Contrary to what it may seem like my goal for the end of the year was not to become a hermit; however, my goals thus far have resulted in extricating myself from a lot of social activities leading me to the conclusion that it is time to add some new ones!
Over the past few weeks I have been volunteering at various events at local farms. It has been great so far not only meeting some new and interesting people at the Plenty! farm and at Glade Road Growing but also listening to their extensive amount of knowledge about plants. Ten minutes around Jason Pall (JP) and it would be hard for someone who had never even touched a plant not to be excited about gardening.
I originally had volunteering for X amount of hours on my list of goals for the beginning of the year and I thought it fell right in place to set it as my goal this week. It was something that I did not allow myself a lot of time do in the past but know that mentally it is one of the most rewarding areas of work. Now that I have done some research and found out some different places that I can help out I should have no trouble finding a place to give a helping hand. So here is to volunteering for 3 hours a week for the rest of the year!
Over the past few weeks I have been volunteering at various events at local farms. It has been great so far not only meeting some new and interesting people at the Plenty! farm and at Glade Road Growing but also listening to their extensive amount of knowledge about plants. Ten minutes around Jason Pall (JP) and it would be hard for someone who had never even touched a plant not to be excited about gardening.
I originally had volunteering for X amount of hours on my list of goals for the beginning of the year and I thought it fell right in place to set it as my goal this week. It was something that I did not allow myself a lot of time do in the past but know that mentally it is one of the most rewarding areas of work. Now that I have done some research and found out some different places that I can help out I should have no trouble finding a place to give a helping hand. So here is to volunteering for 3 hours a week for the rest of the year!
End of Week 30 Update
It would take me more than ten minutes to think of one negative thing about volunteering so I think I'll just go ahead with there are none. You show up, you learn, you meet people, your karma (if you believe in that type of thing) goes up seventeen points, you leave and if you end up feeling like it wasn't your thing, there are a billion other opportunities waiting for you tomorrow.
I've spent some time searching around this year for opportunities that would best fit in with the rest of my year and I ended up landing at Glade Rd. Growers. I can run there. I find new blackberry patches every time I run there. They always have something for me to do. I feel good about getting my hands in the dirt. I enjoy the company of the staff and other volunteers and if I'm by myself there are plenty of June bugs and honey bees that are always happy to chat. Pelón (the farm dog) keeps a close eye on the unfamiliar faces and will let you know it with a nip on the knee every once in a while. I figure that when I graduate from this nip I will be accepted as a true volunteer. I run home and on Saturday I see everyone at the market and feel good knowing that I helped pick some of the beets. A lot of people think working in the garden'll hurt your back, but it helps me stand a little taller.
It would take me more than ten minutes to think of one negative thing about volunteering so I think I'll just go ahead with there are none. You show up, you learn, you meet people, your karma (if you believe in that type of thing) goes up seventeen points, you leave and if you end up feeling like it wasn't your thing, there are a billion other opportunities waiting for you tomorrow.
I've spent some time searching around this year for opportunities that would best fit in with the rest of my year and I ended up landing at Glade Rd. Growers. I can run there. I find new blackberry patches every time I run there. They always have something for me to do. I feel good about getting my hands in the dirt. I enjoy the company of the staff and other volunteers and if I'm by myself there are plenty of June bugs and honey bees that are always happy to chat. Pelón (the farm dog) keeps a close eye on the unfamiliar faces and will let you know it with a nip on the knee every once in a while. I figure that when I graduate from this nip I will be accepted as a true volunteer. I run home and on Saturday I see everyone at the market and feel good knowing that I helped pick some of the beets. A lot of people think working in the garden'll hurt your back, but it helps me stand a little taller.
My favorite recollection from this week was not in the garden however, it was on top of Dragons Tooth. My good friend Jodie came to visit and we had both agreed that our number one priority was to get in some hammock camping. It was a beautiful day, rain jackets were a far cry from necessary, and we settled on Dragons Tooth. Upon approaching the summit the night was cool, there was a breeze and we found a place right on top of the mountain to set up our hammocks. It didn't take long until I was asleep, and it didn't take long until we were woken up in a huge rainstorm. We pretended for a long 3 and half minutes that it wasn't happening as the water began slowly creeping into our sleeping bags cancelling out any thoughts of warm toes and proceeded to pack up and hike down shivering at 5 AM. The plan was to watch the sunrise but there was something just as satisfying about being reminded how good it feels to take a much needed hot shower and lie down on a comfortable bed.
