Facebook: Friend or Foe?

I am a Facebook addict.  I have tried to "kick the habit" and even went off line for several days. And by several, I mean three. Okay, two and a half. Anyway, the point is that I still regularly log in, both on my computer and via my phone.  On my phone I tend to focus on alerts from close friends and updating my own status or uploading photos. On the computer, however, I find myself  scrolling through the newsfeed and refreshing constantly for new comments, notifications, any information that I can use as a distraction, and (guilty pleasure confession) playing games. I chastise myself for wasting time with it and yet I continue to incorporate it into my daily routine.

Over the past several years, my use of Facebook has evolved almost as much as its privacy policies.  At first, I almost exclusively reported that I was "working" or "should be working but playing Farmville instead." Since then, after  a combination of deeper psychological probing ("what's on your mind?"), an exponential increase in my number of associates ("friends") and family drama, I decided to incorporate a greater purpose to my contributions to the site.  For example, I started a page for my favorite Simmental cow Lisa, in which she posts periodic updates about life on the farm from her perspective. Writing for Lisa allows me to use Facebook as an educational tool to promote agriculture as well as practice to sharpen my writing skills.

Beyond my posts, I have connected with people from all areas of my life. As a result, I have been inspired and educated. For starters, several people have enlightened me to various weight loss tools or shared their personal journeys which I find motivating. I discovered My Fitness Pal through Facebook and I cheer on friends making healthy decisions for themselves through programs like Weight Watchers. I've also seen some neat agricultural promotions along with general quotes and sentiments that stimulate my mind. Occasionally professional information and job leads are available.

Bottom line: Facebook can be a foe but it can be a friend. It's all in how you use it, I guess.  In the grand scheme of things I may regret spending so much time on Bejeweled Blitz (even if I did torch it up for over a million points), but there are people who would not be in my life at all if it weren't for social networking. Besides enjoying those renewed friendships, I hope to continue to utilize it in the most positive and beneficial manner possible for both my weight loss struggle and agricultural advocacy, or "agvocacy".  Granted it would be a bit easier if everyone chose to be more positive in their posts but life is meant to be full of challenges, isn't it?

Resolutions Still on Track!

It's strange how I was convinced I blogged twice in January when, obviously, I did not. As an update on my New Year's Resolutions, I have not lost one pound.  I have lost TWO pounds!  So now, for the next eleven months, I just need to "maintain" my success.

This post is part of my second resolution, to blog more regularly.  Knowing how busy I will be in the coming months, I plan to write at least once more this month so I can stay on top of my goal (ten entries over eight different months).

I'm still working on family member forgiveness. No major progress on that front.

I haven't pulled out the novel in a while, but that WILL change this month. I promise!

Still no (full-time) job. Yet.

I recently considered nother writing goal: writing a poem a week.  I wrote a short one for my grandfather's birthday but I still need to write about five more to catch up.  I'd feel a strong sense of accomplishment at the end of the year if I have written 50 poems that are not absolutely dreadful.

I've been doing some reading, too.  In January I finished Lake Wobegon Days by Garrison Keillor and Billy Blockade/Morality by Stephen King. I'm currently reading Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy and I am finding it enjoyable.

Finally, I find myself trying not to watch any more repeats on television. There are many wonderful new contributions to culture that I have decided to take advantage of, like Suits, Elementary and my latest obsession: Downton Abbey. I am five episodes into the first season and unanswered questions are eating me up...like what is up with Bates's situation and why can't he and Anna just be happy together???

It's that time of year again!

New Year's Resolutions - yay!! I'm not sure why I get so excited to write down "resolutions" that I do not keep.  Perhaps I should be concerned about ruining my credibility, but frankly, I was quite amused to read the seven resolutions I made last year and didn't come close to keeping ANY of them. So tonight I write down the 2013 Resolutions, and God willing, will be able to look back and laugh on January 1, 2014.

2013 Resolutions of Stroutacus:

1). Lose weight. Yes, I am one of those people, wanting to lose weight. But this year, I have a specific goal in mind.  I RESOLVE TO LOSE ONE POUND in 2013.

2). Blog regularly.  Of course, I had this resolution for 2012 and there were no blog entries after the end of July. So I have crafted a more specific goal for this one as well: I RESOLVE TO BLOG TEN TIMES IN EIGHT DIFFERENT MONTHS in 2013 (I'm already 10% there!).

3). Forgive certain family members. I can only move forward from past pain by forgiving those who have inflicted it on me, but man, it's tough to do when it is so much easier to pout and be angry.  Still, I am putting it out there as a resolution. Now, I would pick one to forgive, but I am equally angry with all of them so I don't know where I'd begin. Maybe the sister-in-law...you know, get the most difficult one out of the way.

