Stranger Danger

Posted on by Giddyup,Linda!
  “I would never do that,” my single friend Diana says every time I tell her about a match.com date. This restaurant owner meets people from all over the world and has never met a stranger. But sign up for a dating site? “I’d be scared to death to go out with someone I don’t know,” she adds. I understand her fear. It takes time to get comfortable with the idea of meeting a stranger. That’s why I require a phone call and a full name and phone number before... Read More

Lovey-Dovey

Posted on by Giddyup,Linda!
  The bird turned to look at us, its small, graceful head swiveling atop an elegant neck of beautiful blush pink feathers. “That’s the male dove, and it’s his turn on duty,” my daughter Megan told me, pointing up to where the bird sat in a loose nest of twigs and grass. It was 2021, and I’d returned to the Midwest for the summer where Megan’s home becomes my home base. It includes her husband Jay and my three grandkids (aka my merrymakers)—and now a couple of mourning doves tucked... Read More

Profiled: Part 2

Posted on by Giddyup,Linda!
With more time under my belt as a single woman, the odor of my difficult divorce dissipated, and I was ready to show my kinder, gentler side. I revised my dating profile, cutting and pasting until the final version felt like a blurred photo suddenly coming into focus: I'm a straight shooter who is what she seems--no games, looking for quality vs. quantity. My photos are all recent. I'm educated and self-supporting and you are as well. If you're curious, smart and funny (David Sedaris, dry-witted funny), you're a triple... Read More

Profiled: Part 1

Posted on by Giddyup,Linda!
I'm a woman who likes details.  So it's no surprise that I jotted down information about the dates I've been on since my divorce.  I'd have my notes ready before a second date to refresh my memory about the guys I met online. Answers are often in the details. My first step, though, was writing MY profile that told interested parties what I was looking for in a date.  I joined two sites, match.com and Tinder, and hoped men would swipe right and start an online conversation.  That was 10... Read More

Uncoupled

Posted on by Giddyup,Linda!
I describe divorce as an out of body experience, where the team you've played on for decades is now in "man down" mode. When I first filled out forms asking my marital status, it felt strange checking the box next to SINGLE, like a kite flying aimlessly with no one holding the string. I'd marked MARRIED for most of my adult life and never thought I'd be anything but that for the rest of my days.  One part of me knew I was single, but another part felt as if... Read More