Liza
- Thread starter liza3
- Start date
yes I realized that part of the fence's sad/ugly look right now is that the garden is pretty empty right now. Once the peas start growing up the fence and the garden fills in with all the veggies it will look better, but yeah now is a good opportunity to try and make it look better even in the off season.
I think I will put up a few bird baths around. I think I can fit one right outside one of my windows, although I will have to see once the raspberry bushes fill in for the season. They would love to have a little bath beside the raspberries as they also like snacking on those as well!
So far the visit is going well. We will go on a good walk this morning. So that's nice to still get a good amount of movement in. And food-wise I am doing well. Not tracking but so far not over-indulging.
Llama
Well-known member
Life goals! Also: I'm looking forward to pictures of your garden once spring will have sprung.
The garden really is lovely in the growing season. I certainly can't take much credit for it as it was mostly all the landlords doing. I love seeing their before and after pictures. They started all the bushes around here as such tiny little guys and now it's just this beautiful space of many flowering bushes that each take their turn blooming. Lots of lovely shade areas to sit in, many perennial flowers that come up every year. I do my best to take good care of what they started. And they really like that I appreciate what they were going for and do my best to care for it.
You were asking about the grass used around here in Marsia's diary--I'm really not sure. Most people here don't seem to worry about their lawns--they just let them go dormant in the drought season, and I think more and more people are motivated to switch the lawns over into more drought tolerant plants as my landlords did all those years ago. Growing up, our 'lawn' was always a big mix of plants really. there was always lots of clover and other plants mixed in. We weren't into having the pure grass look--we liked dandelions and stuff coming up!
Oh yes, good tip! I will find some good spaces for the birdbaths.
haha yes I love watching and listening to the birds--lots of activity lately and I like seeing them all going about their days.
The visit continues to go well. We walked about 3 hours yesterday! And we've been having lots of good chats, had a nice time last night when I got the ukulele out and we had a fun singalong. Food hasn't been a big issue so not over-eating--I'm pretty sure I would have had a nice deficit yesterday. They leave today.
It was a really great visit. I am glad it went so well. I was still, unfortunately, sooooo exhausted afterwards! After they left it's just like my body-mind completely collapsed. I guess i was doing my best to be social, and welcoming and stuff. I feel much better this morning after a good night's sleep and looking forward to lots of alone time today.
I do sing yes! Not great at all, but very happily! (my singing has actually improved a lot over the last few years where at least I am not ashamed to sing in front of people!) I get out my uke almost every day for at least a few songs but it was so much more fun with more voices. One of the visitors is good with harmonies so she threw those in which makes it extra lovely. I used to go to a uke group every week, but haven't been lately as the one I was going to no longer meets, but I do think I should try and find a new group to play with--so fun!
Official weigh-in--holding steady at 139
So yeah, as nice as the visit was, I am glad it's over and I can get back to my usual routine. I know what I would like today is a long bike ride, but not a challenging one. I could opt to take my bike and walk it up all the hills up to where everything flattens out...just so long as I really don't try and push myself to ride up those hills...so it will be either that or a long walk--I could even ride out to those public gardens I went to last week...we'll see...
Your visit with friends sounds so lovely! I do know what you mean about collapsing into a heap after entertaining for days though! Have you thought about a bird feeder at all? We loved having one, and with the collapse of so much of the birds' natural habitat, they really benefit from back yard feeders. I struggle with how to do an attractive fence around the garden that is affordable, too. I used metal stakes that I spray painted dark green and used black deer fence mesh, and though it does blend in a bit, it's still very utilitarian looking. If I were living in one place a really long time, I might train jasmine up a stronger metal wire perimeter fence - the deer left my jasmine alone in CA, and it covered all the fences there. Hope you enjoy your bike ride or walk!!
I have thought about bird feeders--but they are a bit iffy around here as they can attract bears and we do have bears that come around our neighborhood when people leave stuff out...so I would rather stick with non-bear attractants. The birds seem to find lots in the garden to eat as I do leave it as a very natural habitat for the most part.
Yes I will have to get to work on that fence--see what I can do there...
I think the uke never shows up as part of my day as it's just such an easy natural thing I do--it's not a challenge for me at all...not like trying to make myself practice piano! I find the uke is a wonderful instrument that even when one is feeling lazy and tired it's an easy one to pull out. You don't have to sit up properly or anything. Even guitar you have to sit up--uke is so little and just fits into whatever lazy posture. I am so glad I got onto it--it really has brought me so much joy and I highly recommend it to anyone who is at all musically interested.
