The Old Farm House

The Old Farm House, October 2019

This house has served its purpose. This house gave shelter to our ancestors and gave their little family room to grow. This house was a home for multiple generations of our family friends over many years. This house was a home to cousins in my generation for a time too. This house no longer stands on the hill, but it has served its purpose and for that we are grateful.

Where the Old Farm House Once Stood, October 2019

This Land, This House

The Pickens Family Homestead, October 2019

This land, this house

by Josie Gruber, October 2019

 This land was a magical place
With kittens needing catching
And ditches needing jumping
And hay bales needing climbing.

This land was a timeless place
With porch seats needing sitting
And breezes needing breathing
And passing cars needing watching.

This house was a giving house
With beds for warm sleeping
And chairs for prayerful eating
And space for family gathering.

This house was a loving house
With four generations often visiting
And photos from those far living
And mementos from some after passing.

This land and this house
With their status largely changing
And shadows of the past lingering
Are now in need of remembering.

The Pickens Family Homestead, November 2019

Pickens Family Farm

In 2015, my father had researched a lot about our family history and that prompted me to both make a website and a couple of videos.

If you'd like to see the website, visit this link. There are links to articles about our farm and the videos that I made. (The videos are also below.)

Footage of the farm in 2015

Footage from the 2015 Pickens family reunion

Whenever Photo

Fence Detail in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Taken: August 2015

Whenever Photo

Fairy Door, Nickels Arcade, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Taken: August 2015

Whenever Photo

Autumn morning in Michigan

2015 5k #4: BGSU's Freddie & Frieda Falcon Homecoming 5k

On Saturday, October 17, 2015, I completed my fourth 5k race of the year. It was cold - only 37 degrees! - and I was fighting either allergies or a head cold. It didn't stop me! I was able to jog the entire distance without walking and I got my best time EVER!

2015:

Bib: #1150

Category: Ages 1-99

Net Time: 36:31.2

Overall Position (BGSU Student List): 43

Category Position (Female, Age 1-99): 35

2013:

Approximate Net Time: 52:40

*I didn't make the results list, so my time is approximate.*

Fall colors, friends, sunrise, and the finish line! :)

Me, Jen, Ingrid, and Burt, posing with Freddie Falcon!

Morning Glories

What better way to start a Friday morning after a busy week? I went out on the balcony to water my plants and saw that nearly all of the morning glory buds were in bloom. The daily watering through the summer heat is finally worth it! :)

View from my screen door

Side view of the blooms hanging over the balcony railing

Closeup of a morning glory hanging out with the alyssum

Closeup of the balcony railing morning glories

Foggy Morning

It was a beautiful foggy morning! Here are some photos I took to capture it. All of them were taken on my iPhone 5. Click on a photo to see a larger version.

Morning glories on my balcony railing

Morning glories on my balcony railing

View from the School of Nursing Building, 4th floor

View from the School of Nursing Building, 4th floor (and a fly on the outside of the glass)

View from the School of Nursing Building, 4th floor

View from the School of Nursing Building, 4th floor

View from the School of Nursing Building, 4th floor

View from the 400 NIB Building, 4th floor

View from the 400 NIB Building, 4th floor

View from the 400 NIB Building, 4th floor

Three-Day Juice Reboot

With only 3.4 pounds left before reaching my 17.1-pound weight loss goal and after being recently inspired by my Mom's 41-day juice-only reboot, I was curious about going through my own three-day juice reboot in the Joe Cross style. I decided to try it over Labor Day weekend, before my life got busy again with grad school classes and homework. Here are some notes about my experience.

The Prep

Technically, the lat meal I ate was on Friday, 9/04, around 4:00pm. At the conclusion of a short road trip (around 8:45pm), I stopped at the grocery store to buy my juicing supplies. Luckily, I was able to find everything I needed relatively quickly with the help of the app, 101 Juice Recipes. Within the app, you can create your shopping list and mark items off as you put them in your cart/basket. If two different recipes require different amounts of the same vegetable, the app will do the math for you!!

