Marsia's Diary

Tropical storms sound terrifying! I guess it would be best to keep your garden as projectile-free as possible in general just to be on the safe side.
I never watched The Hobbit (because I'm a scaredy cat) but the book was fun.
Hi LaMa, I forgot how heartwarming The Hobbit book is. I was just reading my South Carolina gardening book and it talks about not needing to water so much in hurricane season! I guess if your plants blow away, no need to water them!
I'm doing some reading aloud with a friend lately. It's lovely to sit out in the cooler but still sunny days and just read to one another.
The gardening, the yoga and the food choices all sound great!
Your social life sounds so wonderful lately! I'm really loving how I feel after doing yoga. It helps on so many levels! I'm still eating a bit too much, but making really nice food. I think I need to meditate again. The sage smudge really smelled so good, and I really like the fresh feeling in the house now!
My former landlord saged the house one time because she wanted another housemate to move out. Haha.

The Hobbit is such a brilliant book - I read it as a teenager and loved it.
Ha, too bad I didn't know sage could do that - I'd have saged and gotten rid of the crappy company sooner! We're really loving The Hobbit so much. It's such a great book to read to a teen especially as Bilbo starts out doubting himself and his abilities, and becomes the one all the dwarves rely on as they get further and further along. Really brilliant writing!
I must reread The Hobbit! I won't sage the house but might bring some inside when It grows some more. Your garden must be looking very nice, M.
I really loved the smell of the sage even before we burned it. The garden is looking lovely with the winter squash spreading out all over and the eggplants fruiting now. Some of the summer squash didn't survive all the rain and grasshopper infestation, but it's time to plant greens and root crops for fall now, so I'll use their spots and put up cloth that keeps out insects.

We went out taking photos on one of our favorite walks yesterday, and many places in the woods were flooded and it was magical looking. There were a couple different varieties of purple capped mushrooms and many other wonderful mushroom specimen. It was so nice having a good macro setting to get really up close to them to take their pictures. K did history homework today - comparing 2 different forms of government - she is comparing China and England. So I did a lot of reading on the garden and listening to gardening videos and I made some roasted red pepper soup with carmelized onions as the base. I really feel good after eating this soup. I did buy baklava, which was a huge mistake because it is extra delicious, but I only ate a little today after having too much the day before.

I am going to do better with food and get fall crops in for exercise next. Did get good exercise mowing the lawn and weeding flower beds before one of the daughters of the last owners came by yesterday for their mail and such. She was really sweet and only stayed a few minutes, but the mom wrote me that she really liked the visit. So nice relaxing weekend, and we have a nice cleaned up yard and house now, so it's extra relaxing. Went shopping at the big box store yesterday, too, and wow did groceries go up even since I was last there. So glad I've been buying extra of things as they were on sale.
 
Groceries have gone up lots here too. I’m glad we have good contacts for inexpensive meat like venison.
You & K will enjoy doing photography together. You do have a very special relationship with her 💕
 
I guess if your plants blow away, no need to water them!
:D That's definitely a strategy :D
I made some roasted red pepper soup with carmelized onions as the base. I really feel good after eating this soup.
Ooo, that sounds delicious!
one of the daughters of the last owners came by yesterday for their mail and such. She was really sweet and only stayed a few minutes, but the mom wrote me that she really liked the visit.
How old was the daughter? I could imagine struggling if my parents sold the house I grew up in (which doesn't exist anymore) and it would be so nice to see the new owners loved it and took care of it.
 
We went out taking photos on one of our favorite walks yesterday, and many places in the woods were flooded and it was magical looking. There were a couple different varieties of purple capped mushrooms and many other wonderful mushroom specimen. It was so nice having a good macro setting to get really up close to them to take their pictures.
That sounds so amazing!
It's so nice to hear you having so many lovely days--sounds like you are so much more settled in and in a beautiful rhythm with your new life!
 
I agree with Liza - it all sounds really lovely, now that the unexpected guests have gone!

I really have to get into yoga again - my feet need it badly after all the tennis. Tennis shoes are quite hard on the feet.
 
How old was the daughter? I could imagine struggling if my parents sold the house I grew up in (which doesn't exist anymore) and it would be so nice to see the new owners loved it and took care of it.
Hi LaMa! The daughter looks around 23 or so. She said that she lived in the house a year and a half, but the last people bought it 4 years ago, so not sure what happened. It's a really special property, and the neighbor said that they didn't want to sell, but they had to for some reason. She had just got back from paddleboarding with friends so I think she really enjoyed the river here. I didn't talk with her long as all her friends were there waiting for her.
That sounds so amazing!
It's so nice to hear you having so many lovely days--sounds like you are so much more settled in and in a beautiful rhythm with your new life!
Hi Liza, the walks around here are so wonderful. You never know what you'll find. On that one, we saw a dung beetle pushing his ball of dung across the trail. They push backwards, and it's pretty impressive what a big ball they can move. Today we found two stands of orange frilly mystery mushrooms in the woods. It's like we moved to some exotic place like Madagascar!
Groceries have gone up lots here too. I’m glad we have good contacts for inexpensive meat like venison.
You & K will enjoy doing photography together. You do have a very special relationship with her 💕
Thanks Cate! Today K paid me a nice complement. We were watching a documentary on the teen's brain, and they were talking about how little influence parents have on teens because they are so peer-oriented. I pretended to be incensed and said how everything I put into the relationship has gone down the tubes then, and K said that she considers me a peer. That's so nice! :giggle:
I agree with Liza - it all sounds really lovely, now that the unexpected guests have gone!

