Book Three of 2011: Keri Nelson's Vegan Moon

This story is about a werewolf turned vegan and a small business owner turned TV chief. Looking through channels on his tv one day our werewolf friend comes across our newly famous hottie and instantly possesses the need to have her. But somethings are beyound his control.

Not much into short stories and I didn't know this one was a short till after I had purchased it on my kindle. Short stories normally leave me wanting more character and plot details.  And all though I wish there was more story it was a quick & satisfying read that only takes like an hour at most. The story was catchy and kept me interested. And although the ending was abrupt it was cute.

Book Two for 2011: Flutter book 3 of Amanda Hocking's Series My Blood Approves

The My Blood Approves Series by Amanda Hocking has been really good so far. This book is just as good as the first 2 books. Fate, the second in the series, right now is my favorite though.  I am loving this series and can't wait to read the next book. Part of me wants to put it off to see if she is going to write another book in this series. It has been so good I don't want it to end that soon. The characters are well thought out and I am loving the plot and the characters. I have to pull myself away from these books just to get anything done around the house. Wisdom is the 4th book in her series and I am dieing to read it.... I even might get Letters to Elise which I wasn't sure I was going to read. It is written from Peters Perspective to his 1st wife. But I think I like Peter so much that I am going to go ahead and read it to understand his Character a little better. I am pulling for Peter. I don't know whats going to happen but again I am loving the series and can't wait to find out!!!

Please keep this series going. I haven't found a series I have read clear through since the Sweep series like 6 or 7 years ago and it was 15 or 16 books. So I am in it for the long haul and I am sure that all of the My blood Approves lovers are too. 

My Book of Books

As I rather affectionately call it, has been last for a couple years now.

John and I used to hang out at the book stores all the time. For hours we would just sit and look through books and very seldom purchasing any. We enjoyed our days of laziness and thought provoking reading materials. They were carefree and fun. I would write down those book titles on the back of receipts and extra paper I found floating through my ever messy purse... But I would loss them or drop them and I would never see them again. So one day I found these cute little folders and purchased 2. I didn't know what I was going to do with them but then it dawned on me. A Book of Books.... I would keep a ever running list of all the books I want so that when I come home I can price them online and order them when I had the extra money. For a long time I kept this list. With everything from Animal rights to Children books and Vegetarian cooking to Religion and from Birthing to environmental science... One day my beloved Book of Books came up missing and I thought I was long gone being left at one of my frequented book stores.... But yesterday as I cleaned some of the clutter out of the room that we consider the Animal Room, which houses a bunch of junk as well as animal stuff, and a couple book shelves... I was looking down at some photo albums and was amazed to find my Book of Books!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't know how it ended up there but it was atleast still in our house! I was so happy!!!! and I still am now I have to update all my purchases and add on to the books I want list... Which just to catch up on could take forever. But thats ok.... Because I love it... lol :) Happy Days are here again........  lol  :)   :)  :)

Organized.... I love to look at things that are totally organized...lol

There were other sections aswell. Sections for movies, Which I had never gotten around to filling out,
 a section for Misc. Merchandise, a section for books I own which I had
started many times and gave up one because we have so many books, plus other misc things.

This was my make shift way of making up for the loss of my Book of Books.
Which I would use ever so often. Not very organized though  :(

But still loving that my Book of Books has been found..... This is just one of those everyday type .... blogs that are of no concern to most.. But hey I will remember it ...lol

Oyeah this time ever so often I will be scanning it and keeping it on the computer just incase....  ;)

The Path of the Christian Witch : Review and thoughts about the topic: Book One

Review 
The Path of the Christian Witch

This was a very interesting book. One that I actually wish I would have purchased a hard copy of instead of the kindle version. If I get some extra money I might still do that.  I have found so many aspects of this book to ring close to my thoughts and feelings. So many things I want to discuss with you all. So many things that I have thought for ever and so many more things that I have been brought to my awareness and things that I will forever think of differently. I will have to read this book again and take more notes just to make sure I take in the full lessons that this book can teach if you are willing to listen.
With this being said I wish the book was a little more organized. Sometimes I am not sure if she is a third year or a first year or has not even started that part of her life yet. But you can figure out most of this before the end of her stories it would just be nice to know up front. There are alot of extra stories so you do kinda have to stay focused sometimes to make it through the story to see why it is being told. I would much rather focus on the straight info and the learning parts of some of her stories. But that being said she also really explains in detail her stories so you can visually be there with her. Her thoughts about church and about being a Christian witch are also well put. I did have a problem with her infuses on the Wiccan Rede's most important aspect "An ye harm none do what ye will" she said how important it is to her and how she lives and breaths by it but yet she eats meat...She takes life...
I have learned alot from this book and I am glad that this is the first book I purchased and read to start my year off. It has opened my eyes to some of the ideas I have left in my past and now wish to dive into with open arms and an open heart and with new understanding. Thank You Adelina St. Clair for helping me with untangling some of the issues I have been stuck on for a while and showing me there is a way.
There is also a really nice simple grounding medication that I really like. She discuses other rituals as well as giving 10 for daily life at the end of her book.

