By: Mary Fran Bontempo It’ resolution time again. You know, the annual New Year’s ritual whereby we all promise we’ll eat better, exercise more, be better people—in other words, lie to ourselves until February, when we’ll give up the whole charade as a lost cause, plop ourselves in front of the TV and eat a half gallon of ice cream while watching a Honey Boo Boo marathon on TLC.Unless….Unless this year is different. [...]
By: Mary Fran Bontempo To hear an audio version of this post, click the play arrow below. Dear Santa, I don’t know how you do it. Here it is, a few weeks before Christmas and I’m already pooped. I have less than 20 people to shop for and I’ve been running around like a maniac frantically searching for everyone’s “perfect” gift for the big day with only marginal success. Marginal, as the little [...]
By: Mary Fran Bontempo To hear an audio version of this post, click the play arrow below. Did you ever fight something ferociously, only to know deep inside that you’re doomed to lose? For me, it’s the annual Christmas decorating battle. The mere thought of crawling on hands and knees, clawing my way through the attic and closets to retrieve the mountains of Christmas crud makes me break out in a cold sweat. [...]
By: Mary Fran Bontempo To hear an audio version of this post, click the play arrow below. I don’t know about you, but I’m already exhausted. The last remnants of the Thanksgiving extravaganza are still finding their way back into cabinets, drawers and the giant closet in the basement where I throw everything I can’t fit anywhere else, and the pressure to create the Christmas spectacular has begun. It’s still November and my [...]
By: Mary Fran BontempoTo hear an audio version of this post, click the play arrow below. “Mom! Give me the saw and get out of the tree!”A few days before the devastation that arrived in the form of hurricane Sandy, I decided to clean up the yard in preparation for the storm. We’ve had our share of storm-related messes before, so cleaning gutters and clearing out some dead wood from old, very large [...]
By: Mary Fran Bontempo To hear an audio version of this post, click the play arrow below. There was nothing funny about Sandy.The mega-storm that pounded its way through the Northeast last week sucker punched everyone and everything in her path. Entire towns along coastlines were devastated, as streets became beaches and boats found new homes in back yards blocks away from the ocean and bays. Combining elements like a tropical storm with [...]
By: Mary Fran BontempoTo hear an audio version of this post, click the play arrow below. I really thought it was an innocent question.“So, honey, did you have a good time last night?” My husband, Dave and I were headed to a movie on a Sunday afternoon when the call came in from our daughters, Laura and Meg, as they checked in after a night in Atlantic City. Yes, Atlantic City. So any [...]
