Dec 16, 2015

Can Having A Pet Make You Sexier?

Nice house, Carter. Very you,” she added wandering into the living room with its wall of books. “Oh, you have a cat.”
“I didn’t think to ask if you were allergic.”
“I’m not. Hello, pal.” She started to crouch, then stopped, angling her head. “You have a cat with three legs.”
“Triad. He was hit by a car.”
“Oh, poor baby!” Instantly, she was down on the floor, stroking and scratching the delighted cat. “It had to be awful for both of you. Thank God you were home.”
“No, actually I was driving home from school. They—the car in front of me hit him, and just kept going. I don’t understand how anybody could do that. When I pulled over, I thought he’d be dead, but he was lying there, in shock, I guess. The vet couldn’t save the leg, but he does okay.”
Mac continued to stroke the cat down his length as she stared at Carter. “I bet he does.”

Vision in White


__________________________________


"Sleeping baby cat" by Watchduck (a.k.a. Tilman Piesk) - Own work. 
Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

Showing love for your canine or feline friend shows your empathy and compassion, but does it make you more attractive to potential partners? New research in Anthrozoös: A multidisciplinary journal of the interactions of people and animals, done in collaboration with pet store chain PetSmart, finds that pet owners are sexier. 



"Puppy on Halong Bay" by Andrea Schaffer from Sydney, Australia - Puppy on Halong Bay. 
Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons


__________________________________

An interesting eyeful, isn’t he?”
“Adorable, and with some training he’ll be a wonderful companion.”
Sylvia shot Fiona an arched look as she pulled out a small bowl and a tiny container. “I meant Simon.”
“Maybe I did, too.”
“Ha. He’s tremendously talented, and well mannered, if a little mysterious.”
“Which one are you talking about?”
“Smarty.” Expertly, Sylvia separated the eggs, sealing the yolks in the container before whipping the whites together with a little cheese and herbs. “He has a lovely house on East Sound, is meticulous in his craft, has gorgeous eyes, a strong back, a cute puppy, and he’s single.”

The Search

Oct 8, 2015

What It's Like to Be a Single Dad


Their eyes met in the mirror again; he rested his chin on her shoulder. She smelled of the pale green soap she loved because it was shaped like a dinosaur. Her face was so much like his own, yet softer, finer, and to him infinitely beautiful.
"You could, but then tomorrow would be your first day of school. You'd still have butterflies."
"Butterflies?"
"Right here." He patted her tummy. "Doesn't it feel like butterflies dancing in there?''
That made her giggle. "Kind of."
"I've got them, too."
"Really?" Her eyes opened wide.

Taming Natasha


________________


By nerissa's ring (Flickr: girl, lost) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons




Parents are constantly shamed for their choices. From how we feed our children to how we educate them, everyone has an opinion. The result? Moms and dads feel endlessly judged for the choices they make — even if they have no other options. This week, families around the country are sharing their inspiring, funny, honest, and heartbreaking stories with Yahoo Parenting in an effort to spark conversations, a little compassion, and change in the way we think about parenting forever. Share your story with us — #NoShameParenting.

+++

Full-custody single dads are a growing group, with 24 percent of single-parent homes headed up by fathers — a ninefold increase since 1960,according to the Pew Research Center. But living that reality can still feel pretty lonely for the man managing everything for his family solo.
To find out what it’s like to be a single father, Yahoo Parenting sat down with 42-year-old Ian. 




________________


"Dad." She giggled, as she always had, when he scooped her off her feet for a hug. "Oh, it's so good to see you. I've missed you." She blinked back tears she hadn't expected as she reached out for Natasha. "I've
missed you both so much."
"The house isn't the same without you." Natasha rocked in the tight embrace, then eased back. "But look at you! So sleek and polished. Spence, where's our little girl?"
"She's still in there." He bent to kiss Freddie again.

...

"You've accomplished a lot in less than a month," Spence pointed out. There was a little ache, just under his heart. He expected it would always be there when he thought of his baby living away from him. 
But there was pride, as well, and that was what showed in his eyes as he draped an arm around her shoulders.

