soapbox

A friend of mine posted a video on facebook today that was the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard, but it made articulate some things in defense of why I'm a vegetarian. I was asked my opinion if the video she posted and I thought about posting here so you'd better understand my comment (which I'm going to post below) but it is insane so I'll spare you. I do not want that rubbish on my blog. I was so honored that she'd ask my opinion and started a topic if conversation that should prove to be interesting to say the least, let's see what we can generate here!

Now let me say that I admire this woman very much, she is a good example to many and makes me think about things all the time in her blog and life. Again, I'm glad and honored she asked my opinion. Thank you L.B. Keep making me think!

This was my response to the video:


 oh where to start..... well first thank you for thinking of me with this - I think ;-) I watched with the thought that it was a piece on organic food vs. non which is something I'm very passionate about and what I heard was nothing of the sort. I've read other things by Wilson and have liked some of it, this was not the case for this morsel. (pun intended ;-) lol) My first thought was, 'Is this guy for real or is he insane?! Seriously a steak from petroleum?! as an argument against people who don't like eating chemicals?! WHAT?!!!!????'  You have got to be kidding! The chemicals that 'they' (and I for that matter) are referring to not wanting to eat are toxic petroleum based, or at least in my experience that has been the case. H2O is a chemical I realize that, but it is not cooked up in a lab somewhere and in most cases essential to life and NOT going to kill you! DDT, RoundUp, Agent Orange, petroleum based anything, etc. are not meant to be ingested by the human body and therefore do not have a place in our food system. period! 

I also take offense to his anti-vegetarian sentiment as being a food "fusser" I choose to be a vegetarian for lots of reason, one being based on the info I have I feel that is the best way for ME to care for MY body, eating a whole food, raw and plant based diet works for me, I do not force this on anybody and saying that not eating meat is anti biblical?! we are all given free choice are we not? I choose this as a way of honoring the one body I was given to honor God in the best way I can. Our bodies were created by God and in His image and are completely aware of real food and fake. Meaning our bodies know what to do with kale but react differently to a twinkie. I say this as someone who thinks obesity is caused by starvation. As crazy as that sounds think about it for a minute. Most of the people I now who are obese are not what I'd consider a model of health, what they eat primarily is over processed, cheap, highly sugared, highly salted, irradiated, highly caloried, lacking any nutrition, genetically modified, "food" that is as far from what it started out as as you can possible get and they eat LOADS of it because their bodies tell them they are hungry. What they bodies are rally telling them is that they are starving to death if it could shout it's would say, "GIVE MY SOMETHING NUTRITIOUS!!!! I'M DYING HERE!!!!" Oh right their bodies are shouting with things like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and....... the list goes on. One is pretty hard pressed to find a fat healthy person.... 

Only an idiot would think childhood leukemia, childhood diabetes, cancer etc are "old age disease" they are cause by a poor diet and a poor diet for generations! I'll concede that genetic play a part in it as well as environmental factors. Lots come from big Ag and big Pharma..... And yet that is exactly what he claims. How long can genes be good genes if your constantly damaging them with toxicity? You want to tell that to a mother who just lost her child from a terminal form of childhood cancer?! 

As far as feeding the masses, I think he is sadly mistaken and seems to have taken a page from the monsanto play book, I feel it is possible to feed the masses if people took more ownership and responsibility of fending for themselves instead of depending on everything being done for them or readily available for them. As far as what my thoughts are well, there they are, you may wish you hadn't asked, but there you go, have at it! What a great conversation starter! 


So there you go, what are your thoughts? Where do you stand on the subject?




And just so we're clear the comments made on the video were not of her wordage or opinion on the video, it was of an interview of a theologist, I'm anxious to hear her thoughts! :-)

a wonderful circle

This may come off as a soapbox rant than anything, but I figure those of you who are regulars would see the sentiment behind it.

I've been making soap like crazy for about three years now and every year the variety of scents grows. Most of the ingredients are purchased locally, yes, I could get them for a few dimes cheaper online, but I love the customer service of local businesses. Well I've shipped several boxes of soap this week and last, which means money has been spent here at the farm. So that means another local business has been supported, then tonight I took some of the money and supported another local business when I made my children so happy as I pulled into the parking lot of a Christmas tree farm. I'd say that's a pretty wonderful circle!

