HAPPY NEW YEAR

Hi dear friends,

I've been neglecting you because of the holidays, but I'll be back soon. Next Year in fact. I have many new stories and suggestions for you including the romance of finding good health, good cheer, and for some of you, a new romance. I will also tell you the secret to a good relationship.

My romance, Harry, is driving up for New Year's eve so will plan to spend time with him. I would love to hear from you with your stories or your questions. In the meantime, enjoy Harry's cartoons and think positively.

Until then HAPPY NEW YEAR.

GLORIA

Is Romantic Travel In Your Future? Astrology Forecast!

As I have mentioned previously, Harry Borgman, a well-known artist, and I met on the internet. He emailed me several times a day until I decided to send him my phone number as I just couldn't keep up with him. At the same time, Harry emailed me his phone number. After many, many conversations we met halfway at a restaurant as I suggest in my book, "50 Ways to Find Romance after 50". As we became better acquainted, we discovered our mutual love of travel. We also found that we liked the same city in Mexico...... Puerto Vallarta. I had a client there for a couple years so I had traveled there frequently. Harry and his late wife had enjoyed this fun and charming city too. Not only did we like the same romantic destination, we had both stayed in the same hotel, the Fiesta Americana, which at that time was owned by my client.

This is a beautiful area. We love walking the beach in front of many of the big hotels, watching the big cruise ships come into the harbor from our balcony, and dining in the most romantic restaurants in the world. We traveled there after we had known each other only six weeks. However, in that time I had met his friends; he had met many of mine. One of his daughters did wonder about his going to Mexico with a strange woman, but it worked out very well.



I'll write at further length about Puerto Vallarta in a future blog as well as several other places we have explored together. Originally I wrote about our travels in a newsletter called "The Glorious Adventure" which had many subscribers. Unfortunately it became terribly expensive to produce a print letter and so I will bring you all our fun trips on this blog. Stay tuned, as they say. Anyway, we have gone there every year since we met in 2004. We now have several friends in PV who have condos. I also get a chance to go horseback riding with my dear friend Pamela Aguirre at her place, Rancho Charro, just outside PV. She has horses trained by the Mexican Army and she always plans interesting trips for the horse lover. (See "links" under my profile for her website.) Thanks to the stock market I'm not sure when we're going back. Maybe next year. Of course I'll be blogging all our adventures wherever we go. In the meantime, think about taking a trip to somewhere romantic to enhance your relationship or just to relax and have a good time with a friend.

Well, it's time a look at what's happening in the astrological world with my friend Sheila.

The full moon is Friday, the 12th of December, and it is in the sign of Gemini. This is an excellent time to seek inspiration, divination, and brainstorming! You can do all three by using bibliomancy. You take a book of your choice about a subject you would like to delve into. Then randomly open the book and read the first sentence that you see. Or you can put your finger on a sentence and read the info to which you pointed. You can even use different books. Meditate on the messages you receive. Be creative! This could be a great time for some love poems or a book such as "The Prophet".

ARIES: Be flexible at this time. You may be meeting an unusual type for a friendship or romantic interlude.
TAURUS: Restlessness could be a part of a problem for you this holiday season. Keep healthy during this time so you will feel good. After the full moon, you may not come across to others as well as you think.
GEMINI: Don't get too aggressive during this time. It is better for you to take a time out if you didn't take the action required of you last year. Great time to set up plans for the future.
CANCER: You may feel left out of the opportunity pool as you contemplate the last few months, but some exciting adventures lie ahead with a chance to expand your education or experience. Perhaps with a love interest!
LEO: This time of the month could keep you hanging around the earthy types such as Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn, and paying them more attention than usual. You have a renewed optimistic view of life, particularly if you are willing to view things in a more ethereal way.
VIRGO: Security wins the day for Virgo and the rest of the year should be safe. You may need to watch out for that feeling of bewilderment from lovers and there may be an increase in responsibility.
LIBRA: Venus is helping you with plans and improvements with lovers and friends. You'll have more patience and there could be some serious responsibilities that go along with any relationship you have going.
SCORPIO: Simplicity wins the day for any holiday gatherings, dates or plans with lovers. Make some time for inspiring future transitions this coming February/March.
SAGITTARIUS: Having fun ? If not, you should be. Mars continues through your sign so expect a hectic holiday with lots of travel. A possible permanent move with a loved one is looking good this month. Big decisions are the main focus until Mars moves on.
CAPRICORN: Mars is also a prominent player for the sign Capricorn through February 4! This is a second chance to take the opportunities being handed to you. Social gatherings are a must so say "yes" to a new beginning or to a new love!
AQUARIUS: Fire sign people are on your side and the eath signs need some persuading from you. At any rate, people look to you for some joviality and excitement in the activities this season.
PISCES: Here's a risk-taker if there ever was one! You can't say no to a dynamic individual that introduces you to new opportunities. And, you'll have a great time.

