• Relationship Advice for Women,  Relationships Take Work

    Flying Underwear: A Lesson in Respect

    In 36 years of marriage, I can count on one hand the number of fights my husband and I have had. Yet, two of those were sparked by my attempts to organize him. Early in our marriage, the clutter of papers scattered around our small living spaces began to irk me. I’m not Mrs. Fastidious, but the mess bugged me. Bobby, my husband, didn’t have an office back then and often worked from a corner of our living room. We disagreed over the value of form versus function—he saw empty flat surfaces as storage spaces, while I envisioned them adorned sparingly with pretty decor. To give you a bit more…

  • Relationships Take Work

    The Unforced Rhythms of Grace

    If you’re following along, you might know about Sacred Saturdays.  They evolved from my husband’s and my need to hold time aside just for us. The time that has worked best is Saturday mornings. The name came later as we realized just what this time means to us and what it has contributed to our relationship. “Sacred” in the name does not mean that we do something specifically related to God every time, although we sometimes do. It means that this time is a priority and it’s special. I explain how it came about and what we do on these mornings in the original story. We’ve been doing Sacred Saturdays…

  • Relationships Take Work

    Racing and Life: The Wall’s Teachings

    Drag racing is dangerous. My husband, Bobby, is a professional funny car driver. Over the years, I’ve seen many racecars crash. As much as I love this sport, it can tear your heart out to lose beloved friends to it. The two most common safety issues in our sport are cars catching fire and cars hitting the wall. Often, these incidents occur simultaneously. Bobby has been on fire three times. I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more just to…never see that again. OK, if you didn’t get that joke, you’re too young. Or I’m too old. Haha! Jokes aside, it’s horrifying to watch the most precious…

  • Date Night

    20 Winter Dates for 20 Bucks

    I’ve got 20 easy, FUN, and cheap date ideas for winter! All under $20. Just try one. Capiche? Make cookies. You can go homemade or buy a mix. ...and give them away. Package them up in Ziploc bags and deliver them to neighbors or retirement homes near you. Have a kitchen showdown! Challenge each other to a cook-off – you can split the $20 at the grocery store however you’d like, but each person must whip up as full a meal as possible with what they’ve got. This is my Chicken Marsala – do not and I repeat – DO NOT – challenge me to a cook-off. 4. Put together a…