Tag Archives: big ideas
So I Broke Down and Tried Botox (please don’t judge me!)
I’m a squinter. Always have been. My Grandma used to caution me, “Quit doing that – your face will freeze that way!” In my twenties, David would affectionately tease me about my “worry line.” He would always know when something was amiss, all he had to do was look between my eyes.Fast forward thirty (or so) years and, still, I squint on. The squinting’s worst when I’m writing – I don’t even realized I’m doing it.
And Grandma was right, my face… CONTINUE READING >>
An Ode to the Home of Vidalia Onions
To paraphrase Shakespeare, would an onion by any other name taste as sweet?We think not, since most onions are hardly sweet at all. So what’s in a name? Vidalia, Vidalia, wherefore art thou Vidalia?
The only way to know for sure was to go directly to the… CONTINUE READING >>
Mermaids Are Real (we have proof)!
In the crystal clear waters of Weeki Wachee Springs there reside mermaids, seriously. We wouldn’t make up something like this.As a matter of FACT, the Florida State Park Service is a leader in the preservation of these exotic rare creatures.
We were lucky enough to have the chance to observe their graceful antics in a natural habitat and… CONTINUE READING >>
WHOA! Do You Ever Feel Invisible?
Exciting news! I am honored to have been chosen to be a debut video partner of WHOA! Network, an exciting new online video network dedicated to bringing out the best in women “of a certain age.”Here’s the scoop (and you can say you heard it here first!):
WHOA! Network has a simple concept at its core: Women should be seen and heard at every age and valued more as we get older, not less.
Makes sense, right?
Yet that’s not the case. In our… CONTINUE READING >>
Veronica is Interviewed on WHOA! Network
Here are the dynamic hosts of WHOA!, Darryle and Lynn, interviewing… CONTINUE READING >>
Smooth Sailing? Not Likely!
I’d been following the controversial Abby Sunderland story with interest. Remember Abby? She was the sixteen-year-old sailor who, while attempting to sail her vessel around the world solo, found herself stranded in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Her parents took quite a bit of flack over the situation. I’d looked at this story from many different angles – and, as usual, my feelings were mixed.The helicopter Mommy in me shouted, “What the &#*% were her parents thinking?!” But after calm reflection I saw things a bit differently. I too have a child with “dangerous dreams.” My son, The Boy, has been flying airplanes since he was thirteen.
Sure, I’ve heard all the arguments… CONTINUE READING >>
Un-nesting. Could it be Blissfully Real?
I’m constantly searching for material that dispels my internal anti-mantra, “You are a bad mommy. You shouldn’t be so happy that your children have left the nest. You are a bad…” In my latest frantic search, I came across a theory that I love. Un-nesting.Suzanne Koven, M.D. writes in her post for Psychology Today entitled “The Un-Nesting Instinct”:
“Celia’s story started out sounding pretty familiar-a cliché almost. She was fiftyish and going through menopause and, in addition to the weight gain and hot flashes, she found herself irritable and sad. Her children, she told me, were a particular source of sadness. “You mean because they’re growing up, moving away?” I asked. ‘No,’ answered Celia, ‘Because they’re… CONTINUE READING >>
A Winter Wonderland Aboard Amtrak’s Empire Builder
Join your GypsyNesters aboard Amtrak’s iconic Empire Builder as we head through a winter wonderland in luxury!See Glacier National Park out the huge windows of the Sightseer Lounge, celebrate Veronica’s visit to her 48th state over crab cakes (for breakfast!) in the dining car, share a fun-filled wine and cheese tasting, and enjoy tours of our sleeper car and all the fabulous amenities that you never knew Amtrak provided! … CONTINUE READING >>
For Valentine’s Day – Travel Pick-up Lines!
When Lonely Planet put out the word that they wanted submissions for clever “Travel Pick-up Lines,” we were all in. We love us some puns. The more corny the better.
You’d think after thirty years of marriage we’d be a little rusty, but they were flowing out of us so fast it was hard to get them written down. Frankly, it was a bit disturbing how un-rusty we were.
Here are our winning submissions:
The Weight of Six Million Paper Clips
In a small town in Tennessee there is a monument so moving, so touching and so unlikely that the story behind it is almost unbelievable.Here is a tale of a group of school children who found out that even the smallest idea can spark a world wide movement. And how compassion can change the world… CONTINUE READING >>
The Long and the Shorts of It All
When women get to be “of a certain age” questions of appropriateness inevitably rear their ugly heads. I think I have squarely hit that certain age. With a vengeance.My questions of appropriateness have actually turned into a LIST of questions of appropriateness:
Should I stop wearing shorts?
What about sleeveless blouses?
Is my hair too long?
When should I stop dying it?
Should I do something about my wrinkles? The shorts quandary is a tough one for me. It’s on the top… CONTINUE READING >>
A Great Deal on the Brooklyn Bridge
New Year’s Eve in The Big Apple and your GypsyNesters were seriously contemplating a Times Square, ball-dropping extravaganza. After a bit of research and chatting up of locals, we felt that wading into a crowd of a million people, getting frisked and herded into little fenced-in safety areas, then standing for hours with no restrooms, food or libation is no way to ring in a new year.
