Overwhelmed In The Heartwarming Department

So I was going to blog last week but I knew that this past weekend would probably give me something special to blog about..and boy was I right! My guy J took us to the Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary in Poolesville Maryland. J had emailed one of the owners, Terry (the sanctuary is owned by Terry Cummings and her husband), and was able to get us a tour of the place. We were told that they don't start tours until April, but this past weekend they were doing a special tour for a group of little girls, I'm thinking they were called Earth Scouts...though I could be totally wrong. So we arrived along with about a dozen anxious and excited little girls and their parents after traveling back a winding road that seemed to be hidden from any sort of main road. J and I were both a little nervous on our way there because we didn't know what to expect. Let's face it, people may create an environment for animals that they feel is a sanctuary..the animal though may have a different story. One more to add to their likely already horrific tale of survival. We came to the end of the little road and were greeted with dozens of geese wandering all around near the very large pondlake..yes I made up a word...near the road. I was even greeted by one that waddled right up to the car when we parked!

We walked over to the picnic tables where we were told everyone would meet and I couldn't help but marvel at how much space this sanctuary has. And what surprised me most was looking into the one large (extremely large) fenced off area and noticed that the cows and mules and horses were all wandering around together! I thought this was like illegal in the animal kingdom! Terry walked over and introduced herself and talked to us a little about what to expect on the hour long tour. At that time everyone else caught up and we began. J and I decided to stay to the back to give the kids a chance to really be involved in the tour and holding/petting the animals. Our first stop was to see the the chickens, turkeys, peacock, and guineas (hoping I'm not forgetting others). After that visit we wandered over to visit with the pigs. This may sound a little, but I never knew how HUGE they could get. We got to walk right in and pet them..3 of the biggest were taking a nap and just didn't seem to care about anything. After that we walked into the large field with the cows and friends. Yea, we walked right in...right past a guy with horns that could definitely do some damage. I kept glances over at him to see if he was annoyed or angry, but he just watched us all walk in and then went back to doing his own thing. I was impressed at how large these animals were without all of the hormones and whatnot. Our final visit was to feed the sheep and goats. They had such funny personalities!

Throughout the tour Terry made it a point to tell us the stories of some of the animals, all of which were so heartbreaking. She also was kind enough to talk with the kids and parents then come to J and I and talk a little more in depth with us. After the tour I wanted to thank Terry personally and we got to talk with her privately for about a half an hour or so. I was so impressed with everything about the sanctuary! Terry and her husbands house is right in the middle of the sanctuary so they can be with the animals at all times, but still give the animals plenty of space to do their own thing. Another thing that I absolutely loved was that they never take anything from the animals. They never milk the cows, they are allowed to naturally dry up as a cow should. I mean...after a human mother gives birth, does she continue to produce milk the rest of her life? No. The eggs from the chickens are taken far out into the woods and left for wild animals, so not only are they helping to feed the wild animals, they are also not wasting the eggs! Terry was so kind and told us stories about the animals, how they got started and some of the hardships they've faced. She is definitely a strong willed and caring person who is a true inspiration. She even had a farmer come after the sanctuary because he wanted his pigs back. She locked the gate to the farm and stood there making sure he couldn't pass. Oh...and did I mention he brought the police?! After we left, J and I both commented on how at peace we felt from being at the sanctuary. We can only imagine how wonderful it must be for the animals!

I would tell you more stories but that's not my place...go visit the sanctuary yourself...and this post is already huge. If you get the chance, please visit Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary . It is so important to help out these smaller animal sanctuaries because so many don't know that they even exist! It takes A LOT of money to keep these amazing places running. Poplar Spring has great events to raise money and to get people to come find out what an animal sanctuary is all about, like Thanksgiving WITH the turkeys! This is a place that animals can come and live out the rest of their lives in peace and comfort. Please do what you can whether it be donating, sponsoring or volunteering. I wish that I lived closer because I would absolutely volunteer. I live over 2 hours away in PA, and besides Poplar Spring, the closest animal sanctuary is in New York State. These places need our help. I am so grateful we had the chance to visit and I cannot wait to visit again!