Thoughts 

Is it possible to be Christian and Wiccan at the same time? I have been pondering this idea for many years and have never come up with a totally conclusive answer. But this book has helped me bring some of my thoughts to a head. It has taught me many new things about Christianity and some things about "being a witch" which is what she talks bout in the book. She never uses the word Wiccan so I will use it in my own thoughts.
At an early age I had always felt that church was a politically charged, hypocritical place and have never really been interested in actually sitting through many sermons. I feel alot of preachers, priest, ministers, etc, have there own agenda and I don't always feel it is taken straight from their teachings from Christ. But I don't just mean straight from the words in the bible... The bible I feel is man made. It was written by men and though it does have some meaning to me its not the only thing I look to.

I think this book has put exactly how I feel out in words. I am glad to know I am not the only one who feels this way.

From: The path of the Christian Witch

"I had made a clear distinction in my mind between the church as a political institution and the teachings of Christ. Often the two did not match, and I felt no obligation to follow the dictates of a church that did not follow Christ's teachings of love and humility"

"make a split in my head between the political institution and the spiritual heritage that is Christianity. It strengthened my resolve to discard whatever bigotry was diffused by the church and to focus on the core of what it meant to be Christian."

" Politics and social propaganda obscure the spiritual core of Christianity. There are so many denominations and so many beliefs, rules and dictates that divide us as Christians. These rules have very little to do, as far as I am concerned, with the Christian faith itself. Jesus himself rebuked those who followed the law blindly, without consideration for what was right and loving." 

I feel that god is love, compassion, understanding, the teacher of all things, and the ever knowing. But I don't always get that from a church. I have never went into a church and had a peaceful feeling that that is were I am meant to be.  I don't mean that I don't belong in church at all I just mean I haven't found that specific church that gives me peace in my heart yet. But with the run ins with Christian "attitude" that  I have had I don't believe I have been looking for that church either. I do believe many people, and myself, are put off by the over powering since of entitlement Christians seem to carry around with them and the attitudes that they are somehow better than everyone else just because they go to church on Sundays... With of without a church god is always there as long as your heart and mind are open to him.

From: The path of the Christian Witch

" The kingdom of God is inside you, and it is outside of you. Split the wood I am there. Turn the Stone, and you will find me. ~ The Gospel of Thomas~ Part of the Nag Hammadi Library

With that being said about why I don't attend church I will say I pray every day. I speak to my lord  whenever I need him, when ever I want to give thanks, when ever the I need patients, whenever I need strength. I speak with him often.

More Excerpts that spoke to me from The Path of the Christian Witch

"I started to look at my parents through adult eyes. They were wonderful, generous, loving people. But they were human. They were the sum total of their own life experiences- experiences that differed largely form my own."

• This except caught me because sometimes we all argue with our parents, friends, significant others, etc. Sometimes we don't take this simple concept into perspective. I try to. I know I don't always. And I know most people are a product of there environment and that means you must take this concept into perspective and learn from it. But this being said I don't believe you have to be a product of your environment either. 
• Example #1: I grew up eating meat and being taught that that was just a part of life... I am a vegan now... 
• Example #2: John grew up in a very strict Christian church going house hold that also ate meat and had some other issues. But that hasn't stopped him from having his own opinion about church, the bible, God, and spirituality in general and the fact that he doesn't go to church anymore or even really believe everything that was force fed to him while he was in church. As well he is a vegan too. His child hood was very ruff and he didn't let that stop him from becoming an awesome, understanding, loving, caring, responsible, dependable, trusting Man.
• I feel like some people use there environment growing up as an excuse for the way they act. But in all truth they can change that if they really want to. But most people stick with what they know even if it is self harming. Such as anger, drugs, unhealthy life styles, etc.

But I do think it reins in true for alot of people.

"I wanted to feel connected to the universe and worship the sanctity of nature. I wanted to feel the rhythms of the earth and walk the world in pure awareness."

