Have you ever noticed how some people have longer, more intimate relationships with their things than they do with each other? Maybe there’s something to learn. Consider Rachel. She’s 89 years old. In 1964 she bought a Mercury Comet Caliente and named it Chariot. They’ve been together ever since. It’s a relationship that’s lasted 540,000 miles and longer than Rachel’s three marriages. As… Read the rest

I admit it. I’ve been a slacker. Well, a slacker when it comes to this blog. Behind the scenes I’ve been workin’ hard. I’ve been YEA!! finishing the book—it goes to press soon and will be available in late September, early October (read an excerpt here).

Just got back from The Smart Marriage Conference in Orlando where I was, for the first time ever, promoting… Read the rest

Sometimes I think communication between sweethearts is a lot like the Gary Larson cartoon where, in the first frame, the man is speaking to the dog in English. The caption reads, “What the man is saying.” In the next frame, the man is saying, “Blah, blah, blah,” and the caption reads, “What the dog is hearing.”

Back in our dating days, after hubby Dale had… Read the rest

I am a nut cake about being on time.  I hate being late and it makes me crazy when others keep me waiting.  Dale, on the other hand, is relaxed about time commitments.  In the early days of our relationship, he was late often enough that my belief about him became “he is always late.”   I came to expect that he would not arrive at… Read the rest

One of the coolest things about Frequent Foreplay Miles is the bazillion ways in which you can earn them.  Here’s a great example that came from one of my workshop attendees . . .

Susan had a particularly bad day at work, starting with a computer crash and the resignation of her top programmer.  Stan wanted to have flowers waiting for Susan when she got… Read the rest

Have you ever contemplated your relationship and wondered, “If we’re so made for each other, how come we so often butt head, step on each other’s toes, and get our wires crossed?”  Why are there so many opportunities for two perfectly sane human beings to become insanely set in their own ideas of what’s right and what’s not? I think it’s because each of us… Read the rest

Would you be surprised to hear me say that keeping score can keep your marriage happy and strong?  That may fly in the face of what relationship gurus have been spouting since Eve met Adam, but show me a sweetheart who hasn’t said, “You owe me one,” or “You just lost a few points,” and I’ll show you a sweetheart who’s stopped paying attention.  I… Read the rest