The Inexplicable Sacsayhuaman Ruins of Peru

Inexplicable Sacsayhuaman Ruins of Peru

Could it be aliens from outer space?

Sacsayhuaman is pronounced very much like sexy woman if the sexy is articulated the way witchy is sung in the song Witchy Woman.

(Which proved easy to implant in our memory banks.)

And there is definitely something witchy about... CONTINUE READING >>

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BAM! Meet us in Vegas, Baby!

It's fun, it's fabulous, it's Vegas-baby! Come join us for a big time at the BAM - we're speaking this year! CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE! >>

See our full schedule of events, where you can meet up with us, and where we'll be taking you next! 

Going Gypsy: One Couple's Adventure from Empty Nest to No Nest at All (find out more) Available from Skyhorse Publishing! Order Now - Wherever Books Are Sold! Also available as an audiobook from Audible.com

Look Mom, I'm in North Korea... and Michigan's Upper Peninsula!

Excited to introduce everyone to our daughter, Charli, AKA The Piglet!

For most parents, "Look Mom, I'm in North Korea!" is probably not a dream email to receive.

However, I obviously inherited a love of questionable activities in foreign countries from my parents, The GypsyNesters.

So when they received my weekly travel newsletter detailing my trip to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), not only... CONTINUE READING >>

Also on GypsyNester.com this week:

U.P. and Over Big Mac - Loving Michigan's Upper Peninsula!

Michigan's Upper Peninsula is the red headed stepchild of the Great Lakes region. Like kids left alone who've formed a tree house club, the people of the Upper Peninsula have developed a domain unto themselves, even a secret language all their own.

A conversation about a moose walking through town would sound something like this:

“Just seen a snow cow at da stop-and-go light.”
“Yah, Hey... 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!

Oh My Aching Feet! Cobblestones, Comfort & Flight-induced Cankles... and the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul

Yup, it's time for another women "of a certain age" post from me. So far I've overshared about stray hairs, arm flaps, botox, and mammograms - so why stop now, right?

This time it's about my feet and cankles - yuck, I know, but it's life and if I don't overshare, who's going to?

So here goes - some frank talk (but no gross pictures, promise), a little bit of whining and a solution or two... CONTINUE READING >>

Also on GypsyNester.com this week:

A Romp Through the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul

The Grand Bazaar of Istanbul is the granddaddy of all malls - one of the oldest and certainly largest covered markets in the world. 

It seemed as though most of the 400,000 visitors who come each day were inside with us. 

With over three thousand shops packed in along sixty-one covered streets, we felt like lab rats looking for... CONTINUE READING >> 

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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 >> 

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Pompeii & Circumstances - and we're on the radio tomorrow!

Rome may not have been built in a day, but Pompeii was certainly destroyed in one.

Because of the unique nature of the calamity that buried the city, we have an incredibly well preserved peek into every day life two thousand years ago in The Roman Empire.

We had an amazing amount of history and emotion to absorb, making our day at Pompeii one of the most incredible... CONTINUE READING >>

Also on GypsyNester.com this week:

GypsyNesters on the Radio!

We will be joining the warm and wonderful Sandy Fowler on air! Join us on Monday (November 18th) at NOON ET! You can hear it on via the web by clicking this link:  www.radio.heartfilledholidays.com

Here's a peek at what we'll be discussing:
 David and Veronica James are more than empty-nesters; they're a couple who've decided to take life by the horns. When their kids moved out they sold their home and started traveling the country to re-connect with family and friends. Along the way they recovered from being a helicopter mom, re-discovered the couple that fell in love, learned about traveling on a budget, saw amazing sights, learned to be parents of adult children, created new traditions and a whole lot more. We'll be talking about family life when everyone leaves home, including Mom and Dad.

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Grandchildish Behavior

I've had two unexpected conversations recently that have given me pause for reflection. The first was with my father-in-law while dining over Mexican food in Kansas. While catching him up with our kids' lives, he asked me if they were dating anyone of note. I told him that at the moment there were no significant others. Then, the bolt out of the blue,

"Oh, you must be sad that you won't be having grandchildren anytime soon."

The next exchange was with my daughters, The Piglet and Decibel.

“All of our friends' mothers are on crazy grandma patrol. How come you aren’t nagging us about having babies?”

It started out as gentle teasing, but... CONTINUE READING >>

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So I Broke Down and Tried Botox (please don't judge me!)

I'm a squinter. Always have been. My Grandma used to caution me, "Quit doing that - your face will freeze that way!" In my twenties, David would affectionately tease me about my "worry line." He would always know when something was amiss, all he had to do was look between my eyes.

Fast forward thirty (or so) years and, still, I squint on. The squinting's worst when I'm writing - I don't even realized I'm doing it.

And Grandma was right, my face... CONTINUE READING >> 

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Un-nesting. Could it be Blissfully Real?

I'm constantly searching for material that dispels my internal anti-mantra, "You are a bad mommy. You shouldn't be so happy that your children have left the nest. You are a bad..." In my latest frantic search, I came across a theory that I love. Un-nesting.