• This to I churn for. The universe, nature, and god are all of one and with out them we are nothing. I feel we should respect all of nature. God made this place for us and we should respect all of his creation. 

"an elderly Jesuit once told us that studying was the greatest act of loving kindness one could ever practice. You never know when something you've read or a skill you've learned may help someone else in their time of trouble."

• I totally agree with the above statement.

" The more we interact with nature, the more we realize that we are not separate from it. We are an integral part of it. We are not a ruler caste put on Earth to control and dominate. Our planet lives according to its own cycles and rhythms"

• Again Totally agree... alot of the time I here people make comments that we are the dominant species and its our right to do this or that... But behind those words I hear no respect for nature, no being a part of it... Only trying to dominate over it. I wonder how long the planet will sustain with such arrogance and disregard.

"Jesus taught us about love and simplicity, about listening within and not following authority blindly."

• Again I feel many people do follow authority blindly or are forced by that same authority to follow it. Just because it is a law or being enforced doesn't make it right. It doesn't mean you should do it... 
• Example #1... BSL Laws... Breed Specific legislative- These laws are going into effect all over our country and they are disgusting. In some towns and citys all Pit Bulls (or other breeds that are listed on the bill, Normally PitBulls, German Shepards, Rotts, Pinchers, etc. But mostly pits.)   are being euthanized just because of their breed. And any dog that looks like a Pit bull even if the dog is or is not will also be euthanized. 
• Plus just because the majority does it... doesn't make it right either and that its trend across our nation..

"Christian Witchcraft is first and foremost a state of mind. It is the acknowledgment that I alone am responsible for my spirituality. It is a way of reclaiming my faith and incorporating it into everything I do."

Although for one reason or another I have always been interested in Wicca but at the same time have never ritualized. But I probably have brought some of the beliefs into my Christian beliefs. I do agree with the above statement. I myself am reclaiming my faith and learning through life what spirituality means to me.

"In Italy, the cross did not stop when you touched your right shoulder. You then brought your hand from your heart to your lips and sent away a kiss, to be lifted on the air all the way to the Lord"

• Although I am not Catholic and was not raised Catholic I have always Crossed myself. I don't know why. I have always done it in privacy and the only person who knows I do it is my husband. I have just always been drawn to it and feel better after I have done it in respect for god. For the last couple of years after my Amen I have also blown a kiss. So When I read this it spoke to my heart and I have since changed to crossing and blowing a kiss and I feel it in my heart and it feels good.

What frustrates me about the book as well as Author..

" During the class, our teacher, who was a vegetarian, mentioned something in passing that really stuck with me. He talked about the food we eat and how that retains the energy of its experiences. This includes the people who have manipulated it, processed it, and prepared it, as well as the actual ingredients we use. It dawned on me how important our food was in sustaining us and that we were ingesting energy."

She speaks of using Reiki to bless the food. Then she goes on to say a little later that:

" This is particularly important for the meat we eat, as it retains a bit of the trauma of its death"

• "A bit" If it is going to retain trauma it is going to retain alot of it!!!! Does she not know what these animals go through to be put on her plate? How their lives are nothing but misery and there deaths horrific? Just to satisfy to selfish urge. 

This is the blessing prayer she says over her meat....
" May your sacrifice be honored through my actions"

• Honored how by her sticking the meat in her mouth and chewing it??? Then swallowing it and going back for another piece of  the beings chard flesh??? 

Further back in her book she speaks of the Wiccan Rede which I have always liked and held close.

"An you harm none, do what you will"

"We breath life into this law with our every thought and action. We are the well-being of all that is.


Really and you still eat meat because you are not harming any one? anything? any being? the environment?

"Our Ten Commandments warn us about concrete things we may do to harm others. They all fall well within the Wiccan Rede. It even extends further in the sense that it does not limit itself to loving your brother and sisters. "Harm  none" also includes yourself, your environment, all aspects of nature, the Web of Life that connects us all. It is simple and non- Negotiable."


(In this paragraph she was also talking about how many rules /laws there are in Christianity and how that one little phase from the Wiccan Rede covers it all. I am just saying this to inform you on the rest of this paragraph.)

• Exactly NON-NEGOTIABLE... 
• Clear through the book she speaks of how Christianity is so hypocritical... But then right before the end of the book she states one of the biggest hypocrisies that I think the Christian society has... Eating Meat... and on top of that she follows the Wiccan Rede as well so Hypocritic on both sides...

"And ye harm none do what ye will"

"Thou Shalt  not kill"

•  With these two simple easy to follow statements it condemns it in both religions. How Christians and or Wiccans are killing and eating animals and ok with it I will never know...

