Family

I LOVE giving gifts. I love thinking about gifts. I love looking for gifts. I love wrapping gifts. But more than anything I love surprising someone with a gift they didn’t expect. Read More

We sixty somethings are at a time in our lives when we experience loss and grief. Many of us have lost our parents, but I just experienced a loss that I’ve never experienced before – the loss of a sibling. Last month was my sister Pam’s birthday, and she would have been 60 years old. I’ve missed her a lot lately because it’s hard to move on as if nothing has changed. In fact, it seems disrespectful…

Have you noticed the millennial bashing that’s going on? Here’s just a minuscule sampling of headlines in the press: Millennials are killing off the car industry. Millennials are killing off paper napkins. Millennials are killing off bar soap. Are Millennials killing off wine? How millennial lack of manners is killing off class. Read More

Did you feel the weight of your family’s expectations when you were growing up? Well, imagine what Sislena Caparrosa, Pavarotti’s Granddaughter, must have been thinking when she stepped onto the stage to sing Nessun Dorma on a televised talent show. Read More

As most of you know, along with my many, many talents for losing my phone, tripping over imaginary steps and forgetting… umm… whatever it was I have just forgotten, I also write Victorian crime fiction books for a living. Read More

I’ve been single for well over a decade now. Like most older women who have gone through a divorce, I have a bit of a love / hate relationship with being single.

80% of the time, I am able to celebrate my independence. I genuinely appreciate having the freedom to pursue my passions without compromise. I even love getting up in the morning and being able to eat breakfast whenever I want and with whomever I want. Does any of this sound familiar? Read More

Have you ever noticed that everyone seems to have marriage advice for newlyweds, even if they haven’t had a successful marriage themselves? Read More

A few years ago, I was walking in the park with my granddaughter, when she spotted an ice-cream shop, just a short distance away. Her eyes sparkled and her mouth worked itself into a cheeky smile as she prepared to convince me why we should pay the shop a visit. Read More

I was only a teenager when I lost my mom to cancer. At the time, the emotions that I felt were sharp and hard, like crystal being thrown against a wall. Read More

Will I go or will I stay? I found out last November that my first grandchild was on the way. As I shared the news with close friends, they were quick to ask, “Will you move back?” Family members in the U.S. wanted to know the same thing…