So I mentioned in my last gardening post that my daughters really wanted a butterfly garden this year. We did a little research about what plants would welcome pollinators in our area, especially butterflies, and I bought a few plants that fit the bill. (The photo above is of a wild mountain laurel now blooming inContinue reading “Garden Chronicles 2021: Part 2”
Author Archives: annecreates
Vegan Protein Bars: Are they a necessary evil? I review a few for you.
I recently met with a dietitian to determine if there was some other cause to my pandemic weight gain rather than pure forced laziness on my part. Well, it turns out that I’m mildly insulin resistant thanks to my body shifting toward menopause. Yay. I was sufficiently underwhelmed by her advice, however, as it wasContinue reading “Vegan Protein Bars: Are they a necessary evil? I review a few for you.”
Garden Chronicles: First Edition 2021
Our local meteorologist, Andrew Freiden, has declared May 1st as safe for planting your gardens. I took this to heart, and I worked over the weekend to start my garden. What resumed last year as a cure for pandemic boredom has become a seasonal ritual once more. I’m also lucky that our wild pink lady’sContinue reading “Garden Chronicles: First Edition 2021”
It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!
That’s right, fellow runners. We are about to enter fall marathon training season! And if you’re lucky, you are part of a marathon training team like mine. There is absolutely no way I could have run any of them without the help of the Sports Backers Marathon Training Team. Meeting with my team again eachContinue reading “It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!”
Fall Line Trail Update!
It’s been a while since I’ve updated you on the progress of the Fall Line Trail! I’m happy to report that the first leg beginning in Ashland is complete! Once finished, the proposed trail will connect the town of Ashland to the city of Petersburg for a distance of 43 miles, spanning through multiple countiesContinue reading “Fall Line Trail Update!”
Vegan Restaurant Review: 821 Cafe
Near the bustling campus of VCU on Cary Street in downtown Richmond is 821 Cafe. It’s a small restaurant with an eclectic feel. In other words, just the kind of funky place you’d hope to find near an artsy school like VCU! I’ve eaten there a few times now, and I’ve always received great serviceContinue reading “Vegan Restaurant Review: 821 Cafe”
Guilty as Charged
The jury got it right. Why does it feel like for the first time, a policeman will actually be held accountable for his wrongful actions? As my daughter says, the police are here to enforce the law, but they are not above it. I’m so relieved. I’m not joyous. I’m just able to breathe. ThisContinue reading “Guilty as Charged”
Blue Ridge Half Marathon 2021: Race Recap
The space between getting ready the morning of a race and starting is usually met with the same thought: this was stupid. It’s a typical race anxiety cycle thought process. This was my mental place before the Blue Ridge Half Marathon. It wasn’t in a bad, angry-with-myself way. This was in a “my friends haveContinue reading “Blue Ridge Half Marathon 2021: Race Recap”
The Pollening
In Virginia, we have a series of sub seasons before we really get into the full swing of the weather we are actually supposed to be experiencing. Spring is no exception. We’ve got early spring, second winter, spring of deception, third winter, etc… and our current season? The pollening. It sounds like a campy horrorContinue reading “The Pollening”
The Power of the Marathon
Ultramarathons aside, in the world of running, the ultimate test of mental strength and physical fitness is the marathon. Why is running the marathon such a powerful testament to a person’s will and mental toughness? One reason: the pain. We’ll revisit this point in a bit. In my wildest dreams, 26.2 miles is a distanceContinue reading “The Power of the Marathon”