This is the short Wiccan Rede. There is more to it But

 this is the specific part that has been discussed here.

This is the rest of the paragraph form the selection above

New Years Resolutions 2010- Progress

Here is the update

1. Be a more outspoken and reliable vegan... not doing so great on this one. Well to tell you the truth. I really haven't been to any family gatherings and the ones I have gone to I have taken food with us. But if it does come up I do plan to be tactful & kind in whatever I say. I still don't want to come across as a "Bitchy" Vegan. I would rather people have a good outlook of veganisim instead of bringing their preconceived notions to life. :)
2. Pay off atleast $6,000 of debt. we are moving towards this goal for the year. As of April we are about $2100.00 down. But Johns job has shortened hours for the last couple months. The only credit card we have used is the Lowes card, for some gardening stuff..oops & The Care credit card for some vet bills. So even with the hour loss we have been staying away from credit cards. But our savings account is feeling the stretch. So I really hope his work picks up.
3. Cook at least 3 Times a week. Well this happens some weeks but not all weeks. My back had me in bed for a month so I really didn't cook at all that months. Maybe once of twice. I have been cooking more lately now that the weather is nice. I have been baking and trying some new recipes for desserts at my parents weekly cookouts. Plus I have been looking for some light dishes for the summer. So we can make it quick and sit out in the gorgeous sun and enjoy evening, the companionship, and the food.
   
4. Keep the house cleaner than last year, and more organized. This is such a battle for me. With all three dogs and a couple cats under my feet where ever I turn. It makes it difficult. We have taken on some projects around the house aswell. Like building a walk in closet into our bedroom. So I have everything displaced into the animal room (the 2nd bedroom), and our living room. For some reason The husband is at a stand still with progress. and has been for months. I have cut drywall and wood laying in the already crowded hall way along with the four bookshelves that need put into the 2nd bedroom. I am going to put a sewing table & book shelves into the 2nd bedroom as soon as the junk can be moved. Then the back porch that we built on a few years ago will be the "animal room". I am going to hang up some shelves and build a cat House for it. But John is also thinking about putting his weight bench out there. We have has it for 5 years and it is still in the box. For both of our sake I hope we can get it up sooner or later. The house is just on on going project because we just have to much stuff to fit into this house. In 3 to 5 years. Hopefully 3 we plan on finding a piece of land and moving.
5. Read more than 15 books. We are 5 months into the year. I have made a book list of 15 books. But I have only finished 1. And I am reading 2 others at this time. So I hope to meet this goal.
6. Be a more consistent blogger. Hey I think I have been keeping up with this one. I haven't been doing alot of cooking blogs so Vegannatura.blogspot.com has been paying the price with 1 blog in the last probably 3 months. But this blog I have been adding a good amount to. Probably could put in more. But sometimes I get to busy and forget. But like I said this one is a go!!! :)
7. Take better care of my health. I will say since I have become vegan I don't know if I have had one cold which is awesome! Normally at the beginning and end of winter I always get a sore throat and head cold and I didn't this year! awesome awesome awesome. and that has ALWAYS happened in the past with the colds. But I have yet to start 1 consistent exercise program and I should really eat a better balanced diet. But when your back hurts and your not feeling well because of it you just don't feel like doing either. Today I feel really good though and have been trying to get stuff done. So hopefully I feel feel good the rest of the week and I can get into some exercise and good eats. On the mental prospective I have been doing really well this year. Atleast I think. I am learning as I go. To stay a calmer person. To try to take life as it comes at me instead of always worrying. I mean I do still have things I worry about on a daily, hourly, minutely, secondly basis, but these things have dwindled down to just a few things and I am trying to live a slower, less stress, life. I love to chill out an listen to Mishka which always seems to give me a calm feeling even when I have had a pretty crappy day. So things though still send me over the top. Like Chloe escaping from my parents yard and my neighbor calling me to tell me she can't catch her when I am 2 hours away. Luckily she did catch her but I was inconsolable! But I am a work in progress. and I think I like where I am going.
8. Learn more about amino acids. Haven't really hit on this one yet. I know a few things but not enough.
9. Donate to atleast 3 charities. we have donated a small amount to 2 charities. A dog rescue & the Harrison county humane society. But I do plan on making 3 Bigger contributions to Probably Farm Sanctuary, maybe an overseas village water program, not sure which one yet, and probably another animal case.
10. Takeout no more than 2 times a week. Sometimes we have it once, sometimes twice, and yes if we are out a third time sometimes 3 times. But The husband has been eating alot of takeout for work lunch and that kinda annoys me... We could be saving some money if we just made his lunch here... But thats a man for you..lol

I have also added some.

