Play With No Purpose
A personal goal for 2016 - and one I plan to carry into this new year— take more time to play. Play with no purpose in mind. Let go of my to-do list, turn off my phone, stop worrying about what...
View ArticleOur Marriage Notebook – Dates With A Little Red Book
A few years ago, I gave my husband a simple and inexpensive valentine—a small, red notebook. Inside the front cover, I wrote a message to my sweetheart. I proposed, with this notebook in hand, we sit...
View ArticleDownsizing and Letting Go of Stuff
Our two sons were finishing college when my husband of 30 years accepted a new job. All was good, except for one tiny detail. This position was located 780 miles from our home. All our stuff –...
View ArticleMy New Thing For Today Project
Two years ago today, on my 57th birthday, I embarked on a project. I pledged to do one new thing—every single day—for the following year. As it turned out, one year of novel activities, both large and...
View ArticleDr. Bill Bellet – A Positive Perspective Exercise
The 21-day project, outlined by Dr. Bill Bellet, seems simple enough. Perform four, easy tasks each day. If you skip one of the assignments for the day, you must start over with the entire three-week...
View ArticleDr. Bill Bellet – Happy Self and Relationships
Personal happiness is a hot topic these days. We can find loads of books and podcasts on the subject. Checklists abound for what we need to do to be happy – count our blessings, get plenty of sleep,...
View ArticleHow Do You Beat the Winter Blues?
I dread this weekend. Sunday morning, after we turn our clocks back, I will sink into my annual semi-funk. Next week, with darkness arriving before the workday ends, I’ll be ready for dinner at 5 and...
View ArticleSlay the Worry Monster
As he leaned against the door of a New York City subway train, my adult son fainted. Like a giant redwood tree, he toppled over, his head crashing against the edge of a hard plastic seat. Out cold, he...
View ArticleHow Do You Count Your Blessings?
Who remembers Family Ties and Back to the Future? Last week, I read a couple of articles about Michael J. Fox and his enduring optimism. I am a big fan and was heartbroken for Fox when, at age 29, he...
View ArticleStocking Stuffers for Cooks – and People Who Eat
A huge thank you to the lovely ladies at The Kitchen Nashville for their suggestions and opinions on the latest and greatest kitchen gifts. Those little stocking stuffers we don’t know we need and...
View ArticleA New Year’s Eve Tradition
Long ago, I gave up glitzy parties and morning hangovers and late-night celebrations. I no longer require noisemakers and hats to mark the end of the calendar year. On New Year’s Eve, I’m happy with a...
View ArticleWhat is Your Word for 2021?
Four years ago, we sold our big house in Texas and moved 800 miles away to a small home in Nashville. As we sorted through our belongings, and packed up our life in Houston, we donated, purged,...
View ArticleHow to Express Sympathy to a Friend
Late last year, a college friend passed away. Other than at our sorority reunion—18 months ago, when she was still in good health—I hadn’t seen her in decades. But, thanks to email and texts and social...
View ArticleHow to Help an Ailing Friend
My walking buddy and I meet every Tuesday for our weekly dose of sanity. We power walk through a neighborhood or a park, catch up with our lives, and solve the problems of the world—and those of other...
View ArticleStocking Stuffers They’ll Appreciate
Several years ago, my son came home from college for the holidays. “My favorite part of Christmas is my stocking,” he announced at dinner one night. He went on to say he appreciated the useful...
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