an amazing new year

[Guest guest]

hope everyone at had an amazing holiday, and has an even

more amazing new year. may this be the year of compassion, acceptance,

love and happiness for everyone (kind of a mixture of old-fashioned

hippie love and acceptance, with the modern-day knowledge and abilities

that we have, to make the desperately needed changes in our

world)--combining all of these, i truly believe that we can make a

differance.

this was my first christmas dinner in 29 years, that i didn't eat

turkey. i think i am probably the newest member to the non-meat eating

planet. (a big thanks to anji for her introduction into this new world)

another first at our christmas dinner, were the meatless cabbage rolls

that my aunt made especially for my boyfriend and i. (and they were

awesome!)

another positive christmas note--my mother asked for (and got) luggage,

and specified that it not be made of leather because " its horrible the

way they treat those animals "

my point, i guess, is that we all make changes in our own lives, which

in turn will affect other's lives--hopefully to the positive. a wise man

once told me to lead by example (hi matt!) and i've realized that he is

right.

at christmas (ok-last christmas story) i noticed that my brother (who is

11 years older than me) had only meat on his plate, in comparison to my

only-veggie plate--i said " you're not eating any vegetables " to which he

replied " ya, well, i don't eat vegetables " . we both had a good laugh,

and both happily ravaged our meal. he is an amazing person--regardless

of what he eats. (and i know he thinks the same of me)

finally, in note of my mom, who will now ONLY eat veggie burgers--we can

change this world--one person, and one step at a time.

cheers to all of you--may this be your year.

kim

[Guest guest]

Hey everybody, hey Kim!

 

Good to hear from you. Congratulations on enjoying a non-violent, healthy

holiday! You're very lucky to have open-minded people in your family. I know

that holidays can be difficult times for people who choose to eat 'differently'.

By the way, can I get the recipe for the cabbage rolls?

 

As for my holiday... when I was at Farm Sanctuary I got these amazing holiday

cards with Francis the pig on them wearing a wreath and on the inside it says

Merry Oinks. So cute! I gave these cards to my family. Next thing I know my

Grandma's in the kitchen sizzling up some... ughh... bacon. Regular bacon *and*

back bacon. The sound and smell of it made me want to vomit, and it made me sad.

During breakfast I took one of the cards and placed it in front of me facing

them. Noone noticed. I was asked to pass the plate of dead pig to my aunt and

just to be funny I said " Here Cathy, two food groups: bacon and bacon " Well my

Grandma about flipped and said " I don't want to hear any more about meat... "

when I hadn't even said anything about anything and I was just trying to be

casual and funny even though I found the whole thing quite depressing.

 

On a more positive note, I gave my mother Diet for a New America for xmas and

she was actually reading it! She opened it randomly and started reading the part

about salmonella and antibiotics and stuff. You see, my mother has been taking

very impressive steps lately to get healthy, like quitting smoking and she's

gotten right into juicing as well. She also now has a keen interest in organic

foods. We even went to a health-food store together! Very strange for two people

who used to hang out and smoke and eat raw steak together. She has flat-out

stated that she's interested in low-fat eating.

 

It all sounds promising but there's just one problem... her boyfriend. He's

about 300 pounds, older, and all he eats is meat. You can tell from looking at

him that he's a heart-attack waiting to happen. We have had very heated

discussions regarding food and animals and he's really just not open to the

truth. He believes that people cannot survive without eating flesh (and couldn't

explain the strange phenomena of millions of healthy vegetarians, lifelong

vegetarians, and vegetarian cultures) and he believes that animals were put on

earth just for humans. (Another discussion on speciesism anyone?) Anyhow, my

point is that as long as he's in my mother's life I don't think she'll be able

to fully explore the joys and benefits of vegetarian living. It's not like my

mother doesn't have a mind or will of her own, but she does do the cooking and

she does like meat. It is not likely that she will start preparing seperate

meals and it would be hard for her to sit and watch him eat 'food' she is

accustomed to enjoying.

 

I suppose there's not much I can do. It's very frustrating. I guess I just hope

she reads Diet for a New America and is moved enough by what she reads that

she'd be able to stand up for it. It's a big hope but stranger things have

happened... like... Howard Lyman! (when in doubt, think Howard)

 

The thanks actually go to you Kim, for checking it out and trying it out and

sticking with it. So cool! It makes me so happy. Eating meat is soooo last

century anyway.

 

Happy New Year

-anji

 

 

 

>

> > hope everyone at had an amazing holiday, and has an even

> more amazing new year. may this be the year of compassion, acceptance,

> love and happiness for everyone (kind of a mixture of old-fashioned

> hippie love and acceptance, with the modern-day knowledge and abilities

> that we have, to make the desperately needed changes in our

> world)--combining all of these, i truly believe that we can make a

> differance.

> this was my first christmas dinner in 29 years, that i didn't eat

> turkey. i think i am probably the newest member to the non-meat eating

> planet. (a big thanks to anji for her introduction into this new world)

> another first at our christmas dinner, were the meatless cabbage rolls

> that my aunt made especially for my boyfriend and i. (and they were

> awesome!)

