January reads

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And onward to February, to veganism...

Timeless City

This picture is of my Grandma Mary (my dad's mother). Seeing New York City in the background, I can't help thinking about the history of people's wonder at this place. For so long it has been a destination for adventure, a place to start anew, and a space that provides anonymity and a delicious self-centeredness. A Billy Collins poem posted in the train says that the star-spattered ceiling of Grand Central Station orbits around 8,000,000 centers of the universe. We can be selfish here- but how long before we have to get over the awe and start being a person, a community member, a New Yorker? The sights and sounds of this place continue to inspire me, but I notice myself exclaiming "we live in New York!" a little less.

Laura and I joined the Park Slope co-op this week, est. 1973. We were introduced to the idea of the place by our neighbor Robert. Back in September he told me a bit of the history, the value, and the community of this grocery store, so I thought I'd stop by to check it out. Wrong. Not only can you not set foot into the co-op unless you are a member or a guest of a member, you also have to land an impossible spot in a two-hour orientation process. Spots are snatched up during weekly registration times throughout the week. When finally I landed one at the end of October, Sandy beat me to the punch. My Monday evening coincided with a suspended MTA and high winds.

After frustration mounted with the boutique grocery stores in my neighborhood, I decided to try again. Siri helped me schedule a Wednesday morning registration to perfection and I was able to take a morning off to go to the orientation. What impresses me about the co-op is the notion that everyone you see working is someone just like you. On the same level. Not an expert, but out of their element and doing their part. Cooperating. Each of the 16,000 members is required to complete a 2 hour 45 minute shift once every four weeks. This could be cashiering, bagging and weighing nuts or spices, or sweeping the aisles. I landed a job making soup with less-than-stellar produce at the local food shelf. To stay active, the work shifts must be done regularly and dependably. Laura and I joined immediately after the orientation, and then I took Paul for my first shopping trip there last night. A moderately sized grocery trip for dinner and produce for the week was only $22.00; they take a flat 21% mark-up instead of the normal 50-200% of other stores.

Joining the coop is one of the steps I find myself taking to wriggle further into the Brooklyn Community. I have been searching for church jobs, part-time teaching jobs, book clubs, yoga work-study exchanges, new restaurants. I am seeing my friendships differently, along with what I need from them. I think about what my next New York move would look like, my next New York job. The city is shrinking; the anonymity is fading; my adventure is becoming real life.

Dad and Daughter Discuss, 1/25/13

Hi Marie,

I just finished reading this book and found it quite interesting.  The author makes a great case against factory farms, maltreatment of animals and the genocide of life within our oceans.  I agree that there is a lot that needs to be changed!

The only problem I have with the arguments made by the author is that he left out something which I think needs to be considered when discussing eating meat.  It’s not actually part of the argument against factory farms or cruelty to animals, but it is something that PETA and many vegetarians use to justify their position.

When considering the two positions of “Animal Welfare” (which is associated with humane animal agriculture), and  “animal rights” (purely ethics), I would say that PETA seems to believe in the latter.  Many vegetarians as well believe that the eating of animals is unethical or “wrong”, and both groups use this as one of their principle arguments against eating meat.  I find it interesting that the author did not compare the idealistic result of these philosophies to help his readers find their way to a more reasonable view of their relationship to domesticated animals.

If one considers humane animal agriculture (true animal husbandry), this philosophy would  result in free range livestock, organic processes, minimized pollution, humane slaughtering, etc. Essentially humane animal agriculture looks a lot like the old family farms with better technology and better overall treatment of animals.  Yes people would eat meat, but certainly less than we currently do because the cost of producing meat would significantly increase.  This seems to be a viable means of reducing meat consumption, establishing sustainable farming practices and promoting healthier diet through increased vegetable diet.

Contrast this with the PETA approach which advocates the ideal as a pure vegetarian existence, which may be  “more efficient”  from an economic  and environmental standpoint.  However this philosophy would by definition eliminate pigs, cattle, poultry, sheep and every other domesticated animal that is presently used for food.  For all practical purposes these domesticated animals will become extinct due to the fact that they will be economically useless to us (vegetarians).  At this point I have to ask what does “Animal Rights” mean when there would be no domesticated animals left to apply it to?

