BoomerGirl Diary

Frozen dreams

Ice cream frenzy leaves family fulfilled, lethargic

My family loves ice cream. When we eat it, invariably, at some point, one of us will look up from our bowl, and say, dreamily, “I could eat a gallon of this stuff.”

Set in stone

Tony and Laurie Adamo of Fresno, Calif., needed a countertop for the bar in their game and bar room. But they didn't want just any kind of countertop.

Cosmetic cleanup

Is that foundation you bought last fall still safe to wear? What about the lipstick you found in an old purse? We tell you what to use and what to lose.

Look at what's on tap for the weekend!

We're toasting the weekend with new stories on the Advice, Home, Food, Beauty and Herspectives pages. Pour your favorite beverage, click through and get links to the freshness!

Don't procrastinate when it comes to your health

Dear Susan: I am 51 and I think I should have a colonoscopy. I should have had one years ago but I keep putting it off. I even scheduled it once when I was 45 ago but then cancelled.

Oktoberfest: Sausages for sampling

A wurst party could be your best. There are definitely German sausages worth sampling beyond brats, so host a tasting party to honor Oktoberfest.

Apples deserve autumn reverence

As I was pondering this reverence that people have for the apple, I decided that the apple had two things going for it. First, there are the apple’s practical benefits, namely its portability, durability and long shelf life without refrigeration. For this reason, the apple has been a staple of the sack lunch for generations of workers and school children.

Keep tarnish at bay

Keep the air out and the shine in!

As boomers hit their 60s, the clock takes on a new face

A 60-year-old now thinks differently than a 60-year-old did even 10 years ago and certainly 20 years ago. I think these changes we've been seeing in the cosmetic industry are very much driven by the aging baby boomer population.

Roast pork with plum salsa

Flashback of the day

A smash hit album from Motown. Isn't it lovely?

Look at what's sizzling on the site this Friday!

We're blazing into the weekend with new stories on the Beauty, Food, Retirement and Entertain page, plus a brand new Home Alone blog. Read on for links to whatever sparks your interest.

Boomer retirees look abroad

With careful planning and lots of passion, some baby boomers are turning a dream of an overseas retirement into reality. They're lured to distant climes on the promise of a higher quality of life. Often they discover a lower cost of living, stunning natural beauty and a sense of community.

Saffron chicken with fennel seeds

Study: Money can prod one to lose weight

People will lose weight for money, even a little money, suggests a study that offers another option for employers looking for ways to cut health care costs.

Toothbrushes good for more than brushing teeth

Bristles can clean up in a tight spot.

Women: Listen to your heart's history

When a man suffers a heart attack at a young age, klaxons sound and red flags flutter for his son. But do alarm bells sound for the female child of a premature heart attack victim — and does she hear them?

Flashback of the day

Of course, this would have been well after the boomers' bedtimes ...

Escape the safari bubble and say jambo (hello) to the people

Elephants are fine. But more interesting is the man who can track elephants. Lions are great. But even more amazing is the resourceful Hadzabe tribe.

See what's in store for you on the site today!

We've got more accessible clubs and fresh content on the Business, Health, Wine, Travel and blog pages today. Click away for previews and quick links.

Hard-to-say Gewürztraminer goes with hard-to-pair food

Gewürztraminer is a complicated enough grape — and wine — that a user's guide might be helpful.

An extra ten and young again

Once upon a time in a land close at hand, a Great Wizard came to the people with a special gift: an extra 10 years of good health! A bonus of time and vitality for the whole population! The period called youth would now last until about age 60!

Towards transformation

I don’t know about you, but the concept of the caterpillar disintegrating into a mass of pulp before becoming a butterfly symbolizes many situations and periods in my life.

Look what's new on the site this Wednesday!

From businesses that dock workers' pay for high blood pressure to a new column by Eileen Roddy on spiritual transformation, BoomerGirl is brimming with new content. Click below for quick links.

Can you be fired for smoking after work?