4). I resolve to finish my book in 2013. End of story...literally.

5).  GET A JOB. Okay, that's not really a resolution so much as a "To-Do" item. I think I'm starting to get
confused.

Happy New Year!

One week down...

The first week of my new weight loss journey has been fairly typical of my previous attempts.  I've lost 5 pounds - mostly water weight, I'm sure - but I have made some serious changes and I'm definitely concerned about being able to maintain them. I keep reminding myself that I have neglected myself for too long and the "sacrifices" I have to make are necessary.  They are also fairly minor, really - why should I tell myself, "yes, you may have whatever you want to eat and you may eat as much as you'd like"? 

In addition to changing the diet, I have started to exercise again and that definitely feels great. So I'm trying to stay positive and have a goal of maintaining the new healthier lifestyle for at least 30 days. 

Here I go again!

After taking a break during my weight loss journey (okay, I got lost, circled back a ways BUT I found the path again), I am starting back up.  Instead of using WeightWatchers or SparkPeople, I have opted for the free My FitnessPal. It fits into my budget better than WeightWatchers does, and although it's very similar to SparkPeople, I think the novelty and simplicity of it will help me stay with it long-term. I found out about it through an acquaintance on Facebook and I was very impressed with her results.  Keeping my fingers crossed that my motivation will stay with me!

Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Weight Loss Tools

Six weeks later...

The Resolution Locomotive left New Year's Junction at a steady, if not slow and bumpy pace.  It is now safe to say, though, that the line has completely derailed just shy of Six Week Station.

Writing?  Well, the blogging has improved somewhat but I have not been writing nearly enough.  Weight loss? Ha. Although I did hop on the treadmill once a week the last couple weeks. Reading?  Sort of.  I'm now about 50 pages into Anna Karenina - woo hoo! (seriously, I am enjoying the story even though it doesn't seem to be reading "quickly").  Budget? Not quite what I had hoped. I've been maxing out the allotment for groceries.  Job? I don't think I have been making as much progress there as I should have, but there is still time and I do feel more focused, although I foresee the need for more training which means more debt. 

Perhaps you're reading this, and thinking, "man, why do I need to read about this?" You don't, so I do appreciate your time BUT I am feeling both relief because it is only six-seven weeks into the year so I can still turn it around and I am also feeling more accountability for the goals I made for myself just by putting them out into the beautiful blogosphere. Hopefully, you may feel the same if you are in a similar situation with your resolutions. In the immortal words of Red Green, "I'm pulling for you. We're all in this together."

The Adventures of JessAnn Simmentals

Greetings to Rural Women Rock followers and thank you for taking the time to read!

I am a co-owner of JessAnn Simmentals with my mother and brother.  My mother does a lot of the heavy lifting, in more ways than one, but we utilize our different strengths to make our small cow-calf operation work.  I love working with Simmental beef cattle because they make excellent mothers, muscle well and tend to have pretty good dispositions (although our cattle dislike men, for some reason). We refer to ourselves as hobby farmers, and as a hobby, beef cattle can be expensive and stressful at times. But when things go well, and the cattle grow well, then it is the most satisfying work that can be done.

I bought my first Simmental, Lady Nick, from Bartlett Island Farm in 1998. I selected her using the most scientific method possible that only the best judges use: I liked the way the she looked at me. Not the way she looked TO me. She made eye contact and I decided I wanted her.  Lisa is the last daughter of Lady.  Lisa reminds me a lot of her mother, both in looks and disposition. She is now bred to a purebred Simmental bull, after being bred to Holsteins two years in a row, so I hope she has a heifer in the spring.

Mom thinks Lisa is spoiled. She will violate the "hula hoop rule" of personal space with people when grain is involved, and I never have corrected her for it. I'm not the only human spoiling bovines in the operation, however, and I would say that Mom's favorite is Maebelle.

Our cows are as important to us as we are to them.  We do everything we can to ensure they are healthy, safe and content.  Despite our personal off-farm struggles, we have been able to continue developing our herd.  Through this process I learned what my mother is capable of doing when her back is against the wall (which is only part of the reason she is one of my top Rural Women Rock Stars).  Her ability to handle everything on her plate is simply remarkable. I also gained a greater understanding of how important beef cattle, rural living and supportive friends and family are to me.

Thank you Rural Women Rock for the opportunity to share my story, and I hope you enjoyed a little slice of life from Maine.