Cookies in your mailbox, part 2

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Amanda T. won last week's Joy of Vegan Baking giveaway, and chose gingerbread cookies with icing. I hadn't actually tried Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's gingerbread recipe yet, so I was psyched! The gingerbread cookie recipe on page 122 calls for the Royal icing recipe on page 234, which is simply Ener-G egg replacer, lemon juice, and confectioner's sugar (the almond or vanilla extract is optional).

Two more reasons I'm excited Amanda won: 1, she just had a baby, and 2, I don't actually know her. Usually my giveaways don't attract entries from perfect strangers, but as my sister pointed out, "You can't eat books."

Once I found a store that had ground ginger in stock (and it did take me awhile, weirdly enough), I had only a couple minor hiccups in my cookie-baking session last night. I'd picked up a cheap-o icing decoration kit from Bed, Bath & Beyond, and made the mistake of first using the tall bottle instead of one of the little accordion-shaped ones. The icing was already pretty thick, so it stuck to the sides of the plastic bottle instead of squirting out. But I transferred the icing with a small spatula into the smaller accordion bottle, and the icing process went smoothly after that.  

My first batch (on the bottom) was too thick, but you can see (above) that I figured it out. I've been making gingersnaps pretty regularly for years, but this is the first time since high school (has it really been that long??) since I baked gingerbread cookies.  Thanks to this giveaway, I have an even longer list of desserts to veganize. I'm particularly excited about Marcel's chocolate mousse cheesecake challenge, so I'll be blogging about that sometime in the new year! 

Cookies in your mailbox!

As promised awhile back—The Joy of Vegan Baking giveaway! To clarify, I'm baking the winner the dessert of his or her choice out of Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's modern-classic cookbook, boxing it up and popping it in the mail in time for your Christmas Eve shindig. (I'm not giving away the book itself, although you should certainly get yourself a copy, since everything I make out of it turns out exquisitely delicious! Though come to think of it, if an international reader wins the giveaway, it might make more sense to send a copy of the cookbook. We'll see how it goes.)That's right: I am sending you a box of scrumptious homemade cookies! (Or a cake. Or sweet bread. Or macaroons.)More about The Joy of Vegan Baking from the author herself:  I regularly listen to Colleen's podcast, I've heard great things about the 30-Day Vegan Challenge, and I can't say enough glowing things about her work. I honestly don't know where the vegan community would be without her and my dear teacher Victoria Moran.Here are a list of recipes that would be easiest to box up and send:

• chocolate chip cookies
• chocolate chip mint cookies
• peanut butter cookies
• pine nut anise cookies
• oatmeal raisin cookies
• gingerbread cookies
• chocolate brownies
• chocolate coconut macaroons [this one is my go-to; easy and delicious.]
• blueberry orange bundt cake
• cinnamon coffee cake
• light lemon bundt cake
• apple cake [I like to bake this one for Christmas presents, adding dried cranberries.]
• pumpkin spice bread
• zucchini bread.

To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment here and tell me your favorite dessert recipe. It doesn't have to be vegan—actually, I'd like to hear about your favorite non-vegan desserts so I can enjoy veganizing them. Same deal as the audiobook giveaway:

• You get ONE entry for a Facebook comment
• TWO entries for a share, tweet or retweet
• and THREE entries for leaving a comment on this or any other blog post. (Sneaky!)

This giveaway closes at midnight on Sunday, December 15th. Tasty baked goods to be delivered by Christmas. Good luck! I think this is going to be a lot of fun.* * *I like to wear vegan-message tank tops to yoga class—it's a great conversation starter! This one is from Colleen's compassionate messagewear shop. (Photo by Alex.) 

Books and Chocolate and Books

 I went to the Harvard Books warehouse sale yesterday, and it was MARVELOUS. I felt like I was browsing a half-sized version of the Strand, only without the grumpy sales staff. (Everyone there was really friendly and helpful, by the way. Good job, Harvard Books!)    

"If everyone -- including the women -- looks like Putin, then it's Van Eyck."— Sarah P. Miller (@SarahPMiller) December 2, 2013

      There were a few food vendors there as well. I finally tried Taza Chocolate (which is all vegan and made in Somerville!), and I can't even tell you how exquisite are the gingerbread and cinnamon chocolates.   

Morning at @jpcentreyoga + afternoon at #hbswarehousesale with @tazachocolate = the perfect Sunday.— Camille DeAngelis (@cometparty) December 8, 2013

(This post is especially for Jen, who would've been there and salivating along with me if she only lived closer.)* * *Update: SQUEE! 

@cometparty You're one of the winners of our #HBSWarehouseSale promo! If you follow us we can then DM you details on getting your gift card.

— Harvard Book Store (@HarvardBooks) December 9, 2013

Peace and Ease (another weekend in Providence)

 

In peace and ease she spends her happy days,And fears no envy, as she courts no praise.

—Elizabeth Scot

  There are many things I love about visiting Elizabeth in Providence, but going to the beach is pretty high on the list.      Amiee flew up from Philadelphia and we had a magical time—literally magical. We each had some important inner work to accomplish, and the process becomes so much smoother and more joyful when your "soul pod" is helping you through it. I had a lot of letting go to do.Of course, nourishing the spirit starts with physical nourishment. We had beautiful food at every meal.   Sunday evening we went to Wildflour, a vegan bakery/café, followed by dinner at the Garden Grille (which I believe is owned by the same folks). Like I said, I'm trying to listen to my body, and between two gorgeous cups of coffee with steamed almond milk and cinnamon (thank you, Elizabeth!) my body'd had enough sugar for one day, so I regretfully passed on the bourbon truffles.   That said, fresh juice is just as much a treat to me as a cupcake. That sounds a tiny bit crazy, but it's true—especially since juice never winds up feeling like too much of a good thing.   More "detox" for dinner: this salad with mango, beet, avocado, and orange was light but satisfying. The service at the Garden Grille is great too! I told Bristol about our meal and she mentioned that they've opened another restaurant in Providence called the Grange, so we'll have to check that out the next time I'm visiting. 

"I am awake"

One of my fellow MSVA vegan lifestyle coaches, Adrienne Borgersen, recently shared this Facebook post from her friend, singer-songwriter Marilyn Carino. This is a powerful testimonial from a brand-new vegan, so I really wanted to share it with you.

OK. So let's keep in mind that I'm a bratty individualist who reads a lot and likes to stay thin. So for years and years I followed what I read to be the way to do that and wouldn't change it because it worked. I exercise (yoga, swimming) and eat very low fat foods and ZERO CARBS. I felt pretty good and stayed thin. Then I started to feel pain in my gut which recently got so severe I was hospitalized for three days, turns out I have diverticulosis which hurts like a mutha and which will be a chronic condition I will always be in danger of having flare up into an intestinal infection that will send me back to the hospital (diverticulitis).

