Enigma Uncensored

Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening All! I know we missed last week because I’m a klutz and it was raining, but here we are!  Let’s do this! Starting in the front yard, the sunflowers are starting to die off, but there are some blooms left.  The mulberries had slowed so I thought they were done for the season. I was wrong, they’re blooming again!  Now, for the bananas. I’m posting pics of only two out of the three due. Something happened to kill off a huge portion of one bunch. I suspect cats climbing.  Moving to the backyard, one more sunflower for your viewing pleasure.  All these will be blackberries soon.  The carrots are filling in nicely  The Tuscan Kale is getting huge!  The pepper is giving them to me And finally, the luffa is about ready to be trellised.  Thank you for joining me on this tour of our gardens! Happy Friday Farm Day!

 In an effort to keep this series "fresh" and not always be talking about the same things every time, this week I'm going to discuss the changes in my body I've noticed since day 1. Suffice it to say, I'm still on low calorie-low fat, mostly whole food diet and continue to work out four times a week. I have lowered my work out schedule to four because my fall made me realize I was pushing myself too hard. I continue to have unhealed injuries, and need things like knee replacement, one back procedure, then another one (and we still don't know if they'll work). Pushing myself will not heal these things and could make things much worse. Overall, I'm smaller. My face, in particular, it's quite noticeable to me. Or, maybe I can't stop looking at myself and laughing at my scraped up nose (courtesy of my fall), and I'm overanalyzing. My thighs are a whole lot smaller. I went to go put in my injection today, and I surprised my damn sel...

I’m not putting this up on Aff This is just for you all I can’t be Rudolph or a Clown, look at it now 😂 It’s more maroon than red! 😂😂😂

This is for my Blogger Readers: This experience I've gone through these last few months, I do mean ALL of it, has changed my life and perspective. I encountered a crossroads and forged a whole new path forward, and you supported me along the way. So to all of you who supported me with your kindness, words of encouragement, and grace these last few months:  Thank you.  Truly.  Joy, JN, Smarty, Odds, Bbuckwwheat, Bow, Bloom, Goddess, and Curious. You are incredible people and deserve more than just my gratitude. Now, onto our regularly scheduled programming: I don't know why I keep needing to do a spiel at the beginning of these anymore. They're super repetitive, don't you think? TLDR: Been on Wegovy for seven weeks due to health issues. If you want to know more, I suggest you read the previous entries. :) All you have to do is click on the Wegovy link at the bottom of this post.  For those who ...

Due to some unforeseen circumstances, the tour of the garden needed to be postponed. Besides, it was raining yesterday morning, I sure wasn't going to go out to take pics! Good Morning Afternoon/Evening All! We are gathered here today to take a walk through our gardens and see what nature with a little help from me has brought forth. As a reminder I grow, organically, in Zone 9b Central Florida. I learned everything I know from Youtube and blogs. Starting in the front yard, the pentas are looking lovely as ever The plumbago is still blooming! Let's move into the backyard, where I'm going to give you a series of sunflower photos. :) As you can see, my Heartbreaker cherry tomatoes are flushing out nicely! The blackberries are still coming in...I gave that one to Nick after I took the pic As well as blooming... I picked ALL the ripe blueberries and ate them after I took this pic My Clitoria is...

 So, here I am, sitting in my living room, watching tv when a very familiar story starts playing out in front of me on the ole telly. One of you knows this story for sure, the rest, I'm not so sure. On Nick's birthday (Sept 5) in 2020, I started feeling this weird pain in my neck. It wasn't muscle pain, it was something else entirely. Then, I began having trouble catching my breath. It was like I had half the lung volume or something, I would take long deep breaths and nothing would change. There was no pain in my chest or arm. Just my neck. Me, being me, kept trying to ignore it. It was Nick's birthday, this was probably just a panic attack for some weird reason. (I didn't have a logical answer to the trigger of said panic attack, but hey...I was trying to keep Nick from having to take me to the ER.) I actually told him nothing, at first. Then, I got a little more concerned as I became more lightheaded. So, I thought I had Covid. Look, I was 51, not the most health...

