7 Aug
I just found Antler Magazine online. I am officially in love. It is fabulous and I want everything in the first 3 issues. More importantly, I want to be the editor. It is just so pretty, I wish I had created it. You must read it. Carbon neutral and full of lovely things… does it get any better? I think not.
Go. Read. Enjoy.
20 Jul
Ok, friends, here is something that will pull at your heartstrings… I met an amazing woman named Jennie a few weeks ago who does rescue work with pit bull terriers. A year ago she found out about a dog named Duke who was abandoned in South Carolina. When Duke was found by animal control, he was near death. He was tied to a tree along with several other dogs, all of whom were dead. Duke was emaciated, infested with ticks and fleas, nursing a heart worm issue and a seriously infected eye…. in short, hanging on by a thread with death all around him.
This is Duke when he came to the shelter in Shippensburg: skin and bones and struggling to stay alive... please note the tail, it looks like he was actually still wagging it after all he had been through!
Jennie paid to have Duke transported to a Pit rescue org in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. She has also spent the past 10 months raising money to manage his vet bills. During his recovery process, Duke endured a near death experience with heart worms as well as an invasive eye surgery. He endured both with a sunny disposition and a continued zest for life…. if only we could all be so brave! Duke is now completely healthy and happy and in need of a home.
This is Duke now... happy, healthy and ready to play!
Duke is about 3 years old, plays well with other dogs and LOVES people. In the interest of full-disclosure, I must tell you that he is missing an eye due to the surgery; but come on, who doesn’t love a dog with an eye patch, right? If you know anyone who would be interested in an adoption, I will personally transport him from the shelter in Pennsylvania to their home.
Please pass Duke’s story along to friends so that we might find a “forever home” for this amazing animal – and remember to thank God, Buddha, or your lucky stars for amazing people like Jennie and her husband Cliff. After all of the press that has come out recently about dog fighting and animal abuse, it is refreshing to see people who genuinely care and go out of their way to make a difference in the world.
Have a great Sunday night!
12 Jul
This experiment was a lot more difficult than I initially anticipated and I opted to begin breaking out of the fast last night with a half of a piece of fruit and later on, a small amount of fresh spinach. I felt progressively weaker throughout the day yesterday, regardless of my juice intake. I wonder if I didn’t incorporate enough fruit for calories? At any rate, 5 pounds lighter in 3 days time made me realize that I need to incorporate some whole foods to finish this out or I will be useless for the rest of my weekend. Given that Matt and I have a to-do list 6 miles long, I need to get some energy back so that I can accomplish my other goals for the weekend (i.e. painting the master bath).
This morning, we slept in late and I awoke with a slightly lesser headache than I had yesterday. I am going to make a fruit shake to get my day started, then will incorporate some fresh veggies later on as a snack with my early afternoon veggie juice. I’m hoping to keep today simple in order to readjust my body, but I have to admit an awful craving for Mexican food! I’m trying to convince myself that even a veggie fajita sans the tortilla, cheese and side junk is a very bad idea. If I were a cartoon character, a miniature angel dressed as a carrot would be standing over my right shoulder while Don Pablo would be over my left – probably playing Mariachi and downing Patron.
My plan from here is to keep processed foods out of my diet as much as possible. This is such a difficult task given my lifestyle and occupation! I think moving forward, I will try to eat all fresh, unprocessed, corn and wheat/gluten-free foods Sunday through Friday. Saturdays will be my day to eat something processed, and let’s just put it out there: my day to rock my favorite Mexican recipes… It’s an addiction, what can I say? I will however try to limit my corn/wheat consumption even on these days given how bad it makes me feel.
At any rate, enjoy the remainder of your weekend – it is absolutely beautiful out this morning! The Joe-Dog and I are getting ready for a walk. I think he is slimming down, too!
Cheers!
S
11 Jul
What I wanted to eat this morning for breakfast... but didn't.
Wow! This morning was tough! The cleansing process is well under way and I have the white tongue, glazed eyes, oily skin and stomach issues as proof. Needless to say, I am less than chipper and have been contemplating what Matt defines as a “bail out”.
I felt weak upon waking and missed my yoga class which has me in even more of a funk. But, after spending the morning buried under blankets in the “man room” watching The Real World Cancun (can’t believe I actually admitted that), I’ve realized that it is 12:30 p.m. and I am well on my way to completing day 3!
This morning’s meals consisted of a lemon-water concoction upon waking, the a small glass of strawberry juice. I wasn’t going to incorporate berries, however I started to feel really weak and needed some sugar in my body. For lunch I rocked a celery-cucumber-carrot-spinach mixture. All fresh ingredients, and all juiced in my very own kitchen! I am feeling more upbeat after the veggie drink and am ready to conquer the day. I’ve read that skin brushing is helpful during a cleanse, so I am off to brush myself down like a dog then shower and take the infamous Joe-Dog out for a long walk. We are going to make our way over to the farm down the street in an attempt to photograph some of the cows on this lovely summer day!
Cheers!
