According to researchers, scents have a powerful effect on the libido. Years ago, the scent of a woman was apt to be roses, lilacs, lilies, or lavender. These days, it is more likely to be pears, melons, cucumber, and avocado. Haircare products come in kiwi, grape, coconut, and blueberry. Balms soothe the lips with raspberry,…

When my husband and I decided to have a baby many years ago, we had no idea what we had signed up for. There have been more dips and dives, more heart-thumping, brain-rattling, stomach-flipping fears than a carnival ride. From the day he was born, my son adored me. Okay, maybe at first it was…

I have no grilling skills and neither does my husband. I have tried the gas grill, the electric grill, and the standard charcoal briquette method. Everything I attempted to grill was burnt on the outside and bloody raw in the center. The only thing I did learn was that you should never add more lighter…

I never thought I would live long enough to see the day that fake dead animals would become a fashion and novelty craze. I think it started years ago with Big Mouth Billy Bass, the fake fish, mounted on a plaque, that moves and sings. A reporter for the Washington Post referred to Bill the…

It is tough to have the rug yanked out from you, metaphorically speaking, especially when you are of an age when a fall could result in a broken hip.  A few years ago, my mom and I were reminiscing about my long-ago wedding when she casually mentioned, "I wonder whatever happened to the minister who…

My whole family is sports impaired. Only one thing causes our competitive drive to shift out of neutral and into turbo: our health. It becomes a lot like a game show or a televised sporting event. There is no emcee, no audience, and no prize money, but the competition is weirdly fierce. After a particularly…

I summoned my courage and plunged into the shadowy abyss, gingerly picking my route. I knew the washing machine was down there somewhere amidst the rusty bicycles, half-empty cans of petrified paint, and boxes of clothing that I haven't been able to squeeze into since the Kennedy administration. I knew things had gotten out of…