vegangirl.com » Happiness

Natural Death for Cats: Letting Go

vegangirl — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 17:23:28 +0000

About 4 years ago, my cat Rocky was euthanized after about 2 years and $20K worth of veterinary visits, hospital stays, expensive tests, injections, pills, liquids, special food, vitamins, and subcutaneous fluids. I didn’t realize at the time that it would add up to so much effort and money just to have the same end [...]

Rethinking my escape from America

vegangirl — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 13:16:09 +0000

Several years ago, in response to insane real estate prices and ever-decreasing civil liberties, my partner and I decided to do something drastic: leave the United States. I found an online resource called Escape from America magazine, which offered information on other countries across the globe to which Americans were relocating. We chose Boquete, a [...]

This is what a plum tree looks like

vegangirl — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:51:11 +0000

When I moved into my house 2 years ago, I was told that the pretty little tree in the front yard was a “decorative cherry tree”. What a waste to grow inedible fruit, I thought to myself. I never noticed any fruit at all on it last year. But this year, sure enough, little hard “cherries” [...]

Asheville Reminds Me of Summer Camp

vegangirl — Mon, 04 May 2009 02:17:40 +0000

From about the age of 8 or so until I was probably around 12, I spent 2 weeks every summer in a place called Camp Segowea. I think it was in Massachusetts, somewhere in the mountains in or near the Appalachian Trail. It was very green and misty and rustic and full of bugs [...]

Gregory is home!

vegangirl — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 23:18:55 +0000

It feels like a dream. But here he is, purring on my lap – skinny, exhausted, but otherwise doing fine. He was 17 miles away in the town of Weaverville. Luckily my number was on his collar and he is so friendly that he eventually wandered up to someone who thought he might be lost. [...]

Moving forward

vegangirl — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 16:24:15 +0000

This Tutsi man was nearly burned to death along with 100 of his friends and neighbors by rival Hutus. He narrowly escaped through a window but suffered severe burns that reached all the way to the bone of his right shin. He is now set to run in the London Marathon and hopes to make it to the Olympics. In 1996, he came face-to-face with the man in charge of killing him and those many others who were not so lucky. As this mass murderer begged forgiveness at Tuhabonye's feet, he let him go free. "If I can let someone who tried to kill me go free, I can do anything - it inspired me." What are you still holding on to?

Study: Anti-depressants don’t work

vegangirl — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:53:01 +0000

There is a horrifying trend in the U.S. to put everyone on pharmaceuticals for mood disorders, rather than trying to find and correct the underlying cause. The medical industry wants us to buy into this idea that we are helpless victims of circumstance, rather than in control of our physical and mental health. They dismiss diet, exercise, and environmental factors as possible minor contributors, but even that seems to be too "inconclusive" for them. As far as I can tell, they will slap a "disorder" label on perfectly normal people, just so they can cure them with pills. I remember a commercial from a few years ago for an anti-depressant that directed people to ask their doctor about some pill if they have felt depressed for longer than 2 weeks. Anyone who has ever been dumped, worked at a job they hated, or suffered a loss in the family has surely felt depressed for at least that long. I have, and I didn't take any pills, but somehow I turned out just fine.

The Paradox of Choice – Why More Is Less

vegangirl — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:57:22 +0000

I watched this video today and realized almost immediately the cause of at least half of the anxiety and unhappiness that permeates my life. Generally speaking, I am a fairly happy and care-free person. I don't dwell on the past or worry about the future. Well, not too much at least. But even so, I realize now that there is a constant undercurrent of anxiety as a result of the multitude of choices I am faced on a daily basis. Just watching this video, and being made aware of the phenomenon, lifts a lot of the weight off my shoulders. This seems like an important component of simplifying your life, which I think is essential for happiness.