Ash Wednesday

It's Ash Wednesday. Lent is always a good time for me to take stock and make some personal improvements. This usually means that I'll be looking at my failed New Year's resolutions and giving them another try.

This year I have a list of various things that I hope to do daily. Some are as simple as making sure the dishes are done before I go to bed. Others are a more demanding and cerebral. Lent is good for this sort of thing since the religious tone adds an extra threat of guilt for not making good on my plans.

In the past we all tried to give up things for Lent. Lately the focus is to do something positive rather than give something up. I am following the positive action course this year but I did also decide to give up alcohol. That doesn't seem to be too much to ask. I've done it in the past and it's socially difficult but, luckily, not physically so! Of course when I made this vow I decided to book St. Patrick's Day as a free day. That seems only fair.