Reasons to Smile.

So, as most original followers of the blog know, I love to make these lists. They are my reasons to continue on with the beautiful journey of a vegan lifestyle. There are more experiences than I can count on a blog, but these can definitely be summed up as my "greatest hits" this week.

So, here are this week's reasons to smile...

1. Knowing that the money raised for the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary and Farm Sanctuary from my benefit, Rock It Out, is on its way to each sanctuary. 

(By the way, in case you didn't read the post about the benefit, each sanctuary will be receiving $1300!)

2. Speaking of Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, their next benefit on April 1st has me pretty stoked:

Woodstock's Farm Animal Sanctuary's

Comedy for Karma III
April 1st at 8pm 
Gotham Comedy Club in NYC

 208 w 23rd b/t 7th & 8th Aves.

 

Please join us for this unique annual fundraiser -- arguably the most fun you'll ever have while still helping animals! It's nearly sold out every year so book 'em now!

Check out this amazing lineup:

	Louis was the star of HBO's series  "Lucky Louie" and numerous HBO and  Comedy Central specials. None were rated "G."  His new series "Louie" is in  production and starts on FX in June.  > visit his site
	Dave's series "Insomniac" ran for more than  4 seasons on Comedy Central, and he has  graced just about every network and comedy  club on the planet.   >visit his site
	His third time at C4K, Gary appeared on NBC's "Last Comic Standing" (and that might be because he's so darn tall) and his own Comedy Central Special, "Boyish Man." >visit his site
	You might know Wyatt best from his work as a fake news correspondent on The Daily Show but his long career as an Emmy award- winning comedy writer and standup is far from fake. >visit his site
	Before co-creating The Daily Show in the late 90's Lizz was and still is an accomplished standup. For the past few years she's starred in the off-broadway sketch comedy hit Shoot the Messenger.
	Dan is a syndicated cartoonist, a board member of the farm, and will emcee the e vening, possibly doing naked handstands. >heck, he has a website too

Advance tickets recommended!
$50 for advance general admission seats

or if you want extra-special Karma and to doubly 
help farm animals, consider buying $100 Reserved Seat VIP tickets!

>>Click here for TICKETS and details<<

Many thanks to
Gotham Comedy Club
for donating the space!

3. Discovering the cool line of vegan shoes that eco-friendly company Simple has been working on. I just attended an event of theirs on Tuesday, and boy, do they have adorable sneaks!

4. The fact that my brother's girlfriend has taken a 30-Day Vegetarian Pledge, that since the benefit, my step-mom has refrained from eating meat and my mom and her boyfriend haven't had a single animal product, and that my mother-in-law was so affected from reading Jonathan Safran Foer's stirring book, Eating Animals, that she is no longer eating land animals. Bravo family!

Interested in taking a Veg Pledge yourself? Click here for more info.

5. After already getting the chance to hear from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau and David Benzaquen, knowing the lineup of extraordinary vegan mentors yet to come for my Interview Series, which include:

• Isa Chandra Moskowitz (Co-founder of the Post Punk Kitchen website and best-selling  cookbook author - Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, Veganomicon, Vegan with a Vengeance, Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, and Vegan Brunch) 

• Jasmin Singer (Co-founder of Our Hen House, 2007-2010 Campaigns Manager for Farm Sanctuary) 

• Jenny Brown (Co-founder of the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary), 

• Susan Voisin (founder of the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen blog), and many more!

6. Meeting the supremely kind Alicia Silverstone.

7. Finishing my second round of 29 Days of Giving. Have you given yet?

8. Experiencing the joy that is 4-Course Vegan in Williamsburg, Brooklyn this past Saturday. Four gourmet dishes. All vegan. Deeeelicious!

9. Getting the chance to volunteer for New York's next Veggie Conquest on April 25th. I'll be serving up a yummy second course dish after chef's compete with their original first course! (Joshua Katcher of The Discerning Brute, will be the emcee - awesome!!)

10. My mom attending a Meat-Out event last Saturday at Hobos Restaurant (Rehoboth Beach, DE) and having an absolute ball! More on this to come...

and finally, 

11. This quote: 

 "We must help the defenseless animal who is the victim of cruelty, and we must also extend our compassion to help liberate the human being who is the victim of his or her own blindness, which is the result of years of conditioning. Only through compassion can real and lasting change take place."

