seasonal depression

i know my words are empty.............. i had full intention of being a weekly blogger. updating on my life of eating meat and running through the grass. yet, i continue to fail. i am sorry for disappointing you blogland.

perhaps i am being a bit dramatic. and, i don't really have seasonal depression. at least, not a full clinical diagnosis of seasonal depression. but, i am having a terrible time overcoming inertia. i do blame old man winter. 2 weeks of snow and ice in d.f.w. is not normal. i am not coping well. again...... a bit dramatic. :)  but, i am not in the mood to workout. at all. i know, try something fun. go out and play. i don't want to. really. when i get home from work, mostly i want to go straight to bed. try to have a nice dinner. maybe practice ukulele.



i just want to lay there. we don't have cable. we do watch scrubs on dvd. it's taken me four years to watch all nine seasons. occassionally, we'll watch 30 rock or glee on hulu. regardless, it's just a waste of time until i can go to bed at 9pm. pathetic. and, i'm not depressed, but i am stressed.

so, i know this blog was suppose to be out primal lifestyle choices, but i am in a season of change and growth. i am trying to grow into my most magnificent self. but, with all growth, comes growing pains. right? my other passions are arts and crafts and being creative and silly. i love colors and textures. i love playing with paper and glue and glitter and ribbons and fabrics and yarns. i would love to blog about my creative adventures. although, as just discussed, with my current situation, i am in no place to take on that endeavor. even if i know it could be fabulous.



i also have dreams of living on a farm and raising goats and chickens. i want to make my own goat cheese. drink goats milk. grow vegetables. get my hands dirty. have sore shoulders from putting in my own fence. eat fresh eggs. sell my eggs at the local farmers market. sell handmade goat milk soap. as my new life and job opportunity sort themselves out, i am sure this is going to happen. and sooner, not later! :) this, i will blog about. but, not yet.


original by dottiedebsie

now, all this talk about not blogging enough and wanting to write on different topics, my sister and i have decided on a 2011 new year adventure. blogging together. we want to chronicle this year and trying to not buy things "made in china." start paying attention to wear things are made........ this is going to be a challenge. we may not be 100% compliant, but it has raised our awareness and hopefully we will encourage awareness in a few other people as well. is it a futile plan? we all know one person can make a difference. and what if we all tried just a bit........ it adds up. 100 pennies equals a $1.

original by mully410*images

so, i am asking you to forgive my pathetic blogging efforts at "a girl and her vibrams" but, please join me and follow along to see if me and my sister can live without china this year......... "conscious shopping is hard" (my sister gets full credit for our creative title. ha!)


happy tuesday,
vibram girl

p.s. i am still 153lbs. :)

p.p.s. so far, so good with my most my resolutions. except for working out / playing / moving more...... as you all know. i even floss.

2011.............here i come.............

i know this is totally cliche, but i am stating my new year's resolution for the world to see....... and, yes, i am one to believe in new year's resolutions. it's the perfect time to assess the closing year, looking forward to the year ahead.

what am i going to do differently this year? right now, in 2011? how can i be a better me?

1. continue to live a primal lifestyle. to fine tune my primal eating habits. holidays are over. no more cheating.
2. to eat locally. seasonally. to eat at home.
3. to move more. play more. jump, run, hike, bike.
4. to do more yoga.
5. to learn to stand up paddle board.
6. take care of myself...........massage, home facials, more bubble baths.
7. continue ukulele lessons
8. stop buying things made in china. lofty goal? maybe. but, at least i'll make an effort and be more aware.
9. no parabens. no pthalates. no sulfates.
10. floss

i could probably go on, but i'll keep this list as my NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS and not state my entire self manifesto or list of life long mondo beyondo dreams.

i may not be 100% successful, but i'm gonna try............. so, c'mon 2011...... bring it..........


dandelion by citybumpkin

happy monday.
vibram girl

goodbye 2010.............

2010 was a good year. let's re-cap.........


vibram boy and i started living a primal lifestyle. of course, like all major changes, it has been a process. it is still a process. but, it was in 2010 that we began to cut out grains. we joined mark's daily apple and began reading daily posts and forums and books, etc. etc. etc. it has truly been life changing!!!



i've lost 25lbs! thanks to the above mentioned primal living! :) now, just imagine, if i fine tune my primal eating this year, and start to move more and play more and lift more......... 2011 here i come!!



we went to italy. awesome. neither of us had been to europe before. it was truly wonderful. we turned 35 in verona (we share a birthday...... best thing ever!!!).



we also celebrated our 10th anniversary. that seems impossible. 10 years. vibram boy is still the love of my life. my best friend. he makes me laugh and he cooks every meal. i still feel like a newlywed.



i water ski'd for the first time ever. it was fun, but truth be told, this summer, i want to learn to stand up paddle board!! i know i'm going to love s.u.p. i just know it.



we did hot, power yoga (vinyasa) all summer....................a big change for vibram boy!!!



i did a yoga teacher's assistant workshop................... it is fun to assist, and is my first baby step towards becoming a certified yoga instructor.



we did our first mud run obstacle course (jailbreak dash)....... and then we did another one (warrior dash) and vibram boy did another one (caveman extreme)! we have the spring runs on our calender.





i did the 3 day susan g komen walk. 60 miles. a moment to always remember. knowing that i did something to stand against breast cancer. to support women who have died and for those who have survived! and more importantly, for those in the year's to come to find a cure. that is why i walked.

