The Curious Housewife

The author, far left, on hike to Osborne Ridge, Lake Alpine, CA. 2017 Towards the end of 2016, I joined Meetup in order to try and find some other people who wanted to hike. I had been walking regularly on a trail near my home but wanted to expand my efforts and didn't feel comfortable hitting the trails by myself. I joined a couple of different groups and started to go on some "hikes." (I put that word in parenthesis because even after a year's time I really can't define what a hike is.)  It's been a little over a year now since I started this hobby of mine. I have learned some things by watching and talking to the people in my hiking group. Being an introvert, I have also engaged in personal reflection and have come up with some ideas. For people like myself who are nervous about starting new things or are just a tad bit neurotic in general, I thought that sharing some of these observations might be helpful. 1. Going for a walk doesn't requi...

On more than one occasion now, well meaning people, people that I care about, have told me that "I just need to eat some meat." This well meaning comment is usually made during a meal out when I am searching the menu for something to eat that will work for my vegan diet. I try to laugh a bit or say something helpful and explanatory but honestly, the directive just irritates me.  It's not likely that I am going to eat meat just because the menu at the restaurant doesn't cater to my needs. I may be frustrated but it's not likely that I am going to look the other way and just have some chicken because that is the easiest choice. The directive to just eat some meat makes me feel like my friend or relative doesn't quite understand my beliefs or convictions. (It's important to note here that people do care and want to make sure that I am getting adequate nutrition. Not everyone has researched being healthy on a vegan diet so they may not know.) But trust me, I a...

Over the past year or so I have noticed that many people I know (and many that I don’t) are complaining about not feeling well. Aches, pains, and general malaise seem to be chronic. Searching on the Internet for products, procedures, or classes that are designed to promote both physical and mental health is a common approach to solving some of the above mentioned problems. It’s no secret that we love supplements, fad diets, and an array of drugs designed to make us feel better quickly and without much effort. Who wouldn't want to just take a pill or eat a certain food to feel better? Apart from whether or not these quick fixes actually work, one has to wonder about the problems that we are all trying to solve. Is something really wrong?  I believe firmly in the inherent ups and downs of the human condition, those days of lowness or highness that we can’t escape because that is just how humans are made. We are meant to experience the full spectrum of pain and joy. But, I also thin...