Jamie Parsley's Blog, page 83

Going Vegan week #2--the common cold

Yesterday morning I had the beginning of a cold. Although an on-coming cold is usually something to dread (especially this close to a busy Christmastide), how my body reacted has been very interesting. In the past, whenever I came  down with a cold or flu, I would know  what was happening because I always had a sore throat with it, along with nasal congestion and lots of mucus. The sore throat in particular always knocked me for a loop. I was pretty much incapacitated with a sore throat.
Not so this time. Although there was no doubt this was a cold, there was no sore throat, no runny nose, no congestion. Just a hoarse voice, fatigue (which has been the norm for the last few weeks), and a general sense of just not feel great. I simply loaded myself up with Vitamin C and some Zicam, and before I knew it…it was gone. No cold. This was definitely a first in my life.
Another added plus to the vegan diet has been my ability to sleep. I have never slept as well as I have lately. I used to be a major night owl. My “used to” I mean three weeks ago I was a night owl. Now, about 10:30 or so, I am wiped out and more than ready for bed. In the past, I never really slept all the fitfully. Now, I sleep like a log all night long, straight through until morning. It’s been wonderful.
Drawbacks have been other people’s reactions. It certainly is seen as exotic and unconventional in my world. Although I try to share my thoughts that many saints throughout history (including Teresa of Avila, Martin de Porres and Seraphim of Sarov) and some great Anglican priests (such as Father James Frye, mentor to the novelist James Agee,  priest-poet Arthur Shearly Cripps and even my dear hero George Herbert at moments in his life) were all vegetarians (and many of them certainly vegan), my latest venture into veganism is seen as particularly strange, especially with parishioners who do not understand when I refrain from such post-Mass coffee hour staples as cake, cookies or the inevitable cheese plate.
When I explain that I am not doing it just for my health, but for ethical reasons that are based squarely in my Christian understanding of not killing anything, my words are more often than not met with blank stares.
Ultimately it is my life, my health and my ethics. And so, I will continue on. 

Gaudete Sunday 2013

 
   


Here are some photos (take by Junior Warden William Weightman) of Bishop Michael Smith's visit to St. Stephen's yesterday. He confirmed three, received three and we welcomed two new members (our third New Member Sunday of 2013)

Vegan Diary: 1 1/2 weeks Vegan

So, I’m heading into my second week as a vegan (and still going steady without any diet soda—that almost seems like old news now). It has certainly been interesting. The weight is most definitely coming off. The taste of food is becoming much more refined.I have discovered the incredible and wonderful world of almond milk! I’ve had my first ever vegan nog.  And the strangest thing of all: my allergies have cleared up. I have never known a time when I haven’t had some kind of allergy problem during the night for example. For the first time ever, no trouble sleeping during the night. Waking up, I feel clear-headed.

Plus, I am learning to maneuver the pitfalls of this whole new lifestyle. An example: last night I was a Lucky’s 13 and ordered a veggie burger. I asked the waitress to hold the mayo on it and asked her twice if there was any other dairy in it. She very nicely said she would check, but she didn’t think so. The burger arrived and, sure enough, under the lettuce, was mayo. I brought it her attention, she apologized profusely and brought me another mayo-free burger.
Tonight, I went to HuHot for supper. Lots of vegan options, which amazed me. Only after I got back to the table did I begin to wonder about the Chinese noodles I had on my plate. Did they contain eggs? Does all pasta have eggs? A quick google search (I have no idea what vegans did before the internet and smart phones) and my conscience was cleared and I could enjoy the meal.
Yes, it’s a bit more of a hassle than in the past, but it’s all worth it. I haven’t felt this good in a very long time. If these are the benefits a week and half in, I’m curious what a month in will be like.
And so, I will continue onward.  

1 1/2 weeks Vegan

So, I’m heading into my second week as a vegan (and still going steady without any diet soda—that almost seems like old news now). It has certainly been interesting. The weight is most definitely coming off. The taste of food is becoming much more refined.I have discovered the incredible and wonderful world of almond milk! I’ve had my first ever vegan nog.  And the strangest thing of all: my allergies have cleared up. I have never known a time when I haven’t had some kind of allergy problem during the night for example. For the first time ever, no trouble sleeping during the night. Waking up, I feel clear-headed.

Plus, I am learning to maneuver the pitfalls of this whole new lifestyle. An example: last night I was a Lucky’s 13 and ordered a veggie burger. I asked the waitress to hold the mayo on it and asked her twice if there was any other dairy in it. She very nicely said she would check, but she didn’t think so. The burger arrived and, sure enough, under the lettuce, was mayo. I brought it her attention, she apologized profusely and brought me another mayo-free burger.
Tonight, I went to HuHot for supper. Lots of vegan options, which amazed me. Only after I got back to the table did I begin to wonder about the Chinese noodles I had on my plate. Did they contain eggs? Does all pasta have eggs? A quick google search (I have no idea what vegans did before the internet and smart phones) and my conscience was cleared and I could enjoy the meal.
Yes, it’s a bit more of a hassle than in the past, but it’s all worth it. I haven’t felt this good in a very long time. If these are the benefits a week and half in, I’m curious what a month in will be like.
And so, I will continue onward.  

