Valentine I Love You.

I love my Valentine.  I love the holiday to celebrate my Valentine.  I love, love.  I’m a bit of a minority I think.  Chatting with friends over the last couple of days made me realize a lot of people out there don’t like the holiday as it seems too...

My Mom is NEVER Sick

I was sick last week but nobody in my family took me seriously.  It’s like I said, “Hey guys!  It’s Tuesday.”  Life goes on.  I tried to imagine what they saw in the 36 hour window of my illness. Probably nothing since they are blind to stacks...

Turning 50. Yippee!

I just turned 50.  I didn’t freak out or cry.  I didn’t buy a sports car or get a facelift.  Things are different, however.  In just a short time, I’m finding fifty-year-olds surprisingly friendly. “Welcome to the club,” most of them say to me. Gosh,...

The Best Present Ever: Chickens

I started a chicken collection with this simple statement a few years ago, “I like chickens.” I don’t remember saying it. The words were uttered when I wanted to keep the ceramic chickens from my parent’s house, circa 1956. My older sister never forgot. In fact, she...

Christmas Shopping for Teenage Boys

Shopping for Christmas used to be fun. It might have something to do with the fact I am a mom AND I have teenage boys. I am not alone. Every boy mom I greet, immediately after hello comes, “What are you getting your boys for Christmas?” We are dumbfounded, having...

How To Carve A Turkey in Less Than Six Minutes

I was born to a Turkey Carver and I married a Turkey Carver. Call it Darwinian good luck or God saving me for something better, like blogging.  Even though my dad was a master carver, I am not. I did not get that gene and I don’t care. I can roast the turkey, mash the...

Remembering Veterans. Remembering My Dad.

It’s been two-and-half years since my dad passed away. My friend warned me, mourning the loss of a parent is like a vortex. You are spinning around in life, feeling fine. Then suddenly you are sucked in to the sorrow and spit back out. You don’t know when it’s going...

Spooks and Surprises and Mom, Oh My!

“Welcome Fraidy Cats!” That’s the greeting signage at my front door for Halloween. Frankly, fraidy cats are welcome anytime of the year as I could use the company. Every day can be Halloween at my house. It’s not like it’s haunted or we dress in orange and black...

She For She: Every-Day Ways Women Help Women.

Growing up in the 70s, I was lucky to be told I could be whatever I wanted to be by mom.  She was a huge fan of Gloria Steinem, admiring the voice she didn’t have to promote equal rights for women, at least not publicly.  She could tell me.  Over forty years...

Sweet Revenge. The Good Kind.

Revenge is sweet sometimes. Yes, the feeling of getting even is gratifying but often times it comes about by a mean act, sinful really. Sometimes revenge can be a way to settle the score, nicely. A time when nobody gets hurt but the message is heard. I found myself in...