Comments for A Year to Change: Conversations with women on choice, connections, and clarity in midlife http://www.ayeartochange.com Two fifty-something friends talk about choosing change -- living the way we want by design and not by accident. Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:16:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 Comment on Enough Is Enough by Kerch http://www.ayeartochange.com/2007/11/enough-is-enough/#comment-5861 Mon, 17 Dec 2007 14:45:39 +0000 http://www.ayeartochange.com/2007/11/enough-is-enough/#comment-5861 Ah. So.. I notice you CAN remember how to get your signature included.. but not the links... which, my friend, are MUCH more important. So I fixed it! Fondly. kerch Ah. So.. I notice you CAN remember how to get your signature included.. but not the links… which, my friend, are MUCH more important. So I fixed it!

Fondly.
kerch

]]> Comment on Kirchner elected president by Lannie http://www.ayeartochange.com/2007/10/kirchner-elected-president/#comment-4068 Wed, 07 Nov 2007 22:30:15 +0000 http://www.ayeartochange.com/2007/10/kirchner-elected-president/#comment-4068 Ah well, they might describe you at first as brilliant & beautiful President Kerch, but then they'd begin critiquing everything you wear. Ah well, they might describe you at first as brilliant & beautiful President Kerch, but then they’d begin critiquing everything you wear.

]]> Comment on Kirchner elected president by Kerch http://www.ayeartochange.com/2007/10/kirchner-elected-president/#comment-3980 Mon, 05 Nov 2007 15:44:56 +0000 http://www.ayeartochange.com/2007/10/kirchner-elected-president/#comment-3980 Hey Barry! It's good you should understand the ramifications of this particular post. Thank you for noticing and starting this important ball rolling! Queen, er, I mean President Kerch Hey Barry!
It’s good you should understand the ramifications of this particular post.
Thank you for noticing and starting this important ball rolling!

Queen, er, I mean President Kerch

]]> Comment on Kirchner elected president by Barry Zweibel http://www.ayeartochange.com/2007/10/kirchner-elected-president/#comment-3979 Mon, 05 Nov 2007 14:57:33 +0000 http://www.ayeartochange.com/2007/10/kirchner-elected-president/#comment-3979 Kerch, that is, Madame President ~ I will refer to you as such forevermore! Kerch, that is, Madame President ~ I will refer to you as such forevermore!

]]> Comment on Kirchner elected president by betsy http://www.ayeartochange.com/2007/10/kirchner-elected-president/#comment-3949 Sun, 04 Nov 2007 07:43:07 +0000 http://www.ayeartochange.com/2007/10/kirchner-elected-president/#comment-3949 Oh, look at those typos. I want to fix them. I hate that. I know better, because I am a remarkably good speller. I won spelling bees in the sixth grade which included seventh and eighth graders. So, those are typos, not misspellings. I also know my grammar and syntax because I am remarkably well spoken. I am also making myself nauseous. Oh, look at those typos. I want to fix them. I hate that. I know better, because I am a remarkably good speller. I won spelling bees in the sixth grade which included seventh and eighth graders. So, those are typos, not misspellings. I also know my grammar and syntax because I am remarkably well spoken.

I am also making myself nauseous.

]]> Comment on Kirchner elected president by betsy http://www.ayeartochange.com/2007/10/kirchner-elected-president/#comment-3948 Sun, 04 Nov 2007 07:40:17 +0000 http://www.ayeartochange.com/2007/10/kirchner-elected-president/#comment-3948 All of it is such tripe, Here's a list, off the top of my unremarkably bright andf attractive head: 1. John Edwards' hair 2. Hillary Rodham's laugh 3. Barack Obama's "smooth" ways 4. Dennis Kucinish's "trophy wife" 5. Mitt Romney's handsome good looks 6. Joe Biden and Cris Dodd suddenly "looking presidential" 7. Kerch McConlogue's "remarkable resemblance to the remarkably bright and attractive" Kirchner 8. the nation's remarkably shallow and unprincipled government 9. the press' remarkably -- nay, appallingly -- out of it reporting of the not news All of it is such tripe, Here’s a list, off the top of my unremarkably bright andf attractive head:

