The Vegan Experiment
Starting January 1, 2011, I am trying a lifestyle/diet where meat is out and greens are in. For fifty days, I will live off the land, so to speak. According to the ultimate Vegan Guide (Wikipedia), I will avoid all animal products and animal bi-products, including, fish, chicken, red meat, milk, eggs, butter, cheese, and other dairy products.
Of course, I could avoid meat by eating Sour Patch Kids and drinking sweet tea for a month and a half, but that wouldn’t help anyone, so I’ve added a few extra rules:
- No caffeine
- Avoid excess sugar and sweeteners
- Drink 6 – 8 glasses of water per day
- Try something new to eat each day
I will probably need to buy something made out of burlap in order to do this project justice.
And I might need a backpack.
The New Mommy Experiment
When we were blessed with Easton, like most new moms, I wanted everything to be perfect. I read the books. I asked moms for advice. I prayed (and continue to pray) for God to help me figure out Mommy Land.
I shared my questions and lessons about
- Sleeping
- Baby Products
- Vaccination
- Traveling with an Infant
- Dealing with the usual changes a couple undergoes as they welcome their first child into the world
The 1950′s Wife Experiment
During the summer of 2010, I, Emily Osburne, spent fifty days as a 1950′s housewife. When people hear about this project, they usually ask one of the following questions:
Why would you want to do that?
I have always been thankful to live in this era, in a time when women can do anything. I have no desire to reverse the progress women have made in the workplace. However, when I see pictures of my grandmothers, and hear about the tremendous care they took to make their home a beautiful place, I feel a sense of curiosity. I ask myself:
- What would it feel like to focus on my home with that intensity?
- How would my husband respond to that kind of care?
- Could I be an artist in my home? If so, would I like it?
- Would I be more content if I spent more time at home?
As a woman who has refused to bake cakes, clean the oven, or treat stains, would I lose my identity if I embrace this role?
2. What is so different about a wife in the ’50′s?
Women who experienced this era never ask this question. But for those of us who have only seen reruns of Leave it to Beaver and Father Knows Best, it might not be obvious. After my initial research, I can conclude that women in the Fifty’s were…
- More Feminine – It was more than just cute skirts and pearls. Women in this decade did not apologize for being women. They celebrated it! They did not wear unisex flip flops. They would never sleep in a man’s oversized t-shirt. They did not run errands in sweatpants. These women were proud of their curves, and they were content with differences between the sexes. Their femininity excuded from the curls in their hair to the heels on their feet. I want to be more feminine, without making myself completely uncomfortable (I mean, pantyhose everyday – let’s not get crazy).
- More Formal – With the explosion of fast food in the ’80′s came the end of formal meal time. Women in the 1950′s made each meal a beautiful ceremony. The dinner table was not just a place to store bookbags and laptops. It was set with placemats, silver, and gravy boats. Families ate breakfast together. They said things like, “Pass the salt, please,” and “Thank you for dinner, Mom. May I be excused?” Although home should still be a soft place to land at the end of a long day, it can also be a place of beautiful rituals.
- More Homemade – The women were not homemade… their meals were. I love a phrase Jamie Oliver uses in his Food Revolution… “Homemade with love.” Food was not just fuel for the day. It was stirred, sifted, battered, and fried with a helping of good ole fashioned love.
- More Time Together - When I hear my parents talk about their childhood, they tell stories of singing around the dinner table, or playing checkers with dad, or learning to sew with mom. Even though everyone worked and everyone played, they still made time for each other. Television did not consume their evenings. Since I have a tendency to schedule something every night of the week and race home to watch television, it will be nice to reconnect with Clay this summer. Can we stand one another for so many hours together?
- More Pride in Homemaking – I have taken pride in NOT homemaking for many years. My mother has given me countless cookbooks that continue to collect dust. She visits my house and asks, “Haven’t you noticed that your carpet needs cleaning?” Actually, I haven’t. I have never taken time to notice. This summer, I am taking time.
However, I do not plan to revive the following traditions from that era…
- Smoking
- Inequality
- Hanging Clothes out to Dry
- Beehive Hair
- Twin Beds for Husband and Wife
3. Don’t tell my husband or he will want me to do the same thing.
One husband offered me a bribe of $100 to convince his wife to be a 1950′s woman for the summer, while women have had mixed responses. Some say, “That sounds like fun!” or “I might try to make my husband’s dinner every night.” Other say, “You have obviously lost your mind.” I am not sure who is right.