- Sharon Gannon, Yoga and Vegetarianism

At the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, Fall 2009

What are your reasons to smile?

Interview Series #2: Farm Sanctuary's David Benzaquen

This interview is really personal for me, because knowing David Benzaquen has been a truly inspiring experience. David is the Campaigns Coordinator of Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization, which operates the largest rescue and refuge network in North America. In addition to rescuing farm animals, Farm Sanctuary also works to educate the public about the abuses occurring on factory farms and ways they can help end these cruel practices, and campaigns for legislation and policy reforms that promote respect and compassion for farm animals. Farm Sanctuary has initiated groundbreaking prosecutions and precedent-setting litigation, and is responsible for the passage of the first U.S. laws to prohibit inhumane factory farming practices.

 David speaking on March 6, 2010 at my benefit, Rock It Out:

A Night to Benefit NY's Farm Animal Sanctuaries.

photo courtesy of Ben Strothmann Photography

I met David last year when I almost interned for Farm Sanctuary (I had to turn down the offer because of my conflicting work schedule). Since knowing him through the experience of volunteering for Farm Sanctuary, as well as more recently, working on my benefit earlier this month, I have to say, he is hands-down one of the most humble, kind, and selfless people I know. His passion for animal advocacy is immense, and generosity is at the core of everything he does - whether it is helping to run a NYC Activist meeting or heading up a chicken rescue in the Bronx. 

I love this guy!

David wears many hats at Farm Sanctuary, and he does so with grace, a huge smile on his face, and complete respect for the animals he works so tirelessly to protect. It is my honor to be able to share his story with all of you. 

Kiss Me, I'm Vegan: What was the turning point in your life that led you to veganism? Was it one huge moment, or a collective group of small moments that changed you?

David: It was definitely a collection of moments. I always loved animals as a child (even though I never had any), but grew up in NYC where one isn’t frequently confronted by the animals he or she eats. However, when I was about 7 years old, I witnessed somebody reel in a catfish. The fisherman's hook had gone through the poor fish's eye and I saw the animal's blood. For the first time, I made the connection between the suffering of human animals and non-human animals. After much prodding and continued socialization by my family and others around me to convince me that I needed to eat animals and that they didn't suffer, I returned to eating flesh. 

A few years later when I was 14, I witnessed someone boiling a crab. The animal escaped the pot and started to scurry away for his/her dear life. The cook proceeded to pursue the animal with some heavy object and attempted to crush it, but the crab avoided several blows before being struck. I was awestruck at having witnessed the killing of an animal who was clearly aware of what was happening and had tried with every ounce of strength and courage to survive. It was no longer possible for me to avoid the truth that non-human animals are intelligent, feeling, and self-aware beings who want to live just like we do. I never ate flesh again. 

As time passed, I learned more about the horrendous abuse of dairy cows and egg-laying hens and realized that I could not support these industries. Going vegan was easy once I knew what a tremendous impact it would have on the animals. (It wasn't until later that I learned the amazing benefits of veganism to human health and environmental protection.)

KMIV: What have been the greatest rewards of your vegan lifestyle? 

David: The greatest rewards have been the feelings of fulfillment and joy I have when I remember that this simple choice is saving thousands of unique, intelligent, feeling, living beings that want to play outside, spend time with their loved ones and friends, choose where to go and live without unecessary suffering. Other rewards have included meeting some of the world's most compassionate individuals, no longer suffering from physical ailments like chronic bronchitis, and seeing farm animals (like those at Farm Sanctuary) as companions, teachers, and heroes, instead of as food.

KMIV: How did you become involved with Farm Sanctuary?

David: In 2004, I had the privilege of working for NY State Senator Liz Krueger who was that year's recipient of Farm Sanctuary's Legislator of the Year Award. The Senator was kind enough to invite me to attend the organization's gala as her guest, and I was incredibly moved and impressed by the work they did. Soon after I joined, some friends at Farm Sanctuary's annual NY Country Hoe Down at the farm. During that weekend I met farm animals for the first time and heard from some incredibly inspiring speakers about how I could take my activism to another level. After finishing college in DC, I moved back to NYC to get a master's degree in nonprofit management at The New School and started interning at Farm Sanctuary's NYC office. It was such an enriching and exciting experience that I stayed on as an intern for 20 full months until I graduated from school. In June of 2009, I officially joined the staff. This was the second best decision of my life (second only to going vegan). 

