Uncategorized

You Could Call This The Worst Anniversary Dinner Ever

You could’ve called it the worst anniversary dinner ever. This week, Husband and I were excited to celebrate our third wedding anniversary. Yes, can you believe it? It’s already been three years since this forever-single lady found a perfectly imperfect man who wanted to spend his life with me. Getting hitched at Silver Run Falls, NC. July 2012. We had reservations at a fancy, new restaurant in town. And sure, we could’ve gone there and had the latest “farm-to-table” dishes. But

Read more
Family, The Hard Stuff

How Can My Friends’ Worst Phone Call Ever Lead To Someone’s Best?

Joy. Today, I’m thinking about joy. Joy, the name of the wife of good friend, Brian. Joy, the emotion instantly drained from Brian’s heart when he received that phone call a couple weeks ago. Maybe you’ve gotten one of those phone calls, Dear Reader. One with the worst news possible. While Brian was working out of town, Joy was involved in a single-car accident. He was on the next plane back home, staying by Joy’s side for 10 days. Stayed

Read more
The Hard Stuff

My Dog’s Getting The Last Laugh; The Chapter I Didn’t See Coming

Let me say, Dear Reader, that you are amazing. Wonderful. Clearly, you’re an over the top dog lover, like myself. The emails have been flooding in ever since I shared the latest chapter of my sweet Darla’s life in the column, “My Dog Is Teaching Me A Final Lesson.” I shared how my dog has been showing signs of slowing down, how she’s preparing me to let her go after more than 15 years together. I know, you can’t even

Read more
Family, The Hard Stuff, Travel

Is It Just Me? Why Do I Always Do This On Airplanes?

I am that lady in Seat 12B. Maybe even stuck in that middle seat of 27D. I’m that lady you’re trying to discreetly poke your travel partner. “Check out the woman over there,” you whisper. “She’s crying her eyes out.” Dear Reader, what is it about airplanes? The altitude? The recycled air? The isolation 36,000 feet above the ground? Whatever it is, I’m a goner. Just say, “Boo,” and I’ll start crying. Watching a movie, that on the ground would

Read more
The Hard Stuff

My Dog Is Teaching Me A Final Lesson

My dog is getting me ready. She knows what’s coming in the way dogs know before we do. About a dangerous stranger, earthquakes, or bacon. She’s gently letting me know it will soon be time for her to go. It’s one of an infinite number of brilliant conversations I’ve had with my best friend. The friend who has never uttered a word in our more than 15 years together, but has taught me so much. “She’s not going anywhere,” Husband

Read more
Husband's Crazy Frequent Flyer Mile Hobby, Travel

Husband Creates Travel Masterpiece: Around The World In First Class For $383.45!

I imagine most husbands’ idea of some time away means a few days at the beach? Couple days at a cabin? I’m not really sure, as I’m very late to the marriage game and Miles Chasing Mad Scientist Husband is my entire husband sample. Beyond family, MCMSH’s passion is collecting frequent flyer miles without flying and cashing them in to travel the world First Class on the fanciest planes, fanciest airlines, which he likes to point out upfront are not

Read more
Husband's Crazy Frequent Flyer Mile Hobby, Travel

My Husband Paid $7 Bucks & All I Got Was A $46,000 Plane Ride

So what does it feel like to fly First Class on one of the fanciest airlines in the world? To experience a level of service no US-based airline even offers? How about I take you along for the ride my husband and I just took? Yes, that husband. The Mad Scientist Miles Chaser, the one who collects millions of frequent flyer points for our family without flying. He tries to wow me once a year with some over-the-top experience. Let’s

Read more
Life Lessons Took Me Long Time To Learn, Marriage

Going Solo: Are You Willing To Do THIS Alone In Public?

My husband is still laughing at this. Well, laughing at me. Story goes back to a few years ago when we were dating, snuggled up on the couch watching “Dancing With The Stars.”  He sweetly asked me, “Would you ever want to take ballroom dance lessons?” I thought about it a second and said, “You mean, together?” He still howls at this because, as he points out, how else do you take ballroom dance lessons? Who takes ballroom dance lessons

Read more
Husband's Crazy Frequent Flyer Mile Hobby, Marriage, Travel

Your Take On My Husband’s Surprise–You More Than Helped Me Decide What To Do

Oh, what a trip it has been! The adventure has started, even weeks before I get on the plane. For that, I have you to thank, Dear Reader. It was just a few weeks ago that I asked you for some marital advice. I shared how my husband has this crazy, geeky hobby where he collects frequent flyer miles without flying. How he’s whisking me off to a tropical paradise in the Maldives.. And.. And… That was where I was stuck. The

Read more
Family, Parenting, The Hard Stuff

Mother’s Day Panic Button: I’m Messing Up Big Time; Help Me Fix It

You know those warm, fuzzy gushy feeling columns you read around Mother’s Day? I’ve written a few myself. (Like this and this.) Yeah, this isn’t one of those. Oh, it’s about motherhood, all right. But this one is more like hitting the motherhood panic button. A button I hit the other day while, don’t get too excited, sewing on a real button. A button that had fallen off one of my girls’ school uniforms. That’s when I realized– These children,

Read more
1 … 24 25 26 27 28 … 37