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A few months back, I was singing the praises of my contractor and how I had found one who showed up on time each day, worked hard daily, cleaned up, listened, and seem destined to finish the job..and well!  He sort of did but not fully. I spoke too soon, and alas that contractor has now followed in the footsteps of so many others in this profession that I've learned about after writing on the subject of houses and design for decades and having four homes worked on over the course of three decades. Now, at age 60+, I join...

Welcome to our new website, which now features our weekly blog as well as information and updates about our forthcoming book. We hope you'll take the journey with us and visit weekly. Maybe, you've already been along for the ride. Unfortunately, a computer glitch caused us to restart the connection and now we’re back on track. Send us your ideas for columns, we're open to all ideas. Thanks so much!

It's always been a touchy subject, but having discussions with our aging parents, siblings, and grown kids about money and possessions and how they'll be left to survivors is crucial to family harmony and financial well being. We've learned through our own experiences as well as those of friends, that you can never plan too well when it comes to this enormous and highly-nuanced topic. Don't leave anything to chance or to just any lawyers or judges, who sometimes may not be up on all the familial dynamics and sometimes even the law. This requires meeting with a competent financial...

We have good values for sure. Our parents brought us up well. We know what's important; it’s the health, safety, and happiness of our family members, dearest friends, and work colleagues. We are socially conscious, know that world peace is a critical issue, and that there's too much bloodshed and hatred going around. However, now that we’re 50 plus, things we ignored when we were younger, are starting to bug us in the course of a normal day, especially on those days when we’re a bit too self-focused. So, indulge us a bit if we sink to a new low...

I thought I knew her well. Yet, now that my mother is gone (she passed away six months ago), I am surprised to discover how much I really never knew about her. I guess I took her for granted. It’s a bit like the 100-year-old house we lived in when I was a teenager. The sounds and substance became familiar...the squeak of the stairs, the clinking sound of the radiators turning on and off, the whine of the wind rattling the old windows, the Westminster chimes of the grandfather clock on the staircase landing. My mother was just there, and...