1. Do some art projects, sewing, knitting, painting. It doesn't matter but do something from the heart. I have been doing this. I have painting a few times this year and sewed. I am getting ready to make some 4- 4th of july dog collar bandannas, a couple dogs beds, & a purse. I have some other plans too that have to do with balsa wood wall hangings.
   
2. Take better care of the garden this year. Instead of like in the past . Plant it and walk away. Actually try to keep it nice, weed free, tired up. and nice. I have been working on this we will see how it pans out later on this summer.

What the heck is up with the words that want to stay red. It won't let me change their color for some reason.... evil thing..lol

Eating animals

Words Meanings

I was waiting on my husband one day, in our local Walmart, sitting at a Subway Restaurant, located inside the Walmart, not eating but taking up their valuable table space and getting dirty looks from the employees, while reading the Word Meanings Chapter of Eating Animals. When my husband finally showed up the first thing I had him do was sit down and read the first sentence of:

Excerpt from CFE
"Common Farming Exemptions make legal any method of raising farmed animals so long as it is commonly practiced within the industry."

I had heard of this before when I was much younger and had forgotten the term. Until reading the Word Meanings section of Eating Animals it never really dawned on me again. But it definitely really made me sick to think that its not bad enough that the animal industries have the government eating from the palm of their hands. But they really are setting their own laws and regulation with this one little sentence. As long as everyone else is doing it, its fine and seen as perfectly acceptable. So the old saying your parents told you while growing up...

"If everyone else jumped off a bridge, would you?

and in this question yes everyone in the Factory Farming industry fines it acceptable to hold animals in deplorable conditions and deny them of every god given right that they should have. So when these people were growing up, were they never asked this question, or did they just not learn the lesson.

Just because everyone else is doing it, it doesn't make it good or acceptable.

But then again I guess most adolescents go with the crowd and jump... Ignorance, stupidity, & insanity... Which were not listed in the Word Meanings section. But I feel this law is ridicules and should be described as so.

I bet my parents regret asking me that question so many times when I was growing up. Maybe thats what gave me a mind of my own. A feature that my Dad doesn't seem to find very acceptable and tells me "You wasn't brought up that way". Meaning I will speak up for myself if I feel I am being dismissed or taken advantage of, or if I have something to say. I am not rude about anything but I will speak my mind. I am myself and thats what I am meant to be. I was never one to stay with a crowd anyways but... Who knows if they wouldn't have asked me this so many times maybe it wouldn't have stuck, and maybe, just maybe I would have never found my way into a lifestyle that is not seen as the "in" thing to be. Because I have no need or want to be with the "in" crowd just because I can. Eating meat might be the thing every one else is doing but again that does not make it responsible, respectful, acceptable, or the right thing to do.

My husband was just as annoyed as I was about this "law". "Law" because it is horrendous and any Representative who helped put this in place is really saying do what you will as long as you fund us. "Law" obviously only means pay me enough and I will write up anything you want. So you really have no responsibility for the cruelty you put onto these animals. Because every one is doing it and getting paid not only from peoples pockets but from subsidies... So sad and embarrassing to live in a country were this is acceptable.

I really liked going through the Word Meaning section and I thought it was going to be boring and just stuff I already knew. But it was more than just definitions and really put a new look upon certain things I thought I really understood. Not that I didn't understand, but gave me a new way to think about certain topics. Like the Small elevator comparison to Battery cages.

There are some statistics listed. I really haven't learned alot about fishing/dredging/ etc. And the amounts of fish. But some statics in this book opened my eyes more to how much bycatch there is in the industry.

Excerpt from Bycatch
"Shrimp account for only 2 percent of global seafood weight, but shrimp trawling accounts for 33 percent of global by catch."

There is also a list of what sea animals are considered "Bycatch". A long list...

