That Time I was Called an Ugly American

I met the meanest woman in the world on cruise ship.

David & I were sitting in a near-empty onboard restaurant after an afternoon cooking class, and had a jovial group of fellow classmates seated with us – new friends from all over the world. 

Yes, we were a bit loud.

 Yes, we were critiquing the food – we had prepared it, after all – and, I was being exceptionally... CONTINUE READING >>



Also on GypsyNester.com this week:

There was so much we didn't know about the tower until we visited!

Did you know it's been painted a bunch of different colors?

Did you know that you could have lunch there?

 Find out what was creator Gustave Eiffel's real name was - and how different the tower's name would be if he had kept it, why there is a mannequin on the outside of the elevator, and what it looks like to step out on the glass... CONTINUE READING >>

Follow us here too!: Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Google+ - Pinterest - Instagram - GoodReads - StumbleUpon - RSS Going Gypsy One Couple's Adventure from Empty Nest to No Nest at All (find out more) Coming in February 2015 from Skyhorse Publishing! Pre-Order Now - Wherever Books Are Sold!

Frankly My Dear, it's Amsterdam! Did we stay out of trouble?

Amsterdam has a reputation, but the hedonistic side of this city is just a small part of what attracts so many people.

For us, that aspect was a mere curiosity; the real allure is the entirely distinctive personality of this vibrant, energetic, aqua-centric city.

So did we stay out of trouble? Depends how you define trouble... CONTINUE READING >>

Also on GypsyNester.com this week:

How the Anne Frank House Made Me Feel

The Diary of a Young Girl was the first coming-of-age story I'd ever read. And it hit me hard for a number of reasons.

So, Anne Frank House was at the very top of my list of places to visit when we arrived in Amsterdam.


The house is the actual building where the Anne and her family --and four others -- hid before they were betrayed and captured by the Nazis... CONTINUE READING >>

Follow us here too!: Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Google+ - Pinterest - Instagram - GoodReads - StumbleUpon - RSS Going Gypsy One Couple's Adventure from Empty Nest to No Nest at All (find out more) Coming in February 2015 from Skyhorse Publishing! Pre-Order Now - Wherever Books Are Sold!

Conquering Hate Mail... and 10 Things You Don't Know About NYC

A comment on our site:

“In my opinion, anyone who would refer to children in such a disgusting and disrespectful way (adult or not) is an emotionally bankrupt shell of a person..."
BAM! My first hate mail.

 I read a lot of blogs. Any of them worth their salt raise strong emotion and spark debate on their message boards. Sometimes it can get a bit heated, but makes for a nice balance.

 We have had comments on our website that strongly disagree with our opinions and we relish them, we value every... CONTINUE READING >>

Also on GypsyNester.com this week:

Ten Things You Don't Know About New York City - Even if You Live There!

Your GypsyNesters found the wild, weird and wonderful not-so-known sights, sounds and flavors of The Big Apple!
Even if you are a New Yorker - we bet you don't know most of these!.. CONTINUE READING >>

Follow us here too!: Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Google+ - Pinterest - Instagram - GoodReads - StumbleUpon - RSS Going Gypsy One Couple's Adventure from Empty Nest to No Nest at All (find out more) Coming in February 2015 from Skyhorse Publishing! Pre-Order Now - Wherever Books Are Sold!

Things We Wish We’d Known BEFORE We Sent Our Kids to College... and A Fairy Tale Chocolate Wedding

It's that time of year again, and many new empty nesters are sending a fledgling off to college for the first time.

Here are some DOs and DON'Ts from your seasoned GypsyNesters on how to get through that first semester without losing your mind.

1. Don’t start off on a bad note. It's hard to let our kids go. The day our babies head out on their own is a tough one for any parent. Because of her self-awareness about her emotional outbursts, Veronica ... CONTINUE READING >>

Also on GypsyNester.com this week:

A Fairy Tale Chocolate Wedding

Our favorite princess was set to tie the knot with one of the top ten chocolatiers in North America - the king of ultra-premium chocolates - and the nuptials were not to be missed.

Anytime a princess marries a king, it's a big deal - and when the surname is Love, it's bound to be the social event of the season!

The reception began with a champagne toast... CONTINUE READING >> 

Follow us here too!: Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Google+ - Pinterest - Instagram - StumbleUpon - RSS

Grounding My Helicopter Ways & Istanbul's Breathtaking Blue Mosque

Helicopter Mom - You Are Grounded

"A mother is only as happy as her saddest child,” a close friend’s grandmother used to say.

