The legend of the Trevi Fountain suggests that tossing a coin into the fountain will ensure a return trip to Rome. I’m tossing this coin, hoping that you will return, again and again, to visit me here at LifeWithPapa.com!
My name is Melanie and I’m a wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, friend, neighbor and former educator. After decades of working with kids and their teachers (as a teacher, school principal, university professor, and teacher educator), I am now spending more time with my own family, more time on my writing, and lots more time traveling around the world for fun and a little bit of business.
I think of this blog as a new-fangled way to make new friends and to keep in touch with the old ones – a high-tech visit over the back fence. I love spending time with my family, writing, cooking, sewing, crafting, decorating, playing (at) my cello and traveling. I love to travel. My vision for this blog is multi-faceted – just like most of us are. I hope that I hit on at least one of your interests and that you will travel along with me.
Of course, grandmother-hood is the most amazing and wonderful thing that has ever happened to me. I love being a mother and didn’t think that anything could top that. Grand-mothering might be just a tad bit better. Loving these little ones so profoundly, without the overwhelming responsibility of parenting them (discipline, education, having them clean their rooms, etc) is delightful. All of the fun and none of the hard stuff. I wake up with them on my mind each morning and they are the last thing I think about at night. Precious. Precious. Precious.
My husband (aka Papa) is an international energy guy – training engineers around the world to understand energy-savings stuff. So, I get to travel with him a great deal. He still works full-time, and he is very understanding of my wanderlust. So, when he can’t come with me, I frequently take off on adventures by myself. As a former wienie and ultra-timid person, this is one of the joys of my mature years! I have become brave, fearless, adventurous, and (a little bit) friendly! I’ll share those adventures here as well.
This BLOG is primarily focused on life in the Third Act. Those of us “of a certain age” have reared our children, finished with our first careers and are setting out on new adventures. Papa and I are having the times of our lives…and I think it might be fun to share a little of it here with you.
Anyhow (as I am wont to do), I’ve been more long-winded than I intended. I just want to say again how happy I am to have you here with me. I’ll look forward to visiting with you often. Just grab a cup of coffee and…let’s chat.
-Melanie
