Category: Home
-
How Do You Defrost A Turkey Quickly? Asking For A Friend
The red cabbage is out of the oven to the somewhat predictable retching noises from NC – proof that she is a rubbish vegetarian. The presents are wrapped and under the tree – apart from mine, which I have no doubt will be remembered sometime between the closing credits of Elf and bedtime. And the…
-
Empty-Nesting: You Know When It Is Time…
Photo by Mantas Hesthaven on Unsplash The old man and I became empty-nesters this week. Kurt has left the building. I swear he wasn’t pushed. We view our negotiations as closer to a manipulation that made sense – primarily, for him. Not once did we bring up the subject of our sanity in the conversation.…
-
Are Women Just As Guilty Of Disempowering Men As They Are Of Avoiding The “Emotional LaborR
Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash ‘But you enjoy it,’ the old man retorts defensively when I moan about him not chipping in with the organization of social events, the ongoing responsibilities of our adult children, and – dare I mention it – Christmas. You might have read in the news this week about the…
-
When You Travel Back To The Motherland And Feel Like A Tourist
Anybody who has migrated to another country will understand the conundrum of whether “home” will always be the place in which you were born or your adopted country. At this stage of life – the old AF period just prior to death – the question can become all the more poignant with our tendency to…
-
5 Brilliant TV Series For The Discerning Middle-Aged Couple
The old man and I watch a lot of detective series together. It’s the only genre that hits the sweet spot for both of us. For him, there are car chases, guns, and psychopaths – although, sadly no dragons – and for me, there is typically a decent representation of female characters – albeit, few of…
-
3 Reasons Not To Criticize Your Husband’s Cooking
In my experience, men do not take criticism easily – whether it’s constructive or just plain mean – the latter being particularly relevant to the long marriage. Which is why I have had to tread very carefully this week, while the old man had taken up the mantle of domestic slavery in our house, as…
-
Sometimes, A Good Chinwag With People That Really Know You Is All The Therapy You Need
Bonding with someone is ” Like sharing an invisible stream of consciousness with each other.” Those are the powerful words of Zat Rana in his piece The Subtle Art Of Connecting With Anyone on “Medium.” My connection to others has always provided me with the best therapy. I’m needy emotionally. I might even go as far…
-
And The Progress Prize For Best Father This Father’s Day Goes To…
I’d like to say an early “Happy Fathers Day” to all those men for whom fatherhood hasn’t been quite what they expected, perhaps due to their own issues, the pressures of “toxic masculinity”, or perhaps because, (as in the old man’s case), they produced a square peg. First of all, I should probably justify my…
-
This Birthday, JOMO Replaced FOMO
It was my birthday yesterday. In some ways, it’s hard to believe that I am now 53, in others, it feels like it has taken me bloody ages to get here. The most important part, I suppose, is that where I am, feels right. The kids and a good bunch of friends came over for…
-
The Twelve Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Get Married
We go through different phases in our marriage. Sometimes we love each other with the intensity of Jack and Rose in Titanic; sometimes he’s George and I’m Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Normal, right? It didn’t take me long to work out that marriage involves a lot of hard work and luck. There…
LOUISA SIMMONDS 