When I first heard her say this, all three of my children were young and safely in the nest so I could totally relate. Somehow I thought once they were grown up this would change.

It didn’t.

Trouble finds its way into everyone‘s lives - and as much as we hate it - trouble finds our adult children. Whether it rears its ugly head in a... CONTINUE READING >>

Also on GypsyNester.com this week:

Picture This: The Breathtaking Blue Mosque of Istanbul

Built in 1609 by Sultan Ahmed I, the Blue Mosque features a main dome, eight secondary domes, and six minarets, and is considered the pinnacle of two centuries of Ottoman mosque development. 

Upon entering the mosque, Veronica was dumbstruck - unable to begin to take photos. She couldn't figure out where to start.

We saw why... CONTINUE READING >> 

Follow us here too!: Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Google+ - Pinterest - Instagram - StumbleUpon - RSS

A Little Talked About Sign of Aging & Mysterious Peruvian Ruins

Here's the thing.

My best features come from my Romanian roots. I've always enjoyed having dark hair and blue eyes. I am psyched that my "gray" hair is silver, some people pay big bucks for that. Dracula was Romanian, and by most accounts was a particularly handsome man-thing.

That being said, we Romanians are a very hairy people.

My beloved Grandpa not only had follicles growing out of his ears, but in his later years his lobes looked like small woodland creatures. My stunningly gorgeous mother had quite the collection of... CONTINUE READING >>

Also on GypsyNester.com this week:

Exploring Mysterious Ollantaytambo, Peru

Gawking up at the stonework that covers the entire side of a mountain in The Sacred Valley, we were truly in awe.

No one knows how the stones were cut, because a metal hard enough to cut granite was not available at the time of its construction and an explanation of how the rocks were moved up the mountain has never been... CONTINUE READING >> 

Follow us here too!: Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Google+ - Pinterest - Instagram - StumbleUpon - RSS

A Powerful Prayer at The Peace Garden of Nagasaki, Japan

Nagasaki, Japan is no doubt best known as the site of the second atomic bombing on August 9, 1945.

The Peace Garden commemorates that tragic event in a beautiful and hopeful place... CONTINUE READING >>

Follow us here too!: Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Google+ - Pinterest - Instagram - StumbleUpon - RSS

16 Boxes

Almost everyday we hear somebody say “I live vicariously through you” or “ I wish we could do what you’re doing.” As inviting as it may seem, it’s probably not the lifestyle for everybody.

There is actually quite a commitment to chucking it all and becoming a gypsy. It takes a dash of nerve and a pinch of intestinal fortitude to get rid of everything you own except a handful of personal items that can be fit into a few boxes.

16 boxes to be exact. Close to 30 years of marriage and 3 kids later, we're whittled down to 16 boxes, most them in storage. Many of these boxes are tagged to go directly to the kids... CONTINUE READING >>

 Follow us here too!: Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Google+ - Pinterest - StumbleUpon - RSS

Why Do People Like Us Even Have Kids?

@DianaHayes "Tell me why when a person says they enjoy the empty nest another person counters with - Oh, but I am close to my kids. ARGH"

Receiving this sort of frustrated Tweet is not uncommon for us, this one came while sitting with our morning coffee in a hotel cafe. I had just returned from using the lobby bathroom where I overheard a cell phone conversation in the stall next to me.

Yes, I admit I was eavesdropping - but I have two lame excuses.

1) We had just... CONTINUE READING >>

Fear Conquering & Eating Silkworms

I am no longer an eating-a-bug virgin.

I love sampling new food - the more authentic the better. But, from time to time we are faced with delicacies which may be too authentic.

Find out which of us tried it and who chickened out... CONTINUE READING and watch the video >> 

 Follow us here too!: Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Google+ - Pinterest - StumbleUpon - RSS

Dalian, China. A City of Contrasts

Modern, yet traditional, gleaming, but with a not-so-shiny center, Dalian is a city of many facets.

Join us in old Manchuria, a place with both Russian and Japanese influences, old trolleys and new high rises...and both the best street food we've ever eaten and the worst thing we've ever put in our mouths... CONTINUE READING >> 

Follow us here too!: Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Google+ - Pinterest - StumbleUpon - RSS

A Day of Reflection in Nagasaki, Japan

Our day of reflection takes through cherry blossom-strewn, peaceful Nagasaki.

Join us as we stroll through The Peace Garden with its towering Prayer Monument,  wonder at the surviving statues of a church at ground zero of the atomic bomb, visit the epicenter and the Atomic Bomb Museum.

We'll take you back to the day when the clocks forever stopped at 11:02... CONTINUE READING >> 

 Follow us here too!: Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Google+ - Pinterest - StumbleUpon - RSS

Smooth Sailing? Not Likely!

