The first update since the New Year's Resolutions

So, I'm proud to say that I haven't broken ALL of my New Year's Resolutions just yet. As predicted, I've broken some already. Like that "walk every day" thing. Unless you count the hike from my parking spot at the back of the parking lot to the employee entrance at work. Which, technically, since I'm usually running late and I have to find the most readily available parking spot as soon as possible, I guess it counts - speedwalking into work from the back of the parking lot, right? Some people do it by choice, I do it (ironically enough) because I'm lazy --- too lazy to get there early to find a better parking spot without having to drive around for an extra ten minutes. I guess maybe it does have it's advantages.

Anyways, so my mom stealth-attacked me with a doctor's appointment. And by that, I mean she scheduled me for a full physical with our family doctor. I probably haven't been there for about 2, going on 3 years. I know, I know ... you people are probably thinking I'm crazy for that, or stupid. I'd say both. But I hate going there. I even told him so when he walked in:

"You know, I hate coming here. I feel like I'm getting called into the principal's office every time I get here."

To which he responded: "Yep, And guess what? I'm the principal."

So, we went over my last check-ups, any medical issues, etc., the usual. I received a lot of eye rolls and tongue clucks and head-shaking at the fact that I've not been to the dentist since 2002, haven't seen my eye doctor in over a year, and haven't received any "female exams" EVER and I'll be 25 next month.

The number of people thinking I'm crazy, stupid, or both just increased exponentially, didn't it? I know. And believe me, I've been yelled at for it for a while. Just the thought of someone taking a look and poking around at my hootilly-hoo and ha-has  gives me the heebie-jeebies. And yes, I called them the hootilly-hoo and ha-has. It's a long story. But it ends with "and now I have an appointment in February to get them looked and poked at." There. Happy now?

Anyway, so he asked what my concerns were that I'd like to discuss with him, and I said I wanted to discuss weight and blood pressure management. I was completely honest with him saying it's not that I can't lose weight, it's that I can't keep my motivation going for it. I'll do really well for a day or a week, then I'll fall off the wagon, gain back the weight that I lost, then gain a few more pounds back. Doing that over and over again is what's caused the significant weight gain that I've accrued since high school. I told him that I'd like to be down in the 140 range as far as weight goes.

He looked over everything, set down his chart, and said, "Okay, here's what I'd like to see. I'd like to see you lose about 75 lbs." I agree. "But you're going to have to do it for yourself. And you're going to have to work at it; I can't make you do it. I'm going to prescribe you some phentermine to get you jump-started, and we're going to change your blood pressure medication around a bit, because it's still a little high, but here's what I want you to do ... For 20 minutes a day, at least four days a week, I want you to exercise. On the first day, you're going to run like your life depends on it, like you're saving someone from a burning building ... until you can't say 1 full sentence because you're gasping too much."

I told him that'd be about 5 feet.

"It might be 5 feet, it might be 10 feet ... who knows? But when you can't say 1 full sentence without gasping, you're going to slow down to a walk, until you're able to say 2 sentences without gasping. Then you're going to run again until you can't say 1, slow down til you can say 2, and keep going back and forth like that. For 20 minutes. What that's going to do is rev up you're aerobic and anaerobic metabolism, which means with and without oxygen, and get that up for the rest of the day, so your body is going to be burning calories."

This sounds like it's going to be hell.

"On day 2, you're going to do jumping jacks. I don't care how many you do, I don't care if it's just 6 a minute. But I want full arm and leg extensions, because on day 1, you're working one set of muscles, and on day 2, you're going to be working a different set of muscles. Now, for my patients who can't do jumping jacks, I tell them to lie down on the ground and make snow angels. As long as you do the same thing as on day 1 --- 1 sentence, 2 sentences --- for 20 minutes, that's going to get your blood pumping, get your heart working, and get that metabolism up."

I think I'm going to be starting off with snow angels.

"Just alternate your days back and forth. Run/walk one day, jumping jacks/snow angels the next. Now, in addition to that, do you eat breakfast in the mornings?"

Do I get up early enough in the mornings for breakfast? Hah. No.

"I want you to eat breakfast. I don't care if it's some fruit, or cereal, or even a cup of yogurt. Just get something in there for breakfast. Because if you don't eat breakfast, your body's going to go into starvation mode, and for the next 16 hours, anything that goes into your mouth will be stored as fat by your body. So you need to eat breakfast. Just make sure it's not McDonald's."

Damn! There went my loophole! I'm going to really miss that Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Bagel with hashbrowns and a large sweet tea with light ice! Le sigh ...

"As far as other food goes, when you're eating something, look at the food label. Every gram of fat contains 9 calories. So, look at the total fat grams, and multiply that by 9. So, for example, let's say you've got something that you're eating or drinking that has 100 calories, and 9 grams of fat. If there are 3 grams of fat, multiple that by 9 calories, that's 27 calories from fat.  Now, if the number you come up with is less than 30% of the total calories listed above that, your body will be able to burn off those fat calories. So, if there's 100 calories, and 3 grams of fat, 3x9=27, 27 is less than 30% of 100, so your body will be able to burn that off. If there are 4 grams of fat, 4x9=36, 36 is greater than 30% of 100, so your body isn't going to be able to burn all of those off, and you'll store the rest as fat."

I'm feeling like Pearl Harbor, right now --- I'm under assault from all angles. Darn!

"So, watch those food labels, and be mindful of that. And do those exercises I told you about. You can do more than that if you'd like, but as long as you're doing at least that, to get your metabolism revved up. And make sure you eat breakfast. Also, drink plenty of water." I showed him my large 1 liter bottle of Aquafina, and asked if 2 of those would be okay per day. "At least that much. After the first 2 weeks, though, you're going to want to drink even more. I want you drinking 1 of those during your workout. When you exercise, your muscles release a toxin called lactic acid, and you're going to want to flush that out of your system. Drinking a lot of water will do that and help keep you hydrated. Oh, and you don't go out and buy those bottles new every time, do you?"

Guilty look.

"That's a waste of money. It's just tap water. The filtration of it may be a bit different, but it's basically just tap water. Save yourself some money and just fill it up at home, or at work ... whenever. It's just tap water."

