Animal cruelty, climate change, monoculture...the list goes on.

[ChrissyStar]

I feel hopeless and have decided not to have children because of the state of the world (why would I wish to bring a child into this when I myself, do not like to live here?). Does anyone else feel the same?

[Peppermintbach]

Hi Chrissystar and all,

Grandy: As Birdy said, it must have been heartbreaking for you. You do have to wonder about the fate of the cows...like you, I also hope for the best for them.

Droughts are hard for everyone. In particular, it’s hard on farmers and it’s hard on animals too. You must feel a sense of loss each time you look in that direction...where you would have previously seen beautiful grazing cows, now you see a deserted paddock.

Oh, the poor kangaroos. That’s awful. Droughts and climate change often mean animals are wandering further away from from their natural habitat...and accidentally coming closer and closer to human infrastructure and other human-made things. Sadly, it’s a human world that certainly isn’t designed for animals...it’s awful...

It’s heartbreaking that the farmers are resorting to those measures. Sighs. There are definitely other ways to keep kangaroos off their property that I wish they would explore rather than resorting to “this”....the poor dogs “know”...your dogs understand so no wonder they are frightened...smart little guys.

🌻birdy: Your vegan baileys and gozleme sounds delicious! I didn’t realise you used coconut milk in it. Yum! I’m assuming by cheese, you mean the use of lots of yeast flakes? I’m just curious lol.

Sadly I didn’t end up going to the art thing last week. I was having a bit of a meltdown and just wanted to go home that day.

I’m not numb anymore, I have now “progressed” to feeling just flat and disconnected. Thanks for caring 🙂

Oh now, that’s horrible news. You must feel so disheartened by it all. Even the summer months? Geez...that’s terrible. I’ll have to look up Animals Australia and research this a little more. Thanks for sharing it with us...yes, that quote.

Yes, the cumulative effect shouldn’t be underestimated. Of course, more people on board means a bigger overall effect but a small group is still an important start 🙂

As a loosely related aside. I’m glad you found Unbeliever’s thread. It was a funny coincidence because as I was reading his or her latest posts yesterday, I thought in my head, “birdy will love this!” Then only several minutes before I posted my reply, there you were on his or her thread! Lol!

Love and light,

Pepper xoxo

[Birdy77]

Hi ChrissyStar, Pepper, Grandy and all 😊,

Chrissystar i hope you don't mind me camping out here 😉

Pepper, yes you read my mind about Unbelievers thread! Pretty much all s/he's said (in my mind it's a he) is what's in my heart and mind, but just a jumble in my case ... such clarity of articulation by Unbeliever. It's good to read 😊.

Yes, when I say "cheeze" I mean vegan cheese. For the gozlemes I roll out a thin disc of dough (similar to pizza dough), on one half I put grated vegan cheeze (e.g. "biocheese" or "sheese", both available from a lot of mainstream supermarkets), (i generally say "cheeze" so it's differentiated from dairy cheese) ... chopped baby spinach, drizzle Olive oil, salt&Pepper, then a generous sprinkle of "nooch" (nutritional flakes, just getting you in on the lingo!), then fold over the dough to make a semi-circular pouch and pop in a hot pan of olive oil, flip it and take out when a little brown. Cut into say 4 pieces. Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over. Y U M.

Haha, this reminded me of a meme I've seen where someone is complaining: people get annoyed at me when I say "vegan-icecream" vegan yoghurt or "vegan-cheeze", they say "we know you're vegan, you don't have to tell us every five minutes". But when I say i used "ice-cream" or "yoghurt" or "cheese" everyone is all like "I thought you were vegan!!!" I can relate to that 😅

You will love the vegan Baileys, but if you look it up online, I halve the amount of coconut milk in proportion to the other ingredients. But I like it strong 😉.

Everyone, there are lots of online actions we can all do on the Animals Australia website, even if all you can manage is to click, they will send emails for you. They do excellent work. And I'm picky.

This relates to Unbeliever's thread as well, that one of the biggest problems with our planet is that we all think that somebody else will fix it. I thought this too, and especially when i started to research the dairy, egg and meat industry, I thought, "somebody should do something!" Then I realised: I am somebody! And I can do something!

Love and light all.

Keep shining your awesome light for all to see.

🌻birdy

[Birdy77]

Sorry for the double post Chrissystar,

I feel bad because I meant to say to you Pepper that I'm sorry to hear you had a meltdown on the weekend, but you know what, it's good (in my opinion) that you took yourself home. You did what you needed to do to take care of yourself.

So don't feel bad about it. Or I hope you don't.

We had invites to go to a thing this weekend, but we declined. I feel bad, but it's what I needed to do for my mental wellbeing ... so I am going to try take my own advice.

❤

[Unbeliever]

Just to confirm...

I am a "he".

[Birdy77]

Haha 😅

Thanks Unbeliever.

Confirmed 👍

🌻birdy

[Peppermintbach]

Hi Chrissystar and all,

Chrissystar: I hope you’re okay. No need to respond if you’re not feeling up to it but naturally you’re always welcome to chime in any time 🙂

birdy: Yes, I agree 🙂 Sorry, I knew that you meant vegan cheese. It was clumsy and rushed wording on my part. I was just curious about what you used. Thanks for sharing!

Halving the coconut milk sounds great. Strong is good in my opinion. Lol.

I will definitely check out Animals Australia. Thanks again...and true, true, we are all “somebodies” with individual power to act.

