A Lovely Winter Divorce
I did this right: during my marriage we had no children, incurred no debt, bought no property, inherited no big windfalls and started no businesses. With nothing to argue about or contest, my husband and I should be cleanly divorced in about four weeks and $1,300. I...
Change Your Ending
This NPR story completely supports what I know about the power of changing the story you tell yourself. Listen to Editing Your Life Stories Can Create Happier Endings. Changing the endings of some of my worst childhood memories is exactly what I did with Carol Moss,...
Tip GENEROUSLY During the Holidays
(This message is aimed mostly at Americans and people traveling in the U.S. during December.) To anyone who goes out to a restaurant, bar, hotel or any other place where hospitality employees are working so YOU can enjoy Christmas, TIP GENEROUSLY. Bartenders and cab...
Merry Christmas Eve!
I recently downloaded the Blogger application (remember that "app" is short for "application") and this is me trying it out. I'm blogging on my tablet from my hotel room in the Hyatt North Houston, where I'm staying for the holiday. Let's see how this goes.I tell you,...
No Such Thing as a Tamale
A tamal on top of other tamales. At Christmas time, we Mexicans often become more focused than usual on tamales, so I'd like to share a public service announcement from Pocho.com. This is what I've been saying for years: the singular of "tamales" isn't "tamale." It's...
First Christmas after Mother’s Death
This will be the first Christmas I spend without my mother alive. I wonder if others have experienced anything like this with their parents: while I remember good times with my mother, she was abusive to me even into my adulthood, making me relieved when she died. My...
Thanks for Not Having Kids!
A writer thanks those of us who didn’t end up being bad parents
Kids, Pregnancy and “When Are You Going Start?”
We're all aware that it's risky to bring up the following topics: politics and religion. We also tend to avoid, by silent agreement, topics like money and how much weight someone has gained. How about we add another red flagged subject to our don't-even-bring-it-up...
Pink Christmas Tree!
Okay, the tree isn't pink, but every single ornament is. Pink is my favorite color and now that I live on my own again, I can do anything I want with my apartment. This photo shows enough of the room so that you can see that this tree isn't big. I wanted a tree that I...
Christmas: Don’t Grow Up
Many people who celebrate Christmas see it as a time of great expense, thankless effort and having to get along with people they can't stand. It's a time of ill-fated expectations, endless holiday tasks and extra responsibilities. People who experience the holiday...
How to Avoid Family for the Holidays (without Lying)
This is a revision of a piece I first posted in December 2011. Family gatherings are fun, pleasant and filled with love and respect, especially during the holidays. I offer the following suggestions merely as a public service for that small, practically non-existent,...
Horror Movies with Christmas in Them
Do you love horror movies? Are you looking for a good cinematic scare while also getting into the mainstream American spirit of this season? I've been absolutely binge-ing on horror movies over the Thanksgiving weekend, so here's some guidance. Many horror...