Running for a Cause

His name is Lamine and he was a daily sight when walking around my village in Senegal, West Africa. He didn't go to school, but he sat in front of his house everyday, waving and watching the children as they left and then returned from their studies. Lamine was in a wheel chair. It was made form bike parts and a plastic lawn-style chair. I dont know why Lamine did not have the use of  his legs, but I do know that he was one of the happiest little boys I knew. The other children didnt seem to mind nor make fun of him, but I always wished there was more I could do for him. Part of the reason he could not go to school was mere access; there were no ramps to the school buildings in my town and pushing his wheelchair through the sand to and from school would have a physical hardship not only for Lamine, but also for his friends or family. So Lamine sat, day-in and day-out.

Lamine lived as many Senegalese people did who suffered from a handicap. These wheelchairs were common to see around the cities. They were made from left-over bike parts and any chair that could be found. May times they would have the peddles configured so that they could be peddled by the hands. It is efficient, but they would often break or malfunction.

Now living on the other side of the globe, I am training for my first ever 1/2 marathon in Huntington Beach, CA. The Surf City Marathon will prove to push my physical and mental limits, but I look forward to this challenge. As I was signing up for the race, I came across the organization Run For Mobility. As I read their mission and cause, Lamine's face popped into my head. Run For Mobility works with the Free Wheelchair Mission to raise money to send adequate wheelchairs all over the world. I could not resist getting involved with such a worthy cause and continue to help anyone I can in any way I can. It takes $71.88 to send a wheelchair to another country, meaning one more person can increase their mobility and therefore increase their opportunity.

If you are able, I ask that you help support me in my race training AND support Run for Mobility/Free Wheelchair Mission by going to this website! CLICK HERE I appreciate anything you can offer!

7 Days of Summer

A friend of mine prompted me to take images for a week and then share them with my friends and family... well I'll do one better then that, how about posting them all on my blog!

This was also the last complete week of summer... Welcome Fall!

Monday 

Monday

Tuesday 

Tuesday

Wednesday 

Wednesday

Thursday

Thursday

Friday

Friday

Saturday

Saturday

Sunday

Sunday 

Happy Friday!

This is what happens when you have a farm stand, 3 bored farmers, and a phone/camera.... things can get ugly.

A day in the life...

WELCOME

It has been a little while since I last posted here. I need to be better about not slacking on this blog, but on the bright side, I have been really busy and productive. Life has been full of fun and exciting things, which have kept me away, but Im back! For this post I wanted to give you an inside on what my days are like here at the farm. I have been here now for almost 5 months and have definitely set into a routine. We also have a new batch of volunteers that arrived a couple of weeks ago, so I am no longer one of the "new kids". I am one of the "old volunteers" now, but that doesn't mean that I am not constantly learning here. Everyday there is a new adventure to take on, and I end each day with a bit more knowledge. Its fantastic!

But enough about that... on with my day.

No matter what schedule I have each day, I try to start all days with some sort of exercise. I am training for a 1/2 marathon at the moment, but I balance all that running with yoga as well. I get up very early to fit either of these exercises into my day before our morning meeting at 8am.

Running Time!

Namaste

One of the perks of getting up that early, is being able to see beautiful sunrises like this. It makes it all worth it. 

Beautiful sunrise

After our morning meeting, I would go a start the chores for the day. All the volunteers help with the feeding, checking, and care-taking of the animals. This particular morning, I helped milk the goats which is something that we do this time of the year to keep a couple of our female goats producing milk so we can continue to milk goats with our participants that come to the farm. 

Typical schedule for the day

Milking the goats

This particular day I also worked in the garden a lot. Being on the Education Team means that when we have down time, or there are limited programs that day, we can join other teams and get to do different jobs. I really appreciate this because it changes up my day and allows me to learn new things outside of my job. We are in the middle of the harvest season, so my day included harvesting lots of great veggies. We also have a weekly farm stand that we sell some of our veggies that we cannot consume on the farm. 

Beautiful Squash

BEANS!

Dill Flower

Our Head Gardener, Liz Jo, giving us the day's agenda

The garden, in all its glory

Taking a rest, with a great view

Our Thursday Farm Stand

Being silly with some bean leaves

Krista bring our veggies to the kitchen 

Hannah next to our GIANT cabbages

Some beautiful swiss chard

For lunch, the New Volunteers and I ate in our Global village. Today we had the Ghana Meal, which is Fufu and a tomato-based, sweet potato sauce. Its very delicious! We are practicing for when participants start to come. Its really fun to cook over an open fire and get to see the meal from beginning to end. Doing this with participants is also a fun process because many of the children have never cooked on their own, much less outside over an open fire. Plus, exposing them to new foods like Fufu (cassava flour), can be a fun experience. 

