Hey! What’s up! How are you! Why am I using so many exclamation marks! I don’t know! There’s just something in the air!
I don’t want to keep you from your own celebrations, but if you’re looking for even more uplifting stories while you wait to pop the bubbly, I thought it’d be fun to share some of the REALLY cool stuff I’ve seen lately.
(I’ve cried enough while watching the news this month. I figured you might be feeling the same.)
If You’re Looking for #WomanPower or #Entrepreneur Inspiration…
Check out Axiology’s story.
My friend, Ericka, launched this cruelty-free beauty company right here in Bend, OR, and their waste-free, multi-use balmies landed on OPRAH’S FAVORITE THINGS LIST! I’m excited to interview Ericka in the future, but in the meantime, I can’t recommend her products enough.
If You’re Looking for a Feel-Good Movie*…
Check out “The Grizzlies” on Netflix, based on the true story of a group of Inuit high school students who live in a small Arctic town struggling with the highest suicide rate in North America. Cue: preppy, young history teacher from the city who takes the only job he can find and decides to teach them how to play lacrosse. I especially loved how they included an update on the actual students and teachers at the end of the film.
*I hesitate to post this for fear of promoting the simplification of solutions to systemic problems…but watching this movie made me want to BE AND DO BETTER, so I’m including it here**.
**I really hate having to qualify things that make me want to be a better human***.
***But unfortunately it’s important to do so because watching a movie isn’t going to help unless you take action afterwards****.
****I promise the rest of this post is free of footnotes.
If You’re Looking to Take a Trip Without Leaving the Couch
My French Chronicles just pulled together a wonderful two-minute video, “Bloggers with a View,” featuring quick clips from around the world (including Bend!). She’s got more collaborative projects in the works, so if you’re interested in participating, head over and say hi!
If You’re Looking for a Healthy Living Jump-Start Before You’re Seen in Public Again…
What are you looking at me for? I kid! Actually, over at Plant-Based Point, Robin and I have oodles on this topic. Including this fun, fact-filled video, “Why Your Energy Tank is on E,” and this blog post, 21 Foods for 2021.
And whether you’re rockin’ your quarantine bod or better, why not clothe it in our new merch?
If You’re Looking for a Really Great Podcast Episode
I love Rich Roll. He’s smart, eloquent, sensitive, vegan, badass, and driven. In episode #567, he interviews Joe De Sena, founder of Spartan and a bunch of other crazy endurance events. Maybe it’s the Jersey girl in me, but I laughed out loud (along with Roll) listening to this Queens native tell his fascinating story.
If You’re Looking for…YOU
Okay I know I just insinuated that I was about to shut up, but real quick, I just want to give an insufficient, yet utterly heartfelt, thanks to YOU. If you made it to this point in my post, I’m going to assume you choose hope over all else. And even if you don’t? I love you anyway. So there.
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What/who else should be on this list?
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Go Jules Go 
Sudden feeling of stress… What do you bring to a vegan party??? A good bottle of Bordeaux… Damned, that’s not vegan… Cheese platter… fudge! Nooop of course no cheese….. Fruit basket????
Give me a few hours… days?! And I’ll join you. Party time!!!!!
Lots of love from France, have a wonderful (independance / celebration) day!
Insider scoop – you’d probably get away with the Bordeaux 😉 And another coincidence (like with Netflix), I just heard on Rich Roll’s podcast that his wife has this gourmet vegan cheese line that is ACTUALLY tackling the ‘real’ cheeses (brie, blue cheese, etc.) and they’re supposed to be phenomenal. https://srimu.com/ (It’s worth a peek at that link. Curious if a bonafide Frenchwoman would approve.) I would buy some, but they’re so expensive. I’m confident eventually all of my favorite foods will have an affordable vegan version (I’m willing to bet brie and bacon are next)! Oh and Robin and I are gonna do a whole cheese video soon! Wow this comment is long. But we’re talking about wine and cheese, so… 😉
Girlfriend, write long comments on wine & cheese anytime!!!
