awakening the slumbering blog

Well after 4 months of silence, it’s time to reawaken this blog. C’mon, *get *up! Looks again like my goal of weekly posts was too ambitious, so I’m going to start slower, aiming for monthly posts. In part I haven’t posted, as I spent much free time reflecting about life, jobs, etc…, after [...]

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How I reduced water usage by 50% after eliminating waste

“Well, honey, I guess we can go out to the movies now that we don’t have to wash the dishes after dinner. That sure is a load off my mind.”
“Yes, but Herb — are you going to actually wash the dirty dishes, for once? Or just leave the clean set, in the dishwasher, [...]

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8 tips for starting to meditate, and books to explore

Several friends have asked me, do I have any tips for starting to meditate? Yes! First, it might be helpful to paint more of how I got into all this. In 2006, I’d witnessed my longtime friend Jeremy’s transition into a calmer, more self-confident, happier state of being, because of [...]

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Forget paper vs. plastic :: re-useable bags reduce waste and increase awareness

Hopefully we’re all becoming aware of how wasteful it is to use plastic or paper shopping bags. It’s been challenging for me to change my habits. Despite having purchased a few “permanent” bags from Whole Foods, I still struggle with my absent-minded self to remember to bring them when I go shopping.
The NY [...]

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Acting in the present moment as your own observer :: jumping from A Thousand Splendid Suns

I’m learning how many artists and thinkers extol the concept of “observing one’s actions from a state of inner calm”. Right now, I’m writing a lot, and reading Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns. After learning more about Afghanistan’s recent history and Hosseini’s bio, I found this passage from his latest blog post:
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