Vegan No Mo: Birth of a New MoJo

April 11, 2010, would have marked four years that I became a vegan. I say would have because in the beginning of December 2009, I started transitioning into being a vegetarian. 


Why the change? 


It all started when a waiter at a local restaurant screwed up my request for no cheese on my salad. As I debated internally on whether to make a "fuss" about it and send the salad back, I just kept quite and ate it. Why did I give in? I honestly have no idea, but at that moment, somehow I rationalized with myself that it was ok (it's not like it was a piece of dead chicken in my salad...it was only shredded cheddar cheese.) And boy, at that moment, that cheese looked so good, that I gave in to my craving for it.


Now throughout my stint as a vegan I've always craved things vegans shouldn't really be craving: cheese, fish, chicken, ice cream, buffalo wings, etc., etc., but then again I've never been a traditional vegan (I've never denied the true awesomeness of how delicious animals taste...I just made a very conscious and ethical decision not to eat them.)


I've always taken pride in my complete commitment to veganism. It was really a test of my will power and a test to see if I could be faithful to a cause and passion that I believed in so strongly that I was willing to make personal sacrifices for. And while my heart, emotion and passion rage on, my body is beginning to revolt against the restrictive lifestyle.


And since I don't have any desire to return to an omnivore diet (I could never eat meat now without feeling guilty) and in efforts to not completely sabotage my four years, I decided that being a ovo-lacto vegetarian (vegetarian who also eats eggs & dairy) would be the best option for me, at this point in my life.


This new transition into being a ovo-lacto vegetarian, will be held with the same high standards that I kept for myself as a vegan. That means I will only consume eggs and dairy that have been ethically produced from: organic (cage-free, grass-fed hens) and (grass-fed humanely raised cows).


And just because I'm not, as a friend likes to say, a "pure vegan" or "100% vegan" anymore, doesn't mean my passion for animals to be humanely treated has waned. It still remains strong as ever.


So that's it folks...I'm vegan no mo.

Which has lead me to another predicament of sorts...my Twitter handle. 

Since I'm not a veagn anymore, I can't really call myself "Veganjacob" anymore now can I? 


So after some suggestions from my beloved twitterati, I decided it was high time that I changed my handle.


And while I liked, LOLed and disapproved (you know who *YOU* are) all your suggestions, I've made the executive decision to make my new handle...

Mojojacob 

I chose this handle mainly for three reasons:

1. I don't want my handle to "typecast" me again. While I thoroughly enjoyed being known as "the vegan," in my social circles, sometimes that's all people saw about me...and that got real old, real quick.
2. "MoJo" was a nickname a good friend gave me years ago and was the username I used for the first email account I ever signed up for when I was a teenager. I felt so grown up having my own private online space that my parents didn't even know about. So "MoJo" definitely has some sentimental value. And personally, I think it has a nice ring to it.
3. I really wanted "MoJacob" but can you believe that someone else beat me to the punch?! Dang her! The last time she tweeted was in July '09! *grrr*

I hope this clears up any questions you all may have had because guess what folks?

...that's all she wrote!

#snOMG3.0: Gone to the Birds

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Weekend Filled with ♥

The weekend started out with a fabulous, romantic dinner at Oriental Wok in Ft.Wright on Friday night. If you haven't been, you owe it to yourself. The owners, the Wongs, and the staff, will treat you like royalty...and a member of their own family. And don't forget about the food...definitely worth the extra penny than your regular Chinese joint.

 

(American and Indian eating gourmet Chinese)

(We found an army of adorable table decorations hiding out in the coat room at OW)

Then we headed home for a quite evening at home...and the unveiling of my "big surprise" for Adam.

It all started with this card I found...

 

"A big scoop of love

A hug and a kiss

To tell you this...

'You're super great!'

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

XOXO"

(inside of card)

 

See, Adam loves ice cream. No seriously, I mean he loves ice cream. He eats it every.single.day. and sometimes multiple times a day. I mean he loves the stuff so much that he even started a FB fan page.  

