Thursday, February 2, 2012

Beginning Again, with Kitty Pics & a Meditation Challenge

It feels like it’s been so long since I’ve blogged with any regularity that I’m not sure how to get back on this horse gracefully. Do I just launch myself into the next thing without explaining my absence? (Yup, pretty much.) Do I tell you all how much I’ve missed you guys? (I have!) Can I skip this awkward part and just get back to doing my thing online and hope you won’t hold my absence against me? (Please?)

How about a kitty pic? Here’s Cairo sleeping on Mr. B’s lap, surrounded by the latest additions to my stuffie menagerie (clockwise from the top): bookworm, sleeping sickness, mad cow and toxic mold (which is my favourite). Head over to ThinkGeek to check out their entire giant microbes collection.

Cairo sleeping with giant microbes (click to enlarge)

In other news, February is no-TV month in my household (for the second year in a row), which seemed like a great time to also do the 28-Day Meditation Challenge, based on the book Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation – A 28-Day Program by Sharon Salzberg (which, as you may remember, I bought at Kripalu). When I got back from my Kripalu retreat, I fully intended to start meditating every day, but that didn’t happen. However, as Sharon Salzberg says, “with every breath, we can begin again,” which is exactly what I’m choosing to do this month—with both blogging and meditating.

I’ll keep you posted on how I’m doing with the meditation challenge in weekly updates on Wednesdays, which means that, as of next week, my “similar covers” posts will go live on Thursdays instead.

So now that I’m back, let me know what I’ve missed! Oh and Happy Imbolc!

18 comments:

  1. Cool post - and love, love the kitty pic! I am liking the idea of a meditation challenge and may take you up on that. Welcome back, although I haven`t quite miss you as much as some as we see and email each other quite often.

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    1. Tina, check out Sharon's post about the challenge today on her blog. I do hope you'll join me -- it would be fun to compare notes on our progress. Oh and I'm glad you liked the kitty pic!

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  2. No one will hold your absence against you - everyone will be glad you're back!

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    1. Thanks, Kathy! (I'm liking these embedded comments!)

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  3. I'm glad your back! No TV for February? That's great. I watch very little TV, but my husband would have a heart attack if I told him no TV for a month. Hockey season...

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    1. Thanks, Jennifer! We don't actually watch TV on TV, but we do watch lots of TV on DVDs. For my birthday, I got the complete Lark Rise to Candleford, which I'm dying to watch, but now I have to wait a whole month!

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  4. WElcome back Avis :)

    Wow I don't think we could do a no month of TV here. heheh.

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    1. Thanks, Cindy! Notice that our no-TV month is the shortest month of the year!

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  5. Greeting, Avis, and welcome back! Enjoy your break from TV! Cairo has got the right idea!

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    1. Thanks, Suko! I totally agree: naps are always a great idea. (I have even been known to nap with the microbes too!)

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  6. So glad to have you back! You didn't even have to post a great photo...but I'm so glad you did! Cairo is adorable and I love hs sleeping companions esp. mad cow and toxic mold, sooo cool!

    I keep meaning to learn how to meditate...have you read Real Happiness yet? I am interested to see if the meditation challenge works for you. If it does, I think I'll get a copy...Good luck & Enjoy!

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    1. Thank you, Amy! Toxic mold and mad cow are my favourites too (in that order).

      I haven't started reading Real Happiness yet, but I intend to over the course of the month. I do think that Sharon Salzberg is one of the best meditation teachers out there: I certainly felt like I understood the point of meditation a lot better after doing her retreat. (I haven't meditated very much, but I have read a bunch of books about it and done a bunch of meditation classes, and her approach is the most accessible I've come across so far!)

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  7. Welcome back! I think doing a meditation challenge and cutting out TV is fantastic! I bet you'll be recharged and relaxed very very soon!

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    1. I must admit that cutting out TV is easier than meditating every day -- I've just skipped two days in a row, sigh. As Sharon would say, this is just another opportunity to begin again. :)

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  8. Love the kitty with all the friends! We have been turning out tv off more and more lately! Welcome back, friend!

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    1. Thanks, Staci. Keep an eye out for more cute pics of Cairo!

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