This blog is about weight. I have been slim, medium and fat in my life. Most of us have one addiction or another. Some of us are addicted to nicotine. I could have a cigarette and have no desire for another. I tried to smoke at a younger age but the desire just wasn’t there and I didn’t do it long enough for any real physical addiction. Some of us are addicted to alcohol. A glass of wine in the evening suits me fine and I stop right there. But food is a different story. You put anything rich in front of me like chips, French fries, pastry, lasagna and I can’t stop myself. It’s like the alcoholic who can’t stop at one glass. I want more and more.
Growing up, there was always plenty of food around. Veggies weren’t a big item on the menu. Breakfast was cornflakes or eggs, bacon and toast: dinner usually a pork chop or some other kind of meat, a salad and starch. No dessert. I used to be envious of my best friend because ice cream was waiting for her after dinner. I laugh now just to think about it because anytime I wanted I could have chips, salami, Oreos, orSara Lee chocolate cake in the freezer that sliced off as easily as it went down. In my lunch bag my mom put a bologna sandwich (I’ll never forget that smell), a bag of potato chips and two packages of Hostess cupcakes (one for me and one for a friend).  Bless her heart. I’m guessing my friend didn’t always get one. …Continue reading ‘Weighing In’
I’m attracted to statues of the Buddha and over the past few years have bought three. They evoke an emotional gateway to a place inside. Of course the image is of an ideal. The first one I got, the Buddha is sitting in lotus position and represents to me peaceful surrender. I got it at a stressful time. I obtained the big bellied laughing Buddha when everything felt too intense. The smiling Buddha is historically connected with prosperity and wealth but that is not my attraction. For me it’s “Lighten up Leslie!â€Â.…Continue reading ‘Buddha statues’
Going to the ocean is attractive to most people, I think. I feel I’m returning to the “the mother†or before her, eternity. I go as often as we live a 5 minute bike or 15 minute walk ride away.
I especially like to walk along the shore when there aren’t many people there. I think about things but also attempt no to think and just take in my surroundings. Each breaking wave is unique but the rhythm is constant which is assuring.
At 35, some 20 years ago, I started going to a thrift store a few blocks away. When I would go to pay for “stuff†the manager always asked me if I wanted a senior discount. It did annoy me. It happened so many times I thought of saying “yesâ€Â, but didn’t.
I am happy Barack Obama got elected. It is a momentous time. This did not come over night. As intelligent, capable and steadfast as he is, he couldn’t have been elected some years ago because of his race. Now things have changed.
My dad had his some of happiest moments playing banjo. He wasn’t a great player but he sure enjoyed himself. He got good enough to have a band with some other Berkeley professors. We had jams at our house on Sunday nights.
I’m not a very good player either but I too find some of my most soulful joy playing and singing with family and friends. We go to jams too. I recently attended a bluegrass festival set in picturesque Big Sur. I plopped myself down with my friend Shirley (who plays very well) and we jammed. Good cheap fun. We’re singing “Don’t this Road look Rough and Rocky?” I try to sing it from a woman’s point of view, although the words are written from the man’s point of view. I don’t always succeed as you’ll see (if you listen).
I like cutting the boys hair. They have never gone to a barbershop or hair salon. Of course we aren’t alone. Perhaps you have never gone to one either. If we had kept all the hair that landed on the floor, we could cover a whole Mack truck with fur. I suppose we’ve saved a truckload of mullah too.
It’s funny to look around at all the costumes we wear. I was looking at the Smithsonian magazine and at some photos of monks in Bhutan. My first thought was that they were wearing costumes. Then I quickly thought, what isn’t a costume? I wear my get up every day. Carl and the boys are usually in shorts, a shirt, a vest and barefoot. It’s our custom. It just occurred to me that the difference is just a few letters. But that said, it is kind of a drag if there is a Halloween party and people show up in their street clothes so maybe I haven’t thought this out well enough.
When we play downtown there are all kinds of people in all kinds of getups. We always say that everyday is Halloween downtown.
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