Monthly Archives: February 2011

“Let the Captains of Industry retire into their own hearts, and ask solemnly, If there is nothing but vulturous hunger for fine wines, valet reputation and gilt carriages, discoverable there? Of hearts made by the Almighty God I will not … Continue reading →

Last month, my friend Kristin and I went cross-country skiing.  We trekked up to a wooded park on the side of a bluff – a beautiful place, with a snowy trail crossed by deer tracks and the skittery trails of … Continue reading →

a) The IRS direct-deposited my income-tax refund, first thing this morning.  One chunk goes straight back to savings.  Another chunk goes to bills (including my accountant, because of whom I have this money in the first place.) Maybe the rest … Continue reading →

Just before Valentine’s Day, a scrap of pink and red flutters in the bare tree in front of Main Building, against a melting gray sky.  “How to Give Gifts from the Heart,” it reads.  “Write stories about your relationship and … Continue reading →

Not knowing one end of a football field from the other — except when it comes to Auburn vs. Alabama — I don’t watch the Super Bowl. But the news-clip crawl across the top of my email account this morning … Continue reading →

This post inaugurates another will-be Cheapskate Intellectual feature: writing about food and cooking as an inherently life-enriching (and money-saving) force.  Some of y’all have already seen a version of this, but take advantage while the weather’s still cold! ____ Even … Continue reading →

Every organizational system – for clothing, clutter, files, tasks, personal relationships – can be reduced to one rule: separate the living from the dead, and keep the dead in check.  Recognize the living: what the person you are right now … Continue reading →

Lately, my life quickens and “leans to beginnings,” in Theodore Roethke’s words, at the Lunar (or Chinese) New Year rather than on the traditional Western date of January 1.  It’s more a time of beginnings, omens, and positive nudges than … Continue reading →