More and more employers are regulating workers' private behavior. Can punitive measures for high blood pressure, body mass and blood glucose levels be far behind?

Nutritious seaweed surfaces as the new veggie on American dinner plates

The way Americans are going gaga for sushi rolls, seaweed may one day be as American as apple pie or corn on the cob.

Mussels in white wine

(Moules a la Mariniere)

Pillow talk: Good sex, a source of good health

Consider the older man who slips into the bathroom before bedtime and surreptitiously swallows a Viagra pill. He decides against telling his wife, afraid she might think he's having a problem because he's no longer attracted to her.

Big family, small world

Lynne Cimorelli, 44, knows her family seems unusual, especially when her 11 children pile out of their 15-passenger van. And she can't forget a few of the people over the years who have shared their disapproval.

Flashback of the day

The bench makes room for women.

Look what we're serving up this Tuesday!

From friends becoming lovers to exercising after chemotherapy, our new stories and blogs run the gamut today. Click through to get previews and links to whatever sparks you interest.

Turning friendship into romance after 50

It is important to be really systematic in turning friendship into romance. Friendship and romance are inseparable in many cases, but it is not for everyone.

Becoming active once more following cancer

Q: I am recovering from breast cancer. I finished my chemotherapy a few weeks ago and though I still feel weak, I was wondering if I should start exercising again?

Got (extra) milk?

It's not just good for your bones!

Good eggs

Cracking the quality code to help shoppers pick a dozen

Through the years, nutritionists’ opinions on eggs have flip-flopped more than a spatula at IHOP. Sometimes knocked for having too much cholesterol, eggs also are a good source of protein — hence the dilemma.

Home built with 'universal design' makes life easier for many

The house with the stone exterior on Eugenia Avenue looks like any other house in this quiet neighborhood. But it isn't.

Lavender: Friendship & the essence of emotional union

When traveling in the south of France, you simply can’t miss the relationship of harmony and co-creation that exits between the bees and the seemingly endless fields of lavender. They hum.

Here's what we've got for you on the site today!

We're kicking off our week with fresh content on the Travel, Spirituality, Food, Home and blog pages. Read on for sneak peeks and speedy links to whatever you want to read.

'Summer of Love' Second Honeymoon

Part One: San Francisco weekend

This summer, faced with the prospect of being without the kids and away from home for one of the first times since our honeymoon in my elderly aunt’s condo in Boca Raton in 1979, my husband and I booked a flight for two to San Francisco for 10 days in northern California.

Retailers making it easier to decorate homes in green

Are you going green? This new lifestyle is encouraging all of us to become eco-friendly by paying attention to how our homes, cars, clothes and the food we eat affect the planet. Whether you've given up bottled water or are contemplating purchasing a hybrid car, change is upon us.

Brownie substitution tasty, but not low-cal

I subscribe to several cooking magazines, and one of the best for dessert recipes is Cooking Light. Leafing through this magazine, which purports in its very title to focus on light foods, is an adventure in irony.

Which has right formula for color, moisture, protection?

We're always looking for shortcuts to our daily makeup routine, but we're not willing to give up putting our best face forward. But what if there's a product that gives us three for the effort of one?

What to do when your footwear 'flops'

It seems flip-flops come in more varieties than ice cream. With so many styles and colors, it's a travesty that we can wear them only during accommodating seasons. But your feet are going to thank you for flip-flop moderation.

Look at what's up for grabs on the site this weekend

The line-up for your weekend reading includes new stories on the Create, Fashion, Beauty, Food and Home pages. Click through for previews and links to whatever piques your interest.

Crafting on a budget

Handmade doesn't necessarily mean inexpensive. It's easy to spend a bundle, but there are a number of ways to stay within a budget if you just plan ahead.

Tacos by the sea

How to take the tarnish off copper

Copper cookware requires a little effort to keep it shiny.

Coats vie for the spotlight

The coats coming into stores for fall and winter are anything but utilitarian. These cold-weather barriers are vying for the spotlight, and many are so attractive that you won't want to take them off.

