This week, Gale at Ten Dollar Thoughts wrote about the division of responsibilities among couples – how the lines are drawn when it comes to bringing home the bacon, household chores, childcare, cooking, yard work, and more. As a long-time single parent, my view of domestic duties operates from a different perspective. I’ve raised my […]
As plain as the nose on my face
It’s been bumpy around Ye Olde Homestead of late. Cycles of teen stress, silence, a talk, followed by improvement. Two or three days later, the cycle repeats. Fortunately, I have plenty of shoe dye for the gray hair. And far more patience than I ever realized. I also have a usual go-to solution. A great […]
Random Acts of Parenting
I thought it would be a quiet weekend. It was. A little too quiet. My son seemed off. I couldn’t put my finger on it. Though he had friends over one evening, there were two nights in a row when he was up at strange hours, walking around. Not his usual behavior. But with adolescents, […]
Cake
Yes, there was one more teen party last night. Yes, I heard it. No, I wasn’t annoyed; I managed to sleep five hours anyway, and that’s good enough for the day’s mission: cake. Coffee I’ve been under the weather for a number of days, and I had plans to meet a friend for coffee last […]
Sink or Swim
Fond of clichés? Don’t they breeze into our minds and tumble out of our mouths faster than a speeding bullet? Catchy little phrases stick, don’t they? Good for what ails you? A quick fix? Oh yeah – tidy gems to sum up the world’s wisdom, like life isn’t fair, you get what you pay for, […]
“The best thing I’ve ever done”
There’s nothing quite like it. Having family around, especially when you’ve been apart for some time. It doesn’t matter what your family looks like – nuclear, extended, blended – large or small. Those you love – happy and well – that’s as good as it gets. Dinner for three “I know it was hard,” I […]
Why I burned the popcorn
It’s a ghastly smell. Far worse than bread charred in the toaster. Burnt popcorn. And I wanted that popcorn for breakfast! Of course, it was nearly six in the evening when I tossed the package carelessly into the microwave. Yes, I’m running a little late today. Ten hours late to be exact. It’s been a […]