I’m restless and a little bored. Feeling like a change is needed. A kick-start. Is this a mid-life crisis? If so, it’s kind of lame. I have no desire to buy a fancy car or get a newer model husband. But I do feel as if I need to do something. I wonder, am I too late to make a big splash? Fifty is toying with me. Out there in the semi-near distance; so close at times I swear I can feel its breath on my neck, warm and slightly revolting. It makes me shiver. Melancholy. Maybe that’s what I’m feeling. Both kids are in high school and their paths are starting to emerge. They all lead away from …

I’m afraid of forgetting. Forgetting Pat. Forgetting the kids. Forgetting a lifetime of existence. Gives me the chills just thinking about it. I’m struggling with medication-induced memory loss and I hate it. There was a time in my life when I could remember everything and anything. Names, faces, random facts. I was a force to be reckoned with at Trivial Pursuit. Not so any longer. Cue Viking music as I load my fabulous memory on a boat, set it on fire, and send it out to sea. I mention this because last night I watched The Notebook for the first time. It was just starting when I turned on …

I’ve been lucky in my life that I’ve found many true places. Places that wait patiently for me to return, some are physical places while others are memories and moments in time. This past week I was able to visit several of my favorite true places and find several more. We went visiting for the holidays. Our first time in a few years. We went south; first to spend Christmas with grandparents and other family in Baltimore then further south to Florida to see old (haha) friends and more family. We all had a blast, especially the kids. So much fun that Dylan made plans to go visit his cousin at …

I love Christmas. Like little-kid love. Like oh my gawd Santa is coming. Santa! Like Elf-level of love. I love the planning. Paying attention all year and trying to find the perfect ornament for each kid. I have to report that once again, I hit it out of the park (I'm nothing if not humble). A replica Orange Line train for Emma to commemorate her new adventure living and going to school in Boston. For Dylan, a custom made ornament showcasing one of his photographs. Photography is a new passion and he has a real talent for it. Both were surprised and happy with their ornaments this year. It's …

Like most reasonable people, I’m disgusted with what happened in Newtown Connecticut last Friday. Sadness and disbelief cast a pall over much of the office that afternoon. On Facebook and other social media, I started to see prayer chains, calls for peace and understanding. Nothing bad or offensive, but then I noticed a few outlandish items slowly start to creep in that bothered me. But for clarity and space, I’m only going to focus on one for this week’s column.   “If the staff had been armed this could have been prevented.” Let that sink in for a minute. Arming teachers. In elementary …

1. Christmas wreath and tree sales began at the Plymouth County farm.  Farm proceeds fund rehabilitative and vocational programs for inmates at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility. For more information, or to sign-up for the farm’s email newsletter, please visit www.pcsdma.org. 2. The annual tree lighting ceremony in Downtown Plymouth will begin at 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7. Enjoy the carollers, storytellers, hot cider and open houses, and of course, Santa. 3. The Yule Spirit Pub Stroll will begin at 4 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 8. Purchase a T-shirt and take part in the perks for the stroll. …

Parenting is challenging. As your children grow so do the parenting challenges. Sure we still worry about small problems like minding manners and personal hygiene but more complex and dangerous issues are heading right for us, drinking, drugs, dating, and other issues too numerous to name. It’s always been my belief that the groundwork laid earlier in childhood will come to bear at this time. I hope I’m right because we are moving into dangerous territory, high school. When the kids were younger we tried to treat them with respect while establishing boundaries of acceptable behavior. I’ll …

It's that time of year again. Turkey and football; pumpkin pie and family gatherings. This year will be a low-key Thanksgiving. The North-South game in the morning and one of the sister's for dinner later in the day. It will be small this year just my family and hers. Sometimes we stay home and enjoy the peace of a holiday together and sometimes we go full on super-size and see everybody. Maybe we'll do that next year. The Thanksgiving's of my youth are legendary. Family showed up early and stayed late - sometimes for days. There always seemed to be plenty for everyone and no one complained …

I voted for Barack Obama. Twice.  For the record, I am not asking for, nor do I expect, a handout. I have worked since I was 17 sometimes two and three jobs at a time. Right now, I have two. NOTHING I have has been handed to me for free and quite frankly I’m getting a little tired of having to defend myself and my choices against people who see this country as “us versus them.” It’s not. It’s about we. You know “We the People…” They're not just words. They refer to actual real people. They refer to US. All of us. Young and old; rich and poor; educated and not. There is no means test to be an …

I remember being pregnant with Dylan and heading off to the movies one night when the heat was unbearable and our apartment in Dorchester was sweltering. We saw two movies that night: The Lion King and Forrest Gump. I know, right? After The Lion King, Pat told me that when his son was born he was going to hold the baby up over his head as the sun pours from the sky, highlighting the new prince. A little over the top but it was his first. Who am I to judge? We didn’t know at that time what I was having and I had no intention of finding out. I needed a carrot at the end of the stick. A surprise…

