POMP: Progress on my porch August 28, 2014

What can I say?  It's the end of August.  Do you like my unintentional selfies?
Stuff has been growing all summer- it might not be the stuff I wanted to grow- but it's growing.  All the basils were very happy this summer.  Tomatoes are in pain but still living- most of the tomatoes are popping due to the rain.  Tarragon is growing like a weed- may move it to the TTCG common areas for all the enjoy and give it more room. Everything that died last summer pretty much died.  Was able to keep some parsley growing in the nursery area- lots of water, shade at mid-day but plenty of sun early in the morning.  All the small planters need to be dumped and re-planted.  Everything needs to be moved off the porch and the porch needs a good scrub down.  We're still having rains but there is so much sand on the porch, I hate to go out there!

Maybe if I post this picture, I'll have to go out and do something about it this week- and have a good start to the upcoming growing season.  Thinking of transplanting the cubby things to crates, then filling the wood planter with dirt and grow lots of greens- things that don't need good root depth.  Can't wait for the cool weather crops.  The last two nights on the way home from work- I felt a bit of a cool breeze and thought- yes- that is what I moved to Florida for- because fall is the best time to be in Florida- balmy breezes, cool for us but not at all cold (70's and 80's) and always a hint of moisture in the air.  Not so great when hurricanes come- but let's face it- that is where those balmy breezes come from- the gathering or waning storm out to sea.

That's all for this week!

DOSE: Things Accomplished This Week August 21-28, 2014

Thursday: Downloaded the Map My Fitness app to work with my weight control app and keep more accurate records.

Friday: Sometimes when you look at your life, you only see the problems.  You wonder how you can deal with them all- there are just so many.  Then you read today's Ezekiel reading.  It's God's promise that if you work with Him, then He'll work with you.  If He can bring a field of bones to life- full of flesh and spirit- then he can help me overcome my problems- that was his promise to the people of Israel in Ezekial- and that is His promise to you.

Wednesday Wrap-up
Have done nothing with the Map My Fitness app all week- but tackled the clutter with everything my heart and soul could handle and today I'm looking at a clutter-free living room floor.  To be honest, had a cold three days last week, so getting this done was huge.

Maybe being true to yourself - which to me means being faithful to this blog- really does help all the pieces of your life to come together.

Also lost 3 pounds this week- but don't really think I can claim the credit for that!

TOGA: Richard Hutchinson- first farmer to own a plow in Salem MA

Richard Hutchinson (1602 - 1682)- 10th great grandfather
Joseph Hutchinson (1633 - 1716) son of Richard Hutchinson
Benjamin Hutchinson (1668 - 1733) son of Joseph Hutchinson
Benjamin Hutchinson (1694 - 1780) son of Benjamin Hutchinson
Nathan Hutchinson (1716 - 1795) son of Benjamin Hutchinson
Samuel Hutchinson (1749 - 1821) son of Nathan Hutchinson
Samuel Hutchinson (1775 - 1852) son of Samuel Hutchinson
Martha T. Hutchinson (1801 - 1887) daughter of Samuel Hutchinson
William S Burnham (1824 - 1905) son of Martha T. Hutchinson
Mary Frances Burnham (1863 - 1956) daughter of William S Burnham
William Burnham Liebler (1902 - 1975) son of Mary Frances Burnham
William Michael Liebler (1928 - 1994) son of William Burnham Liebler
Mary Rose Karline Liebler daughter of William Michael Liebler


Richard Hutchinson was the most practical of all our immigrant ancestors.  Most of our ancestors came for a strong set of beliefs.  While that may be true of Richard too, history records that he came with a plow.  I remember my uncle Frank telling me as a small child that while some people called him lazy, he preferred to think of himself as someone who always found the easiest way to do whatever he had to do.  For example, he would make sandwiches with one slice of bread because you could just take a slice of bread, put something on it, fold it over, and have a handy sized sandwich.  Think Richard might have had some of that kind of thinking.

