One of the pleasures I’ve found in the empty-nest season is the time to tackle projects I’ve put off for years. For the past couple of weeks, with heavy snow and frigid temperatures keeping me inside, I’ve been working on another long-overdue project—I’m culling and organizing nearly 70,000 digital photos!
Read MoreEmpty-Nest Joyride made her debut into the world today and she’s ready to fly! One thing I’ve learned is that launching a book is not for the faint of heart! There were a few times this week I thought my brain might explode with all the different tasks I was trying to juggle. But giving birth was never easy, was it?
Read MoreIn mid-September, I flew to Treasure Island, Florida…Who could have imagined that eleven days after I flew home, Hurricane Helene's storm surge and winds would devastate Treasure Island? And then, nearly two weeks later, Milton would deliver a second blow to the area. The island I had briefly enjoyed was underwater and buried beneath sand and debris.
Read MoreI don’t have a big “reveal” to help you untwist the midlife puzzles you might be encountering. But here are a few solid resources (websites, podcasts, Substack bloggers, and books) that have guided me in this transitional life stage.
Read MoreBut life isn’t perfect. And not accepting life’s imperfections will bring angst. Whereas holding on loosely to the worries of this world offers peace.
Read MoreRemember all those “What to Expect When…You’re Expecting” (“…in the First Year”, “…Second Year”, etc.) books? For years, they filled our bookshelves and covered our nightstands, teaching us everything we needed to know to tackle pregnancy and parenthood with confidence. But what about “What to Expect When You’re Empty Nesting”?
Read MoreWe’ve just begun the second summer of our Grand Marriage Experiment. Mind you, it didn’t start as a marriage experiment.
It started as a dream come true—the dream of owning a cabin on a lake in Minnesota.
Read MoreIn celebration of our daughter Chloe’s graduation from U-W Madison with a master’s degree in library and information studies, I’ve updated a story I first wrote three years ago.
Read MoreI’ve been writing on Substack since March 16, 2023 (but started blogging ten years ago!), so I thought I’d re-introduce myself to benefit my new followers (Hello there!) and others who want a taste of what Empty-Nest Joyride! is all about.
Read MoreA tiny taste of Lent through the Little Things, to whet your appetite.
Read MorePerhaps you’ve heard the slogan ringing in this new year: Do More in 2024!
I don’t know about you, but the thought of doing more after the past few weeks of shopping, decorating, baking, cooking, and entertaining makes me want to crawl in a hole and hide.
If I did though, I would take a book with me.
Read MoreI have no regrets. At least seven bene-fits come to mind as I consider how semi-retirement fits my life today.
Read MoreI turned 60 this past year, and I admit I have qualms about joining the ranks of older persons. Is my aging body a sign of weakness? Will others look at me and assume I’m incapable? If I let my hair go gray, will others see me as irrelevant?
Read MoreLooking back, I can see that the adjustment to an empty nest happened in three stages. For me, each one was a necessary part of the process. The first two stages were a matter of survival, while the third one helped me thrive.
Read MoreMost young adults walk into the world of health insurance with no health issues, or perhaps one or two minor ones. That was the case with our older children who had made this transition. While there was some stress, it was not unlike other stressors in their new adventure of adulting.
But young adults with Type 1 Diabetes (or other major health issues) have additional struggles.
Read MoreOur annual "Christmas Letter" (a.k.a. Year in Review) is brought to you by the blizzard of 2022. When blizzard warnings, bomb cyclones, and plane delays/cancellations foil Christmas plans, there is still one thing you can count on.
Read MoreLike a teaspoon of salt can flavor a whole pot, trying one idea will lead to more. Soon you’ll be inventing your own zesty ideas. Are you ready to stir things up? Let’s go!
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