Sunday, April 8, 2012

Easter on the farm


Ducks feeding on cracked corn by the pond. The photos are not my best because I took them with my phone.
   
    My husband and I had Easter dinner at his cousin and her husband’s farm today.
They live about 30 minutes from our house on a big piece of land with lots of trees, flowers, a garden, blueberry vines and a large pond fed by a creek.
They both love animals, and they have quite a collection: three cats, three dogs, one cockatiel, two parrots and a large tank of goldfish.
At the pond, they have six ducks. Two geese make regular visits.


Ducks in the water.


Added to the menagerie are three baby rabbits. A friend of theirs in a nearby town found the babies in his yard and sent them to the farm, where the cousins have bottle-fed and otherwise tended them. They plant to gradually introduce the rabbits to the outdoors until they are ready to be released.
Right now, they lay close together in a cage, with a light blanket around them to keep them warm.
Before dinner, as some of us sat on the screened-in back porch talking, enjoying the sunshine and breeze, the geese flew in, announcing their arrival with loud voices. We watched them angle down to the pond and skim the water before settling in.
After dinner, my husband and I walked down to the pond and watched the ducks and fed them cracked corn. We laughed at their antics in the water, and I told my husband I could sit there all day and watch and listen to them.


Can you see the goose?


Tulips filled a flowerbed, and dozens of iris plants are set to bloom. A few already have.
What wonderful sights and sounds for a day that celebrates renewed life.
I needed this day. It’s been a hard weekend. I’m having some issues with my physical health, specifically with my digestive process, so I saw my doctor Friday.
It seems like everything I eat makes me feel awful, so my doctor is having me make some big changes: less caffeine, little or no dairy, more fiber, less simple carbohydrates. I am also eating less sugar.
My doctor is running some tests. I hope there’s nothing physically wrong, but I’m not too concerned. I’ve had similar problems before. If it’s something more, I’ll deal with what I have to when I have to.
But I know that anxiety can affect the digestive system, and I know I haven’t been treating my body very well. I don’t eat right and my sleep patterns are all over the place.
I am all for the changes, because I’m tired of feeling like I’ve been feeling. But any changes can have at least temporary disadvantages. I don’t know whether it’s the decrease in caffeine and sugar or just being physically worn out, but I’ve been feeling down too.
The trip to the farm helped. Being amidst so much life, being so close to the natural world, being with family—they are all valuable and important components of a well-lived life, don’t you think?
On another note, I’ll be tackling some exposures this week and writing about them. Wish me luck!

24 comments:

  1. It looks beautiful there. It would be fun to have a pond.

    I hope you feel better! I have IBS and it definitely flares up in relation to stress. Someone sent me some dragon's blood to review on my blog, which is from the sap of a tree in the rainforest, and it actually works a lot better than prescription meds for it. It was nice to find something that worked, without a bunch of side effects.

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    1. Thank you, Lisa. I have IBS, too, but this flare, if that's what it is, has been going on for a while. The doctor has me on a probiotic supplement. I guess it's too early to tell, but I THINK it's helping.

      When I first read "dragon's blood" in your comment, I wondered, "What in the world is Lisa drinking?" (LOL) I will have to keep that in mind. I like natural remedies, too, if they work.

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  2. Thanks for sharing the pictures! I find animals, water and nature to be so peaceful. It makes you forget about your obsessions even if it's just momentarily. Actually your diet change should help with the OCD a little. Check out www.ocd-free.org/nutrition caffeine and milk products can make OCD worse. So maybe it's a blessing in disguise. I've cut my caffeine out all together. Good things to eat for OCD are turkey, bananas and almonds. Anyway check out that lady's website. Some people sweat her natural food/vitamin plan had helped them drastically. In the meantime I'm praying that your exposures go well this week and that your test results come back good. :)

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words and your prayers! And thank you for sharing that link. I will definitely check it out. I love bananas--in fact, my doctor suggested I eat them. It's too bad we sometimes have to get sick before we make the kinds of changes that we need to in our diet and lifestyle. Oh, well, another lesson to learn. :-)

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  3. Nice post Tina. Looks like you had a beatiful Easter weekend. I hope you get to feeling better and I look forward to reading your next post.

