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I don’t know about the rest of you, but I always have an image of myself. About who I am, how I describe myself, and my story. I spend... perhaps too much time thinking about these things. This photo is such a perfect, iconic photo of me, how I want to appear, who I want to be. There’s me in one of my favorite cardigans and great tights and boots and my hair is glorious and I’m holding the Enting’s hand and we’re strolling through the pastures of Owlshire and it’s all wonderful and... ... I can’t stop myself from thinking: WOW. Have my hips really gotten that HUGE? I could go into self-love and all that, but actually the truth is—I’ve gotten a bit heavier than I want to be and I want to change that. I have been 10lbs lighter than I currently am in the last couple of years and felt great about it, and I know I can realistically get there again. I’m a short woman—5 foot. 10lbs is a big difference. The last few months have been one of rapid redefinition: from becoming urban folk to forest folk, a couple of months later making another radical shift from a stay at home mother to a full time working mother... it’s all been a bit of whiplash. But it’s settling down into a new normal and now I’m ready to do more than tread water. Also, I’ve been trying to write my own stories (instead of stories for work), and that started in revisiting some older novel ideas, but I ultimately came to realize that what I wanted was a little more of Owlshire. A little more me. I don’t know what to do with that yet. Fantastical memoir? Experimental poetry? Both? And then I started reading Rooted: Life at the Crossroads of Science, Nature, and Spirit by Lyanda Lynn Haupt and I realized that now that I spend 8+ hours a day indoors in my dark little office, I’d forgotten a part of myself. That I’ve forgotten how to listen to the voices of nature—and how funny that is since we moved to the woods... There are also a couple of really important, not sexy things that have crept up and now have urgent deadlines—my need to get my UK driving licence and to sort out my settled status in the UK. So that, my friends, makes for a challenge... How It Works: Lighten Up Last challenge I changed my meal times so I only eat between 8 and 8. This basically cuts the late evening snack I was habitually having. In the few weeks since doing that, I’ve dropped a couple of pounds and most importantly it’s not going up. So I’m sticking with that. Continue 8x8 Walk Consider cardio? Less starches, more focus on lean proteins and vegetables. Less snacking at other times of the day. The goal is slow, sustainable weight loss and maintenance. If the number on the scale is less than it was when the challenge started (and continuing to go that way), I’m happy with the results and I’ll keep adjusting for continued results. Ann of Owlshire This is about self expression, and it comes in three ways: How I present myself physically—IE, what I wear. Clothing is a big part of my self-expression, and I go through evolutions of style over time. A style that suited me a few years ago will change, and sometimes a style returns again... and sometimes circumstances change... some of my wardrobe was totally impractical while I was tending to a baby, and some of it is impractical while traipsing through the woods—but is good for my image as “funky creative games writer. “ I recently tried on some clothes that was my “uniform” 10 years ago, and I just didn’t like that person I saw in the mirror anymore—that clothing will be retired permanently and donated. I don’t follow the “trends” but I love “dressing up” to look a role. Journaling. I’m often a keen diarist, but I go through fallow periods. I want to get back to diarizing and experiment a bit with it. I may post snippets here, I might not. Crafting. Being a person who makes things with string is as much part of my self-image as writing is. So I need to have time for that. Wood Witch The writing job is still wonderful, and my initial 6 month contract has been extended and is expected to carry on for another year or two, but it means that I spend a lot of time in my dark little office. I want to change that and get more time outside, even in context of my workdays: Daily walks into the forest (at least 1; 2 is better) Daily gardening (even if it’s just pulling weeds) Learning and doing more foraging (when it suits) Cooking from my garden and foraged plants (when it suits) Sitting outside and working when the weather allows—and not just on the patio. Consider sitting in one of the pastures, or finding a comfortable place in the woodland when I’m not doing something that needs wifi. I’ve moved away from homecooked everything in recent months because I just don’t have that kind of time anymore, and to be honest I was feeling a little burnt out by it. I always fantasize about being the magical homemaker, but in reality I enjoy it for a while and then get bored. Still, even if we’re often eating (the healthiest we can find) ready meals, I want to supplement with food grown here at Owlshire. Forest Dweller I love living in the Forest, but there are essential tasks that need to be done to stay here: Get my driver’s licence - for this challenge, I need to study for and pass my Theory Test (or at least it scheduled if there’s a long queue), and schedule my Practical if I’ve succeeded at the former. (There is currently a looooooong queue for the Practical because of Covid, so I may not actually get to take the test until autumn/winter. Still, I want to get into the books.) I’m eligible for Indefinite Leave to Remain (a “green card” in American) this summer, and I want to get it sorted and done. This means I need to go through all the paperwork, get my evidence sorted, study and schedule my Life in the UK test, and get the appointments booked. Growing roots: Now that Lockdown is easing, we’re starting to meet more neighbours and get involved in local activities. I want to keep this a priority—but also, we have lots of friends we haven’t seen since before the pandemic who want to come by to visit so we’ll be enjoying their company, too. Goodness. I think that’s more than enough on my plate!