Diet and Lifestyle Changes  I took my sixth shot of Wegovy yesterday. As most of my close friends already know, I lost seventeen pounds in my first month on Wegovy. To be clear, I’ve been made very aware that this is not typical. But let’s be fair, rarely anything about me ever is. 😂 All the “experts” say “Go slow, don’t make too many changes at once.” I dove in headfirst and changed everything about my diet and sedentary lifestyle. It’s been work, but work made easier by taking Wegovy. It’s not like I’m taking it, eating all the same things, and expecting results. That said, not everyone experiences the same amount of relief from appetite and cravings on the lowest dose. I literally started noticing the very first day I took the shot. I am fortunate in that it was almost instant. Remember, individual results may vary, and consult a healthcare professional before changing your diet and lifestyle, as I did. For clarity, I ate high fat, calorie dense food before taking Wegovy. Bakin...

 I figure I may as well join in, I’m pretty open in my blogs but maybe you’ll learn something new.  1. I’m conflict averse, though I am getting better at dealing with it.  2. I can get past hurt feelings fast, if treated with respect.  3. I’ve been all over North America, lived in six states, and drove the Al-Can, but never left the continent. (I actually drove from Fairbanks Alaska to Phoenix Arizona, in February, with my husband and two dogs in the car.) 4. I originally went to college to become a teacher, then dropped out because I was in lurve with an army man. I was eighteen, I knew jack squat. 5. I loathe the taste of seafood and fish.  6. I feed and water my cats before I do anything for myself in the morning.  7. I make homemade cat food for my cats. That’s not all they eat, but I supplement canned and dry food with homemade. They love it.  8. I hate eating with my dentures in. I wear them purely for appearance, not at all for function. 😂😂😂 ...

Hey hey hey Due to some poor vet appointment planning on my part, we had to be delayed by a day but here we are to see what nature with my help has brought forth for us this week. As a reminder, I garden organically (no pesticides or herbicides, only organic fertilizer) in Zone 9b in Central Florida. I started gardening in April 2021. learning as I go on YouTube and blogs. Today, to the glee, I'm sure, of some of my friends, is sunflower day because we have a ton! Starting in the front yard, here I am standing in front of a clump of three. Please excuse my dirty dress hanging off my body. Let's all remember, I just lost almost twenty pounds and I'm certainly not shopping for new clothes any time soon. Plus, I was gardening most of the morning. For reference, I'm 5'1...that tall one has to be 9 ft! Next are a few pictures of the flowers close up Now, for our banana check in. Remember, we have three that are fruiting! These are dwa...

I am taking Wegovy (Ozempic) for weight loss as an obese person with heart disease. My insurance covers it under those conditions, your insurance may vary. As reminders: I grow most of my own produce organically in nutrient dense soil. Maintaining this has made changing my lifestyle simpler and cheaper. I live in a two person household. My partner, Nick, is not dieting. I cook for both of us. He, mainly, eats what I eat with extra stuff like bread and pasta except more. IE: I defrost one pound of ground turkey to make tacos. 3/4 of that will go to Nick. 1/4 will go to me where I will add lentils and quinoa as well as more taco seasoning, then eat it in taco salad for days. Due to an unhealthy relationship with dieting and food throughout my life, I'm only weighing in at the Doctor's when I see her once a month and not counting calories. My interest lies in getting healthy, no number on a scale can define health. That said, I am curious. I'd be lying if...

I picked a kilogram of mulberries off the bush/tree outside and split it in half. Then I put 1/2 kg in each airtight jar  Next, I poured 700 ml of Gin in one jar and the same amount of Vodka in the other. (Yes, I know they're big, but that's what I had.) Now, they will sit in my pantry for four weeks. At the end of four weeks, I'll have to strain and push the berries through a fine mesh sieve. Then, add simple syrup to each, and voila', I'll have two different kinds of Mulberry Liqueur.  Happy Monday

Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening All! This week will be short, I have a doctor appointment later today and a meeting with the leader of a non profit vet service for animals. As a reminder, I grow organically in Zone 9b, in Central Florida year round. No pesticides or herbicides, and only organic fertilizer. Starting in the front yard, the Barbados lilies have bloomed again The mulberries are still coming in by the bucket full. Seriously, if you love berries and live above Zone 4, consider getting yourself a Mulberry Bush/Tree. The Crinum lilies are blooming all over the yard. Moving to the backyard, the sunflowers are starting to bloom! The second round of cucumbers I planted are coming up. Someone remind me to plant luffa soon, please. ;) The dinosaur kale is getting big. I have this planted in a few places since I now eat so much of it. And, finally, the blueberries are ripening. Thank you for joining me on th...