"Don't Quit" - inspiration needed to make it through tough times!

When things go wrong as they sometimes will;
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill;
When the funds are low, and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but have to sigh;
When care is pressing you down a bit-
Rest if you must, but do not quit.

Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
And you can never tell how close you are
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit-
It's when things go wrong that you must not quit.

"Don't Quit," Author Unknown

This really hit home for me today. In general, my life, especially in the last year has been very tough. It seems I have been faced with many challenges and heartache. Recently, it feels like my world has come crashing down. Monday was the breaking point for me. It started with an unexpected trip to the vet for Jackie Chan and ended with a flooded kitchen! I need to step back and take a look at what I have and where I am going. I found this quote on the Internet and it will be something that I will keep in the back of my mind to help push me through these tough times. I think it is human nature to give up when it seems like everything is going wrong. When I wake up in the morning I thank God for my husband, Jackie Chan, Miss Kitty, my family,friends, and strangers. If you ever are in this position just remember the quote above!

I am taking Mark to Durham tomorrow so he can get settled and prep for his epidural steroid injection he is getting in his neck on Friday AM. I hope this will help him in his recovery and keep him far far away from neck surgery. It just makes me nervous to think about a big needle being inserted in his neck. I am a chicken when it comes to a needle or anything medical!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week/weekend!

Ashley

Always know your independence........

The meaning of wedding vows is to be committed with your partner. Looking back on our wedding vows, to me it is a sacred promise between me and Mark in front of God, that we love each other and be committed to each other, in ALL THICK AND THIN. With this in mind, things that have happened in the last couple of weeks have really reminded me of our wedding vows! Let me just tell you I have done more things on my own in the last three weeks than I have in a lifetime! As you may know, my husband has a herniated C6/C7 disc in his neck. Friday I put together a collapsible hammock, cleaned the entire house, cleaned the garage, & detailed my car. On Saturday I could not stand looking at the jungle in our yard so I mowed the front yard and edged it with garden scissors! Mark stood out there while I was mowing to make sure I didn't mess anything up or take a body part off! Sunday after lunch with my parents I finished the back yard. Much larger than the front but it is done. I must say I am very proud of myself. Kind of forgot that I am capable of doing things on my own but it is nice to have help! Mark has definitely helped me so I do not mind doing this. We go to another specialist on Wednesday and really hoping we do not get another surgery solution!

MerleFest countdown.....................

The countdown is on! I am super excited to start my second year of marriage to my wonderful husband listening to bluegrass! I am really excited to see Sam Bush (pictured above), Little Feat, Taj Mahal, Zac Brown Band, The Avett Brothers, Donna the Buffalo, The Waybacks, & Steve Martin. Those are just a few off the top of my head! I know he is not going to be at Merle Fest, but Ben Harper, is coming to Wake Forest University the week before and we are going! I am definitely going to fulfill one of my New Year's resolutions to see more live music in 2010!!! Hip Hip Hooray!

2nd attempt at running

On Saturday my husband, Mark, decided he was going to go for a run. So instead of being lazy I decided I was going to take a stab at it. Just a little scary if you ask me because this is officially the second time I have run in my life and the second time with Mark. Any good runner stretches. Right? We stretched our muscles in the driveway. Probably pretty funny if you were one of our neighbors. We started out walking and picked up the pace once we headed down the road. Suddenly I felt like I was being tortured. I thought to myself how could anyone possible get pleasure out of this! I didn't want to over do it so I switched between a fast paced walk and run. Of course, Mark left me in the dust! That is okay because I am still in my training wheel phase! I ended up running/walking 1.5 miles. It is a start but I am definitely not the track star my Wii Fit tells me during a workout! I was a little tired after this because before the run we had done a bunch of spring cleaning/organizing! Yesterday I woke up and every muscle (and I mean EVERY) in my body so sore! Yep definitely worked muscles I never knew existed in my body. I woke up this morning milking the sore muscles and Mark just told me to get my rear back out there and RUN! I will attempt it again this week! Happy Monday!

