Last week I launched my Love List series. Well, amen, hipshake, cause sooo many people wrote their own and tweeted and FB’d it. There’s even a Love List group on myCSL (go join it hot pants). Love Lists heal. They are fun and funky and free. Love Lists remind you that life is deliciously sweet, like a big drippy emotional ice cream cone (sans the glycemic spike). Tune in every Wednesday for my new list and please share the love. Meaning: Write your list! Hey, speaking of sharing, why not tap on that cute little share button at the end of this blog post? Spread the Love through the cyber soup!
1.I love taking pictures of Lola wearing hats. This week I didn’t have a hat so she’s wearing my bra. I think she looks like an old fashioned pilot, don’t you? Like Amelia Earhart. A hint about pet photography: hold a treat at the edge of the lens. I think she secretly loves our shoots because I’m like a walking cookie jar.
2. Earth Cafe raw cheesecake. OMG. These awesome folks sent us a few samples some months back and Corinne and I fastened our seatbelts, donned bibs and went to town. When I was a dairy guzzler I loved me some rich and creamy cheesecake. Now as a mostly raw vegan I can visit my ole friend again. Hi cheesecake, it’s me Kris, welcome home!
3. Flea Markets. Last weekend we went to the Elephant’s Trunk Flea Market near my folk’s house in CT. This flea is not to be missed. I got a silver cocktail dress from the sixties and this awesomely ugly Mt. Rushmore lamp (which used to be a whiskey bottle). What could be better? Answer: nothing. Wondering how I took these pictures? Check out #4.
4. Hipstamatic’s hot iphone camera app. Corinne turned me onto it. She uses it on her blog all the time. It makes your snaps look like sexy, distressed art. Ps. In addition to being our blog editor and my everything, Corinne is an awesome writer. You might really like her blog too. :)
5. Speaking of awesome blogs, um, yeah, we love Susannah Conway. She’s a rockin’ creative goddess with some juicy e-courses that will shake up your photo-journaling world. Unravel with Susannah and you just might tap into some immense joy.
6. The new Klean Kanteen wide insulated sippy-wonder. Purrrfect for my tea breaks. They keep your bev so hot you might need protective hand gear. Love ‘em. Thanks Kleen Kanteen!
7. Gasland. This documentary is not to be missed. It opened my eyes about the use of fracking in the natural gas industry. You don’t want this to happen to a town near you folks. Me and the hubs are getting active about protecting the Catskills (NY’s water supply – ours too!). You might want to as well. Love this film. Hate fracking.
8. Daily Juice. I miss Austin and sure as heck hope to go back during my book tour. When in the great city that likes to keep it “weird” we always head to Daily Juice. Put it on your radar and swing by if you’re in the area. Your cells will thank ya’ll. Yee haw!
9. Spiritual jewels by Satya. I just love this store. I feel like their earrings bring me one step closer to enlightenment.
10. Listening to old records. I have an amazing collection thanks to a dear family member that passed away. I can no longer speak to him but the music plays on…
What’s on your Love List?
Peace and hearts,
Kris
PS- My girl Rory Freedman inspired me and a whole lotta readers to kick the TV habit this week in her blog! Join the “No TV for 30 Days” challenge with me on Twitter by using the #NoTVfor30Days hashtag. Tubes off, brains and spirits on.
1. Grocery Shopping: Picking fruits and vegetables at a farmers’ market is a great moment to talk about where we spend our money, where it goes, and where it’s not going (as in factory farms). Your kids get to hold the money, hand it over to a farmer in exchange for some beautiful food, and learn the power of their purchases.
2. Errands: Turn boring chores like picking up cleaning products or shampoo into scavenger hunts looking for cruelty-free logos. Shopping is also a perfect time to point out and discuss other animal products like gelatin, leather, fur, ivory, etc.
3. Meal Prep: Give your children jobs in the kitchen. Let them help you wash salad, cut vegetables, and push the buttons on the blender. They’ll be much more inclined to try new foods when they are invested in the preparation. It’s hard to resist tasting something you’ve made yourself.
4. Snack Time: When you have your kids’ friends over, break out the vegan superfood snacks! Kids love goji berries, hemp seeds (yummy sprinkled on a banana!), coconut, and raw chocolate. Explain in simple language why you choose these snacks over others (such as neon-colored cheese-type snacks).
5. Connect with Animals: Skip the zoo and visit or volunteer at a nearby animal sanctuary or shelter. Being with animals is incredibly joyful and provides the space to talk about how animals all over the world need love and protection. The experience leaves a lasting impression of compassion towards all living beings and fosters a sense of connectedness to animals.
6. School: Show-and-tell, book reports, essays, and science projects all provide opportunities for your child to learn, articulate, and share interests in eco-conscious issues—environmentalism, animal rights, plant-based diets, etc. Learning to stand up for his or her educated beliefs, in a safe space, will boost your child’s confidence and help peers understand new ideas from a friend’s point of view.