So, after that, I had some blood drawn (still have the bruise), got a tetanus-whooping cough shot (which, apparently, he said that whooping cough is making a comeback), and had to give a urine sample. Wish they would let me know that last part BEFORE I got there, so that way I didn't go right before I left. Good thing I drank some of that expensive tap water while I was waiting, I guess. My blood tests came back normal, with the exception of my thyroid, which is under-performing, so I had a prescription for levothyroxin-something-or-other, which clearly states on the bottle TAKE WITH PLENTY OF WATER. That should help my water intake. Now, I've got to exercise 20 mins/day, 4 days/wk, drink plenty of water, watch my food labels, take my meds, and go back every 2 weeks just to get my weight and blood pressure checked, and every 4th week, I'll meet with him as an actual check-up to make sure everything's going okay.

I'm going to make no illusions about it: this is going to be the simplest thing in the world to do, but I've got so little follow-through that I'm going to make it the most difficult. The weight and blood pressure checks every 2 weeks are so that I'm holding myself accountable to someone other than me, which will help.

Now I've just to worry and cringe about the hootilly-hoo and ha-has exams.

What about the other resolutions, though, you may be asking?

• Mom's American Flag Afghan isn't finished yet. I have the stars loosely attached, but I need to get them in the right position, which is harder than I originally thought. I never figured it'd be so aggravating trying to get 13 stars in a circle on a blue field. Who knew?
• I used up 1 skein of stash already. I was making a scarf in my free time at work, and Jamie (one of the girls on my team) said, "Oh my gosh! Is that a scarf? That's the exact same color as my ______." (I forget what item she had that was exactly the same color. A hat, maybe?) So I asked her, "You want it when it's finished? All I've gotta do is put on the fringe at the end, and it's finished." She accepted, so I now have 1 skein down. At least 9 more to go.
• As far as learning to cook, I've subscribed to a lot of video podcasts on iTunes, and I browse allrecipes.com occasionally, looking for new recipes. I even tried making bread from scratch --- twice! And failed both times. One was a beer bread, that I didn't follow the instructions for it. The second was a honey-wheat bread, which I DID follow the instructions for it, and it turned out tasting disgusting. I'm going to get it right one of these times, though, dagnabbit!
• I was devoting that 15 minutes to cleaning my room, and it looked really good --- for about a day. Then I moved something around, didn't put away some clothes, or make my bed, and it's now looking trashed again. Looks like that one's going to have to be a re-do.
• I went and got some thread from Jo-Ann Fabrics the other day. I have some needles around here somewhere, and a pair of pants and a shirt that need mending. While I don't have any skills, per se, I should be able to fix those pretty quickly and use that as a springboard into obtaining some sewing skills, right?
• I bugged my mom about bugging her friend Renee about the soapmaking thing. No luck so far.

How has everyone else done with their New Year's Resolutions? Any successes? Any failures? Here's hoping everyone's doing well and stays on the wagon!

So ... whatcha doin'?

As my neighbor's daughter likes to say, "So ... whatcha doooooooin'?"

I mean this in the New Year's Resolutions context, of course. I make New Year's Resolutions, every year, and, every year, I break them not too far into said year. But, the way I figure it, if the law of averages always manages to catch up with you when you don't want it to, why the hell can't it catch up with me in regards to my New Year's Resolutions? One of 'em's gotta stick SOMETIME!

I sat down and thought a lot about what I wanted to do this year. New Year's Day always seems so "clean slate" to me, even though there's really nothing that sets it apart from any other day, other than it's the first one that shows up chronologically on your calendar. So, for the past few days, I listened to my own thoughts, and read some others' blogs about what they wanted to do, and came up with a ginormous list of my own. Again, with that whole law of averages thing, I'll most likely break nearly all of them, but at least one should stick, right?

