I'm not exactly sure what it was he wanted me to do but I suggested he start with taking off his thick pajama pants and turning off some of the bright lights in his room. He didn't wake me again so I'm guessing he went on to sleep though he was an extra dose of grumpy when I woke him up at 6:45.
The Christmas tree is still up which is beginning to depress me a little so I have big plans for getting that down today. Nothing says "party's over" quite like taking down the Christmas tree and packing away the tinsel, does it? And it's like those elves on top of the entertainment center have suddenly become a whole lot less jolly and a whole lot more mocking. Kinda like cousin Eddie has overstayed his welcome again.
In other news, I have become a vegetarian. Well, technically a pesco-vegetarian or a pescatarian because I am still eating fish. This was not a New Year's Resolution because as I said the other day, I don't make those. The fact that I made this decision two days before the end of a year is strictly coincidental.
It's something I've thought about, considered, for a really long time. The handling of raw meat has always made me a bit nauseous and every time I hear anything about how the animals are treated in meat factories I get to feeling like I don't want to be associated with certain members of my own species. The recent inhumane treatment of the Butterball turkeys that was all over the news last week is what finalized my decision...Kinda like the final straw for me and my meat consumption.
I figured that if something was upsetting me so greatly, making me feel such rage inside that I should take a stand and do something about it. I know that my decision will not put an end to it but at least I won't be supporting something that goes so far against what I believe in. And now I've got that old country song in my head, You've got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything. Great.
There are certain foods I know I'm going to miss and I have not woken up one day since I made this decision without this being the first thing on my mind and wondering if this is something that I can really do...something I really want to do. I mean it's a huge commitment and change to what I've always known and done. But I am sticking to my guns and have full faith that I can do this.
I've been reading everything I can find online, have ordered two books from Amazon, Living Vegetarian for Dummies and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Becoming Vegetarian, and have pinned several vegetarian recipes I want to try and I bought a hunk of tofu at the grocery store Saturday (nevermind that I have no idea what to do with it). I've taken the plunge.
Charlie took the news quite well and said he'd try it with me since he has high cholesterol anyway. It was more than I expected from him but I am thankful for the support and the fact that he didn't look at me like I'd lost my ever lovin' mind.
The boys, on the other hand, did not taken kindly to this news. They like their meat. Devin didn't believe it as he kept saying, "nuh uh" and waiting for the punchline. Once we finally convinced him that this was no joke, he announced that he wants to move in with Momaw and Popaw, or at least just go over there every day after school and eat meat.
I have not quite decided yet how to handle the fact that they still want to eat meat since I am the one who would have to buy it and prepare it. There are a lot of details to work out here and things may be a little bumpy for awhile. But nonetheless, I'm doing this thing...
Hello. My name is Diane and I'm a pescatarian.
I walked the little one to the bus stop this morn. Thankfully she is a morning person. Kinda chilly compared to the last couple days.
ReplyDeleteWe got the trees down and everything put away prior to New Years Eve. Feels good to have the house back to normal.
Hope you have a great New Years Week.
Why must kids wake up their parents to inform us if they are too hot too cold etc? My daughter wakes me up to tell me she has a stuffy nose. Umm yeah I don't need to know that at 2:07 am. Good luck on your eating adventure! I love seafood and veggies too but not enough to give everything else up!
ReplyDeleteGood luck on your new adventure...I am tossed the idea around too..and i am not a person that likes fish so i would go in full force and it is a little scary...but all the chemical and growth hormones that are going in our food today literally scare me for my life
ReplyDeleteGood for you standing up for what you believe in! If the boys really want meat, could they prepare it themselves so you don't have to touch it? Just an idea!
ReplyDeleteThere are quite a few options now for meatless kid friendly foods...chicken nuggets, patties, etc. They've gotten a lot better in recent years, so you might give them a try and see if the boys decide to stick around. ;-) I'm not the expert, by any stretch of the imagination, but I did grow up strictly vegetarian and have stuck to it (except for the addition of fish) for my 30+ years of life. I do cook the occasional meat product for the fam (GAG), but not often.
ReplyDeleteGood for you! I may pick up one of those and start making more things, but I don't think I could ever completely do it. I love Chick Fil A too much!
ReplyDeleteWe go back to school tomorrow. I am in denial!
Wow! That's pretty big stuff--especially the part about your hubs hopping on the bandwagon. (Mine would never do that.) I'm sure it won't be a big deal once you get the hang of doing without.
ReplyDeleteYoungest would move out. When he was three he proudy announced to everyone that he was a "carnivore"
ReplyDeleteNever mind that the kid lives on bacon.
Sometimes I think I could be a vegetarian. and then bacon comes to mind.
ReplyDeleteMy ex is a vegetarian and has been for years.
Good luck with your endeavor. Might be a little tricky with having youngsters who will still want their meat!
I was pescetarian for several years but ultimately went back to eating meat due to health concerns. Specifically, I tested positive for many food allergies including legumes such as peanuts and soy, as well as shellfish (no fin fish due to cross-contamination concerns).
ReplyDeleteI've since tested negative to everything but the shellfish. It's iffy... they told me I can try it, but I have to be in a hospital to do so. And usually when I'm in the hospital, I'm in a hurry to leave, so I've not yet tested it out!
At any rate, I really do miss those days. I was talking about it tonight, in fact. Who knows what the future will hold for me?
Best of luck to you in your latest adventure!
Tofu is yummy! Boca black bean burgers are yummy, too.
ReplyDeleteThis morning was brutal. We had a late night with basketball games. And, it was soooo cold! I mean really cold.
I'm struggling with wanting to go back to sleep or getting the rest of my Christmas decorations down, getting some paperwork done, and doing a little grocery shopping.
We have given up meat for most days of the week, and my son never even noticed. In fact last night I used a favorite recipe book (supermarket vegan) to make chickpeas, couscous, and spinach, and he wolfed it down before I was half way through my plate. Now my stepdaughter is not as easy to convince since she could eat a whole chicken and nothing else and be happy.
ReplyDeleteGood Luck.
i've join the ranks of vegetarians only because my gallbladder is a giant jerk face.
ReplyDeleteit's not that bad actually.
there are tons of alternatives to meat.
you go girl!!
Meat actually kinda disgusts me, so although I don't consider myself a vegetarian, I rarely eat it. If it's in anything I cook, I just pick around it and eat everything else. My son is a huge meat eater so I have to cook with it still.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is a vegetarian and has been for about 10 years already. She flirted with veganism for 2 of those years and found that too restrictive. I guess she's kind of a pescatarian from time to time too. She goes in phases with that.
pescatarian! That is the funniest word I have read all day :)
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