oh, my: the garden "before" picture...

 

Oh, dear.

While it's nice to see things so green, 99% of what's green is non-native non-food and needs to be addressed.

There's hardly even a footpath left from all this spring rain. The grass has gone WILD.

Another view:

I feel tired, just looking at it.

However, right now there's almost NOTHING in the garden

that we want to eat, so now's the time to unleash the chickens

upon our garden to help with digging...

 Cinder having dug through the corn stalk "lid" on Plot 1.

... and eat vast quantities of bugs (the chickens, not us).

After that, tho', they'll have to be kept out, again,

'cause once I've got baby plants going, it's no longer

a place where chickens are to be trusted.

This is about the greenest you'll see our place:

 That is the garden in the background (you may see a few of the posts fm. the fence)

The above shows my chicken wrangling set up: A chair. Just a place for bb to park her fanny, work on the computer, and keep an eye out for predators looking for some fresh, free-range chicken.

Although that is from only a few days ago (3?), the grass is already taller and blooming/seeding out.

SUMMER is ON THE WAY.

Despite the fact that it was 32 degrees this morning.

Oh, speaking of...

Blanch duBois; c'est moi

I am using this picture for this post to show you bb's uncalloused hands. Definitely pre-gardening season.

However, you may notice the Easter colors of my fingers? Pretty pink 'n' yellow?

I took this shot on 4/27 to show you what bb's hands do when she gets too cold. It's called blanching.

It happens to folks with Raynaud's phenomenon, which Wiki calls: "a vasospastic disorder causing discoloration of the fingers, toes, and occasionally other areas."

I'm officially vasospastic.

Anyhow, the picture above is pretty mild, but there are some CRAZY pictures on Wiki. I've never had that very purple color they show, just yellow usually, and only VERY RARELY an icky brownish/blue.

It's kinda like your body thinks you're going to freeze to death way before this is possible, so prematurely starts shutting down circulation to your extremities.

Apparently about 5% of men and 8% of women have it. At Mount Rainier, in an office building of about 15 people, three of us had it. Odd.

It's most common in young women; mine appeared in college. I have a mild version, and the primary or "disease"/"idiopathic" form. Far as I know.

One thing wiki taught me today is that people with this are more likely to suffer from migraines.

Ding ding ding ding ding!

C'est moi.

Perhaps it can all be traced back to a basically lax and/or confused circulatory system?
 

The opposite of cool

ANYwho, all the things that Wiki recommends one does during a Raynaud's "emergency," I've tried, including putting my fingers in my mouth, shoving my hands down my pants (GREAT way to make friends and influence people), and doing the windmill (spinning your arms in giant circles to get the blood SHOVED back to your fingertips via centrifugal force).

 Photo by Steven Fruitsmaak

All fun and REALLY good for making you look cool.  =)

No pun intended.

Once, years ago, in San Diego, I was waiting for a bus at 515 a.m. and my fingers went yellow. And would not un-yellow. So, getting desperate and throwing my disinclination to wear the "weirdo!" hat, I crossed the street to the ONLY place open then, a doughnut shop.

Then I had to ask to use their sink to run warm water on my hands.

You can bet this got a look.

So, of course, I explained my conundrum to a skeptical face, then showed him my lovely yellow digits, and FINALLY he acquiesced and let me do shove them under warm water. 

Heaven.

So, to thank him and ensure my recovery, I bought a coffee to hold back at the bus stop.

More evidence that Raynaud's is a great way to make (unexpected) friends and influence (weird out) people.

So, now you know, and now I will go stare at last year's garden chart and make a new one, filled with exciting plans for this year's garden.

While wearing a fleece top, fleece hat, fuzzy slippers, and sitting under a quilt, indoors.

=)

Vasospaz that I am.

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The reason I'm stoked...

 
The egg pictured in yesterday's Mumday post is the FIRST egg the girls have laid in WEEKS and weeks. What with the molting, the short days, and cold temperatures, we've had to buy two dozen eggs so far this winter.

Now, we have one from our lovelies. How exciting!

I need to make sure to add the little tasty calcium (oyster shell) bits to their food mix.

Anyhow, apparently the most serious part of winter (egg drought) is over, per at least one of the girls.

=)

woo-hoo!

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What I wore INDOORS Jan 4th: ectomorph, c'est moi

  

That's a fuzzy hat, down coat with faux-fur lined hood, and who knows how many layers underneath.

IN THE HOUSE.

I thought about this today because despite having Zappos box in room, I cannot bear to try on shoes until I'm warm enough. Still wearing fuzzy slippers, 11 a.m.

