A Beagle's Battles: Update on Darwin

Sometimes it's easy to feel overwhelmed but all of the bad news there is about animals, especially in relation to the way we treat them. Whether it's through other blogs, my Facebook community, the forums I subscribe to, Twitter or any of the other myriad ways in which I get to hear vegan and animal-rights/abolitionist news it's usually linked to the dark side of the human spirit. So today I realised it was time to redress the balance a little and, albeit indulgent, I'm posting an update about Darwin, my beagle.

As you may know, Darwin is the first animal companion to come to live with My Beloved and I. He was rescued almost 10 years ago from a municipal 'shelter' and has been our constant and faithful companion ever since. Don't misunderstand - he is not loyal because he owes us a debt of gratitude. No, it's more that he knows which house has the biggest cookie jar. Equally, he's not faithful because he adores us...he just hasn't figured out how to unlock the front door and escape.

Be that as it may, loyal and faithful he is - despite his motivations and physical limitations (front door locks tend to require a degree of dexterity afforded only by the use of thumbs). And, from our side, we totally adore him. So it was quite a shock when we took him for a routine teeth cleaning several months ago and learned he had cancer.

They didn't immediately use the 'C-word'; they said 'lymphoma', which I misheard as 'lipoma'. Well, he's had several of those, I replied confidently, and they're always benign....When the full reality sank in and I came to understand the situation, My Beloved and I reviewed our options. Although we live in a somewhat progressive and 'alternate' area, we did not feel sufficiently confident to eshew conventional therapies altogether, so opted for a middle path of chemo combined with a program of acupuncture, nutritional therapy and chinese herbals. And it does seem to be working well: he's following a 25 week chemo protocol and has been officially 'in remission' since week #6. What's more, his quality of life is almost completely uncompromised. He does not suffer nausea or vomiting and retains full control of his 'bodily functions', he has boundless energy and a wolf-like appetite and generally does not show any outward signs of illness. OK, the food regime requires a little care, but it's a tiny price to pay for terrific benefits..

Now let me say up front that I am not a medical doctor, I do not have veterinary skills, and I am not an expert in nutrition: I am just someone who's experimented and observed what works with my particular dog. And I'm also someone who refuses to accept a paltry 6-month prolongation of life expectancy or the idea that we are helpless in the face of illness. So with that caveat out of the way, here's what we've been doing with Darwin to achieve the results so far....

As said, the whole treatment regime includes conventional chemotherapy, twice monthly acupuncture, chinese herbal treatments, nutritional therapy, a multi-vitamin and mushroom extract. Although that sounds like a lot, it's actually really easy. We changed his one-meal-per-day routine to two smaller meals per day to help him have sustained energy and minimize the blood sugar lows. Every morning he has a half portion of his dry kibble - Natural Balance, vegetarian formula (which actually is vegan) - plus about 3/4 cup of cooked red lentils. The idea with these lentils is to boost his easily digestible proteins and skew the balance of his food towards the protein and fat and away from the carbs. He also has his first dose of the chinese herbals  - one capsule hidden in a ball of peanut butter.

In the evening, he has the second half of his dry kibble, again with the lentils, but we also add in a good tablespoon of organic flaxseed oil (for Omegas), a teaspoon of liquid multi-vitamins and the powdered contents of a maitake mushroom supplement capsule. We had experimented with mashed beans instead of the lentils but he doesn't seem to appreciate the texture as much. The cannellini beans were deemed acceptable, but the red kidney beans were apparently something of an affront to his delicate palate. Perhaps had we blitzed them in the food processor that would have been ok, but as it was hand mashing them clearly didn't cut it. The bean skins were carefully isolated and spat out disdainfully onto the floor around his bowl and we were rewarded only by the most half-hearted tail thump you've ever seen. With the lentils, however, the bowl of food is inhaled more than eaten and he always graces us with a big beagle-y smile.

