Responding to Comments

Recently Dykewife pointed out a link to a book on Natural Family Planning. I've been thinking about trying NFP for some time, but I've been having a tough time finding good information on just what it entails, and not simply why it's right. My body rarely cooperates in the schemes I have for it, and I think it might rebel if I ditched my birth control pills and just tried to anticipate my periods the natural way.

Anyway, the book she found is here. And it costs over two hundred dollars. Now, I'm curious, but not two hundred dollars worth of curious. Luckily Amazon came to the rescue with this listing. Twenty bucks is much more managable. And I did my grocery shopping at a new store this week, which saved me twenty bucks off my normal bill. So perhaps I can get it.

She also asked me what I'm giving up for Lent. I'm not really giving anything up, I guess. When I was in college I had a priest who said that the Lenten sacrifice was supposed to increase your spirituality and faith. You could do that just as easily by doing something as by giving something up. Last year I covered both sides by giving up Cadbury Creme Eggs (a real sacrifice, believe me!) and also reciting the Prayer of St Francis every day before work as a reminder about how to be.

This year I've decided to do something different. One of my big personality flaws is my tendency to worry. I worry about everything, and I feel the need to take care of everything and everyone. Oftentimes I feel like I have to not only look out for myself, but also for Mike, my students, my friends and family, the environment, and everything else. I know it sounds quite self-centered, but it's not, really...it's just that I want everyone taken care of. So this Lent I decided that whenever I worry, I'll say a little prayer to God asking for His help and guidance. It's a little reminder that not only am I not personally responsible for the well-being of the world, but that there's a plan for me besides the one I've thought up, and I have to be aware that things won't always go my way.

It's a surprisingly difficult resolution to keep. Luckily I wasn't like Mike, who gave up both french fries and using the internet at home. I don't know what he was thinking.