Monthly Archives: October 2011

“Spooktacular” Event

Posted on October 30, 2011 by stillalife

A friend and I were reminiscing yesterday about Halloween in the “good old days,” a time when everyone dressed up as a ghost (old sheet with holes cut out for eyes); a princess, fairy, or queen (crown, magic wand, robe … Continue reading →

Posted in current events/themes, personal reflections | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Aging gracelessly

Posted on October 28, 2011 by stillalife

“Patience is a virtue,” according to a line in a sixteenth century Middle English allegorical poem. I’ve been thinking about patience lately and my occasional lack of it.  The patience I’ve been pondering has to do with my stubborn refusal to accept … Continue reading →

Posted in aging | 6 Comments

Think you’re multi-tasking? You’re wrong.

Posted on October 26, 2011 by stillalife

When I’m looking for advice or just something to write about, I turn to zenhabits.net, which I found through an article on dailygood.org.  The graphic design of zenhabits fits the blog’s name.  It’s spare and simple, consisting of black text on … Continue reading →

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What do I say after “Hello”?

Posted on October 24, 2011 by stillalife

Today, a friend and I began leading an informal English conversation group for parents at a local elementary school.   Most participants spoke Japanese as their first language and most had a similar level of fluency, that is, they could … Continue reading →

Posted in personal reflections, volunteering | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

November: a good month in which to write 50,000 words

Posted on October 21, 2011 by stillalife

“NaNoWriMo.”  Doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, does it?  In fact, for a few days after I read it, I was saying “nano-rhino,” conjuring up images of a tiny version of the horned African beast.  I also thought it sounded … Continue reading →

Posted in writing | Tagged | 4 Comments

Movies and myths

Posted on October 19, 2011 by stillalife

I’ll never look at movies in the same way, as a result of reading The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler, who says that contemporary storytellers construct their works according to ancient mythology and fairy tales.  This past week I watched … Continue reading →

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Savoring life…and chocolate

Posted on October 17, 2011 by stillalife

Imagine putting a square of chocolate in the middle of your tongue (preferably 71% cacao), feeling it gradually melt and spread to the edges of your tongue, to the roof of your mouth, and down your throat, where the aftertaste … Continue reading →

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Roller coaster days

Posted on October 14, 2011 by stillalife

Each morning I prepare my husband and myself for the day ahead by reading aloud our horoscopes by astrologer Linda Black, despite the fact that most days they seem to address other people’s lives.  After 40 years together it’s easy to feel … Continue reading →

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Tai chi, wild animals and focus

Posted on October 12, 2011 by stillalife

In my last post I wrote that it was very important to pay attention, to stay focused.  A day later I tested this claim.  At the same time, I followed the advice of all the experts on aging on how … Continue reading →

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Getting the most from life

Posted on October 10, 2011 by stillalife

I have been savoring a fascinating book for the past month.  It’s called Rapt:  Attention and the Focused Life by Winifred Gallagher.  I know that it’s been a month, since it’s due back at the library tomorrow with 100 pages … Continue reading →

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