Oh! Speaking of customer service.... about a week ago I pulled into the feed store, (the same one I blogged about here) to get more feed, the guys who normally load the feed into the truck greeted me inside the store and knew what feed I was there for! I didn't even have to say what I wanted, to say that I was stunned was an understatement. Maybe caught off guard would be a better description. I appreciate very much when they call me by my first name and not just after I write it on a check or sign a debit card slip, but as I walk into the store, I appreciate that they know my children's names and converse with them and that when my husband goes into the store, despite the fact we've never been in together they know who he is too. But to be able to know what I need to but before I said it was above and beyond just customer service!

in a world gone mad

I am thankful for the quiet.

It's been one of those days where no matter what you do it seems like everything in the world is transpiring against you you suck you into the world that I'm certain has gone mad. I don't know what has happened to common sense, but I wish it would return.

I'm not trying to start a political debate, an argument or anything of the sort. I'm not asking for yours or sharing my political views. I don't have all the answers to the problems of the United States or the world, but neither do I believe anybody else does either. I'm pretty comfortable saying the new TSA 'security' measures would make me uncomfortable because I find it extremely invasive and don't believe it makes us any more safe than we'd be otherwise. Most of the people I've talked to feel the same way. Again, I don't have all the answers, but then I don't look to others to solve my problems either. I take responsibility for my actions and solve my own problems. That's not to say that I don't seek advice from those people whom I consider 'wise counsel' however if I choose to follow that advice and that advice was wrong I don't blame them. I'm an adult and in my world; that's not what adults do. (Or should I say that's not what adults are supposed to do.) Yet I'm finding it to be the case more and more and quite frankly I'm sick of it! When did we go from not being able to wait to "grow-up and be on our own," making our own way in the world and not "having people tell us what to do all the time" to thinking that we are incapable of taking care of ourselves, looking to other people or the government for all the answers and needing our hand held all the time to make it through life? C'mon people! Enough is ENOUGH! It makes me wonder how the early settlers and pioneers ever made it here, there was no one telling them what to do or how to do it, guaranteeing this, that and everything else, knowing that their survival was solely up to them. Sure some failed, some died and some went back home, but lots made it. Yes, it was scary, dangerous and hard work. It took lots of courage, tenacity and hope but isn't it worth it? Isn't that noble to have made it respectfully on your own? Families working together toward something, in my eyes is far more honorable that just having it handed to you.

Again, I'm not asking for political views here (or sharing mine) but I wanted to share with you what I consider to be a glimmer of hope that common sense has a chance to make a much welcome return.

Please take a few minutes to watch the video, especially the well stated remarks at the end. Thanks!

soapbox - how much is fair? reasonable? honest?

I was listening to the radio this morning to the local morning show hot topic for tomorrow advertisement and the question was asked, why are tickets to sporting events so expensive? Now I really like this morning show so I may actually tune in just to hear the response, but it got me thinking, perspective comes into to play again. Perspective and priorities.

A few weeks ago on a social networking site I posed the question what a reasonable, fair, honest wage for a farmer to earn was, I got a few off the cuff answers but not a dollar amount or salary. I thought about my own question for a while and thought well what it really boils down to is what are you willing to pay someone else to do that you are not willing or able to do yourself. Some people I know have told me point blank that they could not do what I do and others would not, I'm fine with either way, I'm not asking you to. For example I'm not willing to pay someone to pick up my trash weekly when I am perfectly capable of taking it there myself, however, I am more than willing to pay someone to sort through the trash and take care of it however it is done. I've watched 'Dirty Jobs' no thank you, that's not something I'm willing to do.

People complain about the price and quality of food and the price of health care. Health care is expensive, I think we can all agree on that. Cheap food really is an illusion, a price is paid somewhere, most of the price is paid with your health. I'm not the poster child for healthy eating, but I am making better food choices because I'm taking an active role in educating myself about it, I don't plan to or think I'm going to live forever, I just don't want to be sickly either. If you are not willing or able to grow your own food respect the efforts of those who are will and/or able and pay them fairly, reasonably and honestly. There is an old adage that states you get what you pay for, how many times have you heard that and had it not been accurate?