> another positive christmas note--my mother asked for (and got) luggage,

> and specified that it not be made of leather because " its horrible the

> way they treat those animals "

> my point, i guess, is that we all make changes in our own lives, which

> in turn will affect other's lives--hopefully to the positive. a wise man

> once told me to lead by example (hi matt!) and i've realized that he is

> right.

> at christmas (ok-last christmas story) i noticed that my brother (who is

> 11 years older than me) had only meat on his plate, in comparison to my

> only-veggie plate--i said " you're not eating any vegetables " to which he

> replied " ya, well, i don't eat vegetables " . we both had a good laugh,

> and both happily ravaged our meal. he is an amazing person--regardless

> of what he eats. (and i know he thinks the same of me)

> finally, in note of my mom, who will now ONLY eat veggie burgers--we can

> change this world--one person, and one step at a time.

> cheers to all of you--may this be your year.

--

 

 

_____________

Free email services provided by http://www.goodkarmamail.com

 

 

powered by OutBlaze

[Guest guest]

Hallo to everyone and a very happy new year. Encouraged by your Christmas

and new year celebration stories I thought I'd share my own veg*n-related

experiences over the holidays.

 

This was my first vegan Christmas, though I've many years of ovo-lacto

holidays behind me, so it called for a little adjustment. Not so much by me

(after all, I've been vegan for a whole six months and it is now a piece of

cake), but by friends and family. It has been a bit of an eye-opener, and

much like those of you who have told your stories I have found a mixture of

positive and negative experiences.

 

The first hurdle was the annual restaurant dinner which Steve's mum holds

every year for the whole family (in case I've not mentioned, Steve is my

omnivorous husband). Steve's family are country folk born and bred and like

nothing better than a nice rabbit or pheasant on their plate. In common

with many (most?) omnivores, they seem to feel that whilst they have a total

right to criticise my dietary choices, I (as a freak) should keep quiet and

be grateful that I am tolerated. I may exaggerate a little here, but that's

how it feels. Anyway, it was made very clear that we were expected to

attend this dinner, despite my discomfort at being surrounded by people

stuffing their faces with dead friends and despite the fact that the

restaurant had not a clue about how to cater for a vegan. So Steve (who is

very supportive of me), photocopied a couple of pages from the vegan

cookbook he'd bought me for Christmas and went to see the chef with them.

The chef agreed to cook Chestnut and Mushroom pie and was even briefed by

Steve that I would need separate vegetables as they always serve them glazed

with butter. We'd talked long and hard about this meal, because I did not

trust the restaurant not to take the attitude that what I didn't know

wouldn't hurt me. The only foods I could think of which could not be

contaminated were a plain baked potato and an undressed raw vegetable salad,

but that left me with the problem that I would be confirming to Steve's

whole family that veganism meant deprivation. I was at a loss, but that was

when Steve said he'd speak to the chef and find out whether he was

sympathetic and we'd take it from there. As it turned out, the chef was

intrigued and quite keen to try out this novel way of cooking. The very

best part of this whole story is that Steve had the pie too! My dear Steve,

who normally heads straight for the mixed grill, was showing solidarity with

me and what's more he LIKED it! I have no hopes of a conversion here, I

know him and his likes too well, but as far as I am concerned, each vegan

meal he consumes is a) a few minutes more on his life expectancy, and b) one

less piece of dead animal. Over the course of a lifetime that must add up

to a few less slaughters. It also showed his family that if Steve liked the

pie then this vegan food must have something going for it, which has to be

good. (On a less positive note, one of Steve's nephews' girlfriends was even

wearing leather trousers. Ye gods!).

 

The other story concerns some friends of ours who I've known since I was 18

(24 years - ouch!). We only really see each other once a year at Christmas

when we get together for an afternoon of drinks and nibbles, very informal

and good fun. I mentioned on the phone that I was now vegan, because in

past years they've cooked a meal for us (meat for them, omelette for me) and

I didn't want them to this year for obvious reasons. I also said that I'd

bring some vegan wine and I think in retrospect that I might have made too

big a deal of the whole business, because they seemed surprised that the

wine was just an ordinary supermarket brand and as for the snack foods I

took, well, you'd have thought they were poison. Dave did eat one small

pastry, which he said as we were leaving " it was alright, but I wouldn't

want to live on it " . Well frankly neither would I, I like a bit of variety

to my food and pastry nibbles (even jolly tasty ones) are too calorific to

eat all the time anyway. I didn't seem able to convince them that there was

nothing freakish about the food. All it was was pastry, onions, pepper,

mushrooms, tomato puree and a dash of chilli sauce to liven it, and some

mixed herbs, all done in a pinwheel shape. I think they thought that vegans

eat special food, different to everybody else, and they were deeply

suspicious of it. I tried to explain that it's just ordinary food with the

flesh and dairy omitted but I didn't want to go on about it too much for

fear of alienating them further. Ailsa asked why I'd gone vegan and in the

interests of brevity I said that it was because of factory farming ( I know,

the issues are wider, but I find that people rarely appreciate a lecture).

