Trusting Him to Provide

I mentioned earlier that my husband has received a new job offer. This whole situation is hitting me right at my emotional core—I grew up a little poorer than most, and security is a big deal for me. I need to feel stable with our situation. I need to know that we can afford a place to live and food to eat. We’ve been with his current company for a long time, and the thought of branching out and trying something new is scary to me. In today’s economy, there’s more reason than ever to fear. What if the new … Continue reading →

Work Hours and Marriage

Work life is making it harder for Australian marriage and families. I wonder if it is just as difficult in other countries. The problem seems to be there is not enough flexibility in work hours and arrangements. Despite the introduction of flexi time, job sharing and part time work, statistics show Australian families are not that much better off. Statistics show those with flexible hours in 2006 were sixty percent. In 2009 it was fifty eight percent. Hardly a significant improvement. The lack of choice of days worked has actually increased by one percent. From what I’ve read from time … Continue reading →

A Year to Remember

I don’t know where it went, but this month I’m celebrating my year anniversary being a Marriage Blogger. Confessions Last year, then managing editor, Heather Long, sent out a notice asking us bloggers if we’d be interested in either changing categories or adding on to any existing ones. I saw Marriage was one she was looking to staff. I’d guest blogged there a couple of times. I was interested in challenging myself. I asked if in addition to Pets I could also be assigned to Marriage. I alternated between jubilation and panic when her answer was, “Yes.” Okay, my wish … Continue reading →

An Olympian Loses Her Wedding Ring During Competition

The other night when I was watching the Olympics, they covered a side story about how Kerri Walsh lost her wedding ring during a match. Nay, not any match. It was during her first round match against Japan. GULP! Being a sand volleyball player myself (though nowhere near even close to the same caliber as Kerri Walsh and her super star partner, Misty May), I know all about how the sand likes to swallow things up. Even though it was my diamond, not my entire ring, I also know how it feels to lose a ring given to you by … Continue reading →

Do You Love Your Spouse or Their Salary?

The other day Wayne and I got to talking about marriage, money, and respect. We’ve both known several people who divorced their spouses once they started bringing home the bigger paycheck. Specifically, women who divorced their husbands because they earned more than he did. “It has to do with respect,” Wayne said when we were talking about a particular friend. “She never had much respect for him to begin with. So once she started earning more, she lost what little she’d had.” “That’s pathetic!” I said. “If I ever made more than you it wouldn’t change how I felt about … Continue reading →

Can a Job Improve Your Marriage?

Once upon a time over in Pets I wrote about my life as a pets blogger and all the tales I’ve become privy to. People love talking about their fur kids as it is, but when they find out I write about pets? Wow, you should see how much more they open up! Learning I’m also a Marriage blogger doesn’t have quite the same impact. For instance, if someone’s having pet behavior or training problems they ask for my advice. People usually aren’t as eager to admit to problems in their marriages. However, one thing I’ve noticed is what a … Continue reading →

Mixing Politics and Marriage

What a crazy race for the Presidency we’ve got going on with Election ’08, eh? This election more than ever it seems I’m noticing the wives and pondering the dynamics that dwell within certain households. For instance… The Clintons Hilary Clinton’s first to mind for a wife it’s impossible not to notice in this election. Hers might be the most unique situation of the race. (Heck, of many races in a long time.) It certainly is one of the most talked about, analyzed, and poked fun at. Never before has the wife of a former president been a candidate herself. … Continue reading →

Even Rock Star Wives Sing the Blues

One afternoon not too long ago as I was folding laundry I was watching True Hollywood Story: Rock Star Wives. It was sensational. Some of the rock stars profiled included Dee Snider (Twisted Sister), Alice Cooper, Duff Mckagan (Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver), Slash (Guns N’ Roses), and Vince Neil (Motley Crue). Both the wives and the rock stars were surprisingly candid about the trials and tribulations their marriages experienced. What struck me most was how so many of the marriages had encountered every kind of worst case scenario imaginable. And I’m not talking about just one kind of worst … Continue reading →

When Work Keeps You Apart

There are many obstacles that can hinder a relationship or come between a couple. Life in general can be tiresome, stressful, and overwhelming. However, work overloads and hours can really be hard on a marriage. I had never really thought about work hours and marriage until recently when I was talking with a friend. She and her husband both work at night. She works at a hospital and he is a police officer. Neither of them has set days of the week to work. They both receive a different schedule each month. While we were talking, she commented that she … Continue reading →

Pros and Cons of Couples Working at the Same Workplace

In my previous article, I discussed the reasons why I do not think that working in the same school with my husband would be a good idea. Although my husband and I are probably best at two different schools, many couples work in the same workplace and have no troubles at all. I think that the position of the two people in the couple makes a big difference. In my situation, my husband would be my boss. I feel that more conflicts would occur between a couple if one partner is the supervisor over another. When the two share equal … Continue reading →