Saturday, July 18, 2015

More Progress

 



Only we are talking about the garden this time and not about me.  I love my garden.  Thanks to my boy we are able to do a look with a small space.  A garden is healthy eating at its best. 

My owl.  Protecting the blueberries.



Next, the grapevine and yes I am in love.

This is how it looked when after it first sprouted...


This is how it looked last week...


Excitement when I saw the color of this tomato...


The raspberries have been bountiful...




Here is what else is growing...

There is always experimentation with something new.  This year, I am trying artichokes and leeks.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

Artichoke - never done before but always
experimenting. 

Tomato in a pot

Peas - started way too late but they are looking good.

White Potatoes

Spaghetti Squash started from seeds of
an actual squash.

Spinach in the pot

Sweet Potatoes
Not yet looking as good as last year.

Cucumbers

And more cucumbers
 
Big Jalapenos

Not everything is glorious in the garden.  I am fighting tomato blight.  Some of the tomatoes are doing well.  Others have me concerned.  My butternut squash, spaghetti squash and pumpkins have leaves that are turning yellow.  I have left the weeding to the boy this year out of concern for my hands...good excuse anyway.

Tomato not looking so good.

Happy Gardening!!!!



 

Sunday, July 12, 2015

PROGRESS

So what has been going on...with each passing week I am become more confident with my ability to pass the certification.  I am nervous about the fact that people will be staring at me and judging my technique but that is to be expected. 

But can you snatch? Yes, I do believe I can.  I have been following Iron Body Studios certification program and training with Artemis.  There was a problem with my snatch.  I was opening my hand at the top.  Once I started opening my hand another problem resulted...crazy bruising at the wrist bone.  It was very painful and it was evidence something was wrong with my form. 

I explained the painful problem to Artemis and it was solved.  Break the arc!  Now it took some work and I am still working on form but I am much improved from when I began this journey.

This week I started snatching with my test weight.  I did 9 rounds of 9 with 12 KGs on Saturday.  This is what it looked like.


There were some pictures with crazy ass faces.  Those will not make the internet. 

Listening to Artemis pays off...until I had a couple set backs.  The first one was this.


This big ugly blister on my left hand after snatching at work last week.  I don't show this as a badge of honor but an area of snatching.  Was I doing my snatching correctly?  What was going to happen when I did a gazillion snatches before the test?  How was I going to prepare before the test?  I cut off the skin but not quite enough of it.  I made the brilliant decision to attempt to pull it off.  Ouch.  It is healing and I am still able to snatch.

My second concern became...how was I ever going to be able to pass the snatch test.  I wasn't snatching enough.  I twisted my perspective.  I was thinking I was snatching 90 times in 9 minutes.  Nope....180 in 9 minutes.  I will be good.  Yesterday's work out at Iron Body Studios will Artemis increased my confidence just a bit. 

This is what the testing will look like!





and this (This is a better video.)