In lieu of my regular column which is usually filled with wit and wisdom, I am going to beg shamelessly for about 400 words. I may also cajole and harp as well. You’ve been warned! I have voted in all but one election since I turned eighteen. The only one I missed was a town election a few years ago when my daughter was hospitalized with a serious illness and I was not in town. Voting, to me, is the single most important thing we do as citizens. It’s not hard. Seriously. It’s not. All you need to do is pay attention to what’s going on and then, on Election Day, go to the polls and vote. That’…

Youth sports has consumed a large portion of my life. More than I ever thought was possible. From T-ball and Pop Warner to softball and now lacrosse recruiting tournaments, I've seen all ranges of athletic skill. I've also seen a pretty narrow range of spectators. I’m a people-watcher. I love to eavesdrop on the conversations of strangers. Oh quiet, I’m not the only one who does it. I especially love eavesdropping at the tournaments mostly because the people there are more varied than regular league games and I’m always curious to see how parents react to their child’s endeavors. I had …

Malala Yousufzai is a fourteen year old Pakistani girl fighting for her life in a hospital in England. She was shot in the head and neck last week for speaking up in the face of radicalism. The Taliban has claimed credit. They have also said they will try to kill her again should she recover. What happened to Malala is brutal and cruel; an affront to people – especially girls – everywhere. The people of Pakistan seem to have had enough as well, as tens of thousands of Pakistani’s have taken to the streets in protest. Muslim clerics are speaking out against this disgusting act of cowardice. …

We are a digital family. Well not Pat. He uses email and he’ll text me and the kids but that’s about it. Plus he uses Facebook but only to recommend my column to the few non-overlapping friends we have. The rest of us have thoroughly embraced the digital age. The kids have been using computers since way back when they were itty-bitty. I think we got our first computer when Dylan was about 18-months-old. “Reader Rabbit” wasn’t far behind. (“Reader Rabbit” is a series of games that helps children learn basic reading and spelling; they also have math games for older children. The games are also …

I moved back to the old neighborhood recently and I have to say I love being back.  Really just love it. I’m a city girl all the way through. I love the smells. I love the sounds. I love the flavor of the city. In particular, I love Jamaica Plain. I was born on Walden Street and moved to Sheridan Street when I was just a toddler. At 19, I cried when we moved out of JP. Even though we only moved one neighborhood over to Roslindale. Roslindale is nice but it’s not JP. Not my place. Not even close. No insult intended to the good people of Roslindale but home is home. It’s hard to describe to non…

I think my dog loves me. Not the "he’s a dog, I’m his human" love. But like if I were a dog we’d be getting dog-married love. Seriously. It’s a little ookie. The family, however, thinks it’s a hoot. I’m not what you would call a "dog person." Sure we had dogs growing up but they were city dogs. They roamed around the neighborhood and only came home to eat and when it rained. Sort of like us kids, except better behaved. I digress though. Several years ago we (by we, I mean Pat) caved and got the kids a puppy. After taking an on-line test about which breed would be best for our family (answer: …

Pat and Emma have a very interesting relationship. They are cut from the same cloth. Not even kidding a little. We call her the apple to his tree and honest to God, she did not fall far! Their biggest-head butting instances stem from them both having the pathological need to have the last word. As in the very last word. All.The.Time. Throw in the fact that she inherited my wit and sarcasm and some days it’s a real treat to be around them. Just ask her brother. But like all fathers and daughters there is that unwavering bond: Dad as the fierce protector and daughter as his pure and lovely …

Words and phrases enter our collective conscience and define events large and small. From the catch phrase of a favorite television show to the rallying cry of a sports team, words elicit feelings and evoke emotion. None, in my opinion, evokes as many complex emotions though as Never Forget. Never Forget the 246 passengers and crew killed that morning; the 2,606 people at the World Trade Center including 411 emergency responders; the 125 people at the Pentagon. Never Forget the mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, daughters and sons who left home that morning and never returned; sacrificed to…

Dad had a lot of inconsistencies as a parent. What would get him angry one day would be overlooked on another. It was his nature and we had his number pretty early on. Another thing we learned very early: Dad did not tolerate lies or liars. Ever. He was very fond of the lyric from the old Baretta theme song series, “If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime” and that held especially if you were caught lying. I got caught lying to Dad once when I was 15. It was enough. The details aren’t important but let me tell you, whenever I feel the need to embellish something too much, Dad is there …

And just like that, it’s over. Summer that is. I don’t think I did anything actually summery this year. I haven’t even made it to the beach! Not once! Oh well, there’s always next year. Brightside, I got to spend a lot of time with my car. This summer was all about the kids. (Aren’t they all, really?) Dylan played summer lacrosse and that meant two practices a week (one in Mashpee and one in Bridgewater), plus four weekend tournaments. It was worth all the driving. He had a great summer. He made new friends, his understanding of the game has broadened and his skill level has increased. We get…