Straughan

When we leave work, we also leave behind a sense of belonging — columnist Judi Straughan finds a way to get it back

Sing with me. “Happy Anniversary to you, Happy Anniversary to you, Happy First Year Anniversary, Happy Anniversary to you.” My first year of retirement honeymoon is over and I am no longer a Retirement Bride. Rats.

January Resolutions: I resolve to lose a minimum of 10 pounds. I resolve to eat at home more. I resolve to avoid all fast food. I resolve to ... The year was 1987, and I was still making resolutions. Not now.

They don't call them girdles anymore. They have fancier names like Body Shapers or maybe Cellulite Compactors. But they all do the same thing, supposedly. All I can say is, beware the empty promise that “one size fits all.

“You can take this job and shove it.” That's exactly how I felt. Could I stick with my new volunteer job or would I walk out? What to do, what to do. To recap, I have been living the F-word — Freedom, not the other F-word — since last February.

If you really pucker up and lay one on the Blarney Stone, it kisses you back. Trust me, I know.

I am challenged when it comes to juggling. When former Sudbury Theatre Centre Artistic Director David Savoy left STC more than a year ago, he left me a set of juggling sacs. I had no idea this was a metaphoric message.