Author: 2chicksandapen

fitness and nutrition

What’s your motivation?

2chicksandapen

Walking toward the back of the gym, the question came out of nowhere:

“What’s your motivation?”

A newish member of the class. I’d only really exchanged hellos, good jobs, and smiles with him and his daughter. So the question caught me off guard.

“What’s your motivation?”

I must have looked puzzled. So he went on…

“You work harder than anyone in here. I talk about it with my daughter. I want to know what motivates you.”

My heart kind of swelled in that moment. what to say? I told him I used to weigh 313 pounds. Both my parents died too young from choices they made. I’m trying to live longer to be there for my family. To change that history. I told him I also work out to bust stress.

He smiled and said congratulations and keep at it.

I often feel like I blend in. Hide in plain sight. I don’t lift the most weight by a long show. I can’t do the advanced gymnastics movements. I figure most people notice me when I’m dancing or singing or tripping over something (often!)

I may never get those fancy coordinated movements. I may never lift as much as most do. But to be noticed and seen as someone who works. Who tries. Who puts in the effort. There are few greater compliments I could receive.

It was also a great reminder of my “why.” These dragging-on days can make it easy to forget my purpose.

This was also a reminder to give someone that compliment. Pay attention when others strive and just say it. You never know who might need to hear that verbal applause. I walked a little taller the rest of the day and remembered that I never know who is watching.

Keep doing the work. Someone notices. someone sees. Someone is inspired.

What’s your motivation?

3Splitz Farm

A Little Sunshine

2chicksandapen

This cute little mason jar full of freshly picked flowers has so much meaning. It’s fresh from the farm to my table.

Planted, sprouted, trimmed and packages to-go by my farmily at 3Splitzfarm. A new farm that is sprouting in many ways.

The garden. The livestock. The visitors, the flowers. All designed and labored by the farm family. So much pride. So much love goes into each delivery.

As days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months and months turn into years. Our farm story is evolving. Some years our corn will be plentiful. Other years another crop may struggle. We never know what nature holds for our little farm.

What we do know is we have dreams. We don’t mind hard work. We live to see the fruits of our labor in whichever form it produces. We love sharing our story with the world as well.

From how to start to how to maintain to how to survive all that gets thrown your way. We document it all to share virtually as well as in books. A benefit of 2 Chicks also being 2 farm girls.

Sometimes we have a pen in hand. Other times it’s a tractor or pruning tool. You never know what adventures we shall share with you.

From our farm to you. Enjoy this virtual flower arrangement. We will be soon selling flower subscriptions and delivering special treats through your community to make others smile.

3Splitz Farm

Meet SnoCap

2chicksandapen

It’s just a name, right? Snocap isn’t just a name, it’s a new family member. Temporary or permanent? Not sure yet. Four legs. Varied markings. Flowy mane. Totes a heavy weight around too. Makes some sounds that make one turn their heads.

Snocap is a newbie on the farm. A paint horse. She is unique and already so special. She arrived a day before my birthday. Unplanned in a way but planned in another way. I’ve been looking for the right horse for some time now. The right time. The right temperament. The right price.  the right situation. Many factors were hinging on my decision. The choice wasn’t made lightly.

I wasn’t sure if I would lease a horse or buy a horse. I didn’t know if I should consider adopting a horse. Is fostering a horse even an option? I had to make sure I had a detailed care plan in place since I may not always be on the farm 24:7. I had so many items to check off the “I am ready” list. Today seemed like the readiness factors were in the rear view for a foster opportunity. Today seemed like a good day to choose Snocap. The visitor of sorts is checking out the place. I am learning about horse caretaking.

Opportunity was in front of me. I took the chance. I knew when I met her she was the right temperament to come hang on the farm. No bucking or wild behavior when we met. I made the commitment to see if she would be a fit for our farmily. Now it’s time to build memories and see if she warms up to the new environment.

