Tag Archives: farm animals

I Will Never See it as “Normal”

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As I’ve mentioned before, I now only write posts when I actually have something to say. In the past I was forcing the posts just to be sure to have something out there on a regular basis because that’s what I thought I had to do. But when I was doing that blogging was no longer fun, it was work. Something I’ve been thinking a lot about and wrestling with for so long is what society sees as “normal” treatment of animals. This is also a part of why I stopped writing posts. Sometimes there are so many thoughts swirling around, so many questions, so much hurt that it becomes hard to put it in words. But I am once again attempting to put them in words.

I understand going along with what seems “normal” I also have done this. It is only when I took the time to read, research, look in an animals’ eyes, and empathize (put myself in their shoes) that I was able to allow myself to see the truth.

I made the following graphic with these thoughts I’ve been having in mind.

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Sunday Pause (Paws): Animals Need To Relax Too

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It’s Sunday! Time to kick back & relax and relaxing isn’t just for us.

There are so many animals that never get to really relax. Cows kept in confinement and hooked up to machines so humans can take their milk. Calves kept in the smallest possible area so they don’t build muscle so humans can have veal. Elephants chained up so they can “perform” for humans. Pit bulls living every minutes in fear of abuse so humans can use them to make money in dog fights. The list goes on but since I try to keep my Sunday posts “light” I will stop there. You get the idea!

But the theme of WHO is causing all of this harm is humans. I can’t help but imagine what God would say if we sat down and asked him what he thought about how humans treat his animals.

Cino is able to curl up and relax this Sunday and I hope the animals in your care are able to as well.

cat resting
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Sunday Pause (Paws): Scrambled Thoughts

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It’s Sunday! Time to kick back & relax.

I haven’t been relaxing yet but it’ll come later. I’m working on laundry and other household tasks first. So speaking about laundry, at our new place we have a nice front load washer. I have heard they can leave an unpleasant smell behind in the washer, which I have found to be very true, and it seems my laundry never smells good. Today for the first time I am trying “UNStopables” scent beads. The laundry isn’t done yet but I can smell it while it’s going and it smells good, so hopefully so will my laundry.

Anyway, that isn’t what I was going to write about, although I am writing on scrambled thoughts. 🙂

It isn’t always easy for me to write a post unless I have a specific conversation or situation through the week that gives me an idea for one. There hasn’t been any of that lately, but I have been having a lot of thoughts about animals. They’re so scrambled it’s been hard to pull them together to write a post. I finally decided just to go ahead and let them out even if they come out scrambled. Mostly I have been thinking about how I feel like I or other animal loving people have to use so much time & energy in convincing other people about animal’s rights. You see to me it seems like it should be obvious. God created them and God gave us the job to care for them. Period.

If you believe in God, you probably believe that when this world ends there will be no more Continue reading →

Sunday Pause (Paws): Conversations Require True Listening

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It’s Sunday! Time time kick back & relax. Maybe make a Sunday feast, watch a movie, or just have a good conversation with someone.

Most of the time my posts come from something that occurred during the week. There hasn’t been much occurring so it’s been harder to write posts. I suppose we can blame it on the pandemic because we haven’t been getting out and doing things. But I have been working out in the field this entire time and the other day I had a conversation with a coworker that prompted this post.

I was filling in for a teacher so she could take her break. It was lunch time for the kids. Lunch was hamburgers, vegetables, and fruit. The other teacher asked me “are you vegetarian or vegan?” I answered “vegetarian on the way to vegan.” He asked what I meant by that. I told him I am having a hard time giving up cheese and that I need to work on finding other products to use as a binder instead of eggs. He said “if they’re raised and cared for right and treated humanely it shouldn’t be a problem, but that is the problem they aren’t.” I replied “yes, they aren’t.” He then said “you could raise your own chickens so you can raise them humanely.” I replied “it’s not just about raising them humanely. I truly believe that God did not create animals just so we can slaughter them and harm them. I know that’s seen as normal but Continue reading →

Sunday Pause (Paws): Food Fun

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It’s Sunday! Time to kick back and relax.

Who out there likes food? Just kidding. I think it’s safe to say we all do. Some of us like it a bit too much. 😁 But what kind of food we like is different.

