raised bed and organic gardening is starting with great soil.  With properly conditioned soil, there is no need to add fertilizer.  There are different options here.  My sister has used straight dirt from the woods and has had amazing results.  Woods dirt has naturally been composted for years.  If you do not have access to woods dirt or don't want to put in the muscle work, there are other options.  You can purchase bags of topsoil, peat moss, manure and compost, mixing equal parts of each.  Worms are your friend, so toss a few of those in there as well.  This year I am trying out a recipe for an organic soil amendment that I found in Mother Earth News (see the link if you are interested) Organic Soil Amendment 
     One of the main advantages of a raised bed garden is efficiency of space.  You will not be planting in rows, but rather using every square inch of space.  You may purchase plants or start with seeds.  For tomatoes and peppers, I recommend plants.  Organic plants are very hard to find around here.   All Seasons Garden and Brewing Supply Company in Nashville does have organic plants.  You could probably find some at the Franklin Farmers Market as well.  For most everything else, I plant from seed.  For seed planting, look at the backs of your seed packets for planting instructions.  You will find valuable information for spacing as well as when to plant.  All seed packs recommend row planting  but also tell you how far apart to plant the seeds in the rows. 

                           

                                              

If it says plant every 4 inches, then you need 4 inches on all sides of the plant.  You will plant in more of a grid pattern.  Some people use the square foot gardening method, actually marking off their beds in 12 inch x 12 inch squares and planting different plants in each square according the guideline for spacing as mentioned above.  You may want to put 2-3 seeds in each spot to ensure germination, if so, you will thin later by cutting the extra, weaker, plants away at the stem. 

      You can plant anything!!!  I have planted everything in my raised beds from lettuces to root vegetables, corn, tomatoes, okra, eggplant, beans and herbs.  This year I am trying quinoa!  I do not think there is anything that cannot be planted here. I will say, I have not had luck with broccoli : (   Proceed as you wish.  If you plan for root vegetables, carrots, potatoes, beets etc, you will need your beds to be at least 8 inches deep.  You should plant what you like to eat, it is that simple.  You should start by figuring out what you want and how much you think you will need and draw a chart of how you will plant it.  Gardeners.com has a very helpful tool, in addition to great garden supplies, on their website for planning you garden.  Create your Garden Beds  You can design your garden and it will also help you with spacing per square foot.  You will find this most helpful!  I have experimented with planting everything.  I even planted beets, just for kicks : ).  They weren't too bad but I will not be wasting space on beets this year! 

     At this point, it is certainly not too late.  I have had my greens, lettuces, spinach, kale, in the ground for several weeks now, but they can still be planted.  If you get them in early enough (late Feb/early March) you can harvest them in early May and then plant for summer.  You get more out of your beds this way by maximizing your space and using more of the growing season.  If you want potatoes, get them in the ground right away.  For everything else, we still have plenty of time.  There are a lot of different thoughts on when to plant summer crops.  I think we all start getting a little anxious to plant, but it is wise to make sure we are past the last frost.  I have waited as late as the end of May.   Many people are planting now.  I plan to plant the 1st week of May.  This year I will plant patty pan squash, butternut squash, zucchini, crooked neck squash, eggplant, cucumbers, beans, okra and herbs, all by seed.  I will wait a week later for my tomato and pepper plants to make sure it is a bit warmer.  Tomato plants, squashes, okra and corn can take up a good bit of space.  You will have to determine if it is worth it for your available space.  The University of TN has published a Guide to Warm Season Garden Vegetables which I have found to be very useful.  They provide a chart which includes all vegetables imaginable along with when to plant and how to space and # of days to harvest.  I refer to to it regularly.  Guide to Warm Season Garden Vegetables

     I hope this helps.  I hope you have half as much fun as I do.  And.....

I hope your garden kicks ass too : )

Cow Day

                              

  

      You have not lived until you have experienced working cows on the farm.  I kid you not, this is an experience like none other.  You know I grew up on a farm.  When I was 21 I moved away and now visit only about once per month.  I live an easy suburban life.  The only animals I feed are my 2 dogs.  I wear high heels almost everyday.  I enjoy the occasional pedicure.  I pay someone to mow my grass.  I have almost forgotten what farming is all about.  BUT...twice a year I pay my dues as a farmers daughter and go home to help "work the cows".  A few of you know what I am talking about.  For most of you I can only assume that it would be an experience beyond your greatest imagination.      

