Catch up post #2

Today's three facts to get you caught up on my last three months of bloggerhiding (doesn't that sound kinda like some sort of Sweedish word, like lederhosen?) are...

(shirt found at Zazzle.com)

1) Three weeks ago, Lovemuffin and I went vegan. Yes -- you read it right, folks -- vegan. We decided not to eat anything with animal products in it until, well, we're not sure. (In case you were wondering, no, it's not because of how animals are treated; and no, we did not force this diet change on the kids, because it's bad enough that we make them eat organic food already, you know? We are terrible parents.) I thought it would be really, really hard to stop eating eggs, and turkey and whatnot, but it's not that bad at all, surprisingly. My main complaint, actually, is that it's kind of hard to find vegan food that is organic (go figure). But hey. If Lovemuffin stays on this bandwagon like he has so far, I sure as heck am not going to do anything to stop him. I can't tell you all how proud I am of him for sticking with it -- fast food was his favorite thing *evAr* -- so you can imagine what a change this has been for him. Gone are the days of me grabbing a quick greek yogurt as I'm running around, or a piece of cheese (I loves me some cheese) when I'm in a hurry, but I will survive. And speaking of cheese....

These little varmints didn't get to eat any oreos.

2) Oldest kid and her classmate's science project, in which one group of mice were named "The Healthy Ones" (they only ate good food), and the other side were named "The Murderers" (because they were the ones who kept killing their tankmates, and they were fed junk food along with the healthy food -- you'd think they would have been named "The Junk Eaters" or something, but no, they're "The Murderers"), is officially OVER. I cannot tell you how awesomely awesome it is to breathe FRESH air again (the mice were living in our rec room). The poor kid cleaned that tank out every other day with bleach water (well, except for the last week, when she pretty much stopped even looking at the mice because she was so tired of them) and the tank would reek in less than 24 hours. If you thought mice were cute, I'm here to tell you... they are. (Domesticated ones, at least.) But that's where the cuteness stops. Those things poop more than any other animal I've seen before.

3) If you're ever in a writing slump (and the negative voice whispering in your ear is saying that you really suck), my suggestion is to back and read something you wrote ages ago. (When we have our heads buried deep in whatever we're currently working on, it's difficult to see how much time has helped us grow.)

I was shocked when I looked at my first project a few days ago. What on earth had made me think it was good? What on earth was I thinking, in general?

There are usually two reactions to a smack in the face like that, and luckily, I had the more positive one: Wow. I've really come a long way. This was crap! Look at me now! I felt really proud of myself. Inspired. Like the proof was right in front of my face -- hard work and perseverance does pay off. It reminded me that giving up is not an option. What a great feeling it was.

So if you're in a slump, do a little research to see how far you've come. I think you'll be surprised at how much better you've gotten. And that, in turn, will shut that whispering voice right up.

Currently inspired by: Reach - Andrew Belle