So as soon as I saw the card, I knew it was perfect...and just meant to be.

What other option did I have than getting him a basket full of all his favorite ice cream (and toppings) to go along with his card?!

(There were 8 pints of his fave ice cream in there!)

Needless to say, he was speechless!...

 

 (Inspecting his loot)

...And very, very happy!

I even got him a heart-shaped bowl (and a red-glitter spoon) that he has been specifically instructed to use to eat all the contents of the basket, regardless if it's just one scoop...or a few pints...
 

 (Ice cream ♥)

He didn't waste any time executing his role of ice cream quality assurance taste tester ...
 

All settled in and enjoying his present. It was a great way to watch the Winter Olympics opening ceremony...  

 

Saturday we had a double date with my wife and her man, Sam, for dinner and a movie (FYI, save your money and wait for "Wolfman" to hit your TV screens.)

Then Sunday, Adam gave me one of the best presents he could have ever given me...coming to church with me. Oh, and he also gave me flowers & a card...

 (Fiona & Kitty made sure Adam's gifts passed quality & sentimentality control...by eating the leaves.)

Then Sunday evening was QT movie time...and massive food binging...at home with the other love in my life...the sis.

All in all, it was a great weekend filled with ♥ and loved ones!

Hope everyone was able to spend time with those they love this past weekend!

#snOMG'10 According to Kitty

Miles From Where You Are

Right now, I feel like I'm miles from where you are, what you are experiencing, what you are going through.


But I want you to know that I am...here.

Loving...you.

Waiting for...you. 

Believing in...you.

Believing in...us.





Set The Fire To The Third Bar*


I find the map and draw a straight line
Over rivers, farms, and state lines
The distance from 'A' to where you'd be
It's only finger-lengths that I see
I touch the place where I'd find your face
My finger in creases of distant dark places


I hang my coat up in the first bar
There is no peace that I've found so far
The laughter penetrates my silence
As drunken men find flaws in science


Their words mostly noises
Ghosts with just voices
Your words in my memory
Are like music to me


I'm miles from where you are,
I lay down on the cold ground
I, I pray that something picks me up
And sets me down in your warm arms


After I have traveled so far
We'd set the fire to the third bar
We'd share each other like an island
Until exhausted, close our eyelids
And dreaming, pick up from
The last place we left off
Your soft skin is weeping
A joy you can't keep in


I'm miles from where you are,
I lay down on the cold ground
And I, I pray that something picks me up
and sets me down in your warm arms


I'm miles from where you are,
I lay down on the cold ground
and I, I pray that something picks me up
and sets me down in your warm arms


*Also theme song from the Dear John movie
 

Reading Material fit for the Motherland

I really thought long and hard about what my reading material would be for "The Passage to India", since essentially, I'll be traveling for 20 hours on a plane(s)! (barf)

Instead of exerting too much mental strain, I decided to let inspiration just come to me, as I browsed a local bookstore.


And, there it was...


Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light.*



To be honest, I felt kinda cliché about getting the book: traveling to India, reading a book about Mother Teresa. C'mon Maureen, I thought to myself, that's even too corny for you.



But I remember reading excerpts from the book in TIME a few years back, being absolutely mesmerized by her words and her uncanny willingness to completely dedicate her life to God. I had made a mental note to get the book then, but for whatever reason, I didn't and completely forgot about it.


But as I stood in the bookstore that night holding the book in my hand, I knew that I was meant to read it...on my way to India.


This trip for me is (God willing) going to be an integral part in a rejuvenation process for me and I hope that by reading about this extraordinary woman's extraordinary relationship with her God, I will find some answers in figuring out the next level in my relationship with my God.


Happy...and insightful...reading...to me!




* Also right next to Mother Teresa's book, was C.S. Lewis' Great Divorce. I took it as a sign and got it as well.