Even an article entitled “Fear Conquering & Ball Dropping,” as hilarious as that would be, could not entice us to spend that much time needing to pee.
So, what to do?… CONTINUE READING >>
New Year’s Eve on Brooklyn Bridge!
enlarge video
Forget Times Square! Fireworks for days! Countdown with the Watchtower Clock! Sights and sounds and parties on the… CONTINUE READING >>
Spice Up Your Holidays with a Tamale Party
Do you need some spice in your life? Here’s a festive holiday idea!Whether it’s a tamale party or your own special holiday tradition, please be sure to get together with family and friends this year.
Enjoy each other… CONTINUE READING >>
Are We at the End of Days? This Mayan Says…
Did the Mayans know something we don’t? Does their calendar predict our eminent doom?We had no idea where these ideas came from and, being lovers of this kind of stuff, set out on a quest for the truth.
We even went as far as traveling to the ancient and mysterious ruins at Tulum in Mexico to ask a REAL Mayan (with a great sense of humor!) what the official scoop is. Here’s what we found:
In 1957… CONTINUE READING >>
Finding Germany in the Mountains of Georgia
The unexpected surprises that lurk around the next corner are one of the things that can make travel so interesting.Boy, did we get one of those in the mountains of northern Georgia when we came upon the old fashioned Bavarian village of Helen. Tucked into a valley on the banks of The Chattahoochee River, we suddenly found ourselves driving through an anachronism of epic proportions. Every building, down to the gas station… CONTINUE READING >>
No, We Won’t Buy You a…
Our main goal as parents was to end up with happy, healthy, self-sufficient adults.We can’t tell anyone how to do this — everyone’s different and Lord knows we made our share of mistakes along the way — but we can offer an insight that we’ve gained through our own offspring’s transitions from childhood to adulthood.
Don’t give kids everything they want, just everything they need.
A whole lot of what they want is stupid crap and… CONTINUE READING >>
Little Rock / Big Gem
Join us on a rip-roarin’ tour of Little Rock, Arkansas!We visited the Clinton Presidential Library, hit the Big Dam Bridge, witnessed history at the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site and ate avocado popcycles at the River Market!
Then, we mounted Segways and … CONTINUE READING >>
Segway-ing Through Little Rock
We were pretty fired up at the prospect of mounting a Segway since jealously watching people riding them in Prague – we had wanted to give them a try. So… CONTINUE READING >>
What’s Really Important: A Black Friday Antidote
I saw this quote and just had to share. It struck me that we may be losing sight on what is truly important this holiday season.Yesterday, in our post-turkey bloat, we grabbed the remote and David and I settled into something we rarely do: We vegged in front of the boob-tube.
Immediately we felt bombarded. The blaring onslaught of Black Friday ads was… CONTINUE READING >>
How to Volunteer at a National Park (and live for free!)
Whether you are a retiree or empty nester looking to enrich your life through volunteerism, an outdoorsy-type wanting to get back to nature, or a college student looking to pump up your resume in a meaningful way, the Parks Service provides wonderful ways to help preserve America’s natural heritage.
And now is the time to prepare for next summer’s adventure.
From the… CONTINUE READING >>
Empty Nest Egg
It seems to me that a good number of folks who have boomerang “kids” may actually want them to return. But are we really doing our offspring any favors by allowing an indefinite extension of childhood?Let’s think about this. Where did you live when you were first starting out? I’ll bet it wasn’t quite the Taj Mahal.
Our first place was a one bedroom former screened-in porch that had all the weather proofing of the average wiffle ball. It was a veritable private zoo of insect vermin — and we were glad to have it… CONTINUE READING >>
Giant Tortoise Breeding Center of the Galápagos
In this strange land of strange animals, none is more iconic than the Galápagos Giant Tortoise.Growing to over six feet long and eight hundred pounds, these are the biggest tortoises on the planet and one of the largest reptiles.
No Galápagos visit would be complete without seeing some of these mammoth reptiles. We weren’t willing… CONTINUE READING >>
Fear Conquering & Paragliding in Lima, Peru
Yup, you read that right!Veronica takes on her biggest challenge yet – strapped on to a parachute high above the beach cliffs of Lima, Peru!
And it’s… CONTINUE READING >>
Oh My Stars!
Looking up at the night sky at an out-in-the-boondocks National Park sent my thoughts wandering, as only the night sky can. Then came a shocking thought:How long until we can no longer see the stars?
Sitting up and scanning the land around me I saw the bright dots from tiny little towns – and, alas, the Park itself – enough light pollution to hinder me from observing what The Ancients or Magella… CONTINUE READING >>
Go Ahead Punk…Make My (Father’s) Day
Whenever Father’s Day would roll around when I was a youngster, the inevitable question arose, “Why isn’t there a kid’s day?”Every parent ever to draw a breath gave the same reply, “Everyday is kid’s day.”
Thinking back, there was a lot of truth to that statement. We did celebrate kid’s day nearly everyday, and I certainly don’t remember going out of my way to make my father’s days resplendent on any regular… CONTINUE READING >>
