More Good News for Project Treadstone . . . and Some for My Dad
The traditional veterinarian I take Violet, Charles and Emily to, and who is the Project Treadstone vet, has decided not to test the cats for FeLV or FIV unless they have symptoms of some sort or otherwise appear ill. Perhaps the half-inch stack of research I gave him swayed him (though I can't imagine he didn't know any of that, particularly with his new staff member coming straight from Dr. Levy).
Regardless of how it happened, I'm pleased and relieved. I'll take two cats on the 8th, and if the spay shuttle from a county north of us isn't coming any time soon, I'll try the 5-cat extravaganza the following week. Several of the women in the Community Foundation building bought traps, so 5 won't be a problem. And a local coalition of cat people has volunteered to help when the shuttle comes to the site to sterilize and vaccinate dozens at a time.
Progress!
Next, I sent a letter to the head of the TNR organization on Palm Beach that served chicken as they were saying a prayer for all of the animals who are suffering, suggesting that perhaps they rethink that (the serving of the animals, although the prayer might be something to rethink as well). I also suggested thinking about the message they are sending with their upcoming event at the Palm Beach Zoo! Once again, you just can't make this stuff up. Most of the people who support the organization are decades older than I, so this is largely a generational phenomenon, which I did discuss. They will have to think about sustainability as the mentality changes around what is acceptable for animal advocacy groups and the events they hold. I might be the only person to object now, but as newer, younger members join, they will likely come with similar objections (or at least I hope they would).
Finally, in a most unlikely turn, I had the following conversation with my dad:
Dad: I've gotta lose some weight in 2009, and I'm thinking about becoming a vegetarian, but [his wife] isn't interested so it wouldn't work.
Me: May I remind you that I was a vegan for 6 years and I both bought and cooked dead animals for my husband all of that time, without complaining [much], and now he's a vegan?
Dad: Wow, a vegan, does that mean you don't even eat chicken?
Me: No, dad, no chicken or fish or milk or . . . .
Dad: Wait, no fish?
Me: Follow me on this dad–I don't eat animals, and I don't eat what comes from them, like milk or eggs.
Dad: You eat butter, though, right?
Me: Why would I eat butter, dad? I just said I don't eat anything that comes from animals, and butter comes from cow's milk which comes from cows.
Dad: Wow. Well then what do you put on your toast?
SHOOT ME.
Now, the man is 75-years old and eats kielbasa at least once a week (trivia: his parents were from Austria-Hungary, and his last name is really Marczinov), and frankly he has no reason to know anything about veganism (until now, he has never been interested when I brought it up over the years; and I brought it up a lot).
I'm sending him some cookbooks this week. I'm thinking Veganomicon? Any better ideas? Nothing too crazy or irreverent. And The Joy of Vegan Baking, as the recipes are so much like what he already does, I'm sure. Maybe something from PCRM as what he really needs is to get healthy. I welcome suggestions. He's a very, very critical person/thinker with a doctorate from Columbia and he doesn't believe anything anyone tells him except the pope.
No joke.
He's better at listing why something wouldn't work than anyone I know, but since he asked for help (and I'm thrilled!) I want to make sure I'm considering who he is and what he likes.
Again, suggestions?
I'd recommend Dreena Burton's books, especially her most recent "eat drink and be vegan" because she makes it a point to be healthy, and she doesn't use much in the way of "weird" vegan ingredients. It seems to me that her recipes would be accessable to people who don't want to buy a bunch of special stuff. And they tend to be quick (she came up with the cookbook with two young children underfoot, after all!) But you'd know best what would appeal to your dad.
Another new favorite of mine is "get it ripe". But I'd have to look at it again to see if I'd recommend it for someone just starting out.
Do you think he'd want all the fake meat stuff?
A lot of people over the years have recommended "vegetarian meat and potatoes" (which I think they said was vegan, or almost entirely vegan), especially for people who were used to a meat&potatoes diet (as you'd guess from the title). I have never picked it up myself, for some reason, but it might work well for your dad.
Thanks, Deb! I have Eat, Drink and Be Vegan so I'll check it out with him in mind. I also have a Vegan Italiano, which I think is right up his alley. He eats "meat" all day long, so I don't know about going in the direction of the faux stuff–that could go either way. I'll check out vegetarian meat and potatoes, as I'm sure he'll be into that. The 2 times he has come here he has eaten only vegan food, and he said he liked it but . . . of course he said that.
I'm going to recruit my sister to take him shopping and maybe to a few restaurants. He does love to read, and he also loves to cook, and he has plenty of time, so he's in a good position to begin this transition.
I came to the comments to suggest Robin Robertson's Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook, but I see that Deb beat me to it. I've made only a few things from the cookbook, but I've liked them.
Suggestions? Yes!
There's nothing quite like seeing the cooking: http://www.everydaydish.tv/
Compassionate Cooks podcast: http://www.compassionatecooks.com/podcast.htm
Introduce him to HappyCow and VegGuide so he can learn where to go out to eat:
http://www.happycow.net/
http://vegguide.org/
My mother (around 15 years younger than your father) actually found the language in Veganomicon to be a bit too, oh… fresh, hip, punk, irreverent, flip — however you want to put it. She loves JOVB though.
Good point about the voice Veganomicon, Nathan. The only problem I have with JOVB (which isn't really a problem with JOVB) is that, shall we say, my dad already has enough dessert and carbs.
hey there,
google lets me know when anyone on the web mentions my girlfriend's book, which is why i'm here (though i've never commented on someone's blog before).
just to give you a bit more info on *Get It Ripe* (which another commenter mentioned earlier), jae is a vegan holistic nutritionist and her book is a health resource AND a whole foods cookbook. she may be tattooed, but middle-aged suburbanites and punk rockers, parents, students, and busy professionals alike (and many of whom aren't even veg or vegan) are all writing to her to let her know how much *Get It Ripe* resonates with them because it's got nutrition and culinary info for beginners and old skool veggies…. and i'm not just saying this because she cooks for me all the time! in fact, the book was just awarded Best Veg Book in Canada 2008 from the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.
need a visual, or to get a feel for what she's about? check out these 3 vids shot in our kitchen: http://www.youtube.com/getitripe
you can also visit her blog: http://domesticaffair.ca
if/when you get the book, made your dad the shepherd's pie, which always has meat-eaters going back for seconds, or the coconut cauliflower chana or sesame kale soba if those kinds of things are up his alley.
Another great online cooking show with recipes is "Rhymes with Vegan". It might be especially appropriate for your father as it features home-style and hearty vegan recipes and the simple comfort food that a lot of people grew up with: http://www.rhymeswithvegan.com/