So this leads me back to sporting events well you can fill in the blank with anything in the entertainment area, concerts, sporting events, anything where a 'famous' person might be. I've gone to a few concerts and have enjoyed them immensely, but largely it had to do with the company I was with and the thought that went into the tickets.(Thank you Ron for the Toby tickets!) But the question was why are they so expensive, my opinion is because we allow them to be, because we as a society place so much 'value' on 'athleticism and talent' (I use the word talent here loosely!!) but I'm not sure why. Wasn't there an athlete just offered like 10 million dollars or something ridiculous like that? Seriously 10 million dollars? Who needs that kind of money? Wouldn't it be a better idea to pay teachers more? After all they are in large part shaping tomorrow through the kids in their classrooms. They have a huge part in equipping children to become what they were created to be, what happens if they fail? Where will that put those kids in relation to other kids whose teachers didn't fail? I'm in favor of paying teachers who teach well more, they are worth more, I have a very high respect for teachers, it's not an easy job, and it comes with a huge responsibility.

I also have a very high respect for volunteer fire fighters. Think about each word for a minute.

Volunteer. Fire. Fighters.

I cannot imagine what these men and women must be made of. I cannot imagine volunteering to risk my life to go into someone else's burning home. I hope I never have to go into my own but would risk it if my kids were in there, no question. But seriously what is that worth to you? I'm in favor of paying firefighters to do what I am not. I am not willing to pay high prices for a ticket to a sporting event because it goes against what I value, against my perspective and priorities. I am willing to take that same money and so to a farmers market, a local business, a lemonade stand, or a fireman's breakfast fundraiser. To me each one of those is fair, honest and reasonable.

soapbox - ingredients vs. ingredients

You are aware that I raised some broilers this spring for my husband, well I decided to cook one for him the other night, and here's where the story begins....

Because I was curious and wanted his opinion I wanted to do a side be side comparison, not that I had any doubt that my pastured and organically raised chicken would come out on top, but I wanted to show him the difference, I don't eat meat, haven't in over 20 years, so I could not be the "guinea pig" but I'd heard that home grown meat was a bit tougher; not like shoe leather, just not limp like supermarket chicken. So I cooked one chicken breast from the supermarket and the homegrown broiler and had him try them. He said the home grown chicken was "GOOD!" But the real story and now my soapbox for the day is this. I placed the wrapper to the chicken in the trash upside down (don't worry, it was taken out shortly after) and walked away, back to the cooking chicken. A short while later I threw something else out in the trash and just happened to glance down at the trash and see the back side of the 'supermarket' chicken. I'd never actually looked at it, didn't ever cross my mind that there would be an ingredient list for a package of boneless skinless chicken breast!!!! I pulled it out of the trash to look at and it and read the ingredients for said boneless skinless chicken breast. At the bottom of the list it had a phone number to call with questions, I wonder if that phone number ever gets used, not once have I ever read an ingredient list for chicken but have never called about it either and I wondered if anybody ever had. I've got a good mind to do just that, but how does one tactfully ask "Why is there xanthan gum, carageenan, 'natural flavor', etc. in my chicken breast?" Better yet, how does one truthfully (yeah right from a huge food giant?!) answer that?! Then I was reading Joel Salatin's book, You Can Farm this morning; about raising pastured poultry in fact; and came across a section of the book that said, ..."when TIME magazine reports that roughly 10 percent of the weight of supermarket chicken is fecal soup."... (Guess the big food giant decided to leave that off the ingredient list, likely figuring it might turn people off to eating it huh?) So I decided to show the ingredients from my chicken vs, their chicken and do a side by side comparison for you too.


One organically raised pastured cornish rock cross. (This picture was taken a few weeks prior to harvest.)

