I wanted to jump 100% into change -- vegan food, change our investments, carefully mind the origins of every item we purchase, but my nine year old had the wisdom to suggest we aim for improving by 40%.  "Why does it have to be 100%?  That will be too hard, and we won't do it," he said and he was right.  Also, we were just leaving for vacation to Florida, and we were all really looking forward to the restaurants we would visit:  Peruvian, Green and Thai!  We never eat out, and this would be a special treat from my in-laws who we would be visiting.  Also, my in-laws are Argentinean.  They consider not eating just beef as...very strange.  

So Florida was great, and coming home I was exhausted, but now I think we're getting into the swing.  It's not 100%, but our diet is getting better, by which I mean a little less animal based.

Breakfast:  oatmeal with rice milk, walnuts, dried blueberries and almonds
Lunch: Thai tofu curry and rice (leftovers from last night)
Dinner:  Chicken pot pie...not as much chicken as usual and cole slaw with an oil and vinegar dressing and red velvet cupcakes for dessert...the kids demand dessert -- at least we're cutting back on the meat with dinner.

How are we doing?  Considering for the last few years I twisted my thinking into high protein, animal based diet was correct...well, we're doing better, and even with these small changes, I'm feeling better...just a little about how I'm treating the planet and all its inhabitants.

Now for something completely different -- a little about our four day trip!

My daughter called these birds of wonder 'Treemingoes.'  We saw them at Flamingo Gardens outside Ft. Lauderdale.  We actually learned a lot at Flamingo Gardens about opossums.  I have a new respect for these Marsupials.  

We went to Blowing Rocks Nature Preserve on Jupiter Island -- completely recommended!  There was seaweed, Spinner Sharks and little fish.  Encouragement toward taking better care of our world.


Florida is a land of contrasts -- such wealth and poverty; such beautiful nature and built up consumerism.  It's nice to be back in rural Maryland, but it was a wonderful sunny trip.  As my fourth child said, "Everything here is in color; back at home it's gray."