10 Jul
I woke up this morning feeling as though I had been hit by a large bus. My limbs felt heavy and achy and I had an odd metallic taste in my mouth. I’m not sure if this is due to the fast, or possibly from the boxing class I took last night.
Upon waking, I drank a glass of water and did a short yoga routine to loosen up my muscles and clear my mind. Then I took Joe for a long walk. When we returned, Joe ate his breakfast while I consumed a large mug of decaffeinated green tea and made my juice for the day. Since I was hungry yesterday afternoon, I made sure to bring additional juice today: one green (cucumber, spinach, green leaf lettuce, celery) and one fruit (apple and pineapple).
I felt good for the rest of the morning, but around noon I started to feel the hunger pains. The afternoon has been awful. I have a fairly vicious headache and can’t seem to focus my concentration today. Also, my tongue has turned completely white, which is kind of weird and pretty gross. I’ve read that this will happen during a cleanse, but ewwwwww… it is one thing to read about it, another story to see it in the mirror!
My plan is to relax tonight and curb the aerobic exercise until I break the fast. Over the weekend I hope to rest, practice yoga, walk Joey and potentially use my urban rebounder a bit to circulate my blood and keep my energy up!
10 Jul
Yesterday I embarked on a 4 day juice fast. I have never fasted before, but Matt and I have been reading about detoxification and cleansing programs for months and I believe I am ready to attempt a program. Matt will juice with me for the next few days, but he will also consume solid foods (one of which will probably be the smoked sausage breakfast patties he asked me to purchase from the food store).
While most detox programs last 7 days, I am trying to be realistic with my lifestyle (read: addiction to salsa and chips) and start slowly.
Juice, Juice and More Juice!
Why detox?
Detoxification programs give your body a break from toxins so that it can relax and repair itself naturally. Our bodies are in a constant state of detox; however, due to modern diets, heightened daily stresses and the combination of chemicals we ingest daily, the body sometimes needs a helping hand to eradicate toxins from the body. I’ve recently found that I have several food allergies in addition to issues digesting heavily processed foods. After completing a three week diet of only lean protein and fresh vegetables in the spring, I felt amazing! During the course of the summer, grilling burgers at the house and some trips to the beach (yes, Mack and Manco Pizza) have tempted me away from fresh and back into processed meals. The time is right for a detox!
What am I drinking?
Approximately 32-64 ounces of fresh juice per day, lots and lots of water and (decaf) green tea. While I incorporate some fruits such as apples, pineapple and lemons, into the plan, the bulk of my intake is in the form of “green” veggies. I’ve loaded up on spinach, cucumbers, celery and leafy greens. I’ve also purchased some carrots and beets for vitamins and a little bit of color.
How is it going so far?
Yesterday I began my day by taking Joey for a long walk to clear my mind, then completing my morning “exercise” with a 10 minute yoga routine. I drank a pot of naturally decaffeinated green tea while juicing apples and celery with a slice of ginger for my morning and afternoon juice blend. Then I set off to work.
I felt great most of the morning, but around 2:30 in the afternoon hunger set in. It didn’t help that someone set a big bowl of potato chips out in the faculty kitchen! Instead of succumbing to the delight of those chips, I stayed strong and brewed a cup of green tea to tide me over until my next glass of juice. It was then that I realized this might be a lot more difficult than I initially anticipated.
I think the highpoint of the day was actually finishing my first boxing class at our local gym. What a workout! Hand wraps, real punching bags and an instructor yelling at me to “GO, GO, GO!” was invigorating and a little intimidating. Actually having the strength to finish the class was empowering given that I hadn’t had solid foods in 24-hours!
7 Jul
Matt just found a little, tiny “Waldo” in our photos from the last post. Who knew that our woodland creatures were watching us? Check out the upper left corner of this photo to see our little spy.
Matt's next project...
5 Jul
It’s been months since the site was updated and no, we have not fallen off a mountain. What have we been up to, you ask? Let’s see…
Joey hanging with his BFF's, Ozzy and Jackie
Friends and neighbors at the work party after putting docks in the lake.
Canoeing on Spencer Pond at daybreak - so amazing!
Proof that Mainers are a little crazy...
Stacked wood in our shed...
Matt's next project...
See that chandelier? I made it! Move over Martha, there's a new crafter in town.
This is the kind of meal that makes us need kickboxing... why is pork so good?
All in all, it has been a fairly quiet spring and summer, thankfully. We have been busy, but Matt’s work schedule has let up somewhat so we are able to spend more time together – always a good thing! We hope to post more often and look forward to hearing from you all soon!
28 Feb
View of Mount Washington from Bed & Breakfast
The greatest and most simple summary of our trip was uttered by our guide Jim, “Matt’s sick and Sue’s out of shape but it’ all good”. We should probably note here, that Jim has the patience, inner-fortitude and physical strength of a Greek god.
We started the trip in a bitter cold snow storm, swerving our way up Route 2 in New Hampshire. We arrived at the beautiful Mount Washington Bed and Breakfast around 2 a.m. Not only was the light left on for us, but the innkeeper’s father waited up to show us to our room. There were freshly baked brownies on our dresser and warm, clean cotton sheets to crawl into – we loved the inn immediately. (Check out our shameless plugs to find out how to stay there, it is well worth the drive!)