I really have to get into yoga again - my feet need it badly after all the tennis. Tennis shoes are quite hard on the feet.
Thanks, Em! We're really happy here and feel we found the perfect place. I love how much better my feet feel after yoga. I tend to get fallen arches, so yoga really helps.

Today J taught, so I got out in the garden and dug a ton of heavy dirt that was soaked from rain and hauled it to the new raised bed. I had to transfer the dirt in buckets as the winter squash and pumpkins totally commandeered the path to the new bed. Got small patches of peas, curly kale, potatoes, and carrots planted for fall. Then went and recuperated - hauled too much dirt! Made chicken with Thai basil peanut sauce with basil, eggplant, and sweet potato leaves from the garden. It was so good we all ate too much. I wanted to do yoga, but too sore. I'll do some tomorrow morning before going to go pick up my weekly haul of coffee chaff and raised bed huge coffee bags. We are almost through The Hobbit, so will have to find the Lord of the Rings books next!
 
She said that she lived in the house a year and a half, but the last people bought it 4 years ago, so not sure what happened.
Maybe she'd moved out before her parents bought the house and moved back in during the pandemic, or the other way around.
I didn't knew you could eat sweet potato leaves! They're such a pretty plant.
 
It's like we moved to some exotic place like Madagascar!
So fun! I moved to a really different climate type than the one I grew up in and I continue to find it so amazing all the differences...the plants, the animals, the seasons--everything!
That sounds like some awesome strength training in the garden! My favorite kind :)
 
Thanks Cate! Today K paid me a nice complement. We were watching a documentary on the teen's brain, and they were talking about how little influence parents have on teens because they are so peer-oriented. I pretended to be incensed and said how everything I put into the relationship has gone down the tubes then, and K said that she considers me a peer. That's so nice! :giggle:
That is so, so nice :beating:
Your gardening is a serious workout. It must be looking lush.
 
Maybe she'd moved out before her parents bought the house and moved back in during the pandemic, or the other way around.
I didn't knew you could eat sweet potato leaves! They're such a pretty plant.
I invited the parents (last owners of the house) to come visit when they are in town for Thanksgiving (end of November) so will ask them lots of questions then. The young sweet potato leaves retain their texture when cooked, like with young kale, and the flavor is nice like spinach, but without that funny stick-to-your-teeth feel of spinach. I like them, and the greens grow in the 107 degree (41.66C) weather just fine, so there will be more yam leaves in our future!
So fun! I moved to a really different climate type than the one I grew up in and I continue to find it so amazing all the differences...the plants, the animals, the seasons--everything!
That sounds like some awesome strength training in the garden! My favorite kind :)
That's wonderful you are really enjoying your area and all the differences. I feel like a tourist in a whole new climate and culture. Southerners in general seem more forthright and laugh about things more (like the people I grew up around in upstate NY) than in CA. I got used to not talking about certain things out of politeness and became a rather private person, probably because there is so much transience in CA and the sense of community is different. So it's interesting being around people who are more like I used to be. I keep making acquaintances with displaced Californians here though, so I am still not really assimilating yet, but I guess it's only been 4 or 5 months here so far.

K and I saw some chopped down oak logs at the neighbor's curb, so stopped and filled up the car with them, so got more nice strength training in yesterday. It's just so rewarding doing gardening for strength training - two birds with one stone, and you barely even register you are getting a nice workout. It's just fun!
That is so, so nice :beating:
Your gardening is a serious workout. It must be looking lush.
It's really nice, Cate! The garden is so lush, I have to redirect the vines so I can even get to the beds to water them! I'm currently trying to figure out how to compost the massive bags of coffee chaff without it all blowing away (it's very light and flakey, and I have a huge volume of it). I may take some of the coffee bags and poke holes in the sides with a soldering iron and make compost in them with chaff, leaves, and oak wood chips I'll make with my little wood chipper. I just got 4 bags of chaff which completely filled up the trunk and back seats of the car, so now I have a garage full of coffee chaff when I add it to what I already gathered. It's super high in nitrogen, and pests hate the smell of coffee, so it seems ideal. Glad it's nearly fall and I can get lots of leaves soon!

Ate well yesterday and went to the bookstore and had a nice quiche and coffee after picking up my chaff yesterday. Feeling good from exercise and happy garden planning. :) I'm the same weight, but am going to focus on toning up and eating healthy, and since I am joining Cate in losing slowly but surely, won't stress about the weight as much as long as it goes down a little month by month.
 