Last thing at night, as a little treat, he gets his second dose of the Wei Qi booster, wrapped either in a peanut butter ball or stuffed into a strawberry. Yeah, taking pills has never been so easy!

A couple of folks have asked me how the treatment is going so I guess this post is an answer to that question. So far, the combination of allopathic and complementary medicines, excellent nutrition, lots of TLC and Darwin's own indomitable spirit seem to be just what the doctor ordered. He's doing great...if you'd like to see what he's up to click here!

Enjoy and stay vegan, friends!

Restaurant Review: Karma (Northampton, MA)

This evening, My Beloved and I managed to follow through with our plan to check out Karma, the new vegan restaurant which opened in Northampton last week. When we learned that its specialty was raw food, I have to confess that I was a little disappointed as I feel - rightly or wrongly - that the raw niche is such a small segment of the vegan community. And if we are to have one dedicated vegan restaurant, I would have preferred it to be one which serves both raw and cooked options.

However, I will admit that I was very, very pleasantly surprised. Karma is a cross between a restaurant and a cafe - casual yet elegant, friendly yet impressive. The decor is quite formal with blown glass pendant lighting and button vases of fresh flowers on each table. My Beloved and I arrived early in the evening - around 7pm - and there were only a couple of other tables occupied. Oh dear, we thought....

Our trepidation vanished very rapidly though when we saw the menu. It is surprisingly extensive, with appetizers, soups, entrees, sandwiches and noodles, albeit the sandwiches are available only for the lunch menu. To begin, we selected the Veggie Nori Wrap and the Nut Cheese and Cracker Platter both of which turned out to be superb. The home-made dehydrated crackers were a touch spicy and peppery, and the soft heapings of nut cheese were tangy and fresh - a real winner! Likewise the nori wraps were beautiful in presentation and very tasty too.

For our entrees, I chose the butternut squash fettucini noodles with cashew cream sauce, which looked delightful on the plate - ribbons of curled shavings of golden-orange squash, enrobed in a pale silken cream sauce. My one criticism of the dish might be that the fettuccini noodles were perhaps just that fraction too thick which made eating them harder work than their non-raw, conventional equivalent would be. But that is a very minor point, I'm sure, and one born of my unfamiliarity with the raw scene. The cashew cream sauce, on the other hand, was very good and plentiful and the wide noodles proved an excellent vehicle for sauce delivery! My Beloved opted wisely for the zucchini and summer squash 'angel hair noodles' with a pesto sauce, which was the clear winner. Although we both found the pesto is a little thin in consistency and hence not as bold a flavor as it could have been, this was easily remedied with a sprinkling of salt, making for a really delicious dish!

And so to dessert: we had a hard time choosing between the raspberry coconut cheesecake, dark chocolate cherry brownie a la mode and pineapple carrot cake. Personally I wanted to try them all, but was persuaded that we really ought to save something for the next visit so plumped for the first two, as the brownie came with vanilla bean ice-cream. Thus we got to try three items anyways!!!!! And they were the highlight of the meal  - absolutely excellent! Both plates had beautiful presentation with very enjoyable attention to detail. Each bite of the cheesecake was smooth and creamy, and the swirl of sweet raspberry in the main body of the cheesecake accented the mild coconut flavour. The sweet almond crust was wafer thin yet held together nicely. Our second selection, the cherry brownie, had a gorgeous chewy texture and was studded with cherry pieces. Not too sweet, it sported a crown of coconut milk-based ice cream with a creamy, luscious consistency.

Although we did not leave room for an after dinner tea, Karma does offer a lengthy list of artisanal brews in all shades - black, green, white, red. They also have a line in herbal blends from Camomile to Fairytale to Chai to 'Persephone's Tea' - dandelion root, burdock root, Oregon grape root, yellow dock root, eleuthero root and milk thistle seed.

