Time spent this month: 72 hours, 53 minutes
Dollars spent this month: $260.03
Most challenging assignment: “Live with cellulite. Be happy.”
Most enjoyable assignment: “Get rid of your toxic friends.”
Words that stuck: “Oprah really loves grated orange zest. I think it might be her favorite food. Who uses that much zest?” — My aunt Rayna, after she cooked several Thanksgiving recipes from Oprah.com
I ’VE DEVELOPED a new talent: I can recite the script from the Lowe’s commercials along with Gene Hackman’s voice-over. I’ve seen and heard these ads so often during Oprah’s show, I know his intonations — every nuance of his line readings. I am able to perform this trick with several of Oprah’s sponsors, and after I watch each episode, I find myself humming jingles as I go about my day. If there is an advertising edition of Trivial Pursuit, I highly recommend you purchase it and ask me to be on your team. I’m a ringer.
I can also tell you what’s on sale each given week at Old Navy and Target. I’m a walking, talking circular. I’m not allowed to wear cargo pants this year, because they supposedly make me look old, but I sure know where they can be purchased at a low, low price for a limited time. Twice I’ve dragged Jim downtown to shop for items I’ve seen sandwiched between segments of the Oprah show. I never liked to shop before, but these bright, sassy commercials are turning my repulsion into compulsion.
This is one of the more surprising by-products of my daily viewing of the show. Oprah’s advertisers have become integrated into my daily intake of television. While I prefer to mute or fast-forward through the commercials during the rest of my TV-watching time, I think it’s important for me to absorb the full Oprah experience along with millions of other viewers. These ads become an extension of the show itself.
The Oprah audience is mainly female. Oprah.com says “Women outnumber men in the audience by a ratio of 19 to 1,” and women drive most of the purchasing for their households. If I were an advertiser, I’d covet the opportunity to be part of Oprah’s hour. When I see an ad for a product or service during the show, it is inextricably connected to the Queen of Talk herself. It’s almost as if Oprah is personally urging us to join Jenny Craig when those commercials play between segments of her episodes about weight loss. And doesn’t she want us to buy new tools from Lowe’s when she does a program about home makeovers? For a nation of susceptible TV viewers who have limited funds, it feels like a dangerous concoction to mix TV’s most influential woman and advertising.
Oprah has aired many episodes this year about fiscal responsibility. One of her experts, Suze Orman, has read us the riot act about chilling out when it comes to throwing our hard-earned dollars around. The country’s economy is circling down the drain because many of us are spending money we don’t actually have. Oprah and her panelists have urged us to be smart with our finances and to save. We’ve been informed about our hostess’s distaste for waste. She recommends that we stop to consider what we can live without. And yet it’s the nature of the television business that we don’t follow her well-meaning advice. To keep shows on TV, we must put money in advertisers’ pockets or else their dollars will dry up and our favorite shows will be canceled. I am dubious when television shows tell us to stop spending. I can’t help but think about Philip Morris’s Youth Tobacco Prevention Department or their QuitAssist® program. When I first heard about these, I just about fell out of my chair. Will Duncan Hines sponsor a diabetes support group next? If I hadn’t quit smoking back in 1997, the frustration I now feel over this corporate game-playing might make me reach for a cigarette.
I love my vulva!
Oprah told me I should.
I’m so relieved her new sexpert, Dr. Laura Berman, has convinced Oprah to use anatomical terms for a woman’s body. If I never hear the word “vajayjay” again, it’ll be too soon. I don’t want to pretend I’ve always been above embarrassment when it comes to discussing my body. When I was a preteen, I used to call the entire space below my navel and above my knees my “area.” In Oprah’s defense, at least “vajayjay” strongly insinuates the word “vagina” when used in context. “Area” could imply just about anything that takes up space. But hey, I was 11.
Oprah widens the sexual horizons of the daytime talk show audience. While I find her discussions pretty tame, it’s the nature of the beast that daytime television falls behind prime-time TV in raciness. The kids are home, after all. Oprah seems ready to break through the constraints of what’s socially acceptable to discuss before the kiddos’ bedtime. The sex-related shows contain warnings galore so concerned parents can turn on the DVR or whisk their children out of the living room and throw them in front of World of Warcraft on the computer instead. You know, so they don’t have to learn the evils of human sexuality.
I really appreciate the frankness of these shows. I would prefer they go even further in-depth, but I suppose baby steps are in order. Some of my blog readers were none too happy about such shows playing before the sun sets, but as a child-free woman, I say bring on the openness!
