Bittersweet

Well we had a wonderful week with my son,  but he had to be back yesterday.  It has been a great visit, but somehow I didn't get nearly enough pictures.  It was a bittersweet Christmas as this was our first Christmas away from our two older daughters.  It was very surreal for sure.  We did skype with both girls so that was really nice.  Sometimes we sure love technology!  We have also been to the pool several times, to the beach (sort of), and visited with extended family.  We've had really nice weather up until yesterday.  rained pretty much all day!  Today isn't looking too promising either.  That's ok though because we're silk having a great time with family!  We only have 6 days left and we'll be pulling our house on wheels back to Alabama.  The weather there has been really bad, so we're certainly glad that we missed it.  I'll post about the campground after we leave, but I'll say this, it is very nice.  Hope everyone had a great holiday!

Florida Bound

It's time!  We'll be getting on the road, house in tow, in the morning.  I've got everything as stable as I can get it and hopefully it'll all ride well.  We'll see if I need to make improvements when we arrive.

The trip should take around 8 hours if all goes well.  We have to be in the campground by 9 pm or they lock the gates!  So we're hoping for an uneventful trip.
My son arrived there this morning!  I'm so excited to see everyone.  We'll be seeing my brother and his sweet family, my son, my daughter, my grandmother, my husband's cousin and her family, and several friends!

We'll be there for two weeks.  The campground has a heated pool and hot tub... so we're hoping for nice warm Florida weather for sure!  I'll post a campground review at the end of the trip.  I'll include the name and contact info. I'll also make a list of pros and cons for anyone who might be interested.

Hope your holidays are wonderful and filled with quality time with those you love!  Merry Christmas to all y'all ♡

Time to ponder...life.

Once in a while I will come to a point where I simply can't understand what's going on in the world around me.  I literally cannot wrap my mind around the chaos. It usually hits me like a ton of bricks, even though it's been building up for some time.  It's really weird that I can see it coming, but then my mind and spirit react like it came out of nowhere. This is one of those times.

I recognize when this happens because I find that I reach for my phone to post on FB about something and then a) I delete it before I can hit send or b) I get so caught up in the confusion I feel that I don't even attempt to post at all and c) I don't even want to discuss whatever "it" is with my family.  When "c" happens it's definitely time to be still and refocus.

I'm pretty sure it has to do with a bunch of random moments of hyper clarity wrapped in "I'm so clueless as to how to make it better" thoughts that seem to envelope me.  It's in these times that I can feel myself withdrawing from friends and sometimes even family.

The clarity I mentioned isn't what you might think, it's more like I can see that my heart, mind, spirit and thought process are... well, a little "out of whack" so to speak. 

I get so wrapped up in the emotions of what is going on in the world, and then get myself into mental "slow-motioned" frenzy.  I find the problems in the world to be so overwhelming that all I can do is retreat and cry a little at the sadness of it all.

Running through my mind I hear... war is around the corner, people are killing each other, people are starving, humanity is destroying our planet, what kind of future will my children have, why are people so apathetic, there is a holocaust of babies and animals, cruelty is everywhere, you need to do something, this really makes me angry...oh yeah why?, you're only one person-you'll never make a difference, well that's a great excuse...  The list just goes on and on, questioning my sanity next due to the ongoing internal discussion.  Ha.

Anyway, I find it's at times like this that I need to retreat just a little.  I owe it to my conscience, my heart and to the precious world around me to ponder what is weighing down my spirit.  I need to take a good hard look at what needs to be addressed as well as what I have no control over. 

Things that I can address aren't always easy, but at least I can take action.  Areas that are out of my control, such as the actions of others...I just have to take a little time and make peace with that fact the best that I can.  I didn't memorize the "Serenity Prayer" for nothing, that's for sure!

So if it happens that friends and family don't hear from me for days, weeks or months, don't be alarmed.  I'm just trying to figure out my place, responsibility and direction in this crazy world we live in.  Who knows, maybe it'll happen quickly, maybe it'll truly take months.  
Until then, I will be in my own little world, soul searching my way back to my own centered place of calm and inner peace! 

Wishing everyone a happy and safe holiday season ♡♡♡

Reasons I Choose Vegan (almost always...I'm not perfect)

There are so many great reasons to be vegan!   Recently when I've talked to people about veganism is been mostly about food for health.  I tell people of my weight loss, that I feel better, sleep better and that I have more energy. 