Be wary when buying a refurbished product

When shopping for electronics and appliances, you can save 30 percent to 80 percent by purchasing refurbished products.

Forced Family Fun serves its purpose

The closer our kids get to leaving the family nest, the more urgently I feel the need to infect them with a passion for ballet and opera, theater and film.

Look at what we have for you on the site today!

We're toasting the end to another great week with fresh content on the Fashion, Home, Herspectives and Family pages plus a new blog from the Showbiz Kid on happiness and O.J. Read on for juicy details and hot links.

Save money, save yourself

FDIC chief urges better balance of thrift, spending

Thirty-two years after she stamped passbooks at her hometown savings and loan, Sheila Bair fears that America has lost its penchant for putting away money for education, for unexpected expenses — for anything, really.

Knee to know basis

What you can do to help ward off knee problems

The joint won't be jumping if your knees aren't up to it. There won't be much running, walking, dancing, skipping or hopping, either.

Hangin' in the mudroom

Nancy Smith of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., sometimes shut her eyes to the mess as she passed through the long hallway that connected her garage to her kitchen. It was there that the items of daily activities piled up — golf and tennis shoes, racquets, jackets, baseball mitts and backpacks.

Workers’ age-based differences can bring tensions

If you've ever griped about your 20-something co-worker who is always attached to her iPod or the 30-something who never seems to be working at his desk, you're probably a baby boomer — and those same workers are probably griping about your penchant for face-to-face meetings.

Here's the scoop on the site this Thursday

New to the BoomerGirl line-up today are stories on the Wealth, Business, Health and Home pages plus a rousing Red Skirt/Blue Skirt blog on women and politics. Click through for links.

Flashback of the day

Battle of the sexes!

Do’s and don’ts of drafting a will

People are living so long these days that you might decide that your 90th birthday would be a good day to draft a will. Bad idea.

5 ways to work on that lower-back pain

Oh, it's my back again! Here are some ways and means to help the pain.

Say goodbye to fingerprints

By saying "hello" to the baker.

Attack of the worms!

It’s time we started showing some respect and gratitude for the underappreciated earthworm, the night crawlers, and their boy back-up band, fungi and bacteria

Nobody wants to talk about it

Baby boomers face grief

Baby boomers are in for a shock! We may think that we are prepared for the sadness that will accompany our parents’ death. In fact we are usually totally unprepared for this life experience. To lose the people in your life that have always been there and know you the best is a life-altering event.

Look what's in store on the site this Wednesday!

We've hit the midweek point with new stories on the Advice, Learn, Garden and Fitness pages plus a new Home Alone blog by Leah Hemenway. Click on for previews and quick links.

Pickard paints picture of small-town charm

If you're looking for a good mystery, "Virgin of Small Plains," by Kansas writer Nancy Pickard is the ticket. I devoured it in two sittings.

Hot flashes: Picking the right USB drive

Ask a co-worker or your kid for a floppy disk or a writeable CD and you might hear: "Who uses those anymore? Where's your flash drive?"

Animals still outnumber tourists, but you’d better hurry …

As a human being, I'm here to say the safari experience is truly humbling. Here on the golden savanna, the lions still roar. The crocodile, hippo, giraffe, elephant, warthog, zebra and hyena lead colorful lives.

Instead of a cabinet redo, try a refinish

Dreaming of redoing your kitchen but waking up with a budget that seems too small? Think Botox instead of a total face-lift. Kitchen cabinets can be spiffed up for one- third to one- half the cost of replacing them while still refreshing the room dramatically.

Look what's up front and center on today!

We've loaded up the site with fresh stories on the Beauty, Travel, Home and Learn pages plus a great new blog from Ronna in Costa Rica! Click through for links to the new!

My husband the metrosexual?

My husband blew in from a windy round of golf looking ruddy cheeked as Santa. "Would you have any moisturizer?" he asked. Does Poland Springs have water?

Pork tenderloin with pears and sweet sherry

Flashback of the day

"Girl, we couldn't get much higher" gets the Doors in trouble.