Have a great day.
Gloria

Romance and a Great Cookie Recipe

Well, the baby shower for my daughter-in-law was successful. Of course it was the worst snow day we have had so far this year. Still, most everyone came. I had a cheery fire going and plenty of snacks at hand. My daughter did the games and made a yummy trifle. The big hit for me was my Imperial Margarine Cookies which I hadn't made for at least 20 years.

Unfortunately Harry, my one and only, couldn't get to the party because of the snow storm which kept all the out of town guests away. However he can't wait to taste these cookies and I have promised my friend Sally that I would put the recipe on this blog. There is nothing like a tasty cookie to keep a romance warm.

Imperial Cookies

2 sticks Imperial (I have discovered that it is not called margarine anymore.)
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp each of baking soda, vinegar (cidar or wine) , vanilla
Beat a full 15 minutes if you want crisp cookies
Then add 1 and 1/2 cups of flour. Mix well. (Add another 1/4 cup if needed. Mine did.)
Add 1/2 cup chopped nuts if you choose

Put small dabs about the size of a quarter on a cookies sheet. Bake 300 degrees for 20 minutes or until lightly brown. Move immediately onto waxed or parchment paper to cool as the longer the cookies stay on the sheet the more difficult to get them off.

Now I am sure that many of you are aghast that I would mention cooking and romance in the same breath. Many women are sick of cooking or don't like it. The man might also be the cook in the relationship. Great! Take advantage of it. To me creating wholesome, attractive, tasty dishes can be relaxing . Harry treats me by taking me out to dinner. That works for me.

In days gone by we used to have dinner parties which lasted well into the night. I am lucky to have china and silver which makes a table attractive. But you don't need these things anymore and none of my children even want such stuff. Particularly when you have to hand wash most of it. But romance does take effort. Maybe if we keep that in mind and not assume that we can be as sloppy or as careless of another's feelings as we want, romance would last longer and go more smoothly. A friend of mine thought I would have to change my ways while dating Harry as she thought he was a clean freak. I had given him a birthday party at his house and of course had it all cleaned up. What she didn't know was that he is just as guilty as I am about leaving books and magazines all around. Whew! What a relief. We are both great readers and tend to get caught up in what we are doing. Nor does he always see all the cat hair about. These days rather than fussing about that I see that he calls in a cleaning woman before I drive down to his house. One of these days we'll figure out how to merge our lives. Maybe we should look at our horoscopes. This is the month for Sagittarians by the way. (Nov 23 - Dec 21) so we have a message from Sheila.

This is the time of Sagittarius, the sign of the archer. Sagittarians are freedom lovers, travelers, philosophers, and physicists. They enjoy exotic places, are truth seekers, and are always aware of the bigger picture. So, be sure to pay attention to the Sagittarian's lectures. How they love to discuss the world's problems! And they are brutallly honest. If they love you, they'll surely let you know. They are totally blunt about how they feel; not to hurt your feelings but to be honest. If they are blunt with you, it's only because it's their truth. Once they get it out, it's over. Nothing much is held back. Sagittarians love the cultural differences in people and places. They may live in a different country and may marry into another culture. They enjoy experiencing space and freedom.

If you have a horoscope question, leave a comment and Sheila will answer it for you.