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    1. Keith, Thank you! It was a beautiful time on the farm.

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  4. What lovely pictures and I'm glad you had a lovely day.

    That is so nerve wracking to have tests done and have to go to the doctor and be told to make major changes. I hope everything is okay with you.

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    1. Thank you, Elizabeth. I should be OK. Hopefully, I'll just have to make adjustments in my diet and lifestyle. I am very motivated, because I don't want to have to have more tests and see a specialist if I can help it. And I want to feel better.

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  5. There is such a healing power in nature! I really enjoyed reading this post.

    I know that caffeine aggravates my anxiety disorder, so I try to limit it. I hope you start getting your energy back soon. If not, maybe some adrenal support can help -- caffeine and stress are tough on those little glands! I have a root tea that I use to help nourish the adrenals, so that might be useful.

    My stepdaughter has IBS, and she's struggled a lot to get it regulated, so I feel for you. I'm a firm believer in probiotics, so I hope they help.

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    1. Nadine, Thank you for your kindness. I know I've been drinking too much caffeine. Diet Pepsi is my drink of choice. I love it! But I've cut way back in the past several days. I was eating Activia, hoping the probiotics in that would help. But if dairy is irritating my system, then it may not be the best choice. I'm also trying to be extra aware of how my body is reacting to what's going on around me, and getting up more often from my desk at work and walking around. All the little things can add up, I hope!

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  6. Love this post! And your Easter thoughts. :-)

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  7. Lovely pictures and I'm glad you had a lovely day. We spent Easter at my family (in-laws) apple orchard and it felt peaceful to look out over the hundred of blooming apple trees..peaceful. Any peace we can get we should grab, right? Hope you get to feeling better.

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    1. Krystal Lynn, Thank you! I'm all for finding peace too. I bet those apple trees were beautiful. Thank you for your kind words.

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  8. Hi Tina. Happy to hear you had such a pleasant day. It's so much fun to just sit and watch animals.

    I'm sorry you've not been feeling well. Ironically, I've been dealing with severe reflux and stomach upset. You're not the only one who has to change her diet! Ugh. I think I soothe my issues with food. I hope your tests come back with good news. Please keep us posted.

    Good luck with your ERPs. You've got this and I can't wait to read about how it goes.

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    1. Sunny, I'm sorry you're having stomach problems too. Reflux is awful. I think I soothe myself with food, too. It's hard for me to keep up the healthy diet and eat only when I'm hungry and need nourishment, but I'm trying with mixed success. Thank for the encouragement with the exposures! I'll be working on one tonight.

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  9. very beautiful post!!
    Anxiety is one of the most important cause for digestive problems :(

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    1. Thank you, Nikky. Yes, the fight or flight system seems to be very tied in with the gut, unfortunately.

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  10. Wonderful pictures, Tina! Way better than my digital camera, that's for sure. :)

    I hope everything comes back from the doctor's well. And that you adapt well to the dietary changes ... so hard, but hopefully so worth it in the end.

    *hugs*

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    1. Hi, OAG--Thank you! Good to hear from you. Hope you are doing well! I am ready to adapt--I've had this flare up or whatever for too long now, and I want some relief. And I'm already noticing differences in just the short period of time I've been eating better.

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  11. Thanks for taking us to the farm with you........you write so well, I felt I was right there with you. What an amazing spot!
    Sounds like you are making a lot of good dietary changes........I hope you feel better soon.

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    1. Janet, Thank you! I am starting to feel better. I'm taking it very slowly and trying not to get too excited about it . . . I've been having stomach problems for several months, and any improvement is almost too good to be true!

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  12. It sounds like you had a very relaxing Easter. The photos are lovely. I bet the baby bunnies were adorable. How wonderful that they're taking care of them. I hope you're feeling better. It's all such a balance.

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    1. Grace, the bunnies were adorable. So small and sweet! These cousins are wonderful animal people.

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