NS January 5th, 2008

Pardon these long absences between posts, will you? I don’t mean to be secretive, quiet or boring. I guess I’m just feeling out of practice after a few weeks of holiday sparsity. And also, I can’t stop reading. That, more than anything, is why I cannot find the time to put fingers to keyboard or click on my sorely neglected RSS feeds. I may not be commenting and I may read things four days after they’ve been posted, but I haven’t forgotten about any of you and I’m lurking in the background, waiting to pounce. If I’m light on words, it’s not because I have nothing to say but because I’m building up a new voice in which to speak. The way I look at it is, you’ve got to take new things in, stop and recharge, before you have anything of substance to give back. So let’s not call this a break or a rut or a lull, but a Blogcharge. It sounds so much better than the other three.

Before I stick my nose back in one of the two books I’m reading (Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult and Birth: A History by Tina Cassidy), I will just quickly share my 2008 New Year Resolutions: Be a more patient and loving mother; Remember to say thank you more often; Go where and do as my heart tells me; Read at least 30 books (such a paltry aspiration compared to Charlotte’s 100  but it’s a more realistic number for me); Stop smoking completely (I still have sneaky fags when I go out with friends sometimes); Stay or get back in touch with dear friends.

No diets, detoxing or anything like that for me. I’m trying to eat more fruit and veg, stop smoking, cut back on alcohol and junk food and get a bit more exercise but I just can’t do the weighing, fretting, measuring, calorie counting, self-deprivation thing. I know this may sound appalling and lazy to most, but I just don’t care that much about my body. I care but I don’t really care, you know? I don’t care if I never have flat abs or thighs that don’t touch or arms that would make Madonna envious. I don’t care that I’ll never be known for my figure, or if I can never wear the latest fashions because my stocky legs look ridiculous in skinny jeans and my boobs aren’t big enough for the scraps of fabric passing as tops these days. I don’t care that I can’t run a marathon, a half-marathon or even a 5K — I don’t like running. I think you should only run if it’s away from a fire or the cops, or towards your child or lover in glee.

So that’s me for 2008. Like it or lump it. Oh, and pass the donuts — this book just got really good.

• Health and Fitness , Miscellaneous Missives
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