Dressed and ready to go, rub down with olive oil, salt and pepper,

Add a sprig or two of rosemary, (grown in my garden of course!) under the skin and in the cavity,

place in rotisserie and cook for appropriate amount of time. Seriously, that's it, nothing else, nothing I cannot pronounce or know what it is, ie. 'natural flavor' if it's natural why is it added to the chicken? Isn't chicken flavor by itself natural and enough? Truth be told I would not be at all surprised if it were MSG.

'supermarket chicken' ingredients, yum!

So there you have it, the story I've been wanting to post for days now but with this ancient computer so near death it's been difficult to do anything with much less blog on and post pictures as well. UGH! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this subject, makes you want to run right out and buy some 'supermarket chicken' huh?

soapbox - independence and freedom

This post may anger some of you readers, let me assure you it was not intended to do so. I hope you'll read it despite that and maybe you'll understand where I'm coming from.

My sister and I were talking the other day and she asked me if I had any plans for the weekend, Independence Day. My response was, "Ha! Independence! Ironic for a country that is completely dependant on foreign oil and money!"

Let me first say I realize what Independence Day is for and I appreciate immeasurably the price that has been paid and will continue to be paid for it.

But seriously, we say that we are free, and we are willing to die for it but my question is how free are we and how free do we want to be? I love my country and the hardworking American citizens in it, but I wonder why a country as great as ours need to borrow money from other countries? Why, if we can put a man on the moon, do life saving surgery on on unborn babies, or split atoms can we not figure out a way to stop sending our money over seas to foreign oil. I wonder why big foreign oil companies are drilling off our coasts? Whether you are for or against it does not matter, it's happening anyway!

Proverbs 22:7 tells us that ..."the borrower is slave to the lender." Is that freedom?

This state is facing a HUGE budget shortfall and we'll be electing a new governor in the fall so he/she will inherit the problem and the current governor will just step down, scott free! UGH! I don't envy the next governor. I realize it's not solely one person at fault but when will it stop? Does our state/country need to become bankrupt before it stops? How much debt does a country need to have before it is bankrupt? Trillions of dollars? Quadrillions? When is enough enough? I don't want to be slave to the lender, I don't want my children or grandchildren to be slave to the lender. I want freedom! I know it's going to hurt; I'm ok with that, and it's going to be a while before we conquer that mountain of debt but I know it will be worth it when we do. I think the best thing to do when you find yourself in the bottom of a hole is to STOP DIGGING! If the only thing we have to use to get out from under that enormous mountain is a spoon, USE IT!!! Eventually we'll get a spade, then a backhoe, then an excavator, etc. I don't have all the answers, I'm just really tired of seeing my husband work so hard and seeing all the taxes he pays being squandered and pissed away on stupidity! My 9 year old son gets it! He knows you have to save for things you really want and if you don't have the money you don't buy "it" whatever "it" is. He has wanted a cow for at least three years now, at first I thought it was a phase but 2 years ago when he decided on his own to put his birthday money in his savings account to save for a cow I knew he was serious. It's hard for him sometimes, (and that's ok) when he has a couple dollars in his pocket and heads into a store, temptation is everywhere. Today at the register there was 2 foot expanding gel-type snake thing-y, (aka junk!) he asked me if he could buy it. I've never said he couldn't buy anything; it's his money, he can spend it however he wants; I just ask what he wants more, that snake or his cow. Without fail he decided the cow is more important. Does he have the cow? No! Could we buy him the cow? Absolutely! Would that teach him anything? No! When he does get his cow he will know the importance of spending wisely, saving and sacrificing in order to get what you really want. When he has his cow he'll be able to enjoy it because he won't be slave to the person lending him the money because there won't be one! A lesson our country could stand to learn.

So that's my soapbox for tonight, there are my thoughts on the matter, what are yours? I wish you all a very happy and safe independence day. Enjoy it, it's one of my favorite holidays!

thought for the day...

Kinda makes me think, 'Why are they spraying it on my food then?'

*This was a cover to a container of organic yogurt I bought.

