So the harvest overall hasn't gone as well as I expected, but it's exciting to see some results nonetheless. Here are some other pictures of how the garden is progressing. These were taken last week:
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Netting Removed!
Southern View of Complete Garden
Today was the day to finally remove the netting from the seedlings! I'm excited that the plants have gotten to this stage, but, unfortunately, they're not doing well. I seem to have an insect problem, but I don't know what kind of insects, so I'm not sure how to respond to them. In addition, it looks like only two of my pumpkin seedlings have survived, and they're not looking as nearly as good as last year. :-(
Well, hopefully with some dedicated weeding, watering, tender loving care, and, if I get lucky, a few weeks of consistently sunny weather, thing may turn around.
Here are some pics of their progress after the netting was removed and I did a lot of weeding/bed clean up:
Bok Choy Bed
Bok Choy Plant Close Up with some Insect Munching Evident
Encouraging Side View of Some Healthy Looking Corn and Bean Stalks
One of Two of My Sickly Looking Pumpkin Seedlings - C'mon Guys I'm Rooting for You!!
Very Sick Looking Bean Stalk Plant.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Seedlings!
I'm thrilled to report that at least some of the seeds I planted two weeks ago did not rot away after the two weeks of nearly continual downpours we had. Here are just some quick pics to document their progress:
May 31st, 2010 Eastern View of the Seedlings
May 31st Bok Choy Bed Seedlings
May 31st Bok Choy Seedling Close Up
May 31st "Three Sisters" Mound Close Up. In the diamond shape are green pole beans and corn. On the corners are the beginnings of pumpkin seedlings.
May 31st Pumpkin seedling close up. So cute!
Friday, May 21, 2010
"Eat Less and Take More Exercise"
Yay! The plateau has been broken and I've lost over 4 lbs this week (279.5 lbs); soon after the catharsis I had while writing my last blog entry in fact.
Given this hurdle jump, I'm reminded of more than one instance when I've had disagreements with past personal medical providers and one or two Licensed Medical Provider co-workers; many of whom discount the benefits of psychotherapy in favor of physical medicine. I'm all for checking for a physical cause when someone first comes into my care. In fact, many psychological pathologies and/or behavioral difficulties stem from imbalances or problems in a person's physical health. At the same time there are many conditions/situations that either are the complete providence of mental health or can benefit when counseling is provided in concert to physical treatments.
Take weight loss for instance. One of my pet peeves is when I'm in a medical provider's office and my weight difficulties are summed up as "eat less and take more exercise." In good conscience I won't fault my medical colleagues completely. In this age of managed care they get maybe 5-10 minutes with a patient before they are typically forced by management policies to move onto the next person. So there is not often time to give the appropriate attention to this important issue.
And it is an important issue that is quickly becoming an epidemic. The United States leads the western world in obesity prevalence at 30.5% of the general population (OEDC 2005). A recent report by the CDC comments on the "dramatic increase in obesity in the United States" over the last 20 years (CDC 2008). Obesity is the prime variable when looking at cardiovascular problems, certain cancers, and type 2 diabetes (2008). Diabetes, heart difficulties, and cancers are not something minor like a stubbed toe. So, it perplexes me that general practitioners, on the front lines of confronting these issues, typically do not spend more time discussing weight with their patients. What truly kills me is, even if you don't have time to get into a the weight difficulties of a patient, at least suggest a referral to a mental health provider; especially for individuals who have struggled with weight for more than a year. If I can be cheeky for a moment, I want to scream out to the physical health community, "dudes! We can help!" :-)
A friend and fellow blogger had me thinking recently about a relevant bit from a "britcom" known as Absolutely Fabulous. "AbFab" is about a lot of things, but one central theme has been the struggle of a woman in her 40s named Edina Monsoon with her weight in the very appearance-conscious entertainment industry. In one episode, after she is coming down from a mighty eating binge, her daughter, in all seriousness, parrots the medical provider line referenced above of "eat less and take more exercise," to which her mother (the main character) responds loudly, "well if it was that easy everyone would be doing it!"