And that's it for now. I have to find some more MonaVie, my energy drink. Then there is my Holiday Letter to write and send from Harry and me. He writes his from both of us, too. Obviously this is not a simple relationship. Oh, well.

See you soon. Gloria

Keeping Romance Hot

The holiday season is here! I was just down visiting Harry, my honey, in Sawyer where we had a very nice Thanksgiving. We drove with one daughter and her family who live in Indiana to a suburb of Chicago where another daughter and her family hosted a lovely dinner. We didn't arrive home until 1 a.m. I didn't get dressed until 4 p.m. the next day.

I'm always exhausted driving down to Harry's any way as it is 100 miles from door to door. I told Harry that if he lived another 10 miles away this romance might well be over. I've already explained why we can't seem to get our act together in previous posts and nothing has changed. On the other hand while I can't claim that absence makes the heart grow fonder, it does tend to keep the romance alive. And Harry does work at making our relationship romantic.

We frequently, go out to lunch and dinner to really good restaurants in Sawyer and the surrounding area. I was surprised that there are so many good eating establishements there. The only problem in the winter months is keeping track of when each restaurant is open or closed. There are many different kinds of offerings and we enjoy them all.

I've got to take my two cats down to get acquainted with his three one of these days soon. That should be a trip! I guess I've been putting it off. I have had Schnickelfritz down but not Blackjack. Cats do not make friends easily. If anyone has any suggestions about integrating our furry friends, please let me know. One of the women featured in my romance book raised cats and she suggested that I take a towel and rub it on mine (one each) and then rub down his cats with the towels so that the scents merge. I did that when I first took Schnickelfritz there and I think it did help. At least there have been no major battles yet.

Of course keeping the romance alive is not just Harry's responsibility, but mine as well. He likes to take me out which I really enjoy and always compliments me on what I'm wearing or just in general. He's also pleased that I've made many new friends in his area. Well, there's a lot of nice people there. My friends in Grand Rapids like him too!

I, in turn, am supportive of his art as he is of my writing and I truly enjoy being with him, which I let him know. He spends many hours on his computer writing his blog or designing a logo or a poster for a client. This bothers me not at all. It gives me plenty of time to rest as I am constantly struggling with low energy.

Incidentally, remember that old adage about the way to a man's heart is through his stomach? Well, it's still true. Harry likes homemake goodies which I try to make for him as often as I can. Fortunately I like cooking and feel that creating good and tasty treats in the kitchen is just as creative as writing or photography.(I'll share some of my photos with you on a later blog as well as some of Harry's wonderful posters. You can see a lot of his art on his website or blog. Just search for Harry Borgman) One of the things I made a couple days ago for him was a hot chocolate sauce which was a secret recipe for many years. It's really quite simple although it takes a little patience as you must simmer it slowly.

I would like to point out, before I give you the recipe, that neither of us really try to change each other. Harry is not perfect and neither am I. We clash on politics and finally have learned not to discuss a political subject with any seriousness, for instance. Basically we have similar life styles and work independently. Of course, this can be a problem because we each need time and space to work. I ride horseback; he doesn't. Well, you get the idea. I know of dear people who think they can change their partner in major ways. Not going to happen. And there goes that romance and they wonder why!


Now, I'll get off my soap box and give you "Bernie's Hot Chocolate Sauce" recipe:
1 can evaporated milk
3 Tbs real cocoa
3/4 C sugar (white or brown)
2 Tbs butter

Mix well. Cook over a medium heat stirring constantly and bring to a boil. Be careful not to burn. Then turn the heat down and simmer, stirring often, until you have the consistency you want - thin or thick. It's great over peppermint stick ice cream. Refrigerate when storing.

Note: I made two batches the other day. One following the above recipe with heaping tablespoons of cocoa which makes it more chocolate and for the other I used only the minimum amount of cocoa and then I added another tablespoon of butter. This will make it taste more like a chocolate caramel sauce.

OK my friends. That's it for now. The next few days I am getting ready to give my daughter-in-law a baby shower with about 25 people coming. I'll get back to you soon with more stories of romance, great recipes guaranteed to please the opposite sex, and photos of people and places. Cheerio!

