Grandchildren

How much time do you spend looking after your grandchildren? If you don’t live nearby, then it is probably decided each time you visit. But if you do live within easy distance, you may have a regular routine. Read More

Travel has always been a passion of mine. As a child, I unfortunately did not have the wonderful experience of having grandparents in my life. But I know they were strong and loving people who hardly left the part of London where they were raised. Perhaps, in counterpoint, the strongest and most powerful memories that shaped my values and lifestyle were related to travel. Read More

We all have our beloved holiday traditions and the things that we look forward to most at this time of year – decorating the house, cooking and baking, shopping and wrapping presents. Read More

Earlier this year, my 7-year-old granddaughter (B) talked with my wife about wanting “Popeye” – that is, myself – to build her a doll house. After a brief discussion, I thought I could do it but would not be able to start until September, when I was to retire. Read More

When I was a little girl, I loved reading books. I remember sitting under a tree for hours, letting the images from my favorite stories fill my mind. At the time, I didn’t see reading as being serious business. Like most children, I saw books as a welcome escape from my schoolwork or household chores. Little did I know that the books that I was reading would influence my life for decades to come. It is not an exaggeration to say that many of the books that I read changed my life. Read More

Several months ago, my adult daughter Marissa, newly separated from her husband and still reeling from that blow, received a terrible diagnosis for her 3-year-old daughter, Mena. Read More

My adult children communicate by using text messages through their smart phones. I’ll receive a typical text: “Hi Mom. Can you watch the kids this afternoon?” Read More

This is the story of a 74-year-old grandmother. Of course, this is my story, a story about how I joyfully help my family when they need me in summer, fall, winter or spring. Read More

My family hasn’t done a terribly good job at generating cross-generational wealth. There was a time when I thought that my husband and I would be the ones to break our family into the world of the 1%. Then, a series of events, missteps and outright mistakes brought our financial dreams crashing down to Earth. Read More

Mother’s Day is with us again very soon. How did that happen? Didn’t we just do Mother’s Day? Or was it Christmas or her birthday? Read More