Today I'm working as the organization's Campaigns Coordinator. I am so lucky that I can work at a place where all of my time is devoted to making change for farm animals, and I'm surrounded by some of the most dedicated, compassionate people in the world. 

For anyone who hasn't visited the farm, I highly recommend doing so. If you're looking to change the world, sign up for Farm Sanctuary's Advocacy Campaign Team (http://www.farmsanctuary.org/act/), and I can guarantee that any available time you can devote (whether it's an hour a month from home or an hour a day in the streets) will be well spent saving countless animals.

 KMIV: What is the easiest part of your job? The hardest?

David: The easiest part of my job is feeling motivated. I've had jobs where I had to push myself or think of my paycheck to get to work in the morning. This is not one of those jobs. I spend my day empowering and training others to be the most effective advocates for veganism and farm animals that they can be. It's exciting work to say to someone that their simple choices are making a huge difference in the lives of animals. 

For the same reasons, the hardest part of my job is to stop working at the end of the day and to have to turn down opportunities. When you do this work you receive hundreds of requests (via email, phone, facebook, in person, etc.) every day to save any number of animals from cruelty. Doing this work well means learning how to prioritize the work that you can do most effectively and keeping a positive attitude by thinking of the tremendous impact you're having, instead of the tremendous suffering out there. 

KMIV: What advice would you give someone who is interested in veganism, but afraid of taking the leap?   

David: For many folks the process of going vegan is a journey and thinking about it one step at a time might make it more manageable. The animal abusing industries benefit from making us feel powerless and disconnected from our food. When I first went vegan, someone said to me, "Every time you sit down to eat, you can save a life." Once you realize the impact of your food choices (and of course, what you buy in the way of clothing, household products, etc), and how powerful you are to make a difference, it's hard to imagine NOT doing it. We all strive to feel like we can make a difference in the world. Going vegan is a simple, fun, tasty, healthy, and compassionate decision by which you tell animal abusers that you won't let them use your money or stomach to commit cruelty. There's no more empowering or effective way to make change. Lastly, seek out support from the incredible resources that are available to anyone who's interested in going vegan or incorporating vegan foods into their diet. Check out websites like http://www.vegforlife.org/ for helpful tips on how to make the transition and use social networking to find others who can help you along the way. (**If you're reading this interview, you are well on your way people!**)   

KMIV: Okay -  you're stuck on a desert island with three vegan food items - what are they? 

David: In order to get a good balance of savory and sweet, I'd have to say Candle 79's seitan piccata, Sacred Chow's marinated kale, and Vegan Treats Bakery's caramel apple cheesecake.

Many thanks to David for making himself available for this interview. To find out more information about Farm Sanctuary, please visit www.farmsanctuary.org.

Interview Series #1: Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

First of all -- I have to say that I am just plain blown away by the outpouring of support, warmhearted thoughts, and love being given to my blog right now. It is overwhelming, humbling, and so wonderful. If you are new to Kiss Me, I'm Vegan! - welcome! If you've been a follower from the beginning - why hello, old friend!  And if you are a Kind Lifer who found my blog through Alicia Silverstone's rockin' post about me - I am so happy to have you here to enjoy this journey with me.

For the past few months, I've been reaching out to mentors of mine in the vegan world to find out about their personal journeys toward veganism and animal advocacy. Well, today, I have a lovely treat for you all - my very first interview with one of those mentors, the amazing Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.

Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, pictured with a rescued hen 
(photo courtesy of the Compassionate Cooks website) 

For those who may be unfamiliar with this awesome lady, Colleen is one of my all-time vegan heroes. From her beautiful cookbooks (The Joy of Vegan Baking, a vegan baking must, and more recently, The Vegan Table), to her thought-provoking DVDs and "Food for Thought" podcasts, to her smart, kind, and truly revolutionary website, Compassionate Cooks - Colleen has made it easier and more accessible than ever to make the transition to a vegan diet and lifestyle. She's a passionate animal advocate and an inspiration to so many people who want to create a better world for animals - and especially those who want to eat delicious and satisfying food in the process. In the eyes of this vegan lady from Brooklyn, well, she just plain rocks!

 photo courtesy of the Compassionate Cooks website   

And now, without further ado, my interview with
Ms. Colleen Patrick-Goudreau: 

Kiss Me, I'm Vegan: What was the turning point in your life that led you to veganism? Was it one huge moment, or a collective group of small moments that changed you?

