Life's Kitchen Table

Pull up a chair and stay a while—this is where the real conversations happen. Growing up, our kitchen table was the heart of everything: homework help, heart-to-hearts, and endless stories shared over countless meals. Now, here at Life's Kitchen Table, I'm continuing that tradition, serving up stories straight from the heart of midlife, seasoned with a healthy dose of humor and a pinch of hard-earned wisdom.

From navigating hot flashes to hot topics, from empty nests to full plates, these are the tales that simmer in the spaces between our busy days. Pour yourself a cup of coffee (or wine—no judgment here), and let's chat about the beautiful, messy, perfectly imperfect journey of being fifty and seasoned.

All Posts

The Bittersweet Beauty of Changing Traditions

As December begins and we step fully into the holiday season, I find myself caught between two emotions: joy and sadness. They sit side by side, neither one canceling out the other, both feeling equally true. The joy comes from all the things I love about this time of year—the bright, twinkling Christmas trees, endless Hallmark movies where Mr. or Ms. Right find each other in some impossibly charming small town, and most importantly, the promise of time spent with the people

4 days ago

The Holidays Are Exhausting. There, I Said It.

About this time last year, I blurted out something to my husband that I'd been holding onto for two decades. We were making our bed together one November morning—just a regular Tuesday—when it came tumbling out: "I haven't enjoyed the holidays in about 20 years!" Yup. I said it. Out loud. And my husband froze mid-pillow-fluff, completely stunned. "But you're always so into the holidays," he said. "The decorating, the gifts, the cooking, the baking..." He was right. I was ALL

Nov 19

If Not Now, Then When?

It's hard to believe I'm fifty sometimes, especially when I'm going about my daily life—managing my business, writing this blog, living in my comfortable routines. But then I get together with old friends, and reality hits: we're all getting older. You know how your brain does that thing where it freezes people in time? You think about someone and immediately see them in a specific moment—on that vacation to the lake, at that New Year's Eve party, during that crazy weekend ad

Nov 11

Trading the Corner Office for a Kitchen Table

Harvey Mackay once said what is now a famous quote, "Do something that you love and you'll never work a day in your life." Having been in the workplace since 1998 (wow, that's last century!), I didn't understand that. Wasn't work supposed to feel like work? Since 2000, I've been a working mom, so I really thought that work was just supposed to feel like work. My life was chaotic most of the time—balancing a job, a family, and maintaining a household on a daily basis. While I

Nov 5

A Small Town with a Big Halloween Spirit

Did you know that about one-third of the U.S. population does not celebrate Halloween? There are, of course, a variety of reasons — from cultural to religious. Some schools have even switched to celebrating “alternative” seasonal events. But not in my hometown! If you haven’t heard about the Halloween Capital of the World , then you’re missing out. No, I’m not talking about Salem, Massachusetts — I’m referring to Anoka, Minnesota . This small town of about 18,000 transforms e

Oct 28

Celebrating the Quiet: Why Being an Introvert Is My Superpower

Growing up as the oldest of three daughters in what I can only describe as a "loud" house, I constantly sought silence. And I don't just mean typical family noise—I mean loud . At least one (usually two) TVs blaring all day and night, including one in the kitchen that stayed on during dinner. My mom's preferred method of communication was yelling and stomping on the floor upstairs to let us know dinner was ready or she needed something from us downstairs. All I wanted when I

Oct 21

The Changing Seasons of Life

Fourteen hours in the car. Three states. Two hotels. Several heating pads. And one very important mission. This past weekend, my husband and I embarked on what can only be described as a marathon parenting event—helping our daughter and her fiancé move from Dubuque, Iowa to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, followed by celebrating our younger daughter's 21st birthday. Because apparently, we thought our fifty-and-seasoned bodies could handle back-to-back major life events without conseque

Oct 14