There are three ways to ask for what you need from your husband or wife. The first is the plain vanilla wafer approach. “It drives me nuts to open the kitchen cabinets and see that mess in there. Will you please clean them today?” The second in the chocolate chunk granola with cranberries and macadamias approach. Who knows which part of the request to pay attention to? “My...
Valentine’s Day has had a new and special meaning for me since 2006. It’s the day I launched this blog and began offering hope of a happier marriage to anyone who wants it. Today is our sixth anniversary together. Thanks for a great time and for all your marvelous stories of success at remaking your marriages. It’s also Valentine’s Day, so I think that’s all I will...
One of the most delicious things about being a wife is learning from spending so much time with someone whose strengths are different from mine. Here are three I have learned from my second husband, Ed: In just 48 hours, the tomorrow I’m busy fearing today will be the yesterday I have no time to think about. Multitasking is much less sexy and joy-producing than being focused on one thing...
I could use your help with a problem I have. I need to find someone to rent my timeshare week in Virginia Beach from August 18 through 25, 2012. I always love this week, but this year it conflicts with a family gathering elsewhere. It’s between Atlantic Avenue and the boardwalk, with large windows and a balcony facing the ocean. It includes a bedroom with a big, comfortable, king size bed...
Today is Earned Income Tax Credit Awareness Day. The IRS estimates that between a fifth and a quarter of those eligible for it fail to claim it. This year, with many couples struggling in ways they have not in the past, the Administration for Children and Families has made an effort to get the word out. From their press release: Are you eligible to claim EITC for 2011 taxes? Must have earned...
I am a widow who got it right the second time. I have been sharing here since February 14, 2006 what I learned from that experience and from positive psychology, marriage research, and my training as a marriage educator.