Suzanne Koven, M.D. writes in her story for Psychology Today entitled "The Un-Nesting Instinct":

"Celia's story started out sounding pretty familiar-a cliché almost. She was fiftyish and going through menopause and, in addition to the weight gain and hot flashes, she found herself irritable and sad. Her children, she told me, were a particular source of sadness. "You mean because they're growing up, moving away?" I asked. 'No,' answered Celia, 'Because they're... CONTINUE READING >>

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If It Can Kill Me, It MUST Be Good

I like to flip through the channels when watching the evening news. The other night while practicing my thumb aerobics, I noticed that the exact same commercial was on two of the networks at the exact same time. That surprised me a bit.

What didn't shock me was that it was an ad for a prescription drug.

 So I decided to start paying attention. It seemed that at least half of the advertisements were for pharmaceuticals.

 I also noticed that I must have at least half a dozen things seriously wrong with me and should be... CONTINUE READING >>


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Boomerang "Kids"

A recent advice column I read was just plain disturbing.

 It involved a mother who is a newly retired homeowner with an outstanding mortgage. Unless she was the CEO of a major publicly traded corporation, this lady is on a whopper of a fixed income.

 Now get this - she has two sons, aged 22 and 24, living in her home and she has asked them to pitch in and pay $30 a week.

 “Stressed-Out Mom” says that they are now “ranting and raving and calling her a bad... CONTINUE READING >>

The Yin and Yang of Parasite "Kids"

Mine! Mine! Mine!

David explores two UNBELIEVABLE stories of greed and selfishness! Is there a special place in hell for offspring who steal from their elderly parents? Should offspring be required to take care of elderly parents no matter the circumstances? What steps can be taken to ensure that our families don't end up like this?

... CONTINUE READING >>

Un-nesting. Could it be Blissfully Real?

I'm constantly searching for material that dispels my internal anti-mantra, "You are a bad mommy. You shouldn't be so happy that your children have left the nest. You are a bad..." In my latest frantic search, I came across a theory that I love. Un-nesting.

Suzanne Koven, M.D. writes in her story for Psychology Today entitled "The Un-Nesting Instinct": "Celia's story started out sounding pretty familiar-a cliché almost. She was fiftyish and going through menopause and, in addition to the weight gain and hot flashes, she found herself irritable and sad. Her children, she told me, were a particular source of sadness. "You mean because they're growing up, moving away?" I asked. 'No,' answered Celia, 'Because they're... CONTINUE READING >>

If It Can Kill Me, It MUST Be Good

I like to flip through the channels while watching the evening news. The other night while practicing my thumbaerobics, I noticed that the exact same commercial was on two of the networks at the exact same time. That surprised me a bit. What didn't shock me was that it was an ad for a prescription drug.

I decided to start paying attention. I observed that half of the advertisements on the news are for pharmaceuticals. I also learned that I must have at least half a dozen things seriously wrong with me... CONTINUE READING >>

Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Ed(isto Island)

Our adventure through the Sea Islands continues with a mysterious "mound of mystery," a secretive gathering of the world's richest men and a home built by the Undersheriff of Herefordshire in 1743, basically out of trash. It still... CONTINUE READING >>

Free Money!

We started walking a few years ago while we were still living on St. Croix and the last chick was still in the nest. A lot of our planning for the post child raising years was done while ambulating along the roads and shores of that beautiful island.

It was good for us and good for our relationship. We also inadvertently stumbled upon something else.

One day while we were walking to the grocery store, Veronica looked down on the side of the road and, lo and behold, a five was laying there. A few more steps and there was a... CONTINUE READING >>

Why? Could it be the Cacti?

Everybody has to ask “Why?” from time to time. Our time came on the drive to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. On the northern edge of the park, along the only road going in, lies the miniscule town of Why, Arizona.


Wondering why, we figured we should ask around. The Why-Not Travel Store seemed a good place to inquire. Actually, it was the only place to inquire.

It seems there are two main stories as to how the town came to be named Why, one more likely true than the other.


Some folks say that... CONTINUE READING >>

Ten Things You Don't Know About New York City

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! ... read more

Boomerang "Kids"

Today's column was just plain disturbing. It involved a mother who is a newly retired homeowner with an outstanding mortgage. Unless she was the CEO of a major publicly traded corporation, this lady is on a whopper of a fixed income. Now get this—she has two butthole sons, aged 22 and 24, living in her home and she has asked them to pitch in and pay $30 a week. “Stressed-Out Mom” says that they are now “ranting and raving and calling her a bad ...read more

If It Can Kill Me, It Must Be Good

I like to flip through the channels while watching the evening news. The other night while practicing my thumbaerobics, I noticed that the exact same commercial was on two of the networks at the exact same time. That surprised me a bit. What didn't shock me was that it was an ad for a prescription drug.

I decided to start paying attention. I observed that half of the advertisements on the news are for pharmaceuticals. I also learned that I must have at least half a dozen things seriously wrong with me... read more

Victoria's Secrets

Queen Victoria of England dubbed the westernmost region of Canada British Columbia in 1858 -- in tribute, her name remains on B. C. 's capital city and our destination, Victoria.

Just before our arrival we were treated to a breathtaking show. The captain announced that orcas were sighted... read more