Why did I get this, you ask? Because my apparently sensible diet of meat, veggies, low-fat Greek yogurt, fruit smoothies and ZERO CARBS is ruining my colon, my liver, and is also giving me bone loss. I'm not on any meds now except for Vitamin D supplements.

What's my point?

I read some more, different stuff that wasn't as easy to find, mostly recommended to me by my dear friends Beth Lockwood and Adrienne Borgersen, whose posts here about veganism I regularly tarred with my bratty brush as being pompous and extreme. Hey, I'm thin, that's all that matters. But now I understand that I was brainwashed by propaganda even someone like me couldn't see for what it was until I got sick. The food industry is vastly powerful. It needs to sell us its poisonous wares to make profit and send us to doctors who will prescribe expensive chemicals to temporarily alleviate the effects of the useless crap they push. And convince us that torturing and killing animals and destroying the planet in order to do so is, well, no biggie.

I am awake. I've been eating vegan for two weeks and I'm not going back. I can't un-learn what I've learned and I'll be damned if I'm going to be a victim of that corrupt, lying system that is ruining people's health and our beautiful world.

I'm changing because it's good for me and it's the right thing to do. All of you who scoff and say mmmm bacon are blind. This is not extreme, that's what they want you to think. Wake up, for your own sakes. Peace.

Huge thanks and congratulations to Marilyn for speaking her truth, and to Adrienne for sharing it! 

Save-a-Turkey Day, part 2

(Continued from Save-a-Turkey Day, part 1.) Last Thursday I was very tempted to join in all the vegan tweeting about how our bodies should be temples instead of graveyards, that tradition for tradition's sake is—if you take a good hard look at it—pure insanity.I've tried that sort of activism, and it doesn't work for me. I get too hot under the collar, too righteous you might say, and I know I wind up alienating people. I think my friends are more open to eating vegan because I don't try to convince them. I'm fit and healthy and very happy, and if they want some of this awesomeness, they know where to find me and that I'll answer any questions they want to ask.  That said, they only admitted after they'd tucked into the food that they were nervous about a "vegan Thanksgiving." How could the food possibly be as hearty as what they're used to, when they almost always see me eating salads in the dining hall?  Fortunately my friends were happily surprised, and I had quite possibly the most enjoyable Thanksgiving of my life. I cooked and baked for hours (in intermittent solitude) and loved every minute, which was new for me. I needed the space from my family (as much as I love them!), and I needed to cook because I wanted to cook, not because people expected to be fed. I opted not to tweet about tradition and complacency, but it was still at the front of my mind as I measured and mixed. I don't want to do anything because it's expected of me. I want to do it because it gives me joy.And—not coincidentally, I'm sure—everything I made turned out amazingly delicious. I winged half of what's on this table, and in the past my "winging it" hasn't turned out so well.   My only regret is neglecting to buy salad fixings. It may be vegan, but this is still quite a heavy meal.  

.alexdoyle0 is juicing apples for "cider." Cinnamon sticks in the pot. Seat-o'-my-pants stuffing worked out fine. It smells AWESOME in here.— Camille DeAngelis (@cometparty) November 29, 2013

 (I messed up the tag on that tweet, but you get the idea.)   I have to admit that I did have a favorite guest. (No doubt he was everyone's favorite guest.) 

...and a gratuitous baby pic: http://t.co/ZMiAnRwt4e— Camille DeAngelis (@cometparty) November 30, 2013

 I have even more vegan deliciousness to blog about on Wednesday—while I was in Providence the weekend before last we went to Wildflour and the Garden Grille! 

Save-a-Turkey Day 2013

Thanksgiving dinner's sad and thanklessChristmas dinner's dark and blueWhen you stop and try to see itFrom the turkey's point of view.Sunday dinner isn't sunnyEaster feasts are just bad luckWhen you see it from the viewpointOf a chicken or a duck.Oh how I once loved tuna saladPork and lobsters, lamb chops too'Til I stopped and looked at dinnerFrom the dinner's point of view.

—Shel Silverstein

  My cruelty-free Thanksgiving menu:

• cranberry sauce (the easy peasy version: 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water per 4 cups cranberries)
• super-easy lentil roast (recipe from Thanksvegan, which I picked up at the Boston Veg Fest)
• cashew gravy
• stuffing-by-the-seat-of-my pants (it'll have portobello mushrooms for sure)
• sweet potato casserole with millet and kale (I'm making this up t00—recipe forthcoming!)
• garlic mashed potatoes
• roasted carrots and parsnips
• cornbread (just the Trader Joe's mix with corn kernels added)

 And for dessert:

• pumpkin pudding
• upside-down pear gingerbread cake, veganized out of Jeanne Lemlin's Vegetarian Classics (feel free to email me for the recipe)
• coconut cream topping, recipe courtesy of Nina Hayes
• homemade apple cider (sort of—I'm going to juice a bunch of apples and mull with cinnamon sticks)

 I'm feeling very grateful—today and EVERY day—for a clear mind, excellent health and a body that does everything I ask of it, faithful friends and wonderful family, and the opportunity to make a living following my bliss. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! 

Cooking Mexican with Nina Hayes

Last Thursday night I had the great pleasure of taking a cooking class with Nina Hayes, whom I've mentioned on the blog before—she took Main Street Vegan Academy last year, we connected on Facebook after I moved to Boston, and now I take her Jivamukti class fairly regularly. I'd taken yoga with her that morning, so it felt like an all-day veganfest! There were four of us in the group, and everyone was very relaxed and friendly—a perfect environment for learning.  I know my way around the kitchen and don't feel too intimidated by new techniques, but not being intimidated is not the same thing as being enterprising enough to learn something new. Most of the time I fall back on the same recipes just out of a lack of time or planning. So a class like this is worthwhile not just for the veg-curious—it's useful for someone more confident and established in her veganhood, too.Here's the menu—all recipes Nina developed herself:

• spiced squash and bean tamales
• chipotle sour "cream" (made with cashews)
• seasoned kale chips with fresh guacamole
• Aztec chocolate mousse pie with coconut cream

Notice how she managed to put this meal together without any processed faux dairy products! Daiya and Tofutti are great for special occasions or when you're short on time, but ideally you'd whip up a healthier version from scratch, and Nina made it feel totally doable.        We used Nina's Vitamix for both the chipotle sauce and chocolate mousse, which got me REALLY excited to have one of my very own. My mom and sis—generous souls!—are buying me one for a birthday/Christmas present. Granted, I still don't have a kitchen of my own, but it'll be great even just to take it out of the box and use it once a week. As much as we love juicing, making smoothies with a high-powered blender is even healthier because you keep the fiber! I'm also looking forward to making coconut cream using Nina's recipe and tricks for my Thanksgiving desserts (an upside-down pear gingerbread cake and pumpkin pudding).If you're in the Boston area, you can subscribe to Nina's email newsletter on her website to find out when she's offering her next class. Highly recommended! 

