The problem I had with my first list was all of my resolutions were, well, they were all about me. Not that they shouldn't be, because honestly I am the only one I can change and work on, but it didn't include my roles, or the very things I am every day. Firstly I didn't include anything about being a mom, my #1 reality every day. It didn't include anything about farming, my #2 reality every day. It didn't include anything about eating or preparing food, my #3 reality and time consumer daily.
So as this picture attest to I did complete my first half-marathon. A goal motivated out of my drive for competition, and my inability to say 'no' to such. My sister-in-law Amy was looking for someone to run with. I watched as she solicited various friends and tried to stay out of it. As each friend didn't work out, I comitted with the desire to have some goal in mind, namely a race. I've done 5k s and 10k s, so I was looking for something new. I don't like to run on pavement. Nature motivates me and the only place I had to train was the alfalfa fields, corn fields, and an old abandoned stone quarry. My partner wasn't Amy, as we live a distance apart from one another, my partner was my dogs, all four of them. Thus making one of my farm chores one of my motivators. I love running with Zippy, she is a stray dog that showed up on the farm 12 years ago (that's old in dog years). She was appropriately named for sure. She loves running, fast. I've never been able to catch up to her. So when I'm in grandma years for a human I hope that my speed motivates and inspires others, even if it is with a walker.
I had another goal to learn a story a month, and make props to go with it. I've wanted to be a good storyteller for some time now. My motivation comes from my college years at KU. While going to school I also taught at a private elementary school. I took my students to the public library for story time every week. The librarian was awesome, and she provided me with more inspiration in what I wanted to be when I grew up then any of my professors did. At the beginning of the year I actually looked into storytelling conferences to attend. What I didn't realize was that I already was a story teller. I don't need to go to a conference, although I'm sure it would be fun. I also don't need props, just the desire. My greatest audience - my two boys. A goal that includes my #1 role as a mama. I love telling my boys stories and I love it when they request them over and over. Ironically we are currently in love with Billy Goats Gruff, so suiting for the farm. The troll character brings up all kinds of questions for my four-year-old. Does anyone know if Trolls can swim?
Which leaves #3 food. My biggest motivator in moving to a farm and growing produce was being able to know where my food came from and what went into it. I've struggled for years with unanswerable health issues, that I use to seek 'cures' for. Now I see them differently, opportunities to learn and an excuse to eat better. Often I claim that my family has allergies - we don't eat dairy products, we don't eat gluten (wheat products), and we don't eat corn products. When I have to explain this to others that are often left wondering what is left to eat. The reality is I choose not to eat non-foods. High fructose corn syrup for me equals putting a chemical in my body, a toxic chemical. As I began to be a label reader I was surprised to find this culprit in spaghetti sauce? That helped me understand why I always ate such huge portions, the addictive sweet substance listed as ingredient number one. I thought I was eating tomatoes, who knew?
Dairy products, I do love cheese, yogurt, heavy whipping cream, yummy. Over the years I paid attention to how I felt after eating dairy, sluggish and tired. I never wanted to face this reality. I didn't even attempted it for two years after realizing how it made me feel. I don't even want to get into the grossness of the diary industry and how they have us believing that milk is the only source of calcium. Goat milk is reported the closest to human milk, so when it came time to supplement my babies, this was the only option. At $14 a gallon, the only solution was to buy a goat. I make yogurt and cheese.
Gluten is an intolerance in three of the four members of our family. The forth member being only a year and a half doesn't really show any signs either way, but then again I'm not feeding him any either. This all started with my first son. There I was a first time mom and I wanted to give my kid snacks, of course they were from the health food store, tasty little crackers. Gluten is hard for little tummies to digest, so his plight began. Thankfully he was still young enough that we were still keeping track of the foods we had introduced, so we knew the culprit wasn't veggies or fruit. Then I broke out with eczema on my hand and while at a chiropractors office he posed the idea that I might be allergic to something and tested me. I tested positive for milk and gluten. Two year later, we're doing pretty well. There are occasional slips, or awkward circumstances that make eating wheat easier then trying to explain to well intentioned friend.
There you have it, my New Year's Resolutions, with lengthy explanations. Exercise, which needs to include a farm chore (weeding or shoveling is great) or animal, tell my kids stories, and eat and prepare food, real food.
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