Waiting for Nick

Oct 5, 2015

Hugs

She closed the distance to give Tracie a handshake, then a hug, to fuss over the dogs. To laugh with Sylvia, he noted.

She did have an appealing way, he supposed. If you liked the überoutgoing, the type who tended to touch or embrace in a kind of second nature.

The Search


------------------



"Conchita Wurst Ballhausplatz 18-05-2014 40 Free Hugs" by Manfred Werner (Tsui) - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Conchita_Wurst_Ballhausplatz_18-05-2014_40_Free_Hugs.jpg#/media/File:Conchita_Wurst_Ballhausplatz_18-05-2014_40_Free_Hugs.jpg


The Way You Hug Someone Reveals An Enormous Amount About Your Relationship



Happiness and well-being author Kulraj writes, “Hugging is, in fact, just an extended form of a fundamental human need: touch. An abundance of research has shown that skin-to-skin contact between a mother and newborn yields important physical and psychological benefits.” He continues that as we grow into adulthood, “the importance of touch does not diminish.”

Because hugs and physical contact are so important to who we are as human beings, and because we are all so drastically different, it comes as no surprise that there are actually so many different types of hugs. So it makes total sense that each type of hug can reveal a lot about the relationship between the two huggers.


------------------

Once they reached Orcas, there were more hugs. He’d never seen people so addicted to squeezing one another.

The Search



Jul 23, 2015

THE Stump

Gary set the machine to idle when the stump rolled free. “You got yourself a stump.”
Simon ran his gloved hand over the body, along one of the thick roots. “Oh yeah.”
“Happiest I’ve seen you look since I met you. Let’s get her in the bucket.”
Once they were rolling out of the woods, the bucket full of stump, Gary glanced over. “I want you to
let me know what you do with that thing.”
“I’m thinking a sink.”
Gary snorted. “You’re going to make a sink out of a stump?”

The Search


__________________

Today I was searching for Bath Supplies and found this:





__________________

“I’ve got a few things going. Let’s take a walk.”
“Beach or woods?”
“Woods first, then beach. I need to find another stump.”
“Simon! You sold the sink.”
“I’m keeping that one, but Syl got a look at it and says she’s got a client who’ll want one.”
“You’re keeping it.”
“Half-bath downstairs needs a bump.”
“It’ll be fabulous.” She glanced over at the dogs, back at Simon. Her guys, she thought. “Come on,
boys. Let’s go help Simon find a stump.”

The Search

Jul 13, 2015

Ice Cream Choice

Rowan licked her strawberry swirl, enjoying the buzz of pedestrian and street traffic as
she strolled with Gull.
“That’s not really ice cream,” she told him.
“Maple walnut is not only really ice cream, it’s macho ice cream.”
“Maple’s for syrup. It’s like a condiment. It’s like mustard. Would you eat mustard ice cream?”
“I’m open to all flavors, even your girlie strawberry parfait.”

Chasing Fire


______________________


"StrawberryIce". Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:StrawberryIce.jpg#/media/File:StrawberryIce.jpg


There are those things we eat, make, read, and gush over that are just too good to keep to ourselves. Here, we resist the urge to use too many exclamation points and let you in on our latest crushes.
Today: You hear the ice cream truck rounding the corner and it's time to make a choice: Here's what your decision says about you.


______________________



She caught herself, shook her head. “Here you are on what I’m sure is very rare and precious free
time, and I’m full of gloom.”
“You need ice cream,” Gull decided. “What flavor?”
“Oh, no, I—”
“Ice cream,” he repeated, “is guaranteed to cut the gloom. What would you like?”
“You might as well pick something,” Rowan told her. “He’ll just keep at you otherwise.”
“Mint chocolate chip. Thank you.”
“I’ll be back in a minute.”