If you made it through this entire post in one sitting...get yourself a vegan cookie :-)

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

"There is no difference in what we're doing in here
That doesn't show up as bigger symptoms out there
So why spend all our time dressing our bandages
When we've the ultimate key to the cause right here
Our underneath..."


I can't believe it's March already! I have to say the first 2 months of the new year have been pretty great for the most part! I have myself a new guy, a great guy. A guy that puts up with all of my shit and still texts me from the time he wakes up to the time he goes to bed and visits every weekend. He lives a little over an hour away, and while it is a pain, it actually isn't too much of a problem. Not seeing each other just isn't an option. It feels good to be in a secure relationship. Oh and did I mention he is vegetarian turning vegan...just like yours truly!

Speaking of, I have been eliminating more and more animal products from my food and just about everything else. When I first read Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet, I quickly realized I couldn't eat meat anymore...but I never really thought about becoming a total vegan. Now..I feel like it is the obvious, most practical thing to do. I feel confident and secure with my decision, knowing that I will be getting the nutrients and protein that I need. All it takes is some education and common sense. I will probably be focussing this blog more on my vegan journey and what not..because I hope that my journey could possibly help even a few people with their own journey...or maybe even just open some eyes about the practicality of living a kind life! But no worries, I will still be throwing in my two cents on random things and giving you little tid bits about my relationship. It's nice to not only have a partner in the relationship sense, but with becoming a vegan as well.

My guy, I shall just refer to him as J, has been a vegetarian for 4 years now and will be making the vegan transition next month. I have been a vegetarian for just a little over a year (January marking the anniversary). J has never read The Kind Diet, so I've been trying to fill him in as much as possible. It really is just opening your eyes and realizing that as humans we take SO MUCH from our planet and from other living things, and rarely give back! I could go into a huge rant right now, but I'll save that for a later date ;-) To my readers...however few you may be...look for some changes in the near future. I have become quite a passionate person... with the planet, animals, LGBTQ rights and many other random things...that I feel the need to share and hopefully enlighten some people or at least come some of you involved in things you're passionate about! Till next time!

So vegetarianism and veganism isn't for you? You may be surprised! Challenge and enlighten yourself!

The Kind Diet

The Kind Life
http://www.thekindlife.com/

End of year post

Another year has ended, another decade has passed. It’s hard to believe that 10 years ago I was only 10 years old. It seems like such a large gap between the ages of 10 and 20. There is so much growing and maturing between those years. 2010 has been a year of growing on an emotional sense. I feel like I have definitely been able to find more out about myself through the events of the past year. Spring brought someone into my life that took me on a crazy dangerous trip. I was left pretty battered and scarred emotionally from that. My body and mind shut down and sent me into a catatonic state for a few days during that period. I can honestly say I don’t remember those few days. It’s amazing that your body knows when to protect you from overwhelming emotional stresses by doing a sort of full body reboot. It took me a long time to get over that experience but I did eventually. The summer brought a summer fling and the fall brought a short lived mistake. It has come to my attention that I apparently fall for immature and/or unstable men. I think that on some subconscious level that may have reflected my state of being at the time.

I have had a lot of new people come into my life over the past year. I have also let go of some friendships that have just fallen apart over time. You can always tell who your true friends are when they pick you up and dress your wounds. There are people I am hoping to strengthen bonds with and hope to become good friends with. There are people who have entered my life this past year that I know are only in my life temporarily, then their role will be filled by another passerby. Strangers create a river through our lives, weaving in and out as we go along. But true friends are the rocks that stand by you always. And that is your Hallmark card for the day.