What the main character said for comic effect I repeat with sincerity. Despite over 1 in 4 US Citizens being obese, only a minority of health policy makers, medical providers, and even mental health clinicians are seriously looking at WHAT IS BEHIND this issue; instead choosing to focus on the superficial goal of getting the weight down. Even our current First Lady, whom I applaud for the attention on this issue, is only encouraging simple, surface-skimming interventions in support of this effort. Incidentally, I get concerned sometimes that she might be doing more harm than good, because ultimately there is a real risk of stigmatizing these kids further, and subsequently reinforcing the emotional drivers of guilt and shame that can lead to problem coping behaviors like overeating.
The sad truth that most people seem to be dancing around is that significant weight loss, like the over-the-top Edina Monsoon screamed to her daughter and the world, IS NOT EASY. Not to put too fine a point on it, but it sucks. It takes a tremendous physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual effort (and preparation) to not only change long standing habits but also to sustain them. Yet this gets brushed aside and is diminished; much like people who live with other problems related to substance use.
Mental health therapists CAN HELP. There's a diversity of methodologies and theoretical orientations that inform the practices of mental health clinicians. One thing that the vast majority of us have in common though is we assess a difficulty, and then, through counseling, identify a root cause (or causes) and apply a treatment that has demonstrated efficacy through supported research (at least those of us who support the use of Empirically Supported Treatments follow this course, but that's another posting for another time). That's because, unlike our medical counterparts, WE HAVE THE TIME.
Seriously docs, do you even make the effort to consider the 'whys' of the increase in obesity? Of course there's the common scapegoats: 'laziness', television, media, the Internet, the whole 'couch potato' theory. C'mon guys, you can do better than that.
Do I have an answer? No. I don't think there's one reason why people choose life-coping methods that lead to behaviors that relate to weight gain. My M.O. is to encourage people to explore 'the whys', rather than resort to the easy cliche of "eat less, take more exercise." For my friends in the medical community, you would be surprised how far a simple phrase such as, "I can't imagine what this struggle with weight must be like for you and how frustrating it can be to have to deal with it. If you ever want someone to work with you to understand what's behind it, I'd be happy to recommend some good counselors..." will get you in rapport building with a patient, rather than shutting them down with tired lip service about exercising more and eating less.
Again, 1 in 4 people in this country are obese. Breaking out of the habit of a quick diet and exercise routine recommendation seems worth the effort to me.
Given this hurdle jump, I'm reminded of more than one instance when I've had disagreements with past personal medical providers and one or two Licensed Medical Provider co-workers; many of whom discount the benefits of psychotherapy in favor of physical medicine. I'm all for checking for a physical cause when someone first comes into my care. In fact, many psychological pathologies and/or behavioral difficulties stem from imbalances or problems in a person's physical health. At the same time there are many conditions/situations that either are the complete providence of mental health or can benefit when counseling is provided in concert to physical treatments.
Take weight loss for instance. One of my pet peeves is when I'm in a medical provider's office and my weight difficulties are summed up as "eat less and take more exercise." In good conscience I won't fault my medical colleagues completely. In this age of managed care they get maybe 5-10 minutes with a patient before they are typically forced by management policies to move onto the next person. So there is not often time to give the appropriate attention to this important issue.
And it is an important issue that is quickly becoming an epidemic. The United States leads the western world in obesity prevalence at 30.5% of the general population (OEDC 2005). A recent report by the CDC comments on the "dramatic increase in obesity in the United States" over the last 20 years (CDC 2008). Obesity is the prime variable when looking at cardiovascular problems, certain cancers, and type 2 diabetes (2008). Diabetes, heart difficulties, and cancers are not something minor like a stubbed toe. So, it perplexes me that general practitioners, on the front lines of confronting these issues, typically do not spend more time discussing weight with their patients. What truly kills me is, even if you don't have time to get into a the weight difficulties of a patient, at least suggest a referral to a mental health provider; especially for individuals who have struggled with weight for more than a year. If I can be cheeky for a moment, I want to scream out to the physical health community, "dudes! We can help!" :-)
A friend and fellow blogger had me thinking recently about a relevant bit from a "britcom" known as Absolutely Fabulous. "AbFab" is about a lot of things, but one central theme has been the struggle of a woman in her 40s named Edina Monsoon with her weight in the very appearance-conscious entertainment industry. In one episode, after she is coming down from a mighty eating binge, her daughter, in all seriousness, parrots the medical provider line referenced above of "eat less and take more exercise," to which her mother (the main character) responds loudly, "well if it was that easy everyone would be doing it!"
