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June 2011 - All The Single Girlfriends

I Hope Happiness IS Contagious

Jun 29, 2011 by

I Hope Happiness IS Contagious

Friends and regular readers of my writing here and at Lipsticking know that I’m going through some major adjustments with my mother.  Fiercely independent. Unwilling to ask for help. Unwilling to accept help. Well, that explains me…but it also explains why my mom ended up where she is…in an assisted living home here in Albuquerque, with multiple major ailments. So sad. Too late. She simply can’t live alone anymore. (She’d HATE my telling you this.  She considers someone asking her where she went to high school a major invasion of privacy (!?)  More about that – generational differences and various conceptions of social interaction in another post.) All that said, Mom is doing amazingly well, adjusting to living with seven other women, in a city she never liked, in a home she didn’t choose,...

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Yvonne DiVita Creates The 1st Blogger Pet Conference .. BlogPaw!...

Jun 27, 2011 by

Yvonne DiVita Creates The 1st Blogger Pet Conference .. BlogPaw!

Gf author Yvonne DiVita combined her love of animals with her passion for social media. The result was an innovative online community .. BlogPaws. As frequently happens with digital communities, people soon wanted to take “online offline.” Sounded like a great idea to Yvonne too so she added “develop the first pet blogger conference” to her jammed To Do List. August 25th -27th 2011 marks BlogPaw’s third conference.  This is no ordinary conference. Friday’s key note kicks off with Rescue Ink™, tattooed motorcycle-riding street guys who are passionate about pet rescue. There’s even a special Vet Track and much, much more! Never know what will happen when you follow your heart.  ...

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‘C’-ing my way Forward

Jun 27, 2011 by

‘C’-ing my way Forward

Forgive the pun, but I finally found a cluster concept that is helping me navigate this new landscape of retirement. They all start with the letter ‘C’.  I call it my ‘Three C’s.’ They are Contribute, Collaborate and Create. I know that if keep them in good harmony with each other, I will feel satisfied and fulfilled.( I’m choosing the metaphor of Harmony over Balance because I think it reflects the way life isn’t always that balanced, but more of a melody with harmonic elements that create the tune of the moment, day, week, phase.) I freely admit they are not earth-shattering ideas, but they mean a to me. They are about what I need to do to feel good about myself. And they relate deeply to two other C’s I discovered years ago about...

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Southern Fried Rice

Jun 24, 2011 by

Southern Fried Rice

Yep, that’s what I said. Southern fried rice. I also do “clean out the fridge” rice…or “what do I have in the freezer and pantry” rice…;-)  Basically, work with you’ve got. Get creative, or not. As long as you have garlic and onions in the mix, it’ll be tasty. …and I’d love to try this fella’s Southern Fried rice down in Memphis.  I might just have to fall off the vegetarian wagon for this one. One of my little tricks/cheats is to cook a pot of rice about once a week. Then, I can do all kinds of things from there, with very little effort.  (Tip I got from Cook’s Illustrated.  Bring rice to boil on the stove, cover tightly and put in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 45 minutes.  Totally fool-proof rice....

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Daddy’s Tomato Garden

Jun 24, 2011 by

Daddy’s Tomato Garden

My father spent most of World War II on Attu, a frozen, treeless dot in the northern Pacific at the end of the Aleutian Chain. Although he spoke little of the experience of flying bombing missions over Japan, Daddy often reminisced about the weather.  It is estimated that there are 8-10 precipitation-free days a year on the island, all of them cold! Our treasured black and white photos show Daddy in front of his plane, smiling and bundled against the snow…always snow. Three years on Attu gave my father a passion for green and growing things.  He loved mowing the lawn and puttering in his garden!  When I was just six, we moved to a small town outside Cleveland. Our tiny home had a huge yard, the back third of which quickly became Daddy’s...

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Girlfriends Helping Girlfriends...

