13 August, 2009

lead me not into temptation...

This morning when I woke up I didn't open my eyes right away, but burrowed deeper into my pillow and revisited the vision:

I'm in a large open dining room in a renovated ancient farmhouse. A sweet-faced woman arrives at our table bearing a large platter piled high with fragrant seafood on a bed of fresh arugula.

The kids and I tuck into trout, perch, and lightly breaded calamari. We extract tender flesh from enormous crayfish dipped in garlic butter and squeeze lemons on steaming shrimp.


My mouth starts to water. I pull the sheets up around my shoulders and sleepily await that moment when I fully wake and realize that I've been enjoying an extravagant dream.

That moment never comes.

It wasn't a dream.

It was a bit of a rude awakening to remember that after three years of strong resolve I’ve fallen off of the vegetarian wagon for the second time this week... (and it was SO worth it!)

3 comments:

Goofball said...

what is your motivation to be a vegeterian: dislike for the taste of meat/fish or ecological motives or ethical motives?

Jen said...

I think if you're going to fall, fish is so worth falling for.

Betsy said...

Goofball: all of the above, actually. Was never a big meat eater anyway, and when I think about the conditions under which the animals are raised / killed, the impact it has on the environment, and health issues, it just doesn't make sense for me to eat it. Also, knowing that I couldn't ever personally kill an animal and eat it I don't think it's fair to expect someone else to do it for me.

I'm making some exceptions during this vacation, but plan to go back to my regular diet when I get back home.

Jen: I totally agree! It was so delicious! And I think it's important to try the local cuisine while we're here...