My Methadone

Decaffeinating

This will come as a shock to some of you, but I'm in the process of giving up coffee. Again. I tried to quit about a year and a half ago but never really got to the end of the process. I do drink a lot less coffee than I used to, but I'm thinking it's time to take it to the next level. Part of the reason is that I've just learned the coffee can interfere with the absorption of B vitamins and some minerals, like magnesium and zinc. These are nutrients that people with ADD are typically deficient in. The whole over-taxed adrenal thing doesn't help at all.

My hope is that as I detox from the caffeine my body will adjust and I'll find my focus and energy again. My mom is the frigging Energizer Bunny, and I'd like to be able to keep up with her! I've found non-caffeinated substitutes that I'm hoping will fool my brain into thinking it's getting the morning fix. That's the plan, anyway. We'll see how it goes this time.

Contrary, or hopeful?

What is it about snow that makes me think about gardening? We got 4" of snow last night (the largest single snowfall this year, if you can believe that), and a little while ago I ordered seeds for my garden. En route shortly are lettuce, spinach, carrots, cucumbers, and Stevia. I'm expanding production of potatoes and onions, trying pinto beans for the first time, and of course I'll have a variety of culinary and medicinal herbs. I just have to decide how I'm going to fit everything into two raised beds. I have to rethink letting the flowerbeds go back to the wild; I might need the space for herbs.

One thing I will not be cultivating this year is tomatoes. I was unhappy with the performance of the larger variety last summer, and the cherry tomatoes are going to do whatever they please regardless of my preference. I'll just let them do their thing, and when I get a bunch ripe, I'll throw them in the crock pot and cook them down into sauce. (Thanks for that tip, Valerie!) If I decide I want to can whole tomatoes, the farmers market is a few miles from here. I'm pretty sure someone there will have some I can buy.

Hybernation

Eric has been teasing me lately about being solar powered. When the sun sets, I shut down. On cloudy days I have a harder time getting things done. Often, I find myself thinking, "Good grief, it's only 6:15. I can't go to bed yet."

Yesterday was bright and sunny, and I felt pretty good. I wasn't home much to get things done, but I did things for other people that I hadn't planned on earlier in the week. I worked last night and I wasn't exhausted when I got home about 9:30. Today has been cloudy with bursts of snow, and I've managed to go to church, wash a load of laundry, and put another load away.

There might be something to his theory. Now if I could replace my batteries so I could store the sunlight, I'd be in great shape.