ALL of these things are true!   I'm not at all glorifying it or enhancing the truth in some covert way in order to justify my lifestyle choices...I simply tell the truth.  

Well, over the last few days I've been feeling very convicted to share more of the reasons, the moral and ethical reasons I won't eat meat. 

I want to share the suffering and inhumane treatment of animals in a way that won't offend people.  Not because I care so much about offending them, but because I really want them to listen.  Offended people never care to listen.  I want to help people understand the horrors that they are likely unknowingly participating in.

People are, quite often, sensitive when it comes to their dietary choices.  I am not naive to the fact that there will always be people that are fully aware of the suffering of animals and choose to consume them anyway.   However,  I know that some people don't have any clue about the terrible suffering and abuse that is taking place on factory farms.  I think many are unintentionally disconnected... they are so distracted by the business of their lives that they don't have the time to sit and research like I do.  They may never slow down long enough to think about it unless someone tells them.

In the mean time, they are unknowingly supporting abuse, torture and murder.  Yes,  I do believe it's murder.  I believe that all living beings have a will to live, and if given the choice would choose life. 

So, how do I go about informing people (without being offensive) of these atrocities?  How do I handle those who call me stupid, pick me apart and don't care?  Is there a way to make them care, or do I just refocus my energy to those who are willing to listen. 

This undertaking kind of makes me feel the same as when I'm trying to share the gospel of Jesus with someone.  Not everyone is receptive.  Some are hateful or could simply care less.  Then you have those who have never "really" heard.

Maybe I just need to approach it with the same attitude of love.  Like most Christians say, plant the seed and then it's up to God to finish the rest, because we can't save anyone.  Only Christ can do that.  Now that I've typed that last line,  I think I have my answer.

I can't change the world, and I know that.  However, if I can help one person with choosing a healthier lifestyle and save countless animals from just one person's change, then I guess all the jokes, nastiness and people not caring is worth it!  Because saving even one is better than saving none!

In the end I have to be able to look myself in the mirror and be ok with who I see.  Right now, I see a person who is doing good, but could certainly be doing more! 

Please consider veganism.  If you place your pet dog or cat or what ever animal you love in the position of that cow, calf, chicken, turkey, pig etc., I think you could probably understand how I feel.   Better yet how the animal would feel.  If you wouldn't want your pet to be tortured and then put on your plate, then why would you accept that as the fate for any other animal?  Could you look at your beloved pet and say "I know this is awful for you, but I just don't think I can give up eating meat.  I'm sorry, but your life isn't quite as valuable as my desire to consume flesh". 

The immense suffering of the poor animals is very real.  The same as if it were your own pet.  They feel pain, sadness, fear and much more!  If you are unsure about the reality of what I'm sharing with you then please check out these videos.  You can see just how horrendous the situation is for these poor creatures. But be prepared they are violent, deplorable and utterly heart breaking.

I hope that seeing this suffering that you will be heartbroken for their sakes too.  I can't watch these videos without crying.  My husband often asks me why I still watch them when I already understand the suffering?  I watch them so I don't get complacent.  I watch them, because it encourages me to make better choices each and every day.  And, I watch them so that I can muster up the courage, for the sake of the animals, to beg others to adopt a vegan lifestyle! 

If anyone has questions, I'll do the best I can to answer them.  Please don't be hateful in the comments.  If you choose to comment, simply be respectful.  If you made it this far, I thank you for reading.  If you watched the videos, I thank you to.  I would love to hear about what you thought. 

Thanks y'all ♡

Mornings and meatballs!

Good morning world!  I love that I wake up early.  Sometimes I am up as early as 3 a.m. and other times it's closer to 5 a.m.  I don't mind it one bit.  I wake up on my own rather than to an alarm clock.  I assume that my body feels as though it has had enough sleep.  I am always wide awake and not sleepy.  I also go to bed pretty early.  I think I have somehow slipped into a pattern here over these last few months...early to bed, early to rise.

Anyway, I enjoy the quiet time alone.  Justin is usually up and getting ready for work (school right now) around 6 a.m.  It gives us a chance to have a few minutes alone in the morning to chat or pass on what needs to be done that day.  Then he leaves and the girls generally sleep until 8ish.

The only down side to waking early and living in the camper is that there are only so many places you can go whilst others are sleeping.  The space is small so quiet is more necessary than it has ever been for my family.  Summer time was a lot easier because it was warm out and I could just sit outside.  Our days are still warm, even hot for December, but the mornings are pretty chilly.  Regardless, the inconvenience is very small and I still love getting up early.