Chasing Fire

Jul 6, 2015

10 Things Only Those Who Love an Introvert Would Understand

She picked up the wine now, drank. “Your mother did, however, invite me to an impromptu backyard barbecue this Sunday.”
He laughed, lifted his glass in salute. “See? They didn’t take no for an answer.”
She hadn’t considered that, and now saw Brooks was right. “Your mother seemed to ignore my reasonable excuse to decline. I thought it might be better to write her a polite note of regret.”
“Why? She makes great potato salad.”
“I have my gardening and household chores on my schedule for Sunday.”
“Chicken.”
“I’m sure your mother makes very nice chicken, but—”
“No. You’re a chicken.” He made a clucking sound that deepened her frown and stirred her temper.
“There’s no need to be rude.”
“Sometimes honest is rude. Look, there’s no reason to be nervous about hanging out in the backyard and eating potato salad. You’ll have fun.”
“No, I won’t, because I’ll have neglected my schedule. And I don’t know how to behave at a backyard barbecue. I don’t know how to have conversations with all those people I don’t know, or barely know, or how to meet the curiosity that would, I assume, be aimed at me because you and I have been having sex.”
“That’s a lot of don’t knows,” Brooks decided, “but I can help you with all of it. I can give you a hand with the gardening and household chores beforehand. You do just fine with conversations, but I’ll stick with you until you’re comfortable. And they may be curious, but they’re disposed to like you because I do, and my mother does. Plus, I’ll make you a promise.”
He paused now, waited until she lifted her gaze to his.
“What promise?”
“You give it an hour, and if you’re not having a good time, I’ll make an excuse. I’ll say I’ve got a call I have to handle, and we’ll go.”
“You’d lie to your family?”
“Yeah, I would. They’d know I’m lying, and understand.”
There, she thought, one of the complications that tangled into social duties and interpersonal relationships. “I think it’s best to avoid all of that and just send a note of regret.”

The Witness


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"White chicken egg square" by Ren West, square crop by uploader -
 http://flickr.com/photos/renwest/436827618. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:White_chicken_egg_square.jpg#/media/File:White_chicken_egg_square.jpg


After nearly 25 years of marriage, I'm still a whole lot more social than my spouse, a personality clash that tends to become more pronounced during the winter holidays -- as well as during the summer BBQ season. Fortunately, we've learned to compromise. 



__________________




Work, she thought, when he left her alone. At least there she knew what she was doing, what she was up against. No turning back, she reminded herself, as she sat at her station. For either of them, from any of it.

And still she felt more confident at the prospect of taking on the Russian Mafia than she did attending a backyard barbecue.

The Witness

May 21, 2015

Unsexy Things You Wear That Actually Turn Men On

She turned. He’d never seen her look less than perfectly groomed, he realized. Even after they made love she somehow managed to look perfect.

Now her hair was standing in tufts, her eyes were damp and a little wild. Her feet were bare, and there was a coffee stain splattered over the front of the WORLD ’S BEST MOM T-shirt she wore.

Embarrassed color flooded her cheeks even as she lifted her hands in a helpless gesture.

He’d been attracted to the stylish, organized attorney. Seduced by the warm, confident woman. Intrigued by the widowed single mother who seemed to effortlessly juggle all the balls in the air.~

And to his utter astonishment, he fell in love with the messy, frustrated, unhappy woman with toys scattered at her feet.

Birthright 


_________________

A dude explains the unexpected items of clothing he loves seeing you in




You probably have a pretty clear idea of what you think is sexy and date-appropriate (lipstick, heels, cute dresses) and what falls on the frumpy side of the spectrum (sweats, turtlenecks, button-downs). But you might be surprised by what turns guys on.




_________________




Her hair was damp. She’d pulled it back from her face in a sleek tail, and he could see it was'n’t quite dry. He could smell the girly shampoo and soap, and the scents wound their way into him until the muscle in his gut tightened in response.
She wore fuzzy purple socks, black flannel pants, and a hot pink sweatshirt that announced: 
T.G.I.F.
THANK GOD I’M FEMALE.


He could add his own thanks.

Blood Brothers

May 20, 2015

Things happen to couples who have been together a long time

Still looking at him, she held out a hand. Jake put a mug of coffee into it. 

“I heard you were out of town.”

“I got back yesterday. I came by the site, but you were busy.”

“Oh. Well. You put cheese in those eggs?” she asked Jake, and was already opening the
refrigerator to dig some out.

