Looking back through Hawaii photos and these have me cracking up. We'd just hiked into see Maunawilli Falls. We're all taking turns posing for photos together and I fling my arm around Cliff as always. 'Um, what's so squishy?' Yeap. A slug. Little nature friend found in nature. Gave him a little relocation service and tried the photo again. I love that Aunt Mary kept shooting. This was my favorite hike of the trip. <3
True story.
Recently we went to the DMV. While waiting and waiting and waiting we talked to several people coming and going as their numbers were called before ours... the first was a kiddo getting ready for college. He was so sweet asking Cliff questions about when he went to college, "where you scared?" "are you glad you went?" "was it hard to meet friends?" As his number was called, he smiled so warmly as he shook Cliff's hand to say thanks for the talk. I was reminded how cool it can be to talk to strangers, how we are really ALL ONE. Next came the homeless guy in a body cast who couldn't help but laugh out loud when I did a little victory chair dance that there were 5 more numbers to go til mine. He said he felt that same way but was 5 more numbers after mine so he'd save his dance for later. He brought his sleeping bag with him, we all decided it was a good call given the wait time. And then the 60-something year old sisters who took turns going on smoke break and discussing their manicures in between rooting for us that it was almost our turn. 90- some odd minutes after waiting elbow-to-elbow in those plastic chairs that connect together they call my number! NOW SERVING 355. 355 to window 4.
Cliff jumps up, throws his hands in the air and yells WINNER! I jump up, thrust my arms in the air along with him and giggle. As we make our way to the window for service we're congratulated and met with applause by the crowd. We nod and smile, I do a little princess wave.
That would be an awesome end to the story but it's the DMV and they have a reputation to uphold...
We get to the window and I put our tickets on the counter. The lady says '356?! I called 355. Who is 355?' 'That's me,' I reply, 'here's my ticket.' She retorts back with, 'well then- YOU, sir need to sit. back. down. until your number is called.'
Big pouty face!
So as I'm finishing up, Cliff's number is called and I meet him at his window. His teller is all business too until I come bouncing over showing them my photo and telling them that I'm a Texan again with my best 'I'll have sweet tea, please ma'am' accent. She visibly softens and her lips part into the faintest little smile. As she enters his info I hear her say "that will do" and I am reminded of my English friends, Mark and Maria who say that very same thing! I ask her where she's from and that leads to a fantastic conversation about Scotland (her home), Ireland, England, beer, football (aka soccer) and rivalry. As we wrap up she smiles so big, waves with her whole upper body and says 'bye-now, you're wonderful people! Thanks for coming!'
And that is the story of how we became official Texans.
Moral of the story: talk to strangers & give people a reason to smile. It feels nice :)
30 days eating vegan, the RESULTS!
30 days ago was August 21. Cliff came home from his wellness exam, leaned against the dresser and said "we might need to talk about me going back on medication." I listened intently, cried and then got into the kitchen! If you would have asked me a year ago if I liked cooking I would have told you NOPE- not even a little- can't be bothered. I liked taking care of myself and cooking was a necessary evil so I did it. These past 30 days I've fallen in love with cooking and the pure joy it can bring. Learning to cook is now definitely on my top 10 list of the best things I've ever done for happiness in my life. I am so proud of Cliff for being willing to try this experiment & once more here I am saying (respectfully) THIS SHIT WORKS! Organic, whole foods, living with intention and eating mindfully are mighty powerful___LIFE CHANGING EVEN!
-Lacy
p.s. I'll be back Monday with a post about what he ate/ what I ate/ our favorite meals from the 30 days and where we plan to go from here!
__________________
The final tally after 30 days of vegan is quite impressive!
I lost just over 8 pounds; I went from 187 down to 179. My goal is to reach 175 and see how I look and feel, so this level of nutrition and energy is working super well.
Here is what I did…
Every Sunday Lacy and I prepared meals for the 5 day week ahead. Fortunately, I work MWF only so we could supplement in between days. I have to say, the whole thing is kind of labor intensive when you first start. Mostly because I just didn’t know what I would like and what I could actually eat (that is vegan). Once you start reading ingredients it’s a whole new world. Preparing and packaging for lunches at work is an added time consumer. Still, as time went on we got it down and by the third week we were little vegan food prepping machines! I have to say at this point that I really don’t know if I could have pulled this off without the support of my amazing wife. You really have to have your person not only on board but in full “you can do this” mode. Thank you Lacy for getting up each work morning at 7, prepping and packing every lunch with great thoughtfulness and creativity and all by the ‘hit the door’ time of 7:30. Whew! Salads with dressing, carrot and sweet potato soups, cold cereal in one jar and almond milk in the other, avocado dip with vegan chips, rice and beans, collard green wraps, faux chicken salad, meatless meatball spaghetti,…etc. I started each morning with either a fruit smoothie or a veggie juice. I could hear the whirrrr of the machines through my shower water.