Gloria

The Power Play

In order to play the Romance Game, which is really the game of life, you need to believe in yourself. A lot of our self-confidence, our ego, or our inward power comes from our own mental perception of ourselves. If we feel badly about how we look or feel, our ego probably needs a boost. Now men may see this as a woman's "thing" and not applicable to them. Hold on.
There are substitutions for this fun solution I'll be talking about which will give you a boost,too, and I'll suggest a couple eventually.

I wrote about a delightful couple, Tom and Linda, in my book "50 Ways to Find Romance after 50" who met in adjacent fields of real estate. Linda, a widow, was rather unsure of herself. As manager of a title office, she was instructed by her home office to take local realtors out for lunch. Her sister told her she should wear some power underwear to give her confidence. "I had on my purple underwear and felt good," she said.

Power underwear can be purple, hot pink, or deep red. So if you want that little extra edge, go out and buy your favorite color. Not just one piece, but the complete ensemble. Go for it. Besides we all need a treat now and then. You might be surprised how good it will make you feel. How powerful. It helped Linda get her man!

Men could get that power tie. Or now your underwear is beginning to appear in pleasing colors and in a variety of styles. No longer do you have to have droopy drawers because you aren't built like Mr. America. You'll even find a variety of styles at the discount stores. Or how about that Egyptian cotton shirt for which you've been lusting.

Of course self-confidence is more than clothes - under or outer. But it's a good start. If you know you feel and look good, then that's one worry you won't have. And dating at any age can be a strain on our egos. Will we be attractive to the other person? That first impression is very important. This holds true for a job interview as well.

Now there's more to Tom and Linda's story which is on page 132. It was several years between the time they met and when they married. A charming couple. You can visit my web site to read more about my book @ www.romanceafter50.com where you'll find my email or order it from your local bookstore. You can also leave a comment for me on this blog. My book is for all people of all ages looking for romance. While, as I've suggested before, romance isn't the only thing which will make your life worthwhile, it surely helps.

If you look your best regardless of where you are going, then your mind is free to concentrate on other people and work/social events.

Enjoy. I would love to hear from you. I also plan to write about romantic trips Harry and I have taken which I'll feature as "The Glorious Adventure".

Gloria

Expectations Can Make You Unhappy

Many of us have been brainwashed to believe that if we just find the right pill, be it an antibiotic, a vitamin, an anti-aging elixir, etc, we'll be cured and healthy. We have learned through advertising and many medical promises to have unrealistic expectations. Of course we find out the hard way that it's simply not true. We may find a pill that helps, but we eventually realize we also may have to change our life-style, lose weight, exercise, and/or develop a healthy regime of vitamins and good supplements in order to feel better.

It's the same belief we have that if and when we find that perfect someone who will be our soul mate, that all our worries will be over. We'll be happy. Of course that's not true either. If we aren't happy within ourselves, there is no one who can make us happy. Our loved one can make us happier, but to expect our partner to totally and completely make us happy is an unrealistic expectation which is doomed to disappointment.

It's true that sometimes I resort to St. John's wort to keep my mood elevated, but I know that how I view life is up to me. It's my responsibility. Harry, my late life love, certainly has put a lot of fun and excitement into my life as well as love and caring, but I have to try to keep my own life full and interesting as well. I also have to try to make his life more fun and show my love, too. It's a two way street. Again, it's just not one thing that makes a good relationship, but a number of things. He's certainly the only man I've ever met who enjoys going shopping with me and actually encourages me to buy shoes. Now how perfect can someone be! Of course neither one of us is without faults, but it would probably be boring if we were. And how lucky I am that he creates the great cartoons for this blog. On the other hand, we can't seem to decide how to merge our households. Neither one of us is all wise about everything.

Thought for the day: When you're driving your car and someone follows you so closely that their bumper seems to be almost in your back seat, do you ever get the urge to slam on your brakes? I often think of the scene in "Fried Green Tomatoes" where the annoyed Kathy Bates rams her big car into a little car driven by a young pretty gal who has stolen her parking place with the comment that the intruder may not be young and pretty, but she (Kathy) has better insurance! What's your thought for the day?

