Wow! What a week it has been! I can’t believe it’s been over a week since I last posted!
The good? We got the rest of the garden planted, to include yellow squash (8), Better Boy tomatoes (4), zucchini (3), cucumbers (4), eggplant (4), green bell pepper (3), jalapeno (4), hot yellow pepper (4), and most recently the cosmic purple carrots my blog buddy, Rob, sent me. (Thank you, Rob! They got here yesterday!) We pulled up the first few radishes that we’d planted last month earlier in the week. And boy, were they good! I’ve been putting more seeds into the vacant space left by what we’ve harvested, so we should have a pretty good season for radishes this year. 🙂 The Grapes of Wrath seem to be doing well, too, and I went around the garden and snapped a few pictures late this afternoon:
When we got up last Saturday, we found a baby snake in our pool. Unfortunately, it was a copperhead, so he had to go. That required an immediate trip to the local farmer’s store for some weed killer, because we were late getting it down this year on the outside of the fence due to spring deciding to take its time. We spent much of Saturday mowing, which is not unusual, but then followed up with the weed killer. So that was the good.
The bad? I was contacted by someone that I have absolutely no intention of communicating with, and ordinarily this would not be noteworthy. This individual, however, is “family,” though I don’t claim the person, given the volatile nature of communication from them previously. I have basically just decided that I am totally okay with not letting someone like that back into my reality. I have had several interactions with this person, and after having done the whole forgive-and-forget-thing one too many times, I have chosen to steer as clear as I can, because should I actually allow myself to say what is on my mind? Yeah, no thank you to the family drama that would ensue. You just stay under your rock, and I’ll steer well clear of it. 🙂 Just sayin’. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice? Oh, hell, no!
The healthy? I know I mentioned earlier this month that I intended to lift heavy three times weekly during the month of May. Well, I didn’t hit that goal during the first two weeks. I joined a 12 week team challenge that started last Monday, the 12th, and I have been busting my tail! Our minimum goal for strength was 90 minutes for the week (hit that and then some, because I did actually lift three times this week and hit triple digits on my squats again) and 180 minutes of cardio. Now, if you know me? You know I do not love cardio. Well, I’ve managed to double the goal time, and have done something cardio related every day this week. I’ve also started a couch to 5K program to get back in the swing of running, since I haven’t really been out to really run since late November, so I figured that would be a good way to ease back into it.
With all of the goings-on at the day job, the workouts, the gardening, and the regular day to day “stuff,” I’ve been pretty much hopping. You can always tell when the weather turns nice in my world, because the blog posts become a lot less frequent.
While I really wanted to go there, pertaining to the bad (and it would have been a hell of an entertaining entry), I didn’t, because it simply wasn’t going to be worth the time and energy it would have taken to find creative, yet politically correct words to describe the situation at hand. Maybe that’s taking the high road, or maybe I’m just lazy and don’t feel like expending any more energy than I need to. I’m better served by taking that energy and putting it into a good run, workout, or a weed pulling session. (And battling grass in the garden is almost a full time job in itself!)
So, that’s where I’ve been this week. How are you enjoying the merry month of May?
Until next time…
Random Musings From a Type-A Workaholic 
Good for you on not letting the toxic person back in. That is such a healthy decision to make!
Girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do to keep the crazy on the other side of the fence.
Julie is you ever come visit me here in the middle of the country side in Ireland, you will have to teach me all your gardening ways. I imagine it to be somewhat like Karate kid, but with radishes. And Rob can help 🙂
As for that family member; you do what makes you happy. Or you do what you must to avoid pain and heartache. Stay strong!
Your garden is looking great, Julie. Ugh…a copperhead! I can live with the black snakes, but a copperhead, no way!
It’s gotten a bit cooler, hasn’t it? No worries, you’ll be dipping into the pool later this week when we head up near 90.
Good job on the workouts!
Hi, Jill! Every evening since then, when I walk around the yard I look for them. I was so excited to look at the garden this morning and see a little pepper on one of the banana plants.
I am enjoying the cooler weather, since I can take a run in the afternoon and not die, lol. Warmer temps mean this night owl will have to go to bed earlier and get up 45 minutes earlier to get those couch to 5K runs in. But I’ll do it and like it. 🙂
Been there done that on steering clear of someone that’s toxic in your life. Good for you! 😀 Your garden looks awesome! I’m envious! 😀 And I’m glad you found some exercise you can stick with! That’s great! 😀 I’m getting my walking in daily and then some, but the water I’ve had problems with. But I’m trying. 🙂
Water! I live on that stuff! It was ridiculously hot here during the early part of last week, so I was guzzling all I could get my hands on!
Re: toxic personalities…I am getting way too old to be stressing out over engaging with people like that. Experience has taught me to pick my battles and this one simply isn’t worth it, despite the principle behind it. 😉
Hope you are having a wonderful weekend. I need to catch up on my blog reading today! 🙂
I normally live on it too, but haven’t had a lot of access to it in the last couple of weeks unfortunately. I’m not drinking water from the tap at the hospital. Ewwwww! lol
And I so know what you mean about the toxic thing……
Hope your weekend is wonderful too! 😀
Hi Julie! We’re a little behind you weather wise here on the mountainside. Just got the small garden plot turned over yesterday, and will let it rest for a few days before planting the vegie starts we picked up in town: tomatoes, eggplant (I have never been successful with but with dreams of parmigiana dancing in my head I ALWAYS try to grow here), zucchini, and a new type of strawberry to add to our little strawberry patch.
While turning over the patch I discovered a nice nest of earthworms, and carried half a dozen or so (or less – might have accidentally divided a couple?? but they still move so who can tell…) ’em over in gloved hands to my hubby’s worm farm for a future baptism in the lake! I love what these little buggers do, but feeling their wiggling in my bare hands isn’t my favorite experience.
My old abs are feeling the workout after turning over the patch, and just thinking of your goal for weightlifting makes my arms ache! You go girl! Lift a few for me!
I am SO hoping the eggplants produce! I love them on the grill. I am envious of your strawberries! We put in a blackberry and a raspberry, though. The blackberry seems to be thriving, but the raspberry not so much. I love spring in North Carolina. 🙂 I just got done mowing the lawn. They are calling for a 50% chance of rain this afternoon! but I’m hoping it will hold off until after we grill our salmon and (haha) eggplant. Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!
You too! and eggplant envy right back atcha lol.
I will let you know if we are successful! 😉
The garden looks great! I was worried that you’d see the official letterhead of my company and toss it, because it looked like unsolicited sales. My grapes have just started to set their leaves, and I’m a while away from the fruit set. What’s that saying? You can pick your friends, but not your family? I think every family has that one relative that make us cringe. Great job with your cardio as well! Seems like everyone is rockin’ their workouts (except me), and starting to run. Have a great weekend!!!
Thanks, Rob! The husband retrieved the envelope from the mailbox, and the fact that it was hand addressed made him realize it probably want junk mail, lol! Today is active rest day, which means push mowing the lawn for a couple hundred calories, lol! It has been beautiful, and not hot, so I have been able to get a lot of work done out in the yard. 🙂