Oprah’s audience emulates her. I think it is her responsibility, as someone whose goal it is to empower women, to display as much comfort with the human body and sexuality as possible. Shame often surrounds the topic of our bodies and sex, so the more Oprah can let her guard down, the more we will. I know this is a tall order for someone who comes from a background of sexual abuse, so I appreciate and admire her growth in this area. One small step for woman, one giant leap for a mostly female viewing audience of millions.
Speaking of viewing, tonight I am in my bathroom, squatting over a hand mirror. Oprah and Dr. Berman have urged us to familiarize ourselves with our genitals. I surprised myself when I thought back and realized I haven’t done this since I still played cassettes on my boom box. I am not very intimidated by the assignment, but it is taking me ages to find a hand mirror. Once I finally locate the necessary prop, I have a little private time in the bathroom. I can’t help but sing “Getting to Know You” in my best Julie Andrews vibrato while I reflect upon my best side.
“Robyn?”
I leap about five feet in the air. I hadn’t heard Jim come home from work, and I nearly step on the mirror as I hustle to put on some pants. “I’m in here!” I call out to him.
Jim pokes his head in the bathroom, where I’ve just managed to button my jeans. For some reason, instead of telling him what I’ve been doing, I pretend I’ve just used the john and I flush the toilet and wash my hands.
“How was work?” I ask him. Then I recall another assignment I was given this morning and throw my arms around his neck, kissing him deeper than our usual peck hello. I count down in my head.
“10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1.”
I let him go.
He looks pleasantly surprised and asks what brought that on. I tell him Oprah advocated that women kiss their partners for ten seconds every day. He looks bummed out that it was Oprah, rather than he, who inspired the smooch. Immediately, I regret killing the moment.
In the following days, I can’t help imagining Dr. Berman and Oprah nodding enthusiastically as Jim and I kiss for our allotted seconds. While my husband is initially eager about this assignment, I’m kind of bored. It is making make-out time not so fun for me, and it’s not an overstatement to say I actually start to dread kissing my own partner, whom I adore and who is truly quite kissable. While I count down our kissing seconds in my head, I am certain Jim is counting down the days until this project is over. I’m hoping the new year will immediately erase Oprah’s presence from my bedroom.
Spontaneity is nonexistent lately. Oprah told her audience, “The first thing you need to do in preparing for sex… is wash yourself…. I’m just assuming that everybody has taken a shower.” Jim looks entirely confused every time things get steamy between us and I run to the bathroom to get clean. By the time I dry off, his mind is elsewhere. Maybe next time I should bring him with me. We think about Oprah’s advice every time we feel the least bit romantic, and this threesome is not enhancing my marriage. Her guidance has been helpful in many other aspects of my life, but Winfrey is no Spanish fly.
I’ve signed another contract. Oprah’s guaranteed a clutter-free home if we follow the plan laid out in the Oprah’s Clean Up Your Messy House Tour program. Oprah must know how to keep a house clean — from the photos I’ve seen of her various homes, her living space appears to be impeccable. I’ve come a long way as a housekeeper since the beginning of the year, but I’ve still got miles to go. I imagine Oprah and I have different methods and requirements when it comes to cleaning our homes.
Okrant:
Organize kitchen cabinets.
Spend ten minutes each day decluttering closets.
Stop accumulating kitchen gadgets.
Make sure drawers aren’t a struggle to close.
Oprah:
Hire housekeeper.
The Oprah’s Clean Up Your Messy House Tour is a mobile program that sends fleets of adorable VW Beetles around the country to help people like me. I don’t want an army of latex-gloved strangers in my home, so I’m not applying for direct help, but I am signing my contract and following the rules. The program is six months long, and it’s the first time I’ve been confronted with the concrete question about whether I’ll continue any of this once my year ends in 49 days. Not that I’m counting.
This is one area of my life I’m hoping to maintain. It’s nice to have breathing room in my small home. The cats have more fun when there are piles to hide behind, but it makes me feel stressed, distracted, and embarrassed. Jim even uses the word “declutter” now. It’s like our new hobby: our boring but satisfying hobby. Still, I’ve had this avocation for less than a year. Will the habits of decades be broken? My fingers are crossed.