And now, the latest astrology tips from my friend Sheila!


The two weeks after the full moon in November is the time for all water signs which include Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces to shift into a lower gear. Cancers should take time to relax, spend some time alone, and enjoy some entertainment (but not doing the entertaining). Pisces might do the traveling previously scheduled in the summer. Scorpios could use this time to make some great moves in smart money management.

For all air signs, relationships may be uncertain due to their erratic nature. We'll take a look at the secret works of Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius as we move along, but for this November, Gemini wants "change" just for the sake of it, perhaps to adjust projects from the summer. Libras may not maintain their expected pace, but it will improve. The week of Thanksgiving brings some adventure. Aquarians should hold off on making permanent changes. Something totally different will be taking place and new people will enter into the picture during the holidays.

Earth signs tend to be black and white about their thought processes, but are deeply committed to the ones they love. Taurus needs to nail down some decisions about events from May through June and now is the time to decide. Virgo desires security from now and through the New Year, however this may bring about some self-defeating behavior. Reconstruct your workload. Venus is in Capricorn now so the holiday spirit could start early, and as Venus always suggests, look your best! Appearances are everything to Venus.

The fire signs of Aries, Leo and Sagittarious are hot. They are great at new beginnings and are very proud of their accomplishments. Aries is in for a great surprise after the Full Moon week with a possible smart investment or windfall. Exotic desires will be intriguing after November 19th. For Leos, a new start boosts your sense of adventure and your charitable side is willing to be generous. November for Sagittarius is a whirlwind of fascinating opportunities and challenges and how they love a challenge! From now and into next month will be your most productive times. New friends and lots to accomplish is the menu for the birthdays up to December 21st.

In our next visit I'll be discussing the compatibilities of the signs as we move through the years and just for fun, I'll compare the charts of Harry and Gloria. Is this a match made in the heavens or ? Where could they find trouble? Anticipate some great secrets, fun, surprises and even some seduction tips. Follow the stars to find love, success and happiness! Your star gazer, Sheila

Well, that's all for this post, my friends. Hope you had a good time reading it and we'd love to hear from you. Gloria

A Long Distance Relationship

Hello there,

While working on my book, "50 Ways to Find Romance after 50," I interviewed a couple who met on the internet. ( You can read their story on page 157.) I also discovered at that time one of my columnists, a vice-president for a local bank, who wrote about investments for my magazine "Choices" met his second wife on-line. Both couples were very happy and pleased with their experiences. When I had started writing the book in 1998, there were only a few general sites. Shortly after I finished my book in 2002, I checked back on the internet to see what was happening on the dating sites. I found there were an abundance of them. For instance, if you like horses, you can find other singles who also like horses, or dogs, or travel, etc.

I joined three dating services to monitor them and found at that time there were the most possibilities for older singles on Yahoo Personal. It was there I saw a picture of a man holding a cat that looked interesting to me (the man not the cat). I have loved and lived with cats all my life and while most of the men I had dated in the past, tolerated them, none shared my enthusiasm.

It turned out to be a fortunate choice. Harry (who draws the cartoons on this blog) is an artist with a similar life style to mine. He has three cats, I have two, and we had a wonderful time together right from the beginning. There are some problems such as getting our cats to get along with each other, and driving the 100 miles between our two homes, but basically it's a great relationship. What I'm saying is that you need to find someone who has the same interests and values as you do. We have both led independent life styles so we understand the self discipline it takes to be successful. Of course it's that very independent life style we have developed over the years that is making it so difficult to combine our lives. We love all our friends in both locations. It's too bad we can't just draw a circle and drop our lives and all our friends into it.

