Happy Holidays to everyone!

After living in NC for 3+ years, I am truly enjoying the NC winter weather. The forecast for Christmas Eve is 68 degrees. I miss seeing the lovely Wisconsin snow, but I do not miss the below zero wind chills, or the icy roads.

Ho Ho Ho!

Summer cold - ugh.....

I have been suffering with a summer cold, or virus, or something, for the past week. But I'm happy to report that I'm starting to feel like myself again.

I read a few books over the weekend, as I lounged in my pj's. One was very interesting - The Year of the Goat: 40,000 Miles & the Quest for the Perfect Cheese, by Margaret Hathaway. I've always had a fascination with goats, so this book was on the top of my Amazon wish list. I did enjoy it very much, but was disheartened by the amount of time spent on the topic of raising goats for goat meat. OH, NO!

But I was happy to see, by the end of the book, that the author and her husband decided they could not adapt to that lifestyle. They want to raise dairy goats, learn to make goat cheese, and live a simpler life on a small farm. That sounds blissful, doesn't it?

After living for 48 years (yes, last week I hit the big 48), I've learned that a simple life makes me happy. That the small things in life are the most important.

Have a simple day!

I am feeling the need to write........

I am feeling the need to write..........blogs, cookbooks, stories. But it's hard for me to find the time, when work keeps me so busy. I know, I know. We must make time for the important things in life.

Later: This afternoon I subscribed to The Writer's Digest, and I found an online writing class that sounds very interesting. So that's a step in the right direction, right?

Vacation!

Starting tonight, we will be on vacation for ten whole days. I cannot wait! After getting through a crazy tax season, I really need a break.

We're planning to spend a few days at the beach. And we'll also have lots of time for relaxation, getting a few things done around the house, and for picnicing. Sounds like heaven.

Check out this video....

New Study

A recent study, published by Vegetarian Times, found that 3.2 percent of U.S. adults, or 7.3 million people, follow a vegetarian-based diet. Approximately 0.5 percent, or 1 million, of those are vegans, who consume no animal products at all. In addition, 10 percent of U.S., adults, or 22.8 million people, say they largely follow a vegetarian-inclined diet.

Those are encouraging numbers - keep up the good work, people!

Why are you a Vegetarian?

People often ask me why I am a Vegetarian. It encompasses so many things that it's difficult to give a quick answer. I love animals, and detest the idea of eating them. I hate the taste of meat. I like the health benefits of not eating meat. It feels right. I feel so much healthier and have so much more energy.

I wish I had the dedication to become a Vegan. But having grown up in Wisconsin, it's hard to imagine giving up cheese. I do cook Vegan dishes, and enjoy them, but I need my ocassional cheese fix.

To sum it up, I'm proud to be a Vegetarian.

I Made It!

Well, I made it through another tax season. As an accountant & tax preparer, I often wonder during tax season why I chose this profession. I love working with my clients, and I love accounting work. But come on - tax season is crazy.

When it's all over, it seems almost deathly quiet in the office. (But it's a nice quiet....shhhhh....)

Now I can get to the projects I had been putting off 'til after tax season. But first I'm taking a few days off.

The Final Days of Tax Season

As an accountant, I am looking forward to April 15th. (One week & one day away!!!!!)

Spring in the Carolinas

This is a great time of year to be living in North Carolina. The temperatures are in the 70's, the flowering trees are in bloom and bright green leaves are popping out everywhere.

But there are two downfalls to spring - the pine pollen (what a mess!) and the litter problem. Johnston County, NC has a BIG litter problem. My question is: what would possess someone to throw an entire bag of garbage, or huge sofa, on the side of the road? In front of someone's home? It's beyond comprehension.

Sure, we have prisoners to clean up the trash occasionally. But that does not address the problem at hand. We need to let people know that we will not tolerate litter.

On another related note - our area has been, for quite some time, in a major drought. And every day I see people throwing lit cigarette butts out of their car windows. Wow.