Today I witnessed one of the reasons I believe Oprah has been able to build and maintain her popularity since 1986. I’ve already spoken about how her passion is magnetic, but so is her pain. Today she informed us of the passing of her beloved cocker spaniel Solomon. She shared her grief with us. She wept and so did I. Her pain recalled the loss of pets in my past. I don’t wish such sadness on anyone, but Oprah’s ability to display her deep emotion makes her so much more accessible to me. It is her unguarded feelings that allow her audience a heartfelt connection to her. While some believe her lifestyle makes her unable to relate to the average Jane, it is in times like these I think we are able to reestablish our bond, if we desire to maintain one. Sure, she’s guarded about many things that I wish she’d make more transparent, but in the moments when her boundaries dissipate and we see her express pain, embarrassment, joy, and excitement, she becomes human once again.
I think of Martha Stewart, also a media magnate and self-made success who has capitalized on her own passions. I’ve learned a lot of practical advice from her. In fact, my own interests fall more in line with Martha’s expertise than Oprah’s priorities. I believe Martha to be a strong teacher and a skilled, clever, and enthusiastic craftsperson. Yet, while she’s shared her marvelous hints about creative housekeeping over the years, she doesn’t have the same personal emotional connection to her audience that Oprah maintains. Martha appears more subdued and self-protective than Oprah. She doesn’t yell guests’ names like Tarzan or burst into an “ugly cry.” (Oprah’s self-proclaimed “ugly cry” is just what it sounds like — an unrestrained display of genuine emotion, complete with tears, snot, and running mascara.) I get the sense that Martha is perceived as a contained and controlled authority figure, while Oprah is embraced as everyone’s BFF.
After today’s show, even I wanted to give Oprah a comforting hug. I’ve never felt as if Martha needed my hug, but I’m not offended. It’s way too dangerous to hug a woman with a hot glue gun in her hand, anyway.
My family rocks.
Not in a “my dad lays down the beats while sister makes her guitar gently weep” kind of way. It’s more of a “I can’t believe my family supports me so much they’re allowing me to hijack their favorite holiday” sort of deal. I am incredibly grateful to be part of this gene pool. For the most part, we all enjoy one another’s company and support each other’s endeavors. I’d have to push pretty hard to cause them to turn their backs on me, but I might have finally discovered a way to test their limits. It’s a little something we’re all calling Oprah Thanksgiving.
They’ve allowed me to kidnap our tried-and-true (and much loved) turkey day menu and replace it with recipes I’ve gathered from Oprah’s show, magazine, and website. Usually, our family is mighty laid back when we converge upon my mom and dad’s home in New Hampshire. For my relatives who enjoy watching television, there is parade, football, and National Dog Show viewing. As we watch the well-groomed pups prance around, my family asks what happened with Oprah’s advocacy of Pennsylvania’s Dog Law early this year. I inform them it passed last month. There is a brief cheer before everyone returns to planning their Black Friday shopping strategies. There is eating and there is more eating. And there is a lot of sitting around, relaxing, catching up, and laughing. It’s loosey-goosey, and everyone looks forward to it all year. This year, I’m surprising everyone with activities suggested in Oprah’s various media. This enforced structure is either going to be a hit or a groaner.
Our holiday is loosely collaborative. My dad makes the turkeys, my mom and my aunt Rayna cook the myriad of side dishes and bake desserts. And by “bake desserts,” I mean buy them. The remainder of us pitch in when we are asked or allowed. This year, we’re going full-out potluck. Oprah.com tells us to “share dinner duties.” My mom and I have gone through all the Thanksgiving-specific recipes on the website and in O to plan the menu, and I’ve doled out the responsibilities accordingly. I was a bit shy about asking my relatives to bend to Oprah’s will, but for the most part, they jumped at the opportunity to be part of my project.
Now it’s time for our big dinner, and we’re all sitting around my parents’ dining room table oohing and ahhing. Everyone looks ready to dig into the meal, but they have to put up with me taking photos and video of the table before we eat. Luckily, the novelty of Oprah Thanksgiving hasn’t yet worn off, and everyone remains patient and plays along, smiling for the camera. Then I notice a few folks taking stock of what is missing from the table. Sure, the new dishes look like fun, but will we survive without our much-beloved brisket? And where the (insert explicative here) are the mashed potatoes? I better green-light the start of this meal before there is a mutiny.
No one will tell me exactly how much they spent creating their recipes. I, of course, kept track of my receipts for the sake of the project, but my family refuses to tell me their expenses, insisting it was their duty to bring the dish and so it’s none of my business what they spent. Still, I would wager my two beloved cats that they spent far more than usual. I know this because of the extensive ingredient list for each recipe and because there isn’t a can of cranberry sauce or a french-fried onion–coated green bean casserole in sight. And, most telling of all, the good china and silver came out.