We woke to a clear New Hampshire morning on Friday and decided to check out the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center, spend the rest of our life’s savings at EMS buying my new, sweet North Face jacket, and drinking coffee at Starbucks. We ended the day at Moat Mountain Smoke House and Brewery, where we had good beer and things that have been smoked. I have never been so happy to be a carnivore. It is a beautiful thing.
Matt enjoying coffee and the view at Starbucks
Saturday morning found us back at the visitor center, checking out the avalanche reports and meeting our guide Jim. We spent 2 hours unpacking and repacking our bags. This involved countless trips to the gear shop to, again, make additional purchases. All were well worth the money, since we didn’t freeze while on the mountain. We set out around 11:00 to reach our tent site.
Pinkham Visitor Center
En route, I realized that walking in winter hiking boots and snow was less enjoyable than it looks in movies. I promptly had what Jim and Matt diagnosed as a panic attack and had to rest on one knee. It turns out that I am not in as good of shape as I believed.
Beginning of trail, when I realized it was all uphill
After a lot of walking, we came to the trail head for Lion’s Head. We opted to follow the fire road, set up our tent and do a winter mountaineering course for the rest of the afternoon and evening, then summit on Sunday morning.
We set up the tent and I was able to practice using snowshoes to stomp down a place for us to sleep.
Flattening campsite
Unfortunately during this process Matt came down with a nasty fever and we were forced to take him into the caretaker’s cabin (know as Harvard Cabin). This is where our adventure took a most interesting turn. While Matt was able to recover from the fever and hike the next morning, his illness allowed us to take respite overnight in the cabin with George the Caretaker and a gaggle of French Canadian climbers. As the only female of the group, I was subjected to sights, stenches and sounds not fit even for the web. Viva la Harvard Cabin! George turned out to be an invaluable resource and one of the kindest souls I have ever met – if you happen to travel to Harvard Cabin this winter, please bring him a bottle or two of wheat beer. We will gladly reimburse you for your trouble.
George, caretaker of Harvard Cabin
Matt sleeping as Jim takes care of him
Up bright and early the next morning, Matt was well enough to make us both a delicious cup of oatmeal. The water was pulled from some a nearby stream using buckets that at some point probably contained pool cleaner… I just hoped there was enough bleach left in them to cure whatever else they might be hosting.
Buckets for drinking water
The trail to the top was more difficult than I thought it would be and warranted many breaks on my part. The good news is that we finally were able to rock the crampons! Crampons are the coolest invention ever and they make you feel like a real mountaineer, however out of shape and clumsy you might be.
Learning about crampons
We were also able to use our mountaineering ax. Interesting fact: a mountaineering ax is different than an ice ax. We learned several ways to climb using different steps and ax techniques. It was difficult, but so much fun.
I had decided somewhere along the trip that I had reached my limit and would stop at the top of the Lion’s Head and turn around. Matt and Jim were very supportive of my decision, even though it meant they would not summit that day. After reaching Lion’s Head, I was coaxed into walking along the Alpine Garden, which I had read about online and was anxious to see. It is so beautiful! Once at the Alpine Garden, it was less than a mile to summit and I was coaxed into going to the top – albeit without my backpack, which Jim put on his back and carried for me.
Taking a break in the Alpine Garden
Trail for summit
The hike to the summit was amazing. A storm came in and we had snow showers. As we climbed higher, I kept my sights on Jim’s bright yellow jacket and my feet as firmly as possible in his snow prints.
Snow showers en route to summit
We reached the summit at 1:35 p.m. The temperature was 12 degrees with a -12 windchill. Winds were 40 mph. The view was not very clear due to the snow, but it was interesting to see the structures at the top of the mountain.
Reaching the top of Mount Washington
Snow-covered structure at top
Summit
Summit
Coming down, we were hit by more snow. I was afraid coming down some of the steeper routes, especially when groups in front of us were able to use ropes to go down. Jim taught us the correct way to move down the mountain in the snow, and while I was literally shaking in my boots, I am glad to now have the knowledge of how to do this safely without a rope.
Coming down from summit
Sue, covered in snow
Matt, covered in snow
After a tedious hike down the mountain and stop at the Harvard Cabin to collect our things and bid farewell to George, we walked out of the woods in darkness. The trail was beautiful at night and, barring a few small pairs of eyes peering at me through the trees, very peaceful.
Coming down from Harvard Cabin
Some Subway sandwiches and a quick shower later, we were safe, sound and asleep at the B&B.
Thanks, Jim, for getting us up (and down) the mountain!
Sue, Jim and Mat after climbing Mount Washington
23 Feb
Just crawled into bed at the B and B – our room is beautiful and a bed has never felt so great.
We made it up to the summit at 1:35 this afternoon thanks to our amazing guide Jim. It was so much harder than I expected – Matt just told me it is time for bed, stop clicking the blackberry… More tomorrow. Rest assured we are safe, sound and warm!
