Howzabout them resolutions?

My friend George pointed out recently that my 2006 resolutions were like a forecast from Oppositeland.

Well, that wasn't exactly what he said, and it was actually a couple of months ago that he said it, but the point is that well-before their 365 day term was over, my January first resolutions had been cast aside, quicker than flannel pajamas.

Which is why I love Lent.

I'm not Catholic, but I appreciate the chance to refine my (often already compromised) new year's resolutions a bit and then having just 40 days to live with them.

We're making a lot of positive changes at the ranch--less driving, lower thermostat, simple foods... In some ways I feel that we've been working so hard already, there's not much left to renounce without donning the Holy Cloak of the Cranky Martyr.

At the same time, I've never felt more urgency to change. The bizarre weather we've been having reminds me that the stakes are very, very high. Perhaps that's the slogan for this era of climate change—Renunciations: they're not just for Lent anymore!

On the personal level, Lent is like a celestial dare, a cosmic "oh yeah? prove it!" I just can't let the challenge pass.

So, for this year, I've committed to cooking vegan meals when we eat at home (with the exception of eggs from our own hens). Good motivation to dust off the recipe books, forsake quesadillas, and cook out of my comfort zone.

Let the countdown begin.