Down
What causes a depressive episode? Not staying on the meds consistently enough? Actual external events? Random fluctuations of body chemistry? For those of us with chronic depression it can feel like the trigger is nothing that's within our control and that leads us to...
I Care about Myself More Than the World
(By the way: Happy New Year! I hope.) One morning as I walked to the train station, someone handed me a booklet entitled "25 Reasons to Try Vegetarian." Not counting the front and back covers, it's 14 pages of persuasive writing with excellent presentation and quality...
Any Humans Out There?
Dear Person Reading My Blog Right Now: If you wouldn't mind leaving me a comment, I'd hugely appreciate it. A lot of the hits that any blog gets are automated search engines and websites. So if I see that my blog got 30 visits, that really means that some fraction of...
Fat and Middle-aged: the Advantages
Visiting with a friend's dogs on Christmas Eve This post is specifically for women "of a certain age," although young women might also find it interesting. For me the best part of being middle-aged and overweight is not having to waste time and energy playing the "is...
Merry Christmas 2012!
Mexicans make tamales at Christmas.
Christmas Eve activity
Lifesource is open for business today, so I'm heading over. They sent me an email saying the holidays are a time when they NEED BLOOD DONATIONS and they hope I'll help. I'm hydrating right at this minute so I can be a good bleeder, if they accept me. I don't always...
Letter to Congress about a Ban on Semi-Automatic Weapons
My sister wrote the following letter to Senator Diane Feinstein of California, but is sending copies to her congressional representatives, too. She gave me permission to send a similar letter to my Illinois reps, copying entire passages from hers, and she encouraged...
Shouldn’t It Be 28 Bells?
I appreciated the moment of silence the country observed this morning as 26 chimes of a bell honored those who were killed last week on the school grounds of Sandy Hook Elementary School. I heard some used the number 27 to include Nancy Lanza, the mother of the...
“Isn’t There Anyone Who Knows What Christmas Is All About?”
[I originally posted this on January 5, 2006 and it's my tradition to re-post it every December.] Here’s my summary of the History Channel's Christmas Unwrapped: The History of Christmas which I find extremely relevant to the annual discussion of the true meaning of...
How To Be Overweight
Previous post on weight and health: Uncomfortable with the new me I'm a small-boned, petite woman who is all of five feet two inches tall. I'm 46 and a half years old. Most of my adult life, my weight has hovered between 120 and 135. With my sweet tooth and use...
Atheist in Support of Christmas
ArkansasMatters.com ran this article on November 19th: "Charlie Brown Christmas Show Causes Church and State Controversy." It reports that a Little Rock church was performing matinees of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" for local schools. The schools sent permission slips...
How Much to Tip? TWENTY Percent
Many people build their careers in the restaurant industry and they're in it for life. They pay their medical bills, rent, mortgage, children's college, etc. with the money they make from bussing tables, serving tables, tending bar, etc. The majority of their income...