Archive May 2011

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Body Image: You’re Not Just a Number on a Scale

The Mountain Farmgirl is getting back into shape and has been told she’s lookin’ good ... but now she’s thinking about a more important kind of beauty, the kind that’s on the inside: the way we see ourselves. Why is it that for many of us, what we eat and what we weigh is such a complicated, emotional issue? Join her and other farmgirls as they weigh in on body image...

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A Tight Squeeze

The Mountain Farmgirl had a fairly sedentary winter, spending much of it sitting at her computer and at the front desk of her inn. Yes, she occasional split some wood and filled the woodbin so the guests could have a crackling fire, but somehow, despite eating her usual salads and rice cakes, she has managed to put on almost 10 pounds since the last time she checked. Yiiiikes!!!! Now those jeans are just a little too tight for comfort. Not only that, but her oldest son is getting married in (count ‘em!) 33 days and she wants to look her level best. Has anyone else accumulated a few extra pounds during that cozy season of winter hibernation? Want to do something about it? Jog along with Mountain Farmgirl Cathi Belcher on a downhome Farmgirl Workout as she sets her spring fitness goals to get permanently back into shape in time to be Mother-of –the-Groom!

. As a Farmgirl who has battled with eating issues and self-image her whole life, she wants to address how those two perceptions are often at odds with one another.

Note: This is the first of a 2-part series on getting in shape and being healthy so that others can see us at our best. Next time, Part 2, “Body Image: We’re Not Just a Number on a Scale” will deal with the much more important issue of how we see ourselves

 
 
 

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"Does Not Compute"

 Does Not Compute.
… that’s what the Mountain Farmgirl thinks whenever she has to deal with numbers. Forget the fact that they are rational, logical and never lie (always  valuable assets amongst the people we know) …   SHE has never quite been able to form a friendship with these arithmetical adversaries. As far as she’s concerned, there are two types of people in the world: those who like numbers and those who DON’T! Which type of Farmgirl are you: a Woman of Letters, or a Lover of Numbers?
 

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Cathi Belcher

Cathi Belcher,
an old-fashioned farmgirl with a pioneer spirit, lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. As a “lifelong learner” in the “Live-Free-or-Die” state, she fiercely values self-reliance, independence, freedom, and fresh mountain air. Married to her childhood sweetheart of 40+ years (a few of them “uphill climbs”), she’s had plenty of time to reinvent herself. From museum curator, restaurant owner, homeschool mom/conference speaker, to post-and-beam house builder and entrepreneur, she’s also a multi-media artist, with an obsession for off-grid living and alternative housing. Cathi owns and operates a 32-room mountain lodge. Her specialty has evolved to include “hermit hospitality” at her rustic cabin in the mountains, where she offers weekend workshops of special interest to women.

“Mountains speak to my soul, and farming is an important part of my heritage. I want to pass on my love of these things to others through my writing. Living in the mountains has its own particular challenges, but I delight in turning them into opportunities from which we can all learn and grow.”

Column content copyright © 2010– Cathi Belcher. All rights reserved.

Mountain Bounty

“Keep close to Nature’s heart ... and break clear away once in awhile to climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods, to wash your spirit clean.”
– John Muir

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