In the early days of the New England settlement, everyone had to be a farmer because the food was all grown with hand tools, making it hard for anyone to grow more food than his own family needed. I can just imagine a Frank-minded ancestor back in England- no way am I going to plow my fields with a hoe and shovel- and so he brought a plow.  And Salem gave him extra land time and time again- because he had a plow.

Here are some links to peruse on your own:
http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Hutchinson-201
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rhutch/richard_hutchinson.html

Here is a tracing of our family from the thirteenth century through Benjamin Hutchinson.  Although it continues longer, it only looks at the heirs, so in our line it sotos at Benjamin.
Genealogy of Hutchinsons of Salem MA
  Like the Lathrop line, the Hutchinsons begin in the East Riding of Yorkshire. In 1278, Barnard Hutchinson was described as the proprietor of the parish of Cowan in the East Riding of Yorkshire.  This was a parish with a tiny population- mostly his family and retainers- but a few thousand acres.  He held the
Hutchinson Crest and Motto Bravely Supporting the Cross

TTCG: Brief Update week of August 23rd

Have a bad cold so did not get down to the garden this week.

Travis posted a great picture of the sign Freidemann created.

The Plot 3 Sundial Garden build looks just amazing

Jennifer Marshall reports that the Plot 2 butterflies are still abundant in the garden

Sorry that's all for this week.

WOTS: Sandhill Cranes Visiting FMHI

This is a real window on the season for Florida late summer.  When the rainy season sets in (late summer and fall), you can often see egrets snacking on the bugs and seeds that have been brought to the surface.  They are very comfortable in our urban environment.  But Florida Sandhill Cranes are an entirely different story- don't think that I have ever seen one here.  And if I  have, they weren't wandering around on the sidewalk outside the building.  They hung around for a couple of days after the recent rainy days- and I hope they went on to better pastures.

The birds were here.

If you zero in on H until you see USF Bunyon Drive, this bird is in front of the center building on the North side of the drive.

This is Florida Fish and Wildlife on why it was not good for the cranes to be here.  Too much glass, too many cars parked, too much traffic.

DOSE: The practical side of starting over

Yesterday, I accomplished something that I've been trying to do for months.  I did a reasonable job of cleaning the apartment.  True the bug man came- it's always cleaner when he's coming because. I know that he's looking for dirt- but I didn't feel bad that I had to let him in and wasn't afraid of him coming when he did.  That's a major accomplishment for me.  It was hard and it was painful - I can only work 15 minutes before I need to take a 5 minute break- but it looks nice to me- maybe not to a clean freak but we can work up to that.

I also have been tracking my weight with My Fitness Pal for a week or so.  This is a free tracker and there is an IPad app.  It is really a lot of fun and works well.  It does help modify behavior.  Today, it has started to praise and nag- not sure I like that feature, but I guess feedback is important.

I am trying to be daily to scripture reading and mediating on God's word with Daily Reflections.  Today what hits me from them is that if you are being faithful to God, then he will out a right spirit within you.  And as I am writing this blog, the efforts to do the right things seem to bear fruit.

I still have to go back to Curves and I bought two swim suits but have not gone into the pool on the other side of my back porch- so we will see what tonight or tomorrow brings.  Whatever it brings, I will let you all know.  I am starting next weeks blog today- will track just these three things: diet, exercise, and inspiration and let you know how I do...

So until next Wednesday...

DOSE: Rebooting my DOSE routines

Been a long time since I've really followed by DOSE (Discipline of Self-Esteem) routines.  So maybe it's time to start an old routine with new twists.  So... this is my new version of my FLY TODAY routine-morning edition.

FLY TODAY:
First Love Yourself
Then love Others as Dearly As you love Yourself (adapted from www.flylady.net )

 LAUREL WREATH FAMILIES (Let’s Be One):
Listen to each other
Accept one another
Use positive language (what’s right not wrong)
Respect boundaries
Endure as a family
Love each other (adapted from self-esteem article on www.cyberparent.com- link is listed as risky and article is no longer there last time I looked- but I like the concept! )

 Before you get out of bed (5 minutes)
Stretch OUT- do every movement to a count of 7:
            Slowly stretch your arms above your head and make angel wings.
            Laying on your back- push up with your legs to stretch out your back-walk back down.
            Point each toe toward the ceiling and make circles in the air
            Pull your knees up to your chin and hold
            Holding your hands together, move your arms to each side
            Rolling onto each side, stretch your legs front and back
            Laying on your back (head on the pillow) roll your head from shoulder to shoulder.
Now jump out of bed- no hesitation- no pain. (adapted from Beverly Sassoon’s, A Year ot Beauty and Health).  Now that I am in my sixties, every morning brings pain getting out of bed- this lessens it quite a bit.