Vegan Diary: Six days dairy-free

Around this same time two weeks ago, I drank my last Diet Coke. I can say that I am feeling absolutely incredible now. It was tough. The withdrawal was hard at moments. But  I never once have been tempted to drink it, though there have been moments when, out of habit, I find myself just about to order one. Or, worse, there are moments when I crave it. But no set-backs. Just a steady course forward.

What I have noticed in myself s that I am much calmer than I have ever been before. I had been dealing over the last few years with sort of underlying anger. That seems to be gone. That feeling of jittery, taut-cat kind of feeling is definitely gone. I don’t feel tense at all, which is a new experience.
It has been six day dairy free. Actually, I realized that some (minor) things I was enjoying I thought were dairy free weren’t, so it’s actually been maybe two days of being truly dairy-free.

Last night was difficult. I sort of panicked thinking about what I was going to possibly do without dairy in my life. It just seemed to daunting and impossible. But I slept on it and awoke this morning feeling renewed and re-committed.
It also didn’t hurt that I re-watched one of my guilty pleasures, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (I am nuts over the graphic novels too). The whole confrontation with Todd Ingram has weird new meaning now. I too fear my own personal Vegan Police ("no vegan diet, no vegan powers"). And I do feel like I am striving to graduate from some idealized Vegan Academy—at least this week…

Going Vegan: Six days dairy-free

Around this same time two weeks ago, I drank my last Diet Coke. I can say that I am feeling absolutely incredible now. It was tough. The withdrawal was hard at moments. But  I never once have been tempted to drink it, though there have been moments when, out of habit, I find myself just about to order one. Or, worse, there are moments when I crave it. But no set-backs. Just a steady course forward.

What I have noticed in myself s that I am much calmer than I have ever been before. I had been dealing over the last few years with sort of underlying anger. That seems to be gone. That feeling of jittery, taut-cat kind of feeling is definitely gone. I don’t feel tense at all, which is a new experience.
It has been six day dairy free. Actually, I realized that some (minor) things I was enjoying I thought were dairy free weren’t, so it’s actually been maybe two days of being truly dairy-free.

Last night was difficult. I sort of panicked thinking about what I was going to possibly do without dairy in my life. It just seemed to daunting and impossible. But I slept on it and awoke this morning feeling renewed and re-committed.
It also didn’t hurt that I re-watched one of my guilty pleasures, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (I am nuts over the graphic novels too). The whole confrontation with Todd Ingram has weird new meaning now. I too fear my own personal Vegan Police ("no vegan diet, no vegan powers"). And I do feel like I am striving to graduate from some idealized Vegan Academy—at least this week…

Week #2 Diet Coke-free/six days dairy-free

Around this same time two weeks ago, I drank my last Diet Coke. I can say that I am feeling absolutely incredible now. It was tough. The withdrawal was hard at moments. But  I never once have been tempted to drink it, though there have been moments when, out of habit, I find myself just about to order one. Or, worse, there are moments when I crave it. But no set-backs. Just a steady course forward.

What I have noticed in myself s that I am much calmer than I have ever been before. I had been dealing over the last few years with sort of underlying anger. That seems to be gone. That feeling of jittery, taut-cat kind of feeling is definitely gone. I don’t feel tense at all, which is a new experience.
It has been six day dairy free. Actually, I realized that some (minor) things I was enjoying I thought were dairy free weren’t, so it’s actually been maybe two days of being truly dairy-free.

Last night was difficult. I sort of panicked thinking about what I was going to possibly do without dairy in my life. It just seemed to daunting and impossible. But I slept on it and awoke this morning feeling renewed and re-committed.
It also didn’t hurt that I re-watched one of my guilty pleasures, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (I am nuts over the graphic novels too). The whole confrontation with Todd Ingram has weird new meaning now. I too fear my own personal Vegan Police ("no vegan diet, no vegan powers"). And I do feel like I am striving to graduate from some idealized Vegan Academy—at least this week…
 

Vegan Diary: Going Vegan

Well, I turned 44 on Sunday. After years and years of on-again, off-again vegetarianism (with long stretches of vegetarianism throughout), I have finally decided  to go vegan. I fought it long and hard. After all, I love dairy!