You've Been...Updated!

Just a quick update about what exactly has been going on in my world, mainly because 1. it's been a while since I've blogged, and 2. to quench the curiosity of the numerous people who have been contacting me about various "rumors" of what's been going on with me.

• November 8, 2009, marked two months that I resigned from Purple Trout, LLC. All I'm going to say about the whole matter is that I am REALLY relieved and ecstatic to NOT be associated with that company anymore. God's will be done.

• I am NOT employed currently nor am I looking for another job, at the present moment, partly because of 1. the last bulletin point listed here, and 2. because I'm using this time as a sabbatical of sorts praying and asking God for direction with my life. I am going to be (God willing) very careful and wise in choosing my next place of employment. I will not repeat the same mistake...TWICE. All I know is, that I want to work for a nonprofit...no more of this shenanigans working for people who's god is money...and greed. I want to work for those who put others...and God first. In the end, I want to be doing what God wants me to do...whatever the hell that means. God's will be done.
  

• I met someone. He met me. I am dating. He's dating me. We are dating. It's all, very, very good. Basically, I'm the happiest I've been in a while and he has a large part in that. *sigh* *bliss* God's will be done.

• It just doesn't feel like Christmas to me. Don't know why that is though. What's up with that? Is it just me? It can't be. I've heard other peeps expressing the same sentiment. Is it global warming's fault? (Nah couldn't be...insufficient data.) I haven't been in the mood to listen to any Christmas music, watch Christmas movies (other than "Dr. Suess' How The Grinch Stole Christmas"), send out Christmas cards (sorry folks) or do an iota of Christmas shopping. I literally have no desire, no urge. Hopefully, when all the family gets together (see bullet point below), I'll get into the spirit. God's will be done.

• Next Wednesday (12/23), the sis and I will be leaving for PA to spend Christmas with family. The rents will be flying in from the islands and meeting us there. Then on 12/28, both families will be departing from Newark on what I affectionately like to refer to as, "The Passage to India." We will be gone until 1/19. We'll be back in the Cintucky 1/22. And while I'm excited to be with my family and return to the motherland after a 23 year absence, all I can think about is leaving my beloved Fiona and Kitty behind and how I am - and most importantly, how they are - going to live without seeing each other...every day. I would rather NOT go on this whole trip, so that I can be with my fur babies. Yes, I AM that far gone. #crazycatlady. Also, I haven't packed one iota for the trip. Did I mention that we'll be leaving a week from tomorrow?! Yeah, well we are. God's will be done.

So, that's it! You're basically all caught up!

*You may now return to your regularly-programmed life*

Thanks for stopping by!

You, (Yes You!) Are Awesome...and for that, I am Thankful

I've been fortunate in my life, to know a lot of people.

Certainly, as with anything in life, there are obvious pros and cons that come with that.

I know many people that I share the same interests, beliefs, lifestyle, etc., with and then, there are many people who are the polar opposite from me.

Frankly, I love that I have a wide-ranging spectrum of friends and acquaintances because quite honestly, who wants to surround themselves with people just like themselves? What an incredibly (boring) sheltered bubble of a life that would be to live.

But it's those very differences that I want to take a moment to celebrate and cherish.

I strongly believe that when you meet someone - whether a coworker, a friend, a friend of a friend, a server at a restaurant, a salesperson, a social networking connection, etc., - God divinely intended for that meeting/introduction to happen.

For what reason? I may never know right this second how the people I meet are supposed to figure out in the equation of my life, but I know, without a shadow of a doubt, our "collision" in life was divinely ordained and serves a greater purpose other than just the superficialities of this world/life that we can see.

I know I must rub many of you I know the wrong way, whether it be through my strong personality/beliefs/opinions/etc and for that, I am truly sorry, but thanks for putting up with me. Please find it in your heart to forgive me. I know I have done the same for you.