Artist does serious work in lighthearted medium

Jeff Gagliardi, 52, goes a little crazy when people try to twist the knobs on his Etch-a-Sketch.

Organizational methods cut through mess of divorce

We believe that successful results in matrimonial cases are directly related to gathering and properly organizing information and records. "Organization" is nothing more than your ability to find what you want or need when you want or need it. Bottom line: If you are organized, you are in control.

House painting, remodeling boom as boomers settle in

With the housing bubble popped, credit tighter and baby boomers getting up in years, home remodelers find themselves with more than enough work to keep busy.

'Chemobrain' just starting to get serious study

LeAnn Sucher was at her son's tennis match shortly after she completed chemotherapy for breast cancer. A former competitive tennis player herself, Sucher, 47, was having such a hard time remembering the score that she needed to use pebbles and stones to keep track.

Look at what's in store on this marvelous Monday!

Okay, Mondays aren't marvelous, but we've got five new stories and blogs for you to marvel at PLUS a brand new "You Deserve It" giveaway. Click through for details and links to the hot stuff.

Cooler air ushers in fall, winter fare

I am convinced that the seasonal change in food preferences is more than habit or custom. There’s a physical component that I suspect is a holdover from a time when we, like other mammals, had to pack on a little more insulation to make it through the winter.

On the rocks: Sidecar

There is only one place on earth from which cognac comes — the patchwork quilt-pretty Cognac region of France. And it is from France that the cognac-based sidecar cocktail also hails. In the first version, the sidecar, undoubtedly the most classic of all cognac cocktails, contained a blend of cognac, Cointreau and lemon juice.

Tips for mental agility as you age

Reminders are everywhere to work on one's weight and health, but don't forget the .. forget the ... In any case, here's a look at the many options people have for whipping their brains into shape.

A new WINNER, a new prize, and new content on the site today!

We're announcing the winner of our latest "You Deserve It" giveaway and offering four fresh stories and blogs. What a weekend! Read on for more and information on our brand new contest that starts today!

Long-lasting youth by injection

The idea of fewer office visits and more longevity is attractive to some, but many doctors eschew permanent fillers because they are just that: permanent. As the face continues to change over time, these injectables remain where injected, and may not complement your appearance as you age.

Crispy-bottomed salmon with balsamic sauce

Flashback of the day

Na-Nu, Na-Nu!

Become a 'porch potato' this fall

No one will ever accuse me of being a couch potato. I can't idle my engine long enough to stay in one spot for long. As soon as I sit down, I pop back up like a jack-in-the-box and rush off to do some forgotten task or another. But if I could slow down a bit, I'd love to be a porch potato and plant myself on my screened porch for the entire season of autumn.

Kitchen transition

Cooking for two brings challenges and adventures for empty-nesters

Things are different these days in Peggy and Dwight Hilpman’s kitchen. The Lucky Charms that used to be in the cabinet have been replaced with bran flakes. The couple eat more salads. There are actually leftovers occasionally in the fridge. And — gasp — they can keep vodka and wine in the freezer.

Toys you can trust

Get the lead out

Though millions of toys have been recalled because the paint they were decorated with contained dangerous lead, don't despair. There are plenty of safe and healthy games, dolls, blocks and figurines to offer the children in your life.

Look what's up for grabs today!

Count the hours down to the weekend with new stories on the Family, Legacy, Home and Health pages plus a new blog by the Rock 'n' Roll Grandma, Penny Valladares. Click on for hot links for the fresh stuff.

Pill required even after birth control isn't

Dear Crabby, You’re not going to believe this! Three years ago, after an intense period of lobbying, my husband finally got that vasectomy. Woo-hoo! But my excitement was short-lived. Now at 45, I’m having heavy bleeding, clots, unpredictable periods, and general menstrual mayhem. My gynecologist is recommending the pill!

Flashback of the day

The halcyon days before Scrappy Doo appeared.

Recently divorced? Bury the past!

