Karen is the BEST Wife EVER!
by Guest Columnist Handsome Hubby
I am honored to be writing today as Muddling through Middle Age’s first guest columnist. I am especially honored to be writing about my wife, Karen Galatz, the BEST wife EVER! Read more
Tag Archive for: romance
Valentine’s Day Gift Wishes
I've Become THAT Kind of Girl!
It’s almost Valentine’s Day and I cannot believe it. To my horror, I’ve become that kind of woman. You know the kind. The kind that wants practical, not romantic gifts! Read more
Bad Behavior Met with Sweet Forgiveness
In Praise of Handsome Hubby on his Birthday
Sometimes, not often, bad behavior is rewarded with sweetness. This is my story of a lost ring, a lie, and one such sweet reward. Read more
Love and Listening
Sorry. You Were Talking. I Wasn't Listening
Longtime married couples think they’ve heard it all. But after decades, love and listening may go their separate ways. In which case, even the happiest of marrieds may discover they’ve missed something important. I know. It just happened to Handsome Hubby and me. Crisis loomed! Read more
Madly in Love or Just Mad?
Danger Ahead: Valentine's Quiz
Lovers beware. I took a Valentine’s Day quiz to learn if my husband is “still utterly and totally in love.” The results? Let’s just say Handsome Hubby and I didn’t “ace” the test. In fact, it should have come with a warning: Danger Ahead! Read more
The Art of Conversation, Marriage Edition
Handsome Hubby and I are approaching our 32nd wedding anniversary, and I must say we’ve really got the art of conversation down to a science. The renowned Navajo code-talkers have nothing on us. With just a few words, HH and I can decipher (and deride) each other’s meaning perfectly.
Here are a few true-life conversations from our household that I bet you’ll recognize.
Conversation 1
I say: “What about those forms I needed your help with?” reminding HH about this or any long-ago request I’ve made.
HH says: “Hum, it rings a bell.”
HH is hearing: Blaring alarm bells.
HH is thinking: “Mayday. Mayday. Marital iceberg ahead.” Read more
Nine Questions for Lasting Love
Tinder for Talkers
A famous psychological study developed 36 questions to fast-track intimacy and connection. Ha! That’s easy. A glass of cheap merlot and low lighting can do that for most people. But lasting love? Well, that requires a whole different set of questions.
And to help with that, from the vantage point of a middle-aged many-years married, I’ve prepared a list of nine queries young lovers should consider before saying their “I do’s.” Read more
Website Wedded Woes
Handsome Hubby is Not Amused
Sure, he thought it was fun for a while. Sure, he liked being called Handsome Hubby in my Muddling through Middle Age blog. In fact, he liked it so much he even started signing emails to me “HH.” But now the fun has ended and Website Wedded Woes have begun!
HH has taken umbrage at my blogging about him and our marriage. Read more
The Prince Wore Plaid
Handsome Hubby, Not Harry
Several months back, I vowed to follow a strict diet. I wasn’t cutting carbs or calories, but celebrities. More specifically, I vowed to stop my late-night consumption of empty sugary fluff and stuff articles about celebs. Then, amid all the unrelenting and divisive bad news, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got engaged. I broke my celebrity diet and happily devoured stories about the happy couple.
But when the non-stop deluge of coverage continued unabated, I got bored. I tried to regain literary control. Admittedly it was near impossible to do amid the 24/7 onslaught of photos, fashion tips, gossip, and wedding planning updates. Still, I tried to focus on the important news of the day. And to some degree, I was successful. I know this, because just last week, Read more
Death and Taxes … and Snoring
Confessions from the Guest Room
Nothing in life is certain, but death and taxes. True, but in my mind the list is incomplete. Snoring and sleep problems, the handmaidens of the middle-aged and elderly, are also life’s certainties.
And if you agree, then it is time for true confessions. Fess up, ladies. How many of you have fled the marital bed and sleep in separate rooms from your husband or significant other? Read more