Rain or Shine, My Pets Are There

This hasn’t been a very easy year for me. In fact, of all my years on this Earth to date, this past one has been the most trying by far. And the most blues-filled. One After the Other It started last summer when we tried to move back to Jacksonville. Thankfully plans changed, but instead of life sailing along unencumbered as I’d hoped, I got sick in November –the same week Wayne moved home and we left to go to Denver for Thanksgiving. Then Wayne got sick, and I had a relapse and fell ill again. Come January and February … Continue reading

The Marriage Blog Week in Review June 24-June 29

It’s the last week of June and while summer may have officially started on June 21st, the weather has been pretty wonky this year. Drought plagued North Texas for two years and in the month of June, we’ve seen over 11 inches of rain – that’s more than enough and then some and other parts of Texas have seen 18 or more inches of rain. But let’s get to our marriage blog week in review: Saturday, June 23 Relationship Problems are something we all experience at one time or another. Are you considering Writing Your Own Vows? Here’s some things … Continue reading

Tilting, Breaking, Freezing, and Insomnia

Son, this is part of the marvelousness that awaits you if you get your head down: If you’ve been following this blog you’ll already know that our first child is breech. Since learning of this medical conundrum my wife and I have been concerned for our child and were given various forms of advice on how our son can possibly get himself turned around in time for his birthday. Today I’m going to describe the various forms of discomfort my wife has subjected herself to in order to coerce our child out of his current position. 1) Tilting. I’m not … Continue reading

More Tips About Protecting Your Husband’s Health

Here are some more tips to help maintain your husband’s health. Watch the cholesterol. Encourage a regular check and if it is high look at changes that will need to be made. Visit the sites below or a dietician if you’re not sure what dietary changes you will need to implement. Another problem that has occurred these days is the number of people with allergies. Some times they can be linked to certain foods, even to migraines. Some triggers to migraines are, cheese, red wine, chocolate (sorry all you chocoholics) oranges. Other health problems can be caused by preservatives. Preservative … Continue reading

Adoption is Great for Dads AND Moms

  It’s been said that in couples, it’s often the woman who drives the adoption process. Perhaps the women have more need to raise children, perhaps they feel worse about being infertile, perhaps they want to have the childrearing experience so many of their friends have. Or it may just be that they know more about adoption, perhaps because women seem to talk amongst themselves about their personal lives and children more than male coworkers and acquaintances do. Some women have found that their husbands were initially reluctant about adopting. I’m sure sometimes it happens the other way around too, … Continue reading

Humor Helps with Dementia Homecaring Duties

Earlier today I wrote “GULP! I’m a Caregiver!”. I admitted how scary that was and how clueless I sometimes am about it all. The Humor of It All However, that leaves a lot of room for humorous incidents. Luckily, both my mom, husband, and I have pretty good senses of humor. Which is nice, because as my fellow bloggers Aimee and Beth have both written in previous articles, laughter is good medicine. (And not just my mom could stand a large dose of that at this point!) Humor had a chapter all its own in Keeping Busy: A Handbook of … Continue reading

Who Needs a Husband’s Help Christmas Shopping When There’s the Internet?

Last week I griped about how I’m married to a Scrooge and lamented how I’m responsible for making Christmas happen at our house every year by myself. I guess I was feeling sorry for myself when I wrote those because I was stressed. Most of the time everything’s done by now. Decorations have been hung, gifts have been ordered, and this week cards would have been mailed. But I got sick at Thanksgiving, right when Wayne started his three week sabbatical between jobs so we could travel and spend some time together. So instead of doing Christmas I’ve been either … Continue reading

How a Positive Attitude Affects Your Relationship

Since October is Positive Attitude Month, I thought it’d be a good time to reflect on our attitudes and how they affect our marriages. Because they definitely have an impact. Mirror Effect In our household we live by the “you get what you give” motto. It’s basically the same principal as the Golden Rule: treat me how you expect me to treat you back. I’m currently reading The Secret in which this principle is emphasized time and again. I first came to know of it, though, in a different manner (what you think upon grows) courtesy of Dr. Wayne Dyer’s … Continue reading

Thoughts on Long-Distancing It: How Commuter Marriages Are Born

Since July Wayne and I have had a long distance marriage. This past Friday night as I watched Friday Night Lights, I found myself sympathizing to the Kleenex degree with one of the show’s characters: Tami Taylor, played by Connie Britton. Tami’s Story of Separation On the show, Tami’s husband, Coach Taylor, got offered a coaching job at another school, this time a college but not one in their current hometown. It’s an offer he doesn’t want to pass up. However, instead of following him yet again like she has all through their marriage and his career, she decides to … Continue reading

The Single Fantasy

National Singles Week runs from September 15-21. This year the National Singles Association is hosting events in Atlanta from September 17 thru 23. Unmarried America is also celebrating singles during the same time period, with what they call National Unmarried and Single Americans Week. “Why the fascination with Singles Week, Courtney? I thought you were happily married? And didn’t you just celebrate an anniversary?” Yes, I am happily married and, yes, we did just celebrate an anniversary, our 12th in fact. But sometimes I have this fantasy of what it would be like to be footloose and fancy free… The … Continue reading