Jun 22, 2011 by

Girlfriends Helping Girlfriends

Girlfriends Helping Girlfriends shines a virtual spotlight on Girlfriends who are making a difference in the lives of women and young girls. We hope their stories inspire you as much as they do us. Please join me in welcoming … Helene Lerner – author, journalist and founder of the online community Women Working. atsGf/Toby: Who are you beyond your professional resume? Helene Lerner: My spiritual purpose is to make the world a little bit better with whatever is presented before me. I’m very aligned with the mission of our company, which is to empower women and girls, also an aspect of my spiritual purpose. atsFg/Toby: What is your favorite “Girlfriend” activity? Helene Lerner: Going to the theater with a good friend. atsGf/Toby: You’ve been helping women for quite awhile through your books, TV work and...

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Women Working Interviews Toby Bloomberg...

Jun 22, 2011 by

Women Working Interviews Toby Bloomberg

atsGf girlfriend, and social media Marketing Diva, Toby Bloomberg was highlighted on the prestigious community Women Working. Sarah Tobol, editor, helps Toby celebrate her blog, Diva Marketing’s seventh birthday. Toby also shares insights about blogging and social media marketing. And of course a few words about All The Single Girlfriends! Way to go...

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Pappadoo For Me

Jun 20, 2011 by

Pappadoo For Me

I spent Father’s Day with my mostly-single girl friends on Martha’s Vineyard … and my dad was there with mom too – down the street – so we were able to celebrate Father’s Day with a breakfast together, all seven of us.   I am not sure the last time I was with Dad on Father’s Day but when I see him, aging quite well, I’m only reminded of how smart, funny, complex, and engaging he is. One of my girl friends noted that he is an “idealist”. Another noted that the loves to “politically confront – all the time”.  Both are quite true. A flag-waving Democrat, he has always fought for the underdog in life, and what I’ve learned is that at throughout life, everyone has his or her being or championing the...

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Celebrating Our Dads

Jun 19, 2011 by

Celebrating Our Dads

As diverse as every girlfriend is, her relationship with the first man in her life is as unique. The Gf authors are no different when it comes to our fathers. Some of our dads were very involved with their daughter’s lives while others not so much so. After our Mother’s Day Series we had a special request from Bonnie’s dad. How could we say no?!  We hope you enjoy the video and stories and memories about our dads because as Polli put it … Fathers should be every bit as celebrated as...

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A Dad For Daughters

Jun 18, 2011 by

A Dad For Daughters

There are dads who were meant to be fathers to boys and dads who were made for girls. My dad, Lou Bloomberg, was a dad for daughters. Perhaps that’s why I love dads & daughters. He was the oldest child in a family with 4 sisters, so I suppose he grew up with an added dose of sensitivity. With my mom, my sister Susan and me he continued to be surrounded by girls. When people asked if he regretted not having sons in his life he’d look at them as though he felt sorry they were missing something extra special. As with the story of my mom, my dad took joy in being a father, however, his first love was being Anne’s husband and soul mate. (But that’s a post for another day.) I...

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Young At Heart

Jun 18, 2011 by

Young At Heart

My Dad is the greatest guy. He’s young at heart and full of forgiveness. He’s always been one of those Dads that other kids wanted to be around. I miss him, now that I’m far away in CO and he’s still in NY. But, there will always be a soft spot in my heart for my Dad. This picture is one of my favorite – it’s my Dad with my oldest daughter when she was about seven. This is how I will always remember him – as this ‘guy’ – the one who made all the kids happy to be kids. This Dad was warm, happy, funny, full of laughter, and always ready for a camping trip. Up with Dads everywhere!...

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Present – The Story Of Me And My Dad...

Jun 18, 2011 by

Present – The Story Of Me And My Dad

My dad bought me the nicest ring last weekend at the local Fine Arts Center.  I love it!  It’s a beautiful ring, but mostly I like how it makes me feel like an adored little girl. Is that odd at my age?  I suppose it could be, but that’s the story of me and my dad. The story starts with a very functional relationship between two very young people, my father in his early 20s and me as a young child.  I suppose parenting is a mystery for many people when a first child is born, but since my grandparents had divorced in my dad’s childhood, something uncommon and frowned upon at the time, the future must  have been that much more murky. It could not have been easy.  With no model for an...

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