Good section of the book.
."~C

Chicks, Chickens, Gaint Eggs, & Gardening

The Chicks are growing and becoming out going little ones. They run around with their little wings flapping. One will start and then the others will follow. So sweet. They jump up and lay on Lil Bantis back and she clucks a calming motherly cluck. So sweet. She is loving being a Mama. Yesterday was the first day they went out and into the grass. They pecked, scratched and ran around. Lil Banti took her first dust bath in a can't tell you how long. Actually she decided to take it in the only bare spot she could find... The chick feed... I know crap picture. She laid there flopping he feathers in the dirt & chick feed and I think she was actually teaching her babies while enjoying it herself. They starter trying. They would lay and copy her. The lil white chick fell over on her back and had to use her little wings to put her self back on her feet. But they laid and basked in the sun. They loved it. To bad it rained and was cool out today. They never came out. But they are very healthy. They are feathering so fast. It is hard to believe. We have had them for a little over a week now and they are even starting to get tail feathers. Their food intake is steadily increasing. They are a joy to watch. Just like the other chickens. I love watching them all. They still are not out around the other chickens. Gaia & Mabon especially look at them like they are walking meals. So it will be a good while before they are allowed out with them. But they are being raised right beside them so they can get used to each other.

Two of the chickens are laying huge eggs ever so often. Except in the last 8 or 9 days I have seen 4 of these giant eggs and I have brought them in to weigh them. Regular Eggs are between 2.0 and 2.3 grams. The big eggs are 2.8-3.2 grams. So a whole gram bigger than normal. I think it is Gaia definitely lays some big eggs. The light colored huge egg I have no clue who laid them because we only get that color sometimes... Not very often. Some of the eggs are shaped weird, a weird color, or uneven colored. I am not sure what to think about these eggs. The Vet said not to worry if it wasn't frequent. But when one chicken lays 2 in a week that is kinda frequent. Am I doing something wrong? I don't know... But I hope I can figure this out.

Regular Size Top. Bigger Bottom. Size Comparative. Uneven color. Mis-shapen egg

I did finally figure out who the most of the different egg colors belong to though. From Left to right. Gaia, Ivy, Mabon, Big Red, And Isis.

Started working on the garden beds yesterday too. Cleaned out 2 of them with Johns help. I didn't use them last year so they had totally over grown with dandelions and weeds. So I cleaned them out and fed the weeds to the chickens. They really enjoyed them. Then we covered the beds with black garden bed covering until we add more organic soil and straight sow or plant starters. So no more weeds... Still need to cover the other place we are starting a garden bed..

Grass is starting to grow on the little hills of dirt we have been leaving there to spread out. So we better get to it. I am also going to put a garden bed in front of the front porch but I am not sure that is going to get done while the growing season is still realistic. I hope so though. I am still so excited about this growing season. I hope it turns out great. But so far I am not having luck with my starters. I have very few plants starting. I think that first rain storm did my plants in by moving the seed out and around. Starting plants in containers seems to be much harder than starting them in the ground. I have never really found any info about it either. Luckily I checked out a book from the library yesterday. Its called Good Garden Magic. This book has a lot of good, basic info that I am finding useful. It is understandable and is almost like having someone there to tell you basic gardening techniques. Its not a large book but to me its very useful. I plan on ordering a copy soon. We did a couple other things too. When we went to the library we walked. That was the first time we have walked to town in years like 6 or so years. But I enjoyed the walk and John did too. We hung out at the library for an hour and then came home.

The day before we went to Books- A- Million and sat for a few hours looking through books. I haven't done that in a couple years either. I miss just going and having a laid back day with John. It was so nice!

This 4 day weekend has been really, really great! :)

Eating Animals- Sharing 2 Paragraphs from Chapter 2.b

Just finished reading the 2nd chapter of Johnathan Saffran Foers book "Eating animals" Two paragraphs I would like to share:

"More than any set of practices, factory farming is a mind set: reduce production cost to the absolute minimum and systemically ignore or "externalize" such costs as environmental degradation, human disease, and animal suffering. For thousands of years, farmers took their cues from natural processes. Factory farming considers nature an obstacle to be overcome."

"I felt shame for living in a nation of unprecedented prosperity- a nation that spends a smaller percentage of income on food than any other civilization has in human history-but in the name of affordability treats the animals it eats with cruelty so extreme it would be illegal to inflict on a dog."

On to chapter 3....