Yesterday was so good and restorative. I opted for the longish walk and managed to fit in my walk-run session in as well. The day was cool and drizzly and lovely. I was a little bit sad as there were other people on my inner trail walk that I usually find is empty and silent. But it was lovely all the same. Came home and made a hearty curried lentil stew with biscuits, napped deeply, connected with family online, got laundry done along with the dishes, so I've woken to a nice clean place with sunniness outside my window. Maybe today will be the bike day (just a short ride though)
So yeah speaking of music and challenges above, I haven't been playing piano at all lately so I've set myself a challenge of one song a day again. I also started a new 2 week challenge for doing qi gong/tai chi type exercises daily. I am hopeful that it will loosen up all the tightness that remains in my body. I started both yesterday.
I found calories hard to count yesterday as I always find the lentil stew hard to calculate but I imagine somewhere around maintenance. I'm going to try and keep record of my walk-run sessions and any back pain that may come up--yesterday was none. In fact, again when I left on my walk there was some pain in my right side that went with the walk-run session and didn't return.
Walk-2 hours
walk-run- 2min jog, 1 min walk x5 no pain
physio-30 min
qi gong-30 min
Oh yeah--also i found out that my knitting group is back at the original location so I will need to find a new project to work on--I am thinking i might just opt for socks again...we'll see...
Yesterday was good. Got the bike out for a shortish ride, but included a few good challenge hills. And as I wanted to go a bit further and couldn't manage one of the hills I got off and walked it up. That's also good practice for me. i always feel a little pressured to keep riding--like other people are judging me for walking it up a hill lol so I need to practice not worrying about ideas like that and just doing what I think is manageable.
My back did feel tight again after the ride but was able to stretch it out and by the afternoon it was totally normal again.
Completed day 2 of my qi gong challenge, and got half an hour of piano in too.
protein-96%
carbs-102%
calorie deficit-350
Bike-30 min
walk-45min
qigong-30 min
My back did feel tight again after the ride but was able to stretch it out and by the afternoon it was totally normal again.
Completed day 2 of my qi gong challenge, and got half an hour of piano in too.
protein-96%
carbs-102%
calorie deficit-350
Bike-30 min
walk-45min
qigong-30 min
That's a good idea recording when the back pain happens. I love qi gong and really hope it helps with your back. I only know a few exercises, but they always help when I do them. That's great you'll be going to your knitting group again. Did you finish a first set of socks already? K has been having trouble remembering to practice guitar, and I think I'll just see if she wants to pick it up for a few minutes here and there like you do with your uke. That sounds so relaxing and fun! Do you think that straining up the hill was connected to your back being a little off? It's so good you were able to get it happy again! Oh, also do you have recommendations for good qi gong people on YouTube? I've been thinking about learning more of it now that I'm gardening again and really need a way to soothe sore muscles.
I used to knit socks fairly regularly, but haven't done a pair in years. I decided to stick with the animals though and next I am going to try a mouse...The knitting group was lovely yesterday--such a great group of women--very welcoming!
Yes, I remember my uke teacher telling us to leave our uke out beside the couch or whatever so we would just pick it up for a song or two easily. I find that easier than with my guitar--as the uke is so small it fits anywhere...it's so funny after playing a uke for years now a guitar feels giant like a cello or something!
I don't follow any qi gong teachers on youtube. Years ago I learned a style I really liked called Shibashi and I think there are some people who teach it online. But actually the exercises I am doing now is not actually qi gong--I just called it that as it was the most similar to how I could describe it.
I really think this exercise is exactly what I need to increase the flexibility and movement of the back and whole body Just keeping things more fluid. So far so good, but no marked differences yet I don't think. I think I should really be doing qi gong regularly.
I know a lot of people who have really loved joining with the uke groups here. Uke is so nice as it's so small so it's easier to get a lot of the chord formations compared to guitar.
So yeah yesterday was a pretty good day. Ate well, got quite a bit done, back to crocheting...
No jogging or cycling yesterday--I might try for the walk-run today but also I need to go out to the garden centre to pick up some soil amendment so might do that instead today. We'll see.
I have a friend training for a marathon. I can't even imagine! She started running about the same time as me...I realize now that I will be happy if I can just get back to regular 10 k's...or even 5 ks!
walk-1 hour
qigong type ex-30 min
physio-30 min
didn't record calories