Playing Fair With Interest Rates
“Mental Floss”
We all have our favorite magazines and mourn those that are no longer published (Life) or changed (Newsweek) while continuing to look for new choices. My favorite magazine is “The New Yorker” for two reasons: the cartoons are hilarious; and the stories are immensely enjoyable to read because the writing is so damn good. Every week when The New Yorker arrives, I get giddy – similar to how I feel when I receive a new book or open a box with a new pair of running shoes. But as much as I enjoy “The New Yorker,” I am always on the lookout for the next interesting magazine which is how I found “Mental Floss.” Read more
Adieu to 2011: The Year of AARP and Paul Anka
2011 is going to remain in my memory for a long time because two significant things happened: I joined AARP and went to a Paul Anka concert – yes, the Peter Frampton groupie of 1975 admits to attending a Paul Anka concert. These events may seem quite normal to some people but for anyone that knows me, joining a club for “seniors” and attending a concert that isn’t considered “rock and roll” borders on breaking the faith of my rebel generation. Read more
The Photo Christmas Card and Family Letter
It’s December and the annual “Christmas Card” has not been created or mailed. Every year our family has sporadic conversations throughout the year about what our Christmas photo card should be. We’ve recreated musicals, historical events, period pieces, and spoofed ourselves all in the name of fun and enjoying the holidays.
Read more
Ypres, Belgium: The Christmas Truce
Three years ago while my daughter was on a school trip, my husband and I went on a weeklong WWI battlefield tour. Normally, I am the travel agent in the family securing flights, hotels, rental cars, and doing most of the research. But, this trip was my husband’s brainchild and all I had to do was show up because this adventure was a “duty” trip: the only reason I was going was to spend time with him. My husband bought books, maps, made endless phone calls, and spoke to other WWI enthusiasts before deciding which sites, museums, and towns we needed to visit. And, he made the hotel reservations and mapped out our whole trip. Read more
A Lunch Conversation With My Teenage Daughter
My daughter and I went out to lunch recently. After we settled in at the table, I could tell something was bothering her so I asked what was on her mind. She told me about a friend whose mother told her daughter to stop hanging around with my daughter because my daughter would be a bad influence. Read more
The Christmas of ’51
On the way home from school a few nights ago, my daughter was admiring all the bright multi-colored holiday lights on the street poles and houses remarking how festive the area looks. When we returned to our dark home, my daughter said “Mom, we are a family with no holiday spirit” as we had nary a decoration in sight. Read more
The Palm Beach Half Marathon
I’m scheduled to run 13.1 miles in the Palm Beach Half Marathon and nervousness and anxiety are setting in because the temperatures are predicted to be in the high 70’s, which is very warm for a runner like me who has been training in 40-50 degree temps. Read more
The Impasse at Home
The Changing Role of Motherhood: Life With a Teenage Daughter
My 15-year old daughter recently asked me if I missed the old days when she was little and although my brain was screaming “YES, YES, YES, ” I calmly admitted to sometimes missing those days we spent together running errands, seeing Disney on Ice, having lunch together, and reading a book before bedtime (6:30 pm back then). Right now I would go so far as to admit that I would welcome seeing “Barney’s Big Adventure” again (and I’ve seen it at least four times and each time was more painful than the previous). Read more
Paddock Post 