1. Start my New Year's Resolutions on January 2nd. January 1st is really just an extension of New Year's Eve, in my opinion, meant as a day of rest and recovery from the previous night.
2. Take a walk every day. Even if it's just on the treadmill, it's still good to move around a bit. Get the blood flowing and all that.
3. Lose 20 lbs by April 1st. Then another 20 by July 1st. Then another 20 by October 1st. Then another 20 by the end of the year. The way I figure it, I'm at least 80 lbs overweight. So, instead of being too vague or too strict in setting goals for myself, set a yearly goal, with 4 checkpoints throughout the year. Once I get down to what I feel is a reasonable weight, to where I'm comfortable sharing what I currently weigh, and where I'm headed, I'll list the actual numbers. For me, losing weight isn't just about the numbers, though. It's about being 24 (almost 25), and having to take high blood pressure medicine. It's about being an aunt, who wouldn't be able to keep up with her nieces and nephews if they wanted to run around. It's about having my jeans fit me comfortably, instead of fitting me like a tourniquet. (Go ahead ... get that image in your head.)
4. Finish my mom's American Flag Afghan. I've only been working on different incarnations of that thing for going on 3 years. I'm so close to having it finished, that there's no reason why I shouldn't be able to have it completed by week's end.
5. Use up at least 10 balls/skeins/hanks of yarn in my stash. I have --- literally --- 2 Rubbermaid storage tubs filled with yarn, down at the storage place in Harrison. And I have a stackable cart of yarn, as well. And some under my bed. And some in my closet. What obsession?
6. I want to learn how to cook. I mean, really cook. Like, as in The Julie/Julia Project type of "I want to learn how to cook". So far, I'm able to cook down some salsa before canning it, and I can whip up a batch of rice with vegetables and chicken, but I'm pretty limited. I want to be able to make things from scratch. Because really, isn't that what homesteading is all about?
7. Oh, yeah. I want to be a homesteader. I want my own place, with a lot of land, and all kinds of manual conveniences (instead of the electric ones ... with few exceptions), so that, just in case the end of the world as we know it occurs --- you know, nuclear war, widespread disease, movie-ranking natural disasters, or economic collapse --- I can live just as comfortably then as I do now. Somehow, this doesn't seem like one of the things that I'm going to complete by the end of the year.
8. Devote at least 15 minutes a day to cleaning my room, until it's spotless. See, I'm one of those people that have chronically messy rooms. My junk avalanche seems to spill from my walls into other areas of the house, to the point where I'm stepping over things in order to get to my bed. I'm about halfway to Hoarders, in some respects, so I need to get more organized.
9. Read the Constitution in its entirety. I'm a bit of a political junkie, as of late, and I keep thinking that I need to read it, and more importantly, understand it. I've got a book that contains the Constitution of the United States of America and The Federalist Papers, but I've yet to crack it open. I want to do that soon.
10. Begin (and finish) reading "The Real George Washington", "The Real Benjamin Franklin", and "The Real Thomas Jefferson". I've had these books for a while, and I keep hearing Glenn Beck talking about those books, and the people in the 9/12 Project group that I'm in have talked about it, too. I actually gave all three books to one of the guys at work to read, and he's read them all, loved them, and returned them. I would love to have a more intimite understanding of the lives of our Founding Fathers, and a deeper appreciation of what they sacrificed to be able to give us our country, which many of us, myself included at times, take for granted.
11. Finish reading the Southern Vampire Mysteries novels by Charlaine Harris. Okay, that's admittedly not as noble a task as reading the above-mentioned pieces of literature, but I really want to find out what happens between Eric and Sookie!
12. With that in mind, I need to finish Season 1 and Season 2 of True Blood.
13. Lower my blood pressure enough that I don't have to continue taking my blood pressure medication.
14. Get a tan. I'm not talking about being a bronzed beauty or anything, but just something darker than the pasty-whiteness of us natural redheads. If I were red-haired, fair, and blue-eyed, it would look okay. But I've got brown eyes, so I just look ... weird.
15. Learn to sew. I thought about getting some books on how to use a sewing machine and how to repair damaged clothes, but I never did. Oh, well. Birthday wish list, it seems. Plus, if I'm going to be losing weight, I don't want to go out and buy a whole bunch of new clothes (which I really shouldn't need to, if I've got a closet-full of clothes that I've 'outgrown' -- and not in a tall way), so why not just repurpose the ones I've already got?
16. Knit a sweater. I started Sweater Club last year at KnitWits in Kentucky, under the assumption that I'd have this wonderful-looking, handmade sweater that I'd fawn over. Well, after months of work, the sweater was finished. I put it on, turned around and looked in the mirror and ... hated it. It looked so ... frumpy? I picked out a bad pattern for my body type, so it looked absolutely horrible. Here's hoping I can go back on Ravelry and get a new pattern.
17. Knit a pair of socks. See # 16.
18. Make a baby blanket for one sister's baby girl, and for my other sister's ... wait for it ... baby BOY. I knew it was going to be a boy, turns out, I was right.
19. Grow some garlic. I keep buying garlic at the store, telling myself that I'm going to grow it in the garden, and I keep eating it instead. Oh! Note to readers: do NOT think to yourself, "Well ... I mean ... if I just take a bite out of a clove of raw garlic, it'll just taste like I dumped a load of garlic powder on my tongue. I'll just try it ..." Hah, yeah, about that ....... ah, no. Take it from me. And the blistered spot on my tongue that I received when I actually tried that a few months ago. I never said I was the brightest crayon in the box, did I?
20. Get my mom and/or dad to can with me. Or get my neighbors to can. Not that I don't mind sharing my homemade salsa with people, it's just that I like canning, so I think everyone should can.
21. Learn to can more than just salsa and apple pie filling.
22. Grow spicy peppers this year.
23. Have more than just a few plants in my garden.
24. Grow lettuces this spring/summer.
25. Start more plants from seeds, and transplant out into the garden.
26. Save $10,000 and put it into a savings account, and let it accrue interest. I'm more of a spender than a saver, and ever since I've had a job (which has been for 10 years; I started working when I was 14), my mom and dad always told me to save my money. But did I listen? No. So, while I currently don't have any debt (I see this as a big plus, especially in today's world), I don't have but about $3,000 - $5,000 to my name. While this may be a lot for some people, for the number of hours I've put in over the last 10 years, it's pathetic.
27. Go back to school and work on my education. I went to college for one semester, at Northern Kentucky University, the year after I graduated, and never went back. So, I don't have a degree in anything. While I'm thankful to have a job, it's not what I want to do for the rest of my life. (Come to think of it, if there's ANY way I can get a sugar daddy and just be a kept woman ...) While these may not be the best economic times, I'd still like to get a degree so that I can open up some more opportunities for myself.
28. Get a life. A love life, that is. I'm not talking about anything specific, like a long-term relationship or engagement, or anthing, but just get out there and mingle. I'm a fun person to be around (no ... really), but I never put myself out there in that way. One of the girls at work swears she's going to teach me the basics and finer points of flirting, so that I can use my skills for good or evil, whichever the case may be, to land me a guy. Eventually.
29. Learn how to work on my car. I have a 2001 Saturn L200. It's black. And it has a shitload of Marine Corps stuff on it, including a big 12'' in diameter Marine Corps seal emblem on the driver side. Wave or honk if you're passing me. So, that aside, it also has a gas leak. From the tank itself. Talk about annoying. Thank God it's not still $4/gal anymore!
30. Learn to make soap. My mom's friend, Renee, has been promising that she'd teach me how to make soap ever since my sister and I went and worked at her soapmaker's booth at Tall Stacks Festival in Cincinnati in 2006. Here we are, four years later, and no soapmaking skills have been bequeathed to me. Le sigh.

Wishing Everyone a Happy and Safe New Year's Eve!

"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man." ~ Benjamin Franklin

Some thoughts for the New Year ...

Well, here it is ... the end of another year, but not only that --- the end of a decade.

And what a decade it's been!

Do you remember around this time, 10 years ago, what you were doing, and what was going on? I do.

