A lot has occurred in the single orbit of Earth around the Sun.
In the past 365 days I have had many first time experiences, not the least of which was learning to create this blog. I also branched out to participate in an online fitness community (BFFM) that has been instrumental in increasing my understanding of my body composition. I was given a digital camera by my father-in-law and have been slowly learning to use it.
What began as merely an online journal of my Dukan Diet experience has become far less ‘diet’ focused and significantly more body composition focused—Or, less about what I weigh and more about what my lean body mass is compared to my fat mass. Also, I soon realized that there were so many more interesting things in my life that I wanted to share with others, not just weight loss. After a few months the blog moved to what it is today; a journal of my daily experiences on a small organic homestead in the Catskill Mountains of NY State.
It is fitting to look back on our milestones I think, and this post will do exactly that. I’m going to highlight a few of the posts that garnered the most interest. Number one on this list is:
https://oceannah.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/homestead-happenings-and-hazards/
I remember this post in which I chronicled the ups and downs on a given day in May. Our asparagus what not coming up in a few areas, we traced the problem back to some wood chips we used which we think might have been contaminated with herbicides.
Another favorite post seems to be an instructional on how to harvest baby salad greens:
https://oceannah.wordpress.com/2012/05/23/harvesting-salad-greens-my-thoughts-pictures-on-how-too/
It’s still true that I assume everyone knows these simple basic things that I know. I’m learning to give myself a little credit for having learned something that is perhaps of value to those who do not yet possess that information.
It’s not all about the homestead here on oceannah, some of my favorite posts were in the “Jane Average” series. I’m no cartoon artist by any stretch, but working a little humor into the new way of looking at my physical journey. It’s also instructive for me today since I am SO much less affected by the number on the scale. At that time, I was just beginning to learn the simple idea of averaging my weekly weight. Now I am more concerned with lean/fat ratios than any other number.
Part 1: https://oceannah.wordpress.com/2012/03/12/the-adventures-of-jane-average-part-1-scene-1/
Part 2: https://oceannah.wordpress.com/2012/03/13/260/
Part 3: https://oceannah.wordpress.com/2012/03/15/jane-average-part-1-scene-3/
Part 4: https://oceannah.wordpress.com/2012/03/15/jane-average-part-1-scene-3/
I’ve done a few food related posts and these two seem to be favorites: The first one is a post about one of my favorite wild greens that will be coming up soon, Nettles. The second is a recipe for creasy greens, aka winter cress which is always a first up green in these parts.
https://oceannah.wordpress.com/2012/03/23/eat-your-weedies-creasy-greens-recipe/
https://oceannah.wordpress.com/2012/04/21/green-eggs-no-ham-nettles-dandelion-kale/
Many of my followers sent such sweet word when our beloved Henny Penny died. This post is a great remembrance of one of the sweetest hens I think I’ll ever know.
https://oceannah.wordpress.com/2012/06/30/senior-moment-for-a-priceless-hen/
There was a fantastic series on Monarch butterflies that evaporated with a key stroke. Some day I hope to fully restore that series, it’s worth the time. —if you haven’t yet read Barbara Kingsolver’s Flight Behavior it is a great read and monarch’s figure heavily in the plot.
During the year of tech, as I’ve come to call 2012 I also learned a few things about how not to use WordPress. I lost a huge amount of photographs because I was attempting to create more space in the blog while I was struggling with the fit between my satellite provider and WP. Alas, those photos that I deleted from my main files also removed them from my blog. So I apologize if you are looking around and see posts which should have pictures but do not. I’ve chosen to not re-populate the photos as it would take such an enormous amount of time…and mostly they are the past and aside from these ‘look back’ times, will not be viewed very much.
I’ll close in saying that it has been a very fun year! I’ve ‘met’ some wonderful fellow bloggers from around the globe and hopefully will have a chance to meet in real time with a few this summer. I will continue to blog and as the weather gets better in Upstate NY I’ll have a few tidbits to share about the homestead and getting started for another great season of gardening, living and learning.
Wishing you all bountiful blessings and grateful harvests
*anna
Congrats on your amazing milestone – wishing you many more happy posts!
By: crazytraintotinkytown on March 12, 2013
at 5:22 pm
thanks so much, it’s been a fun year.
