It’s been an entire year since I’ve posted here – and what a year it’s been! My life as a retiree, to a great extent, doesn’t resemble what I’d envisioned. What’s the saying? “Man plans and God laughs….”  Well. SOMEBODY’S laughing. An average week for me (along with my wonderful, supportive, true partner and helpmate of a husband) consists of a great deal of childcare. Keep in mind that we’re forty years older now than we were when we embarked on the adventure of parenthood. And folks – we’re TIRED. We absolutely adore all our granddaughters; but at the end of the day, I’m done. Done. And ..read more

Hello, friends. It’s been a long, long, time since I last posted. Life is moving so fast! I’ve been retired for two years but seem to be busier than ever. We have six granddaughters now; we babysit the youngest two days a week, and spend as much time as we can with the rest of them. I have an elderly aunt that I grocery shop for and spend time with one day a week… and play “catch up” in my free time. In some ways I feel that my life has come full-circle; thirty years ago I was a stay-at-home mom with little ones under foot. Fast forward to 2022 – I find myself in a very similar situation. I’m ..read more

Hello there, friends – so much has happened since my last blog post. First of all, granddaughter #6 arrived safely at the end of August. My youngest daughter was induced and narrowly avoided having to undergo a C-section. Her sweet babe is another precious gift. We are loving watching our baby blossom as a new mother. She is handling the challenges in her life like the true bad ass warrior she is. I have celebrated another sober birthday – my eighth! My husband planned a day full of treats and surprises. It was a wonderful day. So here’s what’s rolling around in my brain lately…. We’ve applied ..read more

Hey, friends…. So much has happened since my last post. Do you want the good news, the bad news, or the even better news first? Good news? OK. I’ll start there. Well. The good news is that grand baby #6 is due in August. Our younger daughter is expecting her first, a girl, in August. This is something she’s wanted for a long, long time. We were over the moon when she told us a few days after Christmas. The pregnancy is going well except for a nasty case of sciatica, which is making our poor daughter extremely uncomfortable. The bad news is that about six weeks after the pregnancy announcement ..read more

Friends! It’s been far too long. I recently celebrated my seventh birthday since quitting drinking. How I remember the first one… It was a “special” birthday and I was not quite two months sober. My husband had made reservations at one of the swankiest restaurants in town. The maitre d strode to our table, brandishing two flutes of champagne. “I understand this is a special occasion,” he beamed. His smile disappeared when I blurted, “I don’t drink!” Insert awkward silence.. Fast forward to today. If I knew then what I know now, I would have smiled graciously, thanked him warmly, and simply ..read more

Well. An awful lot has changed since my last post. Life has begun to resemble a Stephen King novel. Personally, I have been incredibly lucky. My entire family has managed to stay healthy. The school district I work for is paying me during the closure. The weather is warming up here in New York, so my husband and I  have been able to get out for walks any time the mood strikes. And, after talking the notion into the ground for YEARS, last fall we purchased a couple of used bikes. Stashed them in the shed for the winter. Brought them out the other day, and – BAM! I’m twelve years old again ..read more

Hello, friends. It’s been a while! So much has happened since my last post! The school year started again and my schedule this year is manageable and enjoyable. I’ve fallen back in love with my job again. We went on a trip to Massachusetts to celebrate my 60th birthday. We visited Worcester and Salem and Boston and Marblehead and found a little Airbnb right on the ocean in a town called Nahant. It was so special and magical and restorative. Last weekend, we spent Saturday afternoon taking care of our daughter’s three little ones while she had her hair done. It was, understandably, busy and fun ..read more

Today marks exactly five years of continuous sobriety. I was telling my husband the other day that, early on, I was watching a movie in which there was a scene with a man and woman in a bar. He offers to buy her a drink and she responds, “No thanks. I’m five years sober.” I remember that scene so clearly – the thought of five years of sobriety seemed unfathomable to me at the time. And yet, here I am. What have I learned, over five years? Well. I’ve learned it can still be difficult to be a nondrinker in this world. It can be lonely. I can still feel “other than” when it seems everyone else in ..read more

I just realized that it’s been almost six months since I’ve posted anything. Life continues at a happy, breakneck pace. We recently celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary. It was a great school year and so far, a busy, happy summer. I hardly ever miss drinking. Sure, there are the occasional twinges when I’m at a restaurant or sitting outside in the evening. But they’re few and far between. August 18th marks five whole, continuous years of sobriety for me. My life isn’t perfect, although it’s pretty damn great. One thing I know for sure is that drinking would contribute absolutely nothing pos ..read more

Today the hubs and I are going to be out all afternoon. Our kids and grandchildren are  convening at our house while we’re out. My older daughter will be cutting her nieces’ and sister in law’s hair, and when we come home we’ll all have dinner together. They’re meeting here because our house is the most conducive to a big family gathering. After their haircuts, all the of little ones will play together while my kids and their spouses  hang out and visit, and then they’ll set the table and order a couple of pizzas. You’re probably thinking, sounds like a typical Saturday for a normal ..read more