The Pace of Nature

Illustration by Claudia Campazzo.

On a recent trip to San Francisco I reconnected with Maura McElhone, a friend from Galway and fellow graduate of the M.A. in Writing program at NUIG. A native of Derry, Maura now lives in Northern California. She says, "I firmly believe that life isn't so much about where we are or how we live, and all about who we're with as we live it. I dream of publishing a book, and of that book making an impact on someone, somewhere in the world." When she told me about making a set of extraordinary friends on four legs, I asked if she'd write a guest post for me. I hope you enjoy this story as much as I did.

***

Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.

—Emerson

It’s a chilly enough evening here in the north San Francisco Bay Area, but I've left the living room window open. I need to keep a constant ear out for them, you see: the deer that come by most nights now for a quick snack, and, in the case of one very special animal, the odd head rub, too.

I first met the deer I’ve come to know as “Gimpy” a little over a year ago when he, along with his mother (easily distinguishable by the sizable notch in her right ear and named “Mango” after the sweet yellow fruit that was the first thing she ate from my hand), would stop to graze on the grassy hillside just beyond my apartment during the spring and summer months.

Once the temperature dropped and winter came, the deer disappeared. To where, exactly, I don’t know. The fantasist in me likes to think of them kicking back with a cocktail on the deer equivalent of Barbados while waiting out the colder months.

When they returned in May of this year, I immediately noticed that the baby was having difficulty walking. It was only when the animals came closer that I was able to see the white bone protruding from his right hind leg. The break was clean, but this offered little consolation as I watched the tiny Bambi-like creature hobble around, dragging the useless limb behind him.

I began ringing various animal rescue centres, but at 9pm, only the answering machines were picking up. Finally, I got through to a woman in Virginia who ran a deer rehabilitation centre. She advised me not to ring the local humane society, but rather, to “let nature do its thing.” Breaks like this are common in young fawns, apparently, and if the animal is at all mobile, and its mother is still with it, it stands a good chance of recovery. The best thing I could do, she told me, was to give him food and water: let him come to associate that grassy hillside as being a safe haven, a place he could come for sanctuary or help. “If he needs you,” she said, “he’ll find a way to let you know.”

Looking at it on paper now, it does seem slightly ridiculous: the idea of this wild animal going out of its way to seek help from a human, a creature they fear from birth. At the time, however, I didn’t linger on the logistics. All I knew was that as long as this little animal continued to find his way to my apartment, I would do everything I could to care for him. I knew it would be tough. I was a human seeking to make a difference in a world that wasn’t mine, after all. The only way this would work would be if somehow deer and human could meet halfway.

So I interfered as little as possible. When Mango and the fawn I’d taken to calling “Gimpy” came by, I’d feed them and during the particularly hot days this summer, I left out a basin of water from which they drank readily. There was a period of maybe two months when I didn’t see either deer, and while I worried, I had to trust that as long as nature was in charge, things would play out as they were meant to.

As it turned out, he’d managed just fine. When he returned with Mango in early August, I saw that as the woman in Virginia had predicted, bone had met bone, and while he’ll never have a fully functioning limb, the break had healed enough to allow him to put weight on that leg. In fact, when he’s standing still, you’d be none the wiser about the injury at all. Only when he begins to move does the slight limp give him away.

More than a year has passed now since Mango and Gimpy first appeared, and rarely a week goes by when they don’t visit. But I’ve never grown used to it. I hope I never do. I hope that in the months and years to come, each and every visit still fills me with the same sense of humility, wonder, and privilege that I feel now.

All too often we are reminded of the separation between our own human world and the natural world, reminded that these two worlds should not and cannot intersect without negative repercussions for one side or the other. Indeed, for most people, the closest interaction they’ll have with a deer is if they have the misfortune of hitting one with their car. It’s why I’ll never take for granted moments like the one I was witness to this past July when I lay on my tummy on the floor for fifteen or twenty minutes, hardly daring to breathe for fear of interrupting the scene that was playing out before me: Mango licking Gimpy’s injured leg as he nuzzled her back. A mother caring for her baby, the most natural thing in the world, and a reminder that for all our differences, we’re actually not all that different.

Perhaps that’s the draw for me. Why wouldn’t I chance a relationship with these creatures who live lives not unlike ours, but better? Innocent and pure lives free from the weight of worry and stress; lives that revolve around eating, resting, and nurturing relationships with those most dear to them. Lives in which decisions are driven purely by instinct and trust. How lucky am I to be invited into this exemplary way of being, if only for a few moments at a time?

And when it comes down to it, that’s why I keep the windows open and brave the autumn chill: to hear the crunch of forest floor under hoof—my cue to slow down, to ready myself for another foray into this realm that exists only at the point at which our two worlds overlap, for a few moments of perfect cohesion and beauty.

I step out onto the balcony and cross to the railings; on the other side the shy doe with the nick in her right ear and the baby with the bad leg are waiting. I drop to my knees and stretch my arm through the railings, apple slice in hand. And while neither mammy or baby hesitates, their large, brown and innocent eyes remain locked on me as they move forward. Then, going against everything their instincts tell them, they take the treat from my hand, sometimes even allowing my hand to rest for a few moments on their heads.

And that’s when I’m in it—that perfect place that exists only at the midpoint between our two worlds and only for as long as the deer are willing to extend to me their trust. It’s quiet there, the only sounds coming from the mouths of the deer as they munch their apples and carrots. And it’s still. It has to be. The deer are skittish, likely to bolt at any sudden or unfamiliar noise or movement, shattering the perfection of these moments. No matter how busy my day has been, or how much I’ve been running around, when I arrive at this place where our two worlds come together, I’m forced to slow down, and to stop. If these creatures can overcome their inherent fear of humans enough to grant me these few special moments, it’s the least I can do to respect and embrace the rules of conduct in their most simple, innocent, and uncomplicated of worlds.

But that’s just my view from the inside. On the outside, at that cross section where nature and civilization collide, look up on the hillside and what you’ll see is nothing more exceptional than a 29-year-old woman, down on bended knee, offering an apple in her outstretched hand, to a baby deer with a gimpy leg who willingly accepts.

