Getting Focused Again...

It's been two years since I've thought about updating this blog, but I'm finally getting some focus in my creative world.  I've decided to use this blog as a haven for those thoughts in order to keep my projects in order.  Over the next few months, I plan to update this blog with information on my current projects as well as give a history of my past projects.  In connection with my website (www.russfarmer.com), I'll post some of my past projects--mainly murals, paintings, and constructs--but I will also add content from my current projects which have become more digitally based.  Anyway....I'm excited about the things that are stirring around in my head, and I hope this blog becomes a good launchpad for the birth of those creations.  For now, you can check out the new site at www.brightlysalted.com, where I'll be spending a lot of my time.  Oh, and by the way, I've designed all the logos and blog headers for these and other sites.  I'll share more about those eventually as well. 

See you soon,

Russ

Official Logo for BrightlySalted.com (April2013)

Walk This World With Me....

Back in November before Sandy and I celebrated our anniversary at DisneyWorld, I decided it was a good time to get a pedometer to keep up with how many miles/steps I walk during the course of a day. The ultimate goal is to take at least 10,000 steps during the course of a day, and that's something that's virtually impossible to keep up with unless you have a pedometer of some sort. As I was researching pedometers, I found out that 10,000 is just about equal to 5 miles, so that seemed pretty overwhelming at first, but I knew I could do it, after all I used to run 10 miles a day way back in high school. I guess I've just grown to be a bit immobile in my adult life. I've had a basic pedometer before, but this time I decided to get Personal Trainer: Walking included with two pedometers for the Nintendo DS. I'm sort of a Nintendo fanboy, and I liked the idea of downloading the data from the pedometers into the Nintendo DS in order to keep track of my daily trends. It saves your data over the course of a year and shows you where your weaknesses are. I've had this pedometer in my pocket every day since November, and I've learned a lot about my habits through keeping up with my steps. During our Disney trip, we were averaging between 15-30,000 steps every day, and then when we got back into our normal daily lives, I found out I was really only walking between 3000-4000 steps every day if I didn't force myself to walk. I'll usually walk during lunch and after work now, and I reach at least my quota of 10,000 steps with no problem. I've recently just boosted my goal up to atleast 11,000 steps a day, and the weather is perfect here for a long walk when I get home every day. I'm usually hitting about 16,000 steps a day now. I've also lost 15 pounds since the end of 2010, and I really haven't changed much other than letting this pedometer keep up with my steps. I definitely feel better about myself, and it really helps to have a goal to accomplish every single day. Saturdays and Sundays have been my weakest days, so they're the ones I have to focus extra hard on to meet my goals. 

When Nature Strikes Back...

After several years of focusing on the interior renovation of the house, I decided it was finally time to focus on the exterior landscaping, especially since Sandy and I finally got the pool repaired last summer.  We fully intend to spend a lot more time outside this year, and we want to have plenty to keep us busy.  I would have preferred to jump headfirst into a major gardening project, but there was plenty that needed to be cleaned up first, so that had to be the focus.  Well, after pulling out the chainsaw and knocking down some out-of-control redbud and popcorn trees, nature decided to fight back and gave me my first case of poison ivy.  I've been
around the stuff all my life, but I've never been affected (infected) by it
until now...I'm still not even sure how I got it, but it probably has to do with
being covered in smoke after burning several limbs with dead vines on them.  My case definitely isn't a typical case where it hit me in a certain spot causing a rash--it's been more like tiny red bumps all over my body that have been popping up over the past two weeks.  My doctor gave me a Medrol Dosepak (methylprednisolone 4mg), and although this was my first time taking any form of steroid, it was a good experience...it definitely went after the inflammation over the six day course, and I can tell a big improvement, but the "infection"
is still hanging around.  It began on my fingers the next day, then it went to
my arms and chest the day after that...a full week later my torso and legs have
most of the worst bumps, but the rest of my body is still healing.  The
larger areas will itch from time to time, but the tiny bumps constantly burn
without ceasing. I can honestly say this is the worst "disease" I've ever had,
and it feels like fire ants constantly biting me.  I wake up throughout the
night feeling like hot coals are dropping onto my legs and antihistamines and
Caladryl only help so much.  I'm just chalking this up to one more human
experience, and it's definitely causing me to thank God for all my blessings. 
I'll be keeping you updated on how the garden project turns out...in the mean time, visions of sandpaper will be dancing in my head.

First post

I really don't know where I'm going with this yet, but that's really what life is all about....first steps.  So, I've started a blog...and I plan to update it over time.  Let's see where it ends up together....