7. Charity and Giving: Teach your children about giving. Suggest fun fundraisers for eco-friendly organizations, such as starting a penny-collecting contest between school classrooms. Whichever class wins gets to donate the funds to an animal sanctuary or the environmental cause of their choice.
8. Plant a garden: Okay, if not a full-on backyard organic garden, then plant one seed…in any container! Get any container out of your recycling bin, let your kids do the work, and watch the magic happen! Kids are much more inclined to eat a tomato off the vine or taste a mint leaf if they watch it grow and pick it themselves. Or talk to your child’s school about building an organic garden box in the [school?] yard.
9. Gifts: Give a gift that lasts forever—and doesn’t end up in a landfill. Sponsor an elephant “adoption” in the child’s name. Choose biodegradable gifts like a crystal that hangs in a window and makes rainbows or a flowering plant in a hand-painted clay pot. Prepare something vegan for the party table. Wrap gifts in brown paper and decorate the outside.
10. Politics: As an ongoing practice, ask your children what issues are important to them. Have them write a letter (whether of praise or concern) to an authority figure that represents the issue. Teach your kids about the personal power they possess to stand up for themselves and other living beings.
Ruby Roth is the author and illustrator of the children’s book, “That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals: A Book About Vegans, Vegetarians, and All Living Things.” A former elementary school art teacher, Roth found that her students were not only curious about topics like animal rights and the environment, but receptive, responsive, and eager to take action. In 2009, she created “That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals,” a resource for vegan and omnivorous families alike. For more information, visit www.WeDontEatAnimals.com.
The picture below (left side) was taken eight months ago of our sweet 21-year-old horse, Duquessa. In July of 2008, we began to notice that she was losing weight, becoming very lethargic, and had no appetite. A large tumor had developed in her mammary glands. Three weeks later, she was still deteriorating and the tumor had grown much larger. We called our veterinarian who came out two days later. After the examination, she gave us devastating news: She suspected the tumor was cancerous and suggested we do a biopsy.
When the results came back a week later, our worst fears were confirmed. Then we had to ask, “Is there anything we can do?” Our veterinarian was not optimistic about chemo or surgery. Due to the horse’s age and the progression of the disease, the vet told us to prepare for the end, which could be in weeks or a few months. At that point my husband and I discussed “putting her down” so she would not suffer, but we just could not give up on her.
Before & After
After several days of crying and feeling sorry for our baby and ourselves, a light bulb suddenly went off in my head. I had worked at the Hippocrates Health Institute for only five months. I was still learning about the program and had begun the transition to healthy living. During my short time there, I had already seen so many people heal themselves from devastating illnesses. I told my husband, “People come to Hippocrates and are healing themselves on the Hippocrates program, why don’t we try to do this for Duquessa?” At that point, we both became totally committed to the program. Dr. Brian Clement developed a program for her and with his guidance we began the journey of healing.
For the last eight months this has been her program:
• Our first step was to change her diet. We stopped feeding her processed food, alfalfa, and all products and treats containing sugar. She eats only unprocessed oats and natural orchard grass.
• She gets 50 sprays of ACZ in the morning and 50 sprays at night.
• We give her 4 ounces of bee pollen in the morning and 4 oz. in the evening.
• She has wheat grass in her food with every meal and we make juice for her every day.
• We apply a garlic and oil mixture every morning.
• She gets several sprays of Sovereign Silver twice a day.
• We apply Two Feathers healing salve in the evening.
• We exercise her for 20 minutes twice a day.
• And finally, we give her lots of love.
After eight months on this program, she has gained an enormous amount of weight, is running around the pasture with the other horses, her attitude is back and, to echo the cliche, she is eating like a horse. The tumor has shrunk from the size of a large grapefruit to the size of a lemon.
Our veterinarian called us a couple of months ago, as she had not heard from us. She assumed the worst. When we told her that Duquessa was recovering and making amazing progress, she did not really believe us. She asked to come to our house and see for herself. When she saw Duquessa, she was speechless and could not believe it was the same horse. She took dozens of pictures and wrote down all the changes we had made, including the Hippocrates lifestyle. If our story helps even just one animal to recover, or one veterinarian to see the possibilities beyond traditional medicine, we have accomplished a great deal.
Each day Duquessa grows stronger, healthier and happier. We look forward to many more wonderful years with her. We are so thankful to Dr. Clement and Hippocrates Health Institute for their direction, their support, and their love for our four-legged family member. Every day we look at her we feel so blessed for the opportunity we have had to learn how to heal our horse and ourselves.
2. Earth Cafe raw cheesecake. OMG. These awesome folks sent us a few samples some months back and Corinne and I fastened our seatbelts, donned bibs and went to town. When I was a dairy guzzler I loved me some rich and creamy cheesecake. Now as a mostly raw vegan I can visit my ole friend again. Hi cheesecake, it’s me Kris, welcome home!