Find Maura on Twitter at @maurawrites, and read more of her writing on her blog.

Illustrator Claudia Campazzo was born and raised in Chile and is also a classically trained violist and violinist. You can find more of her lovely work on her blog.

Birthday Surprises and Farmers' Market Goodies

 Last Thursday was my 33rd birthday. It feels a little odd to be writing that, not because I'm getting older but because (with all the yoga I've been doing) I feel like I'm getting younger! I'm continually amazing myself with all the cool poses I can do now that I didn't have the strength, balance, or flexibility for when I was a child. I took a wonderful Jivamukti class that morning with Nina Hayes, fellow MSVA grad and one of my new favorite yoga teachers. (I'm also taking her Mexican cooking class tomorrow night! So stoked for that.)That night I went with a bunch of friends to my favorite Boston restaurant, Veggie Galaxy. My two favorite things on the menu are the vegan mac (with nutritional yeast and turmeric, breadcrumbs, eggplant, leeks, and peas)—it's not gooey like "the real thing," but I do like to point out that "comfort food" is actually way more comforting when you know no animals were abused in the making of it.  The other thing I usually order is a frappe made with coconut ice cream—chocolate banana is my favorite flavor. "Out of this world," as my grandmother would say. I ordered one instead of cake for dessert, and look how it arrived!  Every birthday serves as a benchmark. What did I set out to accomplish over the past year, and to what extent have I been successful? How have I grown? How have I changed? What would I love to do next? Am I a better person than I was a year ago? This introspective process felt more relevant than ever given how much things have changed for me since my 32nd birthday. Just before I moved to Boston, I laid out a very clear picture of what I wanted my new life to look like, and it will surprise no one to hear that my life doesn't look much like the one I'd imagined.But I love this life, with all its uncertainties and "fine for nows." If some mysterious stranger offered to trade this life for the one I'd imagined, I would absolutely decline. You might say going out to dinner with my Boston friends was a celebration not just of my birthday, but of that imaginary choice. I can't even tell you how grateful I feel for the friends I've made here.* * *Birthdays are too important to keep to one day; I intend to celebrate for the rest of the month! (Have I ever shared my philosophy on birthdays, by the way? I've always been big on celebrating them because we are SO BLESSED to be able to do so. I went to high school with several people who will never celebrate their 30th or 25th or even 21st birthdays. It isn't a day for wishing you could turn back the clock; it's a day of gratitude for all the time you've been given.)Anyway, since we're talking about tasty vegan food, I thought I'd share a couple of surprising items I picked up at the Roslindale Farmers' Market last Friday. The first is a teeny-bit-spicy relish-slash-dip adapted from an old Creole recipe:  I think I'll serve this with gourmet crackers at Thanksgiving. The second item (the real surprise) was carrot granola (!) from A.k.a. Marvelicious, which is as local as local gets (they're based in Jamaica Plain):  My Little Sister and I tried a couple of samples, including their pumpkin pie, which was fantastic. I was skeptical about the carrot granola, but it's actually really good. I'm saving it for Thanksgiving weekend, when I'll be doing all my own cooking for once.Speaking of farmers' markets, here's a photo I took after a browse at Copley Square several weeks ago (I meant to blog this, and forgot). You might as well caption it "You know you're a hippie when..."  I showed Alex the contents of my bag—dinosaur kale for juicing, dehydrated flaxseed crackers, and a knitting project using hemp (for crying out loud), all in a reusable market bag—and asked, "Am I a hippie or a hipster?" He confirmed that I'm a hippie, because hipsters are apparently way dirtier than hippies. At least according to Alex. 

Eating Out in New York, continued

 I've been down to New York twice in one week—first for a Yaddo "family reunion" at the Brooklyn Brewery last Wednesday night, and then to see a very dear friend visiting from far away. Naturally, I ate a lot of gorgeous vegan food.  I haven't ever spent much time in Williamsburg, so I Googled to find a list of vegetarian eateries near the Brewery. Bliss Café was the most convenient—cute, romantically lit, and bustling even at 6pm on a Wednesday. I ordered a "bliss bowl"—steamed kale and other veggies with beans, rice, tempeh, and lemon-miso dressing—a simple but delicious meal, washed down with beet-carrot-ginger juice.  I've been treating myself to a lot of dessert lately. (My birthday is tomorrow, after all!) This brownie, alas, wasn't nearly as moist and flavorful as the vegan walnut brownies at the Armory café, but at least the coffee was top notch. Overall I can't say I'd hurry back here—the service was a bit "oh? you want to eat? all right then, you can sit there I guess," and I do prefer to patronize restaurants that are 100% vegan.  The Yaddo party was fantastic—I didn't sample the brew (although most of their beers are vegan), but I made new friends and reconnected with a few members of my original posse. After the event we moved to a dive bar down the street. I was taking the train back at 2:40am, but I didn't actually have all that much time to wait around beforehand!   I found a 24-hour deli near Penn Station selling vegan cookies. Much much better than that Bliss brownie, but it tasted disconcertingly like egg nog! So the spices were there, but not in the right proportions, I don't think. And not enough pumpkin, clearly. That said, it was going on 3am and I was hungry, so it did the job.Now on to visit #2:  Yesterday was one of the very happiest days of 2013, hands down (tell you why later). My friend and I talked for hours over a thoroughly delicious quinoa and avocado salad at Peacefood Café on the Upper West Side. We also ordered gingerade and chickpea fries, of course!  Polished off lunch with a Brazilian nut chai and a chocolate-dipped macaroon. You wouldn't know it was vegan, right? SO SO GOOD. I also have to give Peacefood a shout-out for some excellent customer service. I love it when a server actually says "Welcome! How are you?"   Alone again at half past nine, I headed downtown to a restaurant I used to love in my NYU days called Quantum Leap (Yes!), but I was disappointed to discover they now have fish on the menu. (New owners, probably.) So I went to Sacred Chow just around the corner (which I love, as you know), and even though they were about to close, they still fed me and didn't rush me out. Not only is their food really good (especially the tapas!), but their service is hands down the best of all the New York restaurants I have ever been to (not just the vegan ones). It is very rare to find a bustling restaurant where the staff make you feel totally comfortable about dining solo (and in the case of my first visit, taking up three empty seats). I said as much to my server, who replied that the owners made a conscious decision to make people feel welcome even if it meant losing a bit of money in the short term. Smart, right?—I keep coming back! Last night they had a Caldo Verde soup special, with kale and onion and potato in coconut broth, and it warmed me up beautifully.A bunch of us are going to Veggie Galaxy tomorrow night for my birthday, so I'll have to blog about my chocolate banana frappé next week! 