Here’s a little compare-contrast list of the usual Okrant family turkey day versus Oprah Thanksgiving. You’ll note I stayed in people’s comfort zones, lest they revolt.
| Okrant | Oprah |
|---|---|
| Green bean casserole with french-fried onions (Did somebody say cream of mushroom soup?) | Slow-Roasted Green Beans with Sea Salt and Olive Oil (Nice. The goopy soup and onions were missed fiercely, though.) |
| Green salad (with countless bottles of dressing for everyone to choose from) | Festive Holiday Salad (Really nice. Restaurant-y.) |
| Relish Tray (kosher pickles, black and green olives. My sister and I wipe this out before the meal begins.) | Bacon-Nut Stuffing (I loved this. I was the only one, much to my delight. More for me.) |
| Canned cranberry sauce. (Can’t help it, I think the ridges from the aluminum can make it taste delicious.) | Cranberry Fruit Conserve (This was a family favorite!) |
| Mashed potatoes (homemade, hand-mashed. Adored by my family. Even eaten on leftover turkey sandwiches the next day, along with a slice of cranberry sauce.) | Roasted Rosemary Potatoes with Garlic and Shallots (We loved this side dish. And we learned where the shallots are in the supermarket. Those suckers are expensive and hard to peel, but delicious.) |
| Roast turkey (two of ’em. There’s lots of us and we require major leftovers.) | Classic Roast Turkey (Good. Needed to be babysat more than our usual birds.) |
| Gravy. (Created by Team Gravy. My cousin Steven and I even wear T-shirts with the Team Gravy logo on them while we whisk. Ridiculous? Yes. Classy? No. Fun? Totally.) | Turkey Gravy (I’m biased, but I think Team Gravy puts this to shame.) |
| Sweet potato casserole. (Yes. With the mini marshmallows. A classic.) | Thyme-Roasted Baby Carrots (Another fave. We don’t usually break out the fresh herbs, but it was great.) |
| Baked sweet potatoes. (Because not everyone likes mini marshmallows.) | Sweet Potato and Pecan Pie with Cinnamon Cream (I didn’t eat this one, but nobody liked it. It sounded delicious, but there were lots of grimaces.) |
| Pumpkin pie, pecan pie, apple pie (all slathered with spray whipped topping. I never understood my family’s fondness for this, but I support their right to enjoy pressurized “dairy” food.) | Low-Fat Pumpkin-Banana Mousse Tart (Everyone says it’s blah — but still the best of all the desserts. I stay mum as my cousins break out the spray whipped topping. Do they carry the stuff in holsters?) |
| Baked apples (There’s always someone on a diet in my family, so we like to have some dessert alternatives available.) | Cream Cheese–Chocolate Chip Cookies (not on the Thanksgiving menu, but my aunt threw them in the mix for people to munch on. People took one bite and left the rest on their plates.) |
I think there were positives and negatives about dinner, but overall, I found it really fun. I especially enjoyed going grocery shopping with my mom, dad, and Jim on Wednesday. It was like a scavenger hunt. Also, it’s nice to think and eat outside the box every now and then. Ruts are safe and comfortable, but a breath of fresh air is much appreciated. After we polish off our meal, we all agree that next year we’ll bring back the carrots and, without a doubt, those rosemary potatoes. I could sleep on a bed of those suckers and be content.
Between our delightful dinner and our disappointing dessert, we play a little icebreaker getting to know you game that was suggested on Oprah.com. Jim is responsible for copying the questions suggested on the website onto small cards, and while everyone digests we are meant to answer such things as:
A couple of these Oprah-approved questions are asked, but then Jim rebels and sneaks in some deeper, more meaningful queries.
This is when the party really gets started. I can say without a shadow of a doubt I am learning more about my father than I ever knew before. Why must he be so descriptive with his answers? It’s a possibility I might be in therapy for many years to work through it all.
The game itself appears to be a form of training wheels for families without a lot to talk about. My family, never at a loss for words, definitely enjoys the activity but is eager to get back to our own conversations once the game is over. Everyone eats a bit of dessert, but not much of it, and then scatters around the house to nap, catch up, watch football, or plan their shopping excursions for the next day.
I run upstairs to put together the hostess gift Oprah has suggested on a recent show about how to have a thrifty holiday. She thinks one of the nicest things a person can receive is a personal note of gratitude.
