Memories Hide Within the Clutter
Why do we keep the stuff we keep? I alternately wage war and make peace with the clutter in my house. Occasionally my tolerance of “stuff” reaches critical mass and I go on a rampage against…
Food is Love and Cookbooks are Sacrilegious
Lessons from an Italian Grandmother My Italian grandmother taught me that food is love. She lived ten minutes from us growing up and never came over empty-handed, so my siblings and I were the recipients of an…
The Handbook of Christmas Traditions
For my tradition-loving family, Christmas is our favorite time of year. We love every aspect of the Christmas holiday. Our family has traditions for everything from worship services to decorations to food and entertainment. You might say…
One Act of Larceny Lingers for Years
My Oldest Possession is Stolen Property One of my oldest possessions is a teddy bear I acquired from a cousin when I was a child. To be honest, I stole it from him. I’m not sure why…
Don’t Trifle with Tradition
I didn’t realize how traditional my family was until I tried to change them (the traditions, not the family). I made a slight change to a favorite homemade salad dressing for a recent family picnic. To…
Gratitude Combats Midlife Crisis
A Weekend of Milestones Prompts Gratitude, Not a Midlife Crisis I laughingly told a friend that this weekend was a midlife crisis in the making as my son graduated from college and my daughter turned 21. But…
