Fifty Shades of Sharon

  It's been almost 10 years since I celebrated Christmas with my son and his two girls. I dedicate this blog to my little family.  The Magic of Christmas Our only tree was in the hotel. In a cozy alcove adjacent to the lobby, complete with a loveseat and  over-stuffed chairs, we settled in for some holiday cheer. Our dimly lit space was lighted only by the  glowing lights of a tastefully decorated Christmas tree. A cinnamon aroma filled the air, a bowl of fresh  fruit and refreshments completed the scene. The little hotel had captured the ambiance of the holidays.  The grandchildren opened their presents, squealing with delight as they proudly showed us their gifts. My son and I were embraced in their happiness. The feeling of gratitude was overwhelming as I brushed  back the tears of joy.    My son and I live in two different cities, my grandchildren are located across the state line in small town  in Indiana. Living in three different...

Once again, I have fallen behind in my blogging. So much has happened since my last post. Let's start with my Las Vegas trip! I flew out of Columbus, OH on December 13th and returned on December 21st. I stayed with my soulmate, Harry. Even though we are more than 2000 miles apart, our hearts are still connected. 💞   We had a great time together, exchanging gifts after a special holiday meal at home, dined at Lawry's, attended a holiday gathering of friends, visited the Bellagio's festive atrium display, and watched our traditional Christmas movies.   Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Garden   Of course, I spent time with a small group of friends too, playing Canasta and going out for a great lunch at "Sickies Garage" in Town Square. Sickies Garage is a new, fun place to visit. Their extensive menu is sure to please! Visit the website for more info:   Sickies Garage    Upon returning to Columbus, I signed a lease for my new apartment! My official m...

Men want food and sex, and often in that order. Surprised? We see this quite frequently, but seldom link the two. You're watching a scene in a movie where the couple is having a celebratory dinner at home. The room is filled with romantic music, dimly lit, tapered candles sitting mid-table cast a soft glow upon their perfect faces. He pours the wine, kisses her on the forehead and takes his seat. They toast each other with loving eyes that lock together as they murmur sweet nothings. The very next scene is typically the couple engaging in sex. He swoops her into his arms and they disappear behind the bedroom for part two.   One evening while I was watching a weekly series of "Midsomer Murders", I saw a fine display of how food and sex intertwine. A widowed mother of a teenage daughter made a living by entertaining men in her kitchen. The kitchen's atmosphere was very relaxing and cozy. There in the kitchen, a well-groomed, respectful women was dressed in a cashmere sw...

New to the dating game at a tender stage and age in life? If you're in your senior years and suddenly find yourself wanting to date again, it's definitely an adjustment.  Several months after my second marriage ended, I decided to ease back into the dating scene. But how? I didn't realize I had taken the first step, and that was the decision to date, or at least try it.  Moving right along, I had to decide how to put myself back on the market, so to speak. Wanting to avoid the bar scene, I started checking into dating sites. I recalled how a couple years earlier, a relative had used a dating site to meet men. It didn't work for her, but after conversing with other singles, I found that people were meeting on these sites and enjoying their dates and successful relationships. I still didn't sign up for a membership, although, later on, I did become a member of a dating site. One day while lunching with a single girlfriend, she started talking about a weekly meeting th...

  Dating for Single Seniors Happens   Dating for single seniors? Our adult children (and our grandchildren) seem to think that after a certain age, the desire to date isn't on the plate, or even a thought for that matter. Here's a shout-out to the younger generation: "Life doesn't come to a screeching halt at any age." We're seeing more and more seniors getting involved in various activities, and that includes dating.   At age 58, I took a big leap of faith and relocated more than 2000 miles away for my 8th grade crush. We dated long distance for a while, and it was finally decided that I would move to Las Vegas, NV. The honeymoon phase seemed to never stop, and we lived happily "ever-after" for more than eight years.    It was great to experience new things in Las Vegas with my new partner. My first job in Vegas took me into the world of cosmetics, fragrances, and beauty. I was on top of the world again, and more doors opened.  I joined a couple m...

It's been a challenge to find time for blogging since I came to Columbus. I'm finally comfortable in my new place, and I have two job interviews coming up. Knowing I was going to have to go back to work shortly after my arrival in Columbus, I started planning how I was going to go about job hunting. I did all the normal tasks we do when job hunting: updated my resume, put together a bio, gathered references, listed my skills, achievements, volunteer work and more. UGH! It had to be shortened. Hiring firms don't want your life history, and there's a lot of resume info at age 66!  Surfing the internet for sample resumes didn't help.  It was frustrating, so I came up with own format.  Here's what "rules" I created and followed.  1. You need more than one resume. Don't use the same resume for each job you apply for, that's not going to get you noticed. What will get you noticed is creativity. Please keep reading! 2. You do not need to list your jo...

It's exactly one week to the day that I arrived in Columbus, OH. I'm elated to be back! Now to get down to business. Bloggers should post once every 3 days or so, and I'm far behind schedule, but life is moving full speed ahead.  Kansas City, MO was my last stop on the road. That was Tuesday, November 3rd and the last date I  blogged. I headed out that afternoon around 1:30PM after a much needed rest at the hotel. I drove until I reached my new homestead. What should have been a 9-10 hour road trip (without stops) took much longer due to my fatigue.  It was 2:AM when I set foot in my Columbus, OH apartment. Needing a hot shower to relax and unwind, I headed into the bathroom with my overnight bag. It felt great to wash off the grime of the road.  At 4:00AM, I was finally getting to bed, but not for long. I had to meet the moving truck, an 18-wheeler, at my storage space at 9:00AM. I rented a space with Public Storage, advised the contracting agent of the truck's size...