How to Smell Good and Taste Delicious

I'll never forget the time Olivia climbed into my lap, took a sniff, and announced, "Aunt Mealey, you smell bad." This was soon after I'd gone vegan, and I wanted to use a better deodorant than Lady Speed Stick (or whatever I was using back then). Unfortunately, when it comes to deodorant, in my experience "natural" is practically the same as "useless." Thus the stereotype of the "smelly vegan" became even less stereotypical. (Sigh!)"But how is deodorant not vegan?" Elliot asked recently.It's not vegan if it's tested on animals, I explained, and besides, who wants to apply aluminum chlorohydrate to their sensitive parts when there's a potential link between aluminum and Alzheimer's disease? Though studies remain inconclusive, you can read this article on the NIH website and pretty much decide for yourself: "Whilst being environmentally abundant, aluminum is not essential for life. On the contrary, aluminum is a widely recognized neurotoxin that inhibits more than 200 biologically important functions and causes various adverse effects in plants, animals, and humans." (There's also some hubbub about a breast cancer link as well, but no actual evidence for this according to the doctors interviewed by WebMD. Given the clear and obvious links between cancer of all kinds and the consumption of animal protein—have I mentioned The China Study lately?—it may be that many women would rather blame their antiperspirant than their diet.)At any rate, most commercial deodorants are no longer a viable option once you go vegan (and want to live a longer, healthier life in general). Like I said, first I tried some all-natural brand (I forget the name) that was completely ineffective, as poor Olivia can attest; then I tried Tom's of Maine, which was almost as useless. I love their toothpaste, but their lavender-scented deodorant found me almost as smelly a couple of hours after showering, and it left a pesky residue on my clothing besides. Until recently, I was using Trader Joe's cotton deodorant finished off with Lush talcum powder, which was somewhat more effective—but not as effective as I'd like.So where can you find a natural cruelty-free deodorant that actually keeps you smelling good (or at least neutral) for twenty-four hours? Is it even possible? All I can say is, thank Twitter for cluing me in to the vegan magic that is North Coast Organics!Not only does their Death By Lavender deodorant smell delicious AND keep me odor-free all day, but their customer service is absolutely wonderful. I don't know about you, but I don't generally receive a response when I tweet to companies (even small ones)—which, to my mind, rather defeats the purpose of having a corporate Twitter account—but when I tweeted to North Coast Organics that I was excited to try their deodorant, they thanked me for doing business with them, let me know when my order shipped, AND threw in a free travel-size deodorant stick!

@NorCoastOrganic Twitter rabbit hole! Making it a priority to follow #vegan businesses and bloggers. Thanks so much!— Camille DeAngelis (@cometparty) October 8, 2013

Yup. Best customer service EVER.Granted, it isn't an antiperspirant (which is why the commercial brands use aluminum—to plug your sweat glands) and I haven't had a chance to use it at the height of summer, but I think it's enough to say that I can go to yoga and run around for the rest of the day without showering 'til bedtime, and I still don't stink. It's oddly reassuring to know that my deodorant was whipped up by hand—the $8.99 price point seems totally fair, too, given its effectiveness!—and I like to catch a whiff of myself and feel satisfied that I smell like a field of Croatian lavender. (We brought back a bunch of handmade sachets from our visit to Hvar, and six years later they STILL smell good.)North Coast Organics also makes great lip balms—in my recent post on the Boston Veg Fest, I alluded to how difficult it is to find lip balms without beeswax or petroleum in them. I ordered both kinds, W.M.D. Cinnamon and L.S.Q. Minty, and I really like them. They go on grainy but soften up quickly, and the flavor is lovely. The $2.99 price point is very reasonable, too—the last vegan lip balm I found sold for $4.99 at Whole Foods, and I didn't like it nearly as much.There are other deodorant brands out there I haven't tried yet, but I'm not sure I'll bother! Which cruelty-free brands do you absolutely love? 

Sister of the Sibylline

 The Doctor Who historical episodes are generally my favorites—"Vincent and the Doctor" made me bawl both times I saw it, and I watched the opening scenes of "The Shakespeare Code" (in which a trio of witches devour a hapless young man) as I was beginning to write Petty Magic. And when I saw "The Fires of Pompeii," I knew I needed to be a Sister of the Sibylline for Halloween. The Sisters of the Sibylline are a nefarious cadre of soothsayers with eyes painted on their hands, and when they hold their hands to their (actual) eyes, they can communicate with each other across distances.

 I guess I could have gone all out with the jewelry and red dress, but I like that the costume feels more or less complete with just a red cape and some black-and-white face paint.

  

 I sewed the cape out of some cheap polyester (from Sew Low Fabrics in East Cambridge) using a free and easy pattern from FleeceFun.com. Intended for fleece, obviously, but it worked for my purposes just fine. I lopped off the pointy cape end, and finished it in a morning. Got so lazy that I didn't add any ribbon ties though—safety pins work just as well, haha!

 The plot of this episode is somewhat convoluted, but if you forget about the aliens and just focus on the human interest element, it's quite poignant. Donna and the Doctor have gotten to know a particular middle-class Pompeii family, and when the volcano erupts and everyone is running wild with panic, Donna is stricken to find them huddled together and preparing to die. The Doctor is about to leave, and Donna begs him: "Not the whole town. Just save someone."And he does. 

 I'm going to a concert at the Armory tonight. We'll see if any sci-fi nerds actually recognize me.

 

As for vegan candy, I treated myself to this tasty mint chocolate cookie:

  

Here's a bonus for you: Elliot in drag!!!!!

 They're characters from Game of Thrones. (I'm sure I'm the only person in America who couldn't have guessed that.)

Happy Halloween, everyone!

  

Boston Veg Fest

"If you use words like 'hate' and 'kill,' understand you are those words. That's who you are."

"If you like crossword puzzles, don't do them. Do Sudoku instead...As soon as you start to say 'I can't,' that's how a senior feels all day long. You have to stimulate that brain in unique and unusual ways."