1. John Edwards’ hair
2. Hillary Rodham’s laugh
3. Barack Obama’s “smooth” ways
4. Dennis Kucinish’s “trophy wife”
5. Mitt Romney’s handsome good looks
6. Joe Biden and Cris Dodd suddenly “looking presidential”
7. Kerch McConlogue’s “remarkable resemblance to the remarkably bright and attractive” Kirchner
8. the nation’s remarkably shallow and unprincipled government
9. the press’ remarkably — nay, appallingly — out of it reporting of the not news

]]> Comment on Kirchner elected president by Mary Klotz http://www.ayeartochange.com/2007/10/kirchner-elected-president/#comment-3879 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 12:49:07 +0000 http://www.ayeartochange.com/2007/10/kirchner-elected-president/#comment-3879 When Kerch and I talked about this, I also considered whether noting (Argentinian) Kirchner's remarkable brightness and beauty might be a particularly American perspective, or fueled by the American situation. I agree with (American) Kerch's thinking that any leader should be remarkably bright- or better. That should be requisite and unworthy of note. Perhaps Lou Dobbs made his remark with a subliminal sigh- in view of our current president, one cannot presume that heads of state ARE remarkably bright. In view of our current president, perhaps it is informative to point out that Argentina has a leader who is remarkably bright. Lucky Argentina. The reporting of her beauty annoys me more. Just show a picture, we can see and evaluate, if so inclined, how lovely she is. Anybody who is less than magazine cover beautiful should know that real beauty and worth is on the inside (and if Kirchner is as bright as they say, she knows that too). Maybe Lou mentioned it for those who listen on radios or older iPods without picture screens. When Kerch and I talked about this, I also considered whether noting (Argentinian) Kirchner’s remarkable brightness and beauty might be a particularly American perspective, or fueled by the American situation. I agree with (American) Kerch’s thinking that any leader should be remarkably bright- or better. That should be requisite and unworthy of note.
Perhaps Lou Dobbs made his remark with a subliminal sigh- in view of our current president, one cannot presume that heads of state ARE remarkably bright. In view of our current president, perhaps it is informative to point out that Argentina has a leader who is remarkably bright. Lucky Argentina.

The reporting of her beauty annoys me more. Just show a picture, we can see and evaluate, if so inclined, how lovely she is. Anybody who is less than magazine cover beautiful should know that real beauty and worth is on the inside (and if Kirchner is as bright as they say, she knows that too).
Maybe Lou mentioned it for those who listen on radios or older iPods without picture screens.

]]> Comment on Kirchner elected president by Malynda http://www.ayeartochange.com/2007/10/kirchner-elected-president/#comment-3858 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 01:45:55 +0000 http://www.ayeartochange.com/2007/10/kirchner-elected-president/#comment-3858 Cool article...but then I think you're much smarter than she is. Best. Cool article…but then I think you’re much smarter than she is.

Best.

