• If My Nest is Empty, Why is My Basement Still Full?

    With both our kids married and living in their own homes, my husband and I have officially joined the ranks of “empty nesters.” Can I just say I’m not sold on this label?  I understand the reference; fledglings venturing out…

  • Jack Misses His Breakfast

    A Tale of Overthinking “Here, Jack! Here, Kitty, Kitty!” I shake the bowl so the kibbles rattle against the sides. “Jack-Jack! Come get your breakfast!” Most days, my cats come running within a few minutes of being summoned. But not…

  • Pizza

    When Meal Planning Derails the Meal Making

    The path to my kitchen is paved with good intentions Meal planning starts with the best of intentions. Every time I enter the kitchen I intend to create an amazing, nutritious meal my family will love. Unfortunately, the reality of…

  • Build a Better Fly Swatter

    I don’t need a better mousetrap Build a better mousetrap and the world might beat a path to your door, but I won’t be leading that charge. I don’t need a better mousetrap (I have cats). I do need a…

  • Anniversary card

    33 Lessons from Marriage

    Every anniversary is a milestone   Milestones mark significant points along a journey. In the case of marriage, the “milestone” anniversaries are generally the decades, or the quarter or half centuries. But I prefer to believe every anniversary is a…

  • Cats, Mice and Olympic Ambition

    Catching Mice Should Be an Olympic Sport I’ve never been a runner. But yell, “Jack’s got a mouse!” and watch me take off like an Olympic sprinter after the starting gun. Unlike my Olympic counterparts, my 50-yard dash doesn’t end…