She says, “The words from your heart mean more to people than anything you can buy.”
As someone who has kept meaningful notes since childhood, I totally agree and am excited to create this gift for Mom. Earlier in the day, I gave everyone a card on which to write a note, and I’ve just gathered everyone’s missives. I am putting the finishing touches on a collage-covered box (smothered with images of Oprah) to house the cards. I’m a little worried that my mom might think the gift is corny but am pleasantly surprised when we present the box to her. She is touched by the thoughtfulness. I give all the credit to Oprah. Although, to be honest, a couple relatives grumbled a bit about having to write their sentiments on paper. I think sometimes folks feel a lot of pressure to be eloquent, but my mom had no complaints.
As the family starts thinking about leftovers, I have to go to my old room to watch a tape of today’s Oprah. My dad sweetly recorded the rerun earlier this afternoon so I could spend time with the gang. As I grab my notebook and a pen and hit play on the VCR, I hear my family bursting with laughter downstairs. I get suddenly and unexpectedly sad. I am upstairs, watching TV and taking in all of Oprah’s words, unable to spend precious time with my family. It dawns on me that much of my year has been the same: watching TV, following advice, trying to find my elusive “best life.” All the while, my “real life” slides past in a blur.
Photo © Jim Stevens
My dad and I scoop up the Roasted Rosemary Potatoes with Garlic and Shallots.
Photo © Jim Stevens
My family enjoys an Oprah Thanksgiving (without mashed potatoes).
November 2008 Accounting
| Date | Assignment | Cost | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11/1 | Read O from cover to cover. (LO) | 4h 0m | ||
| 11/3 | “Love your vulva.” (SHOW) | 0h 0m | Oh, I do. (O) | |
| 11/3 | Kiss Jim for 10 seconds every day (SHOW) | 0h 10m | Daily (O) | |
| 11/3 | Look at my genitals in a hand mirror. (SHOW) | 0h 5m | Yup. Still there. | |
| 11/4 | Vote. (SHOW) | 0h 10m | I love Election Day. | |
| 11/4 | “Nobody should watch alone.” (SHOW) | 5h 0m | Invited friends over to watch election. | |
| 11/6 | “Private invitation: Shop the all-new Oprahstore.com!” (E-MAIL) | 0h 15m | I came, I shopped, I did not spend. | |
| 11/6 | “There’s seven seconds in this film that will change your life forever.” (movie: Seven Pounds with Will Smith) (SHOW) | 12.00 | 1h 58m | We saw it. Weren’t sure which 7 seconds were supposed to be life-changing, though. |
| 11/6 | Watch Oprah on 30 Rock. (“Tune in tonight!”) (SHOW) | 0h 30m | Check. | |
| 11/10 | See movie Australia. (“It’s a definite must-go-see.”) (SHOW) | 20.00 | 2h 45m | Longest. Movie. Ever. |
| 11/10 | “We’re gonna start callin ’em bikkies, too!” (SHOW) | 0h 0m | For the remainder of 2008, I will call cookies “bikkies” like the Australians do. Oprah finds it fabulous. | |
| 11/11 | “Live with cellulite. Be happy.” (SHOW) | 0h 0m | Trying. Not poking my butt in front of the mirror anymore. That’s a start. (O) | |
| 11/12 | “I want you to look around your house right now. Is it messy? Is it disorganized? Are there piles of stuff lying everywhere?” (SHOW) | 0h 1m | No. It’s lookin’ pretty good. | |
| 11/12 | “So, if somebody shows up at your door and says, ‘Peter sent me,’ do not let them in.” (SHOW) | 0h 0m | Warning her audience about fakers pretending to be with the Oprah and Peter Walsh Clean Up Your Messy House Tour. (O) | |
| 11/12 | “If you’re ready to clean up your messy house… sign up at Oprah.com and join our tour. You’ll receive monthly homework assignments. Don’t overwhelm yourself. Don’t try to turn in your assignments early. Just stay with the program, okay?” (SHOW) | 8h 10m | 10 minutes a day (O) | |
| 11/13 | See Marley & Me. (SHOW) | 21.50 | 2h 0m | Oprah said I will “love” Marley & Me, starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson. Saw it. |
