Goodnight, Spiders Everywhere, Everyone

This. This to everyone, everywhere, in any and every situation. This.

I normally have a lot to say. In fact, it is hard to shut me up, most of the time. But for this post, I wanted to leave it at that, with powerful words that I found circulating the interweb, written by a poet named Rudy Francisco. Food for thought. Goodnight. 

Goodnight, What Day Was It?

Friday, really? When you are working all the time, you tend to lose track of the days. The days, and weeks, and months all start to meld together in one big clump of work. Luckily, I love what I do, and my life's work has proven that; I have worked on this cause tirelessly for many years. I can go to sleep at night knowing I did good work and feeling like I have served in my life's mission. Service is important. I'd rather give than take, that's what makes me happy. And I am blessed to have found my calling.

However, when you do what I do, you don't get the weekends off. Fridays don't really mean much in terms of getting any time off. Even when I do take vacations, I'm tweeting or blogging it, or searching animal rights news for things to share and get involved in. I'm happy with what I do, but you know what I miss? This...

I miss outside.

I mean, I go outside, I'm not a vampire, but I don't spend nearly as much time outdoors as I would like. Maybe I'm feeling this way because the weather is still wintry, but even then, many of us don't get enough outdoors time. Not like when we were kids. I used to be outside all day long when I was a child. In college, I used to try to convince my professors to hold class outdoors on the lawn, somewhere nice and grassy on campus. Sometimes they listened, but not as much as I wanted. I even campaigned when I was working in the corporate world, to bring our desks outside - the outcome of that was, my bosses thought I was nuts. I told them we'd be more productive, we'd have a more positive outlook - nope, they were against the idea.Why don't people want to be outside anymore?

My goal for the deep spring, I say deep spring because it is far too cold right now in New England, is to bring my laptop outside and work there more. When I'm creating vegan recipes, that isn't always going to work, but I would like to do more writing and photography outside feeling the warm sun on my skin and the cool breeze on my face. I also think we should walk barefoot more often - feel the plush grass beneath our feet and connect with the earth more.

Do you spend a lot of time outside and what are your favorite outdoor activities when you peel yourself away from your desk?

Goodnight, Signs

"Sign, sign everywhere a sign"

Five Man Electrical Band?

Never mind. 

Tonight I'm reflecting on the signs of the day. Did you ever have a day, or even a period in your life, where you keep getting the same signs? Maybe it is a word that keeps popping up on tv, in a book you are reading, on the radio, or on social media. How about when you are thinking something, and someone says something similar to what you were just thinking - has that ever happened to you? Is it really a sign, perhaps from the universe, or merely just a coincidence?

Some spiritual experts seem to think that the universe has a plan and also sends messages to people. Most scientific experts say that that isn't possible. So how do we explain these strange coincidences, these signs? And do they mean something?

This happens to me often. I'll be thinking about something random, not something that has been buzzed in the mainstream news, but something very distinct, specific or obscure, then I'll be on Twitter and see someone else tweet about the same exact thing. How is that possible? Sometimes it happens more than once and comes from the same person. Could we be operating on the same brain frequencies or wavelengths as others? Some scientists seem to think that is possible as well, that we are all connected.

It's not like this is a new phenomenon. People have written songs about seeing "signs" (although in the Five Man Electrical Band's case I think they were actually talking about signs, like posted signage. Ace of Base is a better song example for "signs") and more than one of my friends and family members talk about constantly looking at the clock at the same time each day, 11:11.

I don't know what to believe, but I do notice "signs" and I wonder about them. As a person who likes answers for everything, I do find this re-occurrence peculiar. Maybe they are just coincidences. What do you believe?

Goodnight, Doogie - We're Getting Old.

Before I introduce these Goodnights I'll be doing, let me address the poll I posted on Twitter to get your opinion about them... I am astonished by how many of you don't know who Doogie Howser is! Then again, I'm not. I'm old. Things like this really make me feel my age.

Tonight's Goodnight will be about aging. The vegan diet has blessed me with a youthful appearance, so has good genes, all the women in my family age amazingly, but sometimes I feel my age. Like the times when I have to google the latest slang words because I don't know what they mean. Or when I'm sitting down on the floor for far too long and I get up, ouch (when did that happen?!). Or today food styling and doing a photoshoot outside. It looked beautiful out there but it was windy and cold, brrr. When I was younger, I would be able to spend time outside without a jacket, hit your 30s and forget about it. But the Doogie thing. Can't believe that. Next you'll tell me you don't remember the show, Small Wonder.

It's a weird ass show anyways. I loved it, however. Us 80s/ 90s kids are weirdos.

Anyways, this is my first Goodnight. Inspired by the great child M.D., Doogie Howser. I'm laughing as I type this. Seriously, I wanted to share the insight of the day with you all, and I need way more than 140 characters to do it justice. So here I am sitting at my computer, well, my laptop, like the ending of Doogie Howser, M.D. Should I have named these posts Doogies instead of Goodnights? Nah, then I'd have to title them "Doogie,..." and that's kinda odd, especially since apparently no one knows who Dr. Howser is! This first Goodnight is nowhere near as profound as Doogie's were. Then again, I don't have a team of writers creating them for me, huh Doog.

And for tonight, the Dirty Vegan is signing off. Here's to ageing gracefully! And Doogie, and video stores, and Pogs, and SkipIt, and whatever else I say that no one will remember. Goodnight.