Is it better not to be born in the first place than to be slaughtered after a short but happy life?  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that a vegetarian diet is not admirable, I’m simply saying that advocating it as the sole solution for the world has other implications that have not been addressed within this book.

Man’s dominion over animals is seen as arrogant or wrong by some, yet if one accepts this premise then a whole new ethical argument surfaces;  Should mankind accept a much diminished membership in the animal kingdom and give up dominance over other species?  And it’s not just eating meat, it’s usurping habitat, claiming resources, polluting the environment and a long list of arguably unethical things man has done.  Should we reconcile our progress with the natural order by giving up our self proclaimed rights to the worlds resources?  We’d need to restore the prairie, allow buffalo to roam free, stop our exploitation of gas and coal, etc.  How can we justify our current over population?  We’d have to perform some type of genocide to reduce our footprint to that of an equal member of the animal kingdom.  Ok, I’m getting a bit out of control, but hopefully you get my drift.

Thank again for the book.  I’m not ready to become a vegetarian just yet, but perhaps a more conscious effort to control where my food comes from is a good start.

Love Dad

_  _  _  

Dear Dad,

I think Jonathan Safran Foer (he is my neighbor, by the way, in Brooklyn) not only makes his readers think hard about animal rights and animal welfare, he suggests they are both part of a solution. 

J.S.F. appeals intensely to the PETA 'rights' argument in his disturbing stories of botched slaughter and animal suffering. He anthropomorphizes (never thought I'd use that word again) animals by labeling them as intelligent and curious creatures. For me, there definitely were a few moments of, "aw, that poor piglet." I think his focus, though, as you say too, is the 'welfare' piece. We are introduced to farmers and consumers who support animal husbandry and who are choosy about their meat consumption. I love the turkey farmer who says "if you can't afford the price I charge for my turkeys, you shouldn't be eating turkey." 

J.S.F. says, The idea of a just farm system rooted in the best traditions of animal welfare and the idea of a vegetarian farm system rooted in an animal rights ethic are both strategies for reducing (never eliminating) the violence inherent in being alive. They aren't just opposing values, as is often portrayed. They represent different ways of getting a job done...They reflect different intuitions about human nature, but they both appeal to compassion and prudence.

This is the piece of the book that hit home for me. Instead of being convinced that I had no right to kill and eat animals, I felt encouraged to balance my dominion with choices that respected life. There is "violence inherent in being alive," Foer says. Trees are felled to create a pleasant park path, rats are trapped or poisoned in urban areas to control sanitation, and the deer, moose, and wolf populations are managed through hunting. There is violence, too, in the domestication of livestock; a reciprocal relationship that has existed for much of our history. In a better, perhaps older system, an animal eventually trades its short life for the provisions that humans can guarantee: food, water, protection, even companionship. I believe in humans' respectful and careful dominion in this system, and over the earth as a whole.

My choices as a vegetarian feel political, ethical, and personal -- all at once. I think it is the most authentically "environmental" change I can make. Besides the bacon that Bret Hesla gave us, I haven't yet found ways to support a truly humane farming system (which I value above animal 'rights,' really) -- except through vegetarianism. 

And yes, the growing population, the diminishing prairie, and the scarce buffalo -- we have to take responsibility for all of it.

Love, Marie.

Friendsgiving

Paul and I decided not to make the trek home this November, and so Thanksgiving became Friendsgiving. Jordan and Jenna came over, Jake and Paul, and the Helgen/Aschenbecks came all the way from Saint Paul.

The complicated part of all this was, at least at first, the menu. Paul and I have recently become vegetarians, and not only were we not eating turkey, we were not going to serve it for our guests at dinner. Because of our guest list, the dietary restrictions started adding up, and along with dairy-lite and gluten-free, the meal was also vegetarian. The last chapter in "the book," J.S.F.'s Eating Animals, was actually written a few weeks before Thanksgiving, and he explores the very conundrum of Thanksgiving at the close of his book.

What tips do you have for people to get through the holidays when they care about these issues and their families maybe done?
JSF: Talk to your family; who we are, what we want to eat, what values do we have, do we need it, do we want it? Different people will inevitably come up with different answers. But I think the conversation itself, regardless of the answer, makes Thanksgiving more like Thanksgiving.

We talked with our friends in the weeks prior to Friendsgiving, and some interesting points came up.

