With some perspective on the situation (my husband is out of hospital and recuperating at home), I can almost laugh (although not funny at the time), about what it took for me to reach my saturation point.  Just when it seems that stressful occurrences are being handled, a (small) event often causes that, “I can’t [...]

“Support” may be an unlikely word to find at the end of the above phrase, but its importance was underscored while I was sitting in the ICU of a Southern California hospital, where my husband underwent emergency surgery. Surrounded by loving family and friends makes it possible for me to be “tough” in this difficult situation, [...]

“If You’re Not Part of the Solution, You’re Part of the Problem” Over a period of a week, my mother’s microwave oven began showing signs of imminent decline.  I checked with my siblings, but no one had kept an extra “nuker” after moving or remodeling a kitchen. The suggestion was made to immediately buy a [...]

I used to describe my ex-husband as being, “the master of the specious argument”. Obviously, he is my “ex” because we had innumerable differences of opinions and values.  When someone is particularly bright, forceful, and needing to be “right”, any discussion can readily turn into a quarrel, where there is a winner and a loser. Wounded feelings easily [...]

Never met a power struggle you couldn’t refuse? Or, is it a problem in differentiating when to take a necessary stand vs. when best to walk away from the situation? In any relationship, be it intimate, casual or professional, knowing when to pick your fights is essential in getting along and achieving a sense of [...]

Can your bark be characterized as actually worse than your bite?  Instantaneous results for all we do or desire is often seen as the norm, allowing commonplace annoyances to loom large in our pantheon of woes. The popularity of blogs and social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, along with their wonderful innovations, have [...]

While on vacation, I thought I’d use a past Life Tip that had elicited many readers’ comments.  But, lo and behold, the trampoline set up at my sister’s vacation home proved too enticing an experience to ignore, compelling me to pen a new Tip.   Watching my grandsons’ and nephew’s buoyant bouncing was fun in and of itself, and [...]

Long gone are the days when one’s job or profession was an constant fact of life, epitomized by company loyalty (a two-way street), workplace stability and economic security.  Frequent career changes were seen as flighty behavior, as once a _____ (teacher, lawyer, engineer), always a _____.   My own work history is probably typical of [...]

When it comes to play, it’s evolution to the rescue.  Scientists believe that the need and ability to play is hard-wired into our brains, part and parcel of neurological development.   Play teaches children independence, language and physical prowess, concentration, managing and adapting to difficult situations without resorting to conflict, while becoming adept at interpreting societal [...]

Unrealistic expectations can bring about a sense of disappointment, frustration, anger, or betrayal when an individual or situation doesn’t live up to the way things are “supposed to be”. However, the phenomenon of suspended expectations is somewhat different, having to deal with disruptive and unforeseen events that demand a shifting of gears from anticipated and [...]