Newest Blog Entries
RSS

Friends might cringe at the thought of sharing their beds, towels, couches, and more, but I found quite by accident that it’s an excellent way to earn some extra cash. My secrets to success (most of the time) have been to vet the renter as well as I can, remove valuables I didn’t want shared or pilfered (such as silver and jewelry), leave some house rules via email or printed instructions, be kind, take a big deposit, and pray hard that the person doesn’t plan to stay, as one renter did according to news reports and caused a legal snafu....

Read more

The sharing economy has hit my neighborhood, and it may hit yours, too. Notice strangers in your neighbors’ driveway? They just may be renters from online sites that offer visitors a chance to experience what it’s really like to live in Boston! Highland Park, Ill.! Santa Monica, Calif.! rather than stay in less personal hotels, inns, and B&Bs. I never pictured myself as Mary Frann, Bob Newhart’s wife in the ’70s sitcom, Newhart, in which he played an innkeeper in a bucolic Vermont village, and she was his right hand. While I love having guests stay in my house, eat my...

Read more

#1 Begin by making your own happiness a priority! What does this have to do with dating? When you’re happy, you glow. When you glow, men are attracted to you. Happiness begins inside you and is complimented by the good man you meet. Get your inner mojo fired up by finding things to do on a daily basis that make you happy. This can be as simple as buying a new book you’ve wanted, or taking a bubble bath and reading a book. It just has to make you happy. That’s all that counts. #2 Create a Single Girlfriends List. When my...

Read more

After I lost my husband four years ago, I was subjected to a barrage of questions from close friends and many acquaintances: How are you doing? Are your kids OK? How are you doing financially? Thinking about moving out of your home? What do you do on weekends when you’re alone? But the one question most often asked was: Are you dating yet? And then the questioner would be all ears anxiously waiting for my answer. I would respond vehemently, “No way,” while shaking my head “No” vigorously, smiling politely, then changing the subject. I lost my husband all too soon. Meltdowns several...

Read more

On a dark summer night, Beamer wearing all black—turtleneck and Eileen Fisher (baggy) pants, an oversized pair of sunglasses that covered most of her face, and a midnight black knit stocking cap pulled down to her nose that made her look like the senior version of a cat burglar, rented a Mini Cooper and drove the 250 miles to Sam Tate’s gated community. She waited for someone else to open the gate then followed fast and entered his million- dollar modernist condo complex. She parked, checked the door, which hadn’t been locked—he was always so confident, walked gingerly across his...

Read more