Two years ago, on my 57th birthday, I faced my great fears of both heights and flying and jumped out of an airplane at 10,000 feet. Those feet became my greatest feat… On that same day, I decided to create a LIST (a bucket list, of sorts) of 57 Things in 52 Weeks… a LIST of out-of-my-comfort-zone things and/or wish-to-do [...]

Last year I embarked on a project I called 57 in 52… attempting to complete 57 wonderful things in my 57th year in 52 weeks. I did it! I sky-dived, ran a half marathon, entered a baking contest, completed a Half Ironman, zip-lined, took pole dancing lessons, wrote a children’s book, winter surfed in New England, pogo-sticked in spike heels, [...]

Tomorrow is my birthday. I will be 58 years old. As many of you know, I spent the last year doing all kinds of things that I never thought I would ever do… or could ever do. But as I built on my List of 57 in 52, I found myself often returning to things I loved to do as [...]

When I registered to participate in the Amica 70.3 Half Ironman in Providence way back in February 2010 as one of my 57 in 52, I wasn’t the slightest bit sure that I could even begin to train for such a race, never mind finish it.  But I did.  Train and finish, that is. It was not easy. I am [...]

I love to garden. I love the smell of the earth… and the feel of it, too. I love beginning with a sea of brown and turning it into a sea of color. Gardening makes me happy. So why did I take a… well, 5-year hiatus when we moved into this old house of ours? I don’t really know. Barry [...]

When our kids were little, Barry and I saved what we considered to be a hefty sum of money to buy the kids one of those new-at-the-time wooden swing sets… the green wooden ones, with the shaped swings like the ones at “real” playgrounds and a yellow rope-climbing apparatus and a platform with a slide that didn’t burn their bums [...]

Forever, just about… I’ve wanted to learn to play the Harmonica.  I love its sound and its versatility… its bluesy, jazzy, rock, country, soul, ballad-y, bluegrass and even symphony sound.  I think of frontiersmen and Civil War soldiers and American adventurers and railroadsmen who found beauty and solace and company in their Harmonicas.  I think of musicians like Little Walter, [...]

There’s a beautiful little playground near my home. It has all new swings and slides and climbing apparatuses and a new-age design see-saw. It has a little, tiny covered Club House area where kids can play or picnic or pretend it’s an ice-cream shop or any other thing that kids imagine. This playground has a nice, safe fence around 3 [...]

I’m working on my list of 57 in 52… always leaving room for things that just seem to trot out of left pasture. Like HORSEBACK RIDING. This unlikely adventure began when Barry made me sign up I signed up to attend my 40th high school reunion.  Sue Girard, one of my neighborhood friends from way-back-then, was on the reunion committee [...]

Way, way back… when our youngest son, Adam, was around 4 or 5 and learning to ride a 2-wheeler, I was using an 8-mm camera to catch all the excitement. Adam was pedaling down our street, a HUGE smile on his face, when all-of-a-sudden he began to wave excitedly at Barry and me. This wave caused a bit of imbalance. [...]