—John Pierre

 I had a gay old time at the Boston Vegetarian Food Festival last weekend! I couldn't get there on Saturday, but I spent the afternoon there on Sunday, eating scrummy food, chatting with exhibitors, and listening to funny and inspiring presentations from John Pierre and Dr. Michael Greger. I also came thisclose to plunking down $449 for a Vitamix after tasting the samples, including an incredibly yummy peach sorbet. I will buy one eventually, it's just not the right time yet. I need a kitchen! I arrived with an empty stomach, naturally, so I first got myself a chocolate chip muffin from the Sabertooth Bakery and an equally delicious coffee with soy creamer from Café Indigo. Both booths had lots of tasty baked goods on offer.  I couldn't resist these bumper stickers at the Micah Books booth, where I got to talk with Roberta Kalechofsky, author of Thanksvegan and many other books. Turns out she's a fiction writer as well, but she's spent the past thirty years devoting all her writing energy to veganism, Judaism, and animal rights. (I can definitely see myself heading in that direction—writing about veganism, that is—but don't worry, I have a bunch of novels in me yet.) I stopped at the Two Trick Pony table to admire their clean and vibrant designs, picking up a set of holiday greeting cards. (I'm looking forward to getting that 'animal-friendly kitchen' print for myself someday!) I picked up a Teeccino sample from Vegan Cuts, ate some tasty butternut quinoa risotto from Root, and found out about the local chapter of a vegetarian spiritual organization called Science of Spirituality, who meet in West Newton. (I'll attend their Sunday morning meditation group this weekend.)I also got to meet Kristin Lajeunesse of Will Travel for Vegan Food, who is lovely. You should check out her blog if you haven't already—she spent almost two years traveling all over the country eating in vegan restaurants and connecting with compassionate small business owners. So cool!  I will admit that I bought a bunch of soap from Leap Organics because I love the illustration as much as the scents. (I also added my name to the list of people asking for beeswax-free lip balm.)    

Halloween Psych-Up 2013

On Friday night my friend Ryan and I went on the Harvard Square Ghost Tour, which was really good fun. The tour guide, "Scaly Pete," was all decked out in Victorian garb and face paint, and he told his stories so well it didn't really matter if they were made up or not. He did tell us up front that only a couple of them were 100% true, but stories like the ghosts of an epic food fight are hard to cross-check since everything Google pulls up refers back to the tour! "Scaly Pete" also told us some interesting anecdotes about William James' psychical research I'd never heard before (not in Deborah Blum's Ghost Hunters, nor the other research I did for my children's novel), and I did find corroboration on the pink pajamas story. But I guess that tale of medical students hiding dissected bodies in the walls and renovation workers finding them in 1999 is made up too.We went to Veggie Planet afterward and had one of my all-time favorite pizzas, with rocket and olive tapenade and tofu mashed and seasoned to taste like cheese:(And a vegan root beer float afterward!)This Halloween I'm dressing up for the first time in yonks. I put on face paint today and got a mixture of alarmed looks and smiles on the T, haha. I'm blogging about my Doctor-Who-themed costume on Thursday, but until then (in case you haven't already seen it), here's THE best zombie story I have ever seen. (Seriously. You will like this even if you don't like zombies. It is that good.)  Gorgeous, right? Here's more spooky stuff from the blog archives:

Things to Do When You're Dead

Sheridan Le Fanu's Real-Life Ghost Story

Adam McOmber's The White Forest

The Ghost of Anne Boleyn

Screaming Skulls, part 1

Screaming Skulls, part 2.

My New Favorite Sweater, part 1

When it comes to knitting patterns, my eyes are faster than my needles. I buy a pattern thinking I'll cast on for it soon, but that almost never happens. I bought Bonnie Sennott's Pomegranate at June Squam 2012 and cast on a little over a year later, which is actually on the quick side for me. Ha. I'd been wanting to try Hempathy for awhile—it's a sturdy blend of hemp, cotton, and modal (rayon)—and I'm really enjoying knitting with it. Much easier on the hands than you'd think. I love it so much that I bought a bag of yellow Hempathy for a cardigan (which was my Uganda knitting—I needed something much easier than this!) (Cardi pattern by Gudrun Johnston—blogging about it eventually!)   I usually knit on the T, and I'm getting lots of comments from my fellow passengers. My favorite was this guy who'd just told someone else that he's a physicist. Then he turned to me and commented that the lace chart I was working from looked awfully complex. Ha ha! Lace charts are easy once you know how to read them! And you are a physicist!!  I'm aiming to have it done and ready to wear on my birthday (which is three weeks away). 

Yoga and Vegetarianism

I've been going to Back Bay Yoga almost every day since I moved to Boston at the beginning of April, and I've found the studio to be a very safe and friendly place in which to develop my yoga practice in earnest. I adore nearly all of their teachers, and have learned and evolved through pretty much every single class I've taken there.Recently my three-month unlimited membership ran out, and when they posted a new weekday morning line-up that didn't suit my schedule as well as the old one, I decided it was time to explore other yoga studios in Boston. I suppose I've gotten a bit too comfortable at Back Bay—I'll always drop in for classes on a weekly or near-weekly basis, and I may very well renew my unlimited membership at some point, but for right now I feel a strong nudge toward exploring new styles and learning with new teachers.

This is how I found myself this past weekend on the South Boston Yoga website. I'd heard they offer aerial yoga classes, which I was really excited to try. Imagine my dismay, however, when I spotted a paleo diet workshop announcement with a certified nutritionist!

There didn't appear to be any upcoming workshop on veganism to balance things out. More to the point, though, practicing yoga while eating animals is a contradiction, and once again I'll draw upon Rynn Berry's wonderful Food for the Gods to explain why:

Cobra, lion pose, pranayama and mudras. Anyone familiar with these terms for some of the physical and psychological techniques of yoga has probably taken yoga classes, and most likely remembers the feeling of peace and well-being that followed them. In India, the Jains, Buddhists and Hindus practice yoga, which is a set of practical exercises for attaining samadhi, or spiritual transcendence. The eighth hallmark of the ahimsa-based "vegetarian" religions is that they have attached to them a set of physical and psychological techniques for achieving ecstasy.

