The Start of Something...

I have been wanting to write about this topic for quite awhile now.  There has been a shift in me, maybe unnoticeable to some.  I finally feel free to stand up for myself and the way I want to eat.  There have been many obstacles I've had to face, which is why it took me more than 2 years to finally make the change.  A lot of the people in my life have been a force against my healthy eating, but ultimately, the change had to come from me.  I had to be prepared.  I have to be mentally ready for it.  

There was a lot of guilt for awhile.  Well, for years.  Mike loves to cook, and he loves to share what he cooks with others.  But the majority of his meals have always been meat based.  Loads of fat and dairy.  So, the issue with that was with me. Not him.  I had to learn to put myself first for a change and do what was right for me.  He isn't heartbroken like I thought.  He doesn't resent me for eating plant based.  It was in my head.  Hurdle #1....  conquered!

 Please understand...  my motivation in sharing this journey is not to persuade anyone to go vegan.  There are enough people out there doing that.  And everyone has their own journey to follow in their own time.  I'd like to share this because there are so things stacked against us when we're trying to eat healthier, and earth and animal friendly.  There is misleading information everywhere!  If I can help anyone make their transition easier by sharing my path, I will have done what I set out to do.  But please, if this does not interest you, I will not be offended if you opt out of reading this humble little blog.  

I do have to say, I do have a few things going for me that made at least my decision to go plant based easier.  One is that I never limit myself by saying things like "I can never give up coffee" or "I just couldn't live without cheese".  I guess it's that little rebel in me, but I have never cut myself off from a challenge by thinking that way.  Maybe my positivity has always won, but saying I could never do something is negative to the extreme, if you ask me.  I just don't give myself limits.  You cannot imagine the doors that open when you say yes to things.  (Reasonable things, anyway). 

 As it turns out, I didn't even give up coffee this time.   I didn't give up sugar either.  There are bigger fish to fry.  (Using that term ironically, of course, lol).

So, as I need to go on with day 23 of my plant based journey, I will end this here.  Please leave comments if this interests you.  Even if you are thinking of eating more vegetables for health, or eating to help the planet, let me know.  It will help me to stay focused.

Anonymous negative comments are not productive, so if you are inclined to leave them, go write your own blog instead!  

Thank you for reading!  Now go outside and play!

Cilantro growing in the weeds!

Beans growing in the weeds!

Kale growing in the... notice a pattern?  Could I be a lazy gardener?  :)

Now is as good a time as any...

Well, it's after noon already and I finally got out of my bathrobe!  It's a really beautiful rainy day and I've had to close up the house a bit because of a chill sweeping through.  I love mornings like this one.  When I have a few days of running around, getting this and that done, it's nice to be home, making plans.  Which is what I am always doing.  Ideas are always running though my head.

I haven't written a blog in quite awhile, so this one may be rambly and without focus.  I've been busy in the garden the last few days planting.  Or out at the nurseries finding new things to plant.  I'm especially excited about the new berry bushes I've planted.  I can't find local sources for these plants, of course, so I've mail ordered them.  I will possibly do a post about them separately.  One more addition to the food independence I've been working for.

There are so many projects in the works right now.  I've come to a time that I can really recognize the people in my life that put their selfish needs before mine.  People who call themselves friends but are only there to satisfy their own ego and insecurity.  In the past, I have fulfilled that for them, because I don't have a need to be imposing, or self-important.  I can simply let them have all the "glory", figuratively speaking.  But, there is only so much this girl can take before I put my wall up.  There is only so much negativity I can handle.  I notice that when you stop catering to those people, all of a sudden, you are not important to them anymore.  They find fault with you over nothing.  I'm just a stepping stone to them.  Well, I'm certainly not perfect, but I have more value than that.

And then there are those friends who lift you up.  I'm so grateful for them.   I will leave it at that.

There.  Glad I got that off my chest.  It's up to the universe now.  Sorry for ranting.  Sometimes I just need to.

A little more about ego.  So much of the worlds problems are generated from humankind and it's ego.  You don't see anything in nature with ego.  I am a firm believer that if I don't see an example of something in nature, than it isn't meant to be.  Nature is perfect.  Before humans came in with all their egos, trying to control everything, nature had a perfect system.  We come in, fight with nature, kill it, destroy it, instead of living alongside with balance, and we wonder why Mother Earth is angry.  The earth and it's unbalance is creating the storms and extreme weather to try to tip the scales back to medium.  Guess who will not survive?  The selfish, egotistical humans.

My next post I will be more positive and forward moving.  I just get so tired of the small minded humans.  Certainly a day in solitude with Mother Nature will shift my gears.  Thank you so much for reading.  I will most likely be around again.