Holidays
The Grandma Check: How Big (or small!) do you make it?
The grandma check, filled out in careful handwriting and mailed well in advance to ensure timely delivery, is a treasured part of many Americans’ birthday or holiday traditions. But while the concept is simple, the art of grandma check-giving can be pretty complicated. Send too much, and you risk setting a precedent that will drain your bank ...Read More
Back Splash Backlash!
It’s official. I had a DTM: Donald Trump Moment. A Donald Trump Moment is when a middle age man– suddenly, right out of the blue– says something stupid! My Donald Trump Moment happened during the Christmas holidays while visiting friends at their new home. It is a condo and it’s absolutely beautiful! As I walked around in my...Read More
2017. It sounds more like a movie than a year.
There are movies called 1941 (hysteria in California after the bombing of Pearl Harbor), 1984 (Big Brother), and the infamous 2001 (a space odyssey). What can we expect when 2017 screens? New movies will follow, including The War with Grandpa and Downsizing. If they don’t appeal to you try The Six Billion Dollar Man – a high-cost revival of the Six...Read More
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas….
‘Twas the night before Christmas, When all through the house, Not a creature was stirring ….Except Dad– who Mom and the kids call ‘the louse.’ The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there … with the fuchsia red Victoria Secret pyjamas Dad ordered for his wife! The children were nestled all ...Read More
“Shop-and-Ship!” Ho Ho, Say THAT 5 Times Fast!
Beware. Here’s something that will make your turtle doves dump all over your holidays… It’s less than TWO WEEKS until Christmas!! Hey, get a-hold of yourself: Relax. Take a deep breath. Text ‘OMG’ to your ‘followers.’ If you are a true dyed-in-the-wool shopper you are already right out of friggin’ con...Read More
Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving, Eh?
Thanksgiving Day in Canada. It is a day many will give thanks… and prey that Donald Trump loses. Before I dribble turkey giblet gravy down my pants, I will attempt to explain why Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving in October, whereas in the United States they wait until late-November. The short answer is that Americans are way too preoccupied i...Read More
The Interval Between
It’s the week after Christmas, or ‘holiday’ if you’re part of the alchemist crowd that mixed Jesus with Visa and got Santa. Hopefully you dodged the dictates of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion that mandated all celebrations be generic. Whichever season it’s called, the last week in the year seems to be a peaceful one. The frenzy is over. The ...Read More
Ghosts of Memories of Christmas Past
Since my Moms death was on Christmas Day, 3 years back, it seemed imperative that I recall what happy times occurred to us as a family with our family of four (Johnny & I were young) then came baby Mickey, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I asked myself, if I don’t recall and share, then who would…….I delight in this chosen job of joy&...Read More
Relax
It is a beautiful December afternoon and I should be crossing things off of my ever growing Christmas to-do list but chose instead to relax with a cup of coffee and my laptop. I have lived to celebrate almost 56 Christmas holidays and have learned this time of year is magical because somehow everything gets purchased, wrapped, sealed, mailed and c...Read More
Hints for By-Passing Holiday Stress!
Some say it’s possible not to freak out about holiday preparations. Skeptical? With good reason. You’ve been around this block before. So maybe the goal is to at least reduce the freak-out quotient, to actively choose to skip some portion of the anxiety — and cost. We’ve collected ideas from readers and a few holiday special...Read More
Avoiding Those Holiday Complications!!!
Some say it’s possible not to freak out about holiday preparations. Skeptical? With good reason. You’ve been around this block before. So maybe the goal is to at least reduce the freak-out quotient, to actively choose to skip some portion of the anxiety — and cost. We’ve collected ideas from readers and a few holiday special...Read More
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