“Not everybody likes cheese in their eggs.”

“Everybody should like cheese in their eggs.” 

She passed him the cheese, skirted around him to open a loaf of bread. 

“Put some in my share, and if it gets in someone else’s that’s too bad.”

Doug watched Jake hold out a hand for the knife she’d taken out of a drawer, watched her
pop bread into the toaster, then take the plate he handed her.

It was like a little dance, he decided, with each knowing the steps and rhythm the other
would take even before they were taken.

Birthright


___________



"Another sunset together" by Leo Hidalgo from España - Another sunset together. 
Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Science says these 5 things happen to couples who have been together a long time

Being with someone for a long time changes the way you see the world. It also changes you. Everything from how you act to the way you think shifts in ever-so-slight ways.
And according to Joshua Wolf Shenk, the author of "Powers of Two," these tiny shifts are also the catalyst for a different kind of thought process — a shared mind, so to speak — that allows couples (romantic or not) to come up with more creative solutions to problems than they'd ever think up on their own.




___________



“I’ve been making this pie for too many years to count. It’s Loren’s favorite.”

“You smile when you say his name.”

“Do I? We’ve been married—I count from the handfasting—for thirty-six years. He still makes me happy.”

That, Abigail thought when she was alone again, was the most vital and compelling statement on a relationship.


The Witness

May 19, 2015

'Hold Back the River'




“Olivia, the first time I saw you, you were a baby. Something about you reached right out, so much more than that sad image on the television screen, and grabbed me. It’s never let go. I didn't see you again until you were twelve, gangly and brave and all haunted eyes. There was a connection. There was nothing sexual about it.”

He started back toward her, watched her shift slightly, as if to brace. “I never forgot you. You were in and out of my head. Then you were eighteen. You opened the door of your apartment, and there you were, tall and slender and lovely. A little distracted, a little impatient. Then your eyes cleared. God, I've had your eyes in my head as long as I can remember. And you smiled at me and cut me off at the knees. I've never been the same.”

River's End


________________

"Hold Back The River"

Tried to keep you close to me,
But life got in between
Tried to square not being there
But think that I should have been

Hold back the river, let me look in your eyes
Hold back the river, so I
Can stop for a minute and see where you hide

...






________________

 “I was in love with you. I fell in love with you when you sat down beside me on the riverbank, near the beaver dam, and you listened to me. It wasn't a crush.”

She gathered the courage to turn then, to face him. 

“I was only twelve, but I fell in love with you. When I saw you again, it was as if everything inside me had just been waiting. Just waiting, Noah. After you left, I closed all that off again. You were right, what you said about my turning my feelings on and off. I could. I did.”

River's End


Apr 21, 2015

First Dates Are Amazing

By eleven ten, she was staring at the ceiling thinking about an entry on her calendar. 
Tues, 7:00: Malcolm. 
Why had she said yes that way? 
Well, she knew exactly why she'd said yes, so it was ridiculous to ask herself the question. 
She'd been sexually flustered and aroused and interested. No point in pretending otherwise.
So flustered, aroused, and interested, she hadn't even asked where he planned to go, what he planned to do. 
How was she supposed to dress, for God's sake? 
How was she supposed to prepare without the smallest detail to go on? 
Did he plan to take her to dinner, a movie, a play, straight to a motel? 
And why would they go to a motel when they both had homes? 
And why couldn't she stop thinking and just read her damn book? 
She could just call him and find out. But she didn't want to call him. 
Any normal man would've said, I’ll pick you up at seven, we’ll go to dinner
Then she'd know what to expect. 
She certainly wasn't going to dress up when he'd probably pick her up on his motorcycle. 
She didn't even know if he had a car. Why didn't she know that? 
She could ask Del. She'd feel stupid asking Del. She felt stupid thinking about asking Del. 
She felt stupid.

Happy Ever After


______________



9 Reasons First Dates Are Amazing (Even If They're Bad)

There's nothing in the world like a good first date. It has the perfect mix of butterflies and the surety that the guy is completely on the same page as you. And because there's so much potential, they're also one of the most nerve-racking events on the planet. I still believe that whether a first date is mind-blowingly amazing or awful, it's always a good thing. Here's why. 