I stayed up late to wash all the produce I purchased and I juiced enough Triple C ingredients (recipe below) to use the entire cabbage.

Day 1
Saturday morning, I had the recommended hot lemon water instead of coffee as soon as I woke up, and followed it with a 16-oz jar of Triple C juice. It surprised me how I didn't actually miss having my coffee!

Activities: 
- Juiced enough to fill a few more jars
- 13-mile bike ride
- Lunch with boyfriend's parents (I drank Kombucha while they ate)
- Quick trip into Whole Foods (where I found the all-natural coconut water)

How I felt:
- Surprisingly good
- Slight headache (possibly from no caffeine and/or allergy medicine)
- Tired (I went to bed at 6pm and slept till 6am on Sunday!)

What I learned:
- Bringing juice along in a cooler when doing exercise is a GREAT idea!
- Drink lots of water. It was really muggy for the bike ride and I sweated a lot. I didn't drink enough water throughout the day to make up for it.

Day 2
Activities: 

- Breakfast with boyfriend (I brought juice with me)
- Went shopping for bike shorts
- Sorted my books (KonMari style!)
- Took a 40-minute nap
- Helped boyfriend prepare macaroni and cheese dinner for our guests

How I felt:
- Tired (physically)
- A little weak (while running errands)
- Once people started to arrive for dinner, I felt close to giving in and having some macaroni and cheese. I texted my Mom and she said, "Drink a green juice and it will pass." It did.

What I learned:
- Take it easy (physically) while doing a juice reboot.
- It's okay to take a nap.
- I don't NEED coffee to function.

Day 3

Activities: 
- Sorted photos from Friday's road trip
- Lunch with boyfriend and his friends from college (I brought my coconut water and had hot lemon water)
- Tidied up the apartment
- Laundry
- Around 3pm had my first food since Friday afternoon

How I felt:
- Tired (physically)
- A little weak
- Awake
- In need of 'real' (aka 'solid') food to complete the laundry chore

What I learned:
- It's okay to conserve your energy.

Results
- Weight = -3.5 lbs from Saturday morning to Monday morning
- Non-Scale Victory = I was able to fit into some smaller-sized jeans I found in my closet, and a dress and shorts that I wore last summer!

What I Learned Overall:
- It really makes a different to drink plenty of water, coconut water, herbal tea, and Kombucha in between all the juices.
- When in doubt, "Drink a green juice and it will pass".
- Only juice enough for about 1 day at a time, otherwise the juice will go bad.
- I bought enough produce to give me juice for more than 3 days.
- I am capable of doing a juice reboot for (nearly) three days!

Afterwards
I notice that I am reacting to foods in a different way. My coffee doesn't seem to taste as good. I felt like crap after having crackers for a snack at work and I CRAVED vegetables (i.e., salad) for lunch like I never had before. After work on Tuesday, I did a quick 2-mile jog before class. I had a jar of juice and I could only finish part of the quinoa and lentils that I had prepared (i.e., I am eating less).

Cost
Total Cost = $68.67 + tax

Cost Breakdown
By Category

Vegetables - $18.13

Fruit - $13.82

Juice containers - $7.49

Additional fluids - $29.13

By Item

Apples, Gala - $0.95

Apples, Green - $3.89

Broccoli - $1.69

Cabbage - $1.50

Caffeine free herbal tea - $3.69

Carrots - $3.18

Celery - $5.07

Coconut water (pure) - $14.97

Cucumbers - $2.36

Ginger Root - $0.56

Fennel - $1.99
Kale - $1.78

Kombucha - $10.47

Lemons - $3.99

Mason jars - $7.49

Oranges - $3.99

Pears - $0.47

Tomatoes - $0.53

Recipes

I used recipes found in Joe Cross's app: 101 Juice Recipes. 

