MY EMERALD ISLE ADVENTURES (DEATH-DEFYING PRECIPICES, THOROUGHBREDS, & IRISH CHURCH LADIES)
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HOW TO SURVIVE AN ALCOHOLIC MOTHER (WITHOUT HIDING UNDER THE BED)
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They say your childhood has to last a lifetime. If that's true, I'm in a world of hurt. My mom was an alcoholic. Not the kind who gets sleepy, funny, philosophical, weepy, or syrupy (we all know that last type: "I love you, man!"). My mom just got mean. Evil mean. So mean that she actually flunked out of the acclaimed Hazelden 30-day inpatient alcohol rehab program and bragged about it. The counselors were probably scared of her. Everyone else was. Even the dog.
Read MoreA TREEHOUSE, A RUM SHACK, AND BARBADOS BLISS
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We bought fresh fruit from roadside stalls, ate lunch along the cliffs, and marveled at the surfers riding giant turquoise waves. "Ghost roads" led us through abandoned sugar cane fields. Then, one afternoon Duncan and I found ourselves helplessly lost, and we ended up in a spot we'll never forget. It was traveler nirvana...
Read MoreDISASTER AT THE SPA (A/K/A AN UNEXPECTED VISIT FROM EURUS)
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Then, as I settled onto the massage table, face down, tucked snuggly under the luxurious linens and cozy silk blankets, disaster hit. I had an unexpected visit from Eurus, the god of wind. Not just wind, but unlucky wind. The kind of wind you never want to experience in a small, enclosed room with a complete stranger...
Read MoreNOM DE PLUME
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My real name isn't Annie. So why the pen name? It's not because I'm a big deal, or live a life full of mystery and intrigue. I'm also not trying to hide from an evil past or from creditors...
Read MoreEVERYONE SHOULD GET A VALENTINE'S DAY VETO
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Valentine's Day is great for people in love. But what about the rest of the world? Don't they feel lousy enough already? I think they should be able to veto the whole day. Without apology. No questions asked...
Read MoreROLE MODELS VS. RUNWAY MODELS
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A single thought consumed me. Young girls need to be exposed to role models, not runway models. Role models like the women with whom I'd just spent three incredible days. Role models like my own father, who was the best physician ever born, and who I know adored me...
Read MorePELVIC FLOOR PERILS
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My beautiful, young niece, Sarah, is a physical therapist and nationally known for treating women's pelvic floors. I thought you had to go to Home Depot to find someone who specialized in flooring. Boy was I wrong...
Read MoreMY SUPERHERO
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Superheroes don't always wear a cape or leap tall buildings. Sometimes they're in a wheelchair...
Read MoreMANHATTAN MADNESS
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I love long weekends in New York City. World class restaurants, Broadway plays, and afternoon tea at the Plaza. It's 72 hours of urban delight. But this weekend my husband, Duncan, and I visited our son in Manhattan, and things went a bit awry...
Read MoreCHRISTMAS TREES & TRUANCY
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The holidays are almost over. For six weeks, it's been family, food, and fun on steroids. It's time to collapse...
WHY YOU SHOULD WEAR A BIKINI INTO YOUR 60s
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New Years Resolutions are upon us.
I don't care if I lose weight. Or if I always remember to empty the lint drawer in the dryer...
Read MoreTHE ZEN OF A GREAT OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY
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Last week was our office Christmas party. It wasn't one of those ornate, fancy ordeals. That's not what our small law firm is all about...
Read MoreMY SECRET SCHWEDDY BALLS RECIPE (WARNING: ADDICTIVE!)
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All of us have a signature dish. That one meal or tidbit that sets us apart. For my sister, it's her cheese ravioli. For Duncan, it's his garlic mashed potatoes. Me? There's only one contender: my famous schweddy balls...
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