Tofu

Who knew I would fall in love with tofu! I was always a little scared of it but I knew that it was in some foods I love. The turning point was at Mellow Mushroom on Friday evening. We usually get two small pizzas to split and this leaves just enough for leftovers! Mark picked out the pizza. I think the first one was a mighty meaty. He knows I love veggies so he chose the mega veggie. Veg out on a pizza covered with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, onions, green peppers, mushrooms, black olives, tomatoes, broccoli, feta, banana peppers, artichoke hearts, and TOFU!!!!!!! It was delectable! The light bulb went off while I was enjoying this semi-new ingredient. On Sunday, while doing my weekly shopping, I decided to purchase a block of tofu. Last night we made our weekly veggie stir fry and added tofu to the mix! It was really good. I encourage all to try it. It seems to be a very versatile food because it takes on the flavor of what you are cooking. One last perk of tofu is that it is very healthy - low sodium, low calorie, low fat, and high in protein!

Praying today my mom will receive the best news of her life!

In a few short hours I am meeting my mom to get her mammogram. This is a year after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. I hope my prayers have been answered!

I hope everyone gets out and enjoys this beautiful weather!

Ashley

Pesticides in produce, hormones in milk, antibiotics in meat -- what are all these extra ingredients doing in our food?

Have you ever thought about what the producers of your food are adding to their products? In my opinion, I think it is a little scary and could be the cause of so many cancers today. Hormones have been used for decades in the meat and dairy industries. Synthetic estrogen and testosterone are the most common. So I decided to do a little research. I stumbled across some interesting information. Initial concerns about estrogen-injected cows centered on a compound called diethylstilbestrol (DES). Nearly all beef cattle were treated with DES in the 1950s and 1960s. DES was also used as medicine, given to pregnant women to prevent miscarriages. It was also discovered that DES caused a higher risk of vaginal cancer in the daughters of women who received the medicine. By the 1970's diethylstilbestrol was phased out from use in medicine and agriculture. Another interesting fact their is a link between breast cancer and exposure to estrogen. Your chances of breast cancer increase with higher lifetime exposure to estrogen. WHY do people think the use of synthetic estrogen in livestock is safe????? Another controversy that continues to brew is the use of Recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH). Many argue that it causes cancer but yet to be ruled out. No one really knows if these hurt the body but if you ask me it is not natural that we consume these in our produce, meat, and dairy.

Mark and I always buy fresh veggies(not always organic) and organic meat. We are incorporating more organic produce than before. My experience thus far has been very positive. Not only does it taste better but you have the satisfaction of not ingesting a ton of pesticides. People argue that it costs too much but not really. I spend the same as I did before at the grocery store. When it comes down to it you have to decide what is important in your life. Eating safe and fresh food is for me so I cut other things that I don't need out of my weekly budget. Not to mention you really only need to buy just the right amount. Before I met Mark, I didn't realize how much I wasted. Mark is very keen on getting just what we need so we use all of the fresh produce we purchased that week. Not much goes to waste in our household. Usually once a week we will make a stir fry with all of the leftover veggies. I feel extremely blessed to be able to go to the store and get fresh produce and not eat it out of a can! Let's face it..... I would like to live a long healthy life with my husband and family.

While doing some research, I found some interesting information on Earth Fare's website regarding what to and not to buy organic:

MUST buy ORGANIC:

Produce:
The following produce items are the “dirty dozen” because they have the most pesticide residues. Buy these organic and reduce pesticide consumption by 80%!

1.Peach
2.Apple
3.Bell Pepper
4.Celery
5.Nectarine
6.Strawberries
7.Cherries
8.Kale
9.Lettuce
10.Grapes (Imported)
11.Carrot
12.Pear

Meat:
Buy all-natural or organic meat to avoid antibiotics and hormones. All-natural and organic also means the animal feed is free of pesticides.

Dairy:
Organic dairy means antibiotic and hormone free. Organic is a must, especially for kids.

OKAY to buy CONVENTIONAL:

Produce
The produce below has the lowest pesticide residue. It is okay to buy these conventional:

1.Onion
2.Avocado
3.Sweet Corn
4.Pineapple
5.Mango
6.Asparagus
7.Sweet Peas
8.Kiwi
9.Cabbage
10.Eggplant
11.Papaya
12.Watermelon
13.Broccoli
14.Tomato
15.Sweet Potato


Whatever you decide works for you and your family, it is most important to consume at least 5 fruits and vegetables per day! How do you and your family make sure to get enough fruits & vegetables?

Well at any rate, this is my opinion and I hope everyone considers what they are putting in their mouth out their next meal!