Sitting with a group of girlfriends at a local vineyard, enjoying the expansive view and yummy wines, and the wine server gave us napkins inscribed with gold letters, asking: “If you could have one wish, what would it be?” We settled in for a lively exchange of ideas. We agreed to include only the wishes […]
Happily Married, But Sleeping Apart. Seven Reasons Why
I have a confession to make. Hubs and I don’t sleep in the same bed. Yes, we share the same bedroom. Just not the same bed. Yes, we’re still crazy about each other. As Baby Boomers get older, we begin to realize the importance of a good night’s sleep. Culturally, we are expected to sleep […]
Grandma’s Rules. #1: What Rules?
“Mimi.” “Nana.” “Nanny.” “GG.” “G-Ma.” All names for Grandma. Whether you prefer one over another because your offspring’s tiny mini-me’s have two or more grandmothers and you want to reduce the wee one’s confusion as to exactly which grandma is on the phone, or because the word “Grandma” makes you feel like Aunt Bee of […]
I Was Going to Release My New Book This Month. My Appendix Decided to Explode and Try to Kill Me. Guess Who Won?
I grew up with three brothers and two sisters. I was always the “strong one.” Common childhood maladies sailed by me without slowing down. Like many multiple-child households at that time, if Mom noticed a rash on one kid, she’d stuff us in a room together for a day or two and get all her […]
Mom for the Holidays. A Truly Joyful Read!
“If You’re a Fly on the Wall in My House in December” by Marcia Kester Doyle If you’re a fly on the wall in my house in December, you’ll get quite dizzy with our frenzied holiday preparations. You might even land in my spiked eggnog, so don’t believe everything you overhear in […]
22 Best Dadisms About Life
There are many different ways to raise children, and debates can become emotionally heated when parents differ as to which one of those ways is the “best” one. Whether your style is more Pa and Ma from Little House (“We just hug it out”), the Jolie-Pitts (“Discipline stifles a child’s creativity”), or the Duggars (“My child […]
Empty Nest. First You Cry. Then You Laugh
“Empty Nest.” Every parent knows what that means. Some dread it. Some look forward to it. Either way, if you have kids, it’s going to happen. It’s normal and natural for our children to leave home somewhere between 18-22 years of age, to begin life as reasonably sane, independent adults. But after almost two decades […]
How Dad Learned to Go From Blog-to-Book. In One Day
In a recent conversation with my dad, we were chatting about book marketing and ideas on how to get the word out about my recent book, Who Left the Cork Out of My Lunch? He’s kind of a marketing guru, with a outside-the-box, creative bent. After an hour or so, as I gathered up my […]
Downsizing (aka “Giving All Your Crap to Your Kids”)
Check any magazine counter and you’ll find shelves full of articles about downsizing. An entire generation of baby boomers are discovering the freedom of owning less and doing more. We’re selling our four-bedroom family homes and 500-square foot houses or condos, trading in our expensive cars (and hefty payments) for RVs to travel the countryside, and […]
13 Mistakes You Might be Making with Your Daughter-in-Law
Last night, I watched Monster-in-Law, where Jane Fonda plays the mother of a young man who falls in love and marries a lovely girl. Mama Jane is determined not to be replaced as the most important woman in her son’s life and proceeds to hilariously undermine their relationship at every possible turn. It all works out in the end, […]
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