Colleen: Both - in a way!  I had already been an activist around such issues of puppy mills and animals in research but my first 'a-ha' moment that paved the way for where I am now came when I read John Robbins Diet for a New America, and I saw what happened to animals bred and killed for human consumption. I could no longer justify eating mammals and I stopped right then and there. It started me on a path to learn everything I could about these issues, and while I did so, I would share everything I learned with everyone I met. But I wasn’t fully awake; I was still consuming cow's milk, chicken's eggs, and fish - making the typical excuses so many make, because I just didn't want to believe I was contributing to suffering - until I read Slaughterhouse by Gail Eisnitz. My life was changed overnight. Over the course of an incredibly painful couple of days reading that book it became clear to me that no animal raised for human consumption - whether for their flesh, milk, or eggs - escapes the horrors and cruelties of slaughter. I became vegan, I became fully awake, and I became dedicated to raising awareness about animal suffering and to being a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves.
 
KMIV: What have been the greatest rewards of your vegan lifestyle? What have been the greatest challenges?

Colleen: Every day brings huge rewards, both for me personally and because of the work I'm honored to do. The most rewarding aspect is hearing from so many wonderful people around the globe who share their stories of transformation with me. I'm so humbled to be part of their journey and hold so much hope because of the openness and compassion I witness in people.

Personally, knowing that the daily choices I make reflect my deepest values of compassion and nonviolence is an incredible way to live.   Becoming awake changed my life in profound ways - it's like I've fully integrated all the parts of myself. There's no guilt, there are no excuses, there's no hiding from the truth. I can look it straight on and not be afraid of it.

In terms of my health, I have a total cholesterol of 102, an abundance of energy, and I'm told that my skin and eyes are bright. :)  In general, my body functions as it should, particularly in the - how shall I say? - digestive and reproductive departments: regular like clockwork, no cramps, no PMS, light cycles - very different than before I was vegan. It's worth mentioning that I attribute these benefits not only to being vegan  - but to eating a whole foods plant-based diet.

My biggest challenge is not having the means to reach a larger audience. I certainly can't compete with the huge marketing machine that runs the meat, dairy, and eggs industries, so I just plug away each day. I'm thoroughly convinced that people want this information so desperately. They want to be healthier; they want to align their values with their behavior, they don't want to create suffering, and I'm so frustrated by people (so many people!) who keep the bar low and abandon all hope and expectation. "People will never stop eating animals! It's too hard," they say. "Tish and pish," I say! "The problem is if we keep telling people it's too hard, they'll start to believe you! It's so incredibly beautiful to raise the bar and watch people rise to it. I'm not surprised by it at all, because I have faith in people, but it's certainly wonderful to witness.
 
KMIV: What inspired you to create the Compassionate Cooks website?
 

Colleen: When I became vegan, my activism increased tenfold. The more outreach I did, the more I realized that the questions people had boiled down to food, nutrition, social aspects, practical aspects, spiritual aspects, and so Compassionate Cooks was born of a desire to fill those gaps for people - to address their challenges. It started with basic leafleting and tabling, moved to cooking classes, then the DVD, then the first cookbook (Joy of Vegan Baking), then the podcast (Vegetarian Food for Thought), then the second cookbook (The Vegan Table), and so on. The website has expanded as my projects have, though I admit we've outgrown it and need a re-design. A girl can dream.  

KMIV: What advice would you give someone who is interested in veganism, but afraid of taking the leap?    

Colleen: I just encourage people to be true to themselves. If they feel compelled to make a transition overnight, then do it. If they feel compelled to do it slowly, then at least do something. But just be honest.

