Pushing on a Rope
work-life balance
At 17, still saying the darndest things
So, I must travel for business next week, a thankfully rare occurrence that nevertheless sends all three of us Vaneches into a bit of a tizzy. Already, I’m starting the lists of chores, appointments, errands, etc., to be completed in my absence. (The first time I did this last year, I got frantic emails demanding … Continue reading
Going for the clean sweep
A last-minute gift of the day off turned yesterday on its head. What would I do while unplugged? Anyone who knows me even a little knows I didn’t soak in the tub, lie on the couch reading all day, treat myself to a shopping expedition or a movie. (Yes, Jacquie, I hear you groaning.) Nope, … Continue reading
Push-me, pull-you — aka the working woman’s tango
Got an email reply from a colleague at 6-something this morning that started: “Wow, you’re up early.” Well, yeah. But that’s only because the laundry fairy, housecleaning genie and household manager didn’t show up. Again. And my wand isn’t working. But Basil and Catherine will tell you that my broomstick does. 😉
Seeking refuge in castles made of sand
Determined to hang on to every second of our final few days of freedom, Basil and I high-tailed it to Tod’s Point today, trying to outrun the predicted afternoon storms that so far haven’t come. It’s no Jersey Shore, but the sun, sand and Long Island Sound still soothe and delight. Being a weekday, the … Continue reading
Be it ever so humble, there is no place … well, you know the rest
How quickly we adapt. I’m back from my work trip out West, 6,000 miles in three days and only a little worse for wear. I don’t understand how people travel constantly for work. It feels as though I’ve been hit by a bus. And though I managed to get through the workday and am still … Continue reading
Mom’s work is truly never done
There’s nothing like a little perspective to reorder one’s priorities, yes? I’m taking a brief business trip tomorrow — I’ll be back by Thursday, but you’d think it was a month. The whole house is in an uproar. The other two people who live here typically ignore my every request, but since yesterday they’ve been … Continue reading
Call off your old, tired ethics
A recent guest on my favorite radio show, A Matter of Balance, hosted by my friend, Kristen Rzasa, dropped a bombshell on me. So of course I must share it with you: You can’t have it all. Yes, you read that right. We women can’t have it all. The guest said that if we want … Continue reading
Lessons in stress relief from an unlikely source
I got the biggest kick out of a toddler in church yesterday. She was about 3, dressed in a beautiful ivory dress trimmed with satin ribbons and seed pearls, crinoline underneath so it stuck out just so. An ivory sweater and tights and shiny black Mary Janes completed the ensemble. Her mother had pulled the girl’s … Continue reading
Pushing on a Rope 