When Jill Testa's 20-year marriage ended in 2006, she and her husband split up their material goods "mutually and amicably." There was just one nagging residual. What should she do with her wedding ring?

L'Engle reflected us

It was a dark and stormy night, and we fell in love with Meg Murry. She was a sour social misfit, an underachieving mathlete — the improbable antihero of Madeleine L'Engle's "A Wrinkle in Time" in an era when most kid-lit heroines were wholesome Nan Bobbseys.

Many 401(k) fees are hidden

here are many things that make a successful investor, not the least of which is keeping your investment costs down because they cut into your return. In a 401(k) plan, it's especially important to keep costs low because you're dealing with money you're hoping will sustain you through retirement.

See what's on tap today!

From wedding rings to Mrs. Whatsit, there's a variety of content to peruse today. Check out the new features on the Business, Health, Retirement and Books pages, plus a new Showbiz Kid blog. Click through for quick links.

Cool cucumbers

Eating a cucumber, whose flesh can be up to 20 degrees cooler than the outside air temperature, is a healthful way to cool down.

Benefits of spending time together

Everybody says that couples need to make time for each other and spend time together. Well that sounds great and it's pretty easy to do in the beginning. But what about us who are married, have two jobs and kids? How in the heck are we ever gonna spend any time together?

Sure cure for dry skin

I know you're skeptical. I was too when I first heard this solution to alleviate dry and scaly skin.

Flashback of the day

Get ready to hum along with the theme song!

Secret 'lightning field' promises unique vacation

Relatively few people — only six at a time — have ventured to the remote site of one of modern art's greatest monuments, where lightning comes to roost practically on-demand.

This is what's new on the site this Wednesday ...

We've stocked up with new stories on the Family, Beauty, Travel and Food pages, plus a new blog by our "echo generation" blogger, Katy Ibsen (Little Miss Echo). Click below for links to the fresh stuff.

Flashback of the day

A dubious day in automotive history.

Ladies, the suit is back, but with a feminine touch

After years of mismatched fashion irreverence (which included pairing teal shoes with everything) the classic suit is reemerging in a much different landscape than the last time it dominated women's wardrobes in the 1980s.

It's easy to jazz up any festivity with inexpensive, versatile fabrics

It was just a small affair: a simple after-party following a concert by talented scholarship students. Put together with a modest budget, it consisted of soft drinks for the youngsters, wine for the adults and desserts for all. But the cocktail tables and the centerpieces made a dramatic difference.

Here's what's new today

BoomerGirl is brimming with new stories on our Entertain, Fashion, Health and blog pages. Click through for highlights and quick links.

Lowering blood pressure naturally

I am 51 years old and have recently been diagnosed with high blood pressure. I'm a little overweight, and I also have a family history of high blood pressure, but I would really like to avoid taking medications if I can.

Hiking, mule tours, condors and whitewater rafting at the Grand Canyon

Wherever we went at the Grand Canyon, we ran into folks from around the world, almost like you do at Disney World. We truly have an outstanding natural wonder that everyone seems to enjoy.

Grown-ups finding reasons to finally overcome their fear of the water

Kathrena Armbrister of Detroit has spent all of her 43 years not knowing how to swim and, for much of that time, harboring a paralyzing fear of the water - so much so that putting her face underwater would have been unthinkable when she started swim lessons three months ago.

A slow but sure progression

In the past 20 to 25 years, there's been a lot more screening done and a drastic increase in the percentage of men diagnosed with local prostate cancer - that is cancer just confined to the prostate. About 91 percent now are localized. Men are living longer because we are screening more men.

Faith healing: Believers vs. skeptics

In an era when people invest billions of dollars searching for the next medical breakthrough, more people are turning to faith. While people have always prayed for good health, experts say the number who believe in divine healing is increasing.

Look here for Monday's new stories!

The start of another week brings fresh material on the Fitness, Travel, Spirituality and Men's Room pages — plus a tasty new blog from foodie, Lisa Johnson. Click below for quick links.

Flashback of the day

Sing it for ME, Bert!