*anna
By: oceannah on March 12, 2013
at 5:48 pm
And a happy blog-iversary to you as well! I didn’t realize that you were getting started as we were. I thought you’d been at it for a long time! I so love your viewpoint and your growing lessons and tips. Delighted for you that it sounds like it has been a positive year for you physically as well.
By: biggsis on March 12, 2013
at 6:32 pm
We’re yearlings together now 🙂 Thanks for the well wishes. It’s a fun place to hang out this blog world… Never thought it would be anything more than a journal that I write in, like a diary….but as my 13 y/o said to me, mama, what’s the point of a diary…nobody can see it!?
Here’s to year number 2 for our blogs growth and enjoyment!!
By: oceannah on March 13, 2013
at 1:00 pm
The year went quickly – looking forward to seeing all that you have to say this year.
By: Heidi @ lightlycrunchy on March 12, 2013
at 8:50 pm
LIKEWISE Heidi! I always love visiting your blog. Thanks for celebrating a year on 😉
By: oceannah on March 13, 2013
at 12:55 pm
Going to check out the Dukan diet!
By: elizabethdamico on March 13, 2013
at 9:35 am
It was a good beginning for me, but I’ve found over time it was not working in the long term… If you want to see REAL AMAZING Dukan success check out Sandi’s blog http://flamidwyfe.com/ thanks for visiting 🙂
By: oceannah on March 13, 2013
at 12:38 pm
Thanks for all you’ve done; the good humour and knowledge you’ve spread and the wonderful sense of community here…
Wishing good health and happiness to you and yours and everyone who stops here.
Namaste, Deb
By: Deb Weyrich-Cody on March 13, 2013
at 10:36 am
I bow to you as well my dear Deb, Namaste says it all
By: oceannah on March 13, 2013
at 12:35 pm
😀
By: Deb Weyrich-Cody on March 13, 2013
at 12:43 pm
Can’t wait to watch your garden grow again this spring, summer and fall!
By: prairiewisdom on March 17, 2013
at 1:25 pm
Join the club ;-O we’re all chomping at the bit…
By: oceannah on March 20, 2013
at 10:22 pm
your blog posts have provided a haven
By: on thehomefrontandbeyond on March 19, 2013
at 8:43 am
aww, thanks LouAnn, that is nice to hear.
By: oceannah on March 20, 2013
at 10:22 pm
I wish I could meet in person all the women I have “met” through finding one of you. I don’t know now if it was Sandi or Deb or Big Sis or Dallas, but I’m so grateful ONE of you found me a year ago, and all are still with me. I think we should plan a yearly get-together (one year in CA, one in NY, one in England, etc.). IMAGINE the good we could do! And the fun we would have. Wow. I’m so excited, I think I will just invite you to my place first. What’s a good month? Dallas has the farthest to come, so we may need to chip in for her airfare. We will have a four day workshop to empower each other. How about August, when it is so hot everywhere but here? And I’m 1 minute drive from the beach parking lot, and 5 minute walk to a Santa Monica Mountains hiking trail. Is that too soon? Or will gardens suffer if you are gone? Let’s seriously DO this!! After meeting a fellow blogger last week in TN, I am so motivated for another! Let me know. – Kaye PS: I am reading “Flight Behavior” now. And had my monarch moment when a chance chat with fellow swimmer in Santa Monica opened my world to monarchs and my “Monarchs and Milkweed” episode resulted. Thanks to all of you! Think about a pow-wow. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fVwRZGCxAk&feature=share&list=PL7C4BD0DA41DD3FFF
By: Kaye Kittrell on June 1, 2013
at 12:06 pm
Oh Kaye that would be terrific!
We attempted to organize a couple of us to meet for a triathlon but it ended up down to Sandi and I then her girl is having a baby right at the same time so of course she’s going to deliver over a tri…but I was looking forward to it.
Is there some way to connect everyone via blogs? Like a blog collection where we could all discuss this? Kinda like fb?
I have a very dense summer but autumn could be a terrific time for a visit to Cali.
Keep me posted/in the loop if you do move ahead w/ this idea.
Didn’t you LOVE that book!!
xoxo
*anna
By: oceannah on June 14, 2013
at 3:27 pm