______________

He thought of a dozen reasons to break the date. He'd have preferred to go alone, enjoy and absorb the exhibit. Then perhaps find an interesting woman to discuss it with. Over coffee or a late supper.
That was, D.C. reminded himself, the way he operated.
But he didn't break the date. Or the next one he found himself making with her. It baffled him that he enjoyed her company. It made absolutely no sense. She liked art to express something specific in tangible terms. She preferred her music subdued and her movies with subtitles.


They ended up debating half the time, sitting over steaming cups of espresso or glasses of wine.

MacGregor Grooms - D.C.

Apr 15, 2015

Make the Most of Your Seriously Small Apartment Balcony

She only smiled. "No. I’m going to start the grill."
Booth lifted a brow. "Where?"
"Why, on the terrace." Ariel walked over and slid open a door. 
Outside was a postage-stamp balcony more along the lines of a window ledge.
On it she’d crammed pots of geraniums and a tiny charcoal grill.
"The terrace," Booth murmured over her shoulder. Only an incurable optimist or a hopeless dreamer would have termed it so. 
He found himself grateful she had.

Dual Images


__________________





Spring is here! After all those months spent cooped up inside, the weather is finally nice enough to enjoy the outdoors. Because we know that a lavish roof garden (or even a backyard) isn't a reality for a lot of apartment dwellers, we've compiled this gallery of inspiring small outdoor spaces. Even if your balcony is one of those tiny ones with barely enough space to step outside, there's something here for you.




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She didn't know when she'd been more charmed. He had set a small table and two chairs on the tiny balcony off the bedroom. A single pink peony graced an old green bottle in the center, and music drifted from his radio to lull the sounds of traffic. Thick blue bowls held the spicy stew, and rich black bread was heaped in a wicker basket.

Luring a Lady



Apr 7, 2015

When Life imitates Art

"Look at them, Daddy. Aren't they wonderful?"
She walked to them, feeling the music. And when her father put her hand in Brady's, it was steady and sure.
"Kate." As her father had, Brody lifted her hand to his lips. "I'll make her happy," he said to Spence, then looked into Kate's eyes. "You make me happy."

"You look pretty." Forgetting himself Jack bounced in his new shoes. 
His voice carried through the church. "You look really pretty. Mom."

Her heart, already full, overflowed. 

She bent to him, kissed his cheek. "I love you, Jack. You're mine now," she told him, then straightened, met Brady's eyes. "And so are you."

She passed her bouquet to her sister, took Jack's hand in her free one.

And married them both.

Considering Kate


______________________


Groom’s touching vows to bride’s daughter go viral


"Boutonniere-whitesuit" by David Ball - Own work. 
Licensed under CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons



A wedding video is going viral, and not because of a cleverly choreographed bridal party dance or a flower girl throwing a tantrum. The part of the video that stole the show is the groom Brian Scott’s vows to his bride Whitney Kay’s young daughter, Brielle. 


He said, “I promise to always hold your hand and skip with you down the street and bring comfort to your life. I vow to make you say your prayers before you eat. I promise to read you stories at night, to always tuck you in real tight. I vow to show you how a man should treat a woman in my relationship with your mother. And above all else, I vow to protect you, care for you, and love you forever.”

Not surprisingly, there was not a dry eye in the house. 





Mar 30, 2015

When you don't have Jack Cooke

“East, west,” Parker interrupted, “it‟s still a basement. There‟s next to no natural lighting, the ceilings are barely seven feet, concrete floors, parged walls, pipes everywhere.” 
“All the better for a Man Cave. Besides, why do you think I keep him around?” he gestured at Jack. 
“He‟s more than a pretty face.” 
“Take a cavernous basement and remodel it into a MEA? That‟s Manly Entertainment Area, to you civilians,” Jack explained as interest lit in his smoky eyes. “I can do that.”

Happy Ever After

_______________

Houzz Quiz: What Should You Do With a Basement?



