Quote of the Week

"Elevate. Each day, live to elevate yourself, each day elevate one person. Make elevation your religion and you shall reach infinity."

~Yogi Bhajan

Green Goodness

Loving spring!  There's something magical about seeing the first fruit and vegetables grow, mature and ripen.  The picking of the first tomato is an annual cause for celebration in our household, and this event began in a small way today, with the picking of the first vine-ripened, totally organically grown cherry tomato!

First cherry tomato!  More vegetarian staples coming soon!

The first full-sized tomato-- ready to pick!

Two on this nice cluster are just starting to turn!

Baby green beans!

Cucumbers - blossoming but not quite showing fruit yet.

Cucumbers, beans and squash.

The first baby summer squash!

Peppers and eggplant.

Small bell peppers - won't be big enough to pick for several weeks.

Banana peppers - we've already harvested some of these!

More tomatos!

Baby grapefruit!  Fortunate to get them in this small tree's second year!

Baby lemon!

Basil.  I can taste the pesto already!

Home composting station.  Every leaf raked, every bit of yard waste, every fruit or vegetable peel or trimming, tea bags, coffee grounds, egg shells, etc, go in here, and are transformed into brown gold.  With lots of rich organic compost, there is no need for chemical fertilizers.  The plants love it, and happy plants make the best fruit!

Quote of the Week

"Feelings, whether of compassion or irritation, should be welcomed, recognized, and treated on an absolutely equal basis; because both are ourselves. The tangerine I am eating is me. The mustard greens I am planting are me. I plant with all my heart and mind. I clean this teapot with the kind of attention I would have were I giving the baby Buddha or Jesus a bath. Nothing should be treated more carefully than anything else. In mindfulness, compassion, irritation, mustard green plant, and teapot are all sacred."


— Zen masterThich Nhat Hanh (The Miracle of Mindfulness)

Running Green supports Meatless Monday, an initiative associated with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The goal of Meatless Monday is to help reduce meat consumption in order to improve public health and the health of the planet.


These delicious-looking recipes are published by the Meatless Monday initiative, and may be found at http://www.meatlessmonday.com/category/this-mondays-menu/.

Healthy News:
Why kids need recess and exercise
[CNN]

Weekly Running: May 9 through 15, 2011

Race Review - Samson Lonestar 5K Saturday, 14 May, 2011

Samson Lone Star 5K at the Gulf Terrace Hike & Bike Trail .

New best 5K time - 24:45. 16th place overall, 3rd place, male 41 and over age group.

On the way out...

I don't usually race from mid-May through the end of September in SE Texas, because it's usually just way too warm and humid. A freakishly late cool front came through Friday, leaving low humidity and a beautiful 55 degree Saturday morning. Friday evening after seeing the weather forecast, I decided on the spur of the moment to run this 5K event, and I'm glad I did. Finished 16th overall, and 3rd in the male 41 and above age group. Clock time was 24:45, 40 seconds better than my previous best 5K. Garmin time was 24:50. Mile splits were 8:02, 8:00, 8:02, 0:46 (0.1 mile @7:25). Finished into a fairly strong north wind.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/85518243

Finish!