It's a great time to ponder the day.  I often think of what meals I am gonna make.  I will peruse Facebook and then recipes to see if there is anything new that I would want to try.  My kiddos are pretty picky, but they will eat anything I make for the most part.  So I try to accommodate them when I can.  I thought of having a weekly meal plan.  It sounded good on paper, but I'm not sure that it is gonna work in reality.  We'll see, and I'll let you know how it goes.

Last night I made spaghetti sauce with some Gardien (fake meat) meatballs. (My Monday meal) I figured I would try them out and see if the girls and my hubby would enjoy them.  They were much better than I thought they would be.  The texture was fantastic, but the taste was pretty bland.  My family is accustomed to heavily seasoned food.  The only meatballs that they have ever experienced have been made by yours truly and of course really heavy on the Italian spices.  So overall the fake meatballs were good, but I think I will do a little research on how I can make my own so I can season them the way my family likes.  All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by the texture and how well they held up.  I would rate them a four out of five.  Only because of the blandness.  They could use more seasonings.

If anyone knows of a great recipe for fake meatballs, I would be so grateful if you would be willing to pass it along!  My family members are not big fans of fake meat and neither am I really. It's hard for us to wrap our minds around if you know what I mean.  Not to mention it's also highly processed stuff to be enjoyed on occasion only.  Anyway, I have to be careful what I try to put on their plates!  I certainly don't want a mutiny on my hands!

Turkey Soup Get Together...Looks Like A Cream of Mushroom Soup Day For Me

Not eating meat has it's challenges.  Luckily, I can navigate most of them fairly easily...with a little planning that is.  Today, the campground is having a get together to share after-Thanksgiving-turkey soup around a campfire.  I will not be partaking of the soup of course, but I love the atmosphere with these sweet people.  So, I will be starting my own soup here shortly so that I can join in the fun without starving!

I make every effort to not be a bother with my dietary and lifestyle choices.  I hope that maybe my example will help others to realize that they can, very easily and kindly, be the change they hope to see.  If nothing else, I am doing what my conscience tells me is right and not being an offensive vegan in the process.  I have experienced more offensive vegans than I care to and I must say not one of them would have ever convinced me to change my perspective, let alone my diet!  So I am off now to make my mushroom soup, with extra to share!  Hopefully, someone will like it!  Have a wonderful Sunday!

Vegan vs Carnivore...Don't be hateful!

So I've been giving this a lot of thought this morning.  I'm noticing more and more that people can be downright snide and hateful when it comes to defending what they believe to be right.  (Both sides mind you)  This is bad for everyone in so many ways. 

First of all, you're not going to persuade someone that your way is the right way by bullying them!  Secondly, no one,  and I mean no one is perfect.  Third, poking fun at someone for what they believe is also bullying! 

We are all on different journeys.  Some may be headed in similar directions, but no two will ever be the same.  They can't be, because we are all unique individuals with different perspectives!

The idea of forcing your will on another, no matter how "right" you are or think you are, will always be wrong as well as counterproductive.   

Sure you may intimidate someone temporarily,  but you will not bring about permanent change.  People have to change because they "want" to!   They need to see and "feel" a need for it.  It's a matter of the heart and conscience... again no two are the same. 

Accept people where they are and love them for their unique-ness!  Praise them for their good choices and encourage them.  It isn't going to help your cause by belittling others for what you perceive to be short comings!  It's not one single person's responsibility or right (for that matter) to impose universal change in something so personal as one's relationship to their food.  Not only is it wrong,  but it would not be appreciated in reverse!

I try not to take it personally when some well meaning individual tries to tell me I need to eat meat.  I also try to overlook the nastiness I occasionally get leveled at me for my choices.  Why, because I'm not perfect and neither are they!  It wasn't very long ago that I was in the dark about alot of the terrible side of the meat and dairy industry.  I honestly didn't know any better.  No one ever told me.  I ate meat in moderation, but I did enjoy it.

In the beginning of my exploration into this uncharted territory (for me anyway) I came across some very hateful people on both sides of the fence.  I felt sorry for both of them... what a lousy way to live!

On one side you had these vegans preaching peace and love for all living creatures while screaming obscenities at anyone who didn't immediately "get on board", and then you had the other side who seemed to be completely at peace.  They weren't bothering others by forcing their dietary choices on anyone (accept the poor animals who suffer immensely).  However, they would eagerly participate in the volley of insults.

