Menopausal Mother

Welcome to another edition of Fly On The Wall group blog postings hosted by Karen of Baking In A Tornado. Today, there are three of us bloggers inviting you into our homes to see what a fly might see (or overhear). 

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!

     I've never been a fan of televised sports, and that includes the Super Bowl. I realize this puts me in a category of about 1% of the U.S. population, but as I watch everyone else get caught up in the hype of the game, all I can think about is what's on the menu that night. I don't fawn over photos of Tom Brady. I don't even care that he's still wearing that damn glove. Instead, I drool over Pinterest photos of game day snacks. All the dips and hot wings and cookie bars and mini sub sandwiches..... this is almost as exciting to me as a Thanksgiving dinner.

     Back to the point. I'm not a fan of watching the Super Bowl---I usually find something else to occupy my time during the game. However, I'm not immune to the funny commercials, and for this reason, I will endure sitting on my couch for several hours while the lunatics in my family clap and scream loud enough to make our dogs howl in protest.

     There are a ton of things I'd rather do than watch the Super Bowl on game night, and some of those things include:



1. Host a neighborhood Deflategate/Tuck Rule/Spygate party.

2. Sell my old crock pot on Letgo before "This Is Us" airs after the Super Bowl.

3. Trim my toenails and contemplate making a set of avant-garde earrings out of the clippings.

4. Watch videos of potty trained felines flushing toilets.

5. Read War and Peace.

6. Pluck stray chin hairs.

7. Drink copious amounts of boxed wine and pretend to be interested while my guests scream at Bill Belichick.

8. Wax my eyebrows.

9. Watch for people double-dipping their chicken wings in the bleu cheese dressing.

10. File my taxes.

11. Rearrange my husband's sock drawer.

12. Trim rogue nose hairs.

13. Read the Ikea instruction manual for my new entertainment center.

14. Binge-watch Rick and Morty during the third quarter while eating all the cocktail meatballs originally made for the game.

15. Finish the entire box of wine in preparation for watching Jack Pearson's demise on "This Is Us" after the Super Bowl.


***WANT MORE MENO MAMA? This week I'm honored to have a NEW and very personal essay, "The Healing Stone," featured on Mamalode about loss, grief, and recovery. You can read it here: http://mamalode.com/story/loss/the-healing-stone/. Meno Mama was also featured on the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop with another humorous spin in the Super Bowl game, which you can read here: http://humorwriters.org/2018/01/26/10-reasons-lovehate-relationship-football/

 
    Welcome to another edition of Fly On The Wall group blog postings hosted by Karen of  Baking In A Tornado. This is your opportunity to get a sneak peek at what goes on behind the closed doors of the writers who are participating in today's postings.

   
     Things have been pretty busy here since January, but rather than tell you all about it, I'll SHOW you what the Doyle family has been up to. If you've been reading my Fly On The Wall posts on a regular basis, then you know there's never a dull moment around our home. I am blessed with a loving, crazy, close-knit family that enjoys being together and having fun. These photos tell it all:






Ringing in the New Year with close friends and family. The evening would not have been complete without a champagne toast, some booty dancing, and a surprise appearance by Olaf the snowman. Um, yeah.....don't ask.....



My daughters and I are sticking to our New Year's resolutions to get in shape and stay that way with the help of our awesome Zumba instructor. Nothing like a vigorous dance workshop to sweat off the holiday pounds. And God knows I had a LOT of cookies and egg nog to work off.



I finally completed something on my bucket list: a trip to Disney World to celebrate my granddaughter's fifth birthday. We made some incredible memories that I hope she'll always remember and hold dear.....because I certainly will.



Check number #2 off my bucket list: For years I have wanted to raise a pug puppy, but never had the opportunity, until recently. This beautiful, furry ball of love was adopted by us just a few weeks ago. Say hello to Yoda, the little boy who melts my heart (and destroys my shoes). He's the best cure for depression! Yoda always makes me laugh because he's such a little stinker, but I love him to bits. Our two, adult pugs are still confused about his presence and wondering when his real parents will return  to pick him up. Sorry guys, but Yoda is here to stay. #MyForeverPup



This photo is blurry for a reason. My daughters and I were laughing too hard at our annual Super Bowl party. Did I watch the game? Nope---just the commercials. But I had more fun goofing around with my girls. Super Bowl to me is synonymous with chicken wings, chip & dip, and unlimited desserts. That's okay though, because everyone knows that calories don't count during the Super Bowl weekend.



After all the excitement, it was time to wind down with a visit to our favorite local park----Morikami Japanese Gardens. It's our little slice of heaven on earth that we can't live without. We're lifetime members, because the beauty and serenity of Morikami's zen gardens center us after a hectic week.  It has nothing to do with the fact that their cafe also makes the best tempura I've ever eaten....and I'm totally addicted to the stuff. Maybe calories don't count in Morkiami, either.



Check #3 off my bucket list: Seeing Andrea Bocelli in concert! My daughter and her boyfriend surprised us with the tickets, and we were thrilled! It was a lovely evening with dinner on the water in Miami, and then being treated to hours of superb music. Best Valentine's Day gift ever!

     Up next: we're off to the local Renaissance Festival, so you know there's going to be some unusual photos in my next FOW post.  Didn't I tell you Doyles like to have FUN?



Cluttered Genius                            http://www.clutteredgenius.com