I was 14 years old, a freshman in high school (and needless to say, about 50-60 lbs lighter). The Backstreet Boys and N*Sync were all the rage on MTV (which actually showed some music videos), boy band mania had gripped us teenybopper fangirls (okay, I'll admit ... Nick Carter was going to be my future husband. He didn't know that, but I was convinced of it), and the great Y2K dilemma had struck an uncertain fear into the hearts of the technologically-advanced world. Osama Bin Laden was hardly a blip on the radar for anyone, much less a household name (and not in a good way). I had no clue what the Twin Towers were, and couldn't give a flying crap WHAT happened in the Middle East. Knitting and crocheting were for little old ladies that had serious cat problems, gardening was something that only people that watched PBS did, and self-sufficiency and survivalism were for a bunch of redneck hicks that had militia meetings. I had a best friend with whom I was going to move to Florida (you know, because that's where Nick Carter and the Backstreet Boys were from) after graduating high school, we were going to get an apartment together, go to college together, and ---again --- both of us were convinced that, in one way or another, that life plan was going to ultimately end with us marrying our respective Backstreet Boy (there really was nothing other than THAT for us; we had a very finite range on our radar).

So, what's happened since then?

Well, I discovered that my idolization of Nick Carter didn't really pan out for me very well, and I moved on. I gained 50-60 lbs. September 11th, America's 2nd Pearl Harbor, rocked us all the way to our foundations. I became obsessed with various TV shows, some of which have since moved on without me, and some haven't (Smallville, Tarzan, Angel: The Series, Jericho, LOST, The Victory Garden, Colonial Home), as have their actors. I found new movies and their respective actors to fawn over (Red Eye - my favorite [Hel-LO! Cillian Murphy is gorgeous ... in that creepy sort of "I lurk in the shadows, watching you sleep at night, waiting for the perfect moment to slit your throat, all while maintaining a certain sexiness about my person" sort of way. Hmm ... I'm not over-analyzing, am I?], Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Iron Man [Hel-LO Robert Downey, Jr., as well, even though he's old enough to be my dad], The Lord of the Rings Series, The Harry Potter Series). I took up crocheting, which then led to knitting once I found out that it really ISN'T just for old grannies anymore. Self-sufficiency and survivalism moved out of the tinfoil-hat/conspiracy theorists realm, and into the "it's just what people did during World War II on the American homefront" area. That sparked my interest in beginning my own little garden, which I hope to keep expanding upon each year, little by little, until --- before you know it --- it has taken over a large part of the back yard.

Now that we've covered that, what do I look forward to doing in the coming year?

• Well, for starters, I'm going to be an aunt again in March, then again in May. I have two older half-brothers who have kids, but they never really lived with us, so they're kind of distant. My two younger (full-blooded) sisters are each pregnant, and will be due at the beginning and middle of next year, respectively.
• Since I've got two new people that I'm going to have a higher likelihood of seeing that I'm going to be becoming an aunt to, I'm going to have to make baby blankets. And I haven't even started, yet. So, maybe I should get on that.
• I want to be able to play with my niece and ______ (my other sister doesn't find out what she's having until 12/29, so it's a wait-and-see game, though I'm guessing it's a boy, as does the rest of my family) when they're older, so I want to take off that 50-60 lbs that I've put on since high school, to start with. Then, when I make it there, since I was never thin in school, use that 50-60 lb weight-loss as a spring board into getting rid of the rest of my excess weight. Unfortunately, for my body size, age, and sex, I should weigh about 80 lbs less than what I actually do. I would LOVE to see how healthy I would feel weighing 80 lbs less! It just would open up so many new doors for me!
• Organization has never been my strong suit. Ever since I was little, I have had a chronically messy room. Now that I'm older, it just spills into the rest of my life --- a messy purse, a messy work desk, and messy car. I need to clean all that crap up. I wish I was more like Sookie Stackhouse, who cleans when she's bored. I'll need to switch from watching TV to fill my void, to cleaning.
• Speaking of Sookie, I need to finish those Southern Vampire Mysteries books.
• Now that I've completed my first season as a gardener, I've cleared my first hurdle. So, once January begins, I figure I'll only have about 4 or 5 months until I need to start setting my plants outside. It seems like a lot of time right now, but with my penchant for putting things off, it'll come up faster than I would ever imagine. I'll need to start getting together garden ideas and a list of what I want to grow next year, and where I'm going to put them.
• I've lost contact with a lot of "friends" since high school. I use the quotation marks, because I always wonder how great of a friend I was to those people if I never kept in touch with them, and vice versa. I should get back together with them.
• My work schedule has made it near to impossible to be able to attend recent 9/12 Project meetings. I loved going to them, and I'm going to start attending more, to become more involved.
• I'm absolutely sick with the way politicians on BOTH SIDES of the aisle have been running things within my own personal living memory, and I'm determined to HOLD EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS! If they've sold us, the American people, out --- be it through national security, sweetheart deals, national sovereignty, illegal immigration, unconstitutional legislation, or any other action that breaks their oath of office to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America --- then I will resolve to do everything in my power to educate myself and those around me as to what has been going on in Washington with our elected officials, and I will do everything I can to make sure that, come Election Day 2010, We The People will be handing them their pink slips. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out, Congressman or Senator.

What about you guys? What are your resolutions for the New Year? Write a post on your own blog, and let's see what your grand plans are!

Merry Christmas To All (or, How I Re-Discovered The Christmas Spirit) ...

Well, 2009 is coming to a close. For some reason, Christmas Day always seems so anti-climactic to me. I guess it's because it's become such a commercial holiday. I turned on the TV today, and what are they playing? You guessed it: the "hey, that gift you got sucked, so come in for our door-buster Day After Christmas sale and spend even MORE money to get the stuff you REALLY wanted that those cheapskates didn't get you when we were having our Black Friday Sale, Black Friday Weekend sale, 12 Days of Christmas Sale, Christmas Eve Sale, or Christmas Day Sale" commercials.

This year, though, the holidays seemed a bit different. I was unemployed for two (thankfully) short months at the beginning of the year, so that made me wise up a bit about my spending habits. I became a bit more politically- and historically-minded, which drove me to learn about what our country has gone through in the short 233 years it's been around. And finally, 3 days before Christmas, I came home to find the volunteer fire department had blocked off the intersection to get into my subdivision --- because one of our neighbors' houses caught on fire and burnt down to the ground.

3 days before Christmas. And they have an 8 year-old son.

