for my young friends who are afraid

"... what you fear
will not go away: it will take you into
yourself and bless you and keep you.
that's the world, and we all live there."

- william stafford

my first completely vegetarian shopping trip

sunday, i had my first shopping trip where i did not buy any kind of meat product. and i thought it was fairly successful.

here are two insights i have since had:

1. i don't know how to buy avocados. i have no idea when they are ripe or overripe. the last time i bought one, it was good. but very quickly turned brown after the first use. so i knew to use it all as soon as possible. but the one i bought on sunday, when i cut into it was already completely brown on the inside. uck.

2. i should have tried babaganoush some time in my life before i decided to buy it. uck.

is it okay to listen to christmas music yet?

yes.

and i already have.

(mostly because i had an overwhelming desire to hear sarah mclachlan's "song for a winter's night")