Cheesecake is delicious. It’s a known fact in case you were wondering. The taste, the smell, the texture, the…calories? Okay, scratch that last one out. As I was enjoying my fantasy of dessert at The Cheesecake Factory, Glee called with some unpleasant news. It seems with all these health and diet crazes, The Cheesecake Factory is going to [...]

“Jean, I’m a hoarder!” That’s what my mother hit me with when she came for her typical visit. “I can’t get rid of anything! And did you know 1 in 50; maybe even 1 in 20 people are hoarders? People in senior centers are hoarding like crazy!” “Mom just because you’re living in an assisted [...]

“Oh hi Mom! Listen I can’t stay on the phone long, I am on my way out the door!” “I saw on the news about an elderly woman getting mugged.  She was just out on her afternoon walk, minding her own business when some guy came and grabbed her purse. He dragged her before taking [...]

Thu
28
Jul

How’s Your Haboob?

2:09 pm

Scottsdale is usually known for luxurious golf resorts, Botox Babes, and perfect weather—nine months out of the year. The summers are hot and the city is often a ghost town between June and September. Scottsdalians often complain of the heat as if they don’t know that they live in a desert and act surprised when [...]

Fri
22
Jul

Do You Have Tech Stress?

3:35 pm

I adore Maury but sometimes I think my husband with the heartbeat of a snail gets too absorbed with technology. I’m overwhelmed with life so I don’t need any more distractions. After Rivka drops the little ones off for me to babysit this afternoon because Pucci Salon, a prestigious hair salon, has a sudden cancellation and a one year waiting list, [...]

Sat
16
Jul

Get Your Stress UP!

8:47 pm

My parting news gift from CNN is the report about women and stress. They ranked women in 29 countries and guess who’s #1? The women in India. Why? Because they’re an emerging nation creating jobs. The women are going to work and coming home to men who lift their feet so they can vacuum under them. And [...]

It’s funny how vacations were originally designed for relaxation. Oh, how things have changed. Lara and Gus announce a surprise family vacation. She informs me she’s rented a van and I should buy a warm sleeping bag. From that point on I knew this vacation could mean stress! Lara insists the whole family to be ready by 6:00 [...]

One hundred seventeen degrees and walls of monsoon dust motivate a soul to do strange things. Lara and Gus think it would be a great idea to take a surprise family vacation. (Yes, that includes my mother and the grandchildren.) She won’t tell us where we’re going. She said, “Pack light for day and bring jackets for night. And don’t [...]

Wed
22
Jun

Glee Wants to Be a Star!

3:55 pm

Glee says she and her new boyfriend, Roberto, a sleek Nuyorican who’s a dead ringer for Bruno Mars, are going to try out for a new reality show being filmed here. She dumped the last cougar-snatched-from-the-cradle when the marijuana dispensary idea got pushed into pot purgatory. “Jean! I’m going to be on TV!” Glee’s enthusiastic [...]

Thu
16
Jun

Glee’s New Biz

3:59 pm

I was running late to meet Glee because my mother consumed a few hours shopping for the perfect pair of walking shoes. Never mind that she only walks to the dining room at Friendly Arms. Glee promised big news. I didn’t know if she was planning another “glamping” trip or had scheduled a new cosmetic/hormone/injectable [...]