We went to Europe – London, Paris and Strasbourg – in December 2025 and I am just now writing about it because I think it lends a certain je ne sais quoi to be 4-6 months late at everything. j/k I’m a hot mess. Anyway, I want to share some wisdom I’ve collected from our … Continue reading DO’s and DON’T’s for a European Family Vacation
While I do enjoy expressing all that I’m grateful for, there’s nothing that quite warms my soul like the annual Festivus Airing of Grievances. I guess I’m traditional that way. And while this is a *smidge* late, we know Letters & Lists follows its own timeline, where Thanksgiving is in early December and so is … Continue reading It’s Never Too Late to Air Your Grievances
I did it, guys. I’ve lived for half a century. I’m a decade past the age my friend Alix told me I should officially start shopping at Eileen Fisher. I’m only a year younger than Blanche Devereaux (coincidentally, my phone’s name) was in the Golden Girls. I’m “I like to kick, stretch, and KICK” years … Continue reading 50 Ways to Celebrate Turning 50
j/k, this list is not particularly fast nor furious (we save that for Festivus), but much like my seasonal Facebook albums (ahem, see, “All I Do is Win(ter)” and “Fall-o The Leader”), I’m running out of clever names for these. But since I do believe in the power of gratitude, the list must go on. … Continue reading The 9th Annual Gratitude List: 2 Fast, 2 Furious
It’s time for my “annual” “year end” round up of the best and worst of the year. Here are some of my most and least favorite things of the year. Best book I read: Tie: Demon Copperhead & We All Want Impossible Things Worst book I read: It Ends With Us (now a controversial movie … Continue reading The Best & Worst of 2024
I trust you’ve set up your Festivus poles, enjoyed some miracles, and participated in some feats of strength. But now, it’s time to air some motherhuggin’ grievances! I have, and I can’t stress this enough, a lot of them. I’m only slightly ashamed to admit that while I often struggle to come up with things … Continue reading Serenity Now! (It’s Festivus Time)
You know, every year I do this list a little later, and every year I make a bunch of excuses for why I didn’t post right on Thanksgiving, but I’m not gonna do that this year. Because no one cares. No one wants to hear my sob story about how I slowly slide down a … Continue reading The Late, Great* Gratitude Post (Year 8)
I recently had gum grafting surgery, which involves a periodontist stabbing you with Novocaine 8-10 times, then carefully removing the human skin from the top of your mouth, applying it to the receding gum area (in my case, below my bottom front teeth) and then suturing the bloody remainders of your demolished mouth back together. … Continue reading Things That Could Have a Better System
It’s the mostttt wonderful time of the year: Festivus. Time to air our grievances! I’ll go first. Here are a few of my grievances, in no particular order: The “toilet shower” at the Tommie I *do* appreciate my home away from home in Austin, the Tommie. But if I’m staying more than three nights, it … Continue reading Festivus, for the rest of us
Well, it’s been about two months since we spent two weeks in Casco, Maine, at a resort called Point Sebago (pronounced Seh-BAY-go by the general public and Seh-BAH-go by Sir George O’Rourke), and since it’s now more like Back to School time, it only seems fitting that I would finally get around to finishing my … Continue reading What I Did On My Summer Vacation
Letters & Lists 