The service was excellent too - casual but very friendly and comfortable and our server was very quick to point out clearly that this was a raw vegan restaurant, so no-one could claim ignorance. Which we really appreciated because we like to know what we're getting into. The prices were very reasonable, with entrees ranging from $8 to $15, but skewed to the lower end. The whole meal, with a fruit smoothie each, came to less than $60, which coincidentally was the price per head for the tasting menu of the only other raw food restaurant we've ever been to. And that evening, we went home hungry...

This evening, in contrast, we have some nice leftovers in a recycled paper-based container - so much better than plastic! - and full bellies of fresh, organic, local, nourishing and delicious food. And you can't ask for much more than that.

Good start, Karma, let's keep it going!
Oh, and next time, could you add me to the list of invitees when you have a social event??? Just asking...
:-P

Eat well and stay vegan, friends!
  

At last, an iPad!

Today, at long last, I bought an iPad. I really hope it'll help me in so many ways, one of which is in letting me update Cackleberry a little more frequently and more easily. It's not that I don't have anything to say, but that - like everyone else - I have limited time to write. So the snatched 5 minutes here or 10 minutes there are going to come in handy as I get back to a more frequent and regular blogging habit.

One of the first things I'll be doing is a restaurant review. Tonight My Beloved - without whom, let's face it, the iPad would have continued to be a dream - and I are going to visit Karma, the new vegan restaurant I mentioned in my last post. It turns out that their niche within a niche is actually raw vegan. And as neither of us are huge fans of raw food - except the naturally raw stuff like fruits and veg and salads - this will be interesting. Nevertheless, intrepidly we go forward this evening and will report what we uncover at Karma!

Meanwhile I shall continue to learn what this neat little iPad doohicky can do....

Stay vegan, friends!

A brand spanking new vegan restaurant opened in NoHo today.

'Karma' held its pre-opening party, hosting the illuminati of the local vegan community.

I was not invited.

Meep! :(

I just might be an i-Egan...

Yet again, it has been an absolute age since I last managed to post anything. But it is not for lack of will, but more for lack of time. But I do care about this blog and I love the folks who actually take time out of their busy lives to read my mumblings, so with that in mind, I have a few rambling thoughts for you today.

First, I have to say how freakishly happy I am that spring is finally sprung. Here in New England, the winters really are a royal pain in the posterior and I have truly had enough. As I think I've mentioned before, I do not ski, I do not snow-shoe and I do not ice-skate - purposely anyhow. All I do from November through April is take my life in my hands twice a day to drive to work and spend my 'free time' shoveling snow off the driveway so I can perform the aforementioned death-defying 'driving-to-work' act...

But spring is here and with it comes fun weekend brunches like this one today - vegan crepes, fresh berries, oranges and pineapple. With a splash of coffee rounding out the fun. During brunch, I had a quick perusal of the vegan blogosphere and found the most hilarous comment on a post by the always erudite Mylène Ouellet of My Face is On Fire. Her post, Hegans Indeed, was very interesting and reflected on the creation, by Boston Globe writer Kathleen Pierce, of the term 'hegan' to describe men of a certain age who take to veganism in order to 'cheat death'. However, it was in the comments section that I found a veritable dictionary, created by Philip Steir, of other wannabe vegan terms. I am shamelessly reproducing it here because I think it's wonderful. Enjoy:

Megans= People in their teens, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s who are vegan because it's all about them!

Wegans= a collective of humans who embracing an animal free product lifestyle of eating habits so as to feel a part of a group who cheat lonliness, alienation and the feeling of being isolated in ones solo veganism.

Fegans= Females in their 30s,40s and 50s who are vegan because it really adds on that extra amount of femininity to their womaness.

Veguns= both men and women in their late 20s (but can be of many ages) who eschew animal products for a wide variety of reasons, but just don't know how to spell very well.

Pegans= Heathens who no longer believe in eating animals.

Tegans=First half of the identical twin sister Canadian indie band from Calgary who no longer eat animals but play guitars, write and sing songs mainly about meeting boys (maybe girls also) on the road who only care about meeting Sara.

