When I am not vegetarian

For several less-than-fervent reasons, including but not limited to personal wellness (have you seen the USDA's new food guide?), I choose to limit the amount of meat I eat. I don't buy meat to cook at home and I rarely order it in restaurants. Lawrence offers plenty of delicious (I dare say preferable) vegetarian options. I love and appreciate my healthy meat-and-potatoes upbringing, but it has been kind of exciting to discover a new way of eating and to challenge myself that way. I frequently eat fish, and get most of my protein from beans, lentils, nuts, quinoa and dairy.

And yet, I am not strict enough to decline a meal if I have been invited to someone's house, I really can't resist the petra platter at Aladdin Cafe, and I still choose pork chops when my dad offers to grill, as he did when I was in Hutch this weekend.

My first stop was Willowbrook to have lunch on Grandma and Grandpa's porch -- one of my very favorite places.

You know those certain smells and things that trigger memories? That little yellow cart on my grandparents' patio did that (the sight of it, not the smell). The garden tool-turned-toy has returned to its former life, now that none of us can fit in it anymore.

My parents began this day with a 28-mile bike ride to Yoder and back. There is no stopping them. And no rest for the weary. After our leisurely porch picnic, we returned home to make a big, lovely, transportable version of my mom's signature salad topped with strawberries, celery, green onions and poppy seed dressing....

And then we hopped back on the bikes (just kidding) and drove to Westminster Woods to see this girl, who is thriving out there, changing lives and letting God change her. And apparently making a lot of friends...just look at all those bracelets!

The same little baby sister that I pulled around in that yellow cart. Linds, let's try it again when you get home. For old time's sake.

On Sunday, after church and a second trip to Dillon's, it was time for the best meal in the world. Mom and I created another, similarly hued salad with tomatoes and avocado, while Dad worked his magic on the grill. I have found no one who cooks a better pork chop.

Another huge blessing of growing up in Hutch was that all of my grandparents were there too. When I go home to visit, I often can see all of them. My sweet, cutie Grandma Marj joined us for lunch and I showed her a map of where I'll be flying in SIX DAYS. The iPad was as foreign to her as Beijing. I love that.

And then we went to Braum's for dessert, o'course. Vegetarians never turn down frozen yogurt.



With love.