 

we went camping for the first time in over 10 years!!! we had so much fun. i'm ready to live in a tent permanently...... well, at least camp more often than every 15 years.......



i started taking ukulele lessons. yes, for real. oh how i love my little pineapple soprano uke. i haven't taken music lessons since i was 8 years old taking obligatory piano lessons. this is different. it uses a part of my brain that is quite rusty........ how great is that!!?? vibram boy plays guitar and is taking guitar lessons. we jam together. i can play four songs. i can't sing and play at the same time (well, i can't really sing at all...). picture it....... a lovely spring afternoon, laying in a hammock, drinking homemade lemonade, strumming my uke........or a hot, summer night on the patio........aaahhhh........ i can't wait!!! i must go practice. right.now.......

 

i started my blog. and i know there is a lot left to be desired, but i've started. and i want to start another one. i'll keep them both. this one dedicated to primal living. my other one, "an assortment of sorts" for everything else........ my crafts, antiqueing, thrifting, travels, home decor and whatever else might tickle my fancy..... you'll just have to see. :)

so, dear blog friends, we wrap up 2010 and dive right into 2011. let's see where we go!!!


happy monday.
vibram girl

it was a bacon of a Christmas...................

hope y'all had a lovely Christmas and cheery new year!!!

i thought i'd share................. it was a bacon of a Christmas!!!

first, vibram boy bought me gourmet bacon jerky.............very interesting..............and exciting!!!





yes, he also got me a few other lovely things. :)

my most darling sister got me this............ (the button says "i love you more than bacon")



and made me this!!!!



...................God bless her................she's a vegetarian. that is sister love. :)
and to give due credit.........sister found the tutorial at seremeres blog.

and last, but not least, a friend of ours made a homemade batch of bacon fudge!!!! i would trade the milk chocolate for dark chocolate, but it was de-lish and so very thoughtful!!!



and, it's not bacon, but v.b. got meat...... 50 lbs of grass fed beef.........ground beef, flank, shank, steak, chuck, etc........





what a great way to bring 2010 to a close. i hope your Christmas was just as wonderful as mine was bacony.

happy new year.
happy monday.
vibram girl. bacon lover.

still catching up...............

merry merry Christmas!!! i hope you all took the time to enjoy the holiday with your loved one's ............

now a little more catching up.................... after the 3 day walk, i ended up with tendonitis of my flexor tendons of my right ankle. i guess 60 miles will do that to you. the good news is that it was not a stress fracture! i did go see an orthopedist and he did put me in a walking boot. meh.



vibram boy and i had another mud run obstacle course to do!!! i don't have time for this tendonitis. dr. ortho said to wear the boot "about a week." i was an extra good patient and wore the boot for 2 weeks. then, on the saturday that marked 2 weeks from the 3 day walk, i ran in a 5k obstacle course race..........probably not what dr. ortho would have recommended. but, all is well.................. we ran the warrior dash in austin, nov. 20.



we actually had a team of 7...... brother in law / sister in law, cousins, friends, etc. we had "team awesome" t-shirts. vibram boy and his brother had done the caveman crawl in october, but the rest of the team had never done an obstacle run before. we had fun!! everyone agreed that they would do another obstacle run!



to top off the weekend, we all camped together too! nothing like sleeping in tents before and after a 5 k obstacle run........ it really was awesome. i haven't camped in years! this is now my public statement that vibram boy and i will be camping again!!! soon!!! i will even go as far to say that it will be one of my new year's resolutions!!!



vibram boy did a lot of planning and delegating......... we had delicious food....... breakfast on saturday was breakfast burritos............eggs, beans and cheese. we had a late lunch at the warrior dash...... turkey legs. bratwurst. beer. dinner was super de.lish chili....... made by vibram boy himself. breakfast on sunday was eggs and sweet potato hashbrowns! of course, s'mores. mmmmmm.....



and just hung out by the camp fire.

happy tuesday!!

vibram girl

3 days. 60 miles.

oh there is so much to talk about...................

the susan g komen 3 day walk was already over a month ago!! where does the time go? it was an incredible experience. for 3 days, women of all ages, sizes and abilities become professional athletes........ we walk. we have medics. we get wrapped, taped, iced. we walk some more. we have fans. we drink gatorade. we walk some more. and we keep walking to the finish.

