Traditions are special to me.Traditions that involve my family are even more special to me.Not surprisingly, I loosely assume that is the case for most of us. Traditions are established or customary patterns of practices, customs, values and/or actions passed from generation to generation and usually not written down. The one I am focused on Continue reading

Her name was Kara and she totally intimidated me. She was my roommate when I transferred to University of Florida as a broken-hearted sophomore. (That’s a whole other column!)  She was from Atlanta, an only child, seemingly spoiled rotten. I gauged this assumption based on the frequency and size of the care packages that arrived Continue reading

Just like Alexander in the book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible No Good, Very Bad Day, I am not having a good day. And I hate everything. I hate that this country is so divided.I hate that anti-Semitism is rising exponentially. I hate that all media outlets are biased.  I hate that my printer malfunctions and can only be replaced Continue reading

My mom and dad kept the family together by hosting weekly dinners at their house on Sunday evenings during the years my husband and I were raising our kids. The menu didn’t vary much – the mainstay was grilled filet mignon steaks. A huge favorite for my kids was the “free samples” they got from my Continue reading

Okay.I’m 77 years old. I’m finally coming to terms with things I will never be good at:AccountingGiving bloodBallet On the other hand, I’m cultivating and enhancing things I’m already partially skilled at – taking them to a new level. Like having FUN! Yes, I’m taking time for frivolity.  We in Tampa have a Mardi Gras type celebration in the Continue reading

I’m ashamed of myself. This month my book club elected to read a book on the NYT Best Seller List: James – a reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I ordered it from Amazon and when it arrived – without reading much about it – I casually glanced at the opening pages and was startled to see a very unfamiliar Continue reading

A few years ago, I passed out a survey to a cluster of couples of varying ages whom I considered to have a “solid, well-functioning” relationship. (Is there even such a thing?  Hee hee!) Primarily I asked them what irritated and/or annoyed them most about their mates or partners.  Here’s a sample of their responses: HUSBANDS Continue reading

This week a close friend of mine sent me the following quote:Happiness equals success over expectations I couldn’t agree more. Discontent is fed by our unmet expectations for others. I have them.And a lot of my friends have them too.  Mainly these unmet expectations are over our children – their choices, their priorities, their valuesand the way they lead Continue reading

I’m not crazy about Valentine’s Day.I’m not crazy about Mother’s Day either – or any day that singles out an emotion like romantic love and/or parenting prowess. If my family’s response to these two holidays doesn’t meet my expectations, I get depressed. Then I get angry. Then I start questioning whether I am I a great mother or partneror even Continue reading

I could not only buy this sweatshirt, but could wear it daily. And I’d get lots and lots of nods in agreement. Every time a friend shares a confidence or a slightly off-color joke or a controversial political opinion, they jokingly, but also quite seriously, inquire of me the following:  I’m not going to see this Continue reading