Monday, November 10, 2008

Blog Break


I had a great weekend! I spent Saturday mostly at home, reading and cleaning, and took a little walk over to Chelsea in the evening to price iPods. I've been thinking about getting one, but I didn't take the plunge right away. Part of me thinks it would be fun, and part of me is like, "You've survived 42 years without one -- why do you need one now?"

Sunday I went for a walk in the East Village and went to a coffee house to write in my old paper journal, which I hadn't done for more than a year. It was an interesting experience going back to paper, and being more candid than I am here online. It certainly felt less constrained, and I could think things through a bit more.

In the afternoon I went to MeditateNYC, a gathering of Buddhist teachers from a variety of traditions who talked about different aspects of practice. Very interesting! We had a poetry reading and did a bit of Tai Chi, too.

I'm planning to take a blog break over the next week or so, just to recharge my batteries. See you on the flip side!

(Photo: Street art by Shepard Fairey aka Obey, Cambridge, Mass., Oct. 2008)

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Handwriting for me is more difficult since the invention of the computer keyboard. Even the old typewriter keys made you use more effort to depress them. Have a good break.

Anonymous said...

Taking a break from everything is always a good idea! Though you know I love reading your thoughts (and in fact your blog is the first one I read in the morning) I salute you!

As for the ipod: do it. You will not regret it. The opportunities for creativity (in terms of creating playlists that do not have to be burned onto CD's and can therefore be recreated endlessly) and the variety of things you can listen to (not just music) is amazing.

No more CD's or CD covers into the landfills! ipods are earth friendly. I wonder what you will decide?

Anonymous said...

I gave my iPod away to someone who would put it to better use than I did.

My Blogging batteries could use some recharging, but I'm afraid if I stop writing, I might not start again.

Anonymous said...

have a great break.... we'll miss you.

I have the same fear as barbara, if I stop blogging, I might not start back.....however, now that I think of it, perhaps that might not be a bad thing....

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a delightful weekend!

Uh! Writing by hand? I just can't do it anymore - I HATE it. It just feels so unnatural now. Funny, eh?

Get an iPod. I LOVE mine. Once you have one you wonder how you got by without - and the music sounds sooooo good. I don't use mine every day, but I love it when running or traveling, and even bought a small "stereo" so I can just plug it in in the bedroom and listen . . .

Anonymous said...

breaks are good... but I will miss you!

You might really like an ipod, the cool thing is that you can carry your own music everywhere...

since there isn't alot of opera in the area...I like bringing my own, especially if I am focusing in on one particular opera to learn it's nuances. I also love to bring a little aloha with me as well...Hawaiian music. The newer ipod also carry movies and such. I like it because I can force people to watch my movies (which are generally pretty short). Ipods are one of those things, you either love it, or you don't use it. My brother has constantly used his since buying a 1st generation one. My old ipod lives in the kitchen so I can cook to my favorite tunes and books on tape. My new one hasn't gotten much use, I guess I should dig it out. If you are like my husband you will have docks everywhere, where you can just drop your ipod in to recharge and play to your command. It's a total luxury items, but waaaay cool.

Anonymous said...

My iPod doesn't get much use. I'd skip it...and that says a bunch. You know me, consumate gadget head. I'd rather have my 300 bucks back. Ask me about it the next time we talk and I'll tell you all about it...

Anonymous said...

Enjoy your Break! I've never even thought about getting an ipod!
Jacob is reading this as I write. He love to look at your photos!

Anonymous said...

Have a great break. The other day, I was talking with another blogger about the number of returned Peace Corps volunteers in my blog circle. I don't know if you have ever checked out Tugboat Dave in New Orleans or Kusala/Joe in Santa Barbara who have blogs that might interest you.

Anonymous said...

Pen and paper is as elemental as it gets.

Anonymous said...

Yes, there is something about good ole' paper journaling. I like to start my poetry on paper in order to track the changes. Thanks for sharing your mellow weekend. Hope the break treats you well.

I admire Shepard Fairey's work.

Anonymous said...

i love my ipod

i've found myself taking an inadvertant blog-break.... its a good thing, now and then