Here's to Happy Women...

I have several guy friends and a few of these boys are great big flirts. They flirt with everyone. The waitress, the teller, the receptionist…even their mother. That’s just the way they are. Are they looking for a sexual escapade? No…well at least not with their mother. Are they acting inappropriately? At work, there’s a good chance they are, given the new rules and regulations. Everywhere else, I believe they’re just being friendly...and having some fun. This brings me to my point, and rather quickly I might add. Flirting is fun. It makes us feel happy and boosts our self-confidence level. The fli rting I’m talking about is the harmless kind, not the lecherous type. It involves wordplay and innuendo…nice, friendly smiles…and the occasional wink. Wow. When I put it that way, I could be describing several of my married friends — guys and gals. And why not? Why should the single folks have all the fun? What’s wrong with a little “word” play among friends…as long as it’s only words?...

Share the love chicas and chicos... Note to self: Go to the "Share the Love" Blog Awards, now through February 6, and vote for some of our ladies of the roundtable, including Bonnie of "Ballpoint Wren" for Best Site Design, Lisa of "A Comforter is Not a Bedspread" for Happiest and Most Inspiring, Matty of "Running on Empty" for Most Thought Provoking, Kacey of "Cookie's Oven" for "Blog I'll Never Stop Reading" and Teri of "Here's to Happy Women" for Best Writing (and Most Thought Provoking). First round semi-finalist voting ends on 2/6. Share the Love Blog Awards (Vote Here)

Hello, my name is Teri and I’m a Tivo-holic. I have three Tivo machines in my house and one cable DVR. My oldest Tivo is from the first year they hit the market and has only a few hours of storage capacity. As new models came out, with increased storage space, my husband purchased the newer model and then moved the older model to another room in the house. This all started whe n I was working 95 or more hours a week. I would come home in the wee hours, make something to eat and then watch a bit of TV to wind down from a long stressful day. My television viewing tastes are a bit esoteric, and as nothing I was interested in was ever playing when I came home, my husband bought me the first Tivo recorder for Valentine’s Day eight years ago. It was a thoughtful and romantic gesture that I’m sure he regrets. I am the Tivo master. Bottom line: I always scan back to hear every word of dialogue and I never watch any live programming, unless it’s the Super Bowl. Ahhh…the Super Bowl. Never fi...

After taking seven years off, I’ve taken up the game of golf again. This time, my approach—literally and figuratively—is much better than in the past. A torn rotator cuff and the subsequent surgery caused my hiatus in the first place. Golf was never my primary sport, as I was a tennis player. After forgoing the tennis courts for the same reason, I recently accepted that tennis would never be my game again. My serve will never be the same and the possibility of re-injuring said rotator cuff is a problem. So, I decided to revisit golf—the sport I only half-heartedly played with my husband, children and friends whenever required to do so. This time around, golf seems much more social...more fun. I’m not just talking about the 19th hole. There is a different vibe. Everything about golf seems more alive…and paradoxically, more relaxed. I wonder what’s changed. It’s not the same old-school (read: uptight) game I remember …with the same old-school (read: snooty) people. Egads…maybe I’ve cha...

Okay, it’s a new year. For some people, it’s a time to reflect on the past and plan for the future. Well-meaning individuals try to institute positive changes by making resolutions for the New Year. The most popular resolutions involve lifestyle changes. This tradition of making New Year resolutions dates all the way back to 153 BC. The name of the first month of the 365-day solar calendar, January, originates from a mythical Roman king na med Janus—the god of beginnings and the guardian of doors and entrances. King Janus had two faces: one in the front and one in the back. He could simultaneously look backward on past events while looking into the future. The first New Year resolutions evolved from ancient Romans asking forgiveness of their enemies. On New Year’s Eve, they would exchange branches from sacred trees to represent good fortune for the recipient in the coming year. * Yeah...pretty similar to the New Year’s Eve parties I’ve attended, except the morning after I always feel...

I recently ca me across a cata log my husband had set aside rather than toss in the recycle bin with the thousands of other catalogs that arrive this time of year. I was intrigued with this catalog on two counts. One reason was that my husband, who throws everything away, actually saved it—and the other reason was the tag line prominently printed in big block letters on the front cover. It said, “STUFF GUYS WANT.” What woman could resist such a direct challenge? Not me. I sat down and started perusing the pages of this catalog in hopes of finding out what kind of stuff guys really want. After all, this could be my chance to find the perfect gift for my husband this year. Boy was I surprised. If this catalog is true to its word, and its pages accurately reflect stuff guys really want, then my husband is sure to be disappointed come Christmas morning. After digesting this “stuff” for a while, I decided to make a Christmas list of my own—of all the stuff my husband apparently wants...