Advice to young bride: There are no words
November 9, 2007
Well, there is going to be a wedding in the family, and I couldn’t be happier…I think. The bride is our oldest daughter, 27, and if ever a person were ready for this, she is the one. So that isn’t the problem. And her fiancé is an amazing young man, ...
English is a complex thing-y
October 30, 2007
I empathize with international exchange students who come here with hopes of mastering the English language in just one semester. As if it weren’t hard enough to grasp concepts such as there, their, and they’re, the chances are slim of learning to navigate the complexities of the cultural slang that ...
Fat is 'in' — indulge
October 9, 2007
It’s official. I’m beautiful. I know this to be true because every other commercial on television, every other page in the mainstream women’s publications, and every overweight talk show host tells me so. Wow — who knew? Suddenly, it seems that even fifty-somethings have been given free rein to model ...
Empty Nesting 102
September 26, 2007
Note the title of this piece is not Empty Nesting 101. That’s because last year at this time I wrote my first piece on empty nesting when our youngest child joined her brother and moved off to college at the University of Kansas. So this is the second time ...
Flourishing flowerbeds just a hare away
August 8, 2007
They call me Elmer Fudd. It’s too hot for an ear-flapped cap and plaid hunting jacket and, of course, shotguns are outlawed here in the 'burbs, but that aside, I do resemble the crabby curmudgeon whose fiery passion for catching that annoying rabbit consumed his every moment. And although the ...
The demise of Do-Drop-In
June 14, 2007
My grandma kept a hefty supply of cake mixes in her pantry. Every Friday night she made one in case someone stopped by unannounced to visit on Saturday. Sometimes she would change it up and use one of her many homemade cake recipes. That’s when I loved going to Grandma’s. ...
Growling about the status of dogs
April 28, 2007
It seems everywhere I turn, it’s a dog’s life — literally. While recently browsing the accessory section of my favorite department store, I came across a smart-looking lanyard, made of patent leather and bejeweled with a few rhinestone accents. I could use a free hand these days, so was excited ...
Finding a suitable suit
March 27, 2007
Springtime symbolizes all things new and fresh, and here in my Midwestern neighborhood, signs of spring are everywhere; warm southerly breezes, daffodils peeking their heads out of tufts of fresh green grass, neighbors starting their new work-out regimens with an evening walk or bike ride, paint crews on nearly every ...
Eating is just too much fun
March 3, 2007
Long before potato chips were uniformly molded and stacked in tubular canisters, and decades before candy bars were reduced to small, round pellets sold by the bag, we had plenty of treats in my childhood home. We didn’t need novelties and gimmicky packaging to fill our bellies with junk food. ...
Refusing to fake it on Valentine’s Day
February 9, 2007
It’s February, and we all know what that means. It’s time for garments of pink satin, flowers and candy — not necessarily in that order. And while teenyboppers, newly engaged couples and a whole host of other sappy sentimentalists scurry around with hearts aflutter in an attempt to find that ...
This girl just wants to have fun
January 18, 2007
My recent annual physical was the usual dreaded affair, complete with weight and blood pressure checks, as well as the usual range of uncomfortable questions from the doctor.
Family tradition key to kitchen’s "Wow" factor
January 9, 2007
With our legs, knees and energy levels pretty well shot, my husband and I are toying with the idea of selling our two-story house in exchange for some kind of one-level dwelling. In looking at our options, we have been amazed at what it takes these days to actually get a house prepared to go on the market.
Helicopter mom needs flight training
November 8, 2006
College — bah humbug. My littlest chick has flown the coop and joined the flock of Jayhawks at Kansas University, and I am one lonely mother hen. It has been six weeks, so you would expect I would have adjusted by now, but no such luck.