A Healthy Poverty

"It's still the first week in January, and I've got great plans. I've been thinking about seeing. There are lots of things to see, unwrapped gifts and free surprises. The world is fairly studded and strewn with pennies cast by a generous hand But--and this is the point--who gets excited by a mere penny?If you follow one arrow, if you crouch tremulous on a bank to watch a ripple on the water and are rewarded by the sight of a muskrat, kit paddling to its den, will you count that sight a chip of copper only and go your rueful way? It is dire poverty indeed when a man is so malnourished and fatigued he won't stop to pick up a penny, But if you cultivate a healthy poverty and simplicity so that finding a penny will literally make your day, then, since the world is in fact planted in pennies, you have with your poverty, bought a lifetime of days."
                                                                            --Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker CreekJanua

January 2013

Jan. 1--The last night of winter break.I walked and ran in the cold drizzle and cooked a big meal for Maggie, Trevor, Andres, and Lily. Watched Supernatural with a sage-scented candle burning.
Jan. 2--Clearly, a day of wrong numbers. I weighed four times, aghast that the scale said 128. When I put in my contacts, it actually said "123." Whew.
Jan. 3--Instead of owing $4000, tuition came to $1350.
Jan. 4--Hiked Harbins Park today with Karen, Courtney, Donna and Audra. Kept to 932 calories.
Jan. 5--Hiked Sweetwater by the river today with Maggie, Lily, and Andres. Stopped at Frontera on the way home and had a fantastic spinach quesadilla.
Jan. 6--Waxing crescent moon and the smell of pinestraw.
Jan. 7--The light looked like a freaking Ansel Adams photo today.
Jan. 8--Found a pad of Post-it notes
Jan. 9--Kathy and I went to Goodwill. She looked up at me and said, "I only have on one sock." I did, too. We both think we have never left the house wearing only one sock before.
Jan. 10--Saw a girl wearing a green sequined shirt in the hall; wrote recommendation for Andres; Maggie tagged Melissa Thomas in a post that she made a 99 on an algebra test.
Jan. 13--Fell over the flowerpot on the way out this morning in the dark, skinned elbow and knee, bruised shin, spilled the entire cup of coffee in my hair somehow. Later Kathy noticed my hair and commented that it had "a lot of texture." But I did not break anything.
Jan. 18--Cody Crawford: Can I go to the bathroom?
Me: No.
Cody: You'd let Harry Potter go to the bathroom.
Jan. 14--Saw crescent moon, had money to pay for new brakes, alignment, and an oil change.
Jan. 19--First, it's a Saturday. Then, when I woke up, I logged into Chictopia, a fashion site, and David Beckham had a new underwear ad up.
Jan. 20--Went to gallery reception and Taqueria del Sol with Claudia.
Jan. 21--Worked on collages for Emmy. Pleased with one of them. Lily and Andres' anniversary and Craig Beddingfield's birthday.
Jan. 25--Decided in first period to make a coffee run to All Ground Up. John Cole said he needed help to carry coffee. Brandon Williamson raised his hand and said, "I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!"
Jan. 26--Big gorgeous full moon in the sky tonight like the purest thing in the galaxy.
Jan. 27--Lady in parking lot at Kroger said I looked exactly like someone she had gone to school with, probably the millionth person to tell me this. She was really nice, but surprisingly weatherbeaten-looking, and I drove away wondering if I look like an old saddlebag.
Jan. 30--Made Dante PowerPoint today. Used AC/DC's "Hell's Bells" for intro. Very pleased with myself.
Jan. 31--RBES conference with Durrence. She was nice to me. Had great convo with Lily on phone about this year's lax team