Thankfully, there weren't any people in the house when it caught fire, but unfortunately, they lost 2 of their 3 dogs, which they had to bury today, on Christmas. Our neighbor that lives across the street, who used to be on the volunteer fire department, was able to run into the house while it was on fire and save the golden retriever, and they're now caring for it while the family is displaced.

Sadly, the family lost EVERYTHING. The only thing that's left of the house is the brick shell of the first floor and some charred boards. They had an antique Ford Mustang in the garage that now looks indistinguishable from a picture of a car bombing. They didn't have insurance on the car.

That night, the news had come out and done a live report from the scene (which is amazing, to me, because the Cincinnati news stations, despite saying that they serve the Tri-State area, hardly EVER do any stories about anything in Indiana), and it had been on the 11 o'clock news. Families from different areas of the subdivision and other nearby subdivisions had walked up to see the damage when they saw the flames and the flashing lights of the fire trucks. Once the fire department had opened the road again, cars were driving by left and right, surveying the charred remnants of the house. Apparently, this was the news of the night in our little community.


I was glad to hear that night, when I got home, that our neighbors weren't injured (or worse) in the fire, and that their parents were able to take them in that night after the flames were put out, the fire hoses rolled up, and the investigators had taken their leave. But I felt so bad for them, that they had NOTHING, 3 days before Christmas. What a way to kill the Christmas Spirit.

Or, so I thought.

The next morning, cars were still driving by, slowing down, as if they were merely driving past to see a particularly incredible Christmas lights display. But, then, we started to get people knocking on the door. "I heard about what happened, on the news last night," one woman said, "I'm getting ready to head down to finish some last-minute Christmas shopping. What do they need?" Taken aback, I explained that what she saw that was left of the house was pretty much all they had. "I'll stop back here once I'm finished shopping," she'd said.

And she wasn't the only one.

Car-full by car-full, people were driving up and dropping off clothes, shoes, canned goods, cereal, money, gift cards, toys for their son, and even offering to give the family dachsunds to help fill the void that had opened up when the family's two dachsunds had perished in the fire the night before. And it wasn't just people in our community. We were seeing people with Ohio and Kentucky license plates stopping their cars and dropping off donations. One man even came up, explained to my dad that he had been unemployed for a while, but he and his wife had been blessed, so he wanted to help out the family. He gave my dad a $100 bill. When my dad thanked him and asked him who he should put down for the name, the man simply said he wanted to remain anonymous.

Today, Christmas Day, people are still coming up and dropping off bags of clothes, money, offering furniture, and giving what they feel personally compelled to donate. They're taking time out of their day, to give back. Any time is a horrible time to lose everything in a house fire, but something really tugs at our heart when it happens 3 days before Christmas. I feel like the Grinch, whose "heart grew three sizes that day!" ...

Christmas always felt so anti-climactic because of the big importance placed upon what were the best gifts to get. Well, I got some neat things today, including some clothes, jewelry, a food dehydrator, a movie, and a video game. But those weren't the best gifts that I received (even though I love them all!). I got to see our community show that when times are tough, we can pull together. That we can give, not because government mandates that we do, but because our hearts lead us to do so, and that we can make better choices about who we want to give to, and what we want to give. I got to see local and not-so-local people rally together to make sure that a family doesn't feel alone and out in the cold during one of the most magical times of the season. I got to see, firsthand, that we aren't the nation of heartless cheapskates that some would make us out to be, but the most giving, charitable, and helpful country on Earth.

And who doesn't like to see that, in action, on Christmas?

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night.

My first meeting with the 9-12 Project of Southeast Indiana

Well, tonight was a first for me: I went to the second meeting of the 9-12 Project of Southeast Indiana. The first meeting was apparently only 5-6 people. Tonight, we probably had about 20-30 people in the Dunevant Room at the North Dearborn Library. It was really neat, seeing that there were other people in my local area that were concerned with the same issues I've been reading and hearing about.

For those of you who are unaware of what the 9-12 Project is, let me give you an overview:

From The 9-12 Project's Mission Statement:

The 9-12 Project is designed to bring us all back to the place we were on September 12, 2001. The day after America was attacked we were not obsessed with Red States, Blue States or political parties. We were united as Americans, standing together to protect the greatest nation ever created.

That same feeling – that commitment to country is what we are hoping to foster with this idea. We want to get everyone thinking like it is September 12th, 2001 again.

Ask yourself these questions:

• Do you watch the direction that America is being taken in and feel powerless to stop it?

• Do you believe that your voice isn’t loud enough to be heard above the noise anymore?

• Do you read the headlines everyday and feel an empty pit in your stomach…as if you’re completely alone?

If you’ve answered YES, then you’ve fallen for the Wizard of Oz lie. While the voices you hear in the distance may sound intimidating, as if they surround us from all sides—the reality is very different. Once you pull back the curtain, you realize that there are only a few people pressing the buttons, and their voices are weak. The truth is that they don’t surround us at all.

We surround them.

At the origin of America, our Founding Fathers built this country on 28 powerful principles. These principles were culled from all over the world and from centuries of great thinkers. We have distilled the original 28 down to the 9 basic principles.

So, how do we show America what’s really behind the curtain? Read The 9 Principles. If you believe in at least seven of them, then we have something in common.

Here are the 9 Principles:

1. America is good.
2. I believe in God and He is the center of my life.
3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.
4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.
5. If you break the law, you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.
6. I have a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.
7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.
8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.
9. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.

And the 12 Values:

1. Honesty
2. Reverence
3. Hope
4. Thrift
5. Humility
6. Charity
7. Sincerity
8. Moderation
9. Hard work
10. Courage
11. Personal responsibility
12. Gratitude

The Mission Statement of The 9-12 Project of Southeast Indiana is as follows:

To take back our country by shifting power back from politicians to the people who they represent, as originally envisioned by our Founding Fathers and captured in the Constitution. "...by the people, of the people, for the people."

(Note: I'm aware that the exact phrase is "of the people, by the people, for the people", and is from the Gettysburg Address. However, I believe the author meant that as two separate thoughts: "and captured in the Constitution" period. "by the people, of the people, for the people" period.)

