After 12 years as the Working Mom columnist, this old mom is retiring from writing this article. There are no specific reasons to share other than my son is now 22 years old and I am hoping there is a mom out there with smaller children and a busy home and work life who wants to take over as the Working Mom 2.0 (smile). What a ride! It has been very therapeutic and … [Read more...]
The Art of Saying Hello
The introduction of face masks seems to have made the art of sharing a heartfelt and friendly “hello” to our friends and neighbors even more difficult. Although many people have decided to forego a mask now that they have been vaccinated, there are still many out there using masks on a daily basis and you can’t see a smile and can barely hear what they are saying through the … [Read more...]
The Working Mom “2.0” Is that me complaining?
Is that me complaining? Have you ever been in a conversation with someone who seems to dwell on the last worst thing that happened? If you have and, like me, are trying to figure a way out of the conversation, it can be a challenge! I was visiting with a couple of good friends this past weekend and decided we were at a point in our lives where we need to keep each other in … [Read more...]
The Working Mom The year of the online party
If you were a woman alive and active on Facebook in 2020, odds are that you were probably invited to an online party. Now, I am writing about this because I think it is a “bad” thing since I love to shop, but do wonder how all of you readers are managing the new pattern of online parties due to social distancing and has your pocketbook taken a hit? Mine did but it was great … [Read more...]
Working Mom
I thought it was just a cramp This article is way overdue as it seems that many of my friends have had a few medical issues lately and it makes me wonder at what point does it become more than a cramp? The growing old starts gradually but then it can hit you like a cement truck! For instance, how old were you when you ran or walked your first mile since fifth grade and were … [Read more...]
The Working Mom 2.0: Learning to Bend
If any of you have ever noticed that your daily schedules and plans can be a bit regimented, you are not alone. I am finding I need to start “bending” my daily ways before I become obnoxiously schedule and task oriented – and, heaven forbid someone asks for something that is outside of my schedule. Ha! Aside from the abnormal COVID social restrictions that limit going out and … [Read more...]
Times are a changing
Throughout the years of writing this column, I have always tried to find humor in everyday life and the small things that each of us do. The day that we quit finding humor in the small things is the day we become crochety, dusty, and participate in those empty and lackluster kind of conversations. My husband and I have been talking on and off about how life is good and how we … [Read more...]
The best gift of all
Hopefully this finds all of you plowed out and sidewalks shoveled so you can have friends and family over for Christmas. The weekend is fast approaching and, if you haven’t taken the time to be good yet this year, you barely have time to squeeze in a good deed or two so… hurry up! If you have been reminiscing as you put up the tree this year and hung the lights, my hope is … [Read more...]
Shopping – Man, has it changed!
As I was driving to Rochester one day to buy crafting ribbon, I was taking count of how many of my quick stop shops had closed – JoAnn’s south, gone. Shopko, nope. Kmart, long gone. WalMart – too crazy, just can’t do it. So, this means that my shopping from now on has to be very thought out and well planned to know what I need and where I can get it. With many of my quick … [Read more...]
The Working Mom 2.0
The Newlywed Game Do any of you remember the Newlywed Game? If not, get on YouTube before reading this article to watch some of the original episodes and get ready for some big laughs. We were going to be spending time with our “COVID-safe” friends (the same friends you hang around with since the pandemic started) and wanted to have a different game that even the husbands … [Read more...]
The Working Mom
Remember when Remember when we carried on with our lives without a care in the world about catching a virus? I remember being on a plane traveling for a work trip when a mother with three young children boarded and clogged the main aisle as she spent a good 10 minutes using Lysol wipes to clean the seats, arm rests, and flip down tables before she allowed her children to sit … [Read more...]
The Working Mom
Pre and postCOVID – being thoughtful Do you ever get stuck on a phrase that you can’t shake? Well, I know I have…. and some of you who know me may agree that I have been using and probably overusing the word Awesome for 30+ years. My prediction is there are a couple of phrases that will be used for a very long time are “preCOVID” and “postCOVID.” Anyone taking inventory of … [Read more...]
The Working Mom
A mom’s 20/20 vision This column has been around now since 2009 and I still remember writing that first article to submit and see if they would like the concept of a working mom column that included mom-isms, easy recipes, and talking about comical every day events. Well, so far so good. When I look at what I was writing about 11 years ago, I find that there are many of … [Read more...]
The Working Mom
Hallo-Thank-Mas Want to celebrate three holidays at the same time? Just go to any large retailer and you will see the Halloween decorations on sale, the Thanksgiving items on the shelf around the corner, and the Christmas décor and displays starting to take shape in the next 10 aisles. Seriously, I haven’t managed to even clean out my summer flower beds and get some mums … [Read more...]
The Working Mom
Being a woman is a trip Yes, it’s a trip — a trip through body-shaping, calorie counting, face firming, hair poofing, thinking-about-exercising days, and finally the fact that all of the clothes you wore a few years ago shrunk while in the closet. Did you move the button of your favorite shorts this summer or have you started cutting off the size tags on your shirts or … [Read more...]