This Sunday’s New York Times reminds me anew of all the reasons I love my Sunday morning newspaper. There were so many articles this week that captured my imagination, my emotions and my heart.

Lately, I’ve been quickly skimming the political articles and vitriolic news headlines knowing that they could easily ruin my day because Sunday is my one escape from our all news, all the time media environment.  Instead, I luxuriate in the little human stories that I might otherwise miss or never discover when relying on online news.

Here’s a few I’d recommend to you:
Main News Section: With No More Cowboys Taking Vows, Monastery Quits the Cattle Business. As a lifelong urbanite, this was an intimate trip into both the monastic life and farm life. These dual tough callings were shared through the eyes of  76 year old Brother Placid Gross, He is an archetype we too rarely see.– strong, silent and devout.

From the Sunday Styles section: Maybe it’s Time for Plan C. So many women’s magazines glamorize the career-switcher or re-inventor who trades in a conventional job for a thrilling new life. This article reminds us of the reality facing most entrepreneurs including long hours, low pay, uncertainty and no benefits. It’s not all cupcakes out there, girlfriend, when everyone wants to be a chocolatier or wedding planner.

Also in that section, Through Books, A Grief Allayed. How one woman read a book a day to recover from the loss of her beloved sister.  Her blog readallday.org attracted many others to share the volumes that saved their lives or gave them new meaning.

From the Sunday Review: I Won’t Have the Stomach for This. How likely is it that you’d enjoy reading an article about a woman with stomach cancer? But this wonderful essay about the last weeks before surgery when the author and her husband ate gustfully and lovingly along the East Coast, savoring great meals as though they were their last (it was hers) was such a delicious journey of love, lust and gluttony. The good news is she can still eat…but in ladylike tidbits.

In the same section A brief interview with Anthony Bourdain of TV’s “No Reservations” was a little slip of a delight . I want to check out his music picks and Twitter faves.

In the Travel Section: After 500 Miles, Hitting a Wall. I read earlier about writer Bruce Weber’s plan to recreate a cross-country bike trip of his youth as a 57 year old. Now 500 miles into the journey, it was both hard and heartening to catch up with him. The road has forced him to pare down both his possessions and ambitions as summer heat and aging flesh took their toll. My favorite quote: “Moving forward is the cure for all ills. Keep pedaling.”

I save the Sunday Magazine for last, holding off till late day. The New York Times is the central structure of an unstructured Sunday. And I like it that way.

Related articles

• Dining & Wine – The New York Times (introenologia.wordpress.com)
• The newspapers that should follow the New York Times (blogs.ft.com)
• The Road Giveth and Taketh a Bit, Too (intransit.blogs.nytimes.com)