I'd been following the controversial Abby Sunderland story with interest. Remember Abby? She was the sixteen-year-old sailor who, while attempting to sail her vessel around the world solo, found herself stranded in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Her parents took quite a bit of flack over the situation. I'd looked at this story from many different angles - and, as usual, my feelings were mixed.

The helicopter Mommy in me shouted, "What the &#*% were her parents thinking?!" But after calm reflection I saw things a bit differently. I too have a child with "dangerous dreams." My son, The Boy, has been flying airplanes since he was thirteen.

Sure, I've heard all the arguments...... CONTINUE READING >> 

 Follow us here too!: Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Google+ - Pinterest - StumbleUpon - RSS

I Am NOT a Useless Waste!

Has it happened? Have I become a crotchety old lady? Do I abhor certain kinds of music because I'm too old to get it? Am I shocked at some of the things that "young people" wear these days?

Possibly so. But I'm dead certain of one thing - people are much more rude than they were when I was a young whippersnapper.

Because we have a website  I am painfully aware that there are those that don't treat others with civility. I've quit reading the online comments on news stories – it's horrific.

Then, out of nowhere, cyberspace-type incivility came crashing into Real Life. In a manner that I couldn't ignore or justify... CONTINUE READING >>

Follow us here too!: Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Google+ - Pinterest - StumbleUpon - RSS

Post-Parting Depression: Saying Good-bye to My Adult Kids

I've got an issue and I need help! I'm hoping I'll get a lot of suggestions on this post from our amazingly insightful readers.

This past holiday season, we had a lot to celebrate. In addition to our typical yuletide festivities, we were blessed to celebrate my in-law's 60th wedding anniversary two days after Christmas and our own 30th a week after the new year started.

As wonderful as it was to have such momentous events smack-in-the-middle of the holidays, it led to more good-byes to our adult kids than I'm normally used to.

Having The Spawn come and go in such short and hectic celebratory spurts gave me some interesting insight into how I deal with my empty nest good-byes.

Not well, it seems... CONTINUE READING >> 

 Follow us here too!: Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Google+ - Pinterest - StumbleUpon - RSS

The Weight of Six Million Paper Clips

In a small town in Tennessee there is a monument so moving, so touching and so unlikely that the story behind it is almost unbelievable.

Here is a tale of a group of school children who found out that even the smallest idea can spark a world wide movement. And how compassion can change the world... CONTINUE READING >> 

 Follow us here too!: Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Google+ - Pinterest - StumbleUpon - RSS

The Long and the Shorts of it All

When women get to be “of a certain age” questions of appropriateness inevitably rear their ugly heads. I think I have squarely hit that certain age. With a vengeance.

My questions of appropriateness have actually turned into a LIST of questions of appropriateness:

Should I stop wearing shorts?

What about sleeveless blouses?

Is my hair too long?

When should I stop dying it?

Should I do something about my wrinkles?

The shorts quandary is a tough one for me. It’s on the top... CONTINUE READING >>

 Follow us here too!: Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Google+ - Pinterest - StumbleUpon - RSS

Spice Up Your Holidays with a Tamale Party

Do you need some spice in your life? Here's a festive holiday idea!

Whether it's a tamale party or your own special holiday tradition, please be sure to get together with family and friends this year.

Enjoy each other... CONTINUE READING >>

 Follow us here too!: Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Google+ - Pinterest - StumbleUpon - RSS

Following the Freedom March in Alabama

It was a difficult few days for us as we were forced to confront thoughts and feelings that we would have much rather avoided. We addressed issues that many of us Americans would like to think have been completely resolved. But it seems to us that turning a blind eye is not the solution.

The lesson we learned is that the light of day is best, because as much as this is fairly recent history, we were taken aback by how little we knew about the details. In Birmingham, the details are on display - front and center - and in Montgomery... CONTINUE READING >>

Attack of the 1000 Dollar Mammogram!

Ten people. TEN.

This is how many people I dealt with while getting my annual mammogram. How did something so personal turn into an assembly line? As if getting my boobs pancaked and my skin yanked so tight that I felt it all the way up to my ears isn’t bad enough. I get to be treated like a cow in a roundup.

Before I go off on a complete diatribe, I want to be fair. I’m ALWAYS a wreck at mammogram time. My mother died of breast cancer. The final ten years of her life were hell as the cancer spread to her lymph nodes, her spine and her brain. I learned to administer shots. I watched as her brain fluid was removed from a shunt in her... CONTINUE READING >>