A common assertion I hear from people is that they could stop eating all animal products except X, and that X is usually cheese. And I say, “well, then STOP EATING all other animal products except cheese - for now. At least do what you're able and willing to do. But don't do NOTHING because you can't do EVERYTHING. Each step will bring you closer to the person you really want to be - and to the animals you want to help. But to continue eating animal flesh and animal's milk or eggs because you can’t give up cheese – doesn’t make any sense. It’s an absurd rationalization. “Don’t do nothing because you can’t do everything. Do something. Anything.”  (**one of my absolute favorite quotes ever, by the way!**)

Plus, if you think about it, we only eat the same 7 or 8 meals all the time – we just rotate them! So, transitioning is as easy as creating a new 7 or 8 meals to rotate, while still eating foods that are familiar to us. So, first sit down and see what meals you already eat that are “vegan.” You’ll find you might already make a great pasta dish with marinara sauce or a vegetable stir fry. Next “veganize” something you already love. So, for instance, if you make pesto with parmesan cheese, just remove the cheese, and you’ll be thoroughly satisfied with the pine nuts, basil, garlic, and olive oil. Or, if you make egg salad, try it with firm tofu crumbled up instead. Then, incorporate two or three new dishes into your repertoire. Now you have 7 or 8 NEW dishes that you can rotate. In terms of eating out, that’s also really easy. Don’t feel limited to what looks vegan on the menu – most places can easily “veganize” existing dishes. Ask them to remove the cheese on something and to add some nuts instead; many soups are made with veggie stock; tell them to replace the meat with more veggies. You’d be surprised.

photo courtesy of the Compassionate Cooks website

I could go on and on, but I address these and a gazillion other issues and challenges for people in my podcast, Vegetarian Food for Thought. (It's all vegan.) It's available on iTunes or at www.vegetarianfoodforthought.com, and there are over 110 episodes to choose from - covering everything from food, nutrition, and cooking to the spiritual, social, and practical aspects of living compassionately - living vegan.
   

KMIV: Okay -  you're stuck on a desert island with three vegan food items - what are they?
 

Colleen: Well, the first HAS to be tea! As my regular podcast listeners know, I take my tea EVERYwhere, so that would definitely be with me on this hypothetical island! Green tea and also white - but mostly green: dragonwell, Lu Shan Clouds and Mist, gyukuro. (Does that all count as one?) Next, kale. No doubt. Finally, chocolate. Duh! :)

Thanks to Colleen Patrick-Goudreau and Amanda Mitchell at Compassionate Cooks for making this interview possible. To learn more about Colleen and her work, please visit www.compassionatecooks.com.

My feature on Alicia Silverstone's website, The Kind Life!

 
Alicia Silverstone, you rock!

Hey lovely people --

So, after a long day of work and a walk home with grocery bags in hand, I plopped down on my comfy blue couch to catch up on the computer, only to discover the most amazing thing to happen this week - my blog, Kiss Me, I'm Vegan, and I have been featured on Alicia Silverstone's awesome website, The Kind Life! To view the post, you can go here:

http://www.thekindlife.com/post/lindsay-wolf

I'd also been planning to blog about this once I got the pictures online (I'll share them later) - I had the great fortune of meeting the awe-inspiring Mrs. Silverstone this past weekend! After reaching out to her about Rock It Out - we featured her book, The Kind Diet, as a raffle prize at the benefit - she graciously organized a day for Steve and me to meet her at the theater of her current Broadway production of Time Stands Still (for which she is receiving rave reviews). We chatted for a good twenty minutes about her show, veganism, and the work I've been doing with my blog and fundraiser. Meeting her was a dream come true for me, especially because she has been vegan for almost twelve years now - my hero!

Thank you so much to all of your generous support, guys and gals, because you have allowed me to grow into a bloganista, of sorts (yes, I just made up a word - I'm excited about all of this, what can I say!). You are all amazing people whom I respect and love dearly - and I am elated to be able to share this fabulous news with you!

Rock It Out: A Night to Benefit New York's Farm Animal Sanctuaries

Last Saturday morning, I raced around like a mad woman all over the city.

I had very good reason to, because in a mere few hours, I was about to embark on a first in my life - producing, hosting, and performing at an animal advocacy benefit. The idea was a teeny tiny seed that popped up into my head a few months ago: since Steve and I were planning a big move to the west coast in the fall, I wanted to give something huge back to the community that has given me so much. Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, NY, and the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary in Woodstock, NY, were two organizations who had completely reaffirmed my belief in veganism and in how important it is to be the voice for the countless innocent and defenseless animals being tortured on factory farms. I've volunteered, and even almost interned, at Farm Sanctuary, and I was fortunate enough to visit Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary back in October with Steve. I wanted to create a night to celebrate them, to support them, and to allow them to raise awareness to the public about what brave and heroic work they do.