Our goals:

• Adhere to the 9 Principles and 12 Values
• Educate ourselves on the Constitution and Bill of Rights
• Be an active voice in the community
• Coordinating with other groups and initiatives
• Preparing for the upcoming elections

We will be separating our areas of focus into 3 separate branches:

1. National
• keeping up with the news
• rallies, protests, marches
• preparation for elections
• coordinating with other groups
• being watchdogs
• ACORN, SEIU, Tides, Apollo Alliance, NEA
• czars, politicians, refounders
2. Local
• involvement in the local government
• educating the community
• campaigning for local candidates
• media relations
• school districts
• curriculum
• school board
• be active in the community
• charity
• volunteering
3. Individual
• knowing and understanding the 9 Principles and 12 Values
• educating ourselves on the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and current legislation

We have contact info for our local and state legislators, as well as contact information for the Congressional switchboard (202-224-3121),  White House comments line (202-456-1111), White House switchboard (202-456-1414), and White House fax line (202-456-2461).

In addition, we also want our Congressional representatives to take The 5 Pledges, and let us know if they're "in or out". If they agree and adhere to their pledges, we vote them IN; if they don't agree, or fail to uphold their pledges, we vote them OUT.

1. I believe in a balanced budget and therefore will vote for a freeze in government spending until that goal is realized.
2. I believe government should not increase the financial burden on its citizenry during difficult economic times, therefore I will oppose all tax increases until our economy has rebounded.
3. I believe more than 4 decades of U.S. dependence on foreign oil is a travesty, therefore I will support an energy plan that calls for immediately increasing usage of all domestic resources including nuclear energy, matural gas, and coal, as necessary.
4. I believe in the sovereignty and security of our country and therefore will support measures to close our borders except for designated immigration points so we will know who is entering and why. I will vehemently oppose any measure giving another coutnry, the United Nations, or any other entity power over U.S. citizens.
5. I believe the United States of America is the greatest country on earth and therefore will not apologize for policies or actions which have served to free more and feed more people around the world than any other nation on the planet.

We also have a suggested reading list and website list that are both currently in progress. Our next meeting is tentatively scheduled for 10/21 back at the North Dearborn Public Library. For those of you in the area who are similarly concerned, I hope to see you there and join with fellow patriots and make new friends!

Late Summer Review

So, now that I finished posting the little blurb that I originally meant to have right around the middle of July, I feel compelled to get on track with my new post - the Late Summer Review!

As predicted, the zucchini succumbed to the powdery mildew. After a HUGE harvest (and those suckers were MONSTROSITIES!) they withered and died after a long battle against the P.M.

The weather this year was odd, being mostly wet and cool for the majority of June & July. August shaped up only slightly better, with a few hot and dry days, even some hot and humid ones, too. But, it seemed to be too little, too late, for the garden.

Anyway, back to the plants. The zucchini were finally ripped out of the garden in the beginning of August. The pepper varieties that I've been growing (bell, chili, tabasco, and jalapeño) all seemed slow to turn from green (or yellow, in the case of the tabascos) to red (except the jalapeños, which stayed green). Around mid-August, they finally started turning colors, but only a few at a time.

Today, I finally took out the tomatoes. I had been waiting forever for them to turn (a lot of people in our area said they were waiting a seemingly long time for their tomatoes to turn, too), and then they finally started coming in, in droves, and I ended up throwing away more than I was using, at first. Then I got a wild hair and decided I was going to learn to can. I'm big into reading and listening to podcasts about self-sufficiency, and that seemed to be one of the more realistic things that I could begin practicing. So, I got a Ball canning starter kit at Bigg's, got some of the packets of Mrs. Wages canning mixes, some quart- and pint-sized jars, and began canning salsa. It turned out pretty well; everyone in the house seems to enjoy it, and the people at work that've had it loved it. I think, all in all, it's a success. But, unfortunately, my tomato plants had to go today. They seemed to be suffering from blight, so before it could do any more damage, I yanked up the plants by the root, picked all the still-green tomatoes from the branches that I could salvage, and put the remnants in a big black contractor bag (with help from Dad).

Now, all I have left are my peppers, potatoes, basil, and grape vines. The peppers are still coming in slowly, and the potato vines are dying back one by one, so when they keel over, I dig them up with a spading fork and store them. I hope to make pesto with the basil that I'm still growing, and the ton of garlic that I bought at the store, hopefully sometime soon.

My next post will most likely contain both an update of what's happening in the garden and a rough draft of the garden plan for next year. As much as I hate the thought of summer coming to an end (though it seems like it never really began, what with the way the weather's been), I love the idea of getting ready for the whole "harvest theme" and Halloween. Plus, fall is a good time to plant some items for next year, like garlic (that I thought you could plant in the spring .... um ... no). Once the garden is finished this year, I'll have a whole new clean slate for next year's layout. All in all, I think my first season of gardening was successful, and I'm surprised I managed to stay focused enough to keep everything alive!

Midsummer Review (Late Post)

I originally meant to post this in July. But, being as I'm lazy, I'm posting it in September. Enjoy.

So, now that the gardening season is in full swing, and produce is starting to come in, I figured it would be time to go ahead and decide what I like and dislike, so far.



A big hit this year was the zucchini. Every time I brought some in to work, people were amazed at how big they were. I have two 1-gal. freezer bags full of chopped zucchini, and I've made a few loaves of zucchini bread, as well as a zucchini cake or two. They're still coming in, too. We've had so much rain this year, though, that they're starting to wilt with what I believe is powdery mildew. Of course, it could've been the beating of the rain that's caused them to topple a bit. I'd hate to see them die off.



I'm a little torn on the tomatoes this year. While we're finally starting to get some in, they aren't very big, and it's taking them forever to ripen. Perhaps it's the variety of tomato that was planted, or the conditions.

Things don't always turn out as planned ...

So, we've got the garden planted. I had somehow imagined it as a bountiful, overflowing jungle of vegetables and fruits. Didn't turn out that way. We only have tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, anaheim chili peppers, serrano peppers, zucchini, onions, and potatoes. Of course, that's not all that's planted, but that's all that's planted in the ground in the garden ...