What the main character said for comic effect I repeat with sincerity. Despite over 1 in 4 US Citizens being obese, only a minority of health policy makers, medical providers, and even mental health clinicians are seriously looking at WHAT IS BEHIND this issue; instead choosing to focus on the superficial goal of getting the weight down. Even our current First Lady, whom I applaud for the attention on this issue, is only encouraging simple, surface-skimming interventions in support of this effort. Incidentally, I get concerned sometimes that she might be doing more harm than good, because ultimately there is a real risk of stigmatizing these kids further, and subsequently reinforcing the emotional drivers of guilt and shame that can lead to problem coping behaviors like overeating.
The sad truth that most people seem to be dancing around is that significant weight loss, like the over-the-top Edina Monsoon screamed to her daughter and the world, IS NOT EASY. Not to put too fine a point on it, but it sucks. It takes a tremendous physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual effort (and preparation) to not only change long standing habits but also to sustain them. Yet this gets brushed aside and is diminished; much like people who live with other problems related to substance use.
Mental health therapists CAN HELP. There's a diversity of methodologies and theoretical orientations that inform the practices of mental health clinicians. One thing that the vast majority of us have in common though is we assess a difficulty, and then, through counseling, identify a root cause (or causes) and apply a treatment that has demonstrated efficacy through supported research (at least those of us who support the use of Empirically Supported Treatments follow this course, but that's another posting for another time). That's because, unlike our medical counterparts, WE HAVE THE TIME.
Seriously docs, do you even make the effort to consider the 'whys' of the increase in obesity? Of course there's the common scapegoats: 'laziness', television, media, the Internet, the whole 'couch potato' theory. C'mon guys, you can do better than that.
Do I have an answer? No. I don't think there's one reason why people choose life-coping methods that lead to behaviors that relate to weight gain. My M.O. is to encourage people to explore 'the whys', rather than resort to the easy cliche of "eat less, take more exercise." For my friends in the medical community, you would be surprised how far a simple phrase such as, "I can't imagine what this struggle with weight must be like for you and how frustrating it can be to have to deal with it. If you ever want someone to work with you to understand what's behind it, I'd be happy to recommend some good counselors..." will get you in rapport building with a patient, rather than shutting them down with tired lip service about exercising more and eating less.
Again, 1 in 4 people in this country are obese. Breaking out of the habit of a quick diet and exercise routine recommendation seems worth the effort to me.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Plateau-ing
For the past three and a half weeks, I have hovered between 285 and 282 lbs. It's a far cry from the 315 lbs I was in January, and the average of 3 lbs I was losing weekly, but this stagnation in further loss is disappointing nonetheless.
As I contemplate stillness and remain mindful of the importance of patience in this process, I find myself thinking about plateau-ing. With my clinical eye, I find it interesting, and probably not coincidental, that this stretch of weight plateau-ing began at the same time I passed my LCSW credentialing exam.
I have thought about becoming a Licenced Clinical Social Worker as far back as the very early 1990s, when I was first invited to sit in on one of my roommate's psychotherapy sessions. The session was conducted by a LCSW in her home, and I remember being impressed with the amount of poise, expertise, and control the woman appeared to exude; both in the session and in her life. Here was a person whose job was to sit in a comfortable office and dispense advice....all from the comfort of her home!
It seemed like a pretty sweet deal to me as a kid; especially where I was in my life. Because, taking a leap of courage, I need to admit I was a real mess, and did many things I regret. I was in my limerance phase of being queer, my parents were recently divorced, my mother's schizophrenia presentation was getting very severe and continuing to go untreated, and my father was a mess after the reality of years of avoidance and 'checking out' of our family finally caught up with him. Furthermore I had recently been kicked out my first attempt at university for terrible academic performance and was working in a minimum wage job where I struggled to maintain financial survival. Through all this I was burning out of control; flying through men and friendships like scrap paper. Then my mother's cancer hit. Yeah, I was a real mess.
