reading time

People:
These be good links. Sit down and click. Enjoy.

--Liz (one of the many oh-so-unfortunate but oh-so-wise and now bankrupted cancer bloggers) gets invited to a chi-chi "The Art of Being Human" workshop. She turns down the opportunity because she's already become human by sitting in the waiting rooms with the other folks who aren't adequately insured:

"These ugly, drab, grungy, noisy, cluttered, crowded, smelly, uncomfortable [hospital waiting] rooms are the "workshops" where I learned to sit in perfect stillness for eight hours or more. This is where I learned to transcend my own jumbled thoughts, desires, physical pains, and frantic emotions; to tune out the noisy world blaring its distracting Regis Philbins and Bob Barkers and Judge Judys; to let go of striving for goals, to abandon hope of fruition; to feel at one with my fellow sufferers; to wait in utter stillness, with Cosmic patience, compassion, and a quiet empty mind."

--The Books That Changed Our Lives: Six feminists discuss the books that rocked their worlds:

"When I first saw my mother's copy of Naomi Wolf's The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty are Used Against Women, I remember being a little afraid of the cover, which featured a picture of a bizarre woman-like mask reflected in a compact mirror. Being the morbidly curious 13-year-old that I was though, I picked it up. I've never read a book faster.
Almost immediately, I was confronted with ideas that made sense of the thoughts I'd been having - that I wasn't good enough, pretty enough, smart enough. It was such an incredible feeling to know that so many of my insecurities weren't really about me, but were manifestations of a culture hell-bent on keeping women in their place."

--A musing on aging and sex from La Vie en Rose, where she writes: "I firmly believe that women who have good sex can change the world."
Amen to good sex and changing the world, sister!

--Spend a peaceful moment with Maddie at Persisting Stars as she discusses tea and poetry.

--I am just sick of never-ending car repairs and paying waaayyy-too-much at the pump. I am just so close to giving up the car altogether (and proud to report that I've only used it twice this week--to go to yoga and once to my son's school). I loved this article about another OC family who gave up their car and has no regrets...

--You know, of course, that all good bookstores have kitties. But did you know that Powells' cat, Fup, has his adventure saga that you can subscribe to via email? Yah.

--Move Over 'Talk Like a Pirate Day,' The 24th Day of the Tenth Month is now "International Talk A Quaker Day." Thou art forewarned.