Stuff that might come in handy, by Mom

November 12, 2017

There are those moments in life you know instantly will be keepers. You know, those, “Oh man, stuff just got real” experiences that tattoo your heart. I had one Wednesday when our son, Kyle, signed his National Letter of Intent with Canisius College in Buffalo, N.Y. He was among five students at his high school signing early with the places they will call “home” come autumn. Wait, what? In nine short months, my baby boy is going to be living three hours away from me? HARD, HARD GULP. As I listened to people discuss his accolades, I never realized how many emotions can ...

Men, Mars and mayonnaise make Patty go batty

November 5, 2017

Life with boys is not for the faint of heart ... or psyche ... or nose. #seriouslycanthitthetarget Men may be from Mars — this I accepted many moons ago and for the most part, can handle. But do they really have to keep leaving the mayonnaise jar sitting out on the counter all day? I mean, even the Martians with their double dose of moons know egg-based condiments spoil quickly at room temperature in this atmosphere. Sheesh! I know that I’ve waxed philosophical about living with the testosterone twins (Kerry and Kyle) in the past, but it seems time for a reboot. Make that a ...

Cannot wait for Halloween to be over with

October 29, 2017

Two days. I only have to tolerate my least favorite “holiday season” for two more days. Okay, okay, fine. I know that many of you out there love Halloween. Truth be told, some of my closest friends absolutely love all the creepy chills, thrills and poison pills conjuring up the ick, ickiest season of all. They throw monster bashes or light up the night sky with purple and orange black lights or cover the entire house with fake tarantulas the size of my garage — thanks for kicking my arachnophobia into high hear, BTW. But, I’m sorry. I’m just never going to wrap my arms ...

Like, who does that? Apparently, lots of us

October 1, 2017

I’m not going to sugar coat it; it’s been a rough week. The outrage, the shock, the debate, the discussion, the point / counterpoint, the volatile commentary, the veritable volcanic eruption of emotion. I know we all have our opinion on this but at the end of the day, Hugh Hefner WAS 91 years old, after all. Let’s stop fighting it and just let him go gently into that good night, shall we? I mean, he’s already in his pajamas anyway, right? #riphef Why, what did you think I was talking about? Yeah, a little levity to try lightening tensions. It’s what I do. But ...

A tale of good fortune and some rotten people

September 24, 2017

Many, many years ago, when I was a fresh-faced college graduate working my first real job in the world, a lovely thing happened … well, after a bit of a sad one, actually. It was in 1997 when the broadcast radio and television station where I’d happily worked since 1990 sold its company. That’s the sad part because the owners were, and still are, some of the most wonderful people I’ve ever had the good fortune to know. Love you, Williamson family. The “silver lining” of the sale was the remarkable kindness the Williamsons showed their employees as they exited the ...

Facebook — and mom — say brush, floss, repeat

September 17, 2017

Facebook. Hmm. Rarely, in my opinion, has there been such a wonderful train wreck as the phenomenon known as the Facebook page. Arguably the most famous social media site on the globe, Facebook is all at once an amazing connectivity tool and a virtually endless time-sucker. It is marvelous for communicating thoughts, sharing photos and generally connecting or re-establishing contact with faraway family members or friends with whom you’ve lost touch over time. It is also the source of a gargantuan amount of content that is based on flat-out idiocy and / or absolute ...