In hindsight, given all this chaos, it is understandable why that sense of control the psychotherapist seemed to posses was so attractive, and why I would want it for myself. I went through a few iterations of career choices, worked hard, and got some lucky breaks before I wound up on the career path that led me to where I am at today. And, although the thought of becoming a clinician waxed and waned in my consciousness through this period, the impression of that stability and control stayed with me unconsciously.
Thankfully, now that I've gone through the academic process and the passage of a lot of time, I have developed healthier motivations for pursuing my profession (and realized that it is about anything but dispensing advice), but I would be remiss if I didn't give adequate attention to its origins. And I bring all of this up not to pat myself on the back but rather to give proper context for this sense of plateau-ing I'm experiencing now. For, even with all the happiness I've felt having the words "Pass" appear on my computer screen a few weeks ago and the accomplishment it signified, I find myself experiencing a sense of loss and ambivalence as I consider that I have plateaued in this achievement, and now I find myself asking "now what?"
So it makes perfect sense that I would be reminded of this difficult transitional stage of my early adulthood where I was considering my options as I again contemplate my 'next move' career-wise. We tell our clients that ambivalence is a choice we make as we face choices for which we have several equivalent emotional levels of response, and, I also wonder if this is manifesting in my body as well. I restarted my college experience at Penn State in the summer of 1998, and have had a comfortable road map for where I wanted to go for the past twelve years. My road map is gone now, and, in some ways, I am having a profound sense of deja-vu.
Not having a road map is terrifying, but just maybe being forced to think about what I want to do with my training instead of focusing on the day-to-day minutia of getting it and choosing to be excited about new possibilities that reflect my genuine self will help me get over this plateau.
And, just maybe, this will 'tip the scales' regarding my weight as well.
As I contemplate stillness and remain mindful of the importance of patience in this process, I find myself thinking about plateau-ing. With my clinical eye, I find it interesting, and probably not coincidental, that this stretch of weight plateau-ing began at the same time I passed my LCSW credentialing exam.
I have thought about becoming a Licenced Clinical Social Worker as far back as the very early 1990s, when I was first invited to sit in on one of my roommate's psychotherapy sessions. The session was conducted by a LCSW in her home, and I remember being impressed with the amount of poise, expertise, and control the woman appeared to exude; both in the session and in her life. Here was a person whose job was to sit in a comfortable office and dispense advice....all from the comfort of her home!
It seemed like a pretty sweet deal to me as a kid; especially where I was in my life. Because, taking a leap of courage, I need to admit I was a real mess, and did many things I regret. I was in my limerance phase of being queer, my parents were recently divorced, my mother's schizophrenia presentation was getting very severe and continuing to go untreated, and my father was a mess after the reality of years of avoidance and 'checking out' of our family finally caught up with him. Furthermore I had recently been kicked out my first attempt at university for terrible academic performance and was working in a minimum wage job where I struggled to maintain financial survival. Through all this I was burning out of control; flying through men and friendships like scrap paper. Then my mother's cancer hit. Yeah, I was a real mess.
In hindsight, given all this chaos, it is understandable why that sense of control the psychotherapist seemed to posses was so attractive, and why I would want it for myself. I went through a few iterations of career choices, worked hard, and got some lucky breaks before I wound up on the career path that led me to where I am at today. And, although the thought of becoming a clinician waxed and waned in my consciousness through this period, the impression of that stability and control stayed with me unconsciously.
Thankfully, now that I've gone through the academic process and the passage of a lot of time, I have developed healthier motivations for pursuing my profession (and realized that it is about anything but dispensing advice), but I would be remiss if I didn't give adequate attention to its origins. And I bring all of this up not to pat myself on the back but rather to give proper context for this sense of plateau-ing I'm experiencing now. For, even with all the happiness I've felt having the words "Pass" appear on my computer screen a few weeks ago and the accomplishment it signified, I find myself experiencing a sense of loss and ambivalence as I consider that I have plateaued in this achievement, and now I find myself asking "now what?"
So it makes perfect sense that I would be reminded of this difficult transitional stage of my early adulthood where I was considering my options as I again contemplate my 'next move' career-wise. We tell our clients that ambivalence is a choice we make as we face choices for which we have several equivalent emotional levels of response, and, I also wonder if this is manifesting in my body as well. I restarted my college experience at Penn State in the summer of 1998, and have had a comfortable road map for where I wanted to go for the past twelve years. My road map is gone now, and, in some ways, I am having a profound sense of deja-vu.