I "commandeered" some of the pots that the store-bought plants came in, and now have containers of sweet pea, Genovese basil, chives, green onions, and cilantro. Also, there's a window box planter of a self-created lettuce mix hanging from the railing of the pool deck. To top it off, my mom got a lemon tree, and I bought a dwarf peach tree. Unfortunately, my dad put a big negatory on planting any new trees in the yard, considering that he and our neighbor across the street just cut down the ash tree behind the pool a few months ago. I tried explaining that it won't shade the pool, seeing that it'll only get 8' tall (according to the tag), but that was still a no. So, for now, it's still in its pot and burlap sack that it came in from Lowe's. (Mom hints that I put it in the side yard...)

So, here are some pictures of the progress, if it can be called that, that has been made in the garden. The pictures are a bit dated, because I've just now figured out how to add pictures in with the text, so this is a bit of a novelty to me at the moment. Tomorrow, I'll go out and take pictures that are more up-to-date.

Garden all tilled up ... well ... as much as can be expected. The soil around here is made from so much clay that it's hard to get a real good tilling in without having to go through a few years of adding in mulch and other "accessories".

Same thing, except from the view at the end of the pool deck. (By the way, you may notice a brown, barely-raised stump, about 5-7 feet from the garden ... that would be the area where the tree was, that was cut down.)

Our first tomato! "I shall call him Squishy, and he shall be mine, and he will be my Squishy!" In case you haven't noticed, I've not gotten the hang of that whole "focusing" thing yet! :)

Tomato plants, all staked up. Also, some peppers and zucchini ...

More of the same, different angle.

Finally! The gardening season has begun!

So, I couldn't take it any more. There were just way too many seed packets, all shouting to be opened ... the seed starting kit was beckoning ... I just couldn't hold out any longer! So, last night, I finally opened up some seed packets I have a 72-pod seed starter kit, and I split them half-n-half: 36 pods got the Black Seeded Simpson lettuce, and the other 36 got the Parris Island Cos (Romaine) lettuce. And weirdly enough, the entire time I was putting the seeds into the starting mix, all I could think about was Jake Gyllenhaal. Weird. Maybe it was because I just watched City Slickers.

In other news, I couldn't resist the siren song being sung by the local Tractor Supply Co. store. I actually passed on seeds, instead going for a bandana, a soil meter, and a book.

The Chippewa blueberry plant that I have has flowered, and is now sitting outside, soaking up the sun ... or the rain ... there's a 50/50 chance for either right now. The flowers were really pretty, in my opinion. And in the window, I've got a potted bougainvillea (purchased from the same nursery as the blueberrry) sunning itself. It's DEFINITELY way too cold for that one outside.

That was a few weeks ago. So, fast forward a few weeks. Bougainvillea is still inside, as it's still too cold for it to be outside, blueberry is still outside, and I'm hoping that's okay (because I've yet to bring it back in). I made another trip to Tractor Supply Co. and bought a pair of gardening boots --- THANKFULLY! --- because the mud and dirt from the garden was becoming a pain to knock off of my shoes every time I needed to come inside the house. So, with all of that, I had my seeds started --- lettuce, carrots, Anaheim chili peppers, Serrano chili peppers, and Swiss Chard.

And ... drum roll, please ... the actual GARDEN has begun! We've removed the sod from the 20' x 15' area that has been tempting me since last fall. Then, we went out and got some "Moo-Nure" from The Home Depot (about 25 bags), and took some leaves from our blackberry/black raspberry garden (which has been our catch-all for the past few years and has become overgrown), threw them in the garden, and VOILA! --- the makings of a garden. So, we borrowed the neighbors' tiller, and by the end of the following day, the garden had been nicely tilled, with the leaf mulch and manure mixed in to the soil. The tilling was done mostly by my dad, thankfully! That tiller packs a kick!

Now that the triumphs have been sung, here are the tribulations ...

So, the past few weeks have been ... rain, rain, rain, sun, partly cloudy, tornado watch, rain, rain, rain, wind & rain, sun, cold and cloudy, and rain. Not great planting or gardening weather. So, on one of the rare sunny days, I went outside, set my little plastic greenhouses with my seedlings up on the deck rail, and went inside to get some water for them, came back outside, heard a slight *plink*, got up to the deck steps, then heard *boom*.

Only 1 of the 2 greenhouses were still on the deck rail.

I was pissed.

The lettuces that I've been nurturing for the past few weeks had toppled over the side of the deck rail, due to the wind, and were crushed and strewn around the loose soil that now laid on the ground. So, there went approxiately 3-4 weeks of growth. Grr....

On the bright side, though, the carrots, Bibb lettuce, carrots, and peppers were still okay ... the Swiss Chard was unfortunately, wilted by the cold. Not a big loss, though, considering that I've never had Swiss Chard before, and don't really know if I'd love the taste of it.

Hopefully, if it dries out, I can get out there and re-till the garden, then begin planting. Once the garden is re-tilled, then I'll hopefully start the lettuce again, this time, I'll just plant it straight into the soil.

Guess who got more gardening stuff?

I'm addicted to gardening, I think. Or , at least ... I'm addicted to planning on gardening. After going down to Staples and finally getting everything straightened out with my laptop and everything, I had to go to The Home Depot. I ended up buying some T labels for the garden ... and some Helen Mount Viola seeds ... and some Acorn Squash seeds, as well. Then, I headed over to Minges Nursery, a little further down the road, and bought some more plants. I got a pretty red bougainvillea and a Chippewa Blueberry bush. On top of that, I bought 10 garlic cloves and 10 shallots. I'm hoping to find a place for them out in the garden, too. I may end up having to do a few gardens, what with the way this is turning out!

Blustery day + tornado warning = good time to stay inside and knit!

After getting all funky-smelling from going down to A Total Tan in Harrison (and - obviously - tanning), I went with my mom and Megan (from across the street) to Big Lots. The original plan was to look at camping stuff (lights, decorations, etc.), but I diverged from the plan. I ended up getting more stuff for gardening. Surprise, surprise. Since the garden is going to be located at the very back of the yard, behind the pool, I figured that I'd probably need to get some more garden hose to reach around said pool, and have enough hose available to water the garden. This led to me purchasing a 25' garden hose (which will be attached to the existing hose ... somehow) and a 50' soaker hose. I've always wanted one of those, and I figured I might as well get it, seeing as how it was only about $8.