I truly feel that 2011 will be a big year for me, I will see that it is. Over the past few months I have been feeling the need to explore myself, new ideas, new places and new theories. I find that when it comes to certain things, I stop myself because they seem scary and unfamiliar...the usual reaction we have to new things. This year I want to do things I wouldn’t usually do, things that scare me. I want to travel, I want to see new places. I am going to try my hardest to make it to California this year to visit friends and family. I want to learn new things. I want to learn how to play the guitar and the piano. I want to learn about different religions, beliefs and practices. I want to find God/Spirit in some form, in any form, in every form. I want to find unity and balance in life. I want to find a purpose and a drive. I want to find love. I cannot stand the thought of getting a full time job and buying a house and just living out how everything is “suppose” to be. There is so much more to life, and I want to achieve it. I have come to accept that I have different ideas and beliefs that oppose what most friends and family think. For the longest time I was ashamed to talk about those kinds of things, but I’m at a point in my life when I need to explore them.

I hope that 2011 brings you all that you deserve. Be kind to yourself, be kind to others...especially now when the world needs nothing more that kindness and understanding.

So of course I leave you with a song, and of course it is Alanis. This song is one of what I call my “empowerment songs”. Whenever I am feeling down, or less than, or divided etc. I put in my head sets or turn up my car stereo and blast this song at full volume. No matter what our backgrounds, beliefs, etc., we are all Citizens Of The Planet.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAReLtJ86tI


I start up in the north, I grow from special seed
I sprinkle it with sensibility
From French and Hungarian snow
I linger in the sprouting until my engine's full

Then I move across the sea
To European bliss, to language of poets
As I cut the cord of home, I kiss my mother's mother
Look to the horizon

Wide eyed, new ground
Humbled by my new surroundings

I am a citizen of the planet
My president is Kwan Yin
My frontier is on an airplane
My prisons, homes for rehabilitating

Then I fly back to my nest
I fly back with my nuclear
But everything is different
So I wait

My yearn for home is broadened
Patriotism expanded by callings from beyond
So I pack my things, nothing precious
All things sacred

I am a citizen of the planet
My laws are all of attraction
My punishments are consequences
Separating from source the original sin

I am a citizen of the planet
Democracy's kids are sovereign
Where the teachers are the sages
And pedestals fill with every parent

And so, the next few years are blurry
The next decade's a flurry of smells and tastes unknown
Threads sewn straight through this fabric
Through fields of every color, one culture to another

And I come alive and I get giddy
And I am taken and globally naturalized

I am a citizen of the planet
From simple roots through high vision
I am guarded by the angels
My body guides the direction I go in

I am a citizen of the planet
My favorite pastime edge stretching
Besotten with human condition
These ideals are borne from my deepest within

Glad Tidings Of Comfort And Joy...and such...

Sweet Jesus it's mid December already. How the hell did that happen? It has been cold and blustery here in South Central PA, as it usually is this time of year. Just about every day for the past two weeks we've been having snow showers and flurries. I can't help but get a little giddy thinking about Christmas coming. Of course I can worry myself with how I am going to get my last minute shopping done (shit, I still need to get something for my mom!), or what I'm going to make for my family's gathering Christmas night (wouldn't you know that just about everything on the menu has meat in it!), but then I look at it this way...we worry enough as is. A lot of people get all grumpy and pissy around the holidays, especially in my family. I really don't understand.

After my aunt died in April of 2009, the holidays seemed to become somewhat of a burden for my family. My aunt was always the one to bring everyone together after spending hours upon hours in the kitchen preparing more food than 3 families combined could handle. After her passing we were left feeling a little lost, not knowing who could possible bring us together like that. All of the adults kind of made a deal that we would continue with tradition for the little kids in the family. Last year the holidays were really rough. My aunts absence was nearly unbearable. This Thanksgiving though, it felt somewhat like old times. Though we still grieve my aunt every single day, we know she would be furious with us if we just stopped tradition and stopped our lives.

