First Day of Spring

How can such a cloudy, drizzley day be the first day of spring? There are no butterflies or bees hanging around our back patio and it's only 44 degrees outside. From what I understand, we won't even get spring time weather for another month here in Seattle. That is a total bummer. 

On the other hand, that fact does give me a bit more time to plan the container garden I am going to start. Since this will be my first time growing plants to eat, I am going to start with easy crops like potatoes, zucchini, baby lettuce, peas, tomatoes and strawberries. I might throw a few herb plants out there too - like mint and lemon balm. I really need to get my on potato and pea planting. Their planting time is now! I'll keep you updated on how things go with the gardening. 

Until then, we will keep enjoying our produce from the Full Circle Farms delivery box we have signed up for. We get fresh, local, organic produce every other week delivered to our doorstep!

Above is a picture of one of our first boxes! We've been getting them since December and it is still amazingly exciting every time. It is always a lovely surprise what produce we get in our box (though you can pick & choose if you want to so it doesn't have to be a surprise). 

I love our produce box because one of my goals in life is to eat locally and this delivery allows me to do so without breaking the bank! Matt and I still run supplemental trips to the grocery store for specific produce and other grocery items but I love the seasonal produce and I keep trying new recipes because of it!

Anyway, I gotta run. More updates later.

Saturday Share on a Sunday

Things have been pretty stable in our corner of the world - I work, Matt works, we get days off and hang out together. That's the gist of it. I did go back to the doctor for my health concerns but he was pretty unimpressed with my lab results and told me to come back and see him when I was sick. So hopefully my body will heal itself and I am going to try and help it along with some fanciful food therapy initiatives. 


Basically, I'm going to modify my diet and journal about it to see if I can find a diet that helps me feel more energized with less daytime fatigue and less susceptibility to general illnesses (flu, common cold, etc). I am starting with increasing my vegetable and fruit intake and cutting out meat, dairy and processed foods. So far, I've been at it for five days without any noticeable results other than (and this may be TMI) better bowel movements. I've often heard it said that digestive health and a good immune system go hand in hand so maybe I'm on the right track. I'll hold off on any judgments until I get more data though.


What we're into this week:

• I am perusing several books right now, mostly about vegan diets and urban homesteading. I started another book today sent to me by the wonderful Mrs. E called The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. It's a book by the author who spent a year dedicated to increasing her happiness while still living a real life (no trips to foreign countries or leaving her day job behind) and the things she learned from her adventure. So far, I love it (and maybe I will embark on my own happiness project!). 
• I finished a fascinating memoir a few days ago called The White Masai by Corinne Hofmann who falls in love with a Masai warrior and moves to Africa to be with him. This book feels like reading her diary and she tells us so many intimate details - the good, the bad, and the ugly. Incredible.
• Matt has all but forgotten about video games and immerses himself in learning how to program in python and build web pages. It is amazing how intensely he can focus on a subject to the exclusion of everyday life (like eating and vacuuming and laundry).
• We occasionally watch the sitcom "How I Met Your Mother" and enjoy every episode, even the painfully awkward ones. I highly recommend it for the laughs it gives us as we follow the social and romantic lives of the outstanding cast of characters.