Fresh lime key flavor in cheesecake variation

One of my favorite desserts is the key lime pie, and another is the basic cheesecake. For some time now, I’ve been hoping to find a reliable and straightforward recipe for a lime cheesecake that would combine the best characteristics of both desserts.

Putting new toothpastes to the pearly white test

Toothpaste used to be about function. A little dollop on your toothbrush gave you fresh breath and prevented cavities. It was also about one flavor: mint and more mint. But lately, nearly every tube seems to tout whitening effects, stain removal, organic ingredients and new taste sensations.

If you go by the book, they're icons

Gallo. Manischewitz. Iron Horse. In some respects, those three names in wine couldn't be more different. Yet they are united as the only wine brands among 250 American icons — including Cadillac, Coca-Cola and McDonald's — representing the "best-known and most-beloved" consumer brands in the country in a new coffee table reference book.

Bringing up Mommy

It's the first morning everybody's back at school, and the house is nearly silent as I write at the kitchen table. The phone isn't ringing every five minutes. Nobody's slamming doors or asking me what's for lunch.

This is what's new on the site this weekend

Put your feet up and enjoy our fresh content on the Family, Food, Beauty and Wine pages today. (That's what weekends are for, right?) Read on for highlights and links to the stories.

Aspirin really is what it's cracked up to be

Is aspirin the Eighth Wonder of the World? Bayer Aspirin, celebrating the 110th anniversary of aspirin's discovery, insists the pill ranks up there with the pyramids and the Taj Mahal.

Adding color, accessories can make dorm feel comfy

I decorated both of my kid's dorm rooms over the past couple of years. Painting was not an option. We simply used punches of color from artwork, drapes and bedding. I didn't want to deal with repainting the rooms at the end of the year.

A party with a new Twist

A Twist party can be a zany return to the early '60s, when the world was crazy about a new phenomenon called rock 'n' roll. Times were simpler: Life was all hula hoops, burgers and cupcakes. It's basic and that's what makes it a great party theme — you just can't go wrong.

Three strikes and you're...

It's been months since I've been on a date. Many months. It seems like every male from New York to California is afraid to ask me out. Bottom line, they are terrified they'll become one of the characters in "Rescue Me, He's Wearing a Moose Hat, The Sequel."

This is what's fresh on BoomerGirl this Friday!

We're toasting the end of a short week with new stories on the Dating, Health, Entertain and Home pages PLUS a new blog by the McHugh women. Read on for links to these and our new contest!

Flashback of the day

Ground control to Major Tom ....

Relatively speaking

Some families use 'secret' words that only they understand

Every family has a language all its own. You know what we're talking about — a vocabulary full of words like "majuberous" and "turkey letter" that make perfect sense in your own home but don't mean anything to the rest of the world.

Stemming the inbox influx

Thanks to the avalanche of messages they receive every day, many professionals and office workers say they suffer from e-mail overload. It doesn't have to be that way.

Keeping flowers in prime condition

My 9-year-old daughter received beautiful, but short-lived red stem roses for her recent star turn in a Playground Theatre Summer Camp Production. Had we talked first to Donn Flipse, we could have extended their "vase life."

Bid adieu to summer

Summer is winding down and I'm feeling a bit melancholy. I certainly won't miss the relentless August heat and humidity, the chiggers and mosquitoes, or the late summer pollens that envelop our city and make me sneeze. What I will miss is plucking ripe tomatoes off the vine, digging heads of garlic, snipping fresh herbs to garnish a summer dish, and shopping at the farmers' market for small, firm eggplants and other just-picked vegetables.

This is what's brand new on the site today

Sign up for our "You Deserve It" giveaway and enjoy fresh stories and a new Pat Detmer blog this Thursday. Click through for details and links to what piques your curiosity.

At-home face lift

Just a trick to get the blood pumping.

Flashback of the day

What was Merv's final day?