The Book Eating Animals- Story Telling

Somethings have past through my mind long ago and not really triggered an emotion. But then to read it on a page and really discover that my children will never eat any foods I grew up with or food that our families make, will never be able to have cake at a birthday party or ice cream at a summer stand, or eat at a family reunion. It will really be different. I think this hits me more now for some reason. But I know it is for a greater good. For teaching them respect and that life is not ours to take and give as we please. Life is something to be cherished, be it animal, human, insect, etc. That life is the most important thing to that individual just like our lives are to us. Memories are what we make them. If we hinder ourselves by saying, but they will never have this, then we are not doing them any good. Find new traditions. Families who are interested can work on some of their recipes and make one of them vegan but really close to what it was. Its not hard. Find places that serve something vegan an make it a once a month trip. Or even make it a tradition when you travel to stop by one particular place to grab vegan ice cream. Celebrate Earth Day, & World Vegan Day, etc. I long for the opportunity to show & teach my children about life. And I know even though their child hood will not have some of the things I grew up with, that it can be great with new traditions. So I will not let these things hinder my family & I. :)

I know there are so many reviews of this book floating around. Good ones, Bad ones, and everything in between. And I was really expecting, after seeing some interviews of Mr. Foer and reading other reviews, to give this book a bad review. But right now I am thinking it has some interesting info in it and I am going to keep my mind open to give his book a fair review. I like how he is telling about his journey as the books unfolds. and I think a good number of people can relate about their feelings on family & how it can be affected by taking on this lifestyle.

Book Sale

Was going to town to rent some movies and talked John into going to the Friday book sale. He likes going to the book sale we just don't have really any shelf space left to bring home the number of books we like to pick up. But I didn't bring home a box full this time... Probably close though. I love going because you never know what you are going to find. This time I found some magazines that I have been wanting to buy for a long time and wouldn't pay the $5 each for them. Call me cheap I don't care. But I got them for .5 cents each today!!!! Loving it. I was so excited! :) And being that they are the Mother Earth New Magazines... I Reused what was already in circulation and didn't add to the mess... Remember Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. :)

I also brought home some other magazines that I had been wanting since last Fall. I love fall magazines. And we bought I believe 13 books. All for $3.75. I would have been happy just with the magazines though! :) Lets see if this book can really help pay down our debt..lol..Lets see I am already down .25 cents... :)

A book I purchased last time I went to the sale has become a good companion product safety. The safe shopper's Bible tells alot about what comes in products that people purchase everyday. I wish they would make a newer version. But it has really come in handy. Just to learn about stuff like the Oranges from Florida are dyed and the dyes used on them have Known carcinogens in them, and milk is one of the prime routes of exposure to radioactive contamination from nuclear power plant, cucumbers used for pickling accumulate carcinogens pesticide residues. So you should always buy organic pickles!, & sesame seeds & cashews from outside the country hold alot of pesticide residues and they are on the purchase organically list... But there is alot of information about most household items, food, and cosmetics.

I checked one book out from our local library also Its called Reader's Digest Homemade. I will let you know what I find that is interesting.

REMEMBER CHECK OUT YOUR LOCAL BOOK SALE & LIBRARY!!!
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE

Books, Arts Supplies & Coupons, My day in a nut shell

Well as I mentioned in the previous post I have yet again went shopping for books & art supplies, as well as used alot of coupons.

First coupon use of the day was at AC Moore. I Purchase a Book called Tasty Crochet. It looks awesome. Although they want you to use wool. So I hope things turn out ok using Cotton..... Why does every knitting book tell you to use wool & other animal fibers...? So annoying. I have been looking for a cotton or cotton blend pattern for a Shrug but have yet to find one....So evil... Someone please point me in the right direction :) Originally 18.95

Went to Krogers to use some coupons on some new meals Healthy Choice has out. They are Pot Stickers with Asian flavored rice & veg. What I can see of them I am assuming they are vegan. I hope they are and that I am not just missing some chemical word some where. If I am please let me know. But I didn't spend any more money on them. I had 2- $2.00 off coupons. The meals range from $1.88 to $2.12 around here. So sometimes buying them paying me... :) which is always a good thing. They are pretty good. The Pot stickers have tofu, cabbage, & carrots in them. Then the rice & veg has something like sweet & sour sauce but its a little tangy too. Pretty good though!

Then went back to AC Moore and used another 50% off coupon for Martha Stewart's glitter set. I want to do all the animals portraits in her glitter painting to hang up around the house... Might take some time and patients but hopefully I will get it. It was originally $29.98 and I got it for $14.99. I also got a .99 cent bottle of craft glue...

Then went to target. Got some Salt & Vinegar baked chips. The only ones I can find without whey in them. There is one other brand but they are really sour/bitter.. not sure but I make funny faces of pain.... :) Christmas gifts, and some cleaner.

