What I Learned Wednesday

Have you seen the wonderful "What I Ate Wednesday" posts floating about.  I really enjoy reading them for their new ideas and fresh takes on summer produce.  It is also interesting to see how different people fuel their bodies every day.

As much fun as the WIAW posts are, I just can't bring myself to write one.  I am too lazy as of late to write down all my food intake for an entire day.  Just can't do it.

However, I have another fun alliteration post for you today.  It doesn't have quite the same ring to it, but I assure you it will be no less entertaining (and probably more sarcastic).  Here goes...

What I Learned Wednesday

1. Don't mix protein powder into a hot bowl of oats.  Ugggh. 

That bowl got scrapped (well saved for later to be blended into a smoothie), and a new breakfast of cereal and milk emerged.  What can I say, I was too hungry and had little energy to mess with breakfast after I ruined the first batch.  I'm telling you, protein in oatmeal is a bad idea.  It was chalky and weird.  Don't do it.

2.  When you complain about construction, inevitably it will come back to bite you in the behind.

So rather than drive, we walked the 2.5 miles to TCBY last night!  Thankfully most of Brawley School Road already has sidewalks, but we partially walked on the construction side as well.  We will call it "Urban Hiking" and I have decided that a very good outcome of all of this concrete will be to have sidewalks from my house to my gym!  Very convenient!

3.  When making a point about productive use of extra time, God will construct your schedule to give you lots of extra time to see if you really mean what you say!

My sister-in-law Karina (far left) was supposed to come visit us for the week...or so we thought.  As Alex's patience began to run out while sitting at the airport yesterday, he finally decided to call Karina only to find out she isn't visiting until next week!  Oops!

I worked my schedule this week so we could take Wednesday and Thursday off and go to the mountains to escape the heat with Karina.  So now I will be able to put in a little extra time for work to make up for the Africa trip, but also work in a few other important tasks. 

As I'm considering how I should use my time, I am reminded about my post yesterday and the question I posed.  How do we use our extra time?  Do I plop on the couch and watch reality tv all night, or am I building and strengthening relationships and helping the needy?  God has blessed Americans with many conveniences that allow for more time in our daily lives.  How will I utilize my extra time?

While I am not jumping right out to go feed the hungry (at least not today), I have contemplated what is important to me and how I will spend my hours this week.  My list includes:

• Finish reading a book I started in Indiana
• Finally get to some very important blog updates, including my About page that I said would be done in March!
• Finalize plans for the Healthy Living Summit and get the badge up on my website
• Sweep and Mop
• Bake some bread
• Host a potluck dinner this Saturday (you're invited too, just email me if you would like to come)
• Relocate some outdoor bushes
• Spend more time each day in prayer

I am also hoping to put a little time into some research.  You see, for the past few months or so (even before Africa) I have started to slack on my Vegan-ways.  I find more excuses to "cheat" and eat dairy or a baked good with eggs.  I understand that there is a certain level of grace that exists in any routine, whether it be work, fitness, or diet.  But as of late I have been torn with my decisions.

On one hand, I don't want to feel guilty every time I decide to reach outside my vegan diet.  On the other hand, I feel hypocritical when I do.  I hate that people will take the time and effort to create a vegan-friendly item or meal for me, only to later eat something non-vegan (usually dessert).  For instance, my dear friend Julie brought vegan cupcakes to church on Sunday.  Of course they were for everyone but I know that she made them specifically for me (and maybe the one other vegan in our congregation).  But I felt so awful because just the night before I was enjoying s'mores (non-vegan) around a campfire with friends.  Where do I draw the line? 

Many will say there doesn't have to be a line.  That we don't need to label ourselves, and quite frankly I am growing weary of the label and sort of agree.  On the other hand, it doesn't seem right to demand certain dietary choices when eating out or eating with friends, only to later negate those same choices.  I think it is all a matter of why I am choosing to eat this way.  What is my motivation and what are the benefits I receive.

This week, and probably the next several weeks, I plan to re-read some of my favorite pro-vegan books.  The same books that inspired me to begin this journey over two years ago.  I also really enjoy documentaries such as Food, Inc., and plan to give it another viewing.  During the next couple weeks, I will use this blog as my journal to document my reasons for being vegan, and my reasons for wanting to eat foods outside the vegan realm.  I'm hoping at the end of this research I will have a clear idea of how I want to move forward.  Label, or label-less.