My weight went down effortlessly and my blood pressure went down also from 140/85 to 130/78. My resting pulse rate went from 71 down to 51 beats per minute and I am sure my cholesterol is down but I am waiting for our company heath director to recheck it for me. I will let you know about that when I get it.
Overall, I am impressed with the vegan food lifestyle. I know there are people out there who will take to it like a duck to water but I struggled in the beginning. Looking back over my experience, I will happily embrace most aspects of the lifestyle. Adding back in my beloved eggs (although mostly whites), cottage cheese, some fish and a little red meat (maybe once a month from a local humane and organic ranch). I listened to an eye opening radio documentary on the sushi trade the other day and it broke my heart. I will not be going back to that table again unless and until some dramatic industry-wide changes are made.
In summary: Great news! I learned that you are not bound to your genetics and doomed to live with the disabilities you inherited. Your body will respond to even 30 days of change and reward you with health and happiness. Imagine living this way for the rest of your life. How healthy, slim and powerful will you be after 60 days? One year? Ten years?
Stay thirsty for life my friends,
Cliff
Day at the Museum!
Our day at the museum.6th row. Center picture. That's a sloth (doesn't look anything like the the guy on Ice Age, does it!)! Can you even believe that roamed the earth?! It was a fabulous day of cool dead things, pretty sparkling things and really fabulous fun for two :)
p.s. if you haven't seen my latest newsletter yet it's FULL of great deals! XO
We are Radical!
Yesterday we went on an exploration day around Houston. Our first stop was LUNCH at a vegan cafe called Radical Eats! It felt like an enormous treat, I just kept saying "I'm so happy!" The food was amazing and you'd truly never know it is vegan. We had chips and salsa, spinach and "cheese" quesadillas, lasagna and salad with amazing balsamic vinaigrette, Thai soup a black bean tamale smothered in ancho chili sauce, prickly pear lemonade and a cinnamon roll. Ok yes, that is the strangest combo of food BUT we did one of my favorite things in ordering everything that looked and sounded good. We took home a full bag of leftovers PLUS cinnamon rolls for Cliff's birthday tomorrow!
House Becoming Home.
Adding layers inside and out. It's feeling more like home each week. Ned has his comfy spot in my studio. Adding old frames to the poetry wall. Turned an old ladder into a new blanket holder. Finally got the bedroom curtains up and they add such a softness to the room. We've been spending more and more time outside working on our garden. I'm trying my hand at starting from seeds in our new little green house. It's coming together. <3
Lately.
We're nearly half way into our 30 day Vegan food experiment and it's going great!Lots of time lately is spent nursing our sweet Hinge. QT with the family. Happy hand me downs. The house is coming along complete with twinkling lights for night. And I'm always, always moved by words.
I'm Fine, Thanks.
Over the weekend we saw I'm Fine, Thanks. It went right down past the surface into that soft spot where experience lies. That little well in me that keeps tears on the ready for moments when I truly feel something. The documentary is about complacency, about living the American dream instead of your own dream. It's about getting lost along the way and realizing it. We easily could have been interviewed to be a part of the movie. On the car ride home we talked about how much change we've been through in the last 365 days. Writing that down I feel the magnitude of all those changes... well over 365 of them. I also feel the immeasurable lightness of coming out the other side, of doing the work and seeing it through. I remember that moment of awakening. The realization of THIS IS NOT WORKING. It hangs in my mind like a familiar smell, so readily accessible to take me back to that exact place in time. Thinking back on that day I feel my entire body respond--- I feel my chest tighten, my breath deepen and that feeling of OH SHIT this is going to hurt (but probably not more than it already does). It was a flood light onto the inevitability of our life... all the choices we'd made brought us to that moment in truth and we chose to fully own each and every one. We chose to forgive ourselves and each other in all the places that needing forgiving. We thanked our house for all the fun experiences we'd had there and then we started packing.