But I was terrified - who would come to this thing? How was I going to pull off a first-time benefit? What if I didn't raise enough money? What if no one would like my ideas? 

See, fear is a natural deterrent in life. You can fear failure, success, or if you're me, you can fear something as simple as being stuck in the dark (been that way since I was a kid - stupid horror movies). The fear I was feeling with this was very real - and it was keeping me from taking the leap to organize the benefit of my dreams.

 Steve capturing it all on tape...

But then I started Cami Walker's 29 Day Giving Challenge. I began giving away one gift a day for 29 days - gifts as small as a hug or kind thought, or as big as a large donation to someone in need. And my heart began to open up to possibility. And I began to feel less afraid about my idea or about who would help me pull this off. It's amazing how giving can lead you to feel comfortable in receiving.

The highlights of receiving included (but were definitely not limited to): 

- David Benzaquen of Farm Sanctuary, and Jenny Brown and Rebecca Moore of Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, graciously donated their time, emotional support, and efforts to the weeks leading up to the big night, and of course, on the big night.

 Jenny Brown

David Benzaquen

- My event was listed on brilliant vegan websites such as The Discerning Brute and Ecorazzi.com.

- Alicia FREAKIN' Silverstone blogged about my event on her website, The Kind Life!! Even better than that, I will have a chance to personally thank her for her support this Sunday, when I take one of the raffle winners to her to have The Kind Diet personally signed by Alicia!! Rock on!!

The raffle table

I set a date - March 6th. I prayed the people I contacted about helping and performing would be available. They were. I prayed that both sanctuaries would be able to come and speak that night. They were. I prayed that people would buy tickets and come to this little benefit of mine. And man, they did.

 People!

The day of the event, what I thought would be a thirty - maybe forty? - person event turned into over 100 people on the reservation list alone. Now, my fear was even more real - how was I going to accomodate so many people? Not the worst problem to have when organizing a benefit...

 Mama's awesome posters

So, Steve, my insanely awesome husband, and I embarked on a day of buying vegan catering platters from Whole Foods, 25 bottles of vegan wine, and all of the decorations and trimmings we could think of to help make the night special. My insanely awesome mom came in early (all the way from DELAWARE!) with more decorations, raffle prizes she had bought and made to help with the night, and handmade posters to direct people to the show. The rest of my family and Steve's family chipped in money to help us pay for the abundant amount of refreshments we ended up buying, because, well, they're insanely awesome too. 

 Insanely awesome family

What was the final result of all this?

Over 150 people joined us for Rock It Out.

A few handfuls of generous volunteers came on board to help me with the whole night. 

2 amazingly talented photographers - Mr. Michael Bartelle and Mr. Ben Strothmann - donated their time and skills to document the whole thing. 

Over 200 baked goods were sold at the bake sale.

Our in-house artist, Stephanie Chisholm, was a huge hit.

 

Seven rockin performers sang their hearts out over a sea of happy, chatty people.

 Shaina Taub

Melissa Lusk, Matt Roi Berger, and Shaina Taub

Cristin Milioti

Jay Stolar

Kaylin Lee Clinton with Neimah Djourabchi

Grace McLean

(That's me!)

Raffles prizes abounded. 

And... drum roll please....

We raised 3000 dollars.

3000 dollars!!!?!?

Yessiree, 3000 dollars.

After reimbursing for pre-event expenses, tears filled my eyes as Steve counted off how much money would go to each sanctuary. When I had begun this whole thing, my dream was to hand a thousand bucks to each sanctuary. Well, this week, we will be sending checks for $1300 to each sanctuary.

What may be even cooler than the money we raised is the fact that we raised a crazy amount of awareness about the cruelty going on for these animals, how very important it is to adopt a vegan diet, and how desperately needed each person's individual food and life choices are.

