If you’re a parent or have ever tried to help a toddler, you have heard this, “I’ll do it myself.” All three of my now-grown children are different, but they all declared this many times. It’s just the stubborn, trying-to-learn nature of the little human. And apparently, the nature...

Back in the day, three kids meant cram-packed kitchen cabinets. Being well-stocked and never running out of food required planning, money, and adequate space. Living alone in a big house, I can make different choices. Particularly in the grocery shopping department. It’s just me now, and for two years...

Or the surprising benefits of minimizing Have you ever thought about the time you invest in managing all your stuff? Maybe it’s your investment in the caring of things — the yard, the floors, all those windows in your big house. Perhaps you invest emotional energy worrying about upgrading a possession...

Are you tired of the crap lying around your house? Or in your car? Your workplace? I sure am! Last year, with the Ninja Writers’ encouragement, I embarked on a yearly theme of organization. I started out with Marie Kondo’s book about tidying up. Hubby and I tried to...

So much depends on it I’m not going to mince words. Ask my children. They’ll attest that I am not one prone to beating around the bush. You need to take care of yourself. I’m here, dear reader, to offer some simple tips to keep your life ship from listing...

Not everyone is meant to charge through the world carrying a spear. From Elizabeth Gilbert’s novel, City of Girls I have three terrific children and they are incredibly different from each other. They’re like me in some ways, but then they possess these other qualities I seriously can’t relate to. Sure,...

A story on NPR a couple of weeks ago caught my attention. In it, a researcher tried to answer the question, “What does ‘lazy’ mean?” I’d link to it for you, dear reader, but my search found an NPR story about laziness offered nearly every year! Someone’s obsessed, apparently. But I...

Failure in retirement is not an option Recently, I missed a staffing commitment as a Medium editor. I’d offered to cover someone’s morning shift, but I forgot to write it down or add it to my Google calendar. I’m retired, but now I’m also a writer and a caregiver....