Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Inauguration Day coverage

I was out in Charlotte today interviewing people who were watching the election. I have to say it was wonderful watching it and reporting on it. Reporting on it made me feel like I was a part of it somehow.

I'm still trying to process it all. I got to meet some interesting people today, from different walks of life and different political views, but everyone could feel the weight of history.

Friday, January 2, 2009

Hungry Journalist is about to get a little hungrier

To add a new twist to my moniker, I'm becoming a vegetarian. That's right, the former cowgirl and rancher's daughter is going to give up meat.
I came to this decision over the Christmas holidays. I had a long conversation with my mother and my doctor and found that almost all of my relatives died in their 50s from diet related diseases such as diabetes, heart attack, stroke and digestive cancers.
That's pretty daunting when you lay it all out like that.
My mom has decided to go veggie too. My fiance has decided to stay a carnivore. This should get interesting.
I'm still going to post fun recipes on this blog, they just probably won't have meat in them. But you can always add meat if you feel like it.
Let me get one thing straight. This is not a high-horse ethical stance. Animals are tasty. If I could get skinny, stay healthy and live past 60 by eating small, cute furry animals, I would do so with aplomb. And steak sauce.
But the truth is, I'm 26 and my cholesterol is a little high for someone my age. My mom has fought her weight and cholesterol her whole life. I lost my dad at 59 in April because he ate terrible things his whole life.
I've been joking with friends as I tell them about my decision that my ancestors on both sides are Irish as far back as anyone can remember. Perhaps my people, who survived on potatoes and cabbage for hundreds of years, evolved to be vegetarians. Maybe we are not meant to eat meat.
I'm still going to eat fish and I haven't been able to come to terms with giving up dairy and eggs yet. I'm just going to cut them out where I can. Like switching to soy milk for cereal.
We'll see how it goes. Stay tuned.
I'm also thinking about starting another blog about being veggie in the South. Would you read it?