]]> Comment on Shopping, budgeting and staying in control by Betsy Davenport http://www.ayeartochange.com/2007/05/shopping-budgeting-and-staying-in-control/#comment-2890 Sat, 18 Aug 2007 23:32:30 +0000 http://www.ayeartochange.com/2007/05/shopping-budgeting-and-staying-in-control/#comment-2890 Books. Well. My house is cluttered, and the other month I looked around and saw that half the reason is that things aren't in their "homes." Next I saw that was the case because they are actually homeless. We have things that we cannot house. And most of it is reading material. Other people have, I don't know - what do they have? Collections of silver thimbles? Doo-dads, I can't think what, but they typically aren't lying around on every horizontal surface so you can't find a kitchen counter. But, if I have stuff I want -- actually want and don't delude myself about "someday I might need it" -- then the stuff has to have a home. I purge the bookcases periodically and donate books to the library but now that my daughter is fifteen she has been reading books for two years that I'd have purged some while back. So, they are now keepers. Purging, then, is out of the question. I do not use the library because I can't be relied on to return the books, or finish them in the allotted time. The other household members use the library and spend a tax-deduction's worth of money in fines. I buy them. I "window shop" at amazon and leave my lists there awhile cool off to guard against impulse buys. Or, I take that list to the local bookstore and pay a bit more but am glad to support an independent bookseller. Further, when I have to carry the real-live material world books out of there, I can't help but notice how many there are, what they weigh, and that jolt of reality limits my purchases. On websites, the virtual book is a virtual burden and responsibility and it could even, maybe, be read in virtual time I do not have. But the numbers of them! I can be discouraged by how few I'm going to get to read. Sometimes I remember to remind myself of the other side of that record: I will never, ever, run out of good books to read. Books. Well. My house is cluttered, and the other month I looked around and saw that half the reason is that things aren’t in their “homes.” Next I saw that was the case because they are actually homeless. We have things that we cannot house. And most of it is reading material.

Other people have, I don’t know - what do they have? Collections of silver thimbles? Doo-dads, I can’t think what, but they typically aren’t lying around on every horizontal surface so you can’t find a kitchen counter. But, if I have stuff I want — actually want and don’t delude myself about “someday I might need it” — then the stuff has to have a home.

I purge the bookcases periodically and donate books to the library but now that my daughter is fifteen she has been reading books for two years that I’d have purged some while back. So, they are now keepers. Purging, then, is out of the question. I do not use the library because I can’t be relied on to return the books, or finish them in the allotted time. The other household members use the library and spend a tax-deduction’s worth of money in fines.

I buy them. I “window shop” at amazon and leave my lists there awhile cool off to guard against impulse buys. Or, I take that list to the local bookstore and pay a bit more but am glad to support an independent bookseller. Further, when I have to carry the real-live material world books out of there, I can’t help but notice how many there are, what they weigh, and that jolt of reality limits my purchases. On websites, the virtual book is a virtual burden and responsibility and it could even, maybe, be read in virtual time I do not have.

But the numbers of them! I can be discouraged by how few I’m going to get to read. Sometimes I remember to remind myself of the other side of that record: I will never, ever, run out of good books to read.

]]> Comment on Shopping, budgeting and staying in control by Leslie http://www.ayeartochange.com/2007/05/shopping-budgeting-and-staying-in-control/#comment-2503 Thu, 14 Jun 2007 22:11:22 +0000 http://www.ayeartochange.com/2007/05/shopping-budgeting-and-staying-in-control/#comment-2503 Books, however, are problematic in their own way. The piles and the aspirations they represent. If I only had the time....if I only had the focus. I used to have a pile of books on my nightstand that was referred to as "the books to read before I die". Having them there felt like it was going to give me some kind of longevity. One day, my son moved the pile because he was afraid that it would fall over and kill me in the night. And still I buy books. Still. I re-sell on Amazon from time to time and I donate to college book sales from time to time. But still, more come into my house to be read "someday" than go out. Yes, I go to the library, too. Borrowed books get read in a timely manner. After all, I have to face the Lovely Library Lady every 3 weeks or so. More borrowing - less buying. A worthy goal, to be sure! --Leslie Books, however, are problematic in their own way. The piles and the aspirations they represent. If I only had the time….if I only had the focus.

I used to have a pile of books on my nightstand that was referred to as “the books to read before I die”. Having them there felt like it was going to give me some kind of longevity. One day, my son moved the pile because he was afraid that it would fall over and kill me in the night.

And still I buy books. Still. I re-sell on Amazon from time to time and I donate to college book sales from time to time. But still, more come into my house to be read “someday” than go out.

Yes, I go to the library, too. Borrowed books get read in a timely manner. After all, I have to face the Lovely Library Lady every 3 weeks or so.

More borrowing - less buying. A worthy goal, to be sure!

–Leslie

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