One of the guidelines that I suggest in my book is that you only date people within a 60 miles radius which seemed to work well for the couples I interviewed. Even though I had asked to see men within that area, dating sites often ignore the parameters you request. Within 60 miles it's pretty easy to drive back and forth, meet their friends, see where they live. The 100 miles Harry and I drive can be an effort. Now I am most happy that my wishes were ignored, but until we figure out how to combine his studio with his many computers in his Frank Lloyd Wright type house and my almost 100 year old house in which I have lived for ever and which is filled with my writing, photography, antiques etc. we cannot go forward. A shorter distance would have been really nice. We also travel a fair amount which we enjoy and we both have excellent cat sitters. This photo was taken in Las Vegas where Harry has friends from the days he worked in advertising in Detroit. You can read about those on his Harry Borgman Art Blog.

In my last post I mentioned my friend Sheila, a psychic and an astrologer. She called me last night about the full moon. Here's a few words about that:


The full moon, November 13 , was in the sign of Taurus the Bull. This sign is the second house of the zodiac and rules the neck and shoulders.It is the last phase of the moon opposite Mars. This position of the moon can make work quite difficult. However reverse psychology can work well at a time such as this. If you can identify the barriers that have blocked your progress, work at dissolving them.

The moon is actually good for healing and losing weight. Visualize the obstacle and focus on replacing it with what you DO want.

Sheila will talk about astrology charts, comparision of lovers' charts, and good times for love and success in future posts.

That's it for today. Tell your friends about this blog and join in the full. Lots more coming with stories of health, travel, and of course, romance.

Gloria

The Romance of Love & Life

Hi dear friends,

I'm back after giving a party for my oldest son, going to several parties, and then collapsing from exhaustion. I'll try to do better in the future as I think you'll enjoy what's coming up. As the cartoon suggests, I'm in this blog for the long term.

While many think of romance only in the terms of a love relationship, and believe a life is empty without one, I say we need to have a romance with life. I was a widow for 23 years and decided that I could have an exciting life with or without a man. Finally when I had almost decided that I was never going to meet that special person, I found a wonderful guy on the internet. He's the artist drawing the cartoons which appear on this blog and he's having great success with his blog as well. (harryborgmanartblog). But before I met him, I dated several others. I decided to have a good time regardless of whether I was smitten or not. I also decided to appreciate and have fun each day. which meant that I had to be healthy, enrich my mind, and fill other parts of my life.

As a journalist I constantly meet interesting people. In fact many people envy my life style as I travel many places, control my own life, and am or was fairly well known in the area. I always try to keep a positive attitude about whatever happens which include disappointments, too. I wrote the book, "50 Ways to Find Romance after 50" which describes through interviews with couples over 50 ways that people in several countries met that special someone and found romance. The photo to the left was the cover of a weekly newspaper special insert called Mature Life.

While I was writing my book, a girlfriend and I went on a cruise to South America and had a great time. While I didn't meet anyone during the trip, I did interview a woman who had set her sights on the First Mate and did in fact marry him. Another woman I interviewed years ago decided that she wanted to meet someone on a cruise. I learned that she had been a nun for 15 years and then left the convent. She married, was widowed, and then started going on National Geographic cruises. Actually she sailed on eight of them before she met the ship's doctor's father who had just lost his wife. There are obviously many ways to meet that special someone. But while you're looking, remember to have fun. To make your life more exciting, you can also consult your horoscope.

I have a dear friend, Sheila, who is a psychic and an astrologer. She will be giving tips every so often in this post. You may not believe in it, but it's still fun to read. After all one of our own first ladies felt that through astrology she helped to guide the presidency and may have saved her husband's life.

According to Sheila, astrology is a science, not a belief. "It is the study of the Zodiac, an ancient way of studying the "wheel in the sky" for all purposes, from weather conditions to predicting future events; even human characteristics. A horoscope is a map of the position of the planets at a specific time and place and a horoscope chart can be made for a person at the time of birth or at the present. The map or Zodiac has 12 signs or houses. Your birth day will determine your Sun Sign and that will give you a general idea of the characteristics you may possess in relation to the heavens.

"A chart can be as general or as detailed as you want it to be. For instance, late October and early November birthdays are grouped under the Sun Sign Scorpio. The chart would then give you the placement of the other planets, the moon, and a rising sign at the time of birth. The purpose for mapping a chart is to see where there are opportunities or "open windows" and what are the best times for say, romance, as well as cautions when you should wait. For centuries kings relied on astrologers to plan wars, marriages and other matters of state.