As I look through my Twitter and Facebook feeds, I look at each and every one of you and think to myself, "Wow. These people are awesome." Why? Because God loves each and everyone of you and gave me the privilege of getting to know you all.

And with Thanksgiving just two days away, I reflect on all the things I am grateful for, and I am grateful that you are part of my life.

Whether through an @ reply on Twitter, a Facebook wall post/comment, a social opportunity to hang out together, a hug, an email, a phone call, a text, a blog comment...you all have meant the world to me, in some shape or form.

You, being in my life, has enriched me in so many ways that are far numerous to list at this moment. I learn something every day from you.

You are so special and awesome, that God made only one of you in all your beauty and glory. You are magnificent. You are wonderful.

I want to tell you that I care about and love each and every one of you.

Why?

Because you, you are awesome.

God certainly thinks so.

And for that, I'm eternally grateful.

With Love and Thanksgiving,
Maureen

A Reason for Everything

I strongly believe that God places us in certain positions, situations, circumstances, seasons in life...all for the sole purpose of meeting that certain someone.

I may not fully understand what exactly God is trying to tell me, but that's okay.

What's important is my willingness to listen...and my willingness to act accordingly to what He tells me.

Because in the end, I know God is in control of my life and I'd rather trust in Him, than in myself (or anyone else)...any ole day.


Your will be done Jesus.


Amen.

Sesame Street Turns 40: Reflections of a 30-year-old Woman

Today, Sesame Street turns 40.

Growing up as a little girl with an incredibly active imagination, it was SO much more than just a kid's educational, entertainment show for me.

Looking back, I realize that it was more of a religious experience for me and it was the type of show that - as a single child at the time (before the sis came into my life) - I absolutely thrived and flourished on, and that fed my creative, inquisitive soul...every. single. day.

I would excitedly come back home from school, hastily do my homework, take a warm shower, all in time for the first note of the show's opening theme song. I remember throwing tantrum fits, much to my parents' chagrin and frustration, if I realized that I was running "late" and could possibly miss the opening note.

I would put on my favorite PJs, grab my favorite blankie and my favorite cats (at the time) and settle in my "picnic/sleep fort" in front of the TV (till this day, I have no idea why our TV was on cinder blocks for a while!)

Gathering the troops

As I watched the show, my mom would either bring me my dinner, or if I wasn't terribly hungry that night, a warm bottle of Ovaltine milk (yes, I used to drink milk from a baby's bottle even though I was 5 years old...SO SUE ME!!)

The troops remain loyal even when abandoned for moving images on the TV screen

I had no idea - nor did I care - what the political climate of the time was, what the latest headlines were, or how the economy was doing, but the one thing I did know for sure - and truly cared about - was that when that opening song came on, my friends: Maria, Gordon, Big Bird, Snufalufagus, Bert & Ernie, Cookie Monster, Oscar, Count, Elmo, Kermit, Grover and company, were all going to make (my lil world) a much better place.

Looking back and reflecting on the last 40 years of The Street, floods me with a swell of emotions: happiness, nostalgia, fondness, longing and innocence.

Sometimes, as a 30-year-old woman trying to be an adult and find herself in this big, bad, ugly, cruel world, all I want to do is take a warm shower, grab my kitties around me, snuggle up on my couch "picnic/sleep fort" and wait for that opening note and the chance to belt my lil heart out...about a time where innocence - truly - once existed for me...

Sunny Day
Sweepin' the clouds away
On my way to where the air is sweet

Can you tell me how to get,
How to get to Sesame Street

Come and play
Everything's A-OK
Friendly neighbors there
That's where we meet

Can you tell me how to get
How to get to Sesame Street

It's a magic carpet ride
Every door will open wide
To Happy people like you--
Happy people like
What a beautiful

Sunny Day
Sweepin' the clouds away
On my way to where the air is sweet

Can you tell me how to get,
How to get to Sesame street...
How to get to Sesame Street
How to get to...