Take our quiz to find out if you should turn your subterranean space into a London pub, a Lego lounge or something else.







_______________



By the time Malcolm came back up—and damn if Jack hadn‟t made him see a space as slick, maybe even slicker, than the testosterone paradise in Del‟s current house—Mrs. Grady, Emma, Laurel, and Parker had made a serious dent in the clearing up.

Happy Ever After

Mar 13, 2015

Irish Recipes For St. Patrick's Day

It Might have been an ordinary gathering of Friends and Family on a rainy night. The little fire simmering in the kitchen hearth, with the big dog snoring in front of it. 
The wine Connor pulled out, uncorked, and poured generously into glasses. Volunteers dutifully peeling and chopping small mountains of potatoes and carrots, mincing garlic and onions while the hostess busied herself dredging chunks of beef in flour, browning it in a big, sturdy pot on the stove. 
The scents rising up, teasing of what was to come, and the mix of voices all talking to or over one another.

DARK WITCH


_____________


"IrishStew Guinness" by User:Jpatokal - 
Own photo. Licensed under GFDL via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
File:IrishStew_Guinness.JPG#/media/File:IrishStew_Guinness.JPG


Irish Recipes For St. Patrick's Day That AREN'T Corned Beef And Cabbage


Good news: There's absolutely no need to eat one more bite of corned beef and cabbage on Saint Patrick's Day, because it's about as Irish as spaghetti and meatballs. Feel free to let out a sigh of relief, but don't put down your fork just yet. There are other, greater dishes to eat that will help you celebrate St. Patrick -- all of them 1,000 times more appetizing and authentic than what you're used to eating.
It's pretty common knowledge that the Irish make great bread, which is so easy to bake, too. They're also really handy with a potato (the recipes below are all the proof you need of that). And they stew better than most anyone. Behold, the 10 recipes you need to have the best Saint Patrick's Day of your life. Or at least the most delicious one.

Feb 26, 2015

When Life imitates Art

The light from the lamp slanted over her face, caught something, something in her eyes that jiggled at the corners of his memory.
"Did you have a picture on the wall? Flowers, white flowers in a blue vase?"
Her fingers tightened on the brush. "Yes, in my bedroom in New York. One of my watercolors. Not a very good one."
"And you had colored bottles on a table. Lots of them, different sizes and stuff."
"Perfume bottles." Her throat was closing again, so she was forced to clear it. "I used to collect them."
"You let me sleep in your bed with you." His eyes narrowed as he concentrated on the vague blips of memory. Soft smells, soft voice, colors and shapes. "You told me some story, about a frog."
The Frog Prince. Into her mind flashed the image of how a little boy had curled against her, the bedside lamp holding back the dark for both of them, his bright-blue eyes intense on her face as she'd calmed his fears with a tale of magic and happily ever after.
"You had—when you came to visit, you had bad dreams. You were just a little boy."
"I had a puppy. You bought me a puppy."
"Not a real one, just a stuffed toy." Her vision was blurring, her throat closing, her heart breaking.
"You… you didn't have any toys with you. When I brought it home you asked me whose it was, and I told you it was yours. That's what you called it. Yours."

Inner Harbor


_________________


(Painting: The Elder Sister - William-Adolphe Bouguereau)

I read this story and it reminded me of one of my favorite Nora's Books - Inner Harbor. 

Love lasts. Forever.




Yeny llevaba 30 años sin saber nada de Francisco, el niño que acogió




UPDATED - BUSINESS INSIDE

_________________



"I didn't think you remembered me. Or any of the time you stayed with me in New York."
"I thought I'd made it up." It was too hard to sit in the boat and look so far up. He climbed out, then sat on the dock to dangle his legs. "Sometimes I'd dream about some of it. Like the stuffed dog and stuff."
"Yours," she murmured.
"Yeah, that's pretty lame. She didn't talk about you or anything, so I thought I'd just made it up."
"Sometimes…" She took the risk and sat beside him. "Sometimes it was almost like that for me, too. I still have the dog."
"You kept it?"
"It was all I had left of you. You mattered to me."

Inner Harbor