Caprese Salad

(makes 2 servings)
3 plum tomatoes
1 fennel
1 small handful basil
0.5 lemon
1 pinch sea salt
0.5 tsp olive oil

Go-To Green

(makes 2 servings)

2 handfuls spinach
2 carrots
2 apples
2 ribs celery
1 cucumber

Green Carrot Ginger

(makes 2 servings)

1 inch ginger
1 cucumber
4 carrots
3 leaves kale
0.5 pear

Oh, Sweet Broccoli

(makes 2 servings)

2 oranges
1.5 head broccoli
1 cucumber
1 carrot

Triple C

(makes 2 servings)

0.25 head cabbage
3 carrots
4 ribs celery
1 green apple
1 lemon

2015 5k #3: Muckfest MS Detroit

On Saturday, August 1, 2015, I completed my third 5k of the year. It was a warm and breezy day, with temperatures in the upper 70s - in other words: a perfect day!

This 5k was special... it was a fundraiser for MS, which one of my friends has, and the route was sprinkled with muddy obstacles. I completed every obstacle except for one (I couldn't get over my fear of heights). We got super dirty!

Update! On August 7th, they released all the (free) photos that professionals took throughout the event. They have been added to the bottom of this post. :)

Photos courtesy of Becca and her waterproof phone case.

I "waterproofed" my Fitbit with Glad Press'n'Seal and
it survived being totally submerged in muddy water!

The zip line

Even when I straightened my legs, my feet couldn't touch the water!

Jumping off the giant swing

The after... SO muddy!!

The Tidying Project: Part 2

Discarded papers from my filing cabinet

Today, I tried applying the same KonMari Method (as explained in this post) to my filing cabinet. I was able to discard so many papers! It's incredible what parts of my past I had been holding on to for so long - and I had no idea. Again, I'm feeling so much  lighter, and this step helped me complete the desk-organizing project I started months ago!

The Tidying Project: Part 1

My Closet: Before and After

How It All Started

On Monday, July 20th, a friend at work mentioned a book to me: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo. Little did she know, she was planting a seed that would change my perspective (and my apartment) in a way that I couldn't have imagined before.

I downloaded both the Kindle and Audible (Whispersync) versions for less than $11 total and I finished the book in two days. You see, I'm very busy during the school year, working full time and taking classes, and I wanted to start this next school year on the right foot: clutter-free! This book helped me wrap my brain around a new way of thinking when it comes to de-cluttering your life. Essentially, ask yourself whether each item brings you joy. If it doesn't, discard it. It's okay to let go. Surround yourself with the things you love.

Part 1 of The Tidying Project

On Sunday, July 26th, my boyfriend and I pulled all of our clothes from every closet, drawer, and storage bin in the apartment and put them on the living/dining room floors. We arranged them (in our own respective piles) by category: tops, bottoms, dresses, coats, socks, belts, ties, etc. We held each article of clothing in our hands and made the decision whether to keep or discard, while, for the most part, following Marie Kondo's guidelines. Each discard item was tossed into the far corner of the room to be folded for donation later. The pile grew rather quickly.

We also evaluated our shoes and discarded a few pairs each. Then we pulled out all of our bags (handbags, duffle bags, tote bags, etc.) and consolidated. They now all fit in the one big plastic tub in the hall closet!

My closet before tidying:

No More Naked Lady Parties

For the past couple of years, my downfall in acquisition of clothing has been through "Naked Lady" parties (or clothing swap parties), where all the invited ladies go through their closets beforehand and bring the clothes they no longer want to the party. All the clothes are put into a big pile in the middle of the room and then the ladies pick out items they want to keep for themselves (often trying them on along the way - hence the [nearly] naked part).

I would often have a pile of Naked Lady Party clothes to add to my closet afterwards to replace what I had gotten rid of, and, often, those would be the 'better' items from the pile, but not necessarily what is the best for my body type or style. Most of the time, I would wear a Naked Lady Party item only once or twice and then never again because it was either flawed in some way, or it didn't make me feel my best when I wore it. The result was a full closet and a lot of guilt over feeling like I needed to keep these items because they're not terrible and I might wear them someday.

My discard clothing items, folded for donation

After completing what I call "Part 1" of this Tidying Project, I already feel lighter, less bogged down, less cluttered. When I look in my closet, I know that I truly love all the items in it and it's easier to choose what I want to wear. I have decided: No more Naked Lady parties. (Sorry, friends.)

