What Makes an Awesome Dad?

  Many times you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. I always knew I had a wonderful father. But now that it’s been almost a year since he’s passed, the full impact of what I’ve lost is sinking in. Here are 8 traits he had that I believe go into making a great […]

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Summer of Pineapple and Tuna Fish

Some people don’t believe in aging. My grandmother was one of them. I realized this as I stood in the Hyannis Bus Station one afternoon in June of 1974. I was seventeen, had just graduated high school, and grateful my parents had agreed to let me stay with Nana for the summer. Five minutes passed, […]

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Can We Escape Stores Forever?

Some people love to shop and God bless them. But I see a strange phenomenon in my part of Connecticut. Retail stores are closing, lots of them. And when I look at these empty storefronts, I feel this odd, misplaced sense of guilt. Am I partly responsible? You see, I never, ever, walk into stores […]

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How Do We Survive The Smallest Terrier-ist?

Who knew? We’ve never owned this kind of dog. She’s a Yorkie/Papillion mix terrier with emphasis on Terrier. Apparently, these dogs were bred in England to go down badger, rabbit, and fox holes. This explains a lot. In fact, we’ve had Libby two months and here are 6 sentences I never thought I’d hear myself […]

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Can Life Begin Again at 80?

You think life is one way, but then realize its not. In fact, its different than you imagined. This happened to me recently when I had lunch with my mother who’s in her 80’s. That’s when I saw I have this whole aging thing wrong and maybe even backwards. Here’s what I discovered… You never […]

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Confessions of a Band Mom

  It happened when I least expected it. My son Patrick was in 7th grade and restless, looking for something in his life. One day he picked up an old practice bass of my husband’s. I remember hearing those first tentative plunks from our basement, having no idea they sounded a new chapter, not only […]

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Stitches and Easter Prayers in the Emergency Room

You know the feeling. You get comfortable in life until something pulls you out of your routine. You’re forced to stop, watch, and listen. This happened last Good Friday when my 22 year-old son Paul ended up in the emergency room. Thankfully, it wasn’t serious, but the ER couldn’t be avoided. Paul sliced his thumb […]

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Can a Cranky Old Cat Survive a Crazy New Dog?

  We got her! Our new dog Libby arrived last week and we couldn’t be happier. She’s sweet. She’s little. She’s adorable. She infuses the house with youthful vigor, joy and play. She’s exactly what we wanted. Except there’s one major problem. Our 13 year-old cat Rocky isn’t happy. His world has turned upside down. […]

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What Are the 7 Best, Most Amazing Benefits of Travel?

  You think you know a place, even if you’ve never seen it. After all, you’ve watched it on television. You’ve heard the music. You’ve tasted the food at the corner restaurant. But you don’t really know a city or country until you’ve walked its streets, seen its people, and breathed its air. That’s why […]

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