7/30/2013

Putting one less-heavy foot in front of the other

22


We're easing into high summer ... plentiful sunshine,
zero rain (33 days & counting), warm temps and mornings influenced by
an abundant marine layer.


It's splendid being out on the water,
especially when someone else is driving.





The islands are crawling with tourists now but back on our own patch


it's dozing as usual ...
and chores
like watching the beans grow





and the wild blackberries ripen.

I made a little decision back in April - a decision that I didn't want to carry around
any extra weight anymore.  A monumental [gulp, or so it felt] birthday was
looming on the horizon, so I decided to give myself one of the biggest
gifts there is ... a lighter foot-fall. 
No one but me could give this gift.
It was high time. 

My mom struggled with her weight all her life.  We have similar small frames and
neither of us very tall.  She used to say that she imagined her extra weight as
holding 10 pound bags of potatoes ... and then she'd set them down
one by one as she worked towards her goal.


Here's my favorite cheerleader for most any venture.

So I've set down one and a half bags so far ... think I might continue on
till I'm back to my college size.  The  *lightness*  is addicting,
not wanting those spare pounds to have the better of me, a driving force.
'Specially when I need to push wheelbarrows uphill, heft pruners hither & yon
for more hours than I wish to count
and well, we won't even talk about that dang lawn mower ...






In the meantime, the front field is all ready for the Dog Club get-together
and the girlies are being put through their paces ...





good thing I left some of those potatoes behind.





22 comments:

  1. a hard task but worth the effort. it's a constant struggle.

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    1. The struggle to carry it around with me became harder than the struggle to just get rid of it altogether.

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  2. Beautiful photos, and a great challenge, the outcome will be so worthwhile.

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    1. As my pal Chad once called it, I'm "rolling back the years." There are so many other hard things in life that can bring us down - hold us down - and the word "carry" keeps coming back to me ... why carry such heaviness if I don't have to?

      Thank you, Sharon.

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  3. If anyone can do it you can! You're the can-do girl don't you know? By the way, I'd gladly send you some rain if you'd like - we have had nothing but rain this summer with only a few sunny days tucked in when Mother Nature thinks we're at our wits end.

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    1. Gosh Penny, you have made me blush. I want to know this, it would help to really KNOW it.
      Sorry about all your rain, and yes, my beans sure would like some about right now ;>]]

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  4. weather is so odd.....it's been the rainiest july ever in the center of New Mexico......soggy even. I love potatoes....I have lost a half a bag. You are right...it is a gift only we can give ourselves. I like that. Dreaming of open water...

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    1. ... soggy in the middle of NM? in summer? good grief.
      I love potatoes too, and right now I'm especially enjoying them left by the side of the road, a la wheelbarrow!

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  5. I like the thought of carrying a sack of potatoes and morphing loss into potato weight. Clever. AND just ten pounds...yes just because large goals are attained by taking small steps.

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    1. Oh, that is so true, Carol. I think its the marathon runners who say that instead of focusing on making it to the end of a very long race, they focus only on "one telephone pole at a time." I guess this is one sack at a time ;>]

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  6. Kudos to you my friend! and I seem to be picking up what you are dropping. lol
    ah well. at some point I'm sure I'll care again.
    in the meantime, I'm enjoying life and loving your b&w water sparkles.
    summer is too short to worry about anything except what the next adventure holds anyway!

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    1. You crack me up [as usual], Jen dear ~ I wanted to shout at the screen, "No, no, DO NOT touch them!" but I know exactly what you mean about summer's fleeting ways and the importance of adventures. And I wouldn't have denied myself a single morsel should I have been en Francais-land!

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  7. Did you hear the rain this morning? It's been so long it woke me up. :) And I know about that problem...

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    1. WHUT?! lucky you, Deb, not a drop of the damp stuff up here ... altho it is very gloomy & dark out there, perhaps we'll get some yet. The garden would certainly appreciate it.

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  8. great news and huge congrats. i've lightened a tiny bit, i feel it for sure. saw someone i hadn't in a couple of years and they noticed! nice. happy interested dogs there!

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    1. Thanks, Velma, it's feeling great so far ... definitely like I'm not lugging so much of a load. Good on ya for goin' the road as well ! Sure hope you are doing ok these days without your best pal.

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  9. JJ Virgin's book did it for me - lost 17 pounds and keeping it off. Feels unbelievably great. I, too, love that howling shot of your pupster!

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    1. HOORAY, Dee, that's splendid! Have never heard of JJ, will do a Google ...
      Woofie can really exercise her vocal chords, I'll tell ya ;>]]

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  10. You rock, Christi! I'm proud of you... but when are you going to come and mow my lawn?

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