More Space - Everywhere!

Since so many items are out of my closet, there is no longer a need for a large bin at the bottom for winter clothes. Two of the storage bins at the top of the closet are now open to store the things I actually  need to be more readily available than buried in a tub at the bottom of the closet. I can see the floor and all the way to the back!

New Mindset

All discarded coats, shoes, bags, and clothing ready for
donation (from both of us)

Now that I've adopted the "does-it-bring-you-joy" mindset, I will make a point of only buying clothing that fits that criteria. Does it make me feel good about myself? Does it bring me joy? Do I love it? These are all questions I will ask myself when making a clothing purchase going forward. It will help me to keep my closet supplied with only those things I love and that bring me joy. It will help me reduce the clutter in my life.

Thank you, Marie Kondo, for writing this book and for inspiring me to take a giant step in accomplishing my goal for the summer. And thank you to my friend at work who told me about the book in the first place. :)

A Motivating Benchmark, Plus Healthy Snack Ideas

For the past three weeks, I've been trying to get back into a more regular workout schedule. I notice that when I skip workouts, my lower back and shoulders feel tight and uncomfortable, and I really have to watch what I eat. When I exercise, my muscles feel looser and I have a little wiggle room in terms of my calorie intake.

A discovery I've made this week is that I've found some time-saving healthy snacks to eat. Before, I would spend a lot of time preparing smoothie bags for the week - and I think I've found a time-saving alternative to throw into the mix (i.e., I plan to still find time to make smoothies for breakfast occasionally).

Here are a few healthy snack ideas:

• sliced cucumber and hummus
• sliced bell pepper (I prefer orange, red, or yellow)
• sliced or whole apples (I prefer Honey Crisp, Pink Lady, or Jazz)

Current goal: Lose ~15 lbs.

Current loss*: 10 lbs.

*For a more current amount, see the icon in the top right corner of this blog.

This step toward my weight-loss goal has earned me a badge on Fitbit.com!

On Track...!

The past few weeks have been unusual, in terms of my workout routine, but somehow I managed to lose my first 5 pounds!

Current goal: Lose ~15 lbs.

Current loss*: 5 lbs.

*For a more current amount, see the icon in the top right corner of this blog.

This step forward toward my weight-loss goal has earned me a badge on Fitbit.com!

2015 5k Race #2: Stampede Scleroderma

On Sunday, June 7, 2015, I completed my second 5k race of the year. It was a muggy day, with temperatures in the 70s, but at least is wasn't raining this year!

2015:

Bib: #158

Category: Ages 30-34

Net Time: 47:24

Overall Position: 183

Category Position: 20

Gender Position: 109

2014:

Approximate Net Time: 48:00

*I didn't sign up for a bib, so my time is approximate.*

Before the 2015 race - this time I got a bib!

More Attainable Goals

I've had a goal set in my trackers saying that I wanted to lose about 40 pounds. That seems so far out of reach, so I'm going to try something a little differently: I'm going to set smaller goals that can actually be attained, and then reset with another small goal.

Side note: I've restarted my breakfast smoothie routine this week - and I feel so much better getting all those nutrients in the morning!

Previous goal: Lose ~40 lbs.
Current goal: Lose ~15 lbs.

Today's body fat reading: 38.4%

Let's keep this downward trend going!

Quick update

As of this morning, I've dropped below 40% body fat! 

Update

I started the calorie-counting and exercising in February, but by March my schedule got out of whack again. I gained 10 pounds and now I'm working on getting back down to my 'original' starting weight. Once that happens, I am hoping it won't be long until I can start seeing more progress.

In other news, I signed up for summer workout classes. I'll be taking:
Saturdays: Sculpt & Stretch
Sundays: Cardio-Sculpt

Also done today:
Regular plank: 26 seconds

Determined

Determined to 'earn my shower' after a weekend away and the day spent in the car. Did my Workout #2 followed by my best attempt at planking. My sister inspired me to try the planking.

Today:

Regular plank: 20 seconds 

Left side plank: 15 seconds

Right side plank: 15 seconds