So, what’s the problem? The problem is this: I am lactose intolerant and have known I have been since my twenties. I know full-well that dairy is the #1 issue with my weight over the years, because anytime I cut dairy down, the weight came off.
But veganism always seems so…not only daunting, but almost hard-core. It was equivalent for me of either joining the Marines or the Trappists.
But, finally, after intense reading of the Skinny Bitch/Skinny Bastard books of Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin, the Engine 2 books of Rip Esselstyn and other sources like Forks over Knives and The China Study, I just decided to give up and give in.
And so, here I am. I am going to give myself this coming week just to do it. I have cut (I thought) all of it last Thursday, then discovered last night, to my chagrin, that the Soy White Mocha I get habitually at Starbucks is NOT vegan. Back to square 1.
So, I am going to do this next week one step at a time. No Diet Soda. No dairy. We’ll see what happens.

Going Vegan

Well, I turned 44 on Sunday. After years and years of on-again, off-again vegetarianism (with long stretches of vegetarianism throughout), I have finally decided  to go vegan. I fought it long and hard. After all, I love dairy!

So, what’s the problem? The problem is this: I am lactose intolerant and have known I have been since my twenties. I know full-well that dairy is the #1 issue with my weight over the years, because anytime I cut dairy down, the weight came off.
But veganism always seems so…not only daunting, but almost hard-core. It was equivalent for me of either joining the Marines or the Trappists.
But, finally, after intense reading of the Skinny Bitch/Skinny Bastard books of Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin, the Engine 2 books of Rip Esselstyn and other sources like Forks over Knives and The China Study, I just decided to give up and give in.
And so, here I am. I am going to give myself this coming week just to do it. I have cut (I thought) all of it last Thursday, then discovered last night, to my chagrin, that the Soy White Mocha I get habitually at Starbucks is NOT vegan. Back to square 1.
So, I am going to do this next week one step at a time. No Diet Soda. No dairy. We’ll see what happens.

Chet Gebert dies

Chet Gebert, who took the photo that graced the cover of my book, Fargo, 1957, died on Saturday. Here's an article about him from today's Fargo Forum.    Chet Gebert, member of Forum’s Pulitzer-winning team, dies at 86 By: Chester “Chet” Gebert, 86, a longtime Forum reporter and photographer, died here Saturday, one of the team that covered the historic 1957 tornado for the paper’s only Pulitzer Prize. Stephens was just a year old the night her father put her, her older sister, Valerie, and her mother in the basement of their home and went out to take pictures of the devastation left by the killer twister.“My mom wasn’t really pleased about that one,” she chuckles. She also recalls a visit with her father years after he retired from professional writing, on a trip with him to the Hjemkomst Center. Gebert was the Forum reporter who followed the journey of the replica Viking ship, the Hjemkomst, all the way from its genesis in builder Robert Asp’s brain to its eventual entry into the harbor of Bergen, Norway, in July 1982. Stephens had forgotten, until that moment, that her father had been so involved in the ship’s journey, and that of Asp, who died half a year before its Norway voyage. “My dad just had a big heart for people’s dreams,” she said. Among his other stories was that of a chat over breakfast with Gerald Ford, nine years before the then-minority leader of the U.S. House of Representatives stepped in to take over running the country from disgraced President Richard Nixon. His fellow reporter Mikkel Pates recalled how Gebert used to give the new reporters his “oddball” tour of the city he loved – including the water treatment plant, the sewage plant and the landfill. “He was somebody who had a great exuberance for being a reporter,” Pates said.Stephens said her father never stopped having adventures, even after he stopped writing about them for The Forum. He traveled to Australia, New Zealand, China and Mexico with his second wife, Sharon, and throughout the U.S., including Alaska, often in a recreational vehicle the couple owned.His wide-traveling habits were lifelong ones. Gebert hitchhiked across the U.S. from the East Coast to the West Coast at 17. “My dad was the coolest dad ever. … (To him) everyone has a story and no one was a stranger,” Stephens said. He would often come home from his travels having made a lifelong friend on the other side of the world, she said. But for all his adventures, he never lost sight of the people in his stories who had opened the doors of adventure to him. Throughout his retirement, Pates said, Gebert collected the hundreds of story photos he’d taken and mailed them to the families of the people in the stories, because he knew they would value them. “He would end every conversation with ‘thank you kindly,’ ” said Pates. “Humorous, loving, nonjudgmental … always had a sense of humor,” said Stephens. “He knew he was dying. Someone would come in and he couldn’t sit up. (He) would say, ‘Am I dead yet?’ ” Stephens’ father lost his wife in 2010 and leaves behind Stephens, her older sister and her younger sister, Peggy. Stephens was with him when he died, and said the hardest part was that the old storyteller was having a hard time articulating much. “But he could still say, ‘I love you,’ ” she said, her voice crumbling into tears. The family plans to gather at Hanson-Runsvold Funeral Home on Saturday for what Stephens said would be a celebration of her father’s life – an adventure that she thinks he is probably continuing, wherever he is. “He’s writing a story now, where he is,” she said.