Carnivore Dreams- Reset

Summer at camp — not sure who took this one.  But like to see those steaks sizzling there.

I’ve been reading some blog posts from people claiming not to have any New Year’s Resolutions.  No plans at all.  Refusing to.  That seems strange to me even if were it not this time of the year.  That’s like saying you have no dreams, carnivore dreams or not, eh?  I don’t understand that.  I presume it’s yet another protest of American customs meant to sound like they are going to be happy-go-lucky, spur of the moment types.  But New Year’s Resolutions seem to represent the “American Dream” more than any other perhaps and am sure it’s a rejection of same.

And since I maintain that “dreams”–both the wishful ones and the narrative ones when we are asleep–may be more representative of “reality” than the mundane “reality” routines of our lives, giving up plans, resolutions or “dreams” of any kind seems a prescription that can only relegate us to tediousness, a “reality” I find it particularly unpalatable.

We had a family gathering yesterday that was pleasant–my brother and his family were here.  I felt perfectly fine all day and then an hour after they left I suddenly had a cold.  Just like that. Sore throat, congestion, felt achy.  Never had a cold come on that fast. I always think my resistance is a bit lower from cheating some, and of course we are in contact with so many folks grocery shopping–at least I shop for gifts online pretty much.  So my plan is to watch the last Lions game from my bed, not breathe on my father, and throw leftover ham, Yorkshire popovers and sweet potatoes on for those folks–or coax my husband to do it. I’ll make some wings tomorrow if things improve.

But lying here sneezing and blowing my nose gives me the opportune time to take stock and of course, make plans.  Traditionally, winter is good for my writing, and I hope this winter is no exception, though it is the first one I’ve been care-giver of two people instead of one.  My daughter is going to help me put together two cookbooks, though since I need her excellent photographic skills for the second one, it could take a while to compile, even though I’ve started a list of recipes.  I also want to actually recook them as I go and be sure of the steps.  The first one I’m publishing soon is more memoir than cookbook and cooking over a woodfire is not an exact science anyway–so much determined by the type of wood, the size of the fire, the nature of the coals, outside temperature, and even the wind.  That makes it fun, but in some ways releases me from having the directions be perfectly accurate.  This Carnivore Cookbook (not sure yet of the name) will use conventional cooking methods and I want it to be precise.

I also hope to revise my fantasy novel–work on all three projects at once.

Being better on my diet is always a resolution.  Though I never cheat for long.  I return pretty close to carnivore right away even if there is a cheat here and there.  I do some fasting, exercising, and I take Berberine and a few other supplements which seem to keep my cholesterol in line.  I think liver probably supplies most of the vitamin C I need, but I do take a bit of that once/week or so.  More updates on diet in the next few weeks.

I’d like to get away a bit–due to my situation these seem the only real plans I can make.

But I wish you a peaceful and healthy start to your new year and I hope you have not given up dreaming as some have.  I hope you are not discouraged because you have not achieved past goals.  Life is a journey, not a destination, of course.  And I’ve found even a small adjustment to something–an attitude, a diet, a routine–can make a huge difference in my life.  Take a different route to work or the store, help someone out if you can.  Write down your dreams –those during sleep–and those wishes you still have.  Otherwise, why be alive?

Dreams:  Last night I dreamed I was sick.  Huh. Go figure.  The doctor wouldn’t give me an antibiotic since she said it was a virus.  So I found myself working for some company in the accounting department.  Now even though I really wasn’t that poor at math, I hated it. I’m a creative writer, after all, so I guess this somehow turned into a nightmare.  I was using an adding machine and trying to explain to some woman who seemed to be my boss that we were spending $1,000/month on something we shouldn’t be.  She was spending, I was just adding, but this seemed to be my fault.

Happy Sunday.  Go LIONS.  Be nice to beat those Packers though without Matthew Stafford that is more than unlikely.  I can’t stand Aaron Rodgers.