Begans=the new face of veganism..Literally! Those who begin embracing a restrictive lifestyle the minute they begin life. Many start at conception however, some may start at birth or right upon exiting the womb whichever they believe comes first. There is ongoing heated and often rage filled internet arguments on when this type of veganism actually begins.

Chegans=Revolutionary marxist socialist hipster men in their late 20s early 30s who no longer eat animal products because of leftist communist trademark issues in regard to on going legal and illegal t-shirt copyright sales disputes.

Kegans=Men and women who no longer eat animal products while contracting and relaxing the muscles that form part of the pelvic floor.

Phegans=hegans (males in their 40s and 50s...well all men actually) who put a big capital P in front of their title as to make up for feelings of certain inadequacies.

i-Egans=People who follow a strict Apple only diet.

Regans=Philosophers who no longer eat subjects of a life yet will save a human over a dog if the life boat gets too crowded or sea gets a bit rough.

Just fabulous! And if you liked that as much as I did, check out Philip's blog over at Vegan Sanctuary.

Thanks for stopping by and stay vegan, friends!

Happy Birthday, Humphrey!

Humphrey is one of the loves of my life. He's a min-pin-dachshund cross who joined us in his 'forever home' this weekend in 2004. As a rescued pup from Tennessee, his background is a bit of a mystery, even to the point that we don't know his exact birthday, or even age. All we know is that he was rescued from a high-kill shelter in TN and brought up to New England by the good folks of the FACES network. These people are like a modern day 'underground railroad', saving countless lives by transporting non-humans from areas where they will be killed to loving homes. And just because we don't know exactly when he was born - and he's sure not telling! - does not stop us from celebrating him and marking his 'honorary birthday' each year on President's Day weekend. Today, he looked forward to and seemed to thoroughly enjoy a slice of birthday cake...

A Carrot and Vegan Sausage Cake with non-dairy Cream Cheese Filling:



Savouring the moment and knowing that it's all for you:



Trying to keep it on the plate:



OK, it's all toooooo good!:



Yum:




Looking for every last crumb:



Happy 'Birthday' Humphrey and many - MANY - more to come!
:)

Love is...

Valentine's Day has become such a Hallmark Card Day and it's time to reclaim it for lovers everywhere. Love is not about sending a card or buying overpriced roses, hot-housed and flown in from heaven knows where just for the occasion.

IMHO, love is about putting a smile on the face of someone precious, it's making an effort, setting someone else's needs or wants ahead of your own while knowing that they'd do the same. It's recognizing that you are simultaneously a tiny part of the world, yet the whole world to someone outside of yourself. And it's knowing your place and being comfortable there.

Today, my place was at the brunch table with my wonderful husband:



Where we enjoyed vegan crepes stuffed with caramelised bananas, and a medley of mango, nectarine, strawberries, blackberries, pear and melon. We shared a pot of fresh coffee and a mimosa.....or two. It was simple but delicious.



And you know what made it all the more delicious? Learning this morning that the efforts we've all been making to rescue those three bulls from slaughter - the ones in my previous posts - have succeeded and the boys are safe.

Now THAT is the perfect Valentine's Day gift.

THAT is love.



Happy Valentine's Day, friends! :)

Compassionate Art

Etsy artists are leading the way in the campaign to save the bulls in Oregon. According to Jodi from This Is It! Creations, this is a current listing of the Vegan Etsy artists who are donating all or part of their sales or profits to the fund to save Pooka Cow, Spotty Friend and Less Spotty Friend from slaughter.

Jodi herself is donating 100% of sales tomorrow and again the following Wed. from her main shop www.thisisit.etsy.com.

Heather, from Holistically Heather, is very graciously donating 100% of profits in her shop www.holisticallyheather.etsy.com from now until 2/13.

