Better than the Last
The first day of the year and it’s the coldest day we’ve had to endure since we moved up North three years ago. I suppose it’s best to get the worst out of the way ahead of time. Now the remaining 364 days will feel superior to this one. There’s a foot of new snow [...]
Six Words
I knew it was only a matter of time before it caught up with me. And no I’m not talking about this year’s version of the flu or heroin addiction or the guy whose car I sort of scratched with the grocery cart on Saturday, I’m talking about the dreaded six-word-memoir meme that has been [...]
Life’s a Bitch
She lives within four grungy walls, yellowed with years of cigarette smoke. A nasty habit. Two packs a day. One check from the government each month must stretch to pay for the run down efficiency that is public housing and the cigarettes and the phone and the romance novels with pinkish-mauve covers, silver embossed titles [...]
A Staggering Suggestion
It’s the fourth and I’m approaching the thirty day mark of a sixty day self imposed period of asceticism. Time for an update…
Obviously the exercise in economy requires some flexing of the self control muscle and, like any attempt to improve oneself, to tone and sculpt and define, there is some pain associated. And while [...]
Another Glimmer of Profoundity
I need to thank ByJane today for her terrific post on embracing the process. She describes herself as coming from a family of strivers, people who appreciate the end game, the product more than the process, people who believe that there must be a reason to do something to make it worthy of the effort. [...]
A Contestant of Sorts
I begged for challenges and only one obliged. Ron over at R World has tempted me to reapply to that damn writing program that wrestled my heart from my chest and hurled it in a dumpster last Spring. And so it begins, my e-mails and phone calls to the same administrative assistant that put up [...]
Temptation
I’ve bumbled my way past the first temptation. It came in the form of an invitation. A simple thing, “Do you want to see a movie tonight,” a friend asked. And, initially feeling sort of smug, I told her about my vow of asceticism. I explained my 8 week moratorium on luxury. I confessed that, [...]
A Words – Altruism and Asceticism
It’s been an inspired start to ‘08. Without making any real resolutions because I am, as I’ve said before, nearly perfect, it’s still been hard to resist the betterment challenges that are out there in the blogosphere these first days of the New Year. First there’s Jen over at One Plus Two challenging her audience [...]
Ending or Beginning? Depends on who you ask.
Further proof that I am an incredible wimp…Here I am cowering in the beach hut, eyes shut tight against the cold, while my brave hearted friends and relations take part in the annual New Year’s dunk, an Atlantic cleansing, a group baptism.
I am clearly involved in my own version of prayer, prayer that [...]
The Anti-Resolution
It’s that time of year again, the nascent, early days when people feel they must tie themselves to some important cause, strap themselves to the fragile barrel of weight loss and plunge head-long into a New Year. Having made several disappointing trips down the river of good intentions, this year, I’m content to bob along [...]