We lived that life that I'm Fine, Thanks touches on. I feel proud of our bravery to take the first step and then the second one. We did the American dream and now we're doing OUR DREAM, individually and together! Our life is authentic and happy. We made tough decisions to get here, we let go of living in fairy tale land and started living in the truth.
Everyday. I'm. grateful.
This morning the fridge was making this puttering sound and the freedom of being a renter came over me. It's simply not my problem if that fridge continues to live or die. That's one of the magnificent details of my happy new life.
The dictated path is not the way it has to be, life is available to be lived and experienced however you choose. So many people are miserable doing what they feel they must. There's an awakening happening, people are getting that they have a choice and I love that. You can BE HAPPY! At some point enough is enough and you'll be willing to do whatever it takes to change your life, even move to Texas ; ). You don't have to cry on your way to work each day, or wait to see how stress will manifest itself in your body, choose your beautiful life, choose happiness and remember that kids are so adaptable and they want to see mamma and daddy happy. You will be so glad you did!
Oh and see the movie!
To awakening! Lacy
p.s. doesn't @houstondesigner Jamie House have the best bun head ever! The girls a beauty, through and through!
30 Days of Vegan Eating!
Yesterday Lisa and I wrapped our last class of our latest Foundations of Food group coaching series. She asked the group what's your FOR WHAT? Why do you want to eat healthy? As soon as the words crossed my ears I knew my FOR WHAT at the moment. Cliff. My partner and my love is my FOR WHAT. For years I've been my own FOR WHAT nursing myself back to heath post years of sickness and so many surgeries via scar tissue in my trachea. When I was finally "fixed" it was all about learning how to feed myself and then using that knowledge to get well and whole. I'm happy to say that I am indeed well, whole and happily, completely healthy.
Back to Cliff, yesterday he had a wellness appointment at his work (I love his new workplace, they've got some great programs in place to encourage health). The result was high cholesterol/ high blood pressure. It's not a new diagnosis. It runs in his family so there's a genetic component in there. He's been on meds for it in the past. He went experimental vegetarian a few years ago (really flex-itarian eating meat sometimes) and was able to phase off of them. As he said "It might be time to talk about getting back on meds" I began to feel my nose tingle and my eyes well up. I couldn't help it, my entire body was responding to his news. I just kept thinking, I have all this information, people pay me to help them correct this very issue (among others) and the success stories are amazing. This shit works, it does and I love him like crazy and sickness of any kind is not an option. And so there I am with uncontrollable silent tears rolling down my face and I say, "will you consider giving me one month to feed you a vegan diet? ...promise I'll make it fun! and all you have to do is be willing to do it- give up cottage cheese (one of his very favorite things) and eat what I put in front of you! And of course I'll join you."
So yesterday was day 1!
___
And the menu was:
Fruit smoothie for breakfast (mango/pineapple/coconut water/ coconut milk and chia seeds). SO fregging good, more like dessert than breakfast and more like a pudding then a smoothie.
Raw veggie soup (made in the vitamix) with kale chips for lunch
Red Beans and Rice (the picture above) with Zucchini, kale, onion and tons of spices for dinner.
___
So far I'm winging it on the menu though I've pulled out my fave cookbooks for Cliff to flag things that sound good to him. I'm promising myself I'll actually write down what I'm making and share some recipes with you along the way! I'm so not a recipe follower. It's that essence thing again... I'm a little of this, little of that kind of cook. I see that we have an onion and a kiwi and some spinach and I figure out ways to make it work. I'm getting creative, I'm getting spicy and I'm completely inspired! I'm on a love mission to bring those numbers DOWN!
Huge props to Cliff! I'm so grateful that he's willing to let me share his health journey with you. It's not easy being given those numbers and then having your wife say OH HEY let me blog about your business and share the process. Cliff will be writing a Cliff Notes installment on his numbers, what they mean and how you can check yours!
To the power of love and food! Lacy
I love this space.
I love our new space.. Because we are only keeping the things that make us happy. Because it's functional. Because it's in progress, just like me.
I love our new space... Because our garden is growing. Because each time Cliff hangs something it feels more like home (he hangs the heavy stuff that needs anchors and measurements, I hang the light stuff that works out perfectly when eye-balled--- he's a pro, I'm not that exact and we make a great team). Because I have an art wall. And a studio with poetry all over the wall. And my own bathroom with french on the wall. Because all the little details make me smile.
I love our new space... because it's ours and that makes it perfect.
