I’ve noticed that there’s a rhythm to my productivity and my get-up-and-go. Mud-wading periods are followed by flying-faster-than-light periods when most things are easy. The mud periods inevitably feel to me like a failure of nerve: as if timidity were slowing me down. This may not be true at all; it may be just a […] Read More

In the last 24 hours, I’ve read Christopher Buckley’s memoir, Losing Mum and Pup, about the deaths of his parents William and Pat Buckley. William F. Buckley Jr., as you know doubt know, was the conservative who used big words on Firing Line and wrote several dozen books and created National Review. I long admired […] Read More

“Eat Dessert First” is a classic bit of tongue-in-cheek advice. I’ve arrived at a guilt-free variation on this for special days: skipping boring proteins, etc., and going straight for a dessert that I’ve long eyed. Last night (to review: it was my 61st b’day) for dinner, I ate Oh, My God, Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie […] Read More

I’ve been attacked! I’m so excited! In my reading about blogging, I’ve often run across the suggestion that an ambitious blogger post an attack on someone well-known to create some controversy. So I attacked Sarah Palin–with total sincerity–but didn’t see my star rise any higher as a result. Now, out of the blue, I find […] Read More

This morning I installed the new DVD player that my husband and I gave each other for Christmas. (It only arrived a couple of days ago; I haven’t been procrastinating that long) It was really pretty simple to do; took only about ten minutes from package ripping to hearing the familiar ringing tones of the […] Read More

Welcome to Katrina and good luck on your resolution: 30 pounds off in 80 days. http://trina-80days30lbsisitpossible.blogspot.com/. I think that your announcing your goal as you have is going to help make it happen. I have no doubt about it: you’re going to accomplish this. Keep us up on how it goes. Add to del.icio.us - Stumble It! - Subscribe […] Read More

I adore Claxton fruitcake. Not everyone does. Some of my subtle, understated friends give me a hard time about this preference (also for milk chocolate over the bitter stuff.) I have boldly refused to back down. This year I was given bars of my favorite cake by both my mother and my friend Carrie. A […] Read More

Here’s the tree I posted about yesterday. Never said I was a designer, just a lumberjack. Add to del.icio.us - Stumble It! - Subscribe to this feed - Digg it Read More

This was my brother Franc‘s tongue-in-cheek advice when I was expressing myself this morning on the seasonal frenzy. He said: “Don’t let the calendar kick you around.” Hearing that bold bit of wisdom, I realized I had already taken action to beat the calendar at its game. Bob and I decided this weekend that we’d […] Read More

Alcoholics Anonymous has a bumper-sticker slogan: “One Day at a Time.” Best approach to holidays, in my view, is to have a much shorter term goal: One Step at a Time. I just now sawed down a Christmas tree (we live in the woods) and hauled it into the house. As is often the case, […] Read More