Professor Berry goes on to note that in the Western tradition "there is no yoga—probably because in classical yoga, spiritual progress is predicated on eating a diet of plant-based foods."That said, the "power yoga" we practice in studios all over the Western world bears little resemblance to "classical" yoga. As Dean Radin explains in Supernormal:  "...[Y]oga as it is known and practiced in the West today, as a quasi-spiritual athletic practice, can be traced not to Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, but to an amalgam of traditional yoga poses combined with Swedish gymnastics and British Army calisthenics."In my experience, most Western yoga teachers merely skim the surface of yoga's spiritual roots, mentioning "the heart center" or the "third eye" without getting into what any of this stuff actually means—an understandable omission given that most students are there for the workout. I can't ever recall hearing the word ahimsa spoken in a yoga class, and yet it is the most fundamental tenet of classical yoga: refraining from causing harm to any sentient being. Following this principle, of course, necessitates a pure vegetarian diet.I politely asked about ahimsa on the South Boston Yoga Facebook page. The next morning, I found my comment had been removed. I tried again, and after what seemed like an odd reply—"Basically, we are not an exclusive community, diet being one of the life choices that we do not persecute. This discussion can happen over a private message if you like"—my second comment was removed as well. Whoever is doing the social media for SBY clearly felt defensive, and chose to frame my logical questions as the intolerant harping of a hardcore vegan (e.g., using the word "persecute") rather than responding to my concerns in an open and forthright manner. I guess they're afraid that discussing the issue in public might turn people off the paleo class, but if they were to offer a vegan workshop too, they wouldn't lose anybody at all! I'm very sad that the SBY social media person chose to handle the situation this way.But I'm not writing this post to complain. Actually, as I was editing this entry I discovered that the paleo workshop has disappeared from the South Boston Yoga event calendar!Still, the issue has been raised, and I'd like to see it through: I've noticed that people on the paleo diet often justify their dietary choices by saying "I'm doing what's right for my body," and as a very happy and healthy vegan, it goes without saying that I consider this attitude a cop-out. (For a sensible take on cravings, read this great post from VeggieGirl. "It’s interesting that this type of logic is used to explain cravings for things such as meat, eggs and cows’ milk," Dianne writes, "but not when what’s being craved is vodka, coffee or donuts.") Furthermore, we shouldn't follow someone's advice just because they have a string of letters after their name; many medical doctors, after all, refuse to acknowledge the connection between the consumption of animal protein and the skyrocketing rates of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer in America.My real "beef" with saying "I'm doing what's right for my body" isn't about the meat eater in question, however, and I invite you to meditate on the following statement:

If a choice is truly right for you, it won't be wrong for anyone else.

 Even if you don't believe that a cow or pig or chicken counts as "someone" (and you know I do!), what of the human animals who must go to work every day to slaughter, process, and package their flesh? Consider this passage from Gristle: From Factory Farms to Food Safety (Thinking Twice About the Meat We Eat), edited by Moby and Miyun Park:

Insane, right? And this passage doesn't even touch on the psycho-spiritual effects of working in a slaughterhouse (whether it's a factory farm or someplace "local" and "family owned"). If conditions are this heinous for the humans, imagine how much more horrific it is for the cows on the conveyor belt. This is why we practice ahimsa.

* * *

Sunday evening I went to a Jivamukti class with Nina Hayes (a fellow MSVA grad!) at Sadhana Yoga. Vegetarianism is one of Jivamukti's five core principles (video explanation by co-founder Sharon Gannon here; I'm also looking forward to reading her book on the subject), and at the beginning and end of class the teacher generally leads the class in a Sanskrit chant: Lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu. In English: May all beings everywhere be happy and free.Every time these words come out of my mouth, a lovely feeling of peace and centeredness settles over me, and the feeling was even more powerful given my frustrating experience over Facebook that morning. Nina also read this poem by Hafiz:

Admit something:Everyone you see, you say to them, “Love me.”Of course you do not do this out loud, otherwiseSomeone would call the cops.Still, though, think about this, this great pull in us to connect.Why not become the one who lives with aFull moon in each eye that is always saying,With that sweet moon language, what every other eye inThis world is dying to hear?

It all comes down to love, doesn't it? "Yoga" means "union" in Sanskrit, and to feel and spread and be love is to honor the interconnectedness of all living things. Nina says, "The teachings of yoga are clear in that if we want something in our lives, then we must be willing to provide it to others first. If we want to cultivate deep internal peace, freedom and love through yoga, our diet must reflect this."What do you think about the connection between yoga and vegetarianism? Is it fair to suggest that Western yoga should retain the classical yogic principle of ahimsa, or is the new power yoga "a different animal" altogether? Whatever your current diet, I'd love for you to share your perspective in the comments.And finally, I'd like to give a shout-out to South Boston Yoga for ultimately taking my concerns seriously—I really appreciate that. I feel like I can go for that aerial yoga class after all!

Banana Chia Breakfast Pudding

Kind of sad, isn't it, that until I was thirty years old this was the first thing that popped into my head whenever anybody said the word "chia"?:(You too, I bet!) Chia seeds are incredibly nutritious (fiber! antioxidants! those precious omega-3s!), and they're so easy to throw into a smoothie, cakey bread (like banana or lemon or pumpkin), or warm breakfast cereal. I had a really delicious chia pudding for dessert at Quintessence awhile back, and when I spotted some too-ripe bananas in the fridge while I was home last month, I decided to make something similar for breakfast.Gathering whatever I have on hand, experimenting, and taking notes—I need to do this more often! This being a raw pudding with no surprise ingredients, honestly, it was hard to mess up. My mother happily gobbled up a bowl, and she doesn't eat more than a bite of the things I make if she doesn't actually like them.Here's the recipe (if you can even call it that):

• 3 large ripe bananas
• ½ cup almond milk
• 3 tbsp. chia seeds stirred into 1½ cups water
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• 1 cup chopped strawberries
• 1 tbsp. maple syrup (optional; if you use berries and super-ripe bananas it'll be sweet enough without it)

Let the chia seeds sit in water for a few minutes so they "glub up." Mash bananas with a fork and mix all ingredients together. Yields 4½ cups, so about four servings. (That said, I gobbled it all up apart from the cup I gave my mom.)Next time I'll try letting the seeds soak in almond milk so it'll be creamier. I also want to try a more autumnal chia pudding with pumpkin puree!

Eating Vegan in Uganda and Rwanda

When we travel we always pack a lot of nuts, dried fruit, and other protein-rich snacks (like wasabi peas and sesame sticks—bless you, Trader Joe!) Fortunately, Ugandan cuisine is rich in beans, rice, and root vegetables, and there is always fresh fruit available.             

Learning to Listen

"Be vigilant, and allow no one to mislead you by saying: 'Here it is!' or 'There it is!' For it is within you that the Son of Man dwells. Go to him, for those who seek him, find him."