Susmitha, from Veganosaurus, is graciously donating 50% of her sales from now until 2/15 in her shop www.veganosaurus.etsy.com

Michele, from mvegan5, is graciously donating 10% of her sales from now until 2/15 in her shop www.mvegan5.etsy.com

Another Heather, from 3AM Art Productions, is graciously donating 100% of her sales from now until 2/13 in her shop www.aktie9.etsy.com

Lynn, from Lola Lynn's ACEOs To Go, is donating proceeds from her bracelets at www.lolalynn.etsy.com

Kimba from Kimba's Critters
www.kimbascritters.etsy.com will be donating 50% of sales through 2/11 to these 3 bulls.

Kelly from Lean Dog Pottery will be donating 20% of her sales from now until the 13th! www.leandogpottery.etsy.com

Sooooo...if you were considering making a purchase of great, hand-crafted stuff from vegan artists...now is the time to do it!

Jodi has written to Alicia Silverstone (tweeted and posted a blog on her site) to see if she can get some celeb help and I can only cross my fingers that she succeeds.

Remember, even if you don't buy online or don't shop at Etsy, checks are always acceptable! :) Here's the mailing address again:

This Is IT! Creations
P.O. Box 1252
Jacksonville, OR 97530

Thanks and stay vegan, friends! :)

Another chance to do 'just one thing'....

Picking up the thread once again from a couple of posts ago on doing 'just one thing' to help an animal, here's an opportunity to help three. A Facebook friend of mine has just started a campaign to raise funds to save 3 bulls from slaughter - she has 2 weeks and needs to raise $3600 to 'purchase' these animals, who she will house, at least temporarily, on her own 11-acre property in Oregon. These babies are only 2 years old and she has come to regard them as friends - they have a lot of living ahead of them but only if we can raise the money to save them from slaughter.

Learn more about the rescue by clicking here.

You can donate online via that Chip-In site link or mail a check to the following address:

This Is IT! Creations
P.O. Box 1252
Jacksonville, OR 97530

Please take a moment to learn about Pooka Cow (the brown one), Spotty Friend, and Less Spotty Friend and consider donating to help secure their future.



Thanks and stay vegan, friends! :)

Sometimes I struggle...

Sometimes I struggle with how enormous the problem is. How invisible the animals' suffering remains in a society determined, by and large, to stay blind, deaf and indifferent. And I struggle particularly with the last of these, which is by far the worst: indifference. Even when people, individually, carefully and with compassion, are shown the truth and see how easy it is to prevent the pain, suffering and death of others, they turn their faces away and shrug their indifference:

But it TASTES so good!
But I can't live without MY cheese!
But I WANT it!

I want; I want; I WANT!!!

Sometimes this kind of casual, unthinking selfishness just rips me apart. Some days I really can't take the despair, the powerlessness, the knowledge.

Today is one of those days. It's a day in which I can't seem to see much redeemable in humankind.

I discovered a piece of writing by Jim Willis and could not help but think of my own two dogs. Both boys were both brought home from a shelter or a pound - society's cast-offs - and, in each case, I could not want for a more loving and loyal companion.

**************************

"How Could You?"

"When I was a puppy I entertained you with my antics and made you laugh. You called me your child and despite a number of chewed shoes and a couple of murdered throw pillows, I became your best friend. Whenever I was "bad," you'd shake your finger at me and ask "How could you?" - but then you'd relent and roll me over for a bellyrub.

My housetraining took a little longer than expected, because you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together. I remember those nights of nuzzling you in bed, listening to your confidences and secret dreams, and I believed that life could not be any more perfect. We went for long walks and runs in the park, car rides, stops for ice cream (I only got the cone because "ice cream is bad for dogs," you said), and I took long naps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of the day.

Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your career, and more time searching for a human mate. I waited for you patiently, comforted you through heartbreaks and disappointments, never chided you about bad decisions, and romped with glee at your homecomings, and when you fell in love.

