The End of an Era

Now that my low-impact month is coming to an end, I am going to have to be careful to not go on a spending spree. There are a few things I truly need, but my list of shopping wants is crazy long. I need to not be such a hungry ghost and spend frivolously.



For February, I think I'm going to try to eat veggies for two meals a day. Sounds boring, I know. Research papers come in during this month, so I can't commit to anything that takes up more time.



Here are tentative monthly plans:

Jan: low-impact consumption

Feb: veggies at two meals a day

Mar: a scrapbook page a day

Apr: A blog a day

May: low-impact consumption

June: A workout a day

July: ?

Aug: ?

Sep: low-impact consumption

Oct: ?

Nov: A thank you card a day

Dec: A meditation a day

The Research Paper Blues

Well, it's that time of year, the time of year when I ask myself, "Good God! Why are we doing this to ourselves, to our students?" The time of year when I wish the senior project didn't exist at my school. The time of year when I dread going to class and dread even more the onslaught of research papers that will soon come in and the nights hunched over the kitchen table reading and editing and commenting.

This time of year I have to remind myself daily that in a couple months my students will feel so proud about their work that they'll beam. I have to remind myself that in a couple months I'll feel so proud of my students - and myself - that I'll beam.

I have to remind myself that the senior project is worthwhile. That students have a right to know how to write a research paper even if they don't plan on going to college right after school.

I have to remind myself that CHS has the lowest college remediation rate at UNR, that our students do perform well in writing.

It is worth it . . . even if it doesn't feel like it is right now.

Low Impact Consumption

For the month of January, I pledged (along with the members of the Environmental Club at CHS) to a month of low-impact consumptiom. To my surprise, it wasn't as difficult as I expected.

I decided I couldn't buy anything but groceries. I decided later to allow for a couple exceptions: Starbucks as long as I bring my own cup, some pictures for my mom's brag book before she left for her snowbirding trip for two months, a reward for Rosalind, some digi files, and food at restaurants that aren't fast food.

This has been an excellent excercise in mindfulness more than anything. It has taught me that I shop without thinking. I have a number of times immediately thought, "I'll go buy that." Now that the month is coming to an end, the one thing I know I want to buy is a sports bra. I can't even remember most of the other things that I had considered buying, which just goes to show that I don't "need" all those things I think I need. Or for that matter, I don't even really want all those things I think I want.

For next month, I will focus on something else, as is my plan for the year. I think I'll do a couple more low-impact months this year, another month of every day workouts (did that for 21 days this month), a month of thank you cards, a month of meditating (although I'd really like to do that daily anyway) and a month of veggies at two meals a day.

I added a pci of Roz to this post, since my children are much of the reason I'm doing this low-impact month. I want them grow up in a clean environment, and I want them to know that material items do not bring happiness.

Husband Look

My friend Mandy and I were discussing husband looks today. You know them, there's the woman! are you crazy look that I usually get after I ask my husband to agree to pay for house cleaning, to give me a back rub, or if he wants me to go clothes shopping for him.

There's the woman! are you stupid look that usually comes after I . . . well, say something stupid. I admit, this look is usually well-deserved by me.

And then there's the woman! don't you know there can be only one funny person in a marriage . . . and it ain't you look. This is usually accompanied by the sound of crickets chirping and follows me saying something I think is funny.