"Thanksgiving is very wrapped up with emotions...especially with food since that is all it's about. So be sensitive...[we] are excited to try something new, but I worry that if you're 'too strict' about it being a vegetarian Friendsgiving then it could make eating sort of divisive...especially since we won't know each other."

"am i allowed to bring turkey to Friendsgiving or will that bar me from the festivities? 
i await your answer with bated breath."

"Oh Marie...don't fret! Thanksgiving isn't just about food-- it's about PEOPLE! And memories and laughing and fun. You make me laugh."

Marie. My life is filled with restrictions.
I could care less.

We dove in to preparations, suggestions, and the additions of family favorites and "it's-not-Thanksgiving-without-this" dishes. The Google doc grew.

-cheese plate with crackers and fruit
-chips and guac
-Brussels sprouts with pecans and tortellini
-broccoli
-asparagus

-warm chickpea and roasted butternut squash salad with tahini dressing

-Palmquist salad with goat cheese, pears, and candied walnuts

-black bean pumpkin soup
-cheddar corn muffins
-barley pilaf
-mashed potatoes
-cranberry sauce
-pumpkin pie
-brownies
-caramels
-wine, cider, whiskey/ginger cocktails

Before the preparations began, Anna and Kurt came over for general New York sight-seeing and visiting. It was time to catch up!

 

The boys did a multitude of 'honey-do' projects, including switching the direction of the fridge doors,

 
installing blinds, and getting this lovely IKEA mantel to actually hang on our plaster-covered cement walls. Kurt also pointed out the steaing pipe that was to leave us without a toilet later on.

Kurt and Anna planned their days according to the NewYork Pass, which got them around to virtually every New York attraction fo' free. We joined them out and about for the Transit Museum in Brooklyn and one night for pizza in the East Village before a walk home across the Brooklyn Bridge. It is so fun to share our new little paradise with people we think appreciate it too.

Friendsgiving Morning brought mimosas. Showers. And tons of food.

   

 

 

My favorite parts about Thanksgiving that I think will stick for me as new traditions were: eating earlier, post-dinner walk, and forget the turkey.

 

Frankenstorm!

We are due for a storm!

Yesterday, Sandy was downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm and then quickly promoted again.

The danger of this storm seems to be in its uncertainty. The National Weather Service is unclear where the storm will actually hit- anywhere from Maryland to New York City. Not only will Sandy turn west where she should turn east, and grow stronger where she should be backing down, but cold air it encounters from the north will transform it into a winter storm. Something similar happened in the fall of 1991, when hurricane Grace combined forces with a powerful Nor'easter and created "The Perfect Storm." I faced the resulting Halloween storm in Plymouth in a sled dressed as a "Spanish senorita" with my mouse-brother Anders sitting in front of me. I remember the long broomstick skirt and green lace mantilla I wore that had to be covered up by my neon color-blocked parka.

I just picked up three more gallons of water; we will fill our tub and make chili tonight. Subways and trains are out starting at 7 pm tonight, no work tomorrow, and it will be a 'snow day' for me and Penny.

For now, it's off to brunch at Scottadito with friends.

...

Our provisions: plenty of books, food, music, and vino.

Forgot to put the pumpkin in the picture; we'll be carving that guy up and roasting seeds. 

Amazing what an extra day off can do for the soul!

A Day in the Life.

 

 Our building is on Eastern Parkway, a long tree-lined boulevard with people on walks, runs, and bike-rides. There is a lot of bustle to and from Prospect Park, which is only a 10-minute walk or so. We shopped for our apartment after we had officially moved to New York, and fell in love with it right away! Here's a little bit of our view out apartment.

 

  
Approaching our front door up the old marble steps.

 

Here is our subway stop, literally right next to our house. The 2 and 3 trains, on the red line, go into Manhattan and up 7th Ave. on the East Side. The 4 and 5 trains, on the green, go into Manhattan and up 5th Ave. on the West. We are so lucky to be located on such a hub.  It's never difficult to get anywhere (except for inside Brooklyn- ironically it's harder to get to Katie's house in Williamsburg than it is to get to work at MCP).

Inside the subway (awkward to take pictures here).

Some views of the office: That's Jake and Christine saying hello, then Heather, Anthony, and John in "Estrogen South." I am taking the photo from my little area.

Our 2nd floor rehearsal space.