I bitch and moan about my family a lot, I'll be the first to admit it. My close friends and even some of my cousins have told me that if it wasn't for my resemblance to my parents, they would swear I was adopted. I really am nothing like my family. Take a pretty average disfunctional, at times very narrow minded, conservative family and then throw me in....things can get ugly. But when it comes to the holidays, we all seem so put down our weapons and shields and come together. It makes me think of all of the people who don't have that option. Last night I read an article on homeless gay teens. I realized that I easily could have been kicked out of my house, but I wasn't. I easily could have run away, and at one point I really felt that was only one of two options, but I didn't. Families clash, people clash. That's what makes us who we are, our differences.

So here I sit in my room listening to Annie Lennox's "A Christmas Cornucopia" (seriously go buy this album...now!!!) and I can't help but smile a little at the slightly tacky Christmas "pine" garland draped over my book shelf, lights wrapped throughout. It's the little things that can lift the soul a little. I ask you to do this, for one moment, stop worrying about money and presents and work...look around you and take in the sights, the sounds. Be greatful that you have the opportunity to do that. Now, I'm not a religious person at all...but there really is something about Christmas...

What are your plans for the holidays?


LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS SONG AND VIDEO!

I'm Alive!

"All the kids are going back to school
The summer is over, it's the golden rule
And now i"m coming out to play
So please don't stand in my way
And all the things that seemed once to be
So important to me, seem so trivial now
That I couldn't see..."
-"Shattered" by The Cranberries


Yes, as the title of this blog states...I am in fact alive. Not sure how many of you care...since I have no clue who reads this blog...but yes, I am alive. I kind of took a break from everything this summer (except working) and let whatever happen happen. My birthday came and went, a summer fling came and went, a concert came and went, as did tonsillitis... possibly resulting from the said concert. It was an unbearably humid summer in South Central Pa. I am more than happy to say that it is quite obvious that autumn is on it's way. The humidity is down, the breeze is cool, and the days are shorter. I love everything about fall. I know a lot of people say they don't like it because everything dies and the days are too short. I don't look at it as everything dies. I look at it as sort of natures art work. While the weather get's cooler, the trees turn into a sort of painting with warm, bright colors. Though I often voice my dislike for this area that I live in, I cannot deny that it is beautiful in the fall. If you have never taken a ride through the mountains in mid autumn, you are really missing out.

My nephew started second grade last week. I must say, though I'm now usually up by 7:30 in the morning due to household chaos, I love the quiet days. Don't get me wrong, I love my nephew dearly, but he's a mouthy seven year old. I think you can see where I'm going...everyone needs a break. I love the routine of the school year. By mid July I was already tired of the chaotic randomness and stresses of a bored seven year old...not to mention not being able to go to a store without 87 screaming kids running everywhere. I do love kids...honestly. Work at the coffee shop is becoming a steady pattern again as well. I know the certain hours I'll be busy, I know the regular customers that will come in, and I know I won't have to make tons of smoothies for stoned college kids.

Well, this was (as usual) quite the random blog post. I just felt like I should post something after being M.I.A for a few months.
So...how was your summer? Are you ready for fall?

