Is college still the brass ring? With many parents financially strapped and savings wiped out, it’s only natural that we reconsider college for our sons and daughters. Once, it was a given that those four years meant the education needed to succeed, and essential experiences to test independence. My 18-year old is now a freshman […]
Six tips to beat holiday blues
BAM! ZAP! THWAK! Holy holidays, Batman! I flipped on the boob tube Halloween afternoon and what flashed across the screen? Christmas commercials – already!?! I’m all for boosting GNP, but do I have to fight the holiday blues this soon? For many of us, this premature, picture-perfect presentation of hyped-up-happy times is either irritating as […]
Halloween hell: Hershey's in the pantry
Yep. It’s driving me crazy. That big bag, well, huge actually. Purchased 24 hours ago, and still unopened in the pantry. But I know it’s there. And it’s killing me. Yes indeed – we stand on the brink of another great American candy holiday – every figure-watching, chocolate-addicted woman’s nightmare! (And I do allow for […]
Parenting Tips: When Kids Are Ready for Home Alone
I recently described a transatlantic booty call from an old friend – with the possibility of a free trip to Paris (compliments of his generosity). French sex versus responsible parenting? For me, it’s a no-brainer; I received commiseration from the single moms (how romantic, how nice to dream, etc.), and from the single dads – […]
Amante à Paris ou « Maman t’as pas ri ! » (La vie est une saloperie !)
Amante à Paris ou « Maman t’as pas ri ! » (La vie est une saloperie !) version anglaise / English version / © D A Wolf Hier soir, j’ai reçu un coup de fil sur mon portable – le numéro, je ne l’ai pas reconnu. Mais le pays, si – 33. Et moi, aux […]
French Sex vs Proper Parenting
Yesterday, late afternoon, my cell flashed a number I didn’t recognize, but with a country code that I did. 33. France. That fine, flourishing, familiar place where I have friends – and lovers. The country that is home to my heart, where the streets energize me, the wine transports me, the art – even more […]
Tattoo Follow-up: Pro Piercing?
Somehow in my mind, tattoos and piercings are linked. And the tattoo talk has been so interesting! Plenty of celebrities have jumped on the tattooing and piercing bandwagon. So how about some follow-up questions to those who indulge or enjoy this practice? Tattoo and piercing link? I would love to know: Those of you who […]
Bad news, a martini, a moment
The voice startled him. “I have bad news,” he said. This, in the wake of the recent loss of his sister, and a friend, and another battling a life-threatening illness. He must have felt his entire body stiffen at those words, though they were uttered by a waiter in a family restaurant, on the first […]
Family photos reveal changing dynamics
He was walking out the door with a red silk tie bound around his forehead, as his curls poked out from under a baseball cap and a brightly colored beanie – complete with propeller. As for the rest of him – let’s just say – I burst out laughing and reached for my nearby camera. […]
Parenting from a peripheral planet
The thing is – we remember when they were completely dependent on us, and we were the center of their universe. That makes the shift to the periphery a struggle. For us, not them. A teenager’s world may be built on a foundation lovingly laid, brick by brick, by one parent, two parents, grandparents, aunts, […]