LIVING: SNOW DAY.

We received a dusting of snow here in Alabama today. For those of you who receive snow regularly, it's easy to mock the Southerners who shut down their cities at even the whisper of ice or snow. But as I walked around our little neighborhood, slush clinging to my boots, I thought about how snow for us is a little treat. Much like being on a diet restricting the decadence and luxury of chocolate, a lot of us long for snow because of the experience, the beauty, and how it can make the world feel a little better, even if it's not. Oh, we know snow exists, but we never get to see it, to revel in it, or taste it. So, this snow day was a much anticipated chocolate truffle for us. 

LIVING: TEA TIME

Tea is a big part of my day. It began many moons ago while I was still in college. My then boyfriend (now husband) was an avid tea drinker. I remembered my mom went through a faze where she drank tea religiously, but I didn't catch on at the time. So, in an attempt to further connect with my college sweetheart, I too began drinking hot tea. It began with deep dislike, heating up water in the microwave - always too hot or too cold. The tea tasted like flavored hot water. Not good.

Then I tried vanilla tea and I fell into a healthy like. That's all I remember of my first moments with this lovely beverage. When I started my first full-time job, I began drinking tea instead of coffee in the mornings and through the slow hours. I became hooked. Chai, hibiscus, chocolate, peppermint, blueberry, Earl Grey, and lemon all had their unique flavors and were picked based on my moods. I now despise the microwave and refuse to use it unless I'm reheating my tea. I learned that green teas and herbal teas can become bitter with boiling water poured over it, so it's best to pull the kettle off right before the welcome whistle. I rarely take anything with my tea, unless it's a black tea like English Breakfast. Or a little whiskey for a hot toddy late at night. Yes, tea appeals to the Anglophile in me; however, for us Southerners, tea is also home and invites community. So I may not sugar mine up on a daily basis, but this is how I connect with my kin and how I connect with my dreams of overseas. Tea reconciles my two worlds and simply makes me take moments of my day slower, more intentionally.

LIVING: RESOLUTIONS.

artwork by Cas Holmes Zeeland Flora #4 via Pintrest

I'm a resolutions girl. Not many people are these days, at least in my immediate circle. I hear many people say that "there is no point" or "I never keep them." One of the things I've heard from many people (that I completely agree with) is the notion that if you are going to change, why wait for a New Year? Change when you feel compelled to change! Why should a special day cause such a stir for list making and deciding to now become who you want to be?

The answer: some of us are dreamers. As I stretch out my figurative legs in my twenties, I'm discovering that the undercurrents of my personality - the things that I have fought against or denied were there - are still who I am. I will always been the little girl who likes to make New Year's resolutions. The idea, the whisper, the possibility of starting fresh sends a peace and also an excitement to my soul because that is the way that I was designed to be. I'm embracing that. So, although I may not keep any of my resolutions, I still make them, because growing and changing is beautiful. Here are a few of my resolutions this year:

1.) Continue to simplify: Buy less, buy intentionally, waste less, donate more. I've heard it said that the more stuff you own, the more stuff owns you.

2.) Read 50 books. I read roughly 30-34 last year, including rereads and audio books. Reading keeps me growing, exploring, and empathizing with the world around me.

3.) Get outside of myself: Think about others more. Do more kind things for others. Think less about myself.

LIVING: ALBUS

Meet my Albus. I sum him up in one word - bashful. It took a long time for me to figure out who he was, exactly. He's a little shy, but goes up to strangers. He doesn't cuddle or sit in my lap much, but will lick my arm while I wash my hands. He keeps my feet warm, but doesn't like to be held much. He barely ever meows, but will every so often come up to me while I'm at the computer or drawing and stretch out his paw and tap - yes, tap - my elbow a couple of times, waiting for a pat on the head before turning around and walking back to his cat tree. Or remaining nearby so he can pat my elbow three or four more times. He doesn't whine, nip, or scratch. He just lazes on his back with all four paws in the air, loving love softly.

LIVING: TEA PARTIES

I planned a small tea party at my house today which ended up including just my dearest friend and myself. We chatted, ate Beet and Goat Cheese Hummus, and dreamed together. I've lately been cooking and with that I've had the desire to entertain. My kitchen table never looks like this, so I decided to pull out all the little goodies I received as wedding presents, pretending that I was expecting the Queen herself. Amanda and I are close enough to not need any formalities - sweatpants and lack of showers are regularly apparent in our visits, but sometimes it's nice to dress up a little and pull out the china and remember that friendship is worth celebrating. Celebrating with extravagance and silliness, like little girls in over-sized high heels, is a luxury that should be shared more often.