As you know, I have been reading Per Espen Stoknes’ When we try not to think about global warming: towards a new psychology of climate action. He makes some really interesting comments about the psychology of resistance, denial and apathy when it comes to climate change. I’m yet to finish reading it but maybe I’ll share my thoughts when I’m done 🙂 Highly recommend it so far!

Unbeliever: delighted to see you here 🙂

Pepper xoxo

[Birdy77]

Hi ChrissyStar and all 😊

Pepper:

i am so sorry, I knew you were asking about the cheeze because you're interested, and I'm so pleased that you are (I did not mean anything else by it, I just found the meme funny, not that it had anything to do with what you said, at all). It's good to share brands and info that reduces animal suffering, so yes I would recommend 'biocheese' and 'sheese' brands. They are really good.

After you sent that post, my partner came home soo excited because she had found some vegan brie at our local supermarket! We live out of the city, so it's kinda exciting and I thought, oooh, can't wait to tell Pepper and the gang on this thread! So we cracked open a bottle of wine and some crackers and had to sample it straight away. It's pretty good, brand name 'damona'. Products are getting better and better.

Offering you a big hug today Peps, and anyone else who needs one. Read you're in a hurting place, wasn't sure about posting on your thread or not? ... this is where we usually meet ... over here on the eco'friendly rescue farm 🐄🐮🐴🐶 Take gentle care of yourself, and if there are people in your life who are toxic ... flush them out my friend.

Wishing a day full of kindness and compassion to all.

🌻birdy

[Peppermintbach]

Hi Chrissystar and all,

Chrissystar: Sending you my well wishes as the lovely thread creator.

All: please feel free to join in at any time. All welcome 🙂

birdy: please don’t even worry about it. There is seriously nothing to apologise for. It’s okay 🙂

I was just worried that I had accidentally upset you so thank you kindly for your post. Yes, that would have been a pretty funny meme. Thanks for sharing...

It’s wonderful about the vegan Brie cheese. What a wonderful find so well done to your partner! I love how you were so excited to tell us. Your excitement made me smile...

Thank you for your beautiful and caring post earlier (the one about my meltdown). It meant a lot...I hope you managed to get some rest last weekend. It sounds like you needed to have the weekend to yourself so it’s just as well that you declined For some much needed self care.

Oh thank you, I’ll gratefully accept the hug and offer one to you too (plus to anyone else who would like one). As for posting, that’s entirely up to you whether you post here or on my thread. I’m happy either way.

I feel it just depends on where you feel most comfortable posting; I don’t mind 🙂 But you’re very considerate and thoughtful to ask for my opinion...thank you,

Yes, rough time lately. Sighs, this has essentially translated to more alcohol (never claimed to be a role model or good example by any means. Definitely not).

Been questioning a lot of things (this is separate to my other/usual struggles). Trying to figure out what makes me “tick.” There’s a world of difference between passion and caring in my opinion. I care about a lot of things but I’m passionate about far fewer; I’m trying to differentiate between the 2...

It’s always good to hear from you 🙂

Pepper xoxo

[Peppermintbach]

birdy, sorry, I forgot to add, I was reading a little of the vegan strategist (the site you recommended earlier).

I was reading an article about the pros and cons of buying the McDonalds vegan burger in Finland. Obviously the author had some of his own thoughts but I felt he still tried to present a well rounded argument for both the pro and con side. I liked his comment on “doing good” for the “wrong reasons” (or something like that).

What he meant was some people were criticising Maccas for introducing the McVegan burger for monetary gain. But he asked whether it really matters because if it spares some animals, does it really matter about the intention? An animal doesn’t care if the intention was profit/PR stunt or genuine caring for his/her wellbeing...

He just seemed very practical/realistic about the whole situation. I liked his mentality to collaborate rather than to clash with large corporations.

pepper xoxo

[Birdy77]

Dear Chrissystar and all 🌞

Chrissystar, really hope you are well and growing lots of goodies and keeping well mentally. As you can see, there are grateful people out here that love this thread you created.

Pepper, that is so cool that you have started a squiz at the Vegan Strategist (I'm sure that others here would find some interesting concepts in his writings)! What I love about his whole approach is that he's not being hard-core for the sake of being hard-core ... he cares deeply about animals and the planet, and thinks slowly and meticulously about the best way to do the most good, not just going on a hard-core activist rampage of passion.

There was a recent situation in which a popular vegan cheese brand was taken over by a much larger corporation that also owned numerous other brands which were not vegan or ethically inclined. There was some backlash from those who believed this brand had "sold out" to the big corporation. But there's another perspective, that he pointed out in his trademark balanced way, that it can be seen as a positive step for the little-known vegan brand to nowbe under the banner of a big company because it can now be marketed to so many more people who might never have been exposed to it had it stayed as this small, obscure, local product.

Sometimes these things that on the surface seem negative (e.g. being taken over by a global company is something I would usually shudder at) ... but i like the way we can be encouraged to think about things differently, and the bottom line should always be, if less damage is being done to animals and the earth ... it is positive in the long run.

I have made a fresh brew of vegan baileys for everybody here, which sounds like it would be welcomed by you this evening Pepper. I'm sorry you're in a hurting place ... I hope you don't have toxic people around you. You are a very caring soul, and I hear you about finding your passion ... there's no hurry. Keep caring. Keep enquiring and being inquisitive and interested and engaged in your world. It will come to you. And if not, you're a beautiful person anyway with a big heart, that's enough.

Keep caring everyone. We can make the world a better, kinder place.

🌻birdy