To Mama

Mama,
from you I have learned...
Thriftiness is a virtue and you shouldn't be ashamed to rock second hand clothing. Ever.
Gardening is good for the soul.
It's important to take care of yourself and know your limits.
If you want to do it - do it.
If you're unhappy - you have the power to change your circumstances.
Laughing is the best medicine & quoting favorite movie lines help.
Even if you don't know the lyrics you should sing anyway.

Mama,
for you I am grateful.
I am grateful for...
Your support, advice, and shared laughter.
I am grateful for inherited compassion and soft-heartedness, with a touch of no-nonsense.
I am grateful for an up-bringing close to grandparents.
I am grateful that you've let me fly, while trying to keep me close.

It's a blessing to know and have you as my Mother. I am so proud to know such a fantastic woman and even more proud to have learned the ropes of womanhood from you.

Happy Mother's Day! 

 For Mother's Day, I embroidered this for Mom. 

It's really only my second big embroidery project. I'm such a novice, but really enjoy working with this medium. Little people were really fun to design and create. 

Lillie, Mama, & Me

 

I "stumbled" across Psalm 139 last week when I really needed to read it. Verse 13 is one of my favorites. Mama, thank you for so carefully carrying me for 9+ months and then carrying me along for 22 years more. 

I love you, Mama. 

PS - Let's go shopping for a cool frame from Goodwill when I get home! 

A Year from Now...

Base Image // Source

May has me thinking about transitions. There's something about the fresh spring air that proclaims newness and change. The Head and the Heart is one my favorite bands and they have a song that embodies change, transition, and missing the people that make you: Rivers and Roads. I love the song, but it's one that saddens your heart to acknowledge the truth behinds its lyrics. 

been talking bout the way things change

and my family lives in a different state

and if you don't know what to make of this

then we will not relate

so if you don't know what to make of this

then we will not relate

While a year ago things were very different from where they are now, I am thankful for the way things change - for the seasons and the passing of time. Grateful for the friends I've made here and there, even though they're gone away. I just don't want to think about this time next year, knowing I'll be parted from even more lovely people along the way. So, I'm not thinking about a year from now. I'm thinking about right now. Soaking up spring with the people here.

Rivers & Roads til I reach you.

Protein & The Vegetarian

One of the most common things I hear about when I tell people that I'm a vegetarian is: PROTEIN. I hear, "How do you get enough protein?" or "I've thought about becoming a vegetarian, but I don't think I'd get enough protein?" Honestly, where does this obsession with protein come from!?

The Protein Myth in America
Protein is IN. America has an obsession with making sure they consume enough protein, but most Americans consume too much protein. The National Center for Health Statistics found that most American men consume about 101.9 grams and American women consume about 70 grams a day. That's almost twice the protein intake recommended by the Food and Nutrition Board.

Consuming too much protein can be bad for your digestive systems. Most Americans sources of protein come from over-consumption of meat products, which can be high in saturated fats. Leading to risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes and some forms of cancer. Excess protein may also lead to kidney and liver disorders and osteoporosis¹.

Kids, Popeye ate Spinach remember!?

Source

How do you get enough protein? 
Despite common belief, protein is not only found in red meat, poultry, fish, and other animal byproducts (milk & eggs). Protein can be found in²:

• Dry Beans & Peas
• Tofu
• Nuts & Seeds
• Grains
• Vegetables - spinach, greens, corn, broccoli³
• Fruits - cherries, papaya, banana, avocado, apricots, prunes⁴

However, it is true that most complete proteins are found in red meat, poultry, fish, and other animal byproducts. Many vegetables and grains contain incomplete proteins, but when eaten together create the same effect as a complete protein. For example, rice and beans both contain different, but complimentary amino acids so that when eaten together (or in the same day) they work to create a complete protein.

According to the CDC, as a woman who is 22 I should consume about 45 grams of protein a day. Obviously, this can vary a bit depending on one's body weight and physical needs. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends consuming 0.5 to 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight daily.

Adding Up the Protein
Breakfast
1/2 Cup Greek Yogurt - 11gm
1 T Sunflower Seeds - 1.5gm
1 Banana - 1.3gm

Lunch
1 Carrot - 1gm
1 Cup Raw Spinach - 1 gm
2 Piece Multigrain bread - 8gm
2 T Peanut Butter - 8gm

Dinner
1 Cup Black Bean & Quinoa Chili - 9gm
1 slice Homemade Cornbread - 3gm
1 cup Roasted Sweet Potatoes - 4gm

Total: 47.8gm

Above is a typical day of eating for me and I easily achieved the protein intake that I needed without eating any meat. All of the grams of protein were calculated using Livestrong's MyPlate feature.

No Meat Athlete is a great resource for active, athletic vegetarians. They are a great community of committed vegetarians with lots of great articles about eating a vegetarian diet. I'm kind of obsessed with them. 

---
Sources (not already linked above)
1: "The Protein Myth: Why You Need Less Protein Than You Think" by Jessica Jones, MS, RD
2: "Protein" by CDC.gov
3: "Vegetables with Protein" by MD-Health.com
4: "Protein-Rich Fruits and Vegetables" by Livestrong.com

Praying through Hymns | Touch the Earth Lightly

I heard this song in Chapel and instantly fell in love with it. This is also the second song I've posted with words by Shirley Erena Murray - I kind of have a full-fledged crush on her hymns. So beautiful! It's a wonderfully appropriate hymn for spring time as the earth is waking up again. Touch the Earth Lightly is a beautiful hymn and I hope to embody it's words and spirit. 

Our little plant babies are starting to grow!

Touch the Earth Lightly 

Words by Shirley Erena Murray

Touch the earth lightly, use the earth gently,

nourish the life of the world in our care:

gift of great wonder, ours to surrender,

trust for the children tomorrow will bear.

We who endanger, who create hunger,

agents of death for all creatures that live,

we who would foster clouds of disaster,

God of our planet, forestall and forgive!

Let there be greening, birth from the burning,

water that blesses and air that is sweet,

health in God's garden, hope in God's children,

regeneration that peace will complete.

God of all living, God of all loving,

God of the seedling, the snow and the sun,

teach us, deflect us, Christ reconnect us,

using us gently, and making us one.

Enjoy the Earth Today!