Let’s talk motivation. Or rather… the complete and utter lack of it. I’ve been in a bit of a funk lately and feel about as motivated as a sloth on a rainy Monday.  My motivation and I are currently on a trial separation. And judging from conversations with friends, I’m not alone. Is it the […]

So… it’s decision time. My 50th high school reunion is this year, and the invitation arrived. Fifty years. Honestly, I’m still trying to recover from hearing that number out loud. As I started stepping back in time in my mind, I thought about my high school self. I definitely did NOT have the three P’s. […]

I don’t know about you, but I have what I call “irrational” fears. Well… maybe the fears themselves aren’t irrational—it’s my reaction to them that probably deserves the side-eye. Take bugs, for example. They are icky, ooookey, and just plain yucky. In my humble opinion. And if some unlucky insect happens to land on me? […]

I am not a gadget type of gal. It’s not that I dislike gizmos… I just can’t figure them out. How they work feels like some kind of unsolved mystery. The kind best left to people who enjoy reading instruction manuals for fun (do those people really exist?). My husband, on the other hand, loves […]

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about my friends—my tribe, or as we say these days, “my people.” You know the ones. The people you can count on, no matter what.The ones who stay by your side during the hard times.The ones you can be completely yourself with—flaws and all—and somehow still feel completely accepted. […]

I’m of that “certain age” where the music I listened to as a teenager is still being performed live—but mostly by tribute bands. And honestly? I’m perfectly fine with that.  Tribute bands are great. You get the music you love… and you can still afford dinner afterward. This past month I was lucky enough to […]

There are many things in life I try to avoid. Pain is very high on that list… somewhere between doing taxes and cleaning out the refrigerator. I do not like pain. But really… who does? Even though I’m not usually a “take a pill to fix it” type of person (diet and exercise is my […]

Last week I went to the Flower and Garden Show. Every February it comes around, and my goodness, is it ever needed! By the end of February, we are all desperate for springtime… or at least the idea of springtime. The minute I walk into that big convention center, I love the smell of dirt […]

Last month, my husband and I escaped the Northeast in the middle of a snowstorm—one of those “why do we live here again?” kind of storms—and boarded a cruise to the Bahamas.  Some sun. A bit more warmth. No shovels. We already felt victorious. Now here’s the twist: on a whim, I placed a little […]

Sometimes I feel like an extremist.Not in the political sense—just in the Peni tries to do everything at maximum intensity sense. Like exercise. I go all out… until I can’t move, can’t think, and have to sit in one spot for hours, questioning every life choice I’ve ever made. Or books. If I love a […]