Diamond-Cut Life » lifestyle

We Found A Housemate!

Alison — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:36:28 +0000

Just a brief post to note that we finally found a housemate to help us fill up our house and practice community. Shen moved in over the weekend. He’s a happy, luminous presence, late 30′s, who enjoys yoga, vegatarian cooking, bicycling everywhere (car-free!), being a massage therapist and his girlfriend Laura, who’s an artist. I’m just [...]Similar Posts:

The Best Things In Life: Free, Or Not?

Alison — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 15:14:50 +0000

What are the best things in life? Are they free, or do they depend on money? How much do you have of those best things? Many of us were poor in our youth, at least cash-wise. I certainly lived on a shoestring when I was in college and grad school, and then as a self-employed artist. [...]Similar Posts:

Top Ten Things To Happily Live Without, Part II

Alison — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:25:48 +0000

Last month’s edition of this proved so popular, I’ve written a sequel. The premise of the diamond-cut life is that joy and well-being come from what we do and who we are with, not from possessions that are costly to both us and the planet. 1. Cable television. The average cost for cable TV in the [...]Similar Posts:

Top Ten Things To Happily Live Without

Alison — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 14:46:04 +0000

Quality of life and joy generally come from what we do and who we are with, not from the things in our life. Feel free to post a comment on what thing or item you’d be just as happy without. Bottled water. Thumbs up on drinking lots of water; thumbs down [...]Similar Posts:

Who You Calling A Hippie?

Alison — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 14:45:34 +0000

Today’s post is on the lighter side. A reader in Arizona has suggested that I am a hippie. Or, to be more specific, he wrote I am “definitely much more of a hippie” than he himself is. Hmm.

Catalina State Park, Tucson, AZ

[/caption] His tone was friendly enough, but I’ve been pondering this hippie [...]Similar Posts:

The Happiest Thanksgiving & The Very Best Diet

Alison — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 14:38:05 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving! New disclosure: I am married to a foodie. Thor will spend much of today making something he’s never made before, a vegan macaroni and cheese dish, that we’ll bring to my sister-in-law’s house this afternoon. Food is Thor’s creative outlet, his art form, and I believe in supporting a person’s art. I also [...]Similar Posts:

Emotional Refugees, Part II

Alison — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 03:38:43 +0000

Deb, a longtime reader of Diamond-Cut Life, penned such a relevant and well-written comment to More Than One Kind Of Refugee that I’m printing it as a separate post. I’ve also written a response below. _______________________________________________________________________ Deb writing: Fascinating post. Though it may not be applicable to all, I do think you have a very real hypothesis, [...]Similar Posts:

Having Enough — Whether Oil Or Time

Alison — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 14:09:13 +0000

What does President Obama’s suggestion we curb our national oil addiction share in common with the premise of the cool book I’ve just now added to my book recommendations? The belief that change and transformation are possible. And, the underlying belief that we can cultivate happiness, a sense of sufficiency and ‘enoughness’, without always chasing [...]Similar Posts:

How To Follow Through On New Year’s Resolutions

Alison — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:50:41 +0000

I’m not just a fan of New Year’s resolutions, I’m a cheerleader for them, and for positive change in our lives in general. As a former counselor who’s worked with a full spectrum of folks — from underachieving college students and the worried well to late-stage alcoholics and drug addicts – I have a realistic [...]Similar Posts:

Unclothing This Horse

Alison — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 14:36:34 +0000

The jury is in. I’ve decided to delve farther into my satisfaction, actually my enchantment, with the clothes I’ve already got, and not shop for or buy any garments for at least six months. Ta-da! I can picture my male readers, maybe especially the ones without a female in the home, scratching their heads and saying, [...]Similar Posts: