January 2012
35 posts
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On avoidance and procrastination: just (don't) do...
It’s been a good weekend.
Yesterday, I awoke after dozing for an hour longer than anticipated. Chris and I enjoyed our morning coffee, and we set some key details in place for an upcoming vacation (June, to the Canadian Rockies, for those who may be curious).
Around 9:00 or so, he eventually set off for a morning run. I pulled on some yoga pants and ran an errand on foot, breathing in...
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“Be happy in the moment, that’s enough. Each moment is all we need, not...”
– Friday Joy, 1/27/2011
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Day of birthdays, part 2.
Tonight I enjoyed an evening out celebrating the 30th anniversary of a friend’s birth. Our group of girlfriends had a lovely dinner at Nestico’s in North Syracuse, laughing and talking through a leisurely progression of salads, main courses, and coffee and dessert. Food photography lover that I am, I intended to share two photos: my meal of caprese ...
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Becoming a student, again.
For Brenda.
Later this morning, I’ll step foot in a classroom at Syracuse University. I’m enrolled in the School of Information Studies’ (iSchool for short) IST 686, Social Media in the Enterprise, also known as #RotoloClass. I’m alternately giddy with excitement and scared stiff.
My road to #RotoloClass was a bit amusing. I’ve known about the class for several semesters, even having...
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Stillness, part 3: a path to calm.
In two recent posts, I’ve shared two stories that serve as interesting bookends to frame how I think about leisure. I discovered that sometimes leisure is not necessarily the absence of activity, but the freedom to select the activities to pursue. And most recently, I shared a favorite vacation to the Canadian Rockies, where during a decidedly leisurely vacation, I found beauty,...
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Stillness, part 2: peace at Lake Louise.
Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
As I contemplate my ability to practice leisure, I can’t help but reflect back upon a vacation my husband Chris and I took in 2006 to the Canadian Rockies. This was one of Chris’ first trips as a semi-professional photographer, having started within the last year to divide his time between geological...
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Stillness, part 1: redefining leisure.
Leisure is the exultation of the possible.
- Martin Buber
I’ve had some time recently that would correctly be categorized as vacation, time spent away from work. About a month ago, I decided somewhat spontaneously to wrap up the work week prematurely and take Friday off. My brother was arriving in town and I’d have more time to visit, not to mention tackle the innumerable tasks...
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Spaz.
Spaz entered my life through Chris. On one of our first dates in January 2001, we went to the Houston SPCA so that Chris could adopt a cat. After taking a lap around the cats, I pointed out Spaz to Chris: a cool looking black kitten with a splash of white fur on his chest. I remember waiting nervously while Chris filled out the adoption paperwork, afraid that someone else would snatch him up...
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Miles.
I added Miles to the Walcott household in June of 1999, so he’s about 13 years old now. A friend of mine had convinced me (not that I needed much persuading, mind you) that it would be good to have another cat to keep Tinker company during the times I wasn’t at home. We set out for the Houston SPCA and got to work finding a sibling for Tinker, circling the large windows looking...
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Tinker.
I adopted Tinker in February 1998, and at best guess, she’s probably 14 (human) years old. I had moved to Houston in September 1997, and was ready to have a cat take over my apartment and place its pawprints on my heart. I visited the adoption center of a local non-profit, Citizens for Animal Protection, and spotted Tinker right away, a cute tabby kitten meowing away in her cage. As I...
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Tail of three cats.
My husband Chris and I have three cats: Tinker, Miles, and Spaz. As we have no children, they have become our children, and we love them dearly. (Although our neighbors might be prone to calling the police if they were kids, since we occasionally yell quite loudly and have even thrown things at them.)
In some upcoming posts, I’ll be sharing the stories of how they came to our home and...
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Every visit is a victory.
I went to the gym today. For me, this has been such a rare occurrence that I even joked about the infrequency of the situation on the comment attached to my Foursquare check-in.
I wasn’t intentionally avoiding the gym, most of the time. At the time I was regularly going nearly a year ago, I became sick with a lupus flare and later a respiratory infection, both of which threw the prospect...
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New day, new possibilities.
As far as work weeks go, this has been a rough one. Coming off an extended holiday break made re-entry into the typical work day routine a little bumpy. Add in an incredibly hectic workload due to the end of the calendar year and my stress level started to rise. Top it off with a fun yet time consuming work extracurricular activity and by Wednesday, I was truly on edge as I watched my to-do...
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My 3 Words for 2012.
Based on Chris Brogan’s annual 3 Words challenge, I’ve finalized my 3 words for 2012. I’ve myself only recently become aware of this exercise, so for those of you who may not be familiar, Mr. Brogan puts forth the challenge to not adopt a New Year’s resolution, but to instead decide upon and embrace three words to help shape one’s goals, challenges, successes, and...
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“You never know what you can do until you have to do it.”
– Betty Ford, First Lady & Junior League of Grand Rapids member
(via juniorleague)
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