—from The Gospel of Mary Magdalene *

Sometimes I'm not sure how much information is too much, so I err on the side of discretion. I started this blog in 2008 as a record of my creative and professional life, and while I might touch on personal stuff from time to time, it's generally from an oblique angle. I don't see the usefulness in telling you I've been through a break-up, for instance, when I could leave it at "Goodbye Galway."I'm not exactly changing my stance on this, but I am increasingly feeling that some topics we might classify as "personal" might also serve a practical purpose. If my goal is to be useful, and something I've learned has helped me tremendously (creatively and personally), then why would I opt not to share it?Because some stuff might strike you as, in a word...weird.If you know me, you know I am a bit of an "odd duck." I think maybe I always have been. I don't want to believe in something just because a so-called authority tells me it's the truth, or because I want to believe it's the truth. It doesn't make sense to me that there could even be ONE objective truth. So I prod and I ruminate, and even though I might say "I believe in this" or "I don't believe in that," I am also willing to be wrong on any given point (and so "I believe" merely serves as an expression of my subjective truth in that particular moment.) It's only logical to me that if I were to say "that's impossible" or "that's not true," then I would be walling myself off from potentially limitless possibilities. Oftentimes "I don't know" feels like the only reasonable response.For me, "being spiritual" doesn't mean strict adherence to a tradition I had no part in making; it means exploring and engaging and growing a little less uncomfortable with uncertainty, calling myself out on the lies I tell myself (and others) that provide me with an illusory sense of comfort and security. Through this process I grow into a better version of myself. I can see my progress through my interactions with loved ones and strangers alike: I am more patient than I used to be, more loving, more willing to consider someone else's perspective rather than jumping into the same old "mental tape" of you did this to me and that's why I'm totally justified in being a passive-aggressive shrew to you right now. (Not to say this never happens anymore, just that it happens less often because I'm actively working on it.)All this is to explain to you why I'd like to start blogging on spiritual topics from time to time. It just isn't enough to tell you that going vegan opened up a whole new realm for me; I have to give you details and specifics, or else none of this really means anything. I trust you'll take or leave any of it as you feel like; and if you choose to leave it, let me clarify that if certain things hadn't happened to me personally, I would be skeptical too.I mentioned in one of my September Squam 2012 recaps that I learned and grew in unexpected ways through a workshop with Marie Manuchehri, who is a very gifted psychic medium and energy worker. Listen to Marie's radio show and you'll hear plenty about Reiki and spirit guides and chakras and past lives and other stuff many people would dismiss as New Age twaddle. And yet, whether in a five-minute call on the radio show or through her private practice, Marie is clearly helping people to heal their physical and emotional traumas. My dear friend Amiee—whom I first met at Squam that weekend—also took Marie's class, and it changed her life even more dramatically. It was Amiee who introduced me, in a very grounded and practical way, to the concept of listening to my body.Back in March, I was feeling trapped for reasons I'll get into some other time. I was spending the weekend at Amiee's house, and we were talking through what was going on with me; and she suggested she do some "energy work" in a spirit of experimentation. Amiee has since completed her Reiki I and II certification, but at this point she was running on 100% intuition.As my friend moved her hands over my arms, legs, and lower back, I felt some pretty weird stuff welling up. I felt like crying, so I did. I have no idea how long the session lasted—half an hour? an hour? fifteen minutes?—but at the end of it I felt deeply mellow yet revived and refreshed. At the risk of giving you way too much information (okay, I know this is TMI, but it's useful TMI, remember?), even if I hadn't believed in any of this to begin with, over the next few hours and into the next day I made many more trips to the bathroom than I ordinarily would have. It was a concrete and measurable (ha) reaction—this was for real—and it was also extremely healthy.It turned out that the whole point of this energy work was the release of stagnant emotions I was holding in various parts of my body, stuff that had originated in childhood (and well before that, too, if you believe in that sort of thing). I felt, again, all the anger and frustration and deep disappointment that my parents could not have been the people I wanted them to be. (No doubt everyone goes through this, but it seems like other people don't hold on to things the way I always have. Or maybe I'm just doing that inside-outside comparison again.)At any rate, I understood—truly understood, for the first time—that these were my emotions to process and release, that it would not do to go on blaming my parents for what I'd been feeling all this time. (One unexpected result of this shift is a delicious new sense of mental and emotional and even physical space—space that I can use for something new! As Marie Forleo says in last week's MarieTV episode, "You can't have really amazing stuff show up in your life if you don't have room for it.")The emotional release wasn't the only surprise: Amiee had been having a conversation with my organs. "Your liver is happy. Your spleen and pancreas are content, but they'd be happier if you ate some fresh greens." (Amiee and I had eaten well that weekend, but before that I have to admit I'd been noshing on too much bread and Vegenaise.) But the real aha moment came when she said, "Your uterus is exhausted."Last TMI moment of this post, I promise! In the interest of environmental responsibility, I had been using devices like this in lieu of sanitary pads and tampons for more than ten years, and had continued to use a cup even though I'd never found it comfortable. C'mon, lady, my uterus seemed to be saying. Just get yourself some Luna pads so I can chill.Why the heck would I spend ten years doing something that made me uncomfortable? Because I wasn't listening to my body.Since that strange and wonderful day at Amiee's apartment, I have had one more body wake-up call, and this one happened without any help. I was at the end of a box of contact lenses, and every time I reminded myself to order a new supply a little voice would say, Don't. Don't order any more contact lenses. Your eyes need a rest.In the meantime, I was wearing my last pair well past the point at which I ought to have tossed them, and I will admit that this wasn't the only time I was guilty of overwearing. I finally went to see an optician at Copley Square, and told her I wanted to buy my first new eyeglasses since 2004.When the doctor finished examining my eyes she said, "It's a very good thing you came in. You've been wearing contact lenses for so long that your corneas are cutting off the blood supply, which means that blood vessels are beginning to grow in the corners of your eyes to get fresh oxygen to your irises. We've caught it early so there's no damage yet, but if you'd waited much longer the blood vessels might have grown to the point at which they interfered with your vision—and that is irreversible."WHOOOOOOOOOOOA.That was much too weird for coincidence, right? I knew what was going on in my body; I just needed to pause and actually pay it some attention.Doesn't it feel like we're working against our bodies more often than not? We get frustrated when a cold or stomach bug slows us down, we slap all sorts of chemicals on our skin, we eat food we know will give us indigestion (or worse). And that's the tame stuff. Here's where I think the early Christian ascetics got it entirely ass-backwards (ha, ha): the spiritual is rooted in the physical. If we don't first know what's going on in our bodies, we won't have a clue in any other respect. (My daily yoga practice is helping me tremendously with this process as well, but I'll write about that later.)So...if you've read this far, I thank you for hearing me out. This subject might seem like an odd departure for me, but it feels absolutely right. As I said though, if it's not for you, I won't mind a bit if you'd rather skip it.Also, I'll be tying in the vegan angle to a greater extent in future posts; looking back on the past three years, it's actually been quite a clear progression of experiences from Harmony Homestead Farm to Sadhana Forest to Squam to Hawthornden, all of which helped me clarify my path and purpose—and, piece by piece, allowed me to "tune in" in ways I'd never even dreamed of before.There is some crazy-marvelous stuff underway here, and I'm very excited to hear how your own experiences compare!  *  Research reading for Immaculate Heart. It's fascinating how much of this gospel controverts Church dogma. The Teacher is within you? No wonder they suppressed it!