I turned 52 in the back of an Uber last month, crammed alongside my three adult kids on our way home from sweating on a crowded dance floor as we sang and danced to one of my favorite bands late into a Sunday night. We jumped up and down to the opening chords of TomRead more…
This summer, there have been times that it’s felt like the whole universe has been conspiring to get me back here, to my dusty old blog. There have been some moments it’s felt as if the Blog Gods have grabbed me by the shoulders and given me a good shake before asking, “Amy, wtf areRead more…
At least once a day this summer, I will notice a woman of a certain age out of the corner of my eye and think, just for a moment, that it’s my former mother-in-law. Maybe it’s the color of the woman’s hair as she moves briskly through the parking lot of our local farm market.Read more…
I saw a little piece of magic this weekend, right here on the Jersey Shore. Something that reminded me, not for the first time, that I am right where I’m supposed to be. The celebration of our nation’s independence stirs up a lot of emotions for me. I mean, when you’re divorced, all holidays kindaRead more…
It wasn’t until I went away to college that I learned firsthand that New Jersey, and its denizens, were a joke. Like, even my new roommate who hailed from Baltimore — BALTIMORE! — sneered at any mention of the Garden State. Apparently, it was an embarassing place to live. Even when we gather now asRead more…
Today I am thinking about how complicated life can be. And short. And confusing. You think you have all the time in the world to make things right. To tell people how much they meant to you. How much you loved them. But that’s not how it works and I am reminded once again there’sRead more…
I don’t know if it’s because I’m a Leo, or an extrovert or just a raging narcissist but I’ve always loved my birthday. I love being the center of attention. I’ve totally come to terms with it. And maybe it’s because I grew up with so many siblings and never had a proper birthday partyRead more…
I don’t know what it’s like where you live, but around here people tend to stick around. They buy a house, raise a family, send their children off into the world and then, quite often, the kids come back to buy their own house nearby and raise a family of their own and begin theRead more…
This week I posted the following on Facebook: It’s been a move months in the making. Actually, compared to the other three major real estate transactions I’ve participated in, this go round was not a knee-jerk reaction precipitated by a pregnancy and raging hormones. I seemed to have made many big decisions in my 20s and 30sRead more…
This is what happens when one of your worst fears is realized, which – come to think of it – seems to happen to me a lot. I got down to the beach late Sunday morning to spend the final day of the long holiday weekend with my toes dug in the sand and talkingRead more…