Why I will never run a greenhouse

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We all have strengths and weaknesses. It is how the world works. In this world of social media, I follow a lot of different bloggers, Mom's and crafters on instagram. They post the most amazing craft projects, amazing looking desserts, have beautiful well organized homes, talk about how they ran 30 miles before breakfast or solved world hunger while raising their babies. ( Yes, that last one might have been a little sarcastic). The point is I tend to look at the picture and think these women have it all together. They always look put together, their kids never seem fussy and it is just so stinkin perfect!I wonder what I do that keeps my life from being that perfect. My husband would just say that I should stop looking and worry about myself and that is very good advice. But lets be honest, that isn't going to happen. Because when you are home all day with a baby and you maybe see your husband for 2-3 hours a day, instagram is your only link to the semi-real world. I have just instead started reminding myself that everyone has strengths and weakness. My husband is the most loving man on the planet, but goodness gracious getting a compliment from him is like asking a hippo to wear skinny jeans. It just doesn't work well. I know he loves me and he has a billion other wonderful qualities so I have stopped expecting compliments of any kind from him. In fact I almost prefer that he doesn't even try to compliment me anymore....
Just felt like a loving picture would be appropriate now.

So here are some of my strengths and weaknesses. Or at least the ones I am willing to share publicly.
Strength-  I am crazy good at sticking leafy green vegetables into everything. Don't worry about my Cota Men. They will never have a deficit on their leafy green intake. 

Case and point, the spinach and banana muffins I made yesterday. Now should spinach and banana be combined in muffin form? I am sure a classy foodie person might disagree, but I think these are great!  And do not even get me started on beet pancakes.  My Little Man attacks all of these with a passion. Lasagna, pot pie, soups, casseroles, smoothies, egg dishes... I mean the possibilities for which kale, and spinach can be added is endless.  My favorite is when people are eating at my house and are telling me how they would never eat those 2 things, while they are actually unknowingly eating it. You are welcome. I am also happy to report that now I have been introduced to collard greens and I think it will be another positive relationship. 



Weakness- Caffeine  

I work so hard to be healthy. I kill myself to make non-processed whole food meals and snacks for my family. I exercise 4 to 5 times a week to stay healthy (and lose the baby jiggle) but I am absolutely powerless to caffeine when it comes in 3 forms. Coffee, lattes or Diet Coke. I know,  I know. Diet Coke is the absolute worst thing on the planet. In my defense, I drink A LOT less than I used to. Now it is just like the little happy boost on the days when I really need it. I know too much caffeine has so many negative health impacts and I do try to keep a reign on it.  With that said, I almost always have some kind of caffeinated beverage in my hand. (until 2pm and then I turn into a 90 year old and have to swear the stuff away until the next day.) 

Weakness-  I kill all plants.... I love them so much and am powerless when it comes to a clearance shelf of plants. I feel so bad for them and want them all to have good homes. Then they come home, China Man gives me "the look" and about three weeks later my poor little plant is dead. It have come to the realization the first step in this problem would be to water them...
   I would include some pictures but it is really sad. An album of all my gardening failures. I once had an ivy plant for 2 years and I was SO proud of this plant. The only problem was that while technically it was alive, my ivy plant had no leaves. It always looked like it was on the verge of death. I loaned it to my mother in law while we were moving, and when we went to her house about a month later... it looked amazing! So full of life, so many leaves, it was practically sparkling. Needless to say, that plant stayed with my mother in law, and just taunts me every time we visit. 

Strength- I can grow a Christmas cactus. A friend gave me one as a house warming present 2 years ago and I am proud to share that it is still alive about tripled in size. I once saw a Christmas cactus that was 85 years old. I am now determined that mine is going to stay alive at least 10 years. 


Strength- I am a very loyal and protective person. 
   If I consider you one of my "People" then you best believe I would be the first person to get into a fight to defend you. If people bad mouth you behind your back, I will definitely set them straight. If you need soup, I will make you soup from scratch and drive it over. I still laugh when I remember the scene I made at a job when I felt a supervisor was treating a good friend unfairly and moving her to a different office when she was not even working. I think I practically body blocked the supervisor from the desk.  I honestly do not think there is a situation a friend could be in that I would not hold my friends hand and support them in any way possible. I often joke that I express my love in the form of protectiveness. 

Weakness - I am not great at maintaining friendships. I used to be. I would call, email, text or whatever the appropriate form of communication was to keep us in touch. Now the minute I feel like the friendship is starting to fade or if I feel like the friend is giving me the brush off, repeatedly telling me how "busy" she is, I just stop making an effort and stop worrying about it. I also have a tendency to stopping communicating if all the friend does is complain. There is enough negativity in the world without a daily dose of it being broadcast on my phone.  There is difference between a bad day complaining and I am very aware of that. Believe me, I send my share of " I am going to lose my mind" kind of texts. I could explain the reasons and past friendships that have made me this way but the truth of the matter is it simply isn't my best quality.   

So the point simply is that for every strength you see in a person, is there is a weakness they have. Sometimes the strength is also their weakness. Let's celebrate both because having a weakness certainly is not a flaw. It means we are normal human beings  which is not a bad thing

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