| 11/18 | “So, the next time you’re walking down the street and you see someone who looks different, like seven-foot-tall Brendan… don’t just stop and stare or pass by and then, you know, whisper to your friends. What he wants you to do is look him in the eye and say hello.” (SHOW) | 0h 0m | I’m doing this — but have to say, if I’m walking down the street in my back brace and someone says hello because of it, I’m going to be very uncomfortable. (O) | |
| 11/19 | See The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. (SHOW) | 11.00 | 2h 46m | Well, Oprah did say it was the movie to see. |
| 11/21 | “The first thing you need to do, in preparing for sex, I say, is wash yourself…. I’m just assuming that everybody is taking a shower.” (SHOW) | 0h 30m | I’ll let you guess — did I take just one very long shower before sex, or lots and lots of super short ones? | |
| 11/21 | “And what this says, everybody, is that you constantly have to work at it. And the most important thing… is that if you’re thinking that it’s going to just naturally happen, you are mistaken.” (SHOW) | 0h 0m | Regarding sex and long-term relationships (O) | |
| 11/24 | “That’s who you call. Call Lowe’s!” (SHOW) | 0h 3m | I called to ask about chairs. This was the last assignment I completed on 12/31. | |
| 11/25 | “Get rid of your toxic friends.” (SHOW) | 0h 0m | (O) | |
| 11/25 | “So, everybody needs to stock their shelves with beans” and “Add more beans to your diet. And they’re cheaper, too.” (SHOW) | 39.63 | 0h 45m | soooomaaaaanyyyyy beeeeeansssssss |
| 11/26 | “You must rinse well, inside and out… and then pat it dry and place the turkey in a large roasting pan.” (SHOW) | 0h 5m | Ew. | |
| 11/26 | “If you have a friend who has a dog, you must give them this book. And you write the inscription to the person and their dog. And they will love it.” (SHOW) | 25.75 | 0h 30m | Bought, inscribed, and wrapped The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, a novel by David Wroblewski. |
| 11/26 | “Take Cristina Ferrare’s step-by-step cooking class online on Oprah.com.” (SHOW) | 0h 25m | Watched video of Ferrare making turkey, gravy, sweet potatoes, biscuits, cranberry sauce, creamed spinach, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. I’m salivating. | |
| 11/26 | Make Pumpkin Chiffon Pie. (SHOW) | 4.93 | 0h 45m | Done on Christmas as my aunt already made a pie for Thanksgiving. ($1.19 pumpkin, $2.49 crust, $1.25 sugar… sister-in-law provided the remainder of ingredients) |
| 11/27 | “First, my thrifty idea for a hostess gift: Create a gratitude box. Give out the notecards to all the guests and then ask them write a special note to the host. And then put all the notes in the box.” (SHOW) | 0h 45m | Mom loved it. | |
| 11/27 | Play getting to know you game. (WEB) | 0h 45m | Jim led the game, my whole family played. | |
| 11/27 | Oprah Thanksgiving (WEB) | 105.23 | 7h 30m | This was a drop in the bucket, costwise. It was all I was allowed to contribute to the dinner financially. My mom can give you a better idea of the price tag. (time was for planning, shopping, prep, cooking) |
| 11/28 | Give Inconvenient Truth to friends and family. (SHOW) | 19.99 | 0h 15m | It was actually hard to find someone who hadn’t seen it. |
| Date | Assignment | Cost | Time | Notes |
| Throughout Month | Watch every episode of Oprah. (LO) | 20h 0m | 20 shows | |
| Throughout Month | Do Best Life Challenge exercise. (BLC) | 5h 20m | 80 minutes a week for 4 weeks | |
| Throughout Month | Take A Course in Miracles. (WEB/SHOW) | 7h 30m | approx. 15 minutes a day for 30 days | |
| MONTHLY TOTAL | 260.03 | 72h 53m | ||
| YEAR-TO-DATE TOTAL | 4,352.67 | 1135h 47m | ||
ONGOING PROJECTS
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| Accounting Abbreviations: LO = Living Oprah Project Task, SHOW = The Oprah Winfrey Show, WEB = Oprah.com, MAG = O, The Oprah Magazine, BC = Oprah’s Book Club, BLC = Best Life Challenge, (O) = ongoing project | ||||
Photo © Jim Stevens
Oprah’s right - beans ARE healthy and thrifty… but they are also really heavy to carry home from the grocery store!
Blog: Clean Up Your Messy House Tour: http://www.livingoprah.com/2008/11/cleanliness-is-next-to-oprahness.html
Blog: Beauty: http://www.livingoprah.com/2008/11/frowning-causes-wrinkles.html
Blog: Dreams of Oprah: http://www.livingoprah.com/2008/11/i-dream-of-oprah.html