"It is also possible to compare the two charts of lovers to see how compatible they might be. It can be great fun and perhaps an insight into all kinds of endeavors!"

Well that's just a sample of the information you'll find on this blog. Please let me know what you would like to read. We'll talk about health. Occasionally about current events. Even a dumb thought of the day. I also plan to bring you on trips I will call our Glorious Adventures.

Stay warm.

Gloria

Too Much Fun

Hello there,

It's been a while but I have been thinking about you and our lives and romance. I hardly know where to begin. Romance is a state of mind. It's a perspective as to how we view life. And it's in all parts of our lives, not just a romance between two people. It's the passion about what's happening around us. It's the love of travel. It's the delight in our friends. It's liking ourselves.

Since I last posted I have given a birthday party for my son and while it was a lot of work, it was also a lot of fun. I saw many dear friends and discovered all the great party food one can buy at the store. While it's difficult to think of cleaning one's house as romantic, I discovered old pictures of dear ones now gone which brought back many wonderful memories.

My friend, partner, love of my life, Harry Borgman, (he now has a blog: harryborgmanartblog .blogspot) drove up from his house to attend another party the night before my son's. Then he helped me the next day with my son's party as did my daughter and grand daughter. The following day we drove back to Harry's which is 100 miles away to attend another party at the Craig Smith gallery where his art is on display. Talk about romance. We have been having entirely too much fun and I, at least, am exhausted. I need to have a boring day!

I think the place to start this blog, perhaps, is at the beginning. While I'll skip over much, I have had an unusual life with I guess you could say a degree in finding romance. It's been an exciting life, not always fun, but almost always interesting. I think part of the reason that I've had a great time is that I've seldom been afraid of trying something new. I've also explored all kinds of things such as health possibilities, astrology, glamour, etc. And so rather than just talking about romance per se, I feel that I would like to talk about the many things that affect the romance of our lives.

In the next post I'll introduce you to a good friend and astrologer, Sheila, who will explain her craft and occasionally give you good dates to look for romance or dates of caution. You'll be able to contact her directly for your specific forecast of possibilities if you wish.

That's all, my friends, for today. I'll get back to you soon. Let me know what you would like me to talk about. Oh, and if you will click on "more about the author" you'll find my second blog, romance after 50. I'm not sure how to access it directly, but will find out soon. In that blog I'll bring you stories directly from my book, "50 Ways to Find Romance after 50" and new interviews as well.

Look for the romance in your life. Your guide, Gloria

The Romance Game Should be a Game

Hello again,

Well, not a game of hiding who we really are as the cartoon suggests! It's a good idea to be honest about who we are and what we really like. In my post for the blog "Romance after 50" which you can click on from this page, I talked about making the Romance Game fun. And it should be. But not at the expense of the person you are dating. We also have to be honest with ourselves.

I remember dating a really nice man who was a publisher of a magazine as I was. But he was so boring. I did try to admire his writing and his publications. He had made a lot of money, far more than I had made or was making. After a few dates, I was busy when he called. But I did try to let him know what a nice person I thought he was. It never hurts to be nice.

If you can't be who you really are, then that relationship is doomed sooner or later.

I look forward to chatting with you soon.

Gloria

New Post - What's Love All About (scroll down 2 posts)

Hi dear friends,

Two posts down you'll find my next blog which I wrote a few days ago and then lost. When I finally posted it, I found to my dismay that's it's out of order. You'll also find a new cartoon. Sorry. Eventually I'll get better at this.

By the way I found romance following my own advice. In the near future, I'll tell you about my travels on the road to romance!

Gloria

Romance: today and yesterday

Hi dear friend,

Attitudes have changed considerably in the past 50 years. Back then, women were just beginning to break into the executive suites. Marriage was then the high point of a woman's life. A career was just something to do until she found the right guy.
Not so today. Women have extremely successful careers and wield great power. Unfortunately, they still do not earn equal pay, but that's another story. The point is that women as well as men do not have to marry to have a happy and successful life. It can be more fun, however, to meet that wonderful guy or girl. But sharing a life is not always easy. Hence, the high divorce rate.