Our Fufu balls

Patiently awaiting lunch

Our goats in the Ghana site

 After work, which is right after our 4pm chores (feeding and checking the animals again), we went our to our weekly local Trivia Night at "The Tavern". Its a great local restaurant/bar that holds a very competitive Trivia Night. This was the first time our New Volunteers, so we wanted to make sure they got to see the sights and the sounds of Rutland, MA. The trivia gods were in our favor this evening, because my team (The Shut-Up Sheep) won FIRST PLACE! Which is a $25 gift card to "The Tavern". It was a great way to wrap up the evening.

The winning ticket!

Part of our team

 Once we returned from our epic win at Trivia, I celebrated by making some Butternut squash (from our garden), lentil curry, and later, some beer-bread. Both where great successes and first-time recipes for me. I have taken on a new love for cooking around here. I hope it something I take with my for the rest of my life. I also sat down to play a bit of my guitar. Ive been trying to keep up with practicing regularly... some weeks I do better than others.

Dinner Time!

Regular Beer Bread and Nutritional Yeast/Dill Beer Bread

La la la la... 

And that sums up a typical day for me. It has been an incredible 5 months and I am looking forward to spending couple months enjoying my time here with my friends and all the furry beasts that live here at the farm. Never letter a day go by without learning something new and interesting! 

Life is good

Summer Lovin'

Living the So Cal life

PCH

Ata and I at the end of Senior year of High School

I was lucky enough to get to take a break between farm "sessions" and travel back to the West Coast to get to see one of my dearest friends get married. Atanasia and I have known each other for many years, and I was lucky enough to be part of her Bridal Party when she married the love of her live, Grey. Their wedding was held in Long Beach and the rest of the bridal party was made up of many of my other childhood friends. It was so fun to be able to spend some time with these people. As much as we all have become different people and experienced different things, we always laugh and have a great time together. Some things just never change.

Ata and I at High School graduation

 I have been fortunate enough to have been in a couple of weddings, so this was not my "first time at the rodeo". And it was a rodeo! Between some of the Bridal part and the Groomsmen, it was chaotic, in the best of ways. I have known many of these people since I was 9 years old, and many of them have not changed much since then.

Dinner Rehearsal

We started off with the dinner rehearsal, which was beautiful on top of the Reef restaurant in Long Beach. Everyone looked beautiful and had a great time. It was also the first time it set in that one of my dearest friends was getting married. I guess this is what its like to grow up.

What I wore

Selfie

The next night (traditionally) is the wedding, which was the case in this situation as well. The wedding was held at the Reef and reception in their ballroom. Everything went off without a hitch. The Best Man's speech by Blake was the funniest thing I had ever heard and the fathers speech brought us all to tears. My friends and I danced the night away, sang karaoke, took silly pictures, and still walked out of the venue like classy ladies. It was a night to remember.

Wedding Prep

Kiss!

Ata and Grey cutting the cake

Andrew and I having too much fun...

with the...

Photo Booth!

Along with a fabulous wedding to attend, I got to spend some great time with my family. I got to go out to my favorite restaurants and see some great people. One thing on my list was eating some fantastic sushi with my mom, which I did AND found out that my favorite sushi joint now has a whole vegan menu! Praise Allah! 

our camp ground

As tradition goes, my family also took our (almost) annual river rafting trip to the American River. It is something we all really enjoy doing and try to fit into our summer each year. However, with my Peace Corps service and my sister moving up to Portland, it has been increasingly difficult to fit it in each year, however, we did it this year and it was as great as I remember it. The company we go through (River Runners) sets up tents for you AND feeds you! So its pretty lush camping, but they are great guides and bring you on some great class 3 rapids. Next year I really hope we venture out to some class 4 stuff, but we will see. 

Driving to Grandma's house with the Hollywood sign in the distance

Jagger and I 

I also got the treat to be home on my fathers AND grandmothers birthday, which meant a lot of family getting together to celebrate both. Normally I get to see some family, but this time was special because I was able to see my youngest cousin, Jagger, (technically my cousin's son) whom I only have seen a handful of times in his 5 years of life. He was such a great kid and I loved seeing him. I also love going up to my grandmothers home because she has lived there since 1955 and its smack dab in the middle of the Hollywood Hills. It still holds all the Hollywood charm that makes Hollywood romantic. There are always new things to explore in her home and little trinkets that are little keys into the past. I love it there.

The rest of the time spent at home was with wonderful people doing wonderful things! Going to the beach, out to my favorite pubs and even to a Baby Shower was on the long list of things to be done while I was home. And like a champion, I completed them all!

My lovely friend Alex

Caitlin, Caitlin and I (now thats confusing)

Taking in the rays in Huntington Beach!

Ladies night at the pub!

But all good things come to an end, and before I knew it, it was time to come back to the old farm! Spending time with family and friends is always good medicine for the soul. It also reminds me of the love that awaits me each time I come home. I am always greeted so warmly by those who I've known for years! We always act as if now time has passed at all and I am so grateful for them all. It will be no time until I am home once again!