“I have so many ideas,” my sister-in-law, Catherine gushed, when I told her I would be making holiday plants for my daughter’s Christmas market. “Like gluing succulents to driftwood…” “Uh, huh,” I muttered. “Or you can put the succulents in antique Christmas cups,” she added. Unfortunately, I was plum out of antique Christmas cups. And […]
The Nightmare Before Christmas Read More »
I go through sunglasses at an alarming rate, which is why I try to keep three pairs on hand at all times: a regular pair, a spare pair, and a desperation pair. My desperation pair usually has parts missing, but it gets the job done. Unfortunately, sometimes all three pairs go MIA, and that’s when
Hasta La Vista, Sunglasses! Read More »
In 2018, Steve and I went on vacation to Kauai with our daughter, Parker and her friend, Cass. On our last night, we enjoyed dinner on a rooftop bar, overlooking the ocean. The four of us talked about the hiking and snorkeling we had enjoyed that week. At some point, the conversation turned to marriage,
Trouble in Paradise Read More »
My husband, Steve, and I have 11 pillows on our bed right now. Once upon a time, we had two pillows. This is my pillow. That is your pillow. Good night. Those were simpler times. Over time, the pillows multiplied. Two turned into four, and four into eight, and so on. It was like Noah’s
If you read my recent story about my mom, Nina (read: https://midlifebloomer.com/bong-boy/), you’d know that she is living her best life as a one-woman neighborhood watch. Nina continues to keep tabs on BongBoy as she peers at him through the front shutters. He is usually parked right across the street so they see each other
A Chip Off the Old Block Read More »
Steve and I were walking through our neighborhood a few weeks ago when something caught his eye. He stopped, mesmerized. “Wowza,” he said. My eyes followed his gaze. Seeing the object of his affection, I sighed. Who could blame him? “Definitely fake,” I said. “Nope, definitely real,” he said, unable to pull his gaze away.
I live in California. California is full of sunshine and beautiful beaches. What it’s not full of is friendly people. Whenever I go for a run I say hello to my fellow runners. What I get in return is silence. Okay, this is the part where you say hi back. Or hello. I’d love a
Shiny Happy People Read More »
In the past year, I’ve noticed a trend with a certain greeting. At first I thought the greeting was harmless, even pleasant. But now I know better, and I’m here to tell you that strangers who call you MY FRIEND are anything but. I’m not saying they’re diabolical, but trust me, they’re about to take
When my mom, Nina, and I walk, we generally talk about Nina’s gal pals, Barbara, Carol and Carol Jo. These are intricate tales that involve not just Barbara and the Carols, but every relative, friend, and living human associated with these gals. I need cliff notes to follow. Lately, however, Nina has found someone new
After 33 years of marriage you’d think Steve and I would be used to all of our annoying habits “fun quirks.” For example, I’ve gotten used to the fact that every time Steve sneezes, it will not be 1-3 times, like a normal person with appropriate sinuses. It will be upward of 10 times, like