The Maladroit Wife

It’s not that I’m a great cook, I just like to eat and buying food that is already cooked is… expensive.  And I’d rather have new shoes than pre-made food. SO. I invent things.  It goes like this: “What should I make?” “Well, I’m pretty lazy, and I’m craving Mexican… sounds like Mexican Casserole night!” […]

I flew solo last weekend, so obviously there was much feet-up and bon-bonning… Yeah, not at all.  I kept myself as busy as humanly possible, and even did some NEAT STUFF in there. Among the more-ordinary-but-still-fun things were meals with friends, walks to the park, and iced lattes.  Cold and caffeinated?  I’ll take 6. Saturday […]

I am not a gifted cook.  I am lucky. I “caramelize” (burn) things sometimes most of the time.  I don’t cook with recipes unless I’m in the mood for a Fun Project.  It is not unusual for me to go to the store and buy a bunch of things that happen to make me hungry, bring them home, line them […]

“Shapewear” is not my style.  I say, wear what looks good on you.  Don’t wear what doesn’t look good on you.  Maaaybe don’t wear your underwear 3 sizes too small so that you don’t get those pinchy rolls under your clothes. But sometimes, wear Spanx. Not all the time, just on special occasions.  Let me […]

I recently acquired an accidentally amazing vintage sewing machine.  My mother in law found it in some lady’s basement, and they figured it was just “old,” but it turned out to be “vintage.”  Very Important Distinction.  According to the serial number and manual, it’s from the late ’40s.  It’s from before the age of excess, […]

“Stop This World” is a great little number by one Diana Krall.  Did you know she’s married to Elvis Costello?  So much good music.  I probably heard this song for the first time 7 or 8 years ago, and I think about it a lot.  I don’t really know what any of the words are […]

I have a strange “weekend” setup.  Usually it starts around 5 on Saturday, and ends with work on Tuesday morning.  The Saturday night bit feels like a weekend, but the rest of it feels like a weekbeginning, filled with preparations for my upcoming workweek.  Sometimes that means cooking, sometimes it means cleaning, and it always […]

Am I really the only one who feels totally overcaffeinated when the IKEA catalog shows up in July?  How about Restoration Hardware?  Or even just little ol’ Crate & Barrel?  I find it hard to believe that I’m alone here.  When he asks why I bother dog-earing the pages, I tell him that I’m just […]

Committed can mean all kinds of things.  Since the underlying current of this blog is my marriage, you might think I’m referring to marital commitment.  I’m not.  I’m referring to the kind of commitment that happens in a psych ward.  Or on a weekly calendar.  Or the relationship between the two. I think I work […]