The rest of these in this order- adapted from messies.com start up routine:
MAKE UP- Make the bed before you leave the bedroom.  (For me- if there are any clothes on the bed- put them in the dirty or clean clothes laundry basket).

Breathe IN:60 Seconds to Fuel your whole day (1 minute).  I do this in my porch garden.
Stand straight and tall.
Breathe in for 3 seconds, then breathe out for 3 seconds.
Repeat the breathing 10 times. (thanks to Linda Wilson Beavers- an excellent massage therapist, a great SAS programmer and even better friend)

 Fuel UP: Eat a nutritious breakfast (grain, protein, fruit).  Drink 8 ounces of liquid.  If you did not swish and swipe the kitchen last night- do so now. (Note: Swishing and swiping the kitchen is Step 1: Kitchen).

 Wash UP: Take a relaxing bath or shower.  Brush your teeth. Get ready as if you were going out for the day.  Get dressed including shoes. (15 minutes)

BODY:  Do a 15 minutes of moving your body- choose activities that fit your life.  Right now, I am trying to lose weight, so I plan to start doing Curves 3 mornings per week (30 minutes), swim 3 mornings per week (30 minutes), and walk for endurance once per week with my son Rob (Al Lopez Park- as much as we can do in an hour).

SPIRIT:  Meditate for 20 minutes- your choice of methods.  Currently trying to meditate on the daily lectionary using Daily Reflections as a guide.

MIND:  Read something inspirational for 5 minutes every day.  Inspirational is in the eye of the beholder. (Currently reading Seven Habits of Highly Effective People).

REFLECT:  Use some sort of self-examination process to see how you are doing with your program.  I like Sr. Kathy’s points: (Franciscan Center, Tampa, FL)

• For what am I grateful today (name 5)
• What has the last 24 hours been like?
• Is there anyone to whom I need to admit I was wrong?
• What do I want to improve?
• What do I want to say to God?
• Is there something God is trying to say to me?

Then there’s my favorite: JUST FOR TODAY (shortened from Al-Anon version)

• I will try to live through this day only and not tackle all my problems at once.  I can do something for 12 hours that would appall me if I felt that I had to keep it up for a lifetime.
• I will be happy.  This assumes to be true what Abraham Lincoln said, that “Most folks area as happy as they make up their minds to be”.
• I will adjust myself to what is, and not try to adjust everything to my own desires. I will take my ‘luck’ as it comes, and fit myself to it.
• I will try to strengthen my mind.  I will study.  I will learn something useful.  I will read something that requires effort, thought, and concentration.
• I will exercise my soul in 3 ways: Do someone a good turn and not get found out; if anyone knows of it, it will not count.  I will do at least 2 things I don’t want to do- just for exercise. I will not show anyone that my feelings are hurt, they may be hurt but today, I will not show it.
• I will be agreeable.  I will look as well as I can, dress becomingly, keep my voice low, be courteous, criticize not one bit.  I won’t find fault with anyone nor try to improve or regulate anyone but myself
• I will have a program.  I may not follow it exactly, but at least I will have it.  I will save myself from 2 pests: hurry and indecision.
• I will have a quiet half hour by myself and relax.  During this half hour, sometime, I will try to get a better perspective of my life.
• I will be unafraid.  Especially I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful and believe that as I give to the world, so the world will give to me.

St. Francis Prayer:
Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.  Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; for it is in giving that we receive; it is in the pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

And of course, a big part of my personal growth is trying to keep on schedule with this blog.  That is not working this week- but all we can do is go forward and try to keep on keeping on.