Also went to Marshalls- browsing bought books & Christmas presents, Toys R Us- Looking for Zhu Zhu Pets, Subway- Had a veggie sub, Tractor Supply Co- looking for a dog harness & chicken supplies ... its crazy what you can find at a farm store... I mean outside of chicken stuff.. lol... Biglots- Browsing, Jo Ann Fabrics- browsing, Borders looking through some of the vegan cook books I have been wanting.. and have I mentioned the ladies working there tonight where useless? and Walmart- Got a couple groceries.... Grand total.. although I saved a lot using coupons.. is still to much for me to post today.. so embarrassing.... :)

Also picked up a couple Christmas presents. I think my next rant just might be about consumerism & Christmas..... yay....

Books Galore- Cook books, Art books,AR Books, Religion Books, Etc

Well of course I love books. Find any excuse I can to purchase books. Love the way they look. The way they small... how easy they are to organize.... Love to learn new information... I do read fiction ever so often too, and I love to get immersed in a good story that lasts longer then a 2 hour movie. (Pictured is just 3 of my bookshelves. The rest are in other room and I am getting ready to bough another).

So I find my self buying tons of books. More then I should. More then I could read. Or at least more them a do read. Cook books! I love vegan cookbooks. They are my favorite books to get right now. Animal rights books and books that are anti- animal rights.. I love seeing both views and having that in the back of my mind in case the arguments ever come up. One book I would like to look at with out giving the fool my money would be Worship not the Creature. It drives me crazy when people set around the book store and read whole books. Well this would be one of those books for me. I would be the annoying one in the corner reading... lol ... any who.....

So I have been getting some awesome deals. Although it hasn't been on vegan cook books. It has been on other books of interest.
New Books at Bargain Prices
Last week , I stopped by a Borders Book store in Morgantown to use my 30% coupon. I was hoping they would have a better selection of vegan cookbooks then our other borders does. But sadly that store is smaller then our other one. I ended up getting a big stack of books for $1 each. I did still use my coupon on The Backyard Homestead. John and I would love to become mostly self sustained. So I do some times pick up some books on how to get further into that. It was originally $18.95 and I got it for $13.28. Plus all the $1 books we picked up. ( The books that say 3.99 w/ a blue sticker are still on sale for $1 each)

( And no I don't buy into fad diets I just like reading about different nutritional stuff, Hinduism is not my religion I just like researching other religions, I don't think Cesar is Dog god, Green is they way I prefer to try to live, and the raunchy books I have no excuse for :) )

Used Books
The week before that I finally checked back in with the used book sale I visit from time to time beside Mannington Library. They have a huge amount of books. Although they used to have more. They cost anywhere from .0 to .50 and they also sell Magazines,audio books, VHS, Cassettes. They take all the libraries discarded books as well as the public book donations. So they are open every Friday and the same lady runs it. The last time we went I went looking for Fall magazines. I refuse to pay $4 or $5 dollars sometimes more for magazines. Except the few I am subscribed to like Vegnews & Vegetarian times. But I also ran into a huge pile of discarded photography books. Which is one of my areas of interest. I have a few manual cameras that I don't use very often. I would love to have my own darkroom one day. Maybe someday they will come out with vegan film. Who knows. I only spent like 2 or 3 dollars and got a bunch of books. Sometimes some stores send them discarded, brand new books with the covers ripped off. And they give those away for free. But most books are .10 cents each. I don't think she really charges you that for them when you have a ton of them like I normally go over and get. I think she just pops off a number... lol.. But thats ok with me. I used to go their all the time but then I realized between gas and the $2 to $5 I was spending on fiction a week I could save it and order alot of vegan cook books from amazon... So that ended my weekly visits. But I do still go back from time to time.

We also have a Barnes & Noble & Books a million- They both have bargain sections and Books a million even sells discarded library books now for $3.00 each. I haven't been there for a while. I will have to go visit. I wonder if they have coupons...

Today I went to AC Moore, Marshells & the other Borders books store in Clarksburg. I found quit a few interesting books. At Ac Moore I had some 50% off coupons so I used one on a book about crocheting food. It is very cute. Go to my next post to see which book I picked out. At Marshells I picked up 3 knitting books that have some really cute stuff in them. They were only 3.99 each. So that was a great find. They had quit a few books today. Maybe they are getting them in for the Holidays. I will have books to look at TJ Maxx where I also go to by books,, and cough, cough,.. cooking accessories.... um ..and they almost always have the Martha Stewart cooking school book for super cheap but I keep skipping over it because it has such a big section on meat. So I am not sure if I really want it. Anyways... Then I went to borders with another 30% off coupon but decided I would skip using it because I had already spent so much today.. plus I have a trip on Friday... But I did buy 2 more $1 books and I also bought and donated a book to the Children's hospital.

So it has been great book shopping lately.. But I still don't think I have had my fill... :)