And on my way out, what do I see? Garden statuaries. I love garden statuaries - of the whimsical varieties. I don't like the angels, or the little kids, or the bears. I enjoy the gnomes, butterflies, fairies, and frogs. So, I had to get 2 gnomes, as well.

After leaving Big Lots, we did a quick trip into CVS, then headed home, where I immediately headed out back to view the garden area again. I was getting tired of just trying to imagine how much space the garden would take up - because I'm horrible with estimating distance - and decided that today would be a good day to get some stakes and drive them into what would be the corners of the garden.

So, I grabbed some tools out of my dad's workshop (don't worry Dad, I put them back in their places!), four stakes, and headed outside. The dogs seemed particularly interested in running around in the spots that I needed to stake, so after throwing their stick that they 'borrowed' from the fire pit, I was able to measure out the 20' x 15' plot, and drive the stakes into the ground. My only concern now is the slight dip that cuts through the garden, from where runoff over the years has made its way down to the pond further back in the subdivision. Hopefully, it can be easily redirected.

I think my next course of action for the garden will be to buy some seed starting mixture and decide which plants I'm going to start in my plastic grow dome first. Hopefully, the tornado watch that we're currently under will dissipate, and I'll be able to head back down to Harrison to get those supplies tonight! If not, then tonight will be a good night to stay indoors and finish the sweater I've been knitting for the past 3 months!

Went to get a laptop ... got more seeds, instead

The plan was for me to go to Staples and get a laptop. $1500.04 and a declined check due to a limit on the amount that I can write a check for (according to my bank) later ... I ended up with another shopping bag full of seed packets from Biggs, across the street:

• Homestead Tomato
• Waltham Butternut Squash
• Royal Blue Sweet Pea
• Bibb Lettuce
• Bellflower (Peachleaf variety)
• Garden Bean (which, from what I've researched, is what you get green beans from) Blue Lake 274 and Kentucky Wonder varieties

Aside from that, today was an absolutely gorgeous day! It was sunny, windy, and in the 70s for the first time this year. Now, with the windows open and a nice breeze coming in (while watching "When Weather Changed History" on the Weather Channel — about the Super Outbreak of tornadoes in 1974 ... wondering if this is a good idea?) I can hear the first spring peepers of the season! I love listening to those things! It just makes me think of spring! With the Daylight Savings Time change tonight at 2 a.m. and spring only 2 weeks away, I can't wait to get my seeds started and start tearing up the plot in the back yard for the garden!

Getting ready for gardening!

Now that March is here, temperatures are beginning to warm up (on an inconsistent basis). With my birthday at the end of February, I was able to receive some gardening tools, including gloves, a trowel with inches marked on the spade, MiracleGro, a gardening hose nozzle with adjustable settings, some seed packets, a few hoes (of the gardening utensil variety), and a neat little pronged jabby-thing that I have no clue what it's called (but seems to be quite useful in jabbing it in the ground and breaking up the soil and tearing weeds out).

In addition to all of this, I also got to go to the Cincinnati Home and Garden Show. They had some absolutely AWESOME gardening displays there. I could walk around that place all day. I got way too many ideas for my own good and — after a trip to Meijer — stocked up even more.

Now, I'm armed to the teeth with seed packets and ambition. I have grand plans to turn a 20'x15' plot in our back yard into a thriving Victory Garden, but my enthusiasm usually wanes around June, when the temperature starts to bubble up even higher and watering becomes more of a chore than it was in the previous month. Then, weeding starts to slip its way onto the to-do list, as does pruning and general upkeep. By the time things are ready for harvest, I usually have a completely overgrown area, with no visible path in between the rows of plants, and it ends up being more work than what it's worth to go in and pick the harvest.

This year, though, I've done research, taken garden measurements, stocked up on seeds (even read through the information on the back of them this time!), and have a seed-starting kit that was a birthday present from my sister (can't wait to use it!). I'm already foreseeing many trips to The Home Depot (got a Home Depot card from my other sister and her husband, too). I can even get a 5-gallon dogwood tree from there for a discounted price, thanks to the stub of my Home & Garden Show ticket.

So, what are my gardening plans for this year? Well, I've got a ton of seeds, and — most likely — not enough space to plant everything. That being said, here's what I've got so far:

Vegetable/Herb Gardening

• Longstanding Cilantro
• Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce
• White Lisbon Bunching Onion
• Red Pontiac Potato
• Grand Bell Mix Pepper
• Small Sugar Pumpkin
• Dark Green Zucchini Squash
• Parris Island Cos (Romaine) Lettuce
• Sugar Snap (Edible Pod) Peas
• Chives
• Scarlet Nantes Carrots
• Anaheim Chili Peppers
• Roma Tomatoes
• Little Marvel Peas
• Jalapeño Chili Peppers
• Spearmint
• Serrano Chili Peppers
• Rosemary
• Peppermint
• Swiss Chard (mixed colors)
• Buttercup Squash

Flower Garden

• Crystal Palace Lobelia
• Columbine (Dragonfly Hybrid Mixture)
• Grandpa Ott Morning Glory
• Lavender (Lavendula vera)
• Sweet Pea (Royal Family Mix)
• Gaillardia
• Iceland Poppy (Meadow Pastels mix)
• Blue Flax
• Scabiosa (House Hybrids)
• Bachelor Buttons (Blue Boy mix and Cyanus Double, Mixed Colors mix)
• 3 packets of wildflower mixtures — Cottage Garden, Birds and Butterfly Mix, and Shade mix
  

I figure that even if I don't plant everything this year — which, I probably won't, seeing as planting everything in those lists would require a lot of time, work, and space — I'll give some a try, see which ones I like, then try out some of the unused stuff next year. After a few seasons of this, I should have a pretty good list of things that work in my area (Zone 5 or 6, depending on how detailed your USDA map is), things that I like growing, what's too much work, what attracts bees, what's hard to keep away from pests, etc.

My end goal is to have a garden (or gardens) that is pretty, productive, and — most importantly — something that makes me want to go outside and spend some time in the dirt.