She came from a muddy pasture that was her temporary home while we prepped for her. A good bath or rain shower and some TLC will have her ready to relax in our pastures where she can eat all the grass she wants and dip her toes in the stream. 

For now Snocap is chilling on the farm with a few visiting friends aka horse buddies. She makes lots of poop piles and has the sweetest personality. Still evaluating to see if she will stay with us forever. Need to give her a ride and she if she is the one.

Welcome to the farmily Snocap! We hope you enjoy your stay. Having horses in the pasture has been very rewarding on many levels. Oh how I would like to eat grass all day, loaf around and just watch all that goes on around me. Oh to live like a horse and be wild and free.

Over the past few weeks Snocap has had to take more than the usual rest. My neighbor watched her lay down in the pasture more than she should. My caretaker felt her legs were not 100%. Her legs seem tired and she may be a few years older than we initially thought. 

She is healthy but timid around the other horses. She may not be the one for me to call my own unfortunately. I may never find the perfect match but I can always check out opportunities and foster to get my horse fix for now.

Although I have enjoyed feeding her, talking to her and brushing her she is going to find her way to a permanent home not too far away. Excited for her new beginnings but will also be sad as she departs our farmily. So funny how we can get so attached to animals in such a short time. I will miss feeding mints to my pal Snocap.

It’s been so much fun being a host family to some horses in our local community that needed a crash pad for a few months to escape the mud slides in their pasture. Wonder which horse friends we will tell you about next. Maybe it will be goats instead. Who knows what farm friends we will have in the coming days.

healthy hacks

Spring Ick

2chicksandapen

The icky pollen is everywhere this time of year. It’s on the car and the rain just isn’t washing it away! The rain puddles even have the remnants of pollen corralled on its surface. The windows have pollen dust all over. It’s in the air. It’s on the ground. It’s everywhere.

The dog’s nose has a yellowish-green hue to its nostrils after playing outside. I even have to brush the pollen off the fur or the pollen with coat the hardwood floors when the dog prances by. Getting this close to pollen indoors drives me nuts.

My feet seem to bare the same yellowish glow whether I’m in flip flops or shoes. The pollen even seeps through my socks on heavy pollen days. It’s definitely gross!

When I play tennis I can see if the ball is “in” or “out” because it leaves a mark in the pollen. This sounds crazy but even if the pollen was blown of the court it would be right back on it. It just seems to be anywhere and everywhere. Including my my lungs and nostrils.

The itchy, watery eyes are pollen-related. No COVID here. Just some good old-fashioned allergies in the spring. A few sneezes here and there cause a glare or stare if you are in public these days. Just another effect of Covid that leaves one  embarrassed.

Big sigh for sinuses and allergies these days. Hope you are not as miserable as me this allergy season.

mental health

A Cup and a Smile

2chicksandapen

When I was I kid the slogan I heard many times was have a Coke and a smile. Post-corona I just really want a smile from others so sometimes I just need to create my own reality.

Today I went for a cup and a smile at Starbucks. I’ve written many times in the past about how much the cup makes me smile when the caramel is drizzled just right, sliding down the side of the cup where it collided with the coffee and milk. Its soul satisfying at the end of a long week. 

In the picture below you will my little visual aids that hopefully make you smile when you read this post. We have the rare appearance by my llama air freshener who rides shotgun in my Jeep on the daily. Her faithful sidekick is none other than the Mr. Sloth the fake plant. This trip sure does give me giggle, how about you?

We are headed off for a Friday night of festivities at the boutique fitness studio that offers bungee fitness. It’s a first for me, but the stage is set for an amazing evening.

The group chat name is labeled the Flying Wallendas. Each gal has her airborn name for the evening. The cast includes sparrow, night hawk, falcon, phoenix among others. As I buckled up tonight I will be capturing every bit of my adventure in my mind so that I can share the experience with all of you who may not have access to bungee fitness.

Off I go into the darkness of the night. To become weightless. To trust the bungee with my life. Thank good I meet the weight requirements and didn’t need to be fat shamed. Life goals right there!