Dear Crabby, Last Friday, a bunch of couples got together for Friendsgiving and the hostess had an entire kitchen table covered in a labyrinth of meats and cheeses. All the women ‘oooh-ed’ and ‘ahh-ed’ over this display, which I guess is called a charcuterie board. Have you heard of these and if so, what do you think about them?Thanks!Chet Mixx Dear Chet Mixx, Unfortunately, I have heard of charcuterie boards. In fact, Mrs. Crabby is insisting we have one in the place of Christmas … [Read more...]
Dear Crabby, Should I Tip My Delivery Person During the Holidays?
December 4, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Dear Crabby, Before the first flake fell, I was seeing Amazon Prime, FedEx, and UPS vans zipping through my neighborhood. This got me wondering if there is any tipping or gifting protocol for these poor folks who have to schlep all my Cyber Monday deals to my doorstep. Thanks! Ima Giver Dear Ima Giver, Ahh, yes. Cyber Monday. The supposed reason brick-and-mortar shops are going out of business. After Thanksgiving dinner, my daughter and granddaughter were working on spreadsheets for … [Read more...]
Dear Crabby, Do People Still Give Graduation Gifts?
June 11, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Dear Crabby, Just the other day I went to my mailbox and was besieged with at least a half dozen graduation announcement/open house invitations. It’s been ages since I went to one of these things. Do people still give gifts? And what is preferred - money or an actual gift? Thanks! Alice Alumna Dear Alice Alumna, Ah, yes. I remember those days when all your valuable summer weekends were occupied with schlepping from one potato salad-filled party to another. Now that I think of it, … [Read more...]
Dear Crabby, Have you Ever Been BOOed?
October 24, 2018 by Leave a Comment
Dear Crabby, Halloween is almost upon us and I’m hearing a lot of talk about BOOing people in your neighborhood. I’m told this is a good thing. Have you heard about it and if so, what do you think? Thanks, Frank N. Stein Dear Mr. Stein, I’ll admit, I wasn’t aware of this BOOing business. At first, I thought maybe people were supposed to stand on their neighbor’s lawn and boo their lack of (or just plain awful) Halloween decorations. Or maybe you were supposed to boo … [Read more...]
Dear Crabby, What Do You Think About Elf on a Shelf?
December 13, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Dear Crabby, My Facebook feed is being flooded with images of friends’ Elf on the Shelf antics. Do you think this is a great holiday tradition or just more trouble than it’s worth? Thanks! Kris Claus Dear Kris Claus, Sadly, I know exactly what you are talking about. And if you can believe it that little rascal has been around for 13 years. Now, I’m sure the idea behind it all started out innocently enough, but now it seems to be all about selling more Elves (and everything that goes … [Read more...]
Dear Crabby, Have Kid’s Birthday Parties Gotten Out of Control?
April 12, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Dear Crabby, My 8-year-old daughter was recently invited to a birthday party. I was expecting something low-key like cake and ice cream or even Chuck E. Cheese. Boy, was I wrong. The birthday girl hand-delivered a custom pillowcase for my daughter to bring with her to the birthday sleepover celebration. They slept in individual homemade tents and she even brought goodies home in the same custom pillowcase. Is it just me or is that a bit over-the-top for a kid’s party? Thanks! Faith … [Read more...]
Dear Crabby, What’s Love Got To Do With It?
February 4, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Dear Crabby, My wife just flipped over the calendar to February and I immediately noticed the 14th square has a big red heart around it. Guess that’s her not-so-subtle way of reminding me that Valentine’s Day is around the corner. I feel like this day has gotten out of hand and men are pressured into making grand (and expensive) overtures of their faithfulness and undying love. What are your thoughts on this holiday? Thanks, Lawrence Lovelorn Dear Lawrence Lovelorn, All this hype … [Read more...]
Only the lonely
January 22, 2014 by 1 Comment
Last week was rough. I had been pushed to my sanity limit by a list of constant demands and overwhelming busyness that was out of my control. I found myself retreating to Facebook and Pinterest in short intervals, in an attempt to find respite in the swirl of chaos happening around me. I thought if I could connect somehow to the outside world then I would survive the day. But that prolonged testing of my patience caused a pang in me in a way I hadn't expected or noticed in awhile. I … [Read more...]
Healthy, easy, and tasty Zucchini
August 21, 2013 by Leave a Comment
I am super jealous of anyone who has the ability and time to garden. I love the idea of growing my own fruits and vegetables and having that bounty at my disposal. However, we are gone too often during the spring and summer to make that possible. We are also overridden with squirrels and children at my house, which I feel would be a detriment to the healthy growth of a garden. Lastly, I do not need another thing at my house that requires my constant care and attention. I already feel a little … [Read more...]
A Pin for your Thoughts
February 29, 2012 by Leave a Comment
It's almost embarrassing how many of my conversations now start with the line, "So I saw this really cool idea on Pinterest...” By now, you too have probably at least heard of this new site and application that combines searching for things and social media. Some say it's addicting, while some say it wastes time, but I say it's inspiring. Pinterest is easily explained as a virtual corkboard where you can "pin" your interests. You can search for just about anything, follow things other … [Read more...]
