Take Back Your Life!

The other night, Jimmy and I decided to watch a movie. He flipped through the choices stopping on The Adjustment Bureau (TAB) starring Matt Damon. At first I said, “No way am I watching another film where Matt Damon plays a buff but emotionless character, (usually some kind of assassin or hero), or a character without emotion.

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So many of us feel powerless over the economy because we’ve given that power away without fully realizing it. Without a Main Street economy we become the pawns of giant corporations and the governments that make them possible.

The start of the economic demise appears to have started back in the late 70’s with the advent of discount stores. Prior to that, they were few and far between. My mother refused to set foot in those stores. Then we got suckered into buying things for less and it became a part of our societal makeup. (I know folks that drive two hours to NH to save $10.)  (more…)

I rewatched the cult classic Billy Jack (1971) about a month ago and it’s been on my mind ever since. Billy Jack, a former Vietnam Vet Green Beret and half Cherokee, returns to the Indian reservation for some quiet. Unfortunately, he finds the opposite.

In the first scene, he stops the illegal rounding up and shooting of a band of beautiful wild horses. I fall in love with him right there. The roundup of horses continues today. Here we’ve got these iconic creatures, the only truly wild and free things without a master left in our country, and we destroy them to put in dog food. They’re also being rounded up because they’re in the way of the various gas and oil pipelines scarring the wild, wild west. (more…)

I’m not sure any of my essays would have been published if I’d given up.

Submissions got lost. Email got deleted. Editors got deluged.

If you care about your writing and want it to be published, then you need to keep sending it out and following up. But don’t follow up with, “I’m following up.” Follow up with more reasons why your essay or story will connect with the publication’s readers or with a new essay.  Sometimes it’s easier to sell the older one by getting your foot in the door with a newer one. (more…)

Hey friends,

Went on a two-week vacation, a cruise on the eastern Mediterranean with shore excursions. Something I’ve never done before. Looking out onto the vast, seemingly endless sea from my balcony reinforced the reality that we have control over nothing and it’s best to just go with it whatever the it is.

That said, I’ve stopped trying to control my bra strap. (more…)

I don’t pretend to be a diehard or even a diesoft Bruins fan. Before the Stanley Cup series, I couldn’t have named one player on the team. That changed when Jimmy started to share the unconventional story of the Bruin’s goalie Tim Thomas.

His contradictions drew me in. (more…)

I got my weekly Zen Habits e-note yesterday. The topic?  Finally, The Truth About Soy. The blogger had gotten some negative reactions from folks when he mentioned drinking soy milk, so he decided to investigate Soy himself.

In it, the blogger talked about how he found no scientific evidence linking soy with any harm and traced the soy danger rumors back to the Weston A. Price Foundation (Dr. Mercola is a board member). “They are not scientists, and have conducted no actual peer-reviewed studies of their own (that I know about).” He says they use quack science to promote their agenda and most people cannot distinguish between good and bad science. (more…)

I love horses and period dramas, so the Masterpiece Theatre production of South Riding caught my eye.

Immediately, I adored the lead heroine, Sarah Burton. She’s forward-thinking, bold, rebellious, and sassy. Early in Part 1, she goes for a job interview to be the headmistress of a girl’s school. Unlike most job candidates who’ve been groomed to figure out what the interviewers want and parrot that back, she directs the interview — speaking passionately about her unconventional views (for the time) on life and women. The board of directors almost doesn’t hire her because of her straight-forwardness, but thankfully it’s a mini-series and the story will flop without an “alive” heroine, so she’s offered the position. (more…)

I got the idea for this Musepiration from a comment I left on a friend’s post (thanks Jenna) and from a comment someone left on one of mine (thanks Patty). A good reason to leave comments — it gets everyone’s creative juices flowing.

Adults seem to have a fear of beginning, even activities they desperately want to do. Conversely, children usually have the confidence to leap into new things. If you’ve been reading my blog lately, then you know I talk semi-ad nauseam about the creativity restraints many school and work environments put on folks.

“Here, put on this mind-body-soul strait jacket. It’s GOOD for you.” (more…)

Valentino, my cat, has been after me to do a guest post on Take Back Your Life. He’s one of the most fearless creatures I know. Thought you might enjoy his life philosophy. Please welcome him.

Hello humans!

Finally, Giulietta lets me speak. Now I can stop meowing into her ear 24/7.

Here’s my approach to life: I want to have a good time. We cats live way shorter life spans than most humans do so I don’t have a lot of time to waste on things I don’t care about. (more…)