   

       I got the call on Friday night, Sunday would be the day.  It is always last minute.  I had brunch plans with a friend that had to be postponed until dinner.  The scheduling is based on when the help is available.  Not my help, the strong help.  We would start at 7am, so I set my alarm for 5:45am.  Cary set the coffee pot the night before for 6am so I could have some caffeine for the road.  He had to work, so he missed all of the fun.  You do not want to wear nice clothes for this day.  In fact, the worse, the better.  I rolled straight out of bed, put on my old sweats, shoes and hat and headed to the farm, a 1 hour drive.  Grandmother had homemade biscuits, sausage and eggs waiting for me when I got there.  (Even though I have been eating little meat, I cannot resist a bite at Grandmothers) 

    

We were working ALL of the cows this time.  Mamas and babies, about 100 total.  My dad had gotten the cows to the barn before I got there (the noise you make to call a cow cannot be spelled in a blog), so they were all waiting for us in front of the barn.  100 cows balling.....and you can imagine the smell.  The old ones know what is coming.  The babies are in for something special.  They do not like the looks of me.  I wore a hot pink shirt, probably not my best choice but it was 5:45 am after all.  They balled louder and some charged the fence when I walked by.  They are very accustomed to my dad and grandparents, but weary of city folk : )      

           There is a maze of small pens and gates used to separate the cows from the babies, then a long narrow pen leading to their destination, the "head catcher".  It is exactly as it sounds.  Narrow around the body and tight around the neck to minimize the head movement.  They typically do not like this.  They are huge and strong and angry.  They are usually slobbering and balling and trying to swing  their head in such a way as to knock you down.  Noses have been broken.  Sometimes they try to climb over the top, sometimes they do. 
     The purpose of working the cows is to immunize the babies against "black leg" and "pink eye" and the cows against something I have never heard of, "lepto".  We also trim their horns, put a fly tag in their ear, and if they are unlucky enough to be born male....castration!  I must say, the ladies have the luck in the cow world.  Very few boys are kept for bulls.  Most are castrated and then sent to the market for meat.  The girls (heifers) have a much higher chance of a long happy life on the farm making babies.

     I am a nurse practitioner, I am experienced with immunizations.  My job on cow day is to draw up all of the shots and load all of the ear tags so the guys can get busy once the cow is in the head catcher.  I am also on standby to assess any injuries.  There are always injuries.  JD works on the head, replacing the fly tag, while my dad gives the shot and keeps the others in line.  I gave a couple of shots, but mostly try to stay out of danger.  My grandmother is the gopher and my granddad works the head catcher (pretty good for 85, you have to catch them just at the right moment!)

                                         There are 2 accepted methods for castration.  One is banding (a tight rubber band left on to cut off the circulation), the other is cutting.....we cut.  It is actually more of a cut and pull, (use your imagination here).  As I said before, the best help is the strong help.  As it turns out, baby bulls don't like to be castrated : /  For the castrations, I got promoted to pressing a bar over there neck to keep them more stable while JD (the strong help) moves to the rear.  He holds them up (by the tail) to keep them from sitting while my dad does "the job".  There is about a 95% chance of getting kicked, or worse, shat upon during this process.  I tried to give them some loving by petting their head during the "procedure", but as you can imagine, they found no solace in my touch...

     The remains are thrown on the ground for which the dogs find great delight!  Once everything is done, my granddad opens the head catcher and they are free.  Some of them simply walk forward, some of them leap out of there and others (possibly low IQ) just stand there.  I whispered to them, "you're free".  Finally, they understand and move forward.   We did this 100 times in what felt like 100 degree weather.  It took about 5 hours and that was considered good time.  My dad got kicked in the leg, but overall, no complications.  I was sweaty and dirty and probably smelly.  Gross I know, but I had 12 ticks on me!  We were exhausted and hungry.  I changed clothes, ate lunch and headed back to Murfreesboro for a shower and a nap. 

     Once I woke up, I put on a dress and heels and went to dinner.   I like that I grew up on a farm.  I like that I can live in both worlds.  I like that I can handle most any situation.  I am rarely if ever a damsel in distress.  It is true what they say, "Country boys (and girls) can survive" : )