Cold and Rainy

I am sitting in a coffee shop on a cold rainy night, trying to get some work done. I actually have two papers basically written and that feels good. Just a few small revisions left and then some reading and organizing notes for a presentation. Today was one of those dark fall days, when the sun barely came out at all. I think I saw it for about five minutes as I was leaving my prenatal yoga class. I tried to soak up every bit of that.

I have been thinking about adding some creative writing time to my day this quarter. I realized my writing is a way to take care of myself and I shouldn't feel guilty about making time for it. After all, I make time for the gym and yoga because it's good for stress. So, as long as my work is getting done, why not plug away at that story I've been putting aside for the last six months. Even an hour a day of my own writing (beyond blogs and journals) would be great.

On a totally different note, I just started to eat meat recently. It still seems kind of gross and I know some of my friends and acquaintances are freaked out. I had been vegetarian since 1987 and turned vegan in the late nineties due to milk and egg intolerances. I also have gluten intolerance. I recently made the decision to go carnivore because I was worried about getting enough protein for the baby. I started with free range turkey and have been gradually trying other offerings from the meat world. I find I manage it best if it's disguised in sauces or soups. Frankly, it still seems kinda gross, but I am viewing it as a food supplement during pregnancy. I also had allergy testing and found out it is probably safe to add some eggs to my diet, which I have been doing very slowly and in small amounts (like eating muffins made with egg). I do find the extra protein from these animal products has given me added stamina. I know my husband's personal trainer once told me that she became hypoglycemic as a vegetarian and I am now wondering about myself in that regard. I do find I have more sustained energy and feel less hungry with the higher protein intake. Still, I do feel weird switching to this carnivorous lifestyle after 20-some years of being veg. Sometimes it feels hypocritical to do yoga and then consume animals of any kind. So far, I always eat a tofu and rice based meal after taking class. I guess overall, I still try to eat vegetarian meals most of the time. But I still think I will be supplementing with animal products as long as it feels like the right thing.