End of Week 30 Totals
Soda - 0 ounces
Water - 108.10 Gallons
Liquor - 0 shots
Tea - 378 cups
Trips to unhappy places - Jimmy Johns (1)
$ to support neighbors = $545.39
Fried food consumption - 2 dorito chips
Breakfasts eaten - 161
Pushups - 1180 Crunches - 1080
Days Flossed - 145 (missed two days)
Coffee - 0 cups
Sunrises attended - 19
Beers drunk - 0
Gallons of Trash Collected - 436
Items planted -12 jalapenos, 12 bell peppers, 8 yellow pear tomatoes, 30 canna bulbs, 1 chinese pistache, 30 sensitive plants, 24 carolina reaper peppers, 12 ghost peppers, 31 scorpion peppers, 5 brussel sprouts, 12 tyria hybrid cucumbers, 14 congo watermelons, 6 hybrid prizewinner pumpkins, 45 devils tongue peppers, 14 black sea man tomatoes, 33 peruvian white lightning habaneros, 16 mammoth russian sunflowers, 30 big smile sunflowers, 100 zinnia's, 100 basil plants, 100 green onion plants, 12 chinese lanterns, 30 garden beans, a bed of mint, 50 Celosia flowers, 7 Red Maple Seeds, 30 brussel sprouts, transplant 34 pepper plants, transplant 13 sensitive plants and 3 watermelon plants, transplant 15 pepper plants and 6
sensitive plants, transplant 21 pepper plants,
Letters written - 15
Meat eaten - none
Donations made - Bike the US for MS, Personal Mission Trip, Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, Against Malaria Foundation, Deworm the World Initiative, Project Healthy Children, charity: water, Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, YMCA Thrift Store, Volunteered at Plenty!, Against Malaria Foundation, Food supplies to Plenty! food pantry, Deworm the World Initiative,
Movies watched - 0
Glasses of wine - 0
New dishes cooked - Vegetable Korma, Ukranian Vinaigrette, Lamb's Quarters Quiche, Thai Spicy Eggplant with Sweet Basil and a side of Bean Sprout Salad with Peanut Chili Dressing, Pan Bagnat with grilled peppers and basil vinaigrette and a side of Classic Gougères, Vegetarian Feijoada and Brazilian Bananas, Baked Eggplant Parmesan (mixture of this and this recipe), Somalian Fataa'ir Farmaajo and Barooddo Qudaar, Portobello Burgers and homemade pesto, Stir fried tofu with yellow curry powder,
Miles ran - 422
Facebook and Twitter time = 0 minutes
Books Read - The Education of Little Tree by Forrest Carter, The Other by David Guterson, currently reading The Last American Man by Elizabeth Gilbert
Nights camped - 1
Ice fails - 1
Items dispersed - 14
Hours volunteered - 3.75
End of Week 30 Totals
Soda - 0 ounces
Water - 108.10 Gallons
Liquor - 0 shots
Tea - 378 cups
Trips to unhappy places - Jimmy Johns (1)
$ to support neighbors = $545.39
Fried food consumption - 2 dorito chips
Breakfasts eaten - 161
Pushups - 1180 Crunches - 1080
Days Flossed - 145 (missed two days)
Coffee - 0 cups
Sunrises attended - 19
Beers drunk - 0
Gallons of Trash Collected - 436
Items planted -12 jalapenos, 12 bell peppers, 8 yellow pear tomatoes, 30 canna bulbs, 1 chinese pistache, 30 sensitive plants, 24 carolina reaper peppers, 12 ghost peppers, 31 scorpion peppers, 5 brussel sprouts, 12 tyria hybrid cucumbers, 14 congo watermelons, 6 hybrid prizewinner pumpkins, 45 devils tongue peppers, 14 black sea man tomatoes, 33 peruvian white lightning habaneros, 16 mammoth russian sunflowers, 30 big smile sunflowers, 100 zinnia's, 100 basil plants, 100 green onion plants, 12 chinese lanterns, 30 garden beans, a bed of mint, 50 Celosia flowers, 7 Red Maple Seeds, 30 brussel sprouts, transplant 34 pepper plants, transplant 13 sensitive plants and 3 watermelon plants, transplant 15 pepper plants and 6
sensitive plants, transplant 21 pepper plants,
Letters written - 15
Meat eaten - none
Donations made - Bike the US for MS, Personal Mission Trip, Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, Against Malaria Foundation, Deworm the World Initiative, Project Healthy Children, charity: water, Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, YMCA Thrift Store, Volunteered at Plenty!, Against Malaria Foundation, Food supplies to Plenty! food pantry, Deworm the World Initiative,
Movies watched - 0
Glasses of wine - 0
New dishes cooked - Vegetable Korma, Ukranian Vinaigrette, Lamb's Quarters Quiche, Thai Spicy Eggplant with Sweet Basil and a side of Bean Sprout Salad with Peanut Chili Dressing, Pan Bagnat with grilled peppers and basil vinaigrette and a side of Classic Gougères, Vegetarian Feijoada and Brazilian Bananas, Baked Eggplant Parmesan (mixture of this and this recipe), Somalian Fataa'ir Farmaajo and Barooddo Qudaar, Portobello Burgers and homemade pesto, Stir fried tofu with yellow curry powder,
Miles ran - 422
Facebook and Twitter time = 0 minutes
Books Read - The Education of Little Tree by Forrest Carter, The Other by David Guterson, currently reading The Last American Man by Elizabeth Gilbert
Nights camped - 1
Ice fails - 1
Items dispersed - 14
Hours volunteered - 3.75