Last week, me and the Women Who Run With the Moose, Celeste, Rita, Betty, Dot and Shirley, got together for our girls night. Betty was hosting. She was serving those little miniature cherry cheesecakes. You make ‘em in a muffin tin with a vanilla wafer on bottom. You ever had them? They’re wicked good! Dottie had just been in for a physical. “The whole “lube, oil, and filter,” as Shirley calls it. “God, don’t they ask you a lot of questions.” Dot says. “How much caffeine am I drinking? What am I doing to de-stress? How am I sleeping? How much do I poop and when?” “Did they ask how often you and Tommy do …

As you know, I hang out with the greatest group of gals, Celeste, Rita, Betty, Dot and Shirley or the Women Who Run With the Moose as we call ourselves. Heck, we’ve been close since even before Charlie and me started dating, so that goes back a ways. We’ve gone through good times and bad together, and I’ve still got the bridesmaids dresses to prove it. If you were in any doubt, bridesmaids dresses attest to the fact that one style is not flattering on all body types, and there are some colors you should never wear, ever. Trust me. I got around that by dressing my bridesmaids in different color pastels. Let’s see, Celeste …

To Spanx, or not to Spanx? That’s the million dollar question (especially around the holidays). Is it better to suffer through the evening, looking good in that new outfit, but being miserably uncomfortable? Or to let it all hang out and actually be able to breath? To the uninitiated, Shapewear (or Spankies, as we call ‘em) are like an old fashioned girdle, only now they’re made of Lycra or Spandex or some other Space Age material probably developed for NASA. These miracles of modern engineering smooth everything out and hold it in. I have one that goes from the top of my knees, right up to my bra, and it seems to do the trick, …

Got together with the Women Who Run with the Moose last week. It was our girls night, and Celeste was hosting. She has this nice sun porch overlooking her beautiful garden. Flower’s blooming, birds splashing around in the bird bath. It’s a feast real for the eyes. I says, “Saw Gladys Knight down to into the A&P yesterday.” (This is not your Gladys Knight with the Pips, but Gladys Knight, who used to be our Mahoosuc Mills town clerk.) Dot goes, “Didn’t she retire end of last year?” “Yup, place ain’t the same without her. She ran a tight ship.” “That she did. How’s she doing?” “Well, just between us, she didn’t look that good,” …

As I write this, Charlie is in the den, lying on the couch, with his knee propped up, remote in hand, moaning. He’s in pain, but keeps “forgetting” to take his ibuprofen, so I have to remind him every four hours. I’m trying to muster up a little sympathy, but it’s hard, considering the circumstances. Open water fishing season started early this year, so Charlie and the boys, Bud, Smitty, Pat, Tommy and Junior (a.k.a. the Husbands of the Women Who Run With the Moose) went up to the old fishing camp that’s been in Smitty’s family for generations. I can’t tell you where it is, because the boys took a “blood oath” never to …

People have been kind of spacey and tired this week, what with the time change. Me, too. We’re all just kind of…off. Whether we’re springing forward or falling back, it’s a royal pain in the patootie! It’s amazing what screwing around with our sleep schedules can do, right? I mean, it’s just one hour. It shouldn’t make that much difference. But it does. I saw a report on the news that there’s more car accidents and problems at work, even more heart issues. Down to the A&P, me and my fellow cashiers made more voids on the register this week than normal, that’s for sure. No one got hurt, but I gotta say perhaps our …

Now, I don’t know if you know, but the Women Who Run With the Moose, (Celeste, Rita, Betty, Dot, Shirley and me) are big into crafts. We just love to get together and cut, paste and hot-glue. Then we put sequins on everything to cover up the boo boos! We usually spend half the year trying out different ideas, see if anything flies. When we find one with potential, we focus on that for the last half of the year, in preparation for the Christmas Bazaar down to St. Hyacinth’s. I come up with our item last year and it was pure inspiration, if I do say so myself. It happened one night when Charlie …

As you get older, things are not always as you remember ‘em. If you remember ‘em at all! That was the topic of conversation last week when the Women Who Run With the Moose got together for our regular girls night out. Betty was hosting, and she was serving these watermelon margaritas, which, to be honest, are kind of an acquired taste. Luckily, after half a glass, you don’t really care! Plus, they’re garnished with melon balls, so they qualify as a fruit, right? Celeste says, “Remember how I told you that Bud and me were thinking about buying a couple of bikes? You know, it was something we used to do as teenagers, ride …

“What are you making?” asks Charlie. “An apple pie,” I reply. “Mmm! For me?” “No, not just for you! For all of us. Tonight.” “What’s going on tonight?” “We’re having dinner, remember? With Irene and Jimbo?” “We are? When did this come up?” “A couple of weeks ago. I told you!” “News to me.” “No, it’s not. Where’s your calendar?” Charlie pulls out his dog-eared pocket calendar. “I know it’s in there, Charlie. I remember watching you as you scribbled it in. Probably can’t read your own handwriting.” Charlie fumbles through it. “Oh. Yeah. Guess I should look at it every now and then.” “Might be helpful. Anyhoo, if you want pie, that’s what we’re …

As you may already know, back in Mahoosuc Mills, I hang out with the greatest group of gals. The Women Who Run With the Moose we call ourselves: Celeste, Rita, Betty, Dot, Shirley and me. Heck, we’ve been close since even before Charlie and me started dating, so that back a ways. We’ve gone through good times and bad together, and I’ve still got the bridesmaids dresses to prove it. If you were in any doubt, bridesmaids dresses attest to the fact that one style is not flattering on all body types, and there are some colors you should never wear, ever. Trust me. I got around that by dressing my bridesmaids in different color …