She laughed and said that she doesn't want to know about factory farming on

the grounds that what she doesn't know can't hurt her. I bit my tongue lest

I should mention that is was not actually her that was being hurt so that

was obviously ok then wasn't it? I can see that I'm going to lose all my

(already very few) friends over this, simply because I cannot continue to

like people with such selfishly unattractive attitudes.

 

I've just remembered another thing I was going to tell about. Steve's

brother in law sought me out at the family meal specifically to tell me that

he sticks up for my veganism. I rather frostily replied that it was very

kind of him but that I hadn't realised that it was something which needed to

be defended and exactly who had he needed to defend me against? He

backpedalled at that point and said no-one, but that he would do if it was

necessary. After all, he goes to church and people criticise him for that,

so he feels that people should not be criticised for the life choices they

make. I was two inches away from putting my point of view which is that if

any lifestyle needs defence it is one which kills for pleasure, ie his. In

the interests of family harmony I withdrew from the conversation.

 

So, a bit of a mixed experience, my first cruelty-free Christmas! I hope

that it can only get better as more and more people are made aware of the

consequences of their carnivorous lifestyles, though I fear that my in-laws

are a lost cause. I find increasingly that my impulse is to withdraw from

as much of society as possible on the grounds that I do not care to

associate with animal abusers, in much the same way that the average person

would not care to number amongst their friends someone convicted of child

rape. But I also recognise that this self-serving (self-defending?)

attitude does nothing for the animals who are my prime concern. Unless I

continue to suffer the slings and arrows etc, then I cannot act as an

example of the lively, healthy, happy person which veganism is making of me.

My main worry is that I am not mentally equipped to be a good ambassador -

it's a shame that whilst veganism improves the health of the body it cannot

provide the necessary wisdom to know how best to act to show others the

benefits. Maybe I'll learn as I get older.

 

Anyway, all the best to all of you. The struggle goes on but one day we

shall win.

 

Love,

Cathy.

 

 

 

> ----------

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Anji ...

 

Another discussion on speciesism?

 

I think John Robbins said it best ... something along the lines of ... he

likened the biblical concept of " man having dominion over all animals " and

taking care of kids ... he said, that doesn't mean you come home to find the

babysitter roasting the kids in the oven ... we need to take care of our

" brethren " ...

 

People take the bible too literally ... I don't think " God " (if he exists)

is very pleased with our performance in regard to our treatment of other

animals ... your mum's boyfriend ... believe it or not .. he wants to be

like that ... anyone that believes that animals were put here on earth to

serve us is sick and is enamoured with being obese and unhealthy ... with

consuming life ... unless something happens to him ... like a heart attack

.... he will continue ... Don't feel sorry him ... feel sorry for the animals

that he eats.

 

Peace out!

 

Vik

 

 

 

Vikas Sharma of Operations & Media

Carnival Management

 

Web: http://www3.sympatico.ca/carnival

Email: carnival

Phone 416.923.7325

 

 

 

 

>

> > hope everyone at had an amazing holiday, and has an even

> more amazing new year. may this be the year of compassion, acceptance,

> love and happiness for everyone (kind of a mixture of old-fashioned

> hippie love and acceptance, with the modern-day knowledge and abilities

> that we have, to make the desperately needed changes in our

> world)--combining all of these, i truly believe that we can make a

> differance.

> this was my first christmas dinner in 29 years, that i didn't eat

> turkey. i think i am probably the newest member to the non-meat eating

> planet. (a big thanks to anji for her introduction into this new world)

> another first at our christmas dinner, were the meatless cabbage rolls

> that my aunt made especially for my boyfriend and i. (and they were

> awesome!)

> another positive christmas note--my mother asked for (and got) luggage,

> and specified that it not be made of leather because " its horrible the

> way they treat those animals "

> my point, i guess, is that we all make changes in our own lives, which

> in turn will affect other's lives--hopefully to the positive. a wise man

> once told me to lead by example (hi matt!) and i've realized that he is

> right.

> at christmas (ok-last christmas story) i noticed that my brother (who is

> 11 years older than me) had only meat on his plate, in comparison to my

> only-veggie plate--i said " you're not eating any vegetables " to which he

> replied " ya, well, i don't eat vegetables " . we both had a good laugh,

> and both happily ravaged our meal. he is an amazing person--regardless

> of what he eats. (and i know he thinks the same of me)

> finally, in note of my mom, who will now ONLY eat veggie burgers--we can

> change this world--one person, and one step at a time.

> cheers to all of you--may this be your year.

--

 

 

_____________

Free email services provided by http://www.goodkarmamail.com

 

 

powered by OutBlaze

 

--------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ----------------------------

 

Get great offers on top-notch products that match your interests!

Sign up for eLerts at:

<a href= " http://clickme./ad/elerts1 " >Click Here</a>

 

------

 

 

Post message:

Subscribe: -

Un: -

List owner: -owner

 

Shortcut URL to this page:

/community/