**total brain misfire before the edit, oops!

soapbox - apple juice

I opened a frozen juice concentrate yesterday and happened to notice that the silver metal top said that it was a product of China, (to make us feel better about it maybe it did say that it was packaged in USA....ooohhh) much to my disappointment; had I seen that when I purchased it I would have put it back in the freezer case at the supermarket. Seriously?! China! Please let me say that I have nothing personally against China, I just want to support American companies, or produce my own, call me crazy, (oh that's right some of you do already!) I live in New England and in the fall what is New England known for, well, besides the fall foliage.....yes, we're known for pumpkins and hay wagon rides to the orchards to pick APPLES!! At the place we go they serve hot spiced apple cider and I'll admit that I've had a number of other ciders in my day and this place is the BEST! My parents even shipped some to me when I lived out West because it truly is the best and I couldn't get it there and there is NO comparison. I digress, well sort of. Making juice yesterday made me think why are we not producing enough of our own apple juice or cider here so that we have enough to make it through a year? Or are we and we just prefer the "convenience" of the supermarket until they drive out competition then hike the prices because they can? All the while standing by and hoping what we know is happening really isn't.

Meanwhile, I've realized that since there really is no comparison why was I buying the frozen concentrate anyway? It's watery, odd colored, (which made me think what did they do to it that makes it look like that anyway?) and really doesn't taste all that great. I've decided that although it may be a bit more effort and require a bit more planning that buying apple cider to which, as I've stated there is no comparison is worth it! Let's raise a glass of cider to toast local!

Soapbox

I'm not sure why big box stores are so popular, is it just the thought that the prices are lower? is it better selection? roomier isles? more staff?? I cannot figure it out. I've shopped local and yes I'll admit I was wooed into the big box stores as well. I'm not pointing to a specific industry here, I've spent time and money at large chain food stores, clothing stores, home improvement stores etc. I've thought about this for a while and have always tried to support local businesses even before it was the "in thing" and feel strongly about it. But seriously why are the box stores so popular, for me it's not the 'low prices', (look at where they are made, what had to happen to get them that low?) I really don't see much of a deal. Selection?? How many types of pepper does one really need? How many pairs of shoes can one wear at a time?? The choices for toilet paper are ridiculous, a whole isle, seriously? So it's not about selection, for me. Roomier isles? Nope, makes me think that it's another gigantic structure taking up space full of imported stuff we could make in America! More staff? Uh I don't think so either, I'm more of a quality vs. quantity kind of girl. I'd much rather have a smaller educated staff than employees that are there to collect a paycheck and don't have a clue about that which they are selling.

Case in point, yesterday I needed more wood to stack the cord wood I'd been splitting on to let it cure for next year. I headed to the local lumberyard. I walked in and was greeted with a genuine smile despite the closing time was 20 minutes from my arrival to the store. I asked to purchase the said wood and was directed to the 'wood guy' he inquired as to what grade of wood I needed. What? He actually was trying to best meet my needs and cared enough to help me?? Try finding that in a big box! So I explained what I needed it for and was taken to the less expensive get-the-job-done type wood. I made my selection and the 'wood guy' picked it up and loaded it into my truck for me. Again, what? Not once have I ever had that happen, I always have to haul the cart out of the store and load it myself. Large pieces of plywood or particle board are not easy to maneuver by your self; not being a very tall woman, thankfully I'm pretty strong. Seeing my struggle to get them into the truck other customers have stopped to help, but not a store employee. After the wood was loaded I walked back into the store and paid for the order, yes, the wood was loaded before it was paid for! They trusted me?! Yes! The 'wood guy' wrote up my slip and asked me to take it to the cashier and said thank you and please come see us again. I actually felt like he meant it! So I get back to the first person I dealt with at the store who saw my children for about at total of 5 seconds commented to me that I've got some great kids there. She was aware the kids were mine and that they are awesome?! (I do, but that's another story...) Find that said about box store employees! I paid for my items and the total was 8 bucks and some change, not a huge order by any means but I can tell you I never felt like an inconvenience, like I was interrupting the store employees or an IPH (items per hour, damn I dislike that posted as you leave the store!) Mind you I could have driven a few miles further and gone into a big box but would the outcome have been the same? Would I have have the wood, yes, would it have been less money? maybe? maybe not. For me it's not about the money, it's about choice, support, voting, (with my money) call it what you will, it's about doing the right thing because I'm not an IPH and I refuse to be treated like one.