I am a vegetarian and may some day be vegan. I have never been a big fan of meat, it always bothered me that I was eating an animal. About 5 years or so ago I decided I couldn’t do it anymore. I can’t eat what I advocate for. I always thought if I fought for humane treatment of farm animals that was good enough. But it’s not. I don’t believe we were meant to eat them and that we do and consider it “normal” is just part of the fallen world.

I am not trying to make any of you feel guilty. But I do hope you give some thought to it. There are many plant based and dairy free foods out there that are very delicious and that you can have a lot of fun with.

Today I wanted to share what I just recently discovered…the White Castle Impossible Slider, oh my….yum!

 

I haven’t eaten a White Castle in forever. But after trying this, I’ll be a more regular guest.

Have you tried it? Or any food with Impossible meat? If not, I challenge you! You’ll love it!

Happy Sunday!

 

Sunday Pause (Paws): Caring Doesn’t Stop

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It’s Sunday! Time to kick back & relax. Me…I’ve been taking a pause to think about, SURPRISE, animals!

Seriously though, during times like these I sometimes wonder…what do  others think of me because I’m worried about animals during a human crisis? People are dying, losing their jobs, social distancing, etc. I wonder if they are thinking who cares about animals?

But this affects animals too. People are dumping their pets or giving them up because they lost their job and can’t provide for them any longer. Or some are worried they will catch the virus from them.

Factory farm animals…well let me start off by saying I really do not like them. The fact that they are called a “factory” farm in itself shows no living being should be subjected to a life there. I just read about a bunch of chickens that were loaded up, gassed, and then Continue reading →

Sunday Pause (Paws): Planting Seeds

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It’s Sunday! Time to kick back and relax. Cino sure is. 😊

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Since my life is currently consumed with trying to get the new place together I haven’t had a lot of time to write posts. But it’s kind of nice on Sundays Continue reading →

Sunday Pause (Paws): That Sweet Face

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It’s Sunday! Time to kick back and relax. I don’t know what the weather is like where you are but here it has been a weekend to stay in. We’re having rain/snow mix and it is making for some very icy road conditions. On weekends like this I truly can take some time to kick back and relax.

I hope all of you who celebrate enjoyed Christmas and the gatherings. At my family gathering I was asked how things were going with my blogging. My response was “good but I haven’t been writing very meaty posts lately.” I miss sitting down and pouring my heart into a post and I will get back to that. Sometimes life just takes you in other directions for a while.

My meaty posts usually come from an experience of some sort. Not too long ago when I was driving on a highway I passed a truck full of cows. My heart instantly became heavy and I had tears streaming down my face. I wondered if I was the only one on that highway who notices and feels sad for them. Or if everyone sees such a thing as “normal.” In this world it may be looked at as “normal” but the God I know didn’t have that planned for his creation. So in my awareness I have to ask myself do I sit back and just act “normal” and go along with the crowd or do I speak up and educate others? I choose the latter. So you see it is experiences that touch my heart & soul that bring about those meaty posts and I hope this last paragraph was somewhat that.

That experience of seeing the cows (and the adorable picture of Cino) made me think of a poem I wrote a while ago and thought it would fit very well in today’s post. I changed it a little bit and have recorded myself reading it. But boy did I have a lot of trouble making this video. I worked on it for a long, long time, late into the night. It seems to be a software problem. Hopefully I will figure it out eventually for future videos or just go with another route of recording. But for now this is the best I can do. It is a recording with my phone. The poem is also typed out on this post if you want to follow along or just read it.

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Sunday Pause (Paws): For Farm Animals

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It’s Sunday! Time to kick back, relax, and take in the truth, even if it may be difficult.

I like to try to keep most of my Sunday posts more on the light side. But my blog is about being a voice for animals. So, I apologize, but today I am writing about a serious topic…the treatment of farm animals.

It came across my Facebook Newsfeed about the undercover investigation at Fair Oaks Farms and the abuse of calves there recorded on video. I couldn’t bring myself to watch the videos. I got the gist from all of the headlines and comments.

Abuse of farm animals is not uncommon. They get away with it because it happens behind closed doors. We see the “happy cow” commercials, but I don’t think there are a whole lot of actual happy cows on factory farms. Even the word “factory” gets me. Animals are not objects to live in a factory. God made them to live, play, graze, move, and BE with other animals. He didn’t create them for abuse and mistreatment by his other creation…us. This has to stop!

farm-animals-enough-aafbt Continue reading →