FDA approves drug for disease once dismissed as 'yuppie flu'

Would the FDA approve a drug for a disease that doesn't exist? Though the most cynical among us might answer yes — anything to make a buck for a big pharmaceutical company — they'd say it's not likely.

Divorce makes grandparenting tough

This may seem like an odd approach to National Grandparents Day — traditionally the first Sunday after Labor Day — but it occurs to me that nothing about the day lifts up the grandparents forced outside the Norman Rockwell-style family circle.

Do-it-yourself condiments

Americans love their ketchup and mustard; nearly every refrigerator has at least a bottle or two. But if you're open to new tastes, why not riff on the old favorites? How about tarragon mustard? Or blueberry ketchup?

Creaking bones not a sign of age

Q. I am in fairly decent shape. I stay active and exercise. What does it mean when I hear my bones sometimes "crack" when I do some movements? I do not ever feel pain. Will the exercise help and maybe stop the popping?

Here's what fresh on the site this Wednesday

It's midweek already! Live it up with new stories on our Family, Health, Fitness and Food pages plus enjoy a new Polly Vous Francais blog. Click through for links.

Flashback of the day

It's the thrill of the fight.

Barbecued shrimp

Fear of side effects scaring healthy women away from medication

What if they had a pill that could help prevent a potentially deadly disease and no one took it?

Garden can be personal powerhouse for foods rich in antioxidants

Antioxidants - long the darlings of the nutrition and beauty worlds - still are not entirely understood. The main thing the "jury" agrees on is this: Antioxidants are capable of performing amazing and beneficial acts of chemistry at the molecular level.

Dishwashing dilemma

Guess what? There's no restriction on the phosphorus content of dishwashing detergents, which may contain as much as 30 or 40 percent phosphorus.

See what's new on the site this Tuesday

We're defiantly wearing our white shoes AND white slacks today while offering you new stories and blogs for your reading pleasure. Click through to get links to whatever strikes your fancy.

BoomerGirl leaves movie biz for new challenges

For 20 years, Patti Broyles' life was all lights, camera, action. And while she had plenty of opportunities to rub elbows with actors, directors and producers who were making movies in Hollywood, and later in Kansas and Missouri, her work wasn't what you would call glamorous.

Fight for your alimony

Q: When my husband and I married 32 years ago, against my parents' wishes, I quit college and went to work to pay the bills so he could complete his doctorate. I continued to work early in our marriage because his earnings were minimal. Now, four children later, after being diagnosed with MS, I am 53, disabled and alone.

Power shopping

Okay, I have finally found the glue (white liquid and stick) and the loose-leaf paper (wide-ruled). Right now, I'm looking for pencils (plain pencils only, please; fancy, plastic-coated and glitter pencils jam the sharpeners.) I'm in a big-box store, where a plain pencil is hard to find.

Here's what's new on the site this Labor Day

We're celebrating a labor-free holiday with new content on the Advice, Women in Profile, Friends and Español con Ramon pages, plus a new blog by Michele Churchill! Read on for links to whatever interests you most.

Trading law for laughs

Attorney returns to ventriloquism during banner year for hobby

There are many jokes to be made about Bonita Yoder’s situation. You see, Yoder has been an attorney for 20 years. Now, she’s scaling back her law practice to step up her ventriloquism act. Yes, ventriloquism.

Snag prizes with the three Ps

Persistence, patience ... and postage

Arlene Merrow says she can't understand how people can complain about never winning contests when they admit to never sending in any entries.

Regular vacuuming and cleaning can extend the life of your furniture

When you vacuum the floor once a week, remember to vacuum the sofa. And the chairs. And the ottoman.

We've got a WINNER and new stories on the site this weekend

We're making one lucky reader very happy today with her Anne Taintor prize and new stories on the Passions, Home, Food and blog pages. Click through to see who won and get links to the fresh content!

Cake for breakfast

Treat your guests to a memorable morning meal

When guests visit from out of town or friends drop in for long weekend brunches, it's smart to have a few of these recipes up your sleeve. They make breakfast really elegant and smell so great when they come out of the oven first thing in the morning.