Anyhow, recently I reviewed the wikipedia definition of ectomorph (and endomorph and mesomorph). Apparently these 3 body types were described by a psychologist named William Herbert Sheldon (circa 1940s, now not such a popular idea) and he claimed they were associated with 3 different temperaments.

THIS was news to me, the link to temperaments.

And then I read this:
"Sheldon proposed that the human physique be classed according to the relative contribution of three fundamental elements, somatotypes, named after the three germ layers of embryonic development: the endoderm, (develops into the digestive tract), the mesoderm, (becomes muscle, heart and blood vessels), and the ectoderm (forms the skin and nervous system)."

Holy back-to-college-developmental-physiology time. Wow. I'd forgotten about all that.

Then read the description of ectomorph:  "characterized by long and thin muscles/limbs and low fat storage; receding chin, usually referred to as slim."

Yes, that's me generally, save for the receding chin. The "receding chin" gave me a first whiff that I was possibly going to be called a geek...

Then the personality zone?

"Roughly the three corresponding personality types proposed by Sheldon are somewhat akin to Jung's categorization of thinking, feeling and sensing types. As such they correspond quite closely to popular stereotypes of the skinny nerd, the jolly fat man, the slow-witted tough guy."

Oh, not a geek, a NERD. Ah. Thanks. SO much better. =)

But wait, there's more.

"There is evidence that different physiques carry cultural stereotypes. For example, one study found that endomorphs are likely to be perceived as slow, sloppy, and lazy. Mesomorphs, in contrast, are typically stereotyped as popular and hardworking, whereas ectomorphs are often viewed as intelligent but fearful.^[2] Stereotypes of mesomorphs are generally much more favorable than those of endomorphs. Stereotypes of ectomorphs are somewhat mixed." [bb bolded]

I must admit, if any one in a room is, in response to an unexpected loud noise, going to leap a la Warner Brothers cats and land claws-in-the-ceiling, it's me.

A trifle jumpy, sometimes.

ANYhow, SOMEwhere on line (cannot find it now) I read that ectomorphs are supposed to be poor thermoregulators (my words). Apparently they get too hot AND too cold easily. That's TOTALLY me. I get heat rash before anyone I know (at the gym when running, etc.) and my fingers turn yellow from cold if I'm in normal clothes and it's less that 74 in a room.

Anyhow, I just thought those descriptions and links to supposed temperament were interesting. I'm sure they're WAY off in many instances, and I'm not 100% ectomorph-y (can be outgoing, known to gesticulate wildly while talking, have broad shoulders, and WISH I had delicate ankles), but it's fun to think about.

And reminds me of the doshas. Just took an on-line quiz 'cause I forgot what I am: I'm vata, almost 100%, per this "what's your dosha" quiz. Once I'd first learned of this way of looking at people and their trends, I told a friend I thought I was vata. He actually knows something about Ayurvedic stuff (I don't) and without hesitation he replied "I can't believe how vata you are." Alrighty, then. Take your whirrd for it.

"Because of this [bb'ed: general thin-ness], Vatas have very little energy reserve and can tire easily and get themselves out of balance. Vatas need to get sufficient rest and not overdo things, stay warm, and keep a regular lifestyle routine."

SO ACCURATE.

Repeated point of advice for vata: stay warm in winter. Ah, we get back to my inability to try on these shoes, despite enthusiasm.

=)

I totally married a mesomorph: muscular, quiet, calm, hard working. And as if being hyper muscular wasn't enough, he got his ankle MRI'd a few years back, turns out he has an "accessory muscle." Yeah, an extra that most people don't have. I've never HEARD of this.

LITERALLY muscles on muscles. Good Lord.

At least I'm married to someone like that. =)

And can watch him toss logs as I stand outside, in a sunny patch, in my parka and gloves, clutching my giant mug of hot coffee.

=)

xoxobb

P.S. Any comments on your type (endo-meso-ecto or doshas) are more than welcome. It's fun to think about. And I won't be the least bit hurt if you think any or all of it's bunk.

class canceled!

   
This a.m., moments ago, after having scraped the ice off my car (on May 10th??), I assumed that the (presumably) female turkey I'd seen squatting in the driveway (probably warming baby turkeys on an unseasonably cold morning) would be long gone, like the deer who had scattered. Turkeys are pretty wary.

No.

 Here she is, still not moving, eying me thinking "Oh, for Pete's sake, can you please just go away?!?"

I hoped all'd be well, I advanced VERY slowly in my little car, but saw one particular tiny baby turkey was not walking at all well (furthest left one, dark brown). Stumbling, faltering badly. Pitiful.

So I stopped. Backed up the Honda. Got out, took a picture, and left. Apparently the little creature needs more warming time.

Guess I'll pop in an exercise DVD instead.

It's the least I can do.

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