3000 walkers. a sea of pink. one goal -- to find a cure for breast cancer. and why not??!! a fellow team member wrote this (and sums up the weekend pretty completely):



The 2010 Susan G. Komen Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day for the Cure began on a chilly morning with an emotional Opening Ceremony at Collin Creek Mall. We were greeted right out of the gates by the first of 11 private cheering stations at the University of Texas at Dallas. Along the route, the Richardson fire department was out cheering and taking pictures with their pink t-shirts. We passed 4 local elementary schools throughout the day with children out to cheer. Lunch was at beautiful Valley View Park and was followed by a walk along the White Rock Creek Trail before we arrived at camp (at brookhaven college), our home away from home for the weekend.






We arose early on Saturday morning after a chilly night (about 40*..... coldest morning of the year to date...... nice......), ready to hit the Brookhaven College jogging trail. After pit stop 1 we crossed the first of 3 pedestrian bridges, where Citibank was cheering us on. There was a huge outpouring of community support along the way - more than 21 private cheering stations. The New Balance cheerleaders greeted us at pit stop 2 along with the school mascot of DeGolyer Elementary. Lunch was hosted at the Hockaday School grounds, and students were out cheering and helping direct traffic. As we passed the last public cheering station at Valley View Mall, we strolled by a continuous mile of private cheering stations - very invigorating! Next we headed into the town of Addison and into the Komen Corral at pit stop 4. We crossed the Addison suspension bridge and were on to the final stretch. That evening, we gathered back at camp for a Candy Coburn concert......... i skipped the concert. too exhausted.

We began our final day of walking with a warm bus ride to Ursuline Academy. Sunrise brought warmer weather in the 70s and bright skies. We enjoyed a scenic route through the gorgeous Highland Park area and another tremendous day of community support all along the route. We received many treats, stickers, bracelets, beads, water, candy and doughnuts. Lunch was at the beautiful Reverchon Park with a pink fire truck for all of us to sign and take pictures with. vibram boy met me for lunch! actually, he was at the morning cheer station.......... it was the only one i skipped on day 3. i skipped 2 miles. but, i missed vibram boy!!! and, he was all decked out in pink..... my pink robe, hoodie, hat, scarf, gloves.... i think it was everything pink he could find that would fit from my closet. and i missed it! :)





We exited lunch on Katy Trail and crossed into the historic West End. We passed the American Airlines Center, the JFK Memorial and Pioneer Plaza into pit stop 4 at Main Street Garden. The final miles took us through Deep Ellum (i was so pumped and there were so many people to cheer us on .... i could've run those last 5 miles!!!) and our incredible journey ended with a celebratory Closing Ceremony at Cotton Bowl Plaza with our friends and family there to greet us. the end of the journey was pretty amazing itself..... so many people were there to greet you at the finish. my parents, brother and vibram boy were all there for me!!





can i just say......... God bless the cheer stations!!! seriously, a good high five kept me going for miles!

happy monday............ more to come...........soon!!!
vibram girl

weigh in wednesday. 03 nov 10.

woot!! i really can't believe it .............. 153!!! that is 27 lbs lost. not bad!

i have been so busy with the susan g komen 3 day walk that i honestly haven't been worrying about much else....... blogging, weighing, reading, sleeping........... but, i thought i'd weigh myself this morning. it's wednesday. then, what a lovely surprise!

it's funny..... in the beginning i was super aware of what i was eating and where my weight was. i tried not to weigh myself every day. i had to remind myself giving up grains was a lifestyle change with moral and personal reasons not just health reasons. giving up grains was not a d.i.e.t. this was about eeking my way into a sustainable lifestyle, eating for myself and the earth; supporting local economics, local farming, family business.

over the years i have had a hard time loosing weight. well, over the years, i slowly gained weight. eating a primal diet has physically changed me. i feel better. i don't get that "post prandial narcolepsy" = wanting to take a 3 hour nap after lunch. i slowly started to loose weight. not much at first, but even that was encouraging. then, time kept passing, and i kept loosing....... it's been about 8 months since vibram boy and i started trying to follow the primal lifestyle. 8 months!? sheesh. where has the time gone?................it's only in the last month i've really noticed that i have actually lost weight. my clothes fit different. my clothes are falling off. :-D other people have noticed. i can tell i look different.... naked. i love it.

it's hard to explain.... i feel good. i know it's silly to think that happiness is dependent on weight. it's not. but, somehow there is the tiniest connection between the two. i suppose it is all wrapped up in my overall self esteem and the funny existence of my conscious and my subconscious self. i consciously know that i am more than what the scale says, or even what my clothes say. i know that health is not always reflected in weight. i know that there are an infinitie number of things more important than size or weight. but there are those moments, often subconscious, where the self criticism wins. so, knowing that i've dropped a few pounds, gone down a few dress sizes......makes me feel good.

i really didn't plan on this rambling. i was going to tell you how hard my team has been working to fundraise for the susan g komen 3 day walk. october was exhausting!! the 3 day walk is this weekend. THIS WEEKEND!!! 3 days. 60 miles. a sea of pink....pink socks, pink hats, pink tents, and who knows what else..... all in the name of breast cancer. together, we can find a cure!

happy wednesday. happy november!!
vibram girl.