August 1 marked nine months of a post here every day. I made it through the holidays, through the end of the school year, through 2.5 weeks out of town, and now through the beginning of the school year. I feel pretty good about that! There are posts I’ve written that I think are pretty … Read more
We have too much physical stuff, too much emotional stuff, too much junk to eat, not enough exercise or sleep or meaningful connections with people. Because— Society values and promotes being busy being stressed being underslept fast food large portions cheap everything convenient (to accommodate busy) sitting reactive medicine over preventative pills over natural social … Read more
This popped up in my Facebook memories the other day: “Looking up info about my student loan … It will accrue $77.45 in interest in the next 25 days. This thing has got to go.” (It’s long gone!) Years ago, I saw an exercise where the writer* took a calendar. She calculated how much she … Read more
Growing up, the first day of school was always so exciting. I always had a new outfit. Often a new backpack or lunch box. I had friends at school. I got along well with most of my teachers, so that was never a worry for me. I wasn’t a wiggly kid and had no trouble … Read more
Last night, my name was picked and I got to tell a story on stage at The Moth. (I didn’t tell any stories involving wedding dresses, as they ended up not making good stories. More like good anecdotes. I told a story about a brazen comment in a conversation with my first principal-to-be.) Because I … Read more
It’s been in the high 90s in the evenings just around sundown, which is lovely weather for a run. (This is what they’re talking about when they say “it’s a dry heat.” This is much more pleasant than the day we were in New York when it was 20 degrees cooler but muggy.) So I’ve … Read more
Overwhelm is everywhere. At least among people I know, more people than not have more to do than time or energy to do it. The solution largely seems to be: pare down. (I sometimes follow my own advice in this realm.) If you have less stuff, there’s less to put away, to maintain, to clean. … Read more
Get out. Exercise. Eat real food. Cut the processed crap. Cut the added sweeteners. Quit smoking. Get enough sleep. Cultivate relationships with people offline. Turn off the TV. Why? You deserve it. Feeling good in your body, being healthy, having energy, are worth it. We’re told at every turn that it’s not. “You deserve a … Read more
Who isn’t on a budget? The economy’s been bad, budgets are a little (or a lot) tight. Everyone wants to get the best deal possible. Sometimes, though, getting the most quantity for your dollar isn’t really the best value. A cheap meal from a fast food restaurant is not a better deal than a slightly … Read more
I have a large contingent of musicians and music teachers in my social circle. One of them posted this on Facebook: I have a student who has repeatedly suggested that I’m good at playing instruments simply because it comes easy for me … I finally told her, “I’m good at instruments because I’ve been practicing them … Read more