Some people pray before going to bed. Me? I’m an unrepentant list maker. Each night I type up and email myself a to-do list of tasks I need and want to accomplish the next day. And short of dire “breaking news” headlines, it’s the first email I read each morning. Lists used to make my life easier and keep me focused. But now I’m not so sure. Now they’re the source of anxiety. Please heed this list writer’s lament! Read more
Ah, if I ruled the world and could be Queen … just like on that popular TV show of decades ago, Queen for a Day. I’d right some wrongs, enforce some rules, and, maybe settle a petty score or two! I mean what’s power if you can’t abuse it just a teensy bit, all the while wearing a tiara and robe, parked on a royal throne? Read more
It’s true as we get older, our memory and communication skills slip a bit. Why did I walk into this room? What did I have for lunch today? What did you just say? And sometimes, frustratingly, we have to search for a word that’s at the tip of our tongue.
Yet, for all that, I believe there’s a bigger problem at play. The English language lacks the vocabulary to address the sensations, situations, and emotions – good and bad, we middle-agers and seniors experience.
For instance, what do you call the transformation of a once patient spouse into a grouchy, short-tempered guy? (A friend wants to know.) Read more
Coffee mug addiction. It is America’s not-so-hidden disease. It’s costly and dangerous AND no household is immune. Where once there was mere cabinet clutter, now there is a coffee cup contagion.
Be honest. Do you recognize a loved one in the following words and thoughts? Do you recognize yourself?
“Must stop.” Read more
Happy New Year to all my dear Middle-aged Muddlers,
It’s December 26, the start of that short pause in the festivities before New Year’s Eve, time to catch our breath and reflect on the year that’s ending and the new one that’s just days away.
For me, it’s a time to give thanks for family and friends. And you, my family of readers and subscribers, I give special thanks.
Here’s to a Happy, Healthy 2019 to you and all those you hold dear!
🎊
Now onward to more muddled laughter in the New Year!
‘Tis the season to over-indulge, true. But, alas, ’tis also the season to sequin, shimmy, and shake – all of which challenge chubby, out-of-shape, middle-aged me.
And while I can still wedge myself into my cute holiday clothes, do I look cute? Hardly. I more resemble that lump of coal Santa leaves children who have been naughty, not nice, than I do some hot party babe.
So, sadly I’m giving myself a Spanx-ing. Read more
Do you know someone who spends too much time on their cell phone? Silly question. Of course, you do. Do you spend too much time on your cell phone? Of course, you do. Confession: I do too.
According to one study, people typically touch their phones 47 times per day! Now that’s scary! And the number jumps to 82 times per day if you’re between 18 and 24 years old. Scarier still. Read more
“In Hartford, Hereford, and Hampshire …
Hurricanes hardly happen.”
My Fair Lady, Lerner and Loewe
Hurricanes also happen in Florida, and as a result of one, this hurricane-hound now calls California home.
It was all so scary at first – given up to a Florida shelter and then scooped up by a huge, noisy, metal bird and taken to a different shelter in a strange new city. Read more
Trick-or-woof! So barks Olga, our four-year-old Labrador, and ruler of our roost.
OK. Scary she’s not. Silly she is.
So, Olga is opting for elegance, not fierce, furry or fiery this Halloween.
But trick-or-treaters beware! Olga’s got an ear-splitting warning/welcome bark and a face-drenching lick!
And while Handsome Hubby and I are away vacationing, guess who’s next week’s Muddling through Middle Age’s special guest columnist?
Hint, hint. She’s a middle-aged muddler’s best friend! Woof!
I’m trying a new form of therapy. No, not cognitive behavior therapy. Not somatic therapy, nor psychoanalytic therapy. Not even retail therapy. Instead, I’m fixating on Apartment Therapy.
Are you familiar with Apartment Therapy? AT, as I like to call it, is a lifestyle blog and publishing company focused on home design and decor. And it’s not any old blog. According to Forbes Magazine, AT is “one of the most influential interior design sites on the Web.”
You might wonder why I, a homeowner with a five-bedroom house, reads AT. Read more