Defrost a refrigerator together. Especially if that refrigerator is a Samsung and you are in the habit of defrosting it several times a year. I hate our refrigerator. The fan “freezes” up and then it slowly gets warmer in there (but only the fridge, not the freezer). My wonderfully versatile and skilled husband can fix … Continue reading How to Keep the Love Alive in Any Relationship
Relationships
Honoring Friends
With all the negativity circulating social media and most often in my morning news feed, I made a couple of self-preservation decisions. One was to start my morning with coffee and my journal. In other words, I don’t start my day reading the stuff that gets my blood pumping. I’m journaling “almost” regularly now, like … Continue reading Honoring Friends
Flashback: July 25, 1989
July 25, 1989 I realize now just what I need in a relationship with that degree of commitment. I need to be me, plain and simple, and never lose my separate identity. I’m aware of my good qualities in spite of the bad, and that I should never put up with bullshit, because it’s not … Continue reading Flashback: July 25, 1989
Dad
It’s taken me a very long time to sit down and write this. It’s difficult to explain – it’s not anything bad or to suggest indifference, but I just can’t seem to put this relationship into words. Or, maybe, I just don’t want to share it with anyone else. In brief public statements, I … Continue reading Dad
Road Trip – Survival of the Fittest
It’s that time of year again – state bowling tournament and a road trip for Todd and me. I love road trips. I’ve had this idea of driving cross-country for over twenty years. I imagined driving across the southern states to California and then back east across the northern states. I guess you could say … Continue reading Road Trip – Survival of the Fittest
What? or, I Didn’t Hear That?
Another blessing of being middle-aged – hearing loss. I’m simultaneously being sarcastic, and serious. Most of the time I find it annoying, since people who inherently speak in lower tones will be speaking to the deaf if they’re talking to me. Here’s how you can tell when I’m not hearing you: I lean in slowly … Continue reading What? or, I Didn’t Hear That?
Never Date Somebody You’ve Never Noticed
Imagine that you one day meet someone who has been admiring you from afar that you didn’t even know existed before they mustered up the courage to enter your orbit. Imagine that you’ve been pining away for someone else entirely. Now imagine that this secret admirer asks you out. You are either flattered or horrified. … Continue reading Never Date Somebody You’ve Never Noticed
Overheard in a Fitting Room
A 10-year-old walks into a space-challenged fitting room after trying on a dress, and wedges herself into the corner seat. The click of hangers and whoosh of fabrics … a few seconds of trivial conversation turns to this. Dad really loves Stephanie. I hope so. I’m glad. You want him to be happy. Yes, … Continue reading Overheard in a Fitting Room
Snowfalls, Remembered
Over a glass of Knob Creek, and after an impromptu cleanup of an overflowing toilet in the kids’ bathroom... All this snow – and a Facebook post by a friend who lives in New York City – had me thinking about snowfalls past. While I was a student at NYU, I loved the days … Continue reading Snowfalls, Remembered
Respect, Accountability, and a New Name
It’s 10 a.m. on a Tuesday morning, the day after MLK, Jr. day. Not a sound in the house… because my children are still sleeping. That’s because they were up late partying with their uncle Matt, playing Wii, until Veruca came and woke me at midnight to announce she was going to bed. Why Veruca, … Continue reading Respect, Accountability, and a New Name
The Tara Chronicles 