I know there are more and more vegan wines now and I’ll be willing to try them anytime.
As for cheese, I checked the site you mentioned and instantly had had to calm down a higher rate of ventricular fibrillation!! The logo says DO LIFE. NOT CHEESE. I mean… I’d love to taste them all because the site is absolutely tempting, but I doubt it can compare to the variety of pleasures given by a bite of Parmigiano Reggiano, Gorgonzola, camembert, mature cheddar, époisses, comté, fresh tome, any goat cheese….
I’m always (almost always…) buying organic farmers artisan cheese but it’s cultural! It’s love. It’s LIFE!!! My bigger sin…
I hear that! Maybe I’m more of an optimist than I think I am because I’m still so sure that they’re gonna figure out how to nail those complex flavors and textures sans animals! Also. I’m embarrassed to admit that I only recently learned “sans” was a French word… LOL
Your French is improving every day!!!!
The world needs more people like you, committed to animal welfare in such a positive way. Be proud of your optimism and beliefs.
LOL I don’t know about my French, but I do know this comment made ma journee … er, mon jour? 🙂
Non, ma journée, c’est parfait!!
Go there when you have time. It will tell you more about I see food and how I feed myself 😋 https://lesfrenchchronicles.wordpress.com/2020/01/17/when-i-was-a-cook/
Oh wow, thank you for sharing that story!!
*I really hate when someone recommends a film which could make me a better human but Netflix doesn’t show it in France.
Ha! You know what’s funny about that is that I just started watching a show in French on Netflix (“Lupin”)! “The Grizzlies” is also on Amazon Prime, though sadly not free (yet)!
Apparently Lupin is a super hit everywhere. The books even sell again and suddenly do better than Harry potter’s!!!
Got my PBP shirt yesterday – just in time to party today!
Heck yeah! I think we’re gonna need a pic…
I like your recommendations and can’t think of any more to add. I want to see the Netflix movie, so thanks for the idea. I like your footnotes, btw. I use them so I’m inclined to like them I suppose.
Ooh let me know if you watch the movie*!
*I really like them, too, LOL 😉
It’s a new day in America, hope for our nation to come together for the common good, and blessings on our country.
Hear hear! Well said!
Thanks for the party! I love how unabashedly excited Kamala Harris is to be VP. I’ve hardly even noticed the VP before her. Fabulous!! And I love that our new President has jumped in with both feet, doing what’s been needing to be done for far too long. I just checked out your friend Erika’s biz (what a story!) and there’s a store in my general area that carries her balmies. May have to take a drive and get a pack! Just saved The Grizzlies to my Netflix list and will watch before too long. Enjoyed the video traveling around parts of the world. Haven’t listened to Joe’s story and honestly because I’ve been going through my own crazy hard endurance event I may pass on that one. Coming up on four years in. Truth be told, my attitude toward a year into COVID has been mostly one of: hold my beer. And I love the face rock. We’ve got a boulder by I-5 a bit north of us that is occasionally repainted to signify the celebration of the moment. It’s a really big rock about five feet tall that must have at least a few hundred layers of paint on it by now. Raising a glass of sparkling hard cider to 2021. May we find our way through and out of it with as much grace and ease as possible.
Ha! You’re right! (Re: Kamala.) I hadn’t thought of it quite that way, but yes, it’s so infectious and a breath of fresh air (that expression doesn’t do it justice). Oooh if you get the balmies let me know – I need to order some more because I use them every day! They’re so creamy – whenever I use any other lipstick, I wound up putting some balmie over top so it feels good, LOL. Here’s to holding our beers and staying safe and healthy ❤
I saw a YouTube video of Kamala swearing in 3 new Democratic senators and laughed heartily after she read her own name as one of the vacancies being filled (saying a moment later that yes, it was very weird).