EVEN IN AUSTRALIA

"I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and now there's gum in my hair and when I got out of bed this morning I tripped on the skateboard and by mistake I dropped my sweater in the sink while the water was running and I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day."

(Judith Viorst, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day)

Some days just go down hard. Things just, well, go wrong. Reality can just plain suck. No need to go into the litany of things that went awry, suffice it to say today I felt like moving to Australia. All the feel-good memes on Facebook were not going to be any kind of cure for this sh**storm. But hour by hour passes and you get through the day hoping to put it all away, have some milk and cookies before bed, listen to some great music, and read. After all, as I understand it, "It was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day" and" some days are like that. Even in Australia." (Judith Viorst, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day) I feel you Alexander, I feel you little man.

LOVE . . . ACTUALLY

February is the love month - wine, roses, chocolate and Valentines.  Here's some things I've learned about love over a lifetime of wine and roses. Happy hearts month!

1. Love partnerships take work, lots and lots of work, and a little luck.

2. Communication is key to getting along but the timing of communication is equally important.

3. Separate interests and activities are good as long as there are shared ones as well.

4. Cheerleading for each other is a requirement!

5. Never underestimate the importance of honor and respect. 

6. Humor is a necessary ingredient for a successful romantic partnership!

7. Never argue or disagree in a disparaging manner - ever, especially not in public!

8. Always say thank you to each other!

9. Always say, I love you .

10. Always kiss each other in the morning, when you leave, and before you go to bed.

PS : Love is always worth it!