Vegucated: The Screening

So, we did it.

The Vegucated screening this morning was an absolute success. Just shy of 50 people attended, enjoyed some vegan food, and gave lots of positive feedback.

I, originally, was going to man the table during the show.. but decided to sneak into the theater, to sit in the back, instead. I just really wanted to hear and see the crowd's reactions. Would they laugh when I expected them to? Would anyone cry during some of the 'rough' scenes? (Yeah, I know.. you'd think I was the one who made the film.) For the most part, it went exactly as I anticipated.

 

And on the upside.. since I was paying so much attention to the audience, I made it through without crying. ;)

So, I'd like to the thank my co-sponsor, Sunspot Natural Market. If you live near Kokomo or Lafayette, Indiana.. it's the best store around. Great group of people.

Guests also got to see designs from Christy Robinson; who makes beautiful (veg and eco themed) jewelry from recycled metals.

  

As an aside, if you're looking for the malas that were displayed at the event, that's actually my business; that you can visit here: Delicate Devotions.

And also, to my many sponsors that donated food for the event: Beanitos, Cruncha-ma-me, Endangered Species Chocolates, Sjaaks Organic Chocolates, Uncle Eddie's Vegan Cookies, and Snackettes.

 

So please, when you're in the market for jewelry, snacks, or health food.. please try these companies first. They're the ones eager to get involved and help out the 'little guy.'

Also, thank you to Farm Sanctuary, Mercy For Animals, and PCRM (Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine) for their guides and vegetarian starter kits.

They were all a huge hit!

As for the reaction to the film.. everything I heard was positive.

One woman asked about how she could go about showing it in her classroom to her students.

One man, an avid meat-eater, immediately said, "I didn't know it was that bad.. Some of the things they do. I'm not sure I can cut it all out.. but I'm definitely cutting back."

Another woman stopped to say that she really enjoyed how the film wasn't pushy, but still very informative.

And countless people thanked me for hosting the screening, shook my hand, and said it was a wonderful film.

So, if you haven't seen it.. find a screening at GetVegucated.com, rent/stream or buy it online, or look for it on Netflix.

But whatever you do... make sure you get Vegucated.

Farm Sanctuary; My Visit

It's been awhile since my last post. Partly because I've been pretty busy trying to organize a Vegucated screening. And partly because I was on vacation :)

For one week, my husband and I went off to New York, to the Farm Sanctuary. And let me tell you...

I am in love.

Seriously. I'm not even remotely a 'roughing it' or camping kind of girl. And while I wouldn't consider the cabins we stayed in 'roughing it,' I did have to walk to the showers and toilets in the middle of the night. There is no air conditioning (partly why I waited til October to go). But with all sincerity, barely even noticed.

I was just too content and at peace.

Every day had a different adventure. My personal favorite were the tours of the farm that we could go on each morning after breakfast. We went a few times, walking around with a staff member to meet all the wonderful beings that reside there.

It was heartwarming, to say the least, to be standing next to or feeding an animal that had once suffered terrible abuse, but was now willing and excited to have human contact. Sure, there were some that were still skiddish, and all you could do was to respect that they'd been through a lot, and progress has to be on their terms.

So, every chance I could, I was petting some cows and goats, feeding some turkeys, and walking around while piglets were nipping at the ends of my pants.

Of course, Watkins Glen had other stuff to do.. so we went on some hiking trails, found some restaurants with great vegan options (something that was accepted and understood.. in a way that's hard to find in Indiana), and sat down by the lake to eat our lunch on one afternoon.

But, each time we ventured off, I just wanted to get back to the farm. I'd browse the gift shop. Or sit on our cabin porch and watch the sunset.. the pink glow bouncing off the pigs' white backs. And after dark, every single night, we'd open the front door to see at least six deer grazing the lawn right in front of our cabin.

This felt like sacred ground. As I posted on Facebook while I was there: "Forget Disneyland. THIS is the most magical place on Earth."

So, if you've ever thought about going.. or you're looking for a vegan-friendly getaway, I highly recommend it.