In the Jungle

If I were a flying insect…

…this might be my view as I make my way through the wheat grass.

Something is Stirring

I thought I would use this particular Garden Art piece to do a little journaling and (publicly) admit something. I’ve been wanting to share this for awhile now, but I didn’t want it to be another one of “those things” that I bring up and start… and then never finish.

When I started blogging several years ago, I also started sitting more often. For HOURS at a time. Go figure! I was just 7 months sober at the time, and my life was going through many upward changes. But, as we all know, every action has a RE-action. It appears that my weight was going through some upward changes of its own.

This was nothing super serious… a little (20 pound) bump in the road actually… but what I was also dealing with at the time was smoking. I didn’t really struggle with this particular habit though, because it was one that I rather enjoyed!

In October of last year I took the “butt free” plunge, and I quit. So… it’s been about 4 months since I’ve had a cigarette. This is an AWESOME step for me, and my health (breathing) has improved drastically. I can now hike without passing out (ha-ha!).

The downside of this, however, is that I’ve gained even MORE weight in these past “smoke-free” months (approximately 15 pounds extra). All of this being said, to be what I would consider my ideal weight, I now need to lose around 50 pounds.

This will be an uphill battle—and I plan on taking my time. I want this to be a lifestyle change, not a temporary workout plan or some kind of fad diet. I’m going to be brave (soon), do some weighing and measuring (along with a before photo), and then I’m going to use my blog as a platform to journal about the changes—to both my body and my life.

Hey… this could be another life altering transformation! I’d love to have a record of the process here. My 4 year sobriety is coming up in 3 weeks and I’d love to kick it off then.

I hope you all stay tuned for that!

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The Featured Image

I had some fun taking this photograph. I used auto focus, put my camera down low, and took shots whenever I heard the beep. It was cool to view the various images once I brought the camera back up.

I know… I could have gotten down on my knees and actually set the shots up with my viewfinder, but I liked having the element of surprise. It was a playful and entertaining experience.

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One More Thing

On the anniversary of my sobriety (March 8th) I’ll also be running (well, walking) in the 2020 Los Angeles (1/2) Marathon, with Team World Vision. Their mission is to help provide life-changing clean water to children and communities in the developing world.

I pay for my blog so that viewers won’t be bothered by those annoying ads, and I never ask for donations. BUT… if you should feel at all compelled to be a part of something, please visit my page at…

Team World Vision

Each time that $50 is collected, ONE person is blessed with the gift of clean water (something EVERYONE should have!).

Now THAT is life changing.

Peace & Love! Thanks for reading and I’ll see you soon!

—Janet