All posts in Relationships

Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll

SDR

The title may indicate an action-packed weekend in our household but, just like Ian Dury’s notorious lyrics, it’s been a lot tamer than it sounds.

Sex:   Youngest Child has a new lady friend, one whom he ‘stole’ from one of his best friends.  Lots of junior high drama followed, of course, which I have heard about in great gory detail.  I was even asked for advice, which is so outside of my current parenting parameters it’s not funny.  Neither OC nor MC would EVER discuss such details with me; indeed would squirm at any topic that vaguely touches on sex or relationships. Read more…

International Women’s Day!

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On International Women’s Day, this goes out to all women everywhere.  Even if you’re not juggling mothers, you will be juggling.  Because you’re women.

Women have strengths that amaze men….
They bear hardships and they carry burdens, hold happiness, love and joy.
They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in..
They stand up to injustice.
They don’t take “no” for an answer when they believe there is a better solution.
They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.
They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards.
They are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.
They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart.
Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.  
They’ll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you.
The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning.  
They bring joy, hope and love.
They have compassion and ideas.
They give moral support to their family and friends.
Women have vital things to say and everything to give.

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN, IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

Always remember yours.

Oops!

surprised

Ha Ha, I LOVE it when one of my teens manages to get gently busted all by himself!  This morning, at around 9:45am as I was sitting working at home, Middle Child suddenly appeared.  He was clearly shocked to see me there. Read more…

Sisterhood and Serotonin

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A few weeks ago I wrote about the importance of sisterhood, and how rejuvenating it is to get together with the girls for a glass of wine and a giggle.  Well, according to a piece that has been making the rounds of cyber-space recently, there is real science to back my feel-good feelings:

Notes from an evening class at Stanford. The lecture was on the mind-body connection – the relationship between stress and disease. The speaker (head of psychiatry at Stanford) said, among other things, that one of the best things that a man could do for his health is to be married to a woman, whereas for a woman, one of the best things she could do for her health was to nurture her relationships with her girlfriends. Read more…

Hump-Day Humour

Here is a little Wednesday smile for anyone who is prone to noticeable monthly mood swings…. something I do notice a little more of as I get older.  When I received this email from a friend the other day, I just about fell off my chair.

“A study conducted by the University’s Department of Psychiatry has revealed that the kind of face a woman finds attractive on a man can differ depending on where she is in her menstrual cycle.

For example:  If she is ovulating, she is attracted to men with rugged and masculine features.  However, if she is menstruating, or menopausal, she tends to be more attracted to a man with a spear lodged in his chest and tape over his mouth while he is on fire.

No further studies are expected.”

Enough said.

Andy Rooney’s “Women Over 40″

AndyRooney

I have watched Andy Rooney’s curmudgeonly essays for years, coming as they do at the end of 60 Minutes, one of television’s more intelligent offerings.  It was hard enough to believe, a month ago, that he was finally retiring at the age of 92, but even harder to believe, yesterday, that this larger-than-life character has passed away.  It seemed like his particular brand of wry, stubborn, opinionated ranting could just never be stopped.

Andy targeted many aspects of everyday life, but one of my favourite dissertations of his was about us ‘women of a certain age’.  As usual, he nailed it: Read more…

Sisterhood – Are We Getting Enough?

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Women aren’t spending as much time socializing with their friends as they used to, according to Statistics Canada.  The proportion of women taking part in social activities has declined by 8% since 1998.  Apparently we’re busier with work, more complex family structures and have more demands on us.  Well, yeah.  But… are we so busy looking after everyone else that we don’t even make it onto our own “to do” lists anymore?

Read more…

Girlfriends and Sugar Babies

teendating

I always knew that one day I would walk in on one of my kids cuddling with a girl.  And it finally happened.  But it wasn’t the 17-year-old.  It wasn’t even the 15-year-old.  It was the 12-YEAR-OLD.  My baby.  On the couch, down in the basement, with a real, live girl.

Read more…