On running...

*Static* We interrupt your regularly scheduled garden posting to share your very own Gardenerd's perspective on running.  Thanks for humoring me. =)

I'm approaching my second half marathon.  Oddly enough, people seem puzzled by the fact that I would sign up for another one.  =)  I find myself uttering words I never thought I would: "It's just a half." 

Believe me, I know I've come a long way, and been through many stages.  From the girl who "doesn't run," to the girl who just ran "because you can get your whole workout in with a sports bra and pair of shoes," to the girl who says, "I JUST ran 4 today," to the girl am I today.  The girl who is anxiously awaiting her second half marathon: ever-evolving, ever-changing. The one constant is the fight that I have with running.

Please don't get me wrong.  There is a moment after mile 2 where it stops being laborious and starts clearing out my head and feeling like the most natural thing in the world. I do some of my best thinking on long runs. However, it's a struggle.  My first fight starts with just getting out there.  There WILL ALWAYS be a reason to skip a run. I'm tired, I'm hungry, it's windy, cold or hot, or it's raining are a few of my favorites, not to mention the fact that I'd rather sleep in the mornings.  

Then there's the fight within myself.  I want to stop at every step before mile two, and I fight my inner voices that say it's okay to stop.  They say that most people don't get off the couch.  They say that no one will know if I don't run the whole way.  I fight those voices with the thoughts that I'm strong, and I'LL know if I don't run the whole way.  My legs can take me 13.1 miles, and I know that my body will do what I ask it to.

On race day this Sunday, I'll fight more voices.  The ones that ask if I trained hard enough.  The ones that know I could have done more. The ones that are scared of getting hurt or feeling sick while running.  I'll fight race day nerves, I'll fight the actual course and conditions on race day, I'll fight the crowd.

But the joy of it all will come at the finish line at Memorial Stadium, when I have the privilege of knowing that I got up that day and fought the fight.  And no matter what happens, I'll win.

Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day, dear readers! I hope you are all enjoying your day, and maybe even thinking of Mother Earth.  I often try to think of what I can do to reduce my impact on this planet.

I'm far from perfect in this respect, among others.  I still buy laundry soap that I like because of the smell. (I know, I know.) I still haven't had time to make my own dishwashing soap. (It's on my to-do list, to be accomplished right after I finish up my class and find free time, HA!) Sometimes, I don't even bother trying to clean out peanut butter jars for recycling, because I think it wastes more resources than it saves.  (Eek!)

So, surely almost everyone has room for improvement, right?  For the last year I've directed my DH to use an organic fertilizer.  Our yard has never looked so green. It also is a natural herbicide, so it will take care of some of those pesky weeds.  (I say some, because the research is conflicted in this respect.)  In honor of Earth Day, I hope you give it a try!  I find it at our local gardening store here in Kansas, but you can also order it online.  It's called corn gluten meal.  And for my reader that is wondering... You know who you are...

No it's not from GMO corn. :)  More info can be found here and here.

Cruel

Then, in a classic case of Kansas weather, Mother Nature takes your hope and smacks you right in the face with it.

MN: Spring! Ha! I vill crush your spring.  I vill kill your stinking hope.

(Really, you all should call me to hear me say this.  My accent as Mother Nature is pretty awesome.  Or special.)

 Poor frozen daffodils.  :(  

Oh, my sad, frozen Bradford is sagging under the weight of the ice. You can hear the branches clicking together. :(  

*Sigh.

Waiting for a Sign

Every year I await the last frost to plant my garden.  With the chill of winter still in the air, I eagerly look for signs of spring.  This year the wait has been a little longer than the past two years.  However, I realized the other day that I have my own very reliable sign.

My neighborhood is named for Bradford pear trees.  Right now, the entire community is a welcome sign that spring, real, actual spring, is just around the corner.  The trees seem to bloom when the last of the cold weather is almost gone.  In the picture above, taken about a week ago, the buds are tightly closed.

 They patiently wait for their moment to arrive. Waiting...

For this exact moment. =)  Spring, to me, is another name for hope. It makes me hope for a renewed strength of soil and also reawakens my appreciation of finding beauty in nature. Happy Spring!

Bulbs

I am a big fan of bulbs.  You plant them in the fall, do nothing all winter long, and come early spring... Ta da!  Color to soothe your soul.  The grape hyacinth I planted next to my daffodils have started to peek up. I apologize in advance, I went a little picture crazy. 

They are so tiny! These bulbs only reach a height of 6-8 inches, but they are so very small and delicate right now. =)

See the very tiny one above?

I adore grape hyacinth. They remind me somewhat of bluebonnets that I grew up with in Texas.  Except they smell divine.

I swear this daffodil is looking down at the hyacinth, just saying hello.

I can hardly wait for the blues and yellows to intermingle.  Plant some bulbs next fall! You won't regret it! =)

Celery Stalker

That's right, I'm a celery stalker and proud of it.  You guys asked for an update, so here's the latest. (Yeah, you're all celery stalkers too!)

 Check out the growth and the long, long roots!  You can also see that the celery has gotten icky, but has held together.  Your very own gardenerd is geeking out.  Time to transplant.

I'll let you all know (all 3 of you!!) when I have something edible. =)

All things green

I have to share some of my latest "green" purchases that have absolutely nothing to do with plants and share a green tip. =) I seriously cannot help myself.

I drink a lot of green monsters, thanks to my friend Jess.  (Thanks, Jess!) I use peanut butter and whatever milk I have in the fridge, but spinach is now a weekly staple and frozen bananas can always be found in my freezer. I love starting off my day with this filling breakfast because I've already consumed a fruit, dairy, and 2 vegetable servings before I've spoken a word to anyone.  =)  The point of me telling you this is that with the frozen banana, the green monster is a little thick and I like to drink it with a straw.  Enter my latest green find:

Stainless steel straws.  You can get them on amazon, or many other places, I'm sure.  No more throwing plastic straws into the landfill for me!  This was an add-on to what I really wanted to buy:

Flip and tumble reusable produce bags.  (Even less plastic in a landfill!) I've been using the 5 I initially bought a few years ago, and needed more.  They've held up well, but I have found myself buying more produce lately.  Some cashiers have trouble reading the PLU's through the mesh, but they never complain about opening the bag up to take a quick glance.

Finally today, I'd like to share my green cleaning link.  A few years back, I invested in a few durable plastic spray bottles, and I've mixed up an all-purpose cleaner of 1/2 vinegar, 1/2 water.  This works for every hard surface in every room, and vinegar is a natural disinfectant.  (Vinegar has many other uses, like removing stubborn stickers and killing weeds. Be careful with the weed killer, as NOTHING will grow where you spray vinegar, since it neutralizes the pH of the soil.)

I also made my own glass cleaner which is equal parts vinegar, rubbing alcohol, and water. Between this, baking soda, lemon juice, and salt, I have cleaned everything in my home with no toxic chemicals.  I also substituted Borax for bleach in my laundry applications, and sometimes use that in cleaning too.  My go-to for homemade recipes can be found here: Nontoxic solutions

Enjoy!