She, now your wife, is not a "dog person" - still I welcomed her into our home, tried to show her affection, and obeyed her. I was happy because you were happy. Then the human babies came along and I shared your excitement. I was fascinated by their pinkness, how they smelled, and I wanted to mother them, too. Only she and you worried that I might hurt them, and I spent most of my time banished to another room, or to a dog crate. Oh, how I wanted to love them, but I became a "prisoner of love."

As they began to grow, I became their friend. They clung to my fur and pulled themselves up on wobbly legs, poked fingers in my eyes, investigated my ears and gave me kisses on my nose. I loved everything about them, especially their touch - because your touch was now so infrequent - and I would have defended them with my life if need be.

I would sneak into their beds and listen to their worries and secret dreams. Together we waited for the sound of your car in the driveway. There had been a time, when others asked you if you had a dog, that you produced a photo of me from your wallet and told them stories about me. These past few years, you just answered "yes" and changed the subject. I had gone from being your dog to "just a dog," and you resented every expenditure on my behalf.

Now you have a new career opportunity in another city and you and they will be moving to an apartment that does not allow pets. You've made the right decision for your "family," but there was a time when I was your only family.

I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the animal shelter. It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness. You filled out the paperwork and said "I know you will find a good home for her." They shrugged and gave you a pained look. They understand the realities facing a middle-aged dog or cat, even one with "papers."

You had to pry your son's fingers loose from my collar as he screamed "No, Daddy! Please don't let them take my dog!" And I worried for him and what lessons you had just taught him about friendship and loyalty, about love and responsibility, and about respect for all life. You gave me a goodbye pat on the head, avoided my eyes, and politely refused to take my collar and leash with you. You had a deadline to meet and now I have one, too.

After you left, the two nice ladies said you probably knew about your upcoming move months ago and made no attempt to find me another good home. They shook their heads and asked "How could you?"

They are as attentive to us here in the shelter as their busy schedules allow. They feed us, of course, but I lost my appetite days ago. At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to the front, hoping it was you - that you had changed your mind - that this was all a bad dream...or I hoped it would at least be someone who cared, anyone who might save me. When I realized I could not compete with the frolicking for attention of happy puppies, oblivious to their own fate, I retreated to a far corner and waited.

I heard her footsteps as she came for me at the end of the day and I padded along the aisle after her to a separate room. A blissfully quiet room. She placed me on the table, rubbed my ears and told me not to worry. My heart pounded in anticipation of what was to come, but there was also a sense of relief. The prisoner of love had run out of days. As is my nature, I was more concerned about her. The burden which she bears weighs heavily on her and I know that, the same way I knew your every mood.

She gently placed a tourniquet around my foreleg as a tear ran down her cheek. I licked her hand in the same way I used to comfort you so many years ago. She expertly slid the hypodermic needle into my vein. As I felt the sting and the cool liquid coursing through my body, I lay down sleepily, looked into her kind eyes and murmured "How could you?"

Perhaps because she understood my dogspeak, she said "I'm so sorry." She hugged me and hurriedly explained it was her job to make sure I went to a better place, where I wouldn't be ignored or abused or abandoned, or have to fend for myself - a place of love and light so very different from this earthly place. With my last bit of energy, I tried to convey to her with a thump of my tail that my "How could you?" was not meant for her. It was you, My Beloved Master, I was thinking of. I will think of you and wait for you forever.

May everyone in your life continue to show you so much loyalty."

~ Jim Willis, 2001

**************************


By nature, I guess I am not exactly an optimist. I would win no prizes in the 'Person Most Likely to See the Bright Side' Awards - hell, I wouldn't even be placed! But then I also read this, and it helped me breathe:


“The Animals’ Savior”

'I looked at all the caged animals in the shelter...the cast-offs of human society.
I saw in their eyes love and hope, fear and dread, sadness and betrayal.
And I was angry.

"God," I said, "this is terrible! Why don't you do something?"

God was silent for a moment and then He spoke softly.

"I have done something," He replied.
"I created you.” '

~ Jim Willis, 1999


Find something to help you breathe, and be well, vegan friends.