LIVING: GONE VEG.

To my Dad, who supports me but would totally tell this joke.

I have conflicting views with labels. On one hand it's really nice to have a blanket generalization covering you and keeping your feet warm - that is, if it's a label that you wholeheartedly agree with or feel like you represent. On the other...labels and generalizations have quite a lot of backlash in terms of expectations and histories that have nothing to do with you. Most of the time, my views or "labels" are complicated because I'm a human and one-size-fits-all is a lie.
All this to say, I've become a vegetarian over the past few months. A vegetarian-ish. A pesca-tarian? I person who chooses not to eat chickens, pigs, or cows. Or deer or rabbit or lamb. I eat fish occasionally, but unless I am with someone who does not know of my veggie lifestyle, I have chosen to stop eating meat, which has felt like the easiest and most thought-provoking lifestyle decision I have made in recent years. Let me explain:
Southern Hospitality Vegetarian: I was raised by parents who taught me the importance of being a good guest. Don't complain or pick. Eat what they give you and show that you have manners. I'm very thankful for these lessons, because I believe they have shaped me to always be gracious in different environments. However, deciding that meat isn't my thing means that I feel like a picky person or that I'm imposing my beliefs on others when I generally am the least picky person I know. But after two months of choosing not to eat meat, my conscience has become a little more involved than I expected. So, if you don't know that I don't eat meat or forget, I'll eat what you serve me, because hospitality is good and I don't want to make things awkward for us while dining.
Christianity and Vegetarianism: I was watching a documentary (one of the many that helped me decide to make active choices to deny meat) about being vegan. I am not a vegan. I'm actually staring at my new leather purse that I really love and cheese is one of my favorite foods. However, the movie got me thinking about God's original design for mankind's eating habits, especially when they interviewed a Christian who said that a vegan lifestyle mirrors life before the Fall. I thought that sounded pretty spot on, though I know people who would debate me on that notion. Here's the thing: when reading from the New Testament, Christians are allowed to eat whatever they want, as long as it does not violate their conscience (1 Corinthians 8). So, while I think (at least right now, anyway) that being a vegetarian feels a bit more moral, it's really not in terms of Christian spirituality or Jesus's view of his people. I'm not ever going to preach the gospel of fruits and vegetables in terms of it being a more moral choice - though I may share that it is healthier.
The Animals: This is the bit that I haven't shared with many people in my life, because to be honest, they haven't asked. When I started telling people one by one that I have stopped eating meat, they pretty much accepted it and just asked what kind of foods I do eat. I think it's not that radical of a choice anymore. It's become more commonplace and the health benefits are more widely known. I know being a vegan would be a more staunch stand on animal rights, but I'm not there yet. Maybe one day I will be, but not right now. I've know how bad the food industry is since my freshman year at college, yet I never made any decisions regarding this news. I also never really bridged the gap between thinking lambs were darn cute and that I was eating one. I think that "lamb" or "steak" or "burger" is just a word typed out on a label to most Americans. We know it's meat, but we don't visualize an animal. Our food has been so far removed from us. Now, I'm all for owning a farm and taking Bessie (because you named her Bessie and she has been hanging out with you for a few years now) to the local slaughter house. Why? Because Bessie wasn't #74689. Bessie didn't spend her entire life being injected with hormones or tied up in a metal prison forced to unnaturally produce milk day in and day out before being slaughtered. There is a difference. Also, I live in America and I have the luxury of being able to make decisions about my food. I don't place any judgement on any. single. person. for eating the way they do. However, in recent months, I remembered that I quite like Bessie (and I know that God does, too) and maybe I shouldn't eat her when she is being treated unfairly beforehand.
Conclusions: I decided to stop eating meat when I can control my decisions. For me, it is a moral choice - but only for me. While I do think that my faith and circumstances are supporters of my choices,  I will not use Christianity or my personal views to spread vegetarianism, especially if I'm not entirely sure that is what I have become. I haven't made a lifetime commitment; however, I'm currently liking my shrinking waistline and trying new vegetables. I like thinking that the meals I do control are a little more cruelty-free. And since I'm Southern, if you fix me a chicken pot pie, I will eat it, though maybe sheepishly tell you one day later that I'm not really much of a meat eater, anymore.

Here are few Netflix documentaries that have helped in my decision making:
Vegucated
Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead
Ted Talks: Chew on This
Food Matters
Forks Over Knives