I urge you to look for someone who shares your views, your hobbies, your passions, if you will. All too often you may meet someone you just adore, but who may love sports which you loathe or old cars which you find boring or parties which you dislike. If you have to grit your teeth while you smile during some of your dates, you may want to reconsider your choice.

There are hundreds of possibilities out there. Yes I know it often doesn't seem like it, but you may not be taking advantage of all the different ways and places you can meet that special someone. Including the internet. It has become quite socially acceptable to try dating on the internet - as long as you are careful. And we'll discuss that in detail along the way. Just be prepared to go slowly and carefully. It's also best to date those who live within about 60 miles from you. That way you can meet their friends and relatives. You'll know they are honest and available. Of course you still may not know all their intentions. I know of both men and women who have been 'taken' by a seemingly wonderful person. This can happen whether you meet that person in church or on the internet. Well, I'll try to walk you through some of these encounters as we talk on this blog.

Again, as I mentioned in the previous column, think about what you like to do and what kind of life you might choose to live. And let me know the subjects which you would like discussed. I'll also tell you in my next column about my lifelong quest to learn about The Romance Game!

Gloria

Love & Expectations

Hello again,

I'm still in the throes of learning how to post. I've written one about expectations and what part they play in looking for love and romance. Unfortunately I clicked for a preview and now I can't bring it back to you. Please have patience. It may be a couple more days before I can find help to bring it to you. Enjoy the new cartoon by Harry Borgman. In the meantime let me suggest another topic to consider.

Think about what is important to you in your life. Do you really love animals - your dog or cat? Do you like to travel? Do you enjoy an active social life? What about sports?

You really need to consider that old idea that opposites attract. That may be true but after the first rush of hormones, what will you do together in your spare time? I have found that generally the more mature seeker of friendship and romance tends to look for someone who likes the same thing that s/he does. Plus spending time in activities that you enjoy may be a place you could meet that special someone.

More on this tomorrow. If you have a question, let me know. Thank you for your interest. Good luck. Gloria

What's Love All About?

We grew up with the story about Cinderella finding her handsome prince while the ugly stepsisters failed to find theirs. No wonder we're all insecure about our looks and shapes. The guys have to wonder about their looks, too. If they are not handsome princes, will a gal be interested in them? What have we done to ourselves!

Let me reassure you, regardless of age or surface attractiveness, romance could be right around the corner for you. Or if you choose to just look for a good friend, that's OK too. It was in the 1990s that women truly came to realize that it fine to live alone. And today there are numerous opportunities to travel or socialize as a single which didn't exist earlier. That's thanks to the women's movement which started in the 1960s.

However, we're here to talk about love and romance and finding that certain person who is right for you.

The first thing to consider is our expectations. You can desire almost anyone, but realistically look around you. Would you really want to have someone so different from you that you would be uncomfortable. I once dated (for many years) a man considerably younger than I. While it was fun, I always had to be careful not to date myself when I opened my mouth. Also his and his friends' tastes in music and activities were quite different. Who were they talking about? I sometimes wondered.

Think about what your expectations are and what kind of person with whom you would like to spend a lot of time? Certainly not someone with whom you could not be yourself or with someone with whom you would have to pretend to be someone you are not.

Here's your cartoon for the day!

Gloria

With almost every post there will be a cartoon by Harry Borgman. Here's a sample:

Tune in tomorrow for more. Have a great day. Gloria

coming soon...new post

This is Gloria Bursey, the author of this soon to be blog on romance and how to find it. Tune in tomorrow.


Gloria

About this blog

In "The Romance Game" Gloria Bursey, author of "50Ways To Find Romance" will talk about the many ways to find love and romance as well as hints of all kinds to add fun to your life.

The blog will also offer astrology forecasts of the best romance days and what sign is best with your sign....all in fun.

We'll have a cartoon about love and romance - as soon as I learn how to transfer them to this site.

Keep watching. We'll share secrets and and tips for all.