A Killer and the Bee

Filed Under All Posts, Parenting, Prudence Baird | 11 Comments

To paraphrase Donald Rumsfeld, you go bicycle riding with the family you have, not the family you want or wish to have at a later time.

For one thing, there is no later time. Having children at ages 38 and 40 IS later.

And for another…well, there is no other. Options are limited when you debut a husband, two infants and a mortgage early in the second act of your life. Read more

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Filed Under All Posts, Christie Healey, Group Posts, Parenting | 2 Comments

I knew Fred would be an artist when he was four years old. He started to create a complex color drawing: 24 inches long and 20 inches wide. The drawing started with a boat, then an iceberg was added followed by sharks and other underwater creatures. The drawing would be worked on for weeks at a time and then put away for months before being taken out again. He completed the piece just before his sixth birthday. As complex as the final artwork became, it was not cluttered. Plenty of white space to rest the eye, create flow and add dimension. Read more

NPR Causes Wrinkles. It’s True.

Filed Under All Posts, Beauty, Humor, Parenting, Prudence Baird | 3 Comments

Botox causes brain damage. Cell phones cause brain cancer. Teenage children cause brain implosion. Okay, that last one is NOT true—but they do make you feel like your head is going to explode.

Especially when you are trying to hear on NPR a report about the link between brain damage and Botox that was just discovered by an Italian research team and your teenage son is talking about — what? I very exaggeratedly turn UP the volume on the radio and shake my head at him.

These actions are apparently universal American body language code for “Please speak louder,” because he leans into my face and says — what? Read more

Growing Older: I’m Addicted to It.

Filed Under All Posts, Courage, Group Posts, Humor, Parenting, Prudence Baird | 3 Comments

Hi. My Name is Prudence, and I’m a Baby Boomer.

It’s not simple being a Boomer. You have to Take It Easy – especially these days with the less-than perfect balance and vision.

You have to live One Day at a Time – I’ve never figured this out, so we’ll just pass on it.

And, you have to Keep Coming Back, It Works!

Okay, that last one is bullshit.
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