Menopausal Mother

Welcome to another edition of Fly On The Wall group blog postings hosted by Karen of Baking In A Tornado. If you read my January FOW post, you know I was a little down with post-holiday blues, but that has all changed now because there has been some really cool stuff happening around here. 

So today, there are three of us bloggers welcoming you into our homes to see what goes on behind closed doors. However, since February is the month of love, you might want to knock first before entering our houses.....! 

Yes, love is in the air while the Valentine's Day celebrations continue. And what an extraordinary month it has been so far! February is Super Bowl month and usually I'm not a football person, but when the KC Chiefs are playing, I AM ALL IN!! We are huge Chiefs fans here since Hubs is from KC and I went to college in Missouri (plus I'll admit I have a massive crush on Patrick Mahomes!) and, of course, the whole Kelce--Taylor Swift thing is always fun to watch. I thought the 9'ers would win, but Mahomes did not disappoint in the last three seconds of the game, making football history. We hosted a Super Bowl party here, so I'm sure the entire block heard us screaming. 

February is also the month that the Florida Renaissance Festival begins here. I haven't been yet this season (GASP! I never used to miss a weekend!!), but I plan on going this Saturday. After all these years, I still dress up, but my desire to fuss with fancy costumes is getting less and less as I get older. Right now, it's all about comfort and removing my undergarments efficiently to use the portable bathrooms!! Luckily, there are always some weird people in even weirder get-ups at these events, so I'll be sure to post some pics in my next Fly On The Wall post in March. 

Another reason February has been an extraordinary month for us is that we finally pulled the trigger and bought into our 40-year dream of owning our very own RV! YES, we did it!! And she's a beauty! 

For those who enjoy RVing, this small travel trailer is the perfect size for the two of us at 18ft. We got a really sweet deal on her and cannot wait to take her out for her first road trip. She has all the modern conveniences we could ever want, and I'm having a blast decorating her the way I imagined my first RV would be. Her name is LUCY, and she will be a part of our family for a long time. The kids are already arguing over who gets to go with us first on a camping trip, but I'm rooting for my fur babies! 

If you read last month's FOW post "Year Of The Wood Dragon," you already know the exciting news I shared about my new job as a Yahoo Life columnist (yes, I am still writing for AARP as well....gotta pay for that new RV somehow!). My first column came out a few weeks ago, and I am thrilled to say it was super successful--it went viral! I am so grateful for the opportunity to do this job! The 1st column focused on babysitting grandkids, and ohhhhh man, there are some disgruntled grandparents out there who are unhappy with their family situations. Next month's column will address "bratty behavior" in some grandkids who have been raised by "permissive parenting" and what a grandparent should do (or NOT do) about it. Stay tuned...... 

I hope you had a loving Valentine's Day with lots of hugs, smooches, and chocolate---there better have been some chocolate!! As always, be humble, be grateful. Hubs and I have a favorite quote from poet Robert Browning that we live by: "Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be!"

***WANT MORE MENO MAMA? Catch my debut grandparenting column for Yahoo Life HERE. Over at AARP, I have a recipe piece on libido-boosting foods (just in time for the month of love) that you can read HERE. You can also find other AARP articles on perfect one-pot meals HERE and easy, beautiful desserts HERE. Enjoy!