That still doesn't mean that I am going to be focused 100% of the time. If you don't know me, putting me in front of a computer for an extended period of time means that I am going to browse around the web of files and read. If you put me in front of a computer and I am well aware that I have a friend on on the other end of Outlook that is bored out of her mind, I am going to start writing her novels. Well actually, I was given a novel first and then the back and forth of noveling ensued. It was lovely, especially because one of the topics we covered was about our love for animals. This brings me to the reason as to why I even considered giving up animal products in the first place. Case and point:
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| Cue Sarah McLachlan. |
I have blogged about our dog, Nellis Mae, several times before. In fact, little Nell Bell just celebrated her second birthday yesterday (yes, I have no shame in declaring this and will probably continue to do so well into next week). So why I am shoving my wee little dog in your face? Well, simply because she is the source of my animal-free inspiration. I had the pleasure of disclosing my little story to my friend via e-mail today while I was procrastinating on my mountain range worth of work. I'll give you the run-down.
We got Nellis when she was only four months old and ever since, she has made life interesting. From wet little kisses in the nostrils at 3 a.m. to endless barking at random strangers at the dog park, Nellis is a handful of love. She is spoiled rotten by her two mommies and daddy, and every day I find myself more in love with her. So when I started reading those articles on factory farming, I began to have a Lisa Simpson experience. Do you remember the episode of the Simpsons in which Lisa becomes vegetarian? The meat on her plate transforms into the animal she is about to consume, in this instance a lamb who begs for its life. And while I didn't actually manifest Nellis' ridiculous face onto the faces of the animals I was reading about in the factory farming articles, my brain kept spinning like an emo broken record: what if that was Nellis - would you eat her too? All I continued to think about was Nellis being left to die in a small pen being poked and prodded with electrical sticks and other various sharp objects, crying out for affection, naively excited at the sight of a human presence and then being dragged off to the slaughter. Even now as I write this I am feeling the same depressing cloud of reality rolling over me, making the world around me even clearer despite the heavy fog. I love this dog a lot, and it brings me so much pain that anyone would want to kill such lovable creatures, dog or not. I knew I had to do something and this is where I ended up. I could not be any happier about my decision, and I am definitely thankful for her.
It is an amazing thing to think about the fact that a little four-legged creature whose language I cannot understand could make such an impact on my life. It is very humbling. I often recall a quote online that gets passed around a lot, the one that goes something along the lines of, "While [a dog] may be a part of your world, to [a dog], you are their entire world." This quote always makes me smile. Again, it is very humbling to think that something like our little Nellis could feel that way about her parents.
So there it is, the very essence of why I gave up meat and started this transition from vegetarian to vegan. I am still in my infant moments, looking around at this vastly green world, suckling at all I can get my hands on, anxious for new tastes and ready to mature into a knowledgeable and confident vegan woman. For now, I am going to continue to do my research and experiment with vegetarian and vegan foods. Unlike my awesome roomie and partner in veg crime, Denise, who has already begun her thirty-day juicing and smoothie challenge - and who has given me the other half of her creations, which are extremely yummy by the way, I have yet to try any true vegan recipes. Once I do, though, I will be sure to include plenty of pictures and, of course, each recipe so that you, too, may indulge along with me. As of right now, I am obsessed with tofu.
Yes. I am.
Well kids, so ends the second day of the rest of 2014. Another meatless day gone, and I look forward to the week's end tomorrow. Right now, and like the mindless human slave that I am, I intend to follow in Nellis's paw prints...
Sweet dreams <3
We got Nellis when she was only four months old and ever since, she has made life interesting. From wet little kisses in the nostrils at 3 a.m. to endless barking at random strangers at the dog park, Nellis is a handful of love. She is spoiled rotten by her two mommies and daddy, and every day I find myself more in love with her. So when I started reading those articles on factory farming, I began to have a Lisa Simpson experience. Do you remember the episode of the Simpsons in which Lisa becomes vegetarian? The meat on her plate transforms into the animal she is about to consume, in this instance a lamb who begs for its life. And while I didn't actually manifest Nellis' ridiculous face onto the faces of the animals I was reading about in the factory farming articles, my brain kept spinning like an emo broken record: what if that was Nellis - would you eat her too? All I continued to think about was Nellis being left to die in a small pen being poked and prodded with electrical sticks and other various sharp objects, crying out for affection, naively excited at the sight of a human presence and then being dragged off to the slaughter. Even now as I write this I am feeling the same depressing cloud of reality rolling over me, making the world around me even clearer despite the heavy fog. I love this dog a lot, and it brings me so much pain that anyone would want to kill such lovable creatures, dog or not. I knew I had to do something and this is where I ended up. I could not be any happier about my decision, and I am definitely thankful for her.
It is an amazing thing to think about the fact that a little four-legged creature whose language I cannot understand could make such an impact on my life. It is very humbling. I often recall a quote online that gets passed around a lot, the one that goes something along the lines of, "While [a dog] may be a part of your world, to [a dog], you are their entire world." This quote always makes me smile. Again, it is very humbling to think that something like our little Nellis could feel that way about her parents.
So there it is, the very essence of why I gave up meat and started this transition from vegetarian to vegan. I am still in my infant moments, looking around at this vastly green world, suckling at all I can get my hands on, anxious for new tastes and ready to mature into a knowledgeable and confident vegan woman. For now, I am going to continue to do my research and experiment with vegetarian and vegan foods. Unlike my awesome roomie and partner in veg crime, Denise, who has already begun her thirty-day juicing and smoothie challenge - and who has given me the other half of her creations, which are extremely yummy by the way, I have yet to try any true vegan recipes. Once I do, though, I will be sure to include plenty of pictures and, of course, each recipe so that you, too, may indulge along with me. As of right now, I am obsessed with tofu.
Yes. I am.
Well kids, so ends the second day of the rest of 2014. Another meatless day gone, and I look forward to the week's end tomorrow. Right now, and like the mindless human slave that I am, I intend to follow in Nellis's paw prints...
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| Because nothing is more stimulating than mommy blogging. |
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