Baylor Day

My brother was in Waco for the weekend, so we drove down to visit with him. And, yay, Dad flew in, too! We realized it was the first time all three of us had been together in two years. Yikes.

It was a lot of fun. I've been to Baylor's library, but that was it.

We ate some yummy Tex-Mex and watched a mighty fine basketball game before heading back to Cowtown. Love my fam...even if I don't see them that often!

Meatless March...and Beyond!

I've been doing the vegetarian thing on an on-again-off-again basis for about 15 years now. I decided at Christmas that it was going to be one of the things I would give up this year, and I've just grown more convinced since then.

For the most part, a vegetarian diet is healthier; it's cleaner; and it was apparently the way God started us out.

For me, though, it's mostly been because I have a hard time seeing why it's ok to eat these little guys...

...and not this one...

I think about the conditions they are kept in, the ways they suffer, and I realize it's for my dietary preferences. I suspect if I had to look a pig in the eye and kill it before I had some ribs, I'd have more trouble with that. (And, yes, I know it was different in the pioneer days, but I have plenty of other options now.)

Here's where I've had a hard time in the past. Despite their cuteness, I have a hard time working up a lot of sympathy for these fellows...

It's the whole bird-phobia thing...also applies to chickens. {Look at the claws on that thing! The claws!} But it's a gateway meat for me. Once I'm in the habit of eating it, I put away the broader ethical issues that concern me, and, before long, I'm back to burgers and barbecue.

So I wanted to post this for accountability and also to share some of the reasoning behind my decision. And, while this has become a matter of conscience for me, I hope I haven't given the impression that I am issuing a blanket condemnation of carnivores! I understand that everyone won't reach the same conclusions that I have, but I do think it's important for everyone to be purposeful about their diet. Educate yourself, and decide what's OK, what's off-limits, and why. You never know what you might find!