“Where I Lived, and What I Lived For” is the second chapter in Henry David Thoreau’s book Walden. I have not read the book in its entirety, but I love the title of this chapter. A few years ago I came to the conclusion that everyone should write an essay (or journal entry, poem, song, etc.) with this title. I think I’d like to write a piece with this title every five years or so. Because surely where I lived and what I lived for will change!

My first attempt was made back in 2009. I had completely forgotten about it until I stumbled across some old Word documents hidden deep down in my hard drive. This draft was rough and I didn’t finish it. When I make another attempt I’m sure I’ll start from scratch. For now, however, I share the first version:

Where I Lived, and What I Lived For

I lived in loud rooms and quiet corners. I am a translator. I experience emotions and translate them to the page. I cried. I cursed. I hid from the sun and stood naked in the rain. I lived long enough to know that kindness is the only medicine and I try (I said try) to have some with me wherever I go.

And if the glorious words do come like an unexpected comet across the sky and I say “I’ve got it! I know just how to describe it,” there won’t be a pen and paper handy to get it down just in time.

I teamed up with some fabulous filmmaker friends of mine and made a short piece of video art—it’s me reciting “The Raven.” I memorized the poem in college and always wanted to recite it on stage. In the age of YouTube, we can create our own stage. The video is in its final phases of editing. I’ll share once it’s ready. For now, here are some photos from the shoot.

I hope everyone had a great weekend. Mine was wonderful and exhausting. I did log back into Facebook on Sunday afternoon. I’ll tell more about my experience later in the week. For now, I will simply share the game my sister shared with us over Easter Brunch.

This is something I have never thought about: people who design stamps. I love stamps and obviously someone must create each design, but I confess I’ve never given those designers any thought. Until today! Check out this interview with designer Suzanne Kleinwaks. It’s part of a series celebrating two of my favorite things: women’s history and stamps. Another stamp designer who electronically crossed my path today is Paul Rogers. He designed a splendid stamp in honor of the Cherry Blossom Centennial. This stamp commemorates the 100-year-old gifting of 3,020 cherry trees from Tokyo to the city of Washington, D.C. I confidently count cherry trees among my favorite things, too.

I haven’t mentioned it here much, but one of my guilty pleasures is playing celebrity divorce watch. In January I posted on Facebook my predictions for the 2012 divorces. They include:

- Josh Duhamel & Fergie
- Gwyneth Paltrow & Chris Martin
- Josh Brolin & Diane Lane
- Heidi Klum & Seal
- Kendra & Hank

A friend of mine said, “Why Heidi & Seal?” I knew they were a wild card but something about the way they go on and on about how great their marriage is made me think they were trying to convince themselves. Sure enough they were the first big divorce of 2012.

In any case, there’s an article in the Times today that makes a science out of celebrity divorce watch. Refining the Formula That Predicts Celebrity Marriages’ Doom is amusing. If you don’t care to read the whole thing I’ve listed my favorite passages. Or! You could skim this: an equation for the likelihood of celebrity couples lasting to the 15 year mark.

From the article:

“In the fine tradition of Occam’s razor, the new equation has fewer variables than the old one. Besides the wife’s tabloid fame, the crucial ones are the spouses’ combined age (younger couples divorce sooner), the length of the courtship (quicker to wed, quicker to split), and the sex-symbol factor (defined formally as the number of Google hits showing the wife “in clothing designed to elicit libidinous intent”).”

“The good news is that, aided by long courtships, a few couples have a better-than-even chance of lasting at least 15 years: Kate and Prince William, Calista Flockhart and Harrison Ford, Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky, and Beyoncé Knowles and Jay-Z.”

Congratulations! You have been given an extra 24 hours this year. Doing anything big? I’m planning to get my roots done, but you never know. I might just walk up to a man and ask him to marry me. Apparently, this is permitted on Leap Day. Whatever you do, enjoy!

Back in October 2010, I was so on top of the New Year I bought my 2011 Daytimer
well before the holidays. Lightning didn’t strike twice. This year I was way behind and hadn’t purchased one by mid-January. I kept reminding myself to buy one NOW–it’ll be cheaper. Finally yesterday, I bought my Daytimer at Barnes & Noble. It was not less expensive, however, because the Daytimer dates are from March 2012 – August 2013. How amusing that people sat down and expected procrastinators, like yours truly, to not buy their calendars until the end of February.

In any case, I have it and I am happy with it. Daytimers are like journals for me. I write so many notes and random thoughts that they are worth holding onto when the year is complete.