oh yea...summer is fast approaching

Tomorrow is the first day of June. This means a few thing- 1)Tomorrow is Alanis' birthday! 2)Friday is my birthday! 3) It's hotter than the hinges of hell! One thing you can always count on in south central PA is summers that make are at times unbearably hot and humid. And everyone knows that Tommy does not respond well to high heat and humidity. I become very mean and pissy (just think of Roseanne in the later years). I wanted to blog a few weeks ago, but life has been quite crazy. I met a guy, we clicked, we hung out, he made me feel like I was a prince, and now he's gone. I come to find out that he likes to make a game out of younger guys. Luckily I have standards. I was really really hurt by this and basically shut down for a few days. I mean I friken Bella Swaned out. Not that he was in any way shape or form Edward...but i was blind sided. No worries though, I am back from the dead. The whole thing actually inspired me to write a piece that I am very proud of. I even had a "You Oughta Know" moment and posted it on facebook. It's still there...and no one has commented on it. I guess it makes people feel uncomfortable. Speaking of "You Oughta Know", did you watch American Idol? Me neither. But I did watch the Alanis performance, it was great! Except for that Crystal chick singing. My favorite show is about to end it's second season. I don't know how I will last the summer without the wonderful Jackie Peyton. Luckily I'm turning to Weeds. You heard me. I'm definitely late catching on, but thanks to On Demand I am now hooked on the show Weeds. It's funny, sad, disturbing....it's life. So friday is my birthday...and I can't help but get a little excited. I don't know why this always happens. My family hasn't really acknowledged my birthday for a few years now. Not since I came out. But even though there are no longer any problems, I guess they don't see the reason to pick up the celebration. Oh well, I'm just turning 20. I think I shall buy myself some vinyl. Maybe I'll finally order all of the Tegan and Sara albums on vinyl. Oh, it get's me giddy just thinking about it. On a random note...I'm wearing shorts for the first time in about 2 years...I feel like a slut...

i know, i know, i know

Wow, I can't believe how long it has been since i've updated this blog. Oops! So, what's new with me? Well this whole vegetarian thing is going pretty well. My family still gives me shit from time to time, but it doesn't bother me. Now that I no longer eat meat I have been introduced to new and exciting foods! Oh, and an interesting thing....if I do happen to eat meat....I get sick. Yeah, no lie. The meat tastes horrible too. The other week I was so hungry for chicken all day. I came home from work to find that my mother was fixing, you guessed it, chicken. So I decided I would have a small piece. HORRIBLE IDEA! The chicken was perfectly done, or at least the way I use to like it. But when I bit into it...it tasted raw. It was as if I just picked up a piece of raw chicken and sunk my teeth into it. And just the 2 or 3 bites I had made me so sick to my stomach. Now I can definitely say that I don't crave meat at all.

Oh! Some randomness! I got my labret pierced. That's the space between your chin and bottom lip. I had been thinking about it for a while but kept talking myself out of it. And watching youtube videos and googling all the horrible things that can go wrong doesn't help at all. But I finally did it. It actually didn't hurt. It happened so fast that before my brain could fully register "HOLY FUCKBALLS BATMAN, THERES A NEEDLE THROUGH MY LIP!" it was all done! Taking care of it for the first week wasn't as bad as I expected either. Basically all common sense stuff. The only problem I have is at work. My wonderful place of employment doesn't approve of facial piercings, so mine has to be covered with a band-aide. What is more disturbing...me serving you a latte with a tiny silver ball below my lip, or me serving you a latte with a bandage covering me chin? Oh and I can't really talk with the bandage on. Yea, I rest my case. It is also a HUGE confidence dropper. So many good looking guys come into the store, look at me, then run the other way. I've come close to just sticking my head in the coffee grinder....

Oooh, I would like to mention that I am seeing one of my favorite bands TWICE this summer. I will be seeing Kings of Leon on June 8th (4 days after my bday) and September 8th (8 days before my sisters bday). I'm really really excited! I was hoping to see Tegan and Sara on their U.S. tour but couldn't find anyone to go with me. I'm hoping to see a lot of concerts this summer. Natalie Merchant just released her first album with new material in 7 years. I checked her site to see if she would be touring...she is...and the concert closest to me is sold out. Rah. So next I'm hoping Melissa Etheridge will be touring for her new cd. And I really hope that the next time Sophie B. Hawkins comes around here that she plays at a place that isn't 21+. I know, I'm quite demanding. Bring on the "no wonder you're single" jokes. My good friend Hayley has yet to go to a concert, so this summer, come hell or high water, we are attending Lilith Fair in D.C. Tegan and Sara are suppose to play some shows, if they play the one in D.C. there is a good chance I'll totally geek out.

Well, I think this has been enough pointless ranting for one evening, eh? Till next time...