Not having a road map is terrifying, but just maybe being forced to think about what I want to do with my training instead of focusing on the day-to-day minutia of getting it and choosing to be excited about new possibilities that reflect my genuine self will help me get over this plateau.
And, just maybe, this will 'tip the scales' regarding my weight as well.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Planting Day
One of the healthy hobbies I've been cultivating (please pardon the pun) since my decision to make some changes in the way I live is gardening. I had some previous success last year with my pumpkin crop, so I'm taking a risk this year and expanding my garden.
I'm going with a technique known as companion planting, in which you plant several plants whose physiology/structure work symbiotically. My additions this year are based on the Iroquois legend of the Three Sisters, and are comprised of squash, beans, and corn; three staples of Indigenous tribes in the Northeast of the North America.
For my squash I've gone with pumpkins again, since they were so much fun last season. For beans I'm growing pole beans; both because they are supposed to be 'difficult to screw up' and because its one of the few veggies my spouse will eat. I went with sweet white corn out of personal preference.
Like many things in nature, the combination is elegant in its design. The corn provides structure upon which the beans can grow. The beans, in turn, contribute to a more nitrogen rich soil from which the corns and pumpkins will both benefit. The pumpkins, with their large ground clinging leaves and prickly vines, both shade the ground (preventing weeds) and also discourage insect pests. It's a lovely cooperative relationship and will be a joy to watch.
In addition to the three sisters, I'm trying summer squash again, and adding bok choy. I love both, and I've never seen anyone growing bok choy before, so I thought it would be fun.
Planting day was yesterday (May 14th, 2010) but I didn't get to take good pictures until today. Not much to look at, but I love "before" pictures, so, for what it's worth, they are listed below:
So that's it. Now I just need to be vigilant against weeds, and water consistently, and we'll see how it goes.
For the sake of keeping records, here is the cultivation schedule for each plant:
Beans, Pole, Stringless Blue Lake
I'm going with a technique known as companion planting, in which you plant several plants whose physiology/structure work symbiotically. My additions this year are based on the Iroquois legend of the Three Sisters, and are comprised of squash, beans, and corn; three staples of Indigenous tribes in the Northeast of the North America.
For my squash I've gone with pumpkins again, since they were so much fun last season. For beans I'm growing pole beans; both because they are supposed to be 'difficult to screw up' and because its one of the few veggies my spouse will eat. I went with sweet white corn out of personal preference.
Like many things in nature, the combination is elegant in its design. The corn provides structure upon which the beans can grow. The beans, in turn, contribute to a more nitrogen rich soil from which the corns and pumpkins will both benefit. The pumpkins, with their large ground clinging leaves and prickly vines, both shade the ground (preventing weeds) and also discourage insect pests. It's a lovely cooperative relationship and will be a joy to watch.
In addition to the three sisters, I'm trying summer squash again, and adding bok choy. I love both, and I've never seen anyone growing bok choy before, so I thought it would be fun.
Planting day was yesterday (May 14th, 2010) but I didn't get to take good pictures until today. Not much to look at, but I love "before" pictures, so, for what it's worth, they are listed below:
Eastern View of Garden Beds
Southern View of Garden Beds
Bok Choy Bed
So that's it. Now I just need to be vigilant against weeds, and water consistently, and we'll see how it goes.
For the sake of keeping records, here is the cultivation schedule for each plant:
Beans, Pole, Stringless Blue Lake
- Days to Sprout: 7-10 (May 21st-May 23rd)
- Days until Harvest 60 (July 13th)
- Days to Sprout 7-10 (May 21st-May 23rd)
- Days until Harvest 45 (June 28th)
- Days to Sprout 7-10 (May 21st-May 23rd)
- Days until Harvest 90 (August 19th)
- Days to Sprout 8-10 (May 22nd-May 24th)
- Days until Harvest 120 (September 19th)
- Days to Sprout 8-10 (May 22nd-May 24th)
- Days until Harvest 50 (July 3rd)
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