Author: Iris Ruth Pastor

I think I am a slow learner. I have been a mother since 1970 – that’s 56 years. You think I would have perfected my role by now. Nope. But I feel better knowing that my good friends and neighbors aren’t so savvy about parenting their adult kids either. My pal Georgia is visiting her Continue reading

My sister is ten years younger than me. So for a long period of time we had little in common and I viewed her as an extremely annoying interloper into my family of origin. The nerve of her – like when she stuck her sticky little fingers into my 500-piece stash of Bazooka Bubble Gum Continue reading

I am not a psychologist. I’m not an expert in human relationships nor a researcher into the human brain and psyche. I’m just a plain ordinary person trying to live her best life in harmony with my family. Here’s how I truly believe you can achieve family harmony: LOWER YOUR EXPECTATIONS ThIs revelation did not Continue reading

I have a grandson who will soon be turning 18. I thought buying a birthday present for him would be very easy. Why? Because he loves Legos and goodness knows, the sheer variety of things to be built with Legos is endless. Imagine my dismay, when he nixed my idea quite succinctly. I take it Continue reading

When Did This House Become Home? I stood at the window and watched the rain. The trees were still barren, although the buds were just starting to appear all over the wobbly branches. Across the street, I could see the lights in my neighbor’s kitchen. I turned around to face the room. My antique cookie Continue reading

I admit I have a soft spot for World War II veterans – also known as “The Greatest Generation”. They were born between 1901 and 1927 and they were powerfully impacted by both the Great Depression and World War II. Tom Brokaw, in his book The Greatest Generation first coined the term – based on how these Continue reading

What Do I Love?Lists! I love thinking about them. I love making them. I love organizing them. And I LOVE crossing items OFF of them! Why am I so enamored by Lists? Lists quantify and provide a sense of progress and completeness Lists simplify – breaking down information into easily digestible bite-size chunks Lists create Continue reading

Father’s Day is coming up soon – on June 21. Never too early to start planning how to honor our dads. And I hope the below column jumpstarts your thoughts on how to honor the man whose genes you carry. Father’s Day memories are most poignant when specific. I love it when every year my research turns up Continue reading

Dear Sophie, Benjy, Charlie, Bobbie, Lucy, Levi, Remi and Zoe,  Your Nana is not perfect – which probably will come as no surprise to you – as who knows what my loving sons say about me in the privacy of their own homes. Hee Hee! Either way – by my own admission right now or your dads’– Continue reading

I’m driving down the highway half listening to NPR in my car. “Florida Matters Live & Local” is on the air and Dr. Deby Cassill, an associate professor of biology at USF, is chatting about the role of love bugs in the ecosystem and how in the past they inflicted damage on our cars’ paint Continue reading