Southerners in general seem more forthright and laugh about things more (like the people I grew up around in upstate NY)
That sounds lovely. I like the idea of laughing lots about things. Good to not take things too seriously (as I tend to!)
K and I saw some chopped down oak logs at the neighbor's curb, so stopped and filled up the car with them, so got more nice strength training in yesterday. It's just so rewarding doing gardening for strength training - two birds with one stone, and you barely even register you are getting a nice workout. It's just fun!
Exactly--and then you get to admire your nice work done!
I'm the same weight, but am going to focus on toning up and eating healthy, and since I am joining Cate in losing slowly but surely, won't stress about the weight as much as long as it goes down a little month by month.
Sounds perfect focusing on long-term healthy goals!
 
You are doing so much moving around and seem to be eating quite well, so I am sure you will continue to get the weight down, Marsia.

I think it's so cool to have lived in all these very different places. I've been to New York (including upstate) a number of times and had a brief stint in California - loved them both in their own way. I have always found the US fascinating. It's so cool to be in a completely new environment and learning all about it. Plus the way you have embraced the garden and the food is brilliant. Such a pleasure to read. :)
 
Liza, love everything you wrote. I think long term goals are really good now. I feel like I am struggling somewhat with being a new home school teacher and the garden is a handful with all the rain and pests, though some things have really thrived, and I am not really unpacked yet, so I think the slow and steady route will be the most fruitful.

Em, it's been wonderful living in all different places. I loved living for a summer in Seoul, too, and hope we can go visit inexpensive places and live cheaply for a few months in retirement. I love living in different cultures and getting to know new perspectives and different ways of viewing the world. Thanks for all the nice compliments!

Thanks Cate! I am feeling under the weather - stomach is crampy and bloated and I either can't sleep from the discomfort or am sleeping a lot, but doing ok otherwise. I also had a big bout of self doubt, but am reading a cool book on individuation (Jung's word for integrating the less developed parts of yourself) which is really fascinating and pertinent. I'll synopsize it when I finish the book. Sorry I haven't gotten to diaries. I am feeling a bit better and will hopefully catch up over the next few days. Hope you all are doing great!!!
 
Sorry to hear you've not been feeling great Marsia. I have missed you around here the past few days but imagined that you probably had other things going on. That book sounds interesting--will be interested to hear the synopsis. Don't worry about getting round to the diaries (well mine at least)--just nice to hear from you here :)
 
Thanks everyone, I do feel like I am going through a change emotionally and need some time to meditate and do yoga and take it easier. I would really like to get around to diaries, but at the moment am feeling a bit overwhelmed with what is happening in the US. We may have a railroad strike, our supply chain is a mess, grocery prices are higher every time I go shopping, and I really need to get paperwork in order from the estate and get our residencies established. I just bought around 60 10 foot (3m) fence posts to start fencing off where the small orchard will be and our greens garden, as there is a massive oak which casts shade all day in this part of the yard which will provide nice shade for greens. I used the RV to get the fence posts home from the store, and lifting that many fence posts through the back window of the RV twice tired me out because the silly stomach bug won't go away, and I am still a little shaky.

They are trimming trees along our road, so I asked for 2 loads of wood chips, so now I have nice chips to make soil for the garden with. I'll mix it with all the coffee chaff and have a nice compost pile. K performed a song that she wrote at open mic and got lots of positive feedback for. I am really happy she is writing songs and will figure out nice poem-writing exercises to add to the English curriculum.

My campaign to make school creative is working. K was getting depressed the last few years in school and it was making her anxiety worse. She's happy again and is her bouncy self again. She's going to take an improv class for teens soon, which she's really looking forward to, and her photography class is going well. She wants to make a timeline for The Hobbit where she illustrates the important scenes of the book analyzing it as an apprenticeship story where a main character discovers himself through hardships and adventures, which nicely aligns with individuation in Jungian psychology. Later we'll examine the stories we've read so far as far as myth-fantasy (fairy) stories, and I'll have her write her own short fairy story. We are having fun with homeschooling, but it is time consuming making curricula for 4 classes, and I am behind on figuring out how to grade and make an organized system for assignments. I notice that this was what her teachers also struggled with in her past school, so I am not alone!

The book on individuation is really striking a chord. When I look up concepts from it, I get nearly exact descriptions of how I have been feeling. It's rather uncanny. I think I'll read it through once, then read it to K for her timeline, and then try to put some of the most important stuff in my diary here.

Anyway, having a testy stomach helped me get my weight back down to low weight. I think I'll continue eating light even after the bug passes. I also want to cut way back on sugar.

Thanks for all the support! It really helps!!
 
We may have a railroad strike, our supply chain is a mess, grocery prices are higher every time I go shopping
Same as everywhere, then... It's kind of rough at the moment!
because the silly stomach bug won't go away,
That doesn't sound nice at all. How long has it been going on now?
 
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