The next morning, Steve and my family went out to brunch, and something magical happened - we spent hours discussing the plight of farm animals, the benefits (and challenges) of a vegan diet, and animal rights in general. I was blown away by how the conversation never seemed to end - everyone was interested in talking more about it. And it's experiences like this that show me I need to keep going with my own activism. Because there is such a thing as a ripple effect, and boy, have I seemed to make a lot of ripples. :)

So, like a proud mama, I am feeling empowered, joyous, and so very thankful on this rainy, Saturday morning in March. Because not only did I manage to make this all happen, but more people than I can count helped me take what was once a teeny tiny seed and make it into something bigger than I could have ever imagined. 

Thank you to everyone who lent a hand in making this night possible. You have made this little vegan lady supremely giddy and - best of all - hopeful about our world again. 

'

** All photographs above are courtesy of the tremendously talented Michael Bartelle and Ben Strothmann. **

Meerkat Manor

My newest obsession? Catching up on the hilarious and surprisingly moving reality series, "Meerkat Manor", which has had several seasons so far on Animal Planet (spanning 2006 to 2008).

In case you haven't heard of this show, I found a really wonderful description of it, found on pazsaz.com:

"Meerkat Manor  premiered on Animal Planet on June 9, 2006. With all the love, squabbling, self-sacrifice and rivalry found in any family, a group of meerkats struggles to survive in Africa's Kalahari Desert. Don't let their cuddly appearance fool you though - there's a good reason these meerkat families are called a "mob." Meerkat Manor was filmed with the assistance of Cambridge University, which is conducting a 10-year study on meerkats. From family quarrels to love affairs to backstabbing worthy of a Shakespearean tale, these fuzzy reality TV stars pack a huge dramatic punch."

As a vegan, I have completely opened myself up to the hearts, minds, and bodies of the creatures on this Earth. I have tried to tread lightly and with a compassionate hand as I make daily choices, whether it's what to do with the tiny ant I find on my bathroom floor, or what I have for lunch. Animals have become as important to me as the people who inhabit this world of ours, and I am a better human for it. 

So, how does my vegan lifestyle connect to a reality show about meerkats? Well, for one thing, watching these little furry beings has shown me that animals are not unlike their human counterparts.

Meerkats:

1) Need each other for companionship and protection (so much so, that without a group to live amongst, a meerkat's chances of survival are slim),

2) Care for each other through grooming and snuggling,

3) Occasionally will feel betrayed by a loved one,

4) Have egos,

5) Live according to a social hierarchy, with a dominant female and/or male at the head of the family,

6) Nurse their babies,

7) Get jealous,

8) Babysit each other's children,

and the list goes on...

The funny part about all of this is that meerkats are no different than cows in their protective and nurturing qualities. The biggest difference between the two animals? Meerkats eat mainly bugs for survival, whereas cows are natural vegans.

I've been reading a wonderful book called Yoga and Vegetarianism by Sharon Gannon, and in it, she writes: 

"Some meat eaters defend their choice by saying that it is natural, because animals eat one another in the wild. When people bring this up as a rationale for eating meat, I remind them that the animals that end up on our plates aren't those who eat one another in the wild. The animals we exploit for food are not the lions, tigers, and bears of the world. We eat the gentle ones - vegan animals who, if given the choice, would never eat the flesh of other animals, although they are forced to so on today's farms when they are fed "enriched feed" containing rendered animal parts."

Watching meerkats in action has taught me that it is a silly and sad notion to assume that animals have any less intelligence than humans, simply because they don't speak our language. As Alicia Silverstone discussed in The Kind Diet, every single animal on Earth is needed to keep our world healthy and whole - right down to the worms who enrich the soil.

So, today, if you are still finding animals or their by-products on your dinner plate, try to think for a moment about that animal. Whether it's a small prayer for the animal who gave its service and/or life to be a part of your meal, or a moment of awareness,  I encourage you to devote some time to recognizing the connection between your meal and the animal who existed before it. 

And I will leave you with this last little offering from Sharon Gannon (also taken from Yoga and Vegetarianism):

  
"You can only abuse and exploit others if you feel disconnected from them and have no idea about the potency inherent in your own actions. If you feel connected, you know that it's you, as well as other living things, who will suffer from the suffering you inflict... Don't wait for a better world. Start now to create a world of harmony and peace. It is up to you, and it always has been! You may even find the solution at the end of your fork."