I wish I had the answers on how to bring the two sides together in a way that would engage society to make positive changes.  Change doesn't only benefit the animals,  but also the environment as well as each individuals health!  Which can be achieved without giving up meat entirely (though I must say that for me consuming meat isn't necessary).

I realize that I may not have the "perfect" solution (no one ever will), however hateful bickering is always wrong!  All it will ever achieve is a deeper division between two opinions and belief systems.

All in all, just respect each other and the differences!  Be the example you want to see and be okay if you're the only one making the change. Remember, change in attitude, desire, opinions etc., don't always come quickly or easily.  People often have to be at a place, on their particular journey, where they are seeking change before they will be open to a new persuasion!  Please respect that!

You can share information, when someone is receptive, in a kind and loving way!  You can tell them about the many health benefits and how your life has changed.  If they are ready for more information...they. will. let. you. know!

Please don't tell them of the sadness or nastiness of what they are eating while they are eating!  I promise you that you will not only gross them out,  but you'll piss them off at the exact same time...ask me how I know... sigh.  Also, if someone asks you why you don't drink milk, eat meat or eggs, tell them.  Be honest!  Don't make grossed out faces at them as they chug a glass...not cool!  If it bothers you that much then walk away,  don't watch.  Again, I know this from personal experience...sigh.

This is where I'm at and what I've learned on my journey thus far.  If you have questions, legitimate questions, please ask away and I'll answer the best that I can.  If you have some desire to try and make me feel stupid for what I believe... well, I've probably already heard it and it likely hurt the first time so I'd rather not have hate lobbed my direction again :)

Vegans and vegetarians.  Be. Nice.  Carnivores.  Be.  Nice.

Peaceful

I'm sitting here this morning taking in all the sounds of the woods.  I can hear what's left of the acorns and autumn leaves falling.  The birds are chirping away, squirrels are scampering around in the trees and the air is cool and lovely. 

I wonder what the birds are singing about?  Just as I wrote this last line they stopped singing.  Ha.  Maybe I'm just supposed to enjoy the serenade rather than question what is about.

I can hear them off in the distance.  Could be that they are off to bring joy to someone else sitting drinking their coffee outside on this lovely morning.  Hmmm...

The forecast is calling for rain today, but the high is still supposed to be in the mid 70's.  I can sure deal with this kind of December. 

No clue how long it will last, so I'm gonna enjoy it while I can.  Sweet, the birds are back.  Right now, it's beautiful.  Peaceful.

Perfect end, perfect weekend!

It's been a beautiful Thanksgiving holiday.  Much better than any of us anticipated in a campground.  This is the end of this year's festivities.  Now we are sitting around a nice fire together to bring it to a close.  Until next year...

Life. At. This. Moment.

Have you ever briefly pondered what you thought was a cool idea and then just jumped in with both feet?  Well, that is exactly what our family did this summer.  We walked away from living in a house and moved into a 44' fifth wheel camper.  

We are a military family  (22 years) that moves quite often...at least every 2.5 years. Within the last year our 3 oldest children moved out to chase their own dreams, so we are down to only having our 2 youngest daughters living at home.  The timing was perfect. We had just received new orders from Virginia to Alabama.  Now here we are.  Living the dream!

We had talked about taking this step a few times, but I don't think we ever really thought that it would happen for us.  Until now.  We have always home schooled our children so there was no crazy transition there.  Being quite accustomed to living in 2000 sqft at a minimum...big adjustment there!  The art of minimalism is an ongoing study for me.  Will I ever "arrive"?  Probably not.  But I am certainly traveling in the right direction.

So we've been living in our camper now since July 2015.  It. Is. Amazing.  Everyday feels like vacation.  A very relaxing vacation.  We are still learning the ropes of this new tiny life, but we're in no hurry.  No need to be.  

I decided to blog about this part of our life's journey for several reasons.  First, I thought it would be a cool way to document the adventure.  Second, I thought just maybe some of my friends and family would like to read it and keep up with the goings on with our life...cause we are interesting after all.  Ha.  Lastly, I thought that this might be a good way to ask for tips when I have a challenge that is stumping my, all too often, befuddled brain!

So if you have chosen to join our family on this adventure...welcome, we are glad to have you.  Please comment if you have questions, comments or tips.   

So there you have it.  Life at this moment...in a nutshell!