Hangin' in There: Packing up the holidays, looking to a new year

Hangin' in There: Packing up the holidays, looking to a new year

Well, did you survive the holidays? Now comes the fun part — putting it all away! Maybe you’ve seen me at Lowe’s, purchasing numerous storage bins and bubble wrap for all the new Christmas decorations I purchased this past year. It begins after Halloween. I begin buying festive holiday décor…

Hangin' in There: Here come the holidays

Hangin' in There: Here come the holidays

It began innocently. A few miniature houses would adorn my fireplace mantel at Christmas time, and then get packed up and put away until the next year. But then along came Michael’s, with their line of Lemax “Christmas Village” pieces.

Hangin' in There: When things begin to change

Hangin' in There: When things begin to change

It began a few years ago – I was chatting with my mom, who was 75 years old at the time, on the phone, and the subject of how much mail she was receiving every day came up.

Hangin' in There: Maybe home really is where the heart is

Hangin' in There: Maybe home really is where the heart is

So I’m freaking out a little bit. My oldest daughter, Kaelin, is getting married next May. Yay! Her boyfriend, Matt, is a perfect match for her, and their kids will be adorable. Yes, I am still holding out hope that I’ll be a grandmother who can still chase the little munchkins up the stairs…

Hangin' in There: Navigating the milestones

Hangin' in There: Navigating the milestones

Well, it finally arrived: the first of the lasts. Last week, I registered my fifth and final child at Deer Valley High School. It didn’t hit me until we pulled into the parking lot that I would never do this again. Checkbook in hand, we walked to the gym, saying hello to many parents I have …

Hangin' in There: My happy place is gone

Hangin' in There: My happy place is gone

I want to know whose bright idea it was it to completely turn my neighborhood Target upside down! What was once my sanctuary, my “happy place,” is now my nightmare in hell! It began with a subtle warning outside Target announcing that “big changes” were coming. Yeah, big changes and a big he…

When life events collide

When life events collide

In our life, it never fails. Big events come in clusters. We can never just focus on a prom or a Christmas party or a wedding. Typically, they will all fall on the same day.

Spring cleaning and surviving a remodel

Spring cleaning and surviving a remodel

What is it about spring that makes you want to clean? I don’t necessarily like to clean, but come April 1st, I glance around my house and hate everything — from the color of the walls to the style of my furniture. I am suddenly acutely aware of all the dust and clutter, and start moaning to …

Furniture assembly can break a family’s spirit

Furniture assembly can break a family’s spirit

There are many words that can send a shiver down your spine. Head lice, stomach flu, root canal. But last week, my son Ryan and I decided that the two most daunting words in the world are “assembly required.”

The curse of the dinnertime robocall

The curse of the dinnertime robocall

There is nothing more irritating than sitting down to dinner and being harassed by a robo-call. You know, those annoying sales calls that are pre-recorded and don’t even have a human at the other end of the phone. At first, you think you are talking to a person until you try to interrupt the…

Running from the DMV

Running from the DMV

If you have ever wondered what hell is like, just visit the Pittsburg DMV.

Antioch is like nowhere else on earth

Antioch is like nowhere else on earth

If you visit Chili’s in Antioch, maybe you have noticed the large sign above the hostess desk that reads “Antioch … Like No Place Else.”

Columnists

Marla Luckhardt

Marla Luckhardt

  • Marla Luckhardt is a Brentwood resident who works with several local senior care and advocacy groups. Reach her at marla2054@aol.com.

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