Search Results for: blog long marriages this family knows how to do it

Marriages Need to Grow

Those who have been through marriage preparation classes could perhaps be better prepared for the reality of marriage. They’re a good idea but they still don’t have all the answers. Basically we can discuss issues before we are married. Mick and I did. We talked about children, money, other family members, religion and anything else that came to mind and that’s great. But sometimes those held views change over time and we need to rethink. That’s when we need to make sure the lines of communication stay open. Good, lasting marriages don’t just happen. Like gardens they need time to … Continue reading →

Marriage Blog, I Bid You Farewell

An adventure that began two years ago in Pets, then expanded to Marriage a little over a year ago when I first introduced myself here, has reached journey’s end. Today I’m writing to say farewell. Dale should be rejoining you all very shortly. She’s already back to posting in Christian so I imagine it won’t be long before she makes a reappearance here. You’re also going to get a new face to Marriage, but definitely not to Families.com. Mary Ann Romans is one of Families most prolific bloggers. She’s written in different categories over the years and is currently covering … Continue reading →

Greatest American Dog: Dancing with the Dogs Episode

I finally had a chance to watch last week’s “Greatest American Dog.” As have the other episodes, it’s sparked some reflection on my behalf. (The gist of which is reflected in the subheads below.) The Good Again, I have yet to watch this show without crying. (Which isn’t entirely unexpected due to my problem.) However, this week it was the people, not the animals, who had me bawling. It started when Bill was talking about being so homesick and Star’s body language mirrored his sadness. It was heart wrenching to hear him say how much he missed his wife and … Continue reading →

What Love Is: Learning Long Marriage Secrets from Families.com Members

Earlier this year I committed myself to making the best of Marriage in ‘08. I planned to do that by accentuating the positive and examining tools of the trade others used in their marriages. Especially long lasting marriages. I’m still on that mission, but I’ve already learned a lot. And a lot of it has been gleaned right here from other Families.com members. A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That The very first thing I realized was actually the last of the four rules I wrote earlier this year: One Size Doesn’t Fit All. This is … Continue reading →

Stats on Long Marriages

Around the same time she sent me a link that resulted in the article Long Marriages: This Family Knows How to Do It, Jade “The Muse” Walker (as I think I’ll now start calling her) also tipped me off to another story about long marriages. This one wasn’t so much an article though. It was posted on a blog called “Kristen’s Brooklyn, NY Blog” and was an invitation. As Jade put it, “Now that’s what I call an Exclusive party.” It certainly was. A man named Marty Markowitz, who’s apparently the Brooklyn Borough President, and his wife hosted an event … Continue reading →

Long Marriages: This Family Knows How to Do It

A few weeks back one of my favorite Families.com commentators, Jade Walker, PM’d me with a subject line that read “A Case for Long Marriages.” Within the PM she included a link to an article and the brief note: “Apparently, the key is to have the wife stay at home.” I would have clicked the link anyway, but that was a definite attention getter. “Has there been some kind of study done proving there’s a correlation between stay-at-home wives/moms and long marriages?” I wondered. Not exactly. But if we study the seven siblings (five sisters and two brothers) who make … Continue reading →

Good Habits to Develop

In my last marriage blog, I talked about bad habits we should break.  Today we are going to consider some good habits to develop. The first is encouragement.  It seems the longer a couple is married, the less often this happens. In most cases it’s probably a result of just living life and not really thinking about the importance of offering encouragement.  We are busy working, taking care of the family, running a household, and taking on many other responsibilities. But taking time each and everyday to encourage your spouse is a good habit to develop.  It can be something … Continue reading →

Buying Gifts for Your Spouse

Since it’s coming up to Christmas, I thought it would be good to cover the subject of buying gifts for your spouse. Before you can go out and buy a gift it is much easier to start off with an idea in mind. Otherwise you are likely to spend a lot of time wandering around looking at things and coming home with nothing. Some families I know ask for suggestions of things the person would like. This is particularly helpful if they want a certain book and CD, so that you end up with the right title. It can also … Continue reading →

Acts of Love

When you think of acts of love, perhaps you think of the obvious one like the sexual act, kisses, cuddles and the like. Sure they are important acts of love. But there are others. What constitutes an act of love might well depend on the couple and the circumstances at the time. For example recently Mick attacked our clothes line with a broom and spider spray. He knows I am frightened of spiders and hate the thought of one crawling inside clothes while they are drying in the sunshine. Having been on the receiving end of a spider bite after … Continue reading →

The Perfect Anniversary Gift

Anniversary presents can cause trouble, especially if they’re not what the person was expecting or hoping for. In a magazine I had to chuckle as I read about a woman who was delighted by her husband’s suggestion of a gift subscription to GoodReading magazine. She went on to explain two reasons why his gift was